The Mech Touch

　　It was as if his wife was more interested in building up her image than actually expounding about craftsmanship.

　　"Oh well."

　　She at least kept her story interesting. The time pressure helped a lot. With only fifteen minutes of speaking time, she had to toss away a lot of elements that weren't as interesting.

　　Ves even agreed on a lot of her points. This was not a coincidence as he and his wife frequently held discussions about their work.

　　On top of that, they also shared their thoughts more directly with each other whenever they utilized a design network.

　　Because of this, they contaminated each other's design philosophies and partially converged towards each other.

　　Both of them still stood their ground when it came to their core ideas. The core of their design philosophies remained unchanged and it would take a much greater external shock for them to change.

　　Soon enough, Gloriana reached the end of her speech. She graciously wrapped up her moment and briefly reiterated her key points before floating away.

　　The B-Man stayed so that the audience could continue to admire the custom mech.

　　"I want a mech like this as well. Why don't mech designers make them this way?"

　　"What is that thing? Is that a belt? Why is it so big?"

　　Ves shook his head as he observed the reactions from the crowd. The B-Man may be a fine example of what custom mech design was capable of, but it was also the most farcical mech in the Larkinson Clan!

　　"Can someone remind Vincent Ricklin that he's supposed to make his way out by now?!"

　　After a few reminders, the B-Man finally left the stage.

　　"It's your turn now, Ves." Gloriana said as she approached and took back her two treasures.

　　Both Aurelia and her Hoenbach handbag were back where they belonged. She grinned and smooched her daughter's tiny head before gazing lovingly at her puelmer leather article.

　　Ves ignored this little spectacle and moved to the main stage.

　　Though he could have acted more pretentiously and floated his way forward, that was not his style. He preferred to walk most of the time since that was how he had always moved. The solidity of the surfaces underneath grounded him and made him more connected to his immediate environment.

　　He needed that reassurance as he was about to hold a brief but extremely important speech.

　　"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Vulcan Symposium." He began. "Most of you have initially heard of my clan and I when we sparked an incident in the Commercial District of Kotor City a few days ago. Who among you have personally experienced the special field that stimulated your creative desires?"

　　Over half of the people who attended the symposium raised their arms. This result completely fell within his expectations. It was hard to blame these individuals from seeking out this magical moment again.

　　Ves smiled. "What did you think about it now that you can look back on it? You over there. Tell us your thoughts."

　　A spotlight shone that centered around a random person who raised her hand. The woman genuinely looked befuddled.

　　"Uhm, I got a lot of new ideas about my work."

　　"What is your profession?" Ves asked.

　　"I am an architect." The woman replied as she gained a bit of courage. "I lead my own small bureau. It's called Hartzlan Architecture. I've been involved in designing the architecture of numerous structures in the Commercial District and the Art District."

　　"Now that you went through this experience, how do you view your previous work from a creative perspective?"

　　"They are fine buildings that are fit for purpose. My works are solid, defensible and affordable, which is exactly what many of my customers in the Red Ocean need." The architect emphasized.

　　"A product must do the job it is supposed to fulfill." Ves agreed. "It is never acceptable to deliver a product that can't perform its basic functions. However, is it enough to settle for the minimum? Is it right for us to stop expending any further effort in improving our work once we have satisfied the requirements for a job?"

　　"I… have developed a lot of new ideas after the incident. It is difficult to apply most of them to my past projects without going over budget, but there are still enough inventive solutions that I could have used to make my buildings sturdier and more pleasing on the eye."

　　Ves smiled as the spotlight faded from the woman. "That, my dear listeners, is the essence of craftsmanship. To me, this word goes beyond products made by hand. While I am certain that an architect like her has never installed a single bolt in the buildings she designed, the iterative process of coming up with new ideas and finding ways to apply them under the constraints she was working with is part of the craftsman's mindset."

　　He tapped the side of head with his finger. "Before we can even begin to make a mech or other work that is good enough to become a masterwork, we must approach our work with the right attitude. I dare say that not a single person who has ever created any masterwork did so with the thought of doing the bare minimum to earn a passing grade."

　　"Yet that is exactly how so many workers and designers approach their own jobs." He said with evident disappointment in his tone. "My wife has already addressed this deficiency from the perspective of customization. However, even if you are stuck with making standardized products, there is still a lot of room to add your personal touches to your work."

　　Many people wondered how this was possible.

　　"Factory owners all aim to achieve maximum consistency in the output of their facilities. Variations are seen as flaws and experimentation is taboo on the workfloor. While there are a lot of cases when customers only want an affordable product that works, I believe that is not all what people want. Which mech pilot truly wants to settle for an average mech over one that workers have tried their best to improve?"

　　Ves began to pace from side to side.

　　"Not every attempt to improve a work will succeed. More often than not, these little experiments will lead to worse outcomes. This is why craftsmen must use their resources wisely. Good thinking and good design can go a long way into improving a real product. It is these elements that are key to elevating the quality of a mech. Anyone can do it as long as they have mastered the basics of their crafts."

　　He pointed his thumb towards himself. "Look at me for example. Just like the previous speaker, I hold five genuine masterwork certificates. Succeeding even once was considered to be impossible for Journeyman. Yet my fellow colleagues and I have repeated this feat multiple times. I think it is safe to say that we have definitely proved that you don't need to become a Senior or a Master to make a masterwork mech."

　　Ves then thrust his finger towards his audience!

　　"That does not necessarily mean that you can be successful! There is still a good reason why Journeymen cannot make products at this quality level. However, you can get a lot closer if you adopt the right attitude to your profession and your work. No matter whether you make mechs or ships for a living, as long as you have room to explore your craft, you can always do better no matter what other people think is right or possible."

　　He smiled again. "There are two good reasons why many more craftsmen and other workers should adopt this approach. First, you'll be able to generate more profits. With enough innovation and effort, you can find a better formula and stand out from your rivals. High-quality products are always more desirable, so you can sell them at higher prices or at greater sales volumes. Any business that takes craftsmanship seriously will also be able to stand the test of time. Its products will remain popular for a longer amount of time and its excellence in pursuing improvements also allows the company to adjust to market changes. A company that never takes any effort to stand out will usually be the last ones to adapt. Those of you who have studied biology should know what happens to species that are bad at adaptation."

　　Though it wasn't obvious to most people, Ves implicitly addressed his words to the Murphy family members who were probably paying close attention at the moment.

　　"Yet profits are secondary to a true craftsman. While all of us would like to be compensated fairly for our work, money is only a means to an end for individuals like us. I believe that every human desires to attain this goal even if reality tries its best to keep it out of reach. Do you know what it is?" He coyly asked.

　　He didn't keep them in the dark for long.

　　"It is the desire to become unique. I don't think there are many children who dream of becoming another faceless cog in a machine. There are an uncountable amount of people out there that largely live forgettable lives. Their coming and passing goes unnoticed by the vast majority of people. Does this sound desirable to you all? I think not. I believe that each of you has a fire in your hearts that seeks to stand out, achieve something memorable and leave a lasting legacy behind. This fire is called passion."

　　Ves briefly thought back on his greatest works. His masterworks were largely products of passion that never failed to stoke his excitement.

　　"Passion fuels the engine of creativity." He claimed. "Passion is the driving force behind our ability to express our creativity. If you are not passionate about your work, it will be a thousand times harder for you to make a masterwork."

　　He swept his gaze across the crowd. "How many of you have looked into your hearts and seen whether there is still a flame inside? Has the years of harsh living and constant challenges in your work managed to douse your flames of passion? I hope that hasn't happened yet. As for those that still retain their fire, cherish it. Do not think that it is easy to keep it alive. You must make a constant effort to express your creativity in your hobby or your work in order to retain an active imagination and a willingness to seek improvement."

　　Ves thought of all of the times where he encountered problems in his work and spent many hours and days on solving them. He recalled the times when he finally came up with good solutions and the immense amount of satisfaction he derived from those successes.

　　"As one creator to another, I know how hard it is to do all of this. Keeping your passion alive while also making active improvements in your creative work is far from easy. That is why there are many more cogs in existence. However, the reward for standing out and transcending the machine is worth it! To become unique and to be known as a creator of a fantastic and celebrated work provides so much satisfaction that you will feel as if you have finally completed the main objective of your life!"

　　He suddenly smirked. "All of this sounds nice, but how will you actually be able to reach this point? Let me tell you that it is not as unattainable as you think. Even if hard work and constant effort can go a long way, there are certain… forms of help that can help you along your way. Receiving the instruction of a teacher or seeking inspiration through travel can help. Yet what if there is another, more convenient way for you to improve your work?"

　　Several seconds passed by as the crowd quickly sensed that Ves was about to unveil his main point.

　　"Over the course of my career, I have developed a… method or a system if you will that significantly improves my ability to iterate on my designs and my ability to elevate the mechs I make. It's quite complicated and I would never be able to explain to you how it works, but fortunately for all of you, I have developed it to the point where you can easily make use of it without any fuss."

　　Ves slowly unholstered the Hammer hanging from the side of his toolbelt and dramatically raised it above his head. The relic already began to exude an enchanting bronze corona!

　　"Let me introduce you to the Vulcan System!"