The Mech Touch novel Chapter 341

In the past couple of days, Ves fulfilled as many duties as possible. He discussed and approved the expansion plans with the officers of the company.

In particular, he approved the procurement of two brand new production lines for the LMC’s new manufacturing complex. Due to a lack of cash on hand, the company would have to go into debt to the tune of 4 billion credits, but this was easily bearable since the Blackbeak models still sold like hotcakes for now.

He also conducted his interview with Mercenary Central in his office. The interview was a lot more relaxed than the one he had with the Rimward Star herald. Ves mainly spoke some platitudes and constantly highlighted the benefits of the Blackbeak model. He tried his best not to trip over himself by uttering a gaffe.

Overall, the interview with Mercenary Central had largely been forgettable. The LMC and its partners only received a minor bump in orders for the Blackbeak models. Ves mainly treated the public exposure as a way to plant some seeds in the subscribers of the publication.

Not every mercenary was short on mechs at the moment. Once the war heated up, their losses would begin to pile up. Ves hoped that they remembered his words and took a closer look at the Blackbeak. _{freewebnσvel.cѳm}

"It’s difficult to raise more interest in my product at this time. The hype has died down."

The Blackbeak ceased to be a news item among the the public. The market had moved on to shinier toys that came out in the last month or so. Still, many professionals knew about the Blackbeak and what it could offer to its owners. Even if its sales started to slide, it hadn’t cratered to single digits as of yet.

After the interview, Ves got in touch with Melkor who travelled to Bentheim and instructed him to manage the Avatars of Myth by himself for the time being.

"Are you having any trouble recruiting promising pilots?"

Melkor grimaced over the projection. "To be honest, I’ve come way too late. The Mech Corps and the mercenary corps have snapped up almost every competent mech pilot available for hire in the preceding months. The only ones who are left are failures or carry a black mark on their record."

"Take your time, then. I don’t mind if you have to wait a few months to gather seven or eight good mech pilots. This first batch of mech pilots will form the core of the Avatars of Myths. It’s vitally important to know that we can rely on them to lead our future recruits."

"I understand, Ves. I’m actually reaching out beyond the Republic at this point. There are still some promising foreign mech pilots who expressed some interest in working for a mech designer."

Mech pilots generally liked to work with successful mech designers. Unlike mercenaries, they didn’t have to go around from job to job but instead mostly spent their time in one place. They only had to go out for a few errands once every few years.

Unlike company forces, mech pilots directly in the employ of a mech designer often received favored treatment with regards to the mechs they got to pilot. Mech designers always lavished their most loyal protectors with their best works.

Ves was no exception in this regard. In time, he planned to pair the entire roster of the Avatars of Mechs with his own designs.

"Have you also made a selection of mechs?"

"Not yet. I’m eyeing a handful of models, but It’s hard for me to decide which ones I should settle on. It will help if you can tell me how you plan to use the Avatars of Myth."

"The Avatars will first and foremost act as my bodyguards. They should have the ability to act as my defenders and repel any Tom, Dick and Harry that wants to take a shot at me with their mechs. The second priority is to be able to go on an expedition in hazardous environments far away from civilization. Think of the Glowing Planet or Groening IV. The mech pilots of the Avatars of Myth should be mentally prepared to go on these kinds of arduous trips."

Melkor sighed. "I can easy gather up some mech pilots who are eager to take up guard duty, but the latter is a lot more difficult to deal with. Not a lot of talented mech pilots are eager to gamble with their lives. Everyone knows of the danger that’s inherent with every expedition into the unknown."

"I’ll make it worth their while. You can offer as much salary and benefits as you want, though I hope you don’t stray too far from the predominant market rates."

Everyone had a price. As long as they threw enough money around, Ves and Melkor would surely be able to attract some poor but greedy mech pilots with some abilities.

Ves hung up on Melkor after discussing some further details. The issue of the Avatars of Myth could not be rushed. It was not as if he had any need for them at this time, especially since he was about to embark on a solo trip to the middle of nowhere.

Alongside his duties, Lucky often followed him as he went back and forth. Ever since he reached level 3, Lucky tested out his new abilities with the curiosity of a child.

The most drastic enhancement had to be his gravity manipulation. With it, Lucky finally gained the ability to fly.

In the first days, Lucky often raced around in the air like a dolphin in the water. Sadly, his control hadn’t caught up with his enthusiasm and he often flattened his body against a wall or some furniture.

Everyone laughed when that happened, including Ves. Lucky hadn’t been hurt, of course. Even if he flew fast enough to hurt a living cat, his Rorach’s Bone-based body could endure a lot of punishment.

"Lucky, stop flying around so much! You’re damaging the furniture!"

"Meow!"

His cat ignored him and continued to swim in the air. While Lucky started to get a hang of controlling his movements by manipulating his gravity, Ves arranged some plans the LMC should follow in his absence.

"I’m not certain we’re ready to move into the new manufacturing complex. It’s still a month away from finishing." Jake responded after he received the latest plan.