The Mech Touch

It had been weeks since Commander Casella Ingvar broke through.

She spent much of her time recovering from her previous overexertion and learning everything she needed to know as an expert pilot.

Fortunately, she received plenty of assistance in that regard. The other Larkinson expert pilots freely inducted her into their circle and shared many useful tips.

Casella also paid a visit to the MTA's main headquarters in Chance Bay. The mechers over there warmly welcomed her and provided an abundant amount of information to her. They even dispatched one of their own authorities on command-type expert pilots in order to guide her how to develop her rare abilities!

When Ves finally visited her in person, she was lounging leisurely at a private park while holding a data pad in front of her face.

She had to learn a lot more about leadership and how to command larger units in order to make the most of her capabilities in battle!

Casella wasn't alone when Ves arrived. It turned out that her brother was keeping her company as well.

The male Ingvar sibling looked a lot more subdued compared to his sister.

This was no surprise to Ves. The two had broken through to expert candidate at the same time, but their trajectories increasingly diverged over time.

Casella Ingvar not only became the legion commander of the Living Sentinels, but also became the designated mech pilot of the Quint.

When she participated in the G-Aena League, she quickly made a name for herself by leading the Larkinson Battalion to victory.

Undergoing apotheosis during the semifinals of this massive tournament was her greatest and most glorious accomplishment up to this point!

Her future was undoubtedly bright now that she had broken through. As a transcendent mech commander, she was bound to contribute massively to any major battles fought by the Larkinsons!

As for Imon Ingvar, he was still an expert candidate who had yet to stand out in any way.

He couldn't command any troops.

He got rejected by the Quint.

He never managed to perform well enough in any tournaments.

He was too burdened by doubts and uncertainty to sublimate his willpower.

Ves could clearly see that his sister's unexpected advancement had a negative effect on Imon's confidence. It was always hard for people to compare their efforts to their peers. It was especially difficult if the object of comparison was a particularly close friend or relative!

Though Ves felt pity for Imon, it was pointless for him to assuage the expert candidate with empty words.

Gloriana could probably do much better! She would surely be able to cure Imon's malaise once she completed her custom mech design!

"Patriarch."

"Patriarch."

"Hello, Ingvars." Ves greeted as he approached the siblings.

He hesitated whether he should tell Imon to wander off, but he decided against it. He didn't intend to discuss anything too sensitive this time.

"First off, congratulations for breaking through, Casella. I always thought you and your brother had promise when I initially recruited you back in Kinner Tribe territory. I'm glad to see that you have managed to bloom under the Larkinson Clan's care. Now that you have become more powerful, I hope you will be able to shoulder a greater burden in defending our clan going forward."

"I will always do what I can to protect our fellow Larkinsons." Casella spoke.

The two began to chat a bit about her new status and responsibilities in the Larkinson Clan.

While Ves listened to her responses, he studied her carefully with the help of his spiritual senses.

Her vibe was a lot different from the other Larkinson expert pilots.

One of the biggest differences between Casella and her peers was how her willpower was a lot softer and more subtle than he expected.

Expert pilots such as Venerable Orphan and Venerable Jannzi were like blunt instruments. It was completely obvious what they were all about. Their goals and conduct were so aligned that they came across as one-dimensional in many cases!

Even a more complicated individual such as Venerable Joshua still possessed an open and transparent personality. He possessed a strong will that constantly drove him to pursue the wonders of life.

That didn't mean that Commander Casella was a scatterbrained expert pilot. Ves could readily sense a lot of drive in her. She felt responsible for the Larkinsons and wanted to protect them to the best of her ability.

While Ves found it curious that Commander Casella was motivated by the same reasons as Venerable Jannzi, it quickly became clear that the Sentinel Commander did not suddenly turn rude!

Casella retained much of her calm, thoughtful and considerate personality. Ves found it a pleasure to discuss important matters with her.

In contrast, he wouldn't have been able to remain calm if he talked to Jannzi!

The more time he spent in Casella's presence, the more he sensed the differences in her force of will.

Her willpower might not be as hard and tough as that of the other expert pilots, but it possessed a much more gentle character.

Ves even felt her force of will attempting to embrace and connect to his mind as if she was a spiritual network!

This was a fascinating observation. It looked as if her force of will partially imitated the Larkinson Network!

The implications were massive. Though Casella's force of will was too weak to form any solid connections to any clansmen, the story would be completely different as long as she piloted an expert mech that designed to facilitate this process!

Ves already had a good idea on how he should tackle his next expert mech design project.

"Let's talk about your upcoming expert mech." He said, eager to broach this topic. "I'm sure you know what expert mechs can do for you. Each of them are designed and built to amplify your power by allowing you to resonate with them. We'll have to visit an exotics warehouse in order to find out which resonating materials you are compatible with, but once we find a couple of matches, our Design Department will do its best to provide you with an expert mech that maximizes your ability to influence a battle."

The Sentinel Commander nodded. Every expert pilot was entitled to receive a compatible expert mech. It was one of the ironclad customs of the mech community and this matter was especially pertinent to a clan led by a mech designer!

She had no doubt that Ves would do his best to provide her with a strong expert mech. She knew her own worth. With her command-oriented abilities, she could provide an immeasurable amount of assistance to the thousands of regular mech pilots fighting in the field!

The Larkinson Clan would be stupid to neglect her potential as a powerful force multiplier!

"I am not too well-versed in expert mechs, so I can only give my general thoughts." Casella said. "If possible, I want to pilot a mech that can function as both a rifleman mech and a command platform. I primarily need the former in order to protect myself and my clansmen against enemy expert mechs. As for the latter, I need to gain the best possible overview of a battlefield no matter how chaotic it becomes. My expert mech should also possess powerful communication systems to make sure I can stay in touch with everyone."

These were all standard demands that Ves had already expected from her. None of them were difficult to realize in an expert mech.

Ves looked forward to designing his first true command mech. Such mechs rarely showed up in skirmishes and incidental battles. They were only prevalent in large-scale military campaigns where a lot of different mech forces blended together in a war theater.

In fact, the use of command mechs was something of a controversial topic in the mech community.

On one hand, they provided battlefield commanders with excellent tools to command a battle and communicate with different units.

On the other hand, they were obvious targets that enemies loved to eliminate in order to decapitate a mech force's leadership!

In general, their use depended on the culture, history, mech doctrine and customs of a state. They were also much more useful in certain environments than others.

Though the Larkinson Clan did not make use of command mechs so far, that didn't mean that Ves hated them. He just didn't see the need to field them considering that the Larkinsons fought most of their battles in the vicinity of their fleet!

The command centers aboard ships such as the Gorgoneion and the Graveyard were able to establish much greater command and control than any command mech!

"We can do all of that." Ves told the new expert pilot. "I think we can do more, though. Every expert mech that we have designed so far all possess distinct advantages that give them an extra edge in battle. The Dark Zephyr is able to create illusionary clones of itself. The Amaranto can bend its beam attacks. The Riot is surprisingly resilient despite being an offensive mech. The First Sword can cut through anything. The Shield of Samar can manipulate gravity. The Everchanger… well, let's just say that our enemies will regret confronting it in battle."

Casella's eyes lit up when Ves mentioned the distinctive advantages of the Larkinson expert mechs. As a mech pilot herself, how could she not be attracted by these possibilities?

She sighed. "I don't know what is possible for expert mechs."

"Me neither. While I already have a few ideas, I need to conduct research in order to determine whether they are viable. We also need to find out which resonating materials you are compatible with. Hopefully, we'll be able to find a match with a resonating exotic that can amplify your leadership abilities."

Chance Bay was a huge trade nexus. A lot of new and existing resonating materials could be found in one of its many marketplaces.

Though there wasn't enough time to visit all of them, he could still bring Casella to a couple of them in the time they had left.

"Once you begin to design my expert mech, I hope you put most of the emphasis on command rather than combat. My expert mech doesn't have to be as good as the Amaranto. I can perform a much more useful role if I can reach more clansmen in battle."

Ves frowned a bit. "Are you sure you want to take this route? Expert pilots like you are powerful combatants regardless of your specializations. So far, our clan is still a bit short on expert mechs."

"Isn't that what the Battle Criers are for?" Casella responded. "Even if our next opponents field more expert mechs than us, we will not be as disadvantaged as before."

"That's… true."

"There will always be more expert pilots, sir. Each of them can become a champion or a powerhouse." She said as she directed her gaze towards her silent brother. "However, I doubt they can become powerful commanders like myself. I think it is best if I am able to excel in my role."

She had a good point. Her logic was sound and this was definitely in the best interest of the Larkinson Clan.

Once they agreed on the basic framework of the Larkinson Clan's next expert mech, Ves turned to a different subject matter.

"How's the Quint?"

Casella's mouth twitched into a smile. "The living mech is… different. I think I managed to teach it a profound lesson."

"Now that you've become an expert pilot, it's not that appropriate for you to pilot it anymore. It's best if we give the opportunity to pilot it to another expert candidate."

"I understand." She nodded. "Even though the Quint has become a lot more well-behaved as of late, I'm eager to move on to a different mech. Not all living mechs are pleasant company. Some are too irritating to spend time with. I would rather pilot an ordinary Bright Warrior until I receive my expert mech."

Ves hastily shook his head. "We don't need to go that far. If you want, we can purchase a specialized command mech from the local mech market… It's not going to be a living mech, but it will allow you to exercise your leadership capabilities in advance. What do you think?"