The Mech Touch

A line of Larkinsons gradually moved up to the podium and the raised throne to take part in this historic moment.

The ornate tome covered by brilliant metallic alloys lay open while resting on a floating bot.

Each Larkinson at the front wrote their names, signed their signatures and infused the paper-like material of their own page with a drop of their blood.

Both anticipation and excitement suffused the moods of the Larkinsons.

Taking part in this ritual was a very novel experience! This moment would be commemorated years, decades and perhaps even centuries from this day!

As long as they and their descendants stood strong, the Founding of the Larkinson Clan would always be remembered as the beginning of a glorious record!

No matter how small, trivial or unimportant a Larkinson was, as long as he or she left their marks on the pages of the Larkinson Mandate, they became a founder of an illustrious clan of warriors and entrepreneurs!

Even the youngest of Larkinsons weren't spared! The babies happily gurgled in the embrace of their mothers as they instinctively sensed the joy and achievement among the Larkinsons attending this remarkable event.

As more and more Larkinsons kept marking the Larkinson Mandate, the hefty tome started to become increasingly more significant.

This was the book that defined the Larkinson Clan!

Its symbolic importance was very evident. By recording the annals of the original Larkinson Family as well as holding the original rules and strictures of the clan, it instantly became an heirloom beyond compare!

Not a mech, but a book!

Only a creator like Ves could develop an object and make his relatives accept it as an artifact without question!

The Larkinson who held this heirloom ruled the clan!

Its significance to everyone meant that only the clan leader had the right to bear this sacred relic!

The weighty ceremony and the close exposure to the Larkinson Mandate caused every Larkinson to form a myriad of associations to the newly-founded Larkinson Clan.

The more his relatives became invested in the clan, the more the heirloom became charged by their energy.

This was not a symbolic description to Ves. It was something that took place before his very own eyes!

As Ves remained seated on the throne, he maintained a reserved smile while observing the ongoing ritual carefully with his spiritual vision!

Each time the blood of a Larkinson dripped onto a page, a minute amount of spiritual energy empowered the surface.

Though he didn't know this beforehand, blood was a carrier of spiritual energy!

With hundreds of pages containing hundreds of drops of blood, the collective spirit and bloodline of the Larkinson lineage continued to deepen their imprints on the book!

Of course, if someone else attempted to replicate this ritual, the effect wouldn't be so drastic.

Secretly, Ves made several preparations to enable this experiment!

First, he sacrificed a significant portion of a P-stone in the creation of the Larkinson Mandate!

He processed a portion of the P-stone and blended it into the Breyer alloy and other materials that made up the metallic cover and medallion of the book!

Though this injection of foreign matter detrimentally affected the strength of the materials, Ves had already confirmed that they gained the ability to absorb spiritual energy from an earlier experiment!

Not only that, but Ves also crushed another chunk of P-stone into extremely fine dust and used it as the main component of the paper-like material that made up the pages of the book!

Ves did not waste a P-stone in vain. The sacrifice of this valuable strategic resource infused the Larkinson Mandate with the capacity to hold spiritual energy.

Technically, it was a waste since breaking up so much P-stone and processing them in various ways reduced their total efficiency. He should have been able to store more spiritual energy for the amount of P-stone he invested into the book.

It didn't matter, though. A P-stone already possessed a generous capacity. What mattered more to Ves was if he could leverage this added capability.

From what he had observed so far, the book functioned exactly as he intended!

Of course, the Larkinsons who walked up and marked the book weren't capable of separating a portion of their spiritual energy and infusing it into their blood.

Ves had to manipulate this procedure in the dark. This took quite some effort.

Though Ves appeared to sit idly on the throne like a figurehead, in truth he was exerting his mind and Spirituality.

Each time a Larkinson interacted with the book, Ves swooped in with a spiritual projection that gently coaxed a tiny mote of spirituality from the unsuspecting individual.

Performing this operation in a matter of seconds was a great test of his fine control. He not only had to harvest the mote of spirituality quickly, but also minimize the harm of the Larkinson as much as possible!

Predictably, his initial attempts were a little rough, though it got better over time. Practice made perfect, and as Ves repeated the same procedure over and over again, he became more refined in his spiritual manipulation.

Most of the Larkinsons that stepped up did not possess spiritual potential. Their spiritualities were so small and insignificant that Ves could only harvest the barest of spiritual traces from their minds.

Fortunately, Ves harvested so little from them that they only experienced some loss of energy or mood.

Though they would definitely become affected by his actions, Ves figured the ends justified the means.

He was doing this for the good of the Larkinson Clan! Strengthening the Larkinson Mandate by infusing it with the spiritualities of so many Larkinsons not only increased its spiritual quality, but also built up to another outcome!

He became more and more eager to proceed to the next step of this experiment.

Though none of the Larkinsons were aware of what he was actually trying to do, their reverence towards the Larkinson Mandate continually increased.

Those who approached the tome all sensed its increasing presence. The impact of the object on the Larkinsons at the end of the line couldn't be described! It was as if the Larkinsons were basking in the presence of a sacred relic, one that had been created for the sole purpose of serving their clan!

With such a fine heirloom in their possession, the Larkinsons looked forward to what they could do in the future!

As the long line finally came to an end, the last Larkinsons who donated a portion of their blood and spirit to the book returned to their seats.

By now, the remarkable nature of the Larkinson Mandate became evident to everyone attending the ceremony in person. The Larkinsons watching the proceedings via projection only received a hint of the relic's majesty, but it was already enough to make many of them regret staying behind in the old family.

Compared to the Larkinson Family, the Larkinson Clan appeared much more eager to move forward. The willingness to embrace change and to set forth into the unknown decisively separated the clan from the family!

Ves was about to address the crowd yet again as he picked the book. Its gold-and-black surface seemed to reflect a mysterious luster. The thick medallion protruding from the surface of the front cover depicted the golden cat emblem with a remarkable degree of vitality. Its red cat eyes appeared to shine with an invisible inner light!

He was almost ready to proceed with the next phase of the experiment. However, the third part of the tome was not yet complete.

It still contained five empty pages at the very end.

"Before we proceed, I would like to introduce you to a couple of brave and heroic Larkinsons. Their strength is obvious to all, and their service to the clan will bless us with their protection! Please welcome Jannzi Larkinson and Tusa Billingsley-Larkinson!"

The massive double doors that had closed at the start of the event opened up yet again. Two Larkinsons still garbed in the dress uniforms of the Mech Corps strode forward with the confidence that only an extraordinary individual possessed!

As they strode down the center, the Larkinsons who sat at the sides each gazed at the newcomers with respect and admiration.

Both Jannzi and Tusa were expert candidates! To many of their relatives, it came as a complete surprise that this pair not only joined the Larkinson Clan, but also managed to leave the Bright Republic without finishing their full tours of service!

In fact, their joining was something long in the making. With the bargaining power that Ves possessed, he was capable of demanding concessions from the Bright Republic.

Though it was not entirely proper to allow Jannzi and Tusa to leave the service, the state had already shown a willingness to bend the rules whenever it suited its interests.

Since Ves wanted the pair of expert candidates, the Bright Republic might as well fulfill his wish!

Fortunately, both Jannzi and Tusa were just expert candidates for the moment. This meant that their participation in the Sand War wasn't significant enough to affect the survival of the Bright Republic.

The greater cost to the Mech Corps was that Ves essentially robbed them of two potential expert pilots. Ves had to offer some small promises to the state in order to secure this favor.

The moment the two expert candidates reached the throne, they both repeated the same process. As they shed their blood, Ves had been on point and extracted a considerably larger amount of spirituality from the two young expert candidates.

As mech pilots who possessed developing spiritual potential, they were able to provide a lot more strength than the other Larkinsons!

While their sacrifice was greater, the rewards they gained would definitely pay off in the end!

"Please be seated, honored clan members."

Both Jannzi and Tusa nodded at Ves before leaving the podium and seating themselves on the chairs that emerged from the floor.

Three empty pages remained, but Ves did not invite anyone to mark the Larkinson Mandate.

Instead, he moved on. It was almost time for the climax of this ceremony!

"By participating in this ceremony, each of us have become the founders of the Larkinson Clan." Ves patted the surface of the book with affection. "Be proud. Be hopeful. Be ready. Each of you have decided to follow me when I needed your support the most. I will forever cherish the names written in this book. As the holder of this Mandate, I vow to you all that I will endeavor to led the clan to greatness as its patriarch!"

Ves swept his hand over a portion of the front cover of the book. Through unknown means, golden letters appeared on the surface which formed the motto of the Larkinson Clan!

PER ANGUSTA AD AUGUSTA

"Through difficulties to honors! This shall be the guiding principle of our clan!"

The Larkinsons all rose and clapped at his words! Some even released exultant roars as if they could already see the prosperous future of the clan! Their excitement was almost palpable!

"Each of you has formed a pact with us all by marking this book. From now on, the Larkinson Clan will continue to exist and prosper as long as you and your descendants hold true to our tenets! This book carries the will and spirit of our bloodline, and will protect us so long as we are loyal to the clan!"

The audience didn't need much prompting to say the right words.

"WE PLEDGE OUR LOYALTY TO THE CLAN!"

Their words thundered throughout the entire hall! Not only that, but due to their latent spiritual connections to the Larkinson mandate, their pledges practically energized the spiritual nature of the book!

As the Larkinsons shouted slogans and pledged their undying loyalty to the Larkinson Clan, Ves secretly infused the last three pages with spiritual marks.

He concentrated his mind in three different strains. Each of them made contact with three different design spirits!

"It is time." He mentally communicated.