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Published at 23rd of February 2020 08:40:06 PM
Chapter 1243: 1243

Ves really couldn't be bothered with facilitating relations between the Bright Republic and the Ylvaine Protectorate .


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After receiving Leland's request, Ves handed it over to Calsie and told her to take care of it in his stead .

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to use us as a bridge to build up relations between our two states . Just do enough to keep them happy . "

After taking care of that matter, Ves addressed some other matters as well . One of the most important one was to pay a visit to the base of the Avatars of Myth in order to meet with Coyin Larkinson, a retired infantryman .

The man looked as if he was getting on in his years . Despite his age, he still possessed a tough and fit body .

"So you're the brat who needs my services, right?" Coyin asked when Ves entered the room with Melkor .

Ves did not look amused . He stared at the man and applied some pressure .

That caused Coyin's face to color a bit . The old man began to stand up straighter . "Looks like it's true . You do have some of the air of an expert pilot around you! As expected of the Devil Tongue!"

"Please don't mention that awful name . " Ves said with a grimace .

"Why not? You should be proud of it! It shows that you're a fighter! Let it not be said that us Larkinsons are cowards!"

After talking a bit with Coyin, Ves quickly got his measure . He was typical to retired Larkinsons, always harping on about their past glory and how well they fought in the previous wars .

Aside from an intense hate for the Vesians, the old Larkinson seemed capable enough to lead the first guard infantry company of the Avatars of Myth . The man may be stody, but he knew his business and he possessed a lot of actual battle experience .

"Not every Larkinson who doesn't possess the right genetic aptitude wants to remain a civilian . " Coyin said with his gruff voice . "Although guard duty and infantry combat isn't as exciting as piloting mech these days, they're just as essential . It's a noble calling . "

"I'm not arguing with that . " Ves said . "That's also why I need you to set up a guard force that is ready to guard me and other important people working at the LMC . Although I already have a very extensive security contract with Sanyal-Ablin, they aren't able to accompany me everywhere . "

Coyin recognized the name . "SASS is really good . Expensive too, but good . However, I heard that the main reason why they're so spread around the Komodo Star Sector is because they extend the influence of the Konsu Clan of the Friday Coalition . Why go through the trouble of inserting spies and risking all kinds of trouble when you can just establish a security company and send them out openly as security experts?"


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"I know that's a possibility . That's why I want the Avatars of Myth to slowly take over the responsibilities of SASS . Whether it's mechs, guard infantry or virtual security, I want the Avatars of Myth to offer the full gamut of all the services a regular security company offers . "

This comprehensive list of demands caused both Melkor and Coyin to be taken aback .

Melkor shifted pensively on his feet . "That's a very serious effort, Ves . Covering virtual security is a whole other field . We'll have to set up a dedicated department just to provide the minimum level of protection . "

"Take your time . For now, SASS is sufficient to cover this responsibility . "

A mech company like the LMC constantly accumulated a lot of sensitive internal data . It would be bad if others managed to get access to them, but it was not that big of a deal .

The most valuable data was stored inside the heads of the mech designers of the company . This was also why Ves prioritized his personal safety before the safety of the LMC's databases .

Once he finished instructing Melkor on what he expected from the Avatars, Ves left the base and returned to headquarters . He tracked down Ketis and Lucky at the company's living area .

"You know, Ves, you should get a house or a villa like the ones we stayed at in the Protectorate . " She said as she was eating a meal by the dining table .

Lucky was eating his lunch as well, as Ketis served him a bowl of low-grade exotics . The cat blissfully munched the minerals on the table .

"I thought you didn't care about homes, Ketis . "

"I used to live on starships, so I never really saw the point of houses . It's different now that I don't necessarily have to sleep in the same place where I work . I think it would be nice to live in a place of my own perhaps . You got lots of money, right? Why not spend some of that to build a nice home?"

Now that she brought it up, Ves did indeed miss living in his own home . The last time he truly lived in a proper home was his father's house in Freslin .

He still owned the modest middle-class dwelling, but it was wholly inadequate for a mech designer of his stature . The security risks alone made it unsuitable for his use .

"You know what, you're right . I do need a new home . I think it's best to keep it close to the Mech Nursery for security reasons, but they don't need to be within sight of each other . Can you take care of it? Coordinate with Calsie or Gavin to help organize the construction of a new villa . "


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Ketis looked surprised . "Really? You're letting me take charge of the construction project?"

"I don't have the time nor interest to manage this project . It's just a home . Just make sure to prioritize safety . I've become very prominent lately, so you need to make sure that my accommodation is secure . "

Just like before, Ves delegated a responsibility to someone else . Since Ves did not have any new design projects in store for the foreseeable future, he needed to keep Ketis busy somehow . Putting her in charge of constructing a new villa should occupy her for a couple of months .

"Now that you're here, there's something else I wanted to talk about, Ves . I want to start earning my own keep . "

That sounded serious enough for Ves to pay full attention . "You sound very determined . "

"I've been thinking about why I'm here, Ves . I've been enjoying your help and attention for a long time, but I've hardly paid you back for all the favors you've done . "

"You are thinking about designing your own mech?" Ves guessed .

She nodded . "I think I'm ready to do something on my own . Even if it's designing a variant, I want to learn how to design a mech without your help . This is something I need . "

"You're right . A mech designer ought to be able to design a mech by themselves . " Ves agreed, though he felt very apprehensive about letting Ketis off on her own . "Are you sure you're up for the challenge?"

"I'm more than ready . The experience I've gained from helping you with the Aurora Titan and Transcendent Messenger designs is enough for me to manage my own approach . "

She was ready . Ves could feel it . Now only did she overflow with passion and enthusiasm, she also prepared well .

However, even if her intentions were good, the time may not be right .

"Whatever mech you design won't sell well in the current market environment . " He cautioned . "Not only is everyone waiting for the next mech generation, a variant designed by a novice generally don't sell very well . Even if you make your mech so cheap that its product margin is razor thin, it won't have any impact on the mech market . "

Ketis shrugged . "I know it's tough for Novices like me to get a start . Didn't you start small as well? You can't baby me forever, Ves! I have to advance so that I can develop my own superpower!"


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"Not that again . " Ves groaned . "I can't believe you still take that delusion seriously . "

Her stubborn face showed that his argument didn't take hold . "I'll find out by myself when I advance to Journeyman . Until then, I need to have a lot more practice and design experience under my belt . Helping you out in your designs is great, but a girl has to stand up on her own sometimes, you know?"

"Is there anything else behind this decision?"

"Yeah . Remember the Swordmaidens? I got back in touch with them lately . "

Ves looked interested . "How are they doing?"

"They took an awful beating . You know how bad it got at the end . The worst thing about it is that their backers only handed over a single lump sum of money for all of the stuff they did . Commander Dise thinks the Swordmaidens outlived their usefulness in their eyes . "

"I would have thought that their backers would have appreciated your old outfit because it's led by an expert candidate . "

Due to an extraordinary event on Aeon Corona VII, both Captain Orfan of the Flagrant Vandals and Commander Dise of what used to be Lydia's Swordmaidens advanced to expert candidates .

While this did not guarantee that they would be able to take the next step and advance to expert pilot, the possibility of it alone was very valuable! To Ves, a single expert candidate was worth as much as the Swordmaidens in their prime!

"Commander Dise didn't tell our backers anything about her recent advancement . Most Swordmaidens who knew about it died on the planet . Aside from sharing her secret to the highest-ranking Swordmaidens, she's been keeping her improvement under wraps . "

That sounded wise . Expert candidates were extremely attention-grabbing, especially in a depraved region like the frontier . If it became known that the Swordmaidens harbored an expert candidate, then the Dragon Alliance or the Ravienne Alliance would quickly come and 'invite' them to be a part of their pirate group .

"Still, it must be tough for the Swordmaidens to rebuild their strength after such a devastating loss . "

"They're managing for now . It takes years to train up new Swordmaidens, so they're laying low . " Ketis said . "The only issue that's becoming increasingly more pressing is that their bag of money will eventually run out . They will need some money in order to sustain their recovery, and they're looking at us to supplement their income . "

Ves still remembered the deal he made with Commander Dise . "I'm willing to lend a hand, but not for free . "

"I know . That's also why I want to design my own mechs . I don't have any use for the money . I might as well pass it onto the Swordmaidens . "

This must be the main reason why Ketis wanted to strike out on her own . While Ves was still apprehensive whether her first design would be any good, at the very least she gained some very necessary experience .

He also thought about how to approach cases like this when his subordinate mech designers wanted to design their own mechs .

He began to explain his scheme . "If you happen to design a new mech, I can offer you several options upon finishing it . You can hand it over to me to uptune your design and elevate it to my standards . This is a lot of work, though . So in exchange for this service, you'll have to cede a proportionate amount of ownership of the design to me for fairness sake . "

"I don't like this option . It sounds as if most of the effort I put into my designs is pointless since you're just going to override most of my design choices . "

"The other option I can offer you is to publish your design under a different brand name . Your work will still belong to you, but it won't be associated with my main brand . Instead, I'll think up a different but related brand for designs that don't meet the LMC's quality standards . "

The LMC built up a considerable amount of reputation, but that mostly rested on its quality designs . If the company started selling mechs designed by Novices all of a sudden, its reputation would quickly nosedive!

However, without the direct backing of the LMC, Ketis would have a tough time trying to sell her mechs . Even so, it sounded like a better prospect for her to develop herself .

"The mech market is a tough place, but I'm a big girl . I can handle myself . " She confidently stated . "Just wait . In six months, I'll have my first variant ready . I already have a good idea on what I want to design . "

"I'll look forward to your work . "

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