The Mech Touch

Ves didn't think it was healthy for Ketis to maintain her obsession for Mayra's continued survival. The odds that she had made it through all of the turmoil that happened during the last Bright-Vesia War, the Sand War and now the Komodo War was slim.

Yet Ketis wasn't able to think with reason whenever her thoughts strayed in this direction. Her strong emotions amplified by her extraordinarily powerful will completely overrid her better senses.

There were instances where clinging to hope was useful. There were also instances where hope hindered the healing process and prevented people from moving on. Ves was afraid that the latter applied to Ketis.

Yet how could he persuade her to let go and move on? To someone who valued loyalty as much as him, his suggestion would no doubt come across as a form of betrayal to her. The Swordmaidens were notoriously close to each other. This was the true meaning of a sisterhood.

At least other Swordmaidens had definitely perished such as Commander Lydia. It was a lot easier for the survivors to move on knowing that they did not have any obligation to look for the deceased founder of their outfit.

"Meow…" Lucky pawed Ves from behind.

"Yeah, you're right." He sighed. "This isn't my struggle. Ketis is a big girl now. She is more than capable of taking care of her own problems."

No mech designer enjoyed a smooth ride. Everyone had to deal with setbacks over the course of their professional and personal lives. People were only able to mature if they learned how to handle each and every issue.

Once Ketis fully regained her composure, she took one last look at the exhibit that honored her first mentor before she left the alley with Ves and Lucky.

The two mech designers walked side by side while Lucky began to fool around with Sharpie.

When Ketis' companion spirit steered Bloodsinger so that it began to fly horizontally, Lucky landed on the flat of the sheathed blade and posed as if he was valiantly riding on a boat.

Swish swish!

"Meow!"

The sight was so comical that the bystanders couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Some even took recordings so that they could share it with their friends over the Larkinson Clan's internal network.

Ves and Ketis also became amused at the antics of their pets.

"Sometimes, I wish I had a cat too." Ketis giggled.

Her words caused Bloodsinger to fluctuate, causing Lucky's footing to become unstable.

Swish swish!

"Meow meow!"

"Ah, I would never pick any cat over you, Sharpie. A sword will always be my closest partner."

Swish~!

Ves briefly inspected Sharpie and noted that the companion spirit had grown a bit more since the last time he inspected it. He wasn't sure how swordmasters progressed, but from what he could observe, Ketis didn't appear to be slowing down.

If he had to make a comparison, then he would equate her progress to that of an expert pilot who had access to an expert mech. Ketis had recently upgraded Bloodsinger to the point that it perfectly matched her like an expert mech. Now that her weapon had become even better, she must have entered a golden period in her swordmaster career.

It was too bad that Bloodsinger was nowhere close to a masterwork weapon. Ves was quite interesting to know if wielding a masterwork sword would help Ketis with becoming a sword saint.

"What do you think about your chances today?" Ves asked as he gestured all around him. "Do you think that all of this will help you make your desired swordsman mech?"

"I think I will." She said with steel in her voice. "There is too much riding on our upcoming fabrication run. I can't afford to disappoint all of my supporters. Venerable Dise also deserves to receive the best mech that we can possibly provide. I won't settle for a mediocre outcome when I know that I can do better!"

She sounded similar to Gloriana and not in a good way. Ves was afraid that she was setting herself up for a harsher fall than necessary.

Yet… it was exactly because of all of everything riding on his wife's shoulders that she was able to maintain a consistently high performance. She cared too much so she was extremely motivated to attain success.

If Ketis wanted to rely on pressure to push her beyond her limits, then that was her choice.

As Ves and Ketis continued to chat about their upcoming fabrication run, they eventually reached the entrance to the mech arena.

The entire venue had undergone an even more extreme makeover. Its circular facade was bedecked with sword banners and grand displays of some of the best moments of the Swordmaidens in battle.

From their valiant attempt to defeat the raiding Fridaymen in the Battle of Kesseling VIII to their awesome confrontation against Venerable Foster and her Jeanne D'Arc, the entire arena had been transformed into a giant altar that honored the Swordmaidens.

Of course, there were plenty of statues, projections and other displays that highlighted the expert pilot who would eventually be the one to pilot the upcoming creation.

Her dark-toned skin, her bald head, her athletic frame, her distinctive stripes around her neck along with her personal Unending greatsword conveyed a unique blend of ferocity and dignity.

She was one of the strongest warriors in the clan, but maintained near-absolute control over herself. She was the quintessential Swordmaiden that all of her sisters aspired to become. With her greatsword in hand, she looked ready to cut an enemy mech in half without even needing to hop into a cockpit!

"This celebration is for her, not us." Ketis emphasized. "We are merely the instruments that will bestow her with the expert mech that she deserves."

Ves nodded in agreement. "It has been a long time indeed. I think the wait is worth it, especially when we consider all of the gains we made after completing the Amaranto and Vanguard Project."

They were as ready as they could be. Ves noticed that Ketis was slowly building up momentum as they made their way to the open workshop. The significance of this moment along with the expectations of all of the people around her caused her to become more driven than ever. Her force of will became more and more honed as she began to discard many distractions from her mind.

At this moment, she no longer allowed herself to be distracted by other matters. Only her work and her upcoming task were important.

Ves could already feel an energy of excitement in the main arena as they stepped onto the converted grounds.

The open workshop and all of the sophisticated production equipment was placed in the center of the arena grounds.

Active shields and other energy barriers isolated every disturbance that could possibly affect or ruin the fabrication processes that would soon take place. Whether it was sound, vibrations, radiation or anything else, nothing could be allowed to disturb the Journeymen as they went to work!

The only exception was light. After several discussions, Ves and the rest eventually agreed to allow light to pass through both ways. This would not only help the spectators track the progress of the fabrication run, but also allow Ketis and other mech designers to see how many people were banking on their success.

Surrounding the open workshop was an elaborate circular performance field. There were raised stages, statues of Swordmaidens and their iconic greatswords and even functional Bright Warriors in swordsman mech configurations on the field.

Each of these elements would play a role over the course of the next week. The Swordmaidens and Heavensworders had plenty of time to plan out and prepare for a full itinerary that would basically unfold as a non-stop show that was meant to entertain and inspire everyone in the mech arena.

The stands were already being filled with enthusiastic Larkinsons. The overwhelming majority were Heavensworders but Larkinsons from other corners of the clan showed up as well.

Certain VIPs occupied the closest seats. This included the Swordmaidens, the assistant mech designers of the Design Department and other notable clansmen.

Ves and Ketis met with Venerable Dise herself right before they reached the open workshop. The expert pilot looked especially valiant today as she had donned a dressier and more ornamental version of the standard light green Swordmaiden uniform.

Dise betrayed her pirate roots by continuing with the practice of adorning her uniform with battle trophies. Various bones, teeth, salvaged weapons and even a broken shard salvaged from the damaged Jeanne D'Arc proudly clung to her frame.

"Ves. Ketis. It's good to see you here."

"Venerable Dise." Ves respectfully nodded. "The big day has finally arrived. I've heard that you will be playing an important role in conducting the rituals. Are you ready for that?"

She smirked. "Facing a crowd is easier than confronting an expert mech while piloting a regular mech. Besides, I'm not the person who will be directing all of the rituals. You should check up with Deputy Director Fred Walinski."

The old man who initiated Ketis into the Annihilator Sword School was standing a short distance away. He was addressing a crowd of technicians and Swordmaidens to make sure they were on the same page.

When Ves approached the former Heavensworder, the man dismissed his subordinates and bowed.

"Patriarch Ves. It is an honor to meet the teacher of Swordmaster Ketis. What is your will?"

"I'm just checking up on stuff. So you're the person who will be determining what will happen around here, right?"

"Correct."

"So what are the rituals like?"

"It's difficult to describe them to someone who is unused to Heavensworder culture." Fred awkwardly replied. "Have no fear, sir. My former state has built up a large and extensive repertoire of rituals and ceremonies. We have selected the most appropriate and tasteful of them to make sure that the coming week will be fully spent on honoring swordsmanship in every possible way."

"Do you think these rituals will actually work?"

"They will. They are all part of the sacred traditions that have kept the Heavensword Association and all of its unique sword styles alive. We will definitely ensure that Ketis and you will receive the blessings you need to forge the sword that shall arm one of great sword wielders!"

Ves got the impression that Fred and the Heavensworders deeply believed that they could make a difference. He wasn't so sure about that, but he was willing to let them indulge in their fantasies.

With a true believer at the helm, the rituals were bound to make an impression on the crowd.

As Ves continued to ask a few more questions about the upcoming ceremonies, he noticed that Gloriana and Juliet had also arrived.

From the smiles on their faces, he could tell that they had just finished their prayers before the statue of the Superior Mother.

Although Gloriana wanted to fabricate her next expert mech in its presence, Ves deemed it inappropriate. This was an occasion that was completely dedicated to Venerable Dise and the Swordmaidens. Hexer influences weren't invited this time. Even if the Superior Mother descended once again, Ketis would probably tell the meddling ancestral spirit to go back as she wanted to rely on her own supporters to fabricate her first true swordsman mech!

"Are you ready?"

Both female Journeymen nodded.

"Alright, then let's head inside."

The four Journeymen simultaneously passed through the energy barriers and took their places. They activated all of the production equipment and checked their conditions one last time before they confirmed that everything was in order.

Ves looked at Ketis, who nodded.

Upon receiving the start signal, both Fred Walinski and Venerable Dise walked side by side as they ascended the highest podium on the arena grounds.

The crowd automatically quieted down as the two important figures drew everyone's attention.

Fred swept his gaze all around him before he smiled. "Welcome, Larkinsons, to the first public creation of an expert mech! Sit back and be ready, for you are about to witness a miracle in the making!"