The Mech Touch (Web Novel)

When Ves and Gloriana returned to the Austen Estate, they were more than ready to crash into their beds and catch up on the sleep they missed.

Before they left to their own bedrooms, Gloriana held her boyfriend's arm.

"There is one more issue I want to address before we retire for the night. Our masterwork mech deserves its own name."

"That sounds like a good idea."

He agreed with her, though he failed to come up with a suggestion so far. He was still preoccupied with everything that took place today to think of a good name.

"How about the Quint?" She suggested. "It's a short and succinct name. While it doesn't sound as impressive as some of the other names attached to masterwork mechs, it will give our mech the opportunity to define its own identity."

Though Ves initially thought her suggestion sounded too plain and simple, he became swayed by her argument.

Calling their new masterwork mech something that sounded conventional such as the 'Fading Star' or the 'Zopharis Eon' didn't satisfy Ves. No description could ever fully describe the splendor of their new masterwork mech!

With four different configurations empowered by their own gems, the Bright Warrior mech they made was both versatile and powerful in different ways.

Masterwork mechs didn't have to remain stagnant in order to retain this special state.

Anyone could repair a masterwork mech once damaged as long as they restored it to its original state with matching materials.

They could even make some modifications or adjustments without breaking the quality that defined it as a masterwork!

Otherwise, Ves wouldn't have let his Devil Tiger go! The MTA wouldn't have valued masterwork mechs that much if they lost what made them special after participating in a single battle.

Stil, it was best to let the masterwork mech designer perform these changes himself, as he possessed the closest connection to their extraordinary creation.

Why this was so, Ves didn't entirely know. This was just what the MTA made public about masterwork mechs. There were still many questions and myths surrounding the nature of these kinds of products.

Due to his mental weariness, Ves didn't think much further before accepting her suggestion. "Quint it is, then. I hope this masterwork mech will stay with Joshua and the Avatars long enough to develop its own fame."

"Great! I'll put that in our applications and take care of the rest of the paperwork! Have a good rest, Ves!"

She pecked his cheek before she left with a giggle.

Ves kept hold of Lucky and moved to his chambers. Once there, he lectured his cat on what he was allowed to do. Under no circumstances should Lucky ever 'produce' a gem in Gloriana's presence!

"Meow meow!"

"No! This is non-negotiable!"

"Meowwwww~"

"Don't complain! I'm promising you a greater share of Breyer alloy in exchange for your silence! However, you'll have to increase the output of your greater gem production to keep me satisfied. Don't keep it all to yourself!"

"Meow.. meow."

"How many gems have you produced lately? I only received two, and both of them are completely useless! You have to do better, Lucky!"

After Ves set things straight with his cat, he finally retired for the night.

The next day, Ves woke up late but completely rested. After taking care of his morning routine, he discovered that Gloriana still needed more rest.

"My cousin has been through a lot. Her exhaustion reached a more alarming state than I anticipated." Ranya said when Ves called her over the comm. "For the moment, I brought her back to the treatment center in order to facilitate her recovery."

"When will she be back?"

"Not too long. It will take a day or two before she's ready to be discharged."

That didn't sound too bad. Once Ves ended his call, he decided to revisit the Quint and study it further.

For now, neither Ves nor Gloriana spread the word about their amazing accomplishment. It was such explosive news that it would definitely send shockwaves throughout his enterprise and beyond!

While Ves didn't mind that, he wanted to make sure he could leverage this news properly.

To assist him with this, he summoned Gavin to accompany him on his shuttle trip to the Avatar base.

"So why did you call me here for, boss?" His assistant spoke after Ves boarded the shuttle with Lucky.

"I want to hear your advice on our latest accomplishment."

"What is it? Is this accomplishment of yours related to the mech you and your girlfriend built?"

He nodded. He looked around and activated a signal jammer before revealing the details.

Once Gavin heard that Ves and Gloriana managed to succeed in making a masterwork, he looked shocked!

"I have no clue why everyone in the mech community obsesses so much over masterworks, but I definitely know that it shouldn���t be possible for the two of you to succeed! Every source I've read on this topic states that only Seniors should be able to start making masterworks!"

"There's an exception for everything, Benny." Ves smiled ruefully. "Human space is immense and the amount of mech designers who created masterwork mechs are considerable. Some of them are even more talented in mech design than me and managed to do the same in their teens! I haven't broken any records in this regard."

The current record holder for youngest mech designer to receive a masterwork certificate was a freak from the New Rubarth Empire.

Around sixty or seventy years ago, the galactic mech community entered into a tumult when news came out that a seventeen-year old Rubarthan managed to design a mech and produce a masterwork copy by himself!

What was remarkable about this story was that Amadeus Clae Molien, the Rubarthan prodigy, received no assistance at any point during the design and fabrication stages!

In many cases, younger mech designers managed to receive a masterwork certificate by relying heavily on older and better mech designers.

This wasn't the case with Amadeus! The Rubarthans quickly moved to publicize and celebrate the freak's record-breaking feat!

It was too bad that Amadeus died before he reached twenty-five years old. The stories surrounding his death were shrouded with confusion.

No one knew who was responsible for assassinating Amadeus! Most of the rumors pointed the finger at the Terran Confederation, while others cast suspicion on the prodigy's rivals within the Rubarthan Empire!

Some even dared to accuse the CFA of the deed in order to deprive the MTA of a powerful future ally and partner!

Even crazier was the rumors that suggested that the MTA itself got rid of Amadeus for some inexplicable reason!

Whatever the case, Amadeus died because he attracted too much attention. His continued existence threatened many powers and his death benefited them considerably.

The tale of Amadeus Clae Molien weighed heavily on Ves. While his own accomplishment was nowhere close to that of the Rubarthan prodigy, it was nonetheless extremely exceptional in an underdeveloped star sector at the very edge of the galactic rim!

Ves and Gloriana probably set a new record for youngest masterwork mech designers from the Komodo Star Sector!

In fact, the entire Yeina Star Cluster probably hadn't produced a mech designer who surpassed the pair on this front!

The huge import of this news soon dawned upon Gavin. He couldn't restrain his shock that Ves and his girlfriend of all people managed to do the impossible!

"You're right to keep the news under wraps." He said softly. "You can't suppress it forever, though. Other people have already seen the masterwork mech, right?"

"Some of our guards were present inside the workshop, though I made sure to order them to look away from us. I did order some people to transport the Quint to the Avatar base. A lot of people have seen the mech during the way. I trust the Avatars to keep their mouths shut, though."

Gavin looked skeptical. "Secrets always leak. Especially when they are exposed to this extent. No offense to your Avatars, but at any time they can always slip some information. You shouldn't assume that the Avatars who know about your Quint will stay mute forever."

"That's why I need a plan, Benny. How should we announce our accomplishment? How should we take advantage of the publicity we'll inevitably draw, and what should we be concerned about? I don't want to end up as the second Amadeus Clae Molien."

"We can't stay in the Ylvaine Protectorate." Nitaa interjected. "This state has been a fine host to you, but it is in a precarious situation. The Friday Coalition remains a clear threat to you. Once your feat becomes known, the Fridaymen will no longer dismiss you as an inconsequential individual!"

"You're right. I already planned to leave the Protectorate after finishing this project." He said. "There is nothing in the Protectorate that is compelling enough to make us stay here. We need to move on to greener pastures soon."

After satisfying Nitaa, Gavin offered his own views.

"To be honest, the timing of the announcement is not very convenient. If you had sprung me with this news when we have reached somewhere safer like the Sentinel Kingdom, then I would have told you to invite a lot of prominent members of the mech community and hold a grand banquet where you can show off your masterwork mech with pride!"

Ves frantically shook his head. "That is way too extravagant to me! I have no desire to schmooze with other mech designers. I also don't like to be exposed to so many strangers."

"Then.. we can hold a more modest press conference. Just like with the Aurora Titan's reveal event but on a smaller scale, we can invite a number of journalists and friendly acquaintances to experience your Quint in person. This is necessary if you don't want your accomplishment to be called into question."

Doing so would successfully validate his accomplishment to the wider mech community and raise his profile.

While Ves sought to raise his fame and prestige, he didn't want to attract the wrong kind of attention. He asked Gavin what he should do to mitigate the risks.

"You need to find a backer." He replied simply. "In fact, you need one already in order to be ready in case the news leaks out."

"I see.."

So far, his only choice for backer was the Wodin Dynasty. Gloriana's mother and other relatives were strong enough to guarantee his safety and freedom to all but the most major threats!

That did not sit well with Ves. he frowned as he contemplated how much he had to rely on the Wodin Dynasty to further his own goals.

As unwilling as felt, he saw no other choice!

Fortunately, Ves believed that Madame Constance Wodin would definitely regard his relationship with her daughter in a better light.

Even if they hadn't managed to create a second-class masterwork mech that was usable by one of the Wodins, he was still the youngest masterwork mech designer in the star sector or star cluster!

Best of all, he also managed to bring Gloriana along for the ride! Such a contribution should be immensely valuable to the Wodin Dynasty! Ves didn't believe that Gloriana's notoriously demanding mother would continue to disregard his worth!

"Will the Hexers back you, boss? If not, we're in trouble."

"Don't worry." Ves waved his assistant down. "Gloriana will take care of this issue when she wakes. The Wodins are already friends from what I can see. If Brutus and Ranya's change of heart is anything to go by, it shouldn't be difficult to obtain their support."

"Okay.. we should still prepare for the worst, I believe."

"That's a given. For now, I want you to start making the arrangements for the press conference, but try and hold it off for as long as possible. I'm not ready to make this announcement so soon."

"Why the delay?"

Ves smirked and tapped the side of his head. "I have an implant waiting to be installed in my head!"