The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1240

Ves and his entourage finally departed from Kesseling VIII after boarding the Barracuda. Melkor and the Avatars of Myth had already boarded the Greenfeather in orbit ahead of time.

This time, the Ylvainans pulled out all the stops to escort the Bright Martyr out of Protectorate space.

An entire Kronon spaceborn mech regiment served as their honor guard as the two ships directly charted a course back to the Bright Republic.

Such a luxurious lineup of combat carriers hosting over two-thousand mechs was unheard of in the Ylvaine Protectorate!

The fleet encountered no threats at all along the way. It wasn’t easy for an enemy to muster up the forces to overcome all of the escorts protecting the Barracuda.

The Brighter vessels eventually crossed the border without incident.

The mech regiment stopped there, as it was wildly inappropriate for the Protectors of the Faith to operate in a foreign state.

Some Ylvainans suggested that the Bright Martyr deserved a permanent guard of Ylvainans, but Ves himself rejected any such solutions.

He didn’t want to be surrounded by superstitious Ylvainans who worshipped him as a vessel of the prophet! Although he felt a bit flattered to be the subject of their worship, in the end Ves was not an Ylvainan!

His new status as their Bright Martyr gave him mixed feelings.

On one hand, the high regard it afforded him would practically open up the Ylvainan mech market wide open for the LMC.

On the other hand, the crazy Ylvainans would definitely attempt to pull him deeper into their faith and force him to participate in all kinds of stupid rituals!

Ves did not feel he deserved such exalted treatment. His identity of Bright Martyr was not as important as his identity as a mech designer. The former threatened to displace the latter, which was something he really didn’t want to see.

Therefore, Ves was fine with going along with the intentions of the powers that be. As long as he left the Protectorate, his prominence there would slowly fade, allowing the three leading dynasties to reassert their leadership.

Naturally, the Bright Martyr would still be present in the hearts of many Ylvainans. A cult had already been formed around him, but Ves did not wish to have anything to do with those fanatics!

"You made a lot of gains from this business trip." Gavin reported to Ves in his stateroom. "You established a business relationship with an important member of the Curins, you delivered a set of fantastic mechs that the Ylvainans adopted as their national treasures, you turned into an object of religious hero worship and you completed your initial objective of designing your fifth original mech in order to qualify for recognition as a Journeyman Mech Designer."

Ves calmly nodded. "As far as I’m concerned, that last one is the most important gain. Let’s not get too excited about all of those other gains. If there’s anything we’ve learned about the Ylvainans, it’s that they’re volatile and erratic."

"Yeah, the Ylvainans are really something else. You would never see Brighters acting this extreme."

"Have you already submitted my application of recognition to the MTA?"

"Yes. The MTA has acknowledged your application and are in the process of inspecting your records and your mechs. It will probably take a couple more days for them to complete your background check and issue an invitation for you to visit their sector headquarters at Centerpoint. They’re being really thorough because you claim to have advanced to Journeyman before you turned thirty."

A Journeyman who advanced before he turned thirty years old was very rare, even in the galactic center. The earlier they crossed this threshold, the more promise they held.

Although a Journeyman was already quite valuable, they were not irreplaceable. What the MTA truly valued was the potential for even greater advancement.

What kind of benefits this status afforded Ves still remained to be seen. That was the entire point of visiting the MTA’s sector headquarters.

In the perspective of the Big Two, Ves was no longer a space peasant! Once the MTA officially recognized his Journeyman credentials, he could call himself a proper galactic citizen!

What that actually meant, Ves didn’t know, but it sounded a lot better than being called a space peasant!

"My thirtieth birthday is coming up." Ves noted. "Maybe I should throw a birthday party for once. It’s been a while."

Gavin suddenly perked up. "We can turn it into a company-wide event! It’s a great opportunity to celebrate our recent successes and paint a bright picture for the future. With a Journeyman like you at the helm, the LMC will definitely climb to greater heights!"

"I don’t know, Benny. I don’t want to turn my birthday into a spectacle. I’m already tired of all the attention that I’ve received in the Ylvaine Protectorate. I don’t want to turn my workforce into my personal cult as well!"

"I think you’re overestimating their reactions, boss. Most of the company’s employees are Brighters, not Ylvainans. Their admiration towards you won’t exceed into obsession. That’s not who we are. We know better!"

"Don’t turn my birthday into a public spectacle." Ves firmly ordered, no longer willing to entertain a public spectacle. "Turn my birthday into a private family event. Send an invitation to my friends and the Larkinsons. I doubt many of them will travel all the way to Cloudy Curtain to attend, but it’s good to spend some time with family."

If only he could invite his father to his birthday. Sadly, Ves didn’t even know where to send his invitation card.

Once he finished celebrating his birthday, Ves planned to depart to Centerpoint in order to be initiated into the ranks of Journeyman. No longer would Ves hold the awkward title of de facto Journeyman. With official recognition, he could truly take his steps into the ranks of high society!

As Ves and Gavin planned his itenary for the next couple of months, the Barracuda and the Greenfeather finally arrived at their destination after an uneventful journey.

It took less than two weeks to return to Cloudy Curtain. Although Ves felt tempted to stop by Bentheim, he preferred to return to a familiar environment.

"Home sweet home." Ves said as the Barracuda finally descended on the landing zone of the Mech Nursery.

"Welcome home, boss." Calsie greeted Ves as he stepped out. "Congratulations for your achievement. The local MTA branch has just informed me that they completed your background check."

"Did I pass?" He asked.

"Of course, boss. Why would you ever doubt yourself? Someone as brilliant as you is guaranteed to pass!"