Ever since Gloriana revealed the standard that Ves needed to meet to earn her mother’s approval, Ves continually sank into thought. He already enjoyed Gloriana’s company. He found her to be delightful and supportive of him, so much so that Ves did not mind the idea of becoming a permanent item. Not only did he stand to gain a lot of practical benefits from their union, he believed he could trust her with all of his secrets. However, the Wodin Dynasty sure expected much from any man who wished to capture her heart. With all of the bias and lack of faith directed towards him, the only way for him to break their poor impression of him was to prove he had the capability to fabricate a second-class mech! Yet how much effort did he have to make to reach this point? He couldn’t just pick a random mech design and fabricate it a thousand times. Ves believed he needed to design his own second-class mech to open up the option of making a suitable masterwork, but that entailed becoming intimately familiar with these kinds of machines. Ves already envisioned a very busy schedule ahead of him due to his desire to fill up the LMC’s catalog of third-class mechs. He had way too many things to do to squeeze in additional study of second-class mechs. Unless... he made use of a time-saving tool like the System! His eyes grew a bit brighter. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞 He knew that ordinary third-rate mech designers had an immensely tough time trying to adapt to the standard of mechs in second-rate states. The fact that no promising mech designer from the Bright Republic who emigrated to the Friday Coalition or the Hexadric Hegemony managed to advance to Master was proof! While Ves knew that exceptions of this rule existed elsewhere in the galaxy, he still recognized that he needed to put an immense amount of effort into learning a brand-new class of mechs. Fortunately, he possessed more means to do so. He already became exposed to many of the technologies used in second-class mechs through his higher-tiered Skills and Sub-Skills. Much of what he learned only really became relevant when his budget and tech standard surpassed a certain height. Gloriana also promised to help him as well. "I’ll tutor you as much as I can about second-class mechs." She spoke with conviction. "Since we’re going to be together anyway, I can instruct you as often as it’s convenient to us. Within a decade or less, I hope you become just as fluent in designing second-class mechs as me. I don’t think any Journeyman is willing to dedicate as much time as me in bringing you up to speed." Ves hugged her closer to him. He really enjoyed feeling her warm body against his own. "Thank you, Gloriana, but you shouldn’t neglect your own development. I think I can manage with some light instruction. I won’t be able to master second-class mechs if my perspective is distorted by your own. I need to develop my own understanding." As a mech designer, Gloriana knew what he was worried about. A similar dynamic existed when teaching or mentoring apprentices. "You won’t learn as fast if I’m not there to hold your hand." "I think I’ll manage. Let me try first, and if my progress isn’t good enough a few years from now, we can try something else. For now, it’s important for my principal development to design a lot of mechs for the Bright Republic and other comparable mech markets." If he switched over to designing second-class mechs right away, then he would have to waste valuable years while he tried to reinvent the wheel. Not only that, he needed some way of breaking into the mech market of a much more advanced and foreign state. The progression of a mech designer did not really depend on the class of mechs. He still believed it would be useful for him to expand his range into both third and second-class mechs. Ves and Gloriana discussed their upcoming plans. For now, Ves wanted to focus on his existing plans and study up on second-class mechs in his spare time. While Gloriana did not have any obligations per se, Ves did not wish for her to waste all of her time in assisting him in his own projects. "I think it’s best if you revive your Flawless Mech Workshop and fulfill some commissions on your own." He said. "Even if you’re away from the Hegemony, you can still do your work by remote." She firmly shook her head. "I don’t want to. You don’t have to be worried about my progression. I think it will be a true pleasure to help you design your mechs. Just like how it’s best for you if you start to learn how to design a second-class mech, I think it will benefit me as well if I expand my range to third-class mechs. I can make just as much progress in the Bright Republic by adapting and modifying your mech designs into perfect vessels to some of your customers." "Really?" He questioned. "Mmhmm." Gloriana cutely leaned her head on his shoulder. "I don’t think working in the Bright Republic is a waste of my time. Not only will I be able to step out of the box and learn an entirely new framework of mech design, I’ll also get to work by your side! The more we collaborate, the more we become proficient in combining our specialties. If we want to bring out the most in each other, then we need to work together as much as possible." This was the logic between mech designer pairings. Two creators who shared the same profession but approached their work from different directions could combine each other’s efforts in fantastic ways! However, such a desirable outcome did not come about instantly. A long-term partnership was essential, and no partnership was as stable and enduring as a marriage! Ves decided to test how well they could work together. "Let me show you my Desolate Soldier design like I originally planned. While my current design project has reached an advanced stage, I hope you can provide me with some valuable input." He turned back to the terminal and tried his best to load in his design schematics. Gloriana kept leaning her body against his own as she studied the schematics and other data on the ballistic rifleman mech. This time, Ves did not narrate his design choices or overall logic behind his design. He wanted Gloriana to make her own judgement on his work. He watched her reaction carefully over the next hour as she immersed herself into the Desolate Soldier design. From time to time, Gloriana winced or frowned as she studied something she found troubling. Ves noted that she reacted most strongly when she encountered the outcomes of his decision to opt for something cheap rather than powerful. Since his goal was to design an affordable mech, he made a lot of compromises and settled for inferior performance in exchange for minimizing cost and complexity. To a mech designer who was used to designing mechs worth tens or hundreds of billions of bright credits a piece, the abject performance metrics of his affordable mech must be a huge shock to her! At least with his premium mechs, Ves could boast about some of their strengths, but the main merit of his latest work was that it didn’t cost a lot of money! Gloriana breathed deeply and closed her eyes. Her mild reaction belied the storm that raged in her head. Through his spiritual fragment stuck in her mind, Ves witnessed glimpses of intense responses against his work. Though a part of her probably found her design repulsive, she exerted a very strong desire to tolerate his work. Her surprisingly strong will exerted too much pressure onto her old beliefs that her design seed bowed down its head in the face of her determination! In her desire to make it possible for her to collaborate with Ves as much as possible, she was willing to adjust the direction of her design philosophy! Ves truly became speechless as he realized the immensity of her inner struggle. He couldn’t help but respect her and appreciate her more. Eventually, she finished her study. "Okay, I’ve thoroughly familiarized myself with your work." She spoke calmly, belying the huge turmoil she just went through. "It’s... very different from what I used to. I’m astounded by how inventive mech designers like you have to be to design a mech with limited limited resources." Obviously, Gloriana did not wish to reveal how much she went through in order to avoid any disharmony. Ves leaned his head against her own, brushing against her exquisite, soft hair. "I know my Desolate Soldier design can be.. underwhelming, but mechs at this price range sell the most in the mech markets where my company is competing in. You have to take into account that there are many mech buyers who don’t have the budget to buy expensive mechs, hire skilled mech pilots, retain a proper maintenance crew and stock up on ample supplies." "I thought only pirates are this desperate." He let out a snort. "Trust me. There are lots of outfits who don’t really invest as much money and resources as they should in building up their mech forces. So what do you think of my work?" "It’s very.. basic, I shall say. That’s not necessarily bad, because I understand your intention. You’ve achieved an impressive level of performance from what little you have to work with. I know I would have never been able to make as much use of the same set of resources. However..." "However?" "I see that the intent of your mech is to be as compatible with as many mech pilots as possible. You’ve even dumbed down or automated some of the operations of the mech to accommodate very.. low-skilled mech pilots." Ves nodded. "It’s because the sandman crisis has rendered many of our melee mechs useless. The Bright Republic and many other states under threat are suffering from an acute shortage of ranged mechs. Many mech pilots proficient in melee combat are being forced to learn a new skillset in a matter of months." He explained to her about the situation, causing her to get up to speed on how desperate the situation had become. She frowned. "I see. This is worse than I thought. I can accept why you’ve simplified your mech to such a degree, but still, I see some room for improvement in your implementation." "Oh? Do tell please." In the next half hour, Gloriana began to point out various small aspects where Ves could refine his simplification efforts. She also pointed out some other areas which she thought that Ves might need to think on a bit further. This was the first time since he embarked on this design project that he received feedback from a peer. Through her advice, suggestions and opinions, Ves became exposed to her design style and knowledge base. While she wasn’t as perverse as him who already reached Senior-level in several fundamental Skills, her depth of knowledge really astounded him. In spite of coming up short compared to him, her utilization of existing knowledge was a lot higher. That meant that while she didn’t know as many theories as him, she was a bit more adept at applying the theories she was already familiar with. This led Ves to accept several of her minor suggestions. "Wow." He spoke. "I really appreciate your feedback. You’re really insightful." She grinned at him. "You’re no slouch, yourself. Despite the simplicity of your Desolate Soldier design, it’s also surprisingly deep. There are plenty of aspects that are simply beyond me. Why don’t you explain them to me, hmm?" "Sure. I might as well repay you for how much of a help you’ve been so far." A spark formed between them as they exchanged their own views. Ves truly felt that they grew closer to each other, not just romantically, but also professionally. Ves truly became enamored in the joy of sharing his passion with a woman who was equally as passionate in their work!