[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 108: Clifford Society

The virtual structures built on top and around the mountains were remarkably diverse. Some were shaped like ancient temples, while others borrowed from the latest architecture.

"Are you wondering why nothing matches? The Society is not in a habit of imposing firm controls. We're not the Konsu Clan after all. Every member above the rank of squire has the right to place a permanent structure in this mountain range. The higher your rank, the larger your personal space."

It turned out that the Clifford Society ranked its members in a simple hierarchy.

The lowest rung consisted of Squires. They formed the largest member group as each year many of the top 500 in the Leemar Open Competition chose to join. They only had basic level access to the Society's resources, but for the designers with shallow backgrounds, it was an oasis in a desert. They had to earn merits through missions in order to pay for more exclusive services.

The next step up were the Knights. Only rarely do Squires get promoted to this rank. Most of the apprentices, disciples and regular middle-ranked mech designers were Knights. They formed quite a substantial influence, and enjoyed more extensive access to the Society's exclusive libraries, Mission Hall and restricted lectures.

As Ves entered the society with this rank, Horatio gave him a better idea on what to expect with this status.

"Don't bother mingling with the Squires unless you want something done. You can assign a mission at the Mission Hall and attach a small reward. I can guarantee you that hundreds of the little buggers will flock to your task."

It appeared Horatio took a very dim view of Squires. Considering the mixed composition of this year's top 500, Ves understood his disdain. Due to the competition's weird format, plenty of unqualified mech designers had slipped through. These lucky bastards probably stagnated later on due to their lack of talent and work ethic.

"It's best to interact with your peers. Every Knight is an exceptional individual who has earned their rank. While you are able to earn merits the boring way through fulfilling missions, it's more convenient to trade for knowledge or assistance with your fellow Knights."

When Horatio guided him to the Mission Hall, Ves knew why he dismissed the Mission Hall. Many of the missions appropriate for Knights lasted for months or years.

They included missions like tutoring a spoiled brat until he successfully graduated with a degree in mech design. Such a mission rewarded the taker with fifty merits if he succeeded after five years.

"Don't underestimate the value of fifty merits. While there's no direct equivalent in cols, Knights like you often treat one merit as one million cols."

This meant that a single merit was worth at least a hundred million bright credits! He could fabricate four Marc Antony mechs with that much money!

"As a Knight, you are entitled to ten merits per standard year. This is merely play money to tide you over. To illustrate the value of a merit, let's take a look at the libraries."

The Society's library complex took over an entire plateau. Several different greco-roman structures offered varying levels of knowledge. The Star Library was meant for Squires and contained books and articles that ranged for novice to apprentice level. A Knight had unrestricted access to every book.

The Moon Library offered deeper knowledge. The books and articles in its catalog were of a higher level than the textbooks that Ves had previously bought from the open market. The vast majority of its books was at the journeyman level, though the highest floor also offered Senior-level books.

Knights like Ves had to exchange merits to gain a virtual copy of a book. He could only receive them onto special secure tablets in order to safeguard the knowledge. These tablets featured an abundance of encryption and other forms of copy protection.