The Mech Touch

　　If Ves didn't know any better, he would have thought that these slick executives genuinely wanted to partner with the Larkinson Clan.

　　Still, despite their friendly smiles and despite their charming engagement, Ves could vaguely sense the truth behind their impeccably trained facades.

　　These people wanted to exploit Ves and his fellow Larkinsons. They wanted his clan to settle on Pellysa III so that they could derive all kinds of benefits from hosting it. From collecting taxes to commissioning exclusive products, there were many ways for landlords to milk their tenants!

　　Unlike Calabast, whose training also went as far as to exert near-perfect discipline on her thoughts and emotions, the executives that met with the Larkinsons couldn't hide their greed and desire in their hearts. Their polite facades were only skin-deep.

　　"We have not yet decided if we want to settle." Ves responded to an inquiry. "The future may change, though. If we are ever ready to settle down, we will doubtlessly take a good look at the Pellysa System. It's not situated deep in the Red Ocean, but its strategic location and close proximity to Beachhead One makes it an attractive commercial site."

　　"An added advantage to our location is that it is relatively close to numerous Big Two strongholds and far away from any alien territory. Whether it is in the short term or long term, the position of the Pellysa System in the dwarf galaxy will remain highly relevant for the times to come."

　　That was a bit of an exaggeration to Ves. Sure, the Pellysa System was currently situated along a lot of trade routes, but that was mainly because the resources harvested in the Red Ocean needed to be funneled through the greater beyonder gate at Bridgehead One.

　　Would this key star system remain host to the only greater beyonder gate in the Red Ocean in the future? Ves did not think so. It made little sense from a logistical standpoint.

　　Once the Big Two managed to pacify the entirety of the new frontier, Ves predicted that the Gate Consortium would either move its existing greater beyonder gate to the center of the dwarf galaxy or just build a new one in this prosperous region.

　　The center was a more favorable location for a greater beyonder gate. The maximum distances that people had to traverse to reach the center was much lower than going from one end of the dwarf galaxy to the other end.

　　The hub-and-spoke model of using a network of lesser beyonder gates to connect the entire Red Ocean also became a lot more affordable due to the manageable distances. The incredibly expensive constructs did not require as much phasewater to build.

　　All in all, the biggest problem of settling down in the Pellysa System was that its golden age was front-loaded. The early decades would probably produce a lot of economic prosperity, but once the Gate Consortium shifted its core operations to the center of the Red Ocean, it would all come crashing down.

　　The Magair Middle Zone would turn from a busy trade conduit into a rural backwater much like the galactic rim in the old galaxy.

　　Still, even if a lot of pioneers were aware of this dynamic, many of them still chose to invest in Pellysa.

　　The idea behind this was that they could use the handsome profits and stable development time to rapidly build up their scale and capabilities in the early phase of the opening of the Red Ocean.

　　Once the middle and later phases came along, the pioneers could use their greater wealth and numbers to compete for a place in the more prosperous zones in the center of the new frontier.

　　It was a sound plan and one that Ves might actually be interested in. However, for everything to work out, the THZ Consortium had to give the Larkinson Clan enough space to reinvest its profits elsewhere, and that was very suspect!

　　To be fair, Ves hadn't sensed any malice towards him. The directors treated every pioneer this way. However, intent was not a requirement to do harm. Business could be just as cutthroat as personal vendettas!

　　By the end of the mostly-meaningless meet and greet with the upper echelon of the THZ Consortium, the group of Larkinsons finally exited the headquarters and enjoyed a moment for themselves.

　　"Let's take a walk." Ves suggested.

　　His wife didn't look so enthused about that idea. Pejana was not as sophisticated and developed as Chance Bay and the abundance of ongoing construction gave the entire place a messy appearance.

　　"Fuuu..wawaaaa… woooaaa…"

　　"Look, Aurelia is curious as well. I think she would love it if we took a walk around the city!"

　　Though Gloriana didn't look convinced, she eventually acquiesced. "Fine."

　　The couple along with their bodyguards began their high-profile walk through the city. There was really no way that others could ignore their presence considering their abundance of guards on foot as well as the mechs hovering from above in each direction.

　　The Larkinson mechs happened to fly low enough sometimes that other people actually came under the influence of their glows.

　　The Bright Warriors generally didn't bring any substantial benefits to people outside of the Larkinson Clan, but anyone was able to enjoy the warmth exuded by the Golden Cat.

　　The escort mechs inadvertedly created a buzz among the visitors and residents of Pejana!

　　Of course, the expert mechs were the real stars of the show!

　　Mech designers and other afficianadoes of anything related to mechs and craftsmanship quickly recognized the remarkable nature of these two wonderful machines.

　　The Shield of Samar simply embodied defense and protection in a way that many other defensive mechs could only dream of attaining. The heavy space knight might not be in its elements when flying under atmospheric conditions, but its extremely sturdy and robust flight system was still able to keep the massive machine aloft due to its high specs.

　　Its massive tower shield and the solidity it just exuded through its glow made everyone feel as if they could take comfort in the Shield of Samar's safety no matter whether they were Larkinsons or not. To many average colonists, the masterwork expert mech was probably among the best defensive mechs they had ever witnessed in their lives!

　　"What's that expert rifleman mech? Why is it carrying a rifle made out of crystal? Is it fragile?"

　　"It's pretty, though. Look at those rainbow shimmers. It looks like a work of art."

　　Even in a relatively calm state, the Amaranto was a beauty to behold. Slim, slender lines along with the relatively large and ostentatious luminar crystal rifle caused the expert rifleman mech to attract the fascination of many ranged enthusiasts.

　　The onlookers could somehow tell without looking up the Amaranto that it was probably capable of unleashing a deadly degree of long-ranged firepower!

　　Different from the Shield of Samar, the Amaranto's glow was more mysterious. It sometimes caused people to see spots or stars in their eyes despite the mech not shining any strong lights in their direction.

　　The powerful ranged mech also exuded a more exotic vibe. The luminar crystal rifle combined with the glow resulted in a package that was distinctly alien!

　　A lot of people began to look up the Larkinsons after witnessing or experiencing the glows of their mechs. A few began to develop serious ideas about approaching the clan for business opportunities.

　　Ves smiled as he noticed all of the interest that he and his mechs were generating.

　　"Do you really think this will work?" Gloriana asked as she fed a bottle of nutrient solution to Aurelia.

　　"I'm not sure. Most of the people and organizations here aren't strong or capable enough to be worth our time. The truly successful pioneers have all gone off to build their own colonies. They may have sent their trade representatives here, though. We'll see how many worthwhile offers we've received at the end of the day."

　　They stopped by a shopping boulevard where a number of luxury brands were already plying their trade to affluent customers.

　　The people who tended to roam here were significantly classier than usual. Despite how much money it took to set up a colony or business in the Red Ocean, people's demands for luxury products never faded!

　　Gloriana suddenly grew excited. "Look, it's a Hoenbach store! Let's take a look!"

　　"No!" Ves hooked his arm around Gloriana and forcibly held her in place. "We're not going to spend 120 MTA credits on a useless bag, hat or whatever pointless accessory you want. We can't throw that kind of money around when we haven't added any new revenue sources to our clan!"

　　"And whose fault is that? It's been too long since we last released a commercial mech model!"

　　"Hey, I'm still working on it. I just completed the Enlightened Warrior. We can start production as soon as we have found a supplier for the materials we need."

　　"The Enlightened Warrior is not a good commercial product. It's too unoptimized and you're being too vague about the benefits of piloting it. Also, didn't you tell me that you intend to sell it below its standard price? That might help you move your inventory, but it won't bring in a large amount of profit."

　　"At least I'm doing something about it, unlike you. The custom mech design projects that you're working on all look nice, but they don't improve our financial position."

　　"Then what do you want from me? Are you telling me to neglect our own clansmen so that I can spend my time fulfilling commissions from outsiders?"

　　Ves frowned. This was a difficult matter to decide. Gloriana's ability to design exquisite custom mechs was a fantastic benefit for the Larkinson Clan. It sounded like a waste for her to cater to outsiders.

　　After a bit of tugging, Gloriana finally gave up on visiting the Hoenbach store. The handbag was already enough and Ves wasn't willing to spend extravagant sums on other pointless luxury items.

　　They instead spent most of their time window shopping and exploring all of the renowned designer brands that had chosen to invest in a store in Pejana.

　　"Hm, that's interesting."

　　One storefront had yet to be completed. The shop buildings here were much more upscale than the rest of the city so the construction standards were much higher. By eschewing the rapid, modular construction methods that were ubiquitous in the other streets, it took a lot longer to complete the artful storefronts.

　　Ves happened to be attracted by this half-finished store because the craftsmanship and detailing of the wall sculptures and other decorative elements was remarkable.

　　As someone who was highly familiar with good craftsmanship, Ves could recognize the work of an expert in an instant.

　　When the couple drew close, Ves looked up at the man in thick coveralls chiseling the block of composite matter with a handheld high-tech tool.

　　Though the tech was powerful, the man with long, curly hair did not rely on any hint of automation or AIs to carve the right curves.

　　Aside from the craftsmen, the other workers at the uncompleted storefront immediately noticed the couple due to the presence of a hefty guard force.

　　Ves waved at his mechs so that they could increase their distance. He did not want to affect the work of the engrossed sculptor as he continued to shape a story on the front wall of the store.

　　"Welcome to our upcoming shop and experience center, guests." A smartly-dressed saleswoman approached the pair. "As you can see, we are currently preparing our facilities, so I am afraid we cannot cater to your needs just yet. Please return in two weeks for us to serve you properly. We would love to offer our products to discerning customers such as yourselves."

　　"What do you sell?" Ves asked.

　　"Here at the House of Barach, we sell cutting-edge fashion articles and accessories, handmade by our small team of master artisans who have inherited their craft from generation to generation. Whether you require clothing, footwear, bags or baby clothing, we can readily supply you with our fine works. We also offer bespoke services if you desire more unique products."

　　That sounded interesting to Ves. Although he wasn't interested in ordering any luxury products, he did want to see what these so-called 'master artisans' were like.