As the principal mech designer of the famed Blessed Squire, Ves Larkinson quickly received word of his first Hexer mech's success.

Standing in the isolated chamber that hosted the Darkbreak module, Ves listened patiently as the projection of Gavin passed on all of the pertinent news and development from the core regions of the star sector.

Though Ves Larkinson already accrued a considerable amount of fame across the star sector, the snobbish second-class citizens of the Coalition and the Hegemony still looked down on him. Even their industry insiders believed that his specialty wouldn't be as effective on second-class mechs.

Those skeptics were drastically wrong. The Blessed Squire's glow not only surpassed their estimates, but also exhibited an extremely high fit with Hexers!

Just like how the Transcendent Messenger, Holy Soldier and Deliverer mechs fascinated the Ylvaine Protectorate, this time the Hexers welcomed their unique glow!

Every Fridayman who looked up Ves Larkinson's record and early accomplishments soon began to shake with dread.

If the amazing third-class mechs he designed was any indication, his second-class mechs might all exert a considerable impact on the battlefield!

Even a small change was enough to affect the balance of the war!

"The amount of investigations directed to the LMC and the Larkinson has increased by a hundred times." Gavin helplessly brought up. "The Fridaymen are responsible for the overwhelming amount of snooping, but we are also starting to notice a considerable amount of interests from the second-rates of other star sectors."

"This much?"

"Well, did you think your Blessed Squire would make no impact at all? The course of the battles on Marrakath III have completely changed! Even if the Opal Tridents are starting to show signs that they are learning how to cope with the Blessed Squire's glow, it does not help the fact that the Wrathful Doves are fighting considerably better. As long as these outcomes can be replicated in every contested star system, the momentum of the Hex Army will likely reach a new peak!"

Though Ves should be inordinately happy at this news, he tried his best to temper his expectations.

"While I'm glad that DIVA has finally unveiled my Blessed Squire design, I'm also concerned."

"What is the problem, boss?"

"Previously, our products mainly fell into the hands of the private sector. Mercenary outfits and security companies are normally disunited and tangled with many different interests. It's only during the Sand War that my mechs were employed in a unified fashion, but our opponents at the time were just the sandmen. As a bunch of aliens who have already crossed the Big Two's bottom line, there is no need for us to be concerned about their opinions towards our mechs."

It didn't take long for Gavin to understand the gist of his superior's concerns. "I see. The moment the Hexadric Hegemony has started to field one of your mech models in a systematic fashion, the entirety of the Friday Coalition and not just the CRC considers us as an enemy."

Before, only a small number of Fridaymen officials and decision-makers took the threat of LMC mechs seriously. This allowed Ves to completely disregard his hostile relationship with the Coalition once he traveled to Hegemony-aligned space.

Since he had crossed into Hexer-controlled space, there was no need to fear any hidden attacks from the CRC!

Yet now that every Fridayman leader and military officer hated his guts, the Coalition was much more likely to invest in a serious attempt against his life!

Even Hegemony-aligned space could not stop a determined assassin or elite strike force. No perfect space wall existed. A line of star systems like the famed Crestfallen Stars of the Carnegie Group only posed a hindrance to a huge state-backed military like the Hex Army because bypassing these fortified star systems would inevitably prove devastating to the Hexer supply lines!

This was not the case for smaller operations which did not rely on any supply lines to begin with. Hegemony space was actually filled with many holes, enough to allow a small army of mice to squeeze through!

"Uhm, we don't have to be concerned about our security. The Wodin Dynasty has recently reinforced the Glory Battalion with hundreds of mechs. By the time of the wedding, we'll be protected by a thousand second-class mechs!"

Normally, Ves disliked seeing the Glory Battalion grow larger. No matter how much Gloriana's stature grew, the Glory Battalion ultimately answered to her mother first!

It was different now. With the Friday Coalition gunning for him and his fiancé, he could use all the help he could get. If Constance Wodin wanted to boost the protection around her daughter, then she was welcome to do so! With the rapid growth of the Larkinson Clan, Ves did not believe his own mech forces would remain inferior!

"Are there any issues concerning the addition of so many Hexer troops in our orbit?" Ves asked.

"Well.. I will probably get in trouble for saying this, but she.. has been trying to get her Hexer underlings to join the Larkinson Clan."

"I know."

"Huh?"

"I am always connected to the Larkinson Clan, Benny. It's my clan, after all." Ves stated in a mysterious fashion. "Let Gloriana bash her head against the wall for a few months. She needs to learn that while she is my lover, that does not give her the right to transform our clansmen into Hexers."

Ves was quite aware of the threat of cultural invasions. He had spent a lot of time on planning and making decisions on the cultural evolution of the Larkinson Clan. There was no way he would allow his future wife to ruin his elaborate designs!

His assistant looked quite relieved. "I'm very glad to hear that. None of us here want to become Hexers either."

"Okay, enough about Gloriana's shenanigans. Is there anything else I need to know right away?"

"Aside from the Fridaymen, the Hexers have already started to poke around us. The Hegemony is a very big state, and it's split up into many different dynasties and powers. Some of them have a lot of reasons to dislike you and your works."

"Because I'm a boy?" Ves smiled amusingly as he said those words.

"Not just that, though there are plenty of bigoted Hexers who think you need to know your place." Gavin sighed in an exasperated manner. "The bigger threat from the Hegemony comes from the mech designers and mech companies that feel threatened by your products. The Blessed Squire alone has already caused the Hex Army to lower their priority on a number of mech lines that consists of their current mainstays. We have received word that the Hexer mech designers who are behind the Good Boy HEV-77S support mech model are considerably upset at our Blessed Squire!"

Ves couldn't help but erupt in laughter at this news. "Hahaha! That's good!"

"This is serious, Ves! There are several powerful female Master Mech Designers who are behind the Good Boy model! They wield considerable influence in the Hegemony's mech industry. We believe that they are already working behind the scenes to stop the matriarchs from approving the Blessed Squire!"

"Do you really think that will happen?" Ves crossed his arms.

"Well, no. The Hex Army's demand is too great to be ignored. It's just that the opponents of our products can still push for various restrictions."

Ves casually waved his hand. "The utility of the Blessed Squire is undeniable. No political opposition can stop the will of the soldiers who are fighting for the future of the Hegemony. We don't need to confront our Hexer adversaries directly. We should just hide behind DIVA and the Hex Army and let them fight our opposition."

Just as Gavin was about to tell his boss about the interest they received from powers outside of the star sector, the Darkbreak module suddenly released an alert.

Ves frowned as a new notification popped in front of his face.

His face turned grave as he read that someone was calling him. The identity of the caller was very special and not that much worse than that of Master Willix!

"Sorry, Benny. I'll have to cut your briefing short. Someone very important is calling me. I guess the impact of the Blessed Squire is greater than I thought."

"Ah, I understand. Don't mind me, boss. Good luck with your talk."

As soon as Gavin's projection disappeared, Ves raised his finger and was about to tap the projected button to accept the new call.

He hesitated.

Of all of the people who could possibly call him after the debut of the Blessed Squire, he never expected this particular individual to get in touch with him again. She had already made it quite clear that the two of them no longer maintained any active ties.

In other words, they should be strangers.

Yet humans were not so easily able to forget their friendships. Ves still possessed a lingering good impression to his early backer. He always regretted falling victim to Gloriana's scheme.

"I guess I might as well accept."

The projection of Master Carmin Olson soon appeared in front of Ves. She wore a fashionable business outfit which made it seem that she had just left an important meeting with some government officials.

Despite the flaws of her physical projection, his former master exuded a sense of presence and brilliance that Ves had only seen in Master Willix.

There was just something about Master Mech Designers that caused them to give him the illusions that they had transcended their minds! Even with many light-years of distance between him and Master Olson, Ves still felt as if he was affected by her considerable gravitas!

"Mr. Larkinson." Master Olson calmly greeted. "It has been years since we last spoke. Are you well?"

What kind of a question was that? Officially, they should be enemies!

Yet.. just like his odd relationship with Tristan Wesseling, Ves simply couldn't paint Master Olson with the same brush he used towards other Fridaymen.

He decided to indulge her. "I am pretty great, actually."

"Ah, it is not difficult to imagine that. Recently, you have accomplished a string of successes. The success of your Doom Guard, the creation of two masterwork mechs in quick succession and now the explosive unveiling of your Blessed Squire has propelled your fame to greater heights."

In truth, Ves was more ecstatic about all of the plunder and research gains he harvested from Maynard Fields. He not only expanded his collection of B-stones, but also learned many new facets on spirituality and the properties of his own design philosophy!

With plenty of test subjects to experiment upon, Ves was having the time of his life!

As an added bonus, his mech forces also grew sharper with each successive confrontation against the pirates. His dream of molding the mech pilots of the Larkinson Clan into battle-hardened warriors was becoming more and more true!

He coughed. "I suppose you haven't called me to flatter me, right? Why did you call me? I was under the understanding that we wouldn't be talking to each other again."

"That.. is what I originally intended. Yet seeing one of your works adversely impact my state is not very pleasant. Do you know that if the Marrakath System falls faster than we have expected, Leemar will suffer unimaginable losses?"

"Oh." Ves scratched his smooth-shaven cheek. "I didn't mean to do that. Sorry."

An awkward silence ensued after he issued his half-hearted apology.

Master Olson eventually shook her head. "Forget about it. Since you have cast your lot with the Hexers, you do not deserve any blame for helping their war effort. As long as we are not neutral, mech designers such as you and I are obliged to support our respective states."

"Thank you for your understanding." Ves slightly bowed. "I have no ill will against you, Master. It's just that the Friday Coalition has acted several times against myself and my clan. I cannot regard your state with fondness."

"That is regretful. Certain Fridaymen have acted with undue haste. Since your opposition to my state has reached this level, then I have no choice but to act."

"Uhm, what do you mean?" Ves frowned.

An ominous feeling entered his mind.

Master Olson's projection stared straight into his eyes. "Other Fridayman mech designers may be clueless about your specialty, but I have known you for years. I have tracked your career progression from the beginning, and I have already developed a certain understanding of your mechs. Your Blessed Squire will not terrorize the combat troops of the Friday Coalition with impunity for long. In some time, I will publish a mech design that is designed to counter your glows!"

What?!

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