The Mech Touch

　　"Ordinarily, you're right, but the problem is that the 'Vulcan System' is not a bottomless well. It is akin to a finite resource that is not too strong and cannot be replenished quickly." Ves replied. "I've tracked the usage of the totems that I gave to Zachren Bilitsa and the House of Barach respectively. According to the data, the effectiveness of our totems vary depending on the strength and competence of the recipients."

　　"What do you mean, sir?"

　　"Take someone who is relatively weak such as Chief Fabricator Denner of Zachren Bilitsa. When he made use of the medium totem we gave him, it was relatively easy to put him into an inspired state. The disparity between him and Vulcan is quite great, so the latter doesn't have to spend a lot of resources and effort to do his job."

　　"What if the supplicant is stronger?"

　　"In that case, Vulcan has to fight an uphill battle." Ves replied. "More than a week after we left the Pellysa System, Master Artisan Sivare Coriten Barach attempted to use the mini totem we bestowed to his house. As far as I know, the effect was rather marginal. Though Master Sivare definitely received a creative boost, it wasn't as drastic as I expected."

　　"I see. Why is this the case?"

　　"It's quite simple. It relates to the nature of a glow. It's an aura that is passively exuded by a powerful entity. The reason why they are so effective and so difficult to block is because we are compelled to react to powerful presences. The greater the power disparity, the more effective they become. That is why people like expert pilots and Master Mech Designers aren't affected by them. They don't necessarily need to look up to entities like Vulcan. Master Sivare is already highly successful in his field, so his confidence in himself is massive."

　　"People who are close to becoming gods revere them the least." Director Avikon stated.

　　"Right. Anyway, another reason why Vulcan has trouble inspiring Master Sivare is because the artisan's thoughts and methods are too damn profound. Vulcan is still young and he doesn't possess a lot of professional knowledge. While the difference isn't as wide as a Journeyman trying to advise a Star Designer, it is a lot to ask for Vulcan to help Master Sivare synthesize new ideas."

　　Samandra looked enlightened. "You wish to educate Vulcan, then?"

　　"That is one of my goals." Ves nodded. "The reason why it is important for him to get in touch with professionals who work in different fields is because he needs to build up his repository of knowledge. We need to build up his strength and wisdom so that he can become effective at inspiring more capable figures such as Master Sivare. This will be a long process. In order to ensure that Vulcan receives the best lessons, you must select our new associates carefully. Do you understand what is at stake?"

　　"I do, sir."

　　"Remember. This is your real job. The Creation Association is just a vehicle to us. If it becomes a liability one day, then we should not hesitate to discard it. That said, I don't want our efforts to go to waste, so make sure to act prudently."

　　Once Ves became assured that Director Avikon knew what to do, he spent a bit more time observing the people that had come to inquire about the Creation Association.

　　Each of them were receptive towards his earlier lecture, but that did not mean they were willing to do what was necessary to acquire their own totems.

　　Even if they wanted to, the Creation Association had to conduct a lot of research in order to find out whether they were suitable associates.

　　Not everyone would be able to get their wish because there were only a limited number of slots at this point. If too many totems were being used, then Vulcan would have to exert himself so many times that he would quickly become weary and drained of energy!

　　"Vulcan needs to grow stronger."

　　He could already feel his incarnation become excited by the prospect of getting in touch with a lot more people. The spiritual feedback provided by the people of Zachren Bilitsa and the House of Barach had already given him a taste of what other design spirits took for granted.

　　A day passed by as the Larkinson fleet returned to normal. A lot of clansmen worked to clean up the Vivacious Wal and restore her interior to its original state.

　　The clan also tracked the discussion that ensued after the Vulcan Symposium had passed.

　　Even though not a lot of people paid attention to this event, those that did still had plenty to discuss about. Ves had boldly presented an alternative model to how humanity produced most of its products. He also reinvigorated the creative desires of enough people that some of them already started to shift their careers!

　　As for the Creation Association, Director Avikon did not have to worry about lacking choice. There were enough test subjects that the totems would definitely find new homes.

　　Seeing that everything was going well, Ves no longer paid attention to these matters. He turned his attention back to the initial reason why he held the Vulcan Symposium.

　　If his indirect appeal didn't succeed in changing the Murphy Family's mind, then his effort would be a failure in his eyes.

　　"Have we received any word from the Murphies, Benny?"

　　"None. You already asked this question fifteen times. I will inform you as soon as we obtain new information, but for now the Murphies are still behind closed doors."

　　The Black Cats were tracking the movements of the Murphies day and night. According to their judgment, the family was still split, but the opposition had gained more momentum after the Vulcan Symposium had concluded.

　　This indicated that the event successfully boosted the younger faction of the Murphy Family.

　　The problem was that Ves didn't know whether it was enough to make a difference. Even if he managed to make an uphill battle more even, the chance of failure was still significant!

　　Ves was tempted to increase his odds further by performing additional actions, but he thought that would be excessive.

　　He had to wait a couple more hours before he received a notice from one of the Murphy family members.

　　"Who is it?!" Ves eagerly asked. After so many hours of waiting, the other party had finally made a move! "Is it Karina or Melaia Murphy?!"

　　Gavin reluctantly shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The woman who reached out to us is neither of the two. It's the mother that is on the line."

　　"…What?"

　　"CEO Gelly Murphy wishes to have a private talk with you, boss. She hasn't told us the reason for her outreach, but I highly suggest you answer her call. Just be careful what you say. These old leaders are not only sharp, but also possess strong sensibilities."

　　"I know, I know. This isn't my first rodeo."

　　Since this was an important call, Ves made sure to make himself as presentable as possible. He cleaned up his desk and made sure that nothing looked messy.

　　The only discordant element left was Lucky. Ves picked him up and straightened his posture so that he sat straight on his desk.

　　"Meow."

　　"Try not to cause any distractions, okay?"

　　Once everything was in order, he stood up and accepted the call.

　　The projection of the leader of Murphy & Sons and the Murphy Family directly appeared in front.

　　"Patriarch Larkinson." The old woman greeted.

　　"Madame Murphy." Ves briefly bowed. "To what do I owe you the pleasure?"

　　"Hmph. You know quite well what you have done. It was not enough to encourage my daughters to defy my orders. Your 'symposium' poured fuel to the fire, causing multiple valued family members and employees to advocate for changes in our strategy. As the culprit responsible for stirring up this decision, what do you have to say for yourself, Patriarch Larkinson?"

　　Uh oh. Gelly Murphy did not sound happy. Not only did she harbor the same resentment as before, she showed considerable animosity towards him for meddling in her family's affairs!

　　Ves had multiple ways to approach this situation. He could try to compromise and soften his tone. He could stick to his guns and present an unyielding posture. He could dump even more fuel to the fire by openly plotting for her downfall.

　　As he stared in Gelly Murphy's projected eyes, Ves made a judgment call.

　　"I am not your enemy. I do not want to see Murphy & Sons falter. It's the opposite in fact. I want to see it rise to greater heights. While I am sure you have your own ideas on how to grow your company, the Red Ocean is a galaxy of opportunity. Getting cowed by danger and adopting a conservative approach will not get you far in the long run. I think there are plenty of people in your company that don't want to return to building generic starships when there are much more interesting possibilities within reach."

　　"Be that as it may, it is not your place to lead them into opposing my policies. I have sympathy for their desires, but the survival of our family and company is more important than any ambitions they might hold. There will always be time for exploration and experimentation after we have established a solid foothold in Davute."

　　"That will take a long time, I think. Are your relatives just as patient?"

　　"…No." Gelly admitted as her expression grew tired. "I hoped that my daughters and her fellow supporters would see sense. After watching your symposium, they became even more taken by your message. My recalcitrant family members do not wish to wait. They want to take action as soon as possible."

　　"Will you continue to stand in their way?"

　　This was the key question. Ves already developed an idea of what happened in the Murphy Family, but he still awaited Gelly Murphy's answer.

　　"I can, but… I would prefer not to choose between our survival or the happiness of my daughters. Make no mistake, though. I will always prioritize the former over the latter. I am confident I can still make the dissenters happy even if I defy their wishes. It will only take more time and effort to restore my relations with them. If there is a better alternative, then I am open to other possibilities."

　　Ves inwardly smiled. Gelly Murphy still acted tough, but she was already close to surrendering.

　　Right now, she was looking for a bribe or a concession that would paint her defeat in a more favorable light.

　　He was happy to oblige, but within limits. It would do little good to pamper Murphy & Sons.

　　"I am willing to improve our original offer to you by increasing the voting rings of Murphy & Sons." He offered.

　　"How much?"

　　"15 percent." Ves succinctly answered. "We're both busy people, so I am not prepared to give you more. In order to keep everything in proportion, our clan will reduce our original voting rights to 20 percent. This means we will almost carry the same weight in the trade consortium."

　　This was a fair offer considering that the addition of a shipbuilding company would massively increase the popularity of the trade consortium!

　　"This is not enough." Gelly Murphy disappointedly shook her head. "You must provide us with additional benefits."

　　"I think that can be arranged." Ves grinned.