The Mech Touch

sign had always been its ability to inspire faith! A horrible accumulation of faith had gathered in the section of the workshop where they temporarily stored their mechs.

The five finished Transcendent Messengers each reinforced each other ’s auras.

Aside from reinforcing their common faith, Ves discovered to his surprise that the different virtues also resonated with each other!

This was a completely unexpected development!

Courage reinforced Sacrifice.
Perseverance reinforced Justice.
Justice reinforced Zeal!

This was just a handful of the web of connections between the five mechs! Each virtue mutually reinforced the other virtues!

Their common foundation based on their absolute faith in Ylvaine ’s beliefs paved the way for this intricate and fascinating interaction.

If five mechs already resulted in such a complicated web, then adding another one would surely be even better!

”Let ’s move on to Devotion. ”

Ves considered this to be the virtue that tied the Ylvainan Faith together.
Prophet Ylvaine managed to convert many different people to his beliefs during his lifetime.

He possessed a quality that inspired devotion in everyone!

Devotion lay at the heart of every religion, and the Ylvainan Faith was no different.
Despite its weird and eclectic beliefs, the faith had always managed to unite its worshippers under a single banner due to the enduring devotion it roused!

”Becoming devoted to a faith is more than paying lip service to its rituals and beliefs. ” He stated.
”You need to be sincere and surrender yourself to something greater than yourself. ”

He witnessed many people dedicating their entire lives to their faith.
The worshippers of Haatumak and the Cursed and Blessed People of Aeon Corona VII all devoted much if not all of their time in service to their gods.

It was something very alien to someone like Ves.
Even if a higher existence akin to a god was truly out there, why should Ves devote his life to such a being?

If a god demanded his devotion, then Ves better get something in return!

Other people may be content with freely giving away their devotion, but that was wasteful to the extreme! Devotion was a scarce good, and that meant that it should come with a price!

”Devotion is just a nice way of describing blind fanaticism. ” Ketis critically remarked.

Ketis showed a lot of nonchalance towards devotion due to her experiences in the frontier.
She recalled the depravities that many extreme cults got away with by indoctrinating their worshippers into mindless sheep.

”There are both good and bad connotations to devotion. ” Ves replied, not entirely agreeing with her stance.
”Sure, in many cases it ’s taken advantage of, but devotion also helps many people find their meaning in life. ”

Humanity ’s enduring entanglement with religion even after they advanced to the stars showed that devotion was an intricate part of their civilization.
In fact, many aliens also exhibited a varying propensity towards devotion, proving that devotion was something that transcended race!

Despite his mixed views towards devotion, the Ylvainans were relatively benign their devotion to their faith.

The Ylvainan Faith was not a closed-off entity that demanded their worship while giving only scraps in return.

The faith intertwined itself in the lives of every Ylvainan.
It stayed relevant outside the church.
As the state religion of the Protectorate, the Ylvainan Faith was present in every school, every store, every street and so on.
Even the mech community wasn ’t exempt from this pervasiveness!

”The entire Ylvaine Protectorate is devoted to the faith! ”

This was an example of devotion to the highest extent!

Ves ran with these concepts of devotion and embarked on fabricating the final Transcendent Messenger of the series.
He repeated many of the same steps and finished the mech in less than three days.

Once infused with the image of the last virtue that remained, the mech called Devotion fully came into its own!

As loaders placed the newly-fabricated mechs next to its siblings, an awe-inspiring sight came into being.

Ves, Ketis, Lucky and all the Protectors of the Faith that stood guard in the mech workshop couldn ’t help but stop and stare at the collection of mechs.

”Courage.
Justice.
Perseverance.
Zeal.
Sacrifice.
Devotion. ” Ves recited the names affixed on their tabards.
”Six virtues.
One mech model.
All united for a single cause. ”

The insertion of Devotion resulted in a qualitative difference in his perception of the mechs.
Although it only sparked a minor increase into the common foundation of their auras, the addition of this latest virtue amplified the interconnectedness of every virtue!

Ves couldn ’t help but describe what he saw.
”Devotion is the glue that binds the virtues! None of the other virtues can exist without devotion! ”

The auras of all six mechs constantly pulsed and shifted as the virtues constantly sparked against each other.
Each of the mechs seemed so sacred and divine that a number of Protector guards spontaneously lost control and bent to their knees in prayer!

”I can feel it! These mechs are the works of Ylvaine! ”

”Not even the grand cathedral is as majestic as this sight! These mechs are divinely touched! ”

”We have witnessed a miracle in the making! ”

The abnormal behavior of the normally-stoic Kronon guards proved that Ves had succeeded! All of the risks he took had been worth it if he could accomplish such an exceptional emotional response from the Ylvainans!

Just as Ves basked in the glory and satisfaction of producing a profoundly compelling series of hero mechs, the doors leading into the mech workshop slammed open!

Ves and some of the other Protectors instantly turned around and saw that a delegation of inquisitors had arrived without announcement!

High Inquisitor Xefin Lin Poxco strode forward with strong and determined steps despite his advanced age.
He ignored the mechs entirely and focused his burning eyes solely on his target.

”Your Excellency, to what do we owe your visit? ” Ves guardedly asked as he abruptly came off his high of completing his goal.

”You are under arrest, Mr.
Larkinson! We have proof that you are involved with stealing the holy relic from the Grand Cathedral of Ylvaine ’s Mercy! ”

What?! Ves widened his eyes! How did they find out!?

”In addition to that, your efforts in designing these deceptive mechs in order to corrupt our beliefs is blasphemy! This reason is enough to take you away! ”

What kind of excuse was that?!

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