Chapter 649
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"Larkinson . " The exotic purple-skinned and purple-haired visage of Mayra appeared on the projection . "I've received your submission . I've already passed it on to my mentor's account . It should take some time for him to go over his mail . "
"I understand . " Ves nodded . "Did you look at my take on the Leiner Grey?"
Mayra smiled ruefully at him . "I did, and I have to say you are very courageous for sticking up for your principles . I'm sorry that I couldn't warn you that my mentor doesn't have the best intentions in mind when he threw this test at you . Many mech designers who approached him have never been the same after undergoing this test…"
Ves waved away her concerns . "I'm not like the others . You can already see from my work that I haven't lost myself in temptation . I have always been aware that there are some risks involved with approaching a man with such a notorious moniker . I don't bear any grudge for his tricks . "
If Ves was any weaker or less firm in his will, then he would have been pissed . Since he came out of this ordeal without any damage, he simply laughed the whole matter off . It was pointless to develop any animosity over a mech designer who wielded a vast amount of power in the Faris Star Region .
"I can't say how my mentor will respond to your design, but I think it speaks in your favor that you stood up for yourself . Too many mech designers who are new to the frontier think the only way to worm themselves into his circle is to act like sycophants . That's never the frontier way . Nothing disgusts my mentor more than a mech designer that bends too easily when it comes to their own work . "
"I see . Is that how you gained his approval?"
"I didn't know anything back then when Lydia led me to my mentor . " She shook her head . "So I stuck up for myself like always . I was rather stubborn back then, but that has served me well . He would have been disappointed in you if you copied his work without adding anything original . My mentor believes the only mech designers worth their salt are those pursue their own questions over any other obstacle in their way . "
That sounded swell until Ves realized that this was the same reason why the Skull Architect had been driven to the frontier . Reno Jimenez outright ignored the law and issued orders that led to the deaths of thousands of mech pilots and one irreplaceable expert pilot .
Sometimes, bending before a greater authority was a good idea .
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"What was it like to study under him? Did he treat you well?"
"He was always more absorbed in his own research . I think he only took in students because he needed a firmer footing in the Faris Star Region . " She replied . "That said, he treated us well enough, letting us read through his books and help him with the production of his mechs . He's the smartest mech designer I've ever met, and he seems to know every field related to mech design . "
"How did he guide your development?"
"Well, I made it clear that I'm only interested in designing swordsman mechs, and he accepted that . He assigned an entire catalog of books as reading materials and reviewed the practice designs I came up with . He's not the sort of person who holds your hands . He expected me to work for my gains through my own hard work . Back then, I disappointed him a lot . I wasn't as diligent in my studies and wasted the opportunity to ask for his advice . "
"Was it dangerous to be in proximity to him?"
"Oh, he's dangerous . Make no mistake about that . " She immediately stated . "He's decent towards his friends but ruthless towards his enemies . I don't think he started off this way, but it's the only kind of language that the people in the frontier understand . In your case, you don't have to be too careful . My mentor doesn't see any threat in a young mech designer like you . From what I saw from your submission, it possesses enough quality to meet his minimum sensibilities . "
"He sounds like a decent teacher . "
"It comes with the job . " The Swordmaiden mech designer smiled . "While he doesn't have the best reputation, he's very passionate about mech design . His conviction gives him strength . He misses his old life back in the Vermeer Group . He likes to collaborate and exchange information with his peers . Ever since he was driven out of civilized space, he doesn't have anyone who he can talk to on an equal level . Every other Senior Mech Designer in the frontier is a rival . "
It sounded like the mech design industry in the frontier, if Ves could even call it that, was a lot more cutthroat than in civilized space . The market was smaller, infrastructure was poor but a lot of profit could still be made .
The natural tendency for mech designers would be to monopolize the markets from themselves . Without the MTA watching over their heads, they possessed plenty of incentives and none of the deterrents to resort to foul play .
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"By the way, how is it going with Ketis? Has she been up to mischief yet?"
"Ehm, I'll have to get back to that . " He nervously laughed . "I handed over a similar test to Ketis in order to get an impression of her design style . "
"Well, I did promise you to get what you wanted from the Skull Architect . " Mayra scratched her purple cheek . "But don't neglect her . Give her something to do . I would prefer it if you begin to educate her . Do you have a lesson plan in mind?"
"As you said, it depends on what I get in return . If I'm satisfied with what I've received, I don't mind guiding Ketis more intensely . I'll have to see her work before I can say what she needs to work on, but from what you said she needs to firm up her fundamentals and adopt the right mentality . The former can be done through cramming and tutoring, but the latter is something that can't easily be changed . "
Having an excessively high opinion of yourself was one of the biggest mistakes a mech designer could ever make . Too many mech designers grew self-centered to the point of becoming a narcissist . Though Ketis may not have reached this point, Ves figured she was close to crossing the line .
"Don't be afraid to knock her on the head if she misbehaves . " Mayra said, closing that particular topic .
The two discussed some routine business . Now that the Flagrant Vandals and Lydia's Swordmaidens moved together, they needed to coordinate their supply situation . One topic that Mayra emphasized was the fact that resupplying in the frontier was at least a hundred times more difficult .
"Most star systems in the Faris Star Region are wild and empty . Industry is almost nonexistent and trade in the supplies we need can only be done at the few pirate stations that manage to stay aloft . "
The Faris Star Region was like a desert in that sense . Vast stretches of empty sand hid some buried treasures underneath the surface . The pirates and treasure hunters that made the frontier their home usually passed through the few oases in the sands . Sometimes, those stuck in the desert needed to travel for months before they could reach the nearest oasis .
After Ves hung up with Mayra, he turned his attention to other matters . He neglected his other duties during the time he worked on the Leiner Grey .
Fortunately, nothing serious happened that required his intervention . By now, the system of delegation did its work . If the lower-ranking mech designers needed any help, they reported to the higher-ranking mech designers . If they couldn't solve the problem, they kicked it up to the deputies . Only if the deputies failed to cope with the problem would Ves step in and save their bacon .
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"It's a good thing that Mercator and Trozin have managed to solve the issues that cropped up . That leaves more time for me . " He uttered with satisfaction .
Ves fired off a quick set of mails to his deputies and the other mech designers that performed well . There wasn't much substance to the message besides complimenting them for their diligence and reminding them to continue to follow the schedule .
He also noticed that a couple of mech designers requested one-hour tutoring sessions with him . He almost forgot about that, but he was glad people like Vedette recognized the benefit of receiving his instructions .
"I should clear some hours in my schedule to make time for their sessions . "
Once he processed his backlog of paperwork, he turned his attention to Ketis . The girl had been quietly working on the assignment he gave out . It should be about time to evaluate her work .
"Alright Ketis, that's enough . You can stop your design work now . "
"I haven't finished yet!" The horned lady squawked . "I just need a couple more days to complete my variant! This design you chose is awful to work with! I barely made any progress in the first day!"
Ves shook his head . "I only need a snapshot of what you are already capable of . I can do that just as well with an incomplete design . Completing your variant isn't important . "
He forcibly transferred the latest version of her variant into his terminal over her protestations . As her boss, he possessed full administrative privileges over her guest account, so he could do anything he wanted with it . Once he opened the design schematics of the rushed variant of the Caesar Augustus, he studied it with a critical eye .
"Sloppy . " He said after a few seconds . "Your work is too rushed . "
"That's because you only gave me a week's time! What am I supposed to do in a week? This stupid Caesar Augustus is one of the most complicated designs I've ever worked with! It's such a travesty that I feel like strangling whoever came up with this hybrid knight!"
Ves ignored her words and continued to dive into her work . Even though he hadn't been fair to her when he only gave her a week to deliver something presentable, the lack of care she showed went behind necessity . As Ves sampled her principles and the nucleus of her design philosophy, he sensed that this lack of diligence went deeper than he thought .
Every mech designer needed to be meticulous in their measurements and their judgement . Ketis seemed to pursue what she found the most exciting, which was the Caesar Augustus' sword and shield .
She focused most of her attention on strengthening her variant's melee capabilities, but completely neglected the wrist-mounted laser cannons and the shoulder-mounted missile launchers . The performance of those two weapon systems practically cratered to the bottom .
More than that, she also got some key measurements wrong, leading to several instances of bad fits between the various components . The errors slowly piled up until the variant underperformed by at least twenty percent, which was a very serious margin for this kind of mech!
In summary, Ves caught out two major flaws in Ketis' disposition . First, she only worked seriously when she came into touch with what she loved . Second, her foundational skills was filled with holes . She lacked systematic learning that every Novice Mech Designer should have memorized .
He briefly explained his observations to Ketis, who looked understandably displeased at being criticized in such fashion . "Excuuuuse me, you little boss! I didn't get the opportunity to grow up in a quiet, safe planet and go to school like everyone else . "
"Look, I'm not trying to knock you down for that . " Ves quickly said while holding up his arms in a harmless gesture . "I just wanted to get that out there so we can do something about it . Our first priority is to bring you up to the same level of your civilized peers . A good foundation is essential if you want to move up the ranks . "
Ketis grumbled a bit but she wasn't an airhead . She knew was well as any other mech designer how far she fell behind . Whether she could sum up the motivation to close the gap was another matter .
The girl looked as if she was torturing herself when she attempted to design a variant of the Caesar Augustus . Her displeasure stood in stark contrast to Ves' enjoyment when he puzzled over the Skull Architect's test .
Ves believed the key to unlocking the guest designer's potential was to ignite her passion .