The Mech Touch

　　The Barachs did not expect such a reaction from the Larkinson Patriarch. Master Sivare was highly confident in his skills.

　　As a genuine master artisan, he recognized that the Larkinson Clan did not employ someone who was even close to his caliber. Any item of clothing that he designed off-hand was leagues better than the uniforms of the Larkinsons!

　　Though Master Sivare probably thought that he was being challenged, he maintained a cordial demeanor.

　　"I have carefully designed these headwear items based on your body and your recent ensembles. If you have different preferences, please provide me with your specifications and I shall draft a new article on the spot. It does not have to be a piece of headwear. I can design any type of wearable item including coats, rings, necklaces, shoes and combat armor."

　　Ves directed a smile at the Barach master artisan. "I have no particular desire to procure your services. No matter how good your designs can be, none of them will speak to me because they don't possess the property I value the most."

　　"And that is…?"

　　"Whether they are alive."

　　"…"

　　Neither Cefigo nor his grandfather Sivare knew what to say to that. They had both done their research on the Larkinson Clan so they knew that Ves ascribed to the principle that mechs could be alive. They even knew that the patriarch extended this principle to other products, but they didn't have a good idea what living products actually meant.

　　"It doesn't matter whether my designs are clearly inferior to yours." Ves continued. "What matters is that I made them myself and that they are all alive because of that. That brings me more validation and satisfaction than wearing a tailored suit that is priced at 100 MTA credits or something."

　　Master Sivare took a good look at Ves' current outfit. "I do not see any sign of that on your body."

　　"That's because I haven't bothered to design and make my own outfit yet. I have other priorities to attend to, you see. Once I have time, I'll be sure to treat myself by making one with special materials. In the meantime, let me give you an opportunity to study a few of my personal works. They're not masterworks, but they still reflect what I seek out of refined goods."

　　Ves brought out his Hammer of Brilliance and placed it on his desk.

　　He called for Nitaa to step forward and put the Larkinson Mandate next to the hammer.

　　He finally commanded his bodyguard to bring out the Unending Regalia and unfold it into a wearable state.

　　The three pieces of equipment that Ves had designed and made from his own hands each reflected his personal style!

　　They might not be perfect or artistically impressive, but they were unquestionably reflective of a specific approach towards design!

　　"May I step forward and touch your work?" Master Sivare asked with a hint more respect in his tone.

　　"Be my guest. I brought them out for this exact reason. My work is all alive, though it might be difficult for you to fully sense what that means."

　　"I understand. Please give me the time to examine your craft in a more intimate manner."

　　Ves didn't realize why the master artisan used the word 'intimate' until the old man began to caress the living objects!

　　The Unending Regalia was the first one to receive his attention. The man brought out a small hammer and began to knock at the surface of the custom combat armor at various points. He rubbed his hands over the metal exterior and looked inside the open helmet of the suit.

　　The way the master artisan's hands rubbed all across the surface of the combat armor looked increasingly more disturbing to Ves!

　　He especially felt uncomfortable when the old man repeatedly knocked his hammer at the crotch section!

　　"What a dense and tough material. I have never encountered anything like this alloy before. You have chosen to work for specific reasons seeing how you have applied it in such a frugal and careful manner. Your combat armor is extremely precious to you. You wish you could wear it more often."

　　Ves actually looked impressed at the gray-haired man. "That's quite insightful of you, though any reasonable person could make those guesses."

　　"There is also… something else about this combat armor that sets it apart from others of its kind." Master Sivare hummed as he rubbed the chest plating of the Unending Regalia. "It has a… presence to it much like the glow of a living mech. I still cannot understand what it is and where it comes from. I expected that I would obtain answers when I have the opportunity to touch your work. I did not anticipate that I would gain even more questions."

　　"Hehe, my products tend to have that effect on people. It's best not to get lost in asking yourself how and why. Just appreciate my work for what it is instead of trying to figure out how to replicate it. I can guarantee you that you'll only hit a wall if you try."

　　Ves had already swept his spiritual senses towards the pair. Neither of them possessed any activated spiritual potential. Their craft had nothing to do with the extraordinary.

　　What he could sense from the Barachs but especially Master Sivare was that their minds were a lot more focused and overflowing with creativity than other people!

　　Great artists and craftsmen needed to possess an abundant amount of skill and creativity to excel in their respective crafts.

　　Only the tasteless appreciated uninspiring products!

　　Only the stupid bought bad quality works!

　　The master artisan continued to study the Unending Regalia before he moved on to view the Larkinson Mandate and the Hammer of Brilliance respectively.

　　Ves was not afraid that his guest would try to tamper or damage the relics. They were designed to be tough and robust enough to last for at least several centuries. A single person wouldn't be able to do anything to them before his security measures put a stop to any shenanigans.

　　Besides, the increasing amount of respect and appreciation shown by the master craftsman showed that Sivare never entertained the thought about defiling these works!

　　The man tapped the book and the hammer. "These two items were created under vastly different circumstances and different points of time. The book is designed to be a symbol of unity of your clan while this hammer expresses your deep desire to excel in craftsmanship. Each of them channels different aspects of yourself. I can fully see now why you do not value my work as much. No amount of technique can overcome the value of emotional attachment. Aside from that, your creations are truly distinctive from a craftsmanship perspective. If you were not a mech designer, I would have offered you a place in our workshop."

　　Cefigo reacted with a lot of surprise when he heard that last remark. It was evidently a great honor and a fantastic opportunity to enter the workshop of a master artisan!

　　Of course, Ves was a mech designer, so he did not exhibit a hint of interest towards Sivare's spoken and unspoken words.

　　"Now that you understand what I can do, I believe you should understand your deficiencies further. I have nothing but respect for your skill and art, yet to my untrained eye, I do not see anything truly special in your work. Those designs you've just shown me look classic and elegant, but what makes them different from any hat or crown I can order off the galactic net? The style of your House of Barach is devoid of any distinctive flair, and that just doesn't align with my bold vision."

　　A product had to fit the customer. Master Sivare had misjudged his target audience and thought that someone like Ves craved legitimacy.

　　While the master artisan wasn't entirely wrong, Ves derived his legitimacy from his mechs and his work more than anything else.

　　Master Sivare frowned as he took a few steps back and sat back down in his chair. He was well aware that Ves had taken all of the initiative of this conversation. The Barachs had lost all of their momentum, and that put them in a lower position.

　　The older Barach felt quite prickly about that. No matter their respective capabilities and accomplishments, Sivare Coriten Barach was almost four times older than the Larkinson patriarch!

　　He should be leading this conversation, but Ves was too wily to fall for that. At this time, the only way for Master Sivare to gain something out of this meeting was to lower his stance!

　　"Patriarch Larkinson. Is there anything we can offer to you that will allow me a chance to experience the power of your hammer?"

　　Ves steepled his fingers and smirked. "Finally, you're willing to talk straight with me. However, that is not enough for me to give you this boon. I'm well aware of the value of this service. It can provide a good amount of help to someone as young as Mr. Cefigo here, but it can make an even greater difference to someone as skilled and experienced as yourself!"

　　"I do not comprehend. Are you unwilling to use your hammer on myself?" Master Sivare asked with a difficult expression.

　　Ves nodded even as he grabbed his hammer and hid it behind his desk. "You can say that. Either come up with something worthwhile or forget about receiving my services. The House of Barach only has a few things that are desirable to me. You can offer me your shares or your craftsmen. I'm not interested in anything else you can give me. Now, are you willing to talk any further, or are we done for the day?"

　　"I… believe we have made our stances clear." Master Sivare slowly said as he rose from his seat. "I will have to confer with my fellow master artisans before I can proceed to talk any further. While I am willing to believe that your hammer can bring all of our craftsmanship a step further, it will be hard to convince my fellow Barachs when only Cefigo here can prove its effects."

　　Ves dismissively waved his hand. "As I said, I don't give any freebies. You aren't offering anything that sounds compelling to me, so why should I go out of my way to expend a precious resource? Granting people epiphanies is not cheap!"

　　Of course, Ves was exaggerating a bit. The only major downside to the hammer was that it only worked once every couple of days.

　　As Sivare and Cefigo said goodbye to the Larkinson patriarch and made their way out, Ves called out to them one last time.

　　"Oh, I forgot! Before you go, I just remembered that I prepared a 'sample' of what I can provide to you all. Let me look in my drawer."

　　He quickly pulled a small alloy statue that looked a lot like himself. The miniature depiction of himself was wearing more ceremonial garments and raised his tiny hammer high over his head!

　　"This is a totem that I've created in the likeliness of Vulcan."

　　"The dwarven god of the Vulcan Empire?" Cefigo asked as he recalled what he read about Ves and his clan. "Why would you utilize a religious icon of your enemy?"

　　"Because Vulcan is not an enemy." Ves corrected the other man. "He's not even a dwarf. Anyway, take this statuette home with you and treat it with respect. You may get rewarded by it if you behave well enough."

　　The Barachs accepted the small totem even though they were skeptical about its full benefits.

　　"Thank you for this gift, patriarch. We shall examine it further when we return. We will also treat it with great respect, as we do with any crafted creation."

　　"Take your time with it. Just remember that my fleet and I will not stick around forever. I will have to ask you to return the statuette when my fleet is about to resume its journey deeper into the Red Ocean. You have until that much time to present me with an attractive business offer."

　　With that, Ves finally sent away the Barachs.