The Mech Touch

It didn't surprise Ves that turning their first Bright Warrior into a masterwork mech was enough to win Gloriana's mother approval.

From a benefit standpoint, the boost he provided to Gloriana was enormous.

The Wodins invested a lot in her upbringing and expected a healthy return on investment.

Turning her into a Journeyman Mech Designer was not enough. She had to become a Senior in order to break even and advance to Master in order for her dynasty to earn a profit!

Normally, this took a very long time to come into fruition. As brilliant as Gloriana appeared to be, it was unlikely for her to advance to Senior before she reached fifty years old!

During this time, anything could happen. Gloriana might encounter a mishap that ended her career early. She might stagnate and stop improving.

In short, Gloriana's value to the Wodin Dynasty was anything but settled

Yet now that they made the Quint, the entire picture changed.

What did it mean to become a masterwork mech designer at her age?

Usually, it signified that she possessed a very high aptitude for mech design! Her chances of becoming a Senior was practically assured, while advancing one step further to Master had also been raised!

More than that, the worth of a masterwork mech designer was extremely valuable in itself, especially at the Journeyman-level and more so at their ages!

Once the MTA handed over a masterwork certificate to her, Gloriana would definitely become an existence that brought a great amount of glory and prestige to the Wodin Dynasty!

Her incredible success vindicated all of the money and resources her mother and the dynasty spent on her! As an investment vehicle, Gloriana's return on investment at this stage in her career already surpassed their most optimistic projections!

Therefore, even if Ves and Gloriana hadn't managed to make a proper second-class masterwork mech, it didn't matter.

Once Gloriana became capable of making masterwork mech, she could definitely do it again!

What surprised Ves was how quickly the Wodin Dynasty changed its stance on him! The transition from mild indifference and disapproval to open support was too abrupt!

Though Ves anticipated that the Wodins would have a change of heart, what his girlfriend told him next continued to surpass his expectations!

"My brother will be here to stay with us." Gloriana nudged her head to Brutus. "My mother has personally arranged him and the rest of the Glory Battalion to protect us both. Isn't that great? If the incident on Cloudy Curtain happens again, my escorts won't stand by anymore and let others take you away!"

Ves looked astonished for a moment before he started to chuckle. "Your mother sure has her priorities straight. She knows that I'm vital to your continued success!"

"Exactly!" Gloriana grinned at him. "I've been trying my best to convince her to see you in a better light, and now I've finally succeeded! My mother has finally blessed our relationship! Do you know what this means?!"

"Your mother won't force us to separate us at the end of the three-year deadline anymore?"

"Hihi! Not that, silly. It means we can sleep in the same bed from now on! You don't have to wait anymore!"

"Miss Gloriana!" Melody protested from the side. She looked aghast! "Please remember your decorum!"

Both Brutus and Ranya looked unsettled. Gloriana's brother even directed a glare at Ves, which was accompanied by a push from his force of will!

If Ves was a regular boy, then Brutus would have definitely been able to scare Ves until he was numb!

Unfortunately, Ves was no slouch in the spiritual domain. He easily brushed aside the intimidation attempt.

That said, Ves wasn't exactly sure how to take this new development. For some reason, the thought of sharing the same bed with Gloriana sent shivers through his back!

At this moment, he would rather stick to their old arrangement of sleeping in different beds!

"Let's not act too hasty here, Gloriana. What would your mother think?"

"Hehe, she's not here now. I'm in charge!"

Ves turned to Gloriana's assistant. "What do you think, Melody?"

The woman looked unamused. "Madame Constance prefers the two of you to act with restraint. She has conveyed a desire to meet Mr. Larkinson in person."

That caused Gloriana to jump. "This is a good opportunity for us to bring you to the Hegemony and introduce you to my mother in person! Once you become a masterwork mech designer, no Hexer will ridicule you! They will all envy me for believing in you when every other Hexer disapproved!"

"You know my stance on this matter. My opinion hasn't changed." Ves replied with a mild glare at her overenthusiastic girlfriend.

"Oh.. well.. I told my mother that. She.. responded much better than I thought."

"What does that mean?"

"She.. she's fine if you want to stay out of the Hegemony."

"Huh?"

Ves wanted to rub his ears. Did he hear that right? From what he heard, Constance Wodin was notoriously strict and old-fashioned. He never expected her to drop the demand that Ves should travel to the Hegemony and meet with her in person!

"I know you don't like the Hegemony, Ves." Gloriana said softly. "You made that abundantly clear."

"I.. I never thought you would remember that. I expected you to overlook my demands. You always have a habit of doing that when it suits your purposes."

"Oh, Ves. I am always trying to do what is best for you. I still think that you should visit my mother, but I accept your wish if you don't want to be surrounded by my own people."

He could hardly believe what he was hearing. While he thought it was plausible for the woman who knew him best to accept his desire to avoid the Hegemony, he never thought her mother would agree so easily!

"So what happens now?"

"My mother still wants to talk to you, though. While it's not convenient to do so at the moment, she decided to make an exception for us and is willing to talk to you on the galactic net!"

The very thought of it filled Ves with apprehension! He much preferred for Madame Constance to stick to her rigid ways and insist on a personal meeting that would never happen!

"Well, let's talk about it after I've integrated my new implant. Is there anything else that I should know?"

She nodded. "My mother is concerned about our safety. She prefers it if we depart the Ylvaine Protectorate as soon as possible and travel to the Hegemony or a region that is under my state's protection."

"Those are my thoughts as well." Ves replied. "I don't have a good destination in mind aside from the Sentinel Kingdom."

"Sentinel works. It's so far away from the Friday Coalition that its influence is non-existent in this state!"

"Alright, then. Let's set that as our next destination. I don't want to stay there forever, though. Once we get there, I think it's time for us to start earning some MTA merits. I plan to accept some missions from the Rim Guardians."

Gloriana frowned. "What about the Komodo War?"

He scoffed. "You Hexers don't need a 'boy' like me to win your battles. Look, I don't mind designing some mechs for the Hegemony, but I don't want to get too involved. The grand expedition is what's important to me. No matter what happens in our star sector, it's all inconsequential to me once I've left this galaxy!"

Though his remark upset the Wodins at the dinner table, they quickly schooled their expressions.

Ves observed their reactions and gleaned some clues from their quick response.

"I.. understand." His girlfriend said. "I'll do my best to support you, Ves. After everything you have done for me, you deserve to have your way. I'm sure my mother will convince the rest that we don't have to be in the Hegemony in order to contribute to the war."

"Good. In truth, I'm thinking about leaving all of the troubles of the Komodo Star Sector behind and travel to a different star sector. I can perform some missions for the Rim Guardians without worrying about getting hounded by the Fridaymen all the time. Is that okay?"

"As I've said, I'll support every decision you make."

She looked very reluctant when she said those words! Her brother and her cousin also looked upset!

Too bad Ves didn't care about their desires. He was more than done with the Komodo Star Sector. He wanted to pursue a fresh start while at the same time make a practice run at adopting a nomadic lifestyle.

As long as he had enough time, Ves wanted to tour several star sectors and acclimatize his clansmen and subordinates to the life of a spaceborn clan!

Staying in the same place all the time would do nothing to prepare his people for the trip of their lifetimes!

At this moment, Brutus decided to speak up. "It is dangerous for the two of you to travel once your accomplishments become known."

Gloriana nodded. "That's true. Masterwork mech designers as young as us will inevitably attract attention, and some of it won't be of the good kind! It's a good thing that we'll be receiving some reinforcements, then!"

That was news to Ves!

"Reinforcements?"

"Yup!" Gloriana smiled. "My mother arranged some additional protection for us. It will take some time for them to rendez-vous with us, so don't expect our security to be bolstered immediately."

Ves appreciated the assistance. Anything that made him safer was a boon in his book. He was just unsure whether the reinforcements would listen to Gloriana's orders.

The conversation continued long past dessert. Ves continued to ask questions while Gloriana patiently answered his questions.

At some moments, either Brutus or Ranya would interject.

Only after Ves ran out of questions did they separate for the evening.

"Excuse me, Ves. I still need to make some arrangements. I also have to prepare your bed so that I can sleep in it tonight, hihi!"

"You don't have to do that!"

"But I want to!"

Once Gloriana skipped away, Ves retreated to his private office and settled down behind his desk. He sighed and glanced towards Lucky, who was staring back with glinting eyes.

Ves patted his cat on the head. "Do you think this is funny?!"

"Meow."

"You don't understand! You have Clixie while I have Gloriana!"

"Meow meow."

"I don't have time for that! Not with everything that is going on! Ask me again when we have left this star sector and escaped the reach of the Friday Coalition."

"Meow."

Ves crossed his arms and turned his head away from his insolent cat. He instead directed his attention to his silent but loyal bodyguard.

"Nitaa, what do you think about the conversation earlier? Are the Wodins sincere?"

"Your girlfriend masks her intentions well." Nitaa stoically replied. "Even as a woman, I have always found it difficult to decipher her true thoughts."

"You're not the only one." Ves sardonically replied.

"Brutus is very disciplined. He always maintains control over his body language and mannerisms. The only Wodin who I can read with a reasonable degree of certainty of Dr. Ranya Wodin."

"What did you find out?"

"The Wodins value you, that is for certain. Dr. Ranya's attitude towards you has shifted significantly from the beginning. She is much more amenable to your company. I believe she even respects you in the same way she respects Miss Gloriana."

"That's good. I guess I have a few less concerns about my upcoming implant surgery now. I suspect that is not the extent of what you wish to say, right?"

Nitaa grunted. "I don't have any solid reason why, but I am not entirely at ease with the Wodins. While I have always known you are a great person, it is surprising that your girlfriend's relatives have turned around so quickly. This does not conform with their prior attitudes and stance towards you. Something smells."

"Is that your extraordinary nose talking?"

The bodyguard grimaced. "No. It is my intuition that is warning me. The Wodins are pursuing their own agenda."

Ves shrugged. "Aren't we all?"