The Mech Touch

that the mech community has a certain expectation towards marksman mechs.
They ’re too used to the idea that they should be able to fend for themselves. ”

Third-class mechs usually specialize a lot.
However, that did not mean they sacrificed everything to perform their primary roles.

Battles were messy and circumstances weren ’t always ideal.
A mech had to possess a certain amount of versatility and self-sufficiency in order to sell well in the Bright Republic and elsewhere.

The Desolate Soldier was a lot more appealing for that reason.
While it was just a budget rifleman mech without any exceptional strengths, it didn ’t possess any pronounced weaknesses either.

Aside from being garbage in melee combat, the Desolate Soldier performed adequately in group or individual combat.
Even if its performance wasn ’t stellar, the mech was so cheap that it wasn ’t a significant loss if one of them was taken out.

The Deliverer on the other hand was a premium mech that cost three times as much as a Desolate Soldier.

The standards were higher when it came to more expensive mechs.
Otherwise, why should customers even purchase them in the first place?

From this perspective, the Deliverer ’s extremely limited applications made it much less appealing.

When customers paid this much money for a mech, they wanted to get some bang for their buck.
Even though the Deliverer was strong in some circumstances, it was incredibly weak and vulnerable in other circumstances.

The chance of wasting their money was too big if they went for an overly-specialized mech.

Ves was already familiar with this reasoning as it was the main reason why the Aurora Titan failed to achieve critical success.

While the LMC and NORA Consolidated still sold a decent amount of Aurora Titans per month, it was merely enough to call it a cult classic.

Miles addressed the elephant in the room.
”We all know that the Deliverer is supposed to offer more than what the simulations have shown.
After all of the wonders Mr.
Larkinson managed to realize, I won ’t discount the ’special features ’ until I see the mech in action. ”

A wave of uncertainty and dissatisfaction went through the other mech designers.
As Brighters, his design team found it very difficult to accept the possibility that the mech they helped design possessed superpowers.

It didn ’t fit their current understanding of reality.
How could science possibly enable such magic?

If they worked for any other mech designer, they might have quit on the spot!

”Not even I know for certain whether the upcoming physical tests can showcase its special features. ” Ves admitted.

That caused Gloriana to frown.
”I thought you were certain that your mech can deliver on its promises. ”

”That is different from stating that the prototype will perform up to satisfaction. ” Ves retorted.
”Due to the deteriorating war situation, the Kronon Dynasty has only lent three Ylvainan marksman specialists to me.
Each of them are highly trained and possess different backgrounds, but there is a chance that none of them are compatible with my mech. ”

That would be a depressing outcome and a serious setback.
This was not the Ylvaine Protectorate.
Due to its long-standing isolation, very few Ylvainans spread to other states.

At the very least, the chance of finding an Ylvainan mech pilot who specialized in marksmanship was very low outside of the Protectorate!

”Do you expect that to happen, Ves? ”

”Probably not.
I did request the Kronons to send some of their more devout marksman mechs to me.
As long as they aren ’t faking it, the test pilots should be able to elicit at least some reaction from the prototype. ”

If that didn ’t happen for some reason, then Ves still had a last resort.
He could always summon Ylvaine ’s spiritual fragment and beat it up until it agreed to lend its power to the test pilots.

Naturally, Ves preferred to keep a friendly relationship with his design spirit.
It was enough for him to harbor a willingness to resort to harder measures.

With the fragment ’s apparent ability to predict the future, it should probably choose to accommodate Ves ’ intentions out of its own accord.

They continued to discuss the state of the Deliverer design for a couple of hours.
After a lot of explanation and questioning, they were ready to fabricate the prototype.

Considering the mech ’s high degree of reliance on the X-Factor, Ves did not allow regular mech technicians to fabricate it this time.

”You should all be proficient in fabricating mechs. ” He spoke to the Tovars.
”Go to the workshop and fabricate the prototype.
I ’ve already stocked several batches of materials in the inventories. ”

”Are you sure? ” Miles skeptically asked.
”We ’re not Ylvainans and we don ’t have any experience in making Ylvainan mechs. ”

Ves shook his head.
”A mech is a mech.
Calling them Brighter mechs, Vesian mechs or Ylvainan mechs is nothing but a way to specify their origin or target audience.
Mech designers like us shouldn ’t be too picky.
If you keep limiting yourself to Brighter-style mechs, you won ’t be able to expand your success outside of our borders. ”

”Besides, we all pitched in to the design. ” Gloriana added.
”You all deserve some credit for your contributions, however minor they might be.
Are you really disgusted with fabricating your own work? ”

None of the Tovars could offer a good retort to her.
It was just that they had always been rather begrudging when it came to designing this mech.

At least the Adonis Colossus was a pure Brighter mech designed specifically to accommodate a Brighter mech pilot.
Even with its silly emphasis on masculinity, the Tovar mech designers were still proud of what they accomplished.

They weren ’t as happy with the Deliverer.
Yet due to the continued teachings of Ves and Gloriana, they came to tolerate this weird design.

”We ’ll try our best. ” Miles weakly promised.
”Please don ’t blame us if we fail. ”

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