The Mech Touch

Who knew whether the Heavensword implanted her with a bomb or tried to assimilate her mind into becoming its slave!

Ketis feared that the Heavensword had taken such a liking to her that it had designated her as its future successor!

If this old fellow croaked in the future, would the Heavensword compel her to return to this state and force her to take up the mantle of the Heavensword Saint?

What if she refused? Would that ball of energy corrode her until she bent to the ancient relic's irresistible will?

"You do not need to fear the Heavensword." Its current wielder reassured Ketis. "It bears no malice to you. The inheritance process is always voluntary. As a sword that has been held by more swordsmen than we can ever count, there are many valid candidates. Some are more worthy than others to become its next holder. There are also swordmasters that have admired the Heavensword from the first time they started their swordsmanship practice. They have taken to wielding replicas of this weapon that closely approximates its physical properties."

"Do these 'fans' ever get to fulfill their dreams?" Ketis curiously asked.

"It does not happen often. It is the sword that ultimately chooses its wielder. A chosen swordmaster can refuse, but few ever do. It is difficult to resist the temptation, and it undoubtedly a great responsibility to placate this temperamental weapon. Giving up their swords and swordsmanship is a painful but noble sacrifice. The finest citizens of our state are not timid people by nature. We love our state too much to shirk this necessary burden. Aside from that, who among us hasn't developed a measure of arrogance? If we are capable enough, we can always fulfill our people's lifelong dream of subduing the Heavensword and take full control over it. This will not only allow its new master to become a sword saint in truth, but also attain a level of strength that humanity has never reached in modern times."

Ketis widened her eyes as she took in the implications of the Heavensword Saint's words.

She assumed that her ambitions were already outrageous enough, but it turned out that other swordsmen also pursued impossible goals!

In an age where the best sword practitioners could only become swordmasters at best without relying on a cheat like the Heavensword, it was unthinkable for anyone to become a sword god!

The gulf was too vast!

Ketis took another good look at the Heavensword Saint. She understood that the man deliberately wore a pale robe and adopted such a gentle and grandfatherly demeanor because that would help him increase his compatibility with the powerful weapon.

What if the Heavensword was not as righteous?

What if it possessed a demonic character?

Would all of its wielders be forced to become demons themselves in order to earn its approval?

She had so many questions that she didn't even know where to begin.

Ketis did not mind it that she knew so little. All of this showed that there was much more depth to swords and their relation to their wielders than she initially thought.

Her attempts to seek answers to all of those deep and profound questions would definitely enrich her methods and bring her closer to forging a grand work comparable to the Heavensword one day!

However, there was one matter that could not wait. She needed an answer right away to give her piece of mind.

What the hell was that white ball of energy?! Why did it enter her body and why couldn't she find any trace of it when it had escaped her sight?!

Sharpie carefully examined her entire body and mind but found no trace of that powerful energy. This was incredibly confusing as the power of the Heavensword was too distinctive to blend into the background!

The saint attempted to reassure her. "The Heavensword provided you with a gift. I can assure you that it will not harm you or influence you in any fashion. Think about it, Ketis. A sword that has existed for such a long time and has been paired with thousands of swordsmen has no reason to target you specifically. Its sights are set too high."

"If that is the case, then why bother giving me a gift at all? For what reason did this powerful weapon grant me a gift?"

The saint fell silent for a moment. "The Heavensword approves of your yearning to create more powerful swords. It too hopes that you can dispel its loneliness one day and help revive our ancient heritage. If we want to restore traditional swordsmanship to its former glory, then we must not only train the best sword practitioners, but also equip them with the best swords. Our state has made constant strides to improve in the former, but our progress in the latter has stalled."

Ketis looked puzzled. "Why so? I have only visited this state for a short time, but I have learned that blacksmiths are flourishing just as much as swordmasters. Shouldn't there be a lot of master smiths under your rule who can forge masterwork weapons for your swordmasters?"

The Heavensword Saint drooped. "The matter is more complicated than you think. Master smiths are not as impressive as you think. Their skill in forging weapons is impressive, and each of them have mastered unique skills and methods that allow them to create swords with the right properties. Although they can forge masterwork swords from time to time, these blades lack… brilliance."

"Brilliance?"

"It is difficult for us to describe what we mean by that." The saint explained. "Maybe it is easier to use the phrase 'activating factor' instead. We have made many comparisons between the Heavensword and the swords forged by master smiths. Our conclusion is that no matter how much effort they have put into their life's work, the results always fall short of our expectations. There are two probable reasons why this is the case. The first is that we do not have access to the appropriate materials anymore. The second is that our master smiths simply are not qualified."

Ketis did not have any clue about the issue of materials, but she had a few suspicions about the human factor.

"Do you believe I can do better than the master smiths of your state?"

"I do." The saint smiled in response. "My confidence comes from the Heavensword. Do not underestimate its judgment. It is one of the oldest surviving human relics in the history of our race. It has lived through many eras and witnessed many changes in history. No matter what we think about it, the current times are called the Age of Mechs for good reasons. Mechs are in the ascendancy now, and it is fitting for the weapon to bet on a mech designer. For it to bestow a gift to you shows that it is slightly optimistic about your ability to reach the level of its maker. In any case, it does not do this relic much harm by passing on a fraction of its power."

The saint sounded as if the Heavensword was an ancient human sage that occasionally handed out gifts and words of wisdom to the distant descendants of his race.

"Shouldn't the Heavensword look to invest in the Master Mech Designers of your state, sir? I recall that the Heavensword Association has the highest concentration of swordsman mech specialists among Masters in the Majestic Teal Star Sector."

"We have tried. We have tried many times but failed to obtain the results we have desired. Do you know why? It is because they are mech designers first and sword smiths second. Their best and proudest works are always mechs, not the swords that are paired with them. While it cannot be denied that their swordsman mech designs are truly exquisite, the more they concentrate on the mechanical, the more they lose sight of the sword. It is a contradiction that cannot be solved unless the Master Mech Designers in question can satisfy a single condition."

This time, it did not take much guessing for Ketis to guess the answer.

"You mean advancing to Star Designer."

"Correct. Star Designers are no longer bound by categories. If they can design the finest mechs, it is logical to assume they can also forge the finest swords. Our Masters are working hard to fulfill this lifelong dream, but… you should know better than I how probable it is for them to make any further breakthroughs."

The amount of Star Designers was extremely scarce, and the majority of them emerged from the MTA and first-rate states.

Ketis understood now why the Heavensword did not have much hope in the craftsmen and mech designers of the state that carried its name.

"Do you think I have a better chance than your domestic mech designers?"

"You have more advantages than the others." The old man calmly replied. "Let me put it in the following terms. If the chance that any of our Masters can advance is 0.001 percent, then yours should at least be 0.01 percent. That is enough of a reason to be optimistic about your chances."

Those probabilities sounded exaggeratingly low, but it was a rough reflection of how few Star Designers existed relative to the amount of Master Mech Designers alive today. The rate of breakthroughs was abysmally low.

"I appreciate your vote of confidence." Ketis sardonically said. "Although I like to make good swords as much as any Heavensworder, I think I should mention that I am not much different from your mech designers. Before we can do anything else, we must learn how to excel in designing mechs."

"We do not presume to dictate how you choose to practice your craft. The citizenship that we have bestowed upon you does not come with any strings attached. We only wish to enrich your understanding of our state and our purpose so that you can think about assisting us once you have attained more success later in your life. Perhaps your unique circumstances allow you to create the swords we need much sooner than we think. There is no need to wait until you have advanced to Star Designer. Becoming a Master Mech Designer ought to be enough. Combined with the abilities of a sword saint, your works shall vastly exceed what our best Masters can produce."

That… was an inspiring thought. Ketis did not think about it before, but now that she examined this scenario, she understood how the synergies between the two could allow her to surpass the efforts of any single Master Mech Designer!

"I can see what you mean, sir, but… as impressive as that sounds, I do not think I will be able to make swords of grand work quality at that stage. I would have to master technology to a far greater degree to come close to that point."

ραпdαn૦νel "You misunderstand my argument, young woman. What we seek in a sword is not necessarily a grand work, but a weapon that can help our swordmasters break through and become sword saints. They are not necessarily the same."

That sounded a lot more reasonable. Though Ketis had no idea what she would be capable of if she ever became a Master Mech Designer, she actually possessed a bit of confidence that she might be able to address the Heavensword Association's greatest need at that time!

"I won't make any promises, but I am not in the habit of turning my back on my friends." She eventually said. "I also want your people to succeed. I have met so many swordmasters lately that it would be tragic if they could no longer go any further because their swords can't keep up with them any longer."

"That is more than enough, Swordmaster Ketis."