The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1902

1902 /7079

Chapter 1902 Grounded

In the Friday Coalition, there existed many prosperous star systems.

One of the more notable ones was the Warsaw Giant System. It hosted what many Fridayman arguably considered the best mech design institution in Coalition space!

The Clarion University of Mech Design was a sprawling behemoth that established extensive symbiotic relationships with the Gauge Dynasty.

While there were several rival institutions that possessed the capital to compete against Clarion's prestige and influence, it was nonetheless the foremost school in every aspiring mech design student's mind!

Those who managed to receive an invitation to study at Clarion were some of the most fortunate individuals.

Those who managed to rise up from obscurity and pass the notoriously difficult and grueling entry examinations were valued even higher!

This was how an ordinary young woman managed to do so well and catch the attention of one of the great Master Mech Designers residing at Warsaw Giant!

Years of frantic study, extensive augmentation, assisting her Master in various projects ensued. Soon enough, she became qualified to design her own mechs, even managing to publish a few modestly-successful mech designs in the Friday Coalition's notoriously oversaturated and ultra-competitive mech market!

In recognition of her talent, ability and contributions, the Gauge Dynasty invited her to become one of its retainers.

If she worked hard enough and continued to increase her value, then a day might come where she might receive an offer to be adopted into the great dynasty!

This was always one of her greatest goals in life! To become a member of the Gauge Dynasty meant that she would be granted the greatest amount of support in her future climb towards Master!

To any mech designer, the promotion from Apprentice to Journeyman was like a natural moat that blocked all but a random number of lucky mech designers.

Even the smartest, talented and most promising Apprentices never managed to find an opportunity to advance. Meanwhile, many of their lesser-deserving rivals breezed past this threshold as if it was nothing more than a curtain!

On the other hand, no amount of luck and random chance could ever allow a Senior to reach Master. Only hard work, a solid foundation, a huge amount of funding and a willingness to plunge into the unknown could give Seniors a sliver of a chance to advance to Master!

While Lady Aisling Curver was confident in her ability to become a Master through her own efforts, if she enjoyed the full support of the Gauge Dynasty, then her ascension was much more assured!

Just like the famed Master Carmin Olson, reaching Master at 100 years old was her ultimate goal! Advancing quickly would not only provide her with more time to perform true cutting-edge research, but also do wonders in raising her profile!

Of course, achieving this feat was not the only way for an ambitious mech designer to stand out from the mech industry and attract attention.

In a private estate situated in a pristine forested landscape, Aisling sat on her sofa while tuning in to a public broadcast.

[The rumors are true.] The voice of the man she obsessed over rang clear through the advanced speakers of her room. [The mech you see before you is a certified masterwork mech! The Quint is an exceptional copy of our Bright Warrior design, which is based around a modular mech platform with four different configurations. Through the assistance of an anonymous benefactor, my partner and I not only managed to design the best mech our collaboration has produced, but also managed to turn our inaugural copy into a masterwork!]

She pinched her fingers and spread them out in a diagonal fashion, causing the projection of the broadcast to grow larger until it dominated half of the elegantly-decorated leisure room!

The brilliant-looking woman in a dress spoke up next. [Not only has a Master of the Mech Trade Association conveyed her appreciation towards the Quint, she has also confirmed in person that Ves and I have substantially contributed to the making of this masterwork mech! After the honorable Master Moira Willix inspected our work in person, the MTA has officially bestowed us both with masterwork certificates. Starting from today, Ves and I have officially become the youngest masterwork mech designers from the Yeina Star Cluster!]

"That could have been me." She growled from her gritted teeth as she glared at the grinning woman standing next to the man that could have been hers! "That cow doesn't deserve Ves! She's ruining him! She already ruined him in fact! If she hadn't brainwashed him into becoming a Hexer slave, he wouldn't have hijacked our ship!"

A more demure-looking woman wearing a plain suit shook her head. "Let it be, Aisling. What's done is done. You have had your chance. Your Master has rejected your proposal to chase after Ves again. He's a problem for the Coalition Reserve Corps now. You should instead focus on redeeming yourself and get back in your Master's good graces."

The aftermath of the Scarlet Rose's hijacking hadn't gone well. Ves Larkinson not only managed to kill off the entire crew of the Scarlet Rose, but subsequently managed to take over the ship and her complement of mechs long enough to return to safety!

What was worse was that Hexer reinforcements also defeated the Terrinac and her mechs, taking the ship as an extra prize!

While Lady Curver wasn't responsible for these losses, her decisions to kidnap Ves and bring him back to Warsaw Giant directly led to these unfortunate turn of events.

Suffice to say, the CRC was quite displeased with Lady Curver! Her Master had to bail her out and keep her in place to minimize the repercussions of her missteps.

She hated it! Aisling was not only stuck on Warsaw Giant, but also had to go back to assisting her Master's design projects. This meant that she was unable to devote any time to her own projects, thereby slowing down her own progress!