"So you're truly leaving?"

"I am."

Though Ketis was still busy trying to organize everything the Swordmaidens needed for their upcoming visit to the Heavensword Association, she still made time to meet with Joshua.

"I wish I could come with you. Anything can happen over there and I'm not sure whether you'll be doing okay by yourselves."

"There's no need for you to fret, Joshua. We'll be accompanied by a sizable escort of Infinity Guards. We are also being cared for by a local mech designer who can help us keep out of trouble." She tried to reassure him as she was inspecting, cleaning and polishing the parts of her combat armor.

The Unending Dragon Mark I was largely made out of the same wonder material that comprised the weapons of the Swordmaidens.

Before the Battle of Reckoning, she wasn't really sure why Ves was so crazy about Unending alloy. Sure, the material was as hard as first-class armor, but it was way too unattainable through normal means.

It wasn't until the battle when Ketis understood the true value of Unending alloy.

When she witnessed Venerable Dise and her fellow Swordmaidens in action, she became captivated by their most glorious moments. She repeatedly rewinded the footage where the Bright Sword Prime and the other swordsman mechs managed to slice the limbs off the Jeanne D'Arc in an instant!

She never thought that non-expert mechs were capable of unleashing such a powerful cutting energy attack!

She held her upgraded CFA greatsword many times. With the help of Sharpie, she eventually learned that her living sword was able to pass something to the blade.

Ever since then, she tried to use the methods that Ves had taught her and what she figured out on her own to metaphysically 'hone' her weapon.

In fact, she didn't just limit her attempts to her sword. She picked up one of her gauntlets and concentrated on the fingertips.

She felt Sharpie responding to the sharpness that had been imbued in these parts. While it was only a minute for now, Ketis had a feeling that it could tear through solid metal if she kept honing over a longer period of time.

The same might also hold true for the rest of her Unending Dragon if she diligently kept up her efforts.

Unfortunately, Ketis didn't think she'd be able to see the fruits of her efforts. Sharpie was too big and her resilient combat armor was too big and massive.

Maybe she'd be able to accelerate her efforts once she became a Journeyman, but that would take some time to accomplish.

"Isn't this visit merely about recruiting a bunch of new mech pilots who are suitable to become a part of the Swordmaidens?" Joshua questioned as he watched her take care of her equipment. "I don't think your fellow sisters need a mech designer considering that the contests are all held using mechs supplied by the organizers."

"You don't get it. This trip is important to me. No offense to Ves, but he's not that enthusiastic about swords and swordsman mechs. He can't teach anything about swords to me because I know much more than him in this specific area. The Heavensword Association is known as the paradise for swordsman mechs so I'll be able to learn a lot more about my chosen specialty over there. In fact, a part of me wants to stay there and never return."

"Will you?"

"No." Ketis shook her head. "As much I'd like to indulge myself by spending my life with like-minded sword enthusiasts, that's not where the future of the Swordmaidens lie. We want to go out of our corner of the galaxy. We want to see the cosmos and use our power for something more than trying to fight for ourselves. While our grand expedition is filled with peril, there is a sense of purpose that we have long been lacking. It's so nice to be able to step outside of the box we are confined in. It feels as if we have finally managed to jump out of our cages that kept us boxed in place."

"I can understand the feeling. I feel the same way. If not for the opportunities provided by Ves, I'd still be languishing in the Komodo Star Sector. In fact, without his virtual mechs, I would have never been able to progress all the way to expert pilot."

Both of them were grateful to Ves. Their lives had already changed beyond their wildest dreams and this was just the start!

When Ketis completed her inspection, she reassembled her Undying Dragon and packed it up so that she could stow it with the rest of her luggage.

"Do you think you'll be able to achieve good results over there?" Joshua curiously asked.

"Oh, I think the Heavensworders will be awfully surprised when my sisters and I enter the arena." Ketis grinned. "We've gained some awesome gifts from Ves that should help us reach the later stages of the contests. I can't say anything further than that. Some of the seeded contestants are truly ridiculous. I don't think I'll be able to defeat any of them in the one-on-one personal combat competition."

"What about the group competition?"

"We Swordmaidens excel at fighting alongside each other! What we lack in sophistication, we make up with trust and familiarity with each other. In the coming months, we'll be drilling with each other very frequently in order to make sure we know what everyone else is capable of. That will help us cover each other's backs when we finally compete."

She was truly hopeful about her odds. The candies she and her fellow Swordmaidens already ingested had boosted their strength and combat prowess at a much faster pace than she imagined.

There were still plenty of candies left for them to pop in their mouths! Her breath grew heavy when she thought how strong she would become at the end.

Since she received more candies than everyone else, she might actually become the strongest member of their main combat team!

She grew a little disappointed when she thought about how she would have to stand by the sides when the swordsman mech competitions took place.

"It's too bad I'm not a mech pilot. I truly want to exchange blows with other swordsman mech pilots."

Joshua moved close and embraced her strong and athletic body. "You are already a great mech designer. There's no need for you to feel envious. Enabling your sisters to fight better is also satisfying, right?"

She tried to smile back. "I guess so. There are plenty of swordsman mech designers over there who I can exchange with. That will definitely broaden my horizons. I don't think I'll be able to approach any Journeyman, though. I'm still an Apprentice. I haven't designed any mechs that sold for millions like Ves."

"You're his student, though."

Ketis shook her head. "That doesn't mean much in the mech industry. Mech designers can teach many students, but that doesn't mean that those people will become as great as their instructors. We still have to carve out our own place in the community."

She normally didn't care about her own reputation or accomplishments. She just wanted to become better so that she could design the best swordsman mechs for her sisters.

Yet now that she was about to head off to a state that could teach her a lot about her interests, she suddenly realized that she was not in a position to take maximum advantage of the opportunities.

Back in the frontier, reputation was vital to get anything done. The Swordmaidens would have never been able to maintain their footing among cruel and violent pirates without acquiring a formidable reputation.

While the Swordmaidens could still leech off the rising reputation of the Larkinson Clan to an extent, this did not apply to her. She could hardly take any credit for the stellar accomplishments of the Larkinson Clan.

If she wanted to gain something from her fellow peers, she needed to find a way to stand out from the crowd, just like Ves.

He would probably choose to present a fantastic swordsman mech design and dazzle the crowd.

Yet that was not in the cards for Ketis. She still didn't feel she was ready to design her Monster Slayer yet. Even if she started right now, she'd never be able to complete it by the time the Greater Omanderie Festival had ended.

She turned around and grabbed her greatsword. The only way she could attract the attention of her peers in the mech industry was to fight her way to the top in one of the competitions!

As long as she made it near the end, she would be able to attract a lot of attention solely due to the fact that she was a mech designer by profession!

There had never been a mech designer who reached the later stages in the personal combat competitions in the history of the Greater Omanderie Festival!

As long as she broke this record, she believed she could definitely break into the local circle of swordsman mech designers!

"I would really like to see you fight in person." Joshua sighed as he embraced Ketis from the side. "I'd also be there if any accident takes place. I know you can hold your own in the arena, but you never know what might happen when the blades start swinging."

Ketis grinned and leaned her head over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You're so cute, Joshua, but you should be worrying about my opponents. The strength I've employed in my spars against you is nothing compared to when I'll go serious!"

They were anything but a typical couple. Even though Joshua was an expert pilot, he felt rather inadequate whenever Ketis kicked his butt during their practice bouts.

Even though his swordsmanship was improving by leaps and bounds, pure skill was only a part of the equation. Ketis still had him beat when it came to physical conditioning and intuition. Even if Joshua caught up in those aspects, he would never be able to equal her when it came to comprehending the essence of swords.

"I'll miss you, Ketis." He said. "Who will I practice against now that I've lost my favorite sparring partner?"

"Why not ask the other expert pilots?"

"They're no fun. Tusa is busy with his own thing while Jannzi is way too serious. Orfan is too old. Dise is going with you. As for the expert candidates, they're not suitable for various reasons. The only one who is somewhat worthwhile to be around is Imon Ingvar, but he stopped being difficult for me to beat since I've started to learn from your lessons."

Being an expert pilot was not all that pleasant sometimes. Joshua could feel how his status affected other people's attitude towards him. They began to think he was truly a superhuman or even a demigod. While he had definitely changed in many aspects, he still yearned to be treated as a regular clansman.

Sadly, that would never happen as his sheer presence was able to overpower other people and cause them to feel an irresistible sense of awe towards him. Only a handful of people were truly able to treat him like normal.

Ketis happened to be one of them. The adoration she showed towards him was much more personal. As he looked into her eyes, they seemingly shared the same thought.

They both leaned in and shared a deep kiss with each other.

"Let's forget about our coming separation for a moment." She whispered. "Before we go, let's make a memory that we will never forget. Does that sound okay with you, Venerable Joshua?"

"Of course."

The two pressed their bodies against each other and felt each other's body warmth. Their passion became enflamed as they kissed each other over and over again.

Ketis' growing strength was put to the test for the rest of the evening!