The Mech Touch novel Chapter 1307

Ves talked to many Kinner mercenary reps. Each of them offered something interesting, but not all of them expressed willingness to be bought out.

"It’s not that most Kinner mercenary corps are unwilling to sell themselves." Kelandra explained. "In fact, at least half of the reps who denied the possibility would have said yes to a more promising client."

"So I’m not good enough?"

"You are a very fine client, Mr. Larkinson, but older and more renowned people and organizations offer much more certainty. Any Kinner mercenary corps will know what to expect when they plead fealty to clients with records that go back decades."

In other words, Ves was largely a question mark in the eyes of the Kinner tribesmen. Who knew whether he would rise to success or run his career into the ground the next five years?

He didn’t blame the Kinners for their reticence. They took their oaths and obligations seriously, so it was exceptionally important they went to bed with a client who would still be around for years to come.

"What about the Kinners with looser standards?" Gavin asked. "I’ve noticed that not all of the reps seem as picky as you suggest."

"You’ve heard what they offered. It’s not as good as the others." Their guide gestured with her hand. "To be honest, even if every Kinner mercenary corps can be relied upon to fulfill their mission faithfully, not all of them are as skilled, lucky and fortunate as the ones who get to demand higher conditions. The mercenary sector is an inherently risky business. A single setback can wipe out an entire decade’s worth of progress. Sometimes, even Kinners have had enough. They’re more than willing to sell themselves to a reasonable client in order to hang up their mercenary coats."

Gavin smirked. "They’re also considerably cheaper than the more successful Kinner outfits. I think we can find some good bargains among those who are tired of working for different clients every few months."

Though Gavin had a good point, Ves wasn’t sure whether that was a good idea. "The less demanding Kinners tend to suffer from several problems, though. We’ve met outfits that are stuck with damaged mechs or ships, lost half of their mech pilots, suffer from low morale and so on. I’m all for saving shaving a few bright credits from the final bill, but I don’t want to deal with too much dysfunction."

"Let us explore Ornament Halls for the mercenary corps you feel more comfortable with employing, then." Kelandra announced. "I think I know just the outfits that will meet your needs!"

The group spent several hours talking to various mercenary reps. Ves encountered outfits with names such as Stellar Blaze Flyers, Alfarin’s Alphas, Bloodstone Bloodstriders, Huntsmen in Black and more.

A few of them seemed suitable to Ves. Although he didn’t sign them up right then, Gavin noted down their contact information so they could always get back to the outfits if they made a decision.

Still, as much as Ves found each of these Kinner mercenary corps suitable to escort him, he still found something lacking.

When Kelandra noticed his hesitation and asked him about what he missed, Ves hesitated over his words.

"It’s different to describe. I guess I’m just trying to find a spark between us. I don’t want to be surrounded with faceless, unfeeling guards all the time."

"I think I know what you mean." The guide said thoughtfully. "You are looking for protectors who can be your companions as well as your guards."

"Right. Rather than serving me because of their oaths or their contractual obligations, I want my protective detail to care about me and my mission."

"Most of these Kinners give the impression that they know nothing about life except fighting and training." Gavin concurred. "They’re very dedicated, of that I have no doubt, but they’re too different from the mech pilots we’re used to back home."

Kelandra ruefully shrugged. "It’s all they know. Too many of our children grow up in massive camps. Too many of them are born from cold, heartless artificial wombs instead of actual mother’s wombs. We try to give them the life they deserve, but our resources can only be stretched so far."

The somewhat crude Kinners gave Ves the impression of elite mech pilots but without the impeccable skills. They dedicated their life to the mercenary life primarily due to their upbringing, not because of their own choice.

Was there anything wrong with that? Not necessarily. The Kinners may possess a distinctive culture that compelled them to dedicate their lives to service, but at least they possessed a lot more personality than the elites Ves encountered before.

The Kinners were quite capable of finding reasons to live. Even when they were deprived of many of the amenities that Brighters and other people took for granted, they still faced their lives with hope.

If not for themselves, then at least for their children.

Yet even so, Ves still found them to be lacking in some way.

They continued to approach and chat with different Kinner representatives. Ves did not express too much interest in them because they were simply more of the same.

It wasn’t until they approached the thirtieth or so representative that Ves looked up a bit. His spiritual senses, which he put on a low blast, suddenly encountered a notable presence.

While he had encountered a handful of mech pilots with spirituality, they mostly turned out to be rather anemic. Even if the Kinners enjoyed better training, it was doubtful if they would ever be able to develop a force of will.

Not so for the man who sat on his chair with a dour expression. Although his demeanor did not do him a lot of favors in attracting interested clients, to Ves the man practically shone in the dark. _{freewebnovel.cσ๓}

This was a man with an uncommonly high degree of spirituality for a normal mech pilot! In fact, in terms of magnitude, he could even put some expert candidates to shame!

Yet with such abnormal strength, Ves clearly recognized that the man had not developed anything close to a force of will.