The Mech Touch

　　The influence was slight. There was no substitute to actually getting hit by the hammer, but those who experienced the Everchanger's glow once before immediately recognized that familiar energy field.

　　As for those who experienced this glow for the first time, they marveled at how certain thoughts and impulses became more active. It was easier for them to think about creating new works.

　　Those who watched the symposium by remote hardly felt anything. The glow didn't translate so well through transmissions, but there was just enough of a blip for the millions of viewers to become a bit more curious.

　　"Look at those people in the crowd. They're all excited."

　　"Are the Larkinsons brainwashing these people?!"

　　"I should have bought a live ticket."

　　After half a minute, Ves lowered his hammer while Vulcan stopped channeling power through it. The effort required to exude such a glow at a wider range was quite strenuous, especially when the design spirit had to do so through a smaller medium.

　　"That." He said. "Is one of several applications of the Vulcan System."

　　Many people looked impressed. They completely fell into his narrative. As Ves gazed at the thousands of faces, he only spotted a few thousands who were not that taken in. They were either mentally resilient individuals such as Senior Mech Designers or did not possess a creative bone in their bodies.

　　It didn't matter. He never expected to catch everyone. He just needed to affect the right people. He hoped that the Murphy family members also resonated with his words.

　　"Now what is the Vulcan System, you might ask?" He smiled towards his enchanted audience. "Well, I cannot easily explain it to you, but I shall try my best to give you an idea. Those of you who have been touring the exhibits aboard our capital ship must have grown familiar with my creations. Each of my mechs are characterized by two essential qualities. First, they are alive. Second, they possess glows. The Vulcan System is an offshoot that I have developed in order to augment my own work and that of others. It is a crystallization of the excellence in craftsmanship and my ceaseless attempts to realize higher-quality mechs."

　　He could tell that his words weren't entirely clear. He was speaking a lot of words, but they didn't necessarily convey a lot of pertinent information.

　　That was deliberate on his part. He did not want to remove the mystique surrounding the Vulcan System. The only way to make it seem legitimate while at the same time denying as much information as possible was to speak a lot of nonsense.

　　"The Vulcan System may be derived from the special technologies that we have developed, but we have developed it into an entirely new framework." He continued. "By adopting a mindset that matches the principles and ideals that I have mentioned, you are already applying it in your own way. There is no need for you to borrow the tools that I have developed to make success more attainable, but it can certainly help in certain cases."

　　Ves turned around and waves his arm in a dramatic motion. Above his head, hundreds of projections came to life. Each of them displayed stock footage of workers, artisans, craftsmen and mech designers and other creators at work.

　　"The Vulcan System is a philosophy that advocates for the need for humans to go beyond the minimum and dedicate their lives towards developing better and more valued products. Many of you who still possess a passion for creation can utilize the system to give you an extra push. It might mean the difference between living a forgettable life to becoming a celebrated creator."

　　The projections faded as Ves turned to face the crowd again. "So there you have it. Whether you are open to my arguments or not, I hope that each of you gain a better impression of craftsmanship. The reason why my system is named after a mythological figure is because Vulcan is a model of what each of us try to become. Each of you has a fire in your heart. This burning passion is like the fire of Vulcan's forge. If you feed it well, then you can make marvels of technology and craftsmanship the likes of which humanity has never seen!"

　　The time had come to wrap this presentation up. He clapped his hands and smiled.

　　"Don't believe in Vulcan. Believe in yourself. If you need a little assistance, then you can approach us after this symposium. In order to spread this new movement, I have recently founded a new organization called the Creation Association. There, you may find more resources and guidance that can help you on your way to become a more successful artisan. You may also find opportunities to buy totems from us that can help you apply the Vulcan System in a more direct way. Supply is limited, so act with haste if you want to secure a tool that can stoke your inner fire."

　　The main event of the Vulcan Symposium came to an end at this time. Ves slowly turned around and exited the stage.

　　Meanwhile, the crowd began to clap. The people's reactions were tentative at first, but soon they all gave Ves a standing ovation!

　　Even though many of them still didn't have a good idea what the so-called Vulcan System was supposed to be, they couldn't very well expose their ignorance at this time. Nobody wanted to look stupid!

　　The audience already began to discuss the state of craftsmanship in human society and the Vulcan System. Ves had successfully reinvigorated their interest and desire into moving beyond standardized production.

　　A number of people even began to look up the Creation Association. They learned that they could visit a repurposed structure in Dawn City to inquire more about it. Hundreds of people eagerly left the Theater of Joy in order to explore what this new organization had to offer!

　　When Ves returned to the backstage, Gloriana awaited his return with a skeptical look.

　　"The Vulcan System? Really?" She asked as she rocked Aurelia in her arms. "Why can't you talk about your god more straightforwardly?"

　　"Gods don't exist!" Ves insisted. "I'm not starting a religion here. I just want to direct more business to the Creation Association, but I can't do that unless I market my products properly. Besides, the main point of my message is that people like them and us don't need to pray to any higher powers in order to achieve success. We managed to create numerous masterwork mechs by relying on our own capabilities, after all. While the addition of Vulcan can make our lives easier, he can only amplify what we already possess."

　　"I know that. I don't need to rely on anyone's help to become a brilliant mech designer." Gloriana claimed before she turned to her daughter. "Isn't that right, Aurelia? What do you think about mama's craftsmanship?"

　　"Maaa… guuubooobooo…"

　　"Did you hear that, Ves? Our daughter agrees with me!" She beamed.

　　"Uhhh… I'm pretty sure that Aurelia wants you to put her down so she can crawl around and chase after Clixie's tail."

　　"VES! Ugh, never mind. Whatever you do, don't spend too much time on that Creation Association of yours. We are mech designers first. We still need to complete the Minerva Project and several other design projects in the coming weeks."

　　"I know, I know, honey. I don't intend to expand the Creation Association too much at this point. I don't have the time to fabricate totems all day. It is also better if my new organization acquires a more exclusive and mysterious reputation. For this reason, I plan to make a modest batch and spread out the totems and see how they fare."

　　After talking to Gloriana, Ves said goodbye to his wife and daughter and departed from the Theater of Joy.

　　The symposium programme had ended, so most of the visitors headed towards the exits.

　　A small proportion of visitors who expressed interest in the Creation Association were led down a different route. Once they entered an assembly hall, they came into touch with numerous representatives of the new organization.

　　Each of the new representatives wore robes colored with bronze, black and red. Each of their uniforms were marked with the new symbol of the Creation Association, which depicted an upright bronze hammer situated underneath the stylized depiction of a life-bearing planet.

　　Ves had woven multiple different meanings in this logo. While he didn't have any expectations of growing big right away, he hoped the Creation Association would become a widespread influence in the far future.

　　After all, his spiritual incarnation needed a lot of spiritual feedback in order to progress and to improve his craftsmanship-related abilities.

　　A graceful-looking woman dressed in a more elaborate set of robes approached his side. "Bright Martyr. You've come. I am pleased to meet you again. I thank you for the opportunity to spread your gospel."

　　Ves awkwardly coughed. "It's not a gospel. It's a system. Please keep your terminology straight."

　　"As you say, patriarch."

　　"How are you adjusting to your new job?"

　　"I have finally found my calling." Samandra Avikon said. "After leaving the Life Research Association, I must admit that I have found myself adrift in your clan. My original message has not found much purchase with our clansmen due to their lack of familiarity with biotechnology. The Ylvainans have given me a new home, but they can prosetelyze beliefs with my aid. I am infinitely grateful that you have given me a responsibility where my talents are much more suited."

　　Though the former priestess sounded pleased, Ves still wasn't sure whether he made the right choice.

　　There weren't many people in the clan who could lead the Creation Association. Its director not only needed to manage its internal affairs, but also had to be good at maintaining external relations.

　　Since the Creation Association was basically a scam modeled after a cult, why not put a former cult leader in charge?

　　This was the logic which he relied upon to appoint Samandra Avikon as its director. She had the experience, the mindset and the skills to lead the Creation Association in a certain way.

　　As the woman's glowing reptilian eyes stared devotedly at him, Ves was reminded of another reason why he put her in charge.

　　He trusted her. Just like Gloriana, the Ylvainans and the Penitent Sisters, Samandra Avikon was a religious nutcase. Though there were many downsides to people who could be described with this label, they also had their good points.

　　They were extremely loyal towards their objects of worship. Though Ves initially thought about putting a Purnesser with leadership experience in charge of the Creation Association, he could not guarantee whether this person would discharge his duties faithfully.

　　With someone who embraced the Ylvainan belief that Ves was the Bright Martyr who was no less important than the Great Prophet, he did not have as much worries.

　　All of her other excesses were relatively manageable in comparison. So long as she genuinely put his interests first, Ves would have no worries that the Creation Association would go down the wrong path.

　　"You know your current responsibilities, right?"

　　Director Samandra Avikon nodded. "We must carefully investigate and select a limited number of associates to test our new totems. We should continue to cultivate our relations with them and make sure our totems are being used as intended."

　　"Correct. It is important for our Creation Association to grow steadily and build up a good reputation. If we move too quickly or make any outrageous moves, we'll undoubtedly invite a lot of backlash. According to my own research, that has been the downfall of many cults⁠, err I mean scams. If we want our new Association to survive in the long term, then we need to make sure we don't pose a threat to other people's interests."

　　"I understand."