The Mech Touch

Cultivators had become something of an open secret in the present day.

Those in the know had begun to practice whatever cultivation method that they could get their hands on. Few if any of them felt inclined to draw attention to what they managed to gain because they were all motivated by selfish intentions.

Human society was very much hierarchical and based on competition. Only a small proportion of people had a chance of occupying the positions at the top.

The more competent and capable they became, the greater the chance they could climb up the ladder.

It became a lot harder to defeat the competition if their rivals started to practice the same cultivation methods that made them smarter or better at their jobs.

This was why the earliest wave of human cultivators all abided by an unspoken rule. Every beneficiary implicitly colluded with each other to prevent the general public from learning about the wonders of cultivation.

Nobody knew how long this would last. The barrier of secrecy could collapse any day now, though Ves privately guessed that the current status quo could probably be maintained for a couple more years.

While the general public still lived their lives as if hardly anything changed from the Age of Mechs, the upper echelon had already begun to take advantage of the cultivation methods that they managed to obtain.

There were two major sources of cultivation methods.

The most common one was that these people managed to dig them up from their dusty archives. The problem with that was that the methods were generally obtuse and filled with strange meanings. The mechanics behind them were also highly inconsistent.

Examples such as the Hunter's Code showed that there were people out there that possessed the ability to formulate their own new cultivation methods. Only genuine high-level cultivators should be able to do this. Since they were exceedingly rare in the Red Ocean, Ves did not expect that many people had access to more modern cultivation methods.

Right now, Ves wondered which category Prince Casevir fell into. Was his background good enough to obtain a modern and much less confusing solution, or had he begun to practice a creation cultivation method that was many ages old?

The answer to this question was extremely important! It could mean the difference between doing business with a rational cultivator or getting involved with a complete nutcase!

Until Ves figured out the answer, he needed to display a lot of restraint and avoid making too many promises.

"Your art is beautiful." Ves complimented. "I can see from the works around us that you have the heart of a true artist. I did not expect that a highborn scion such as yourself would work with low-value pieces of scrap, but you have treated each and every component with a level of care and respect that is rare. It is impressive to see how you have managed to turn these ugly and malformed pieces of salvaged metal into beautiful and surprisingly harmonious pieces of artworks. I especially like how you have successfully generated aesthetically pleasing designs from irregular patterns."

Everyone liked to be complemented by their work. Ves was no exception to this rule. He knew exactly how to stroke the egos of creatives.

Just as predicted, Prince Casevir's initially concentration expression bloomed in a smile that looked so handsome on his already dashing face that it had to have been engineered to perfection!

"I appreciate your feedback, professor. It means much coming from a renowned artist and mech designer such as yourself." The Impresario Prince responded with a lyrical voice that straddled the line between masculinity and femininity. "Alas, I am far from reaching my height despite the years that I have dedicated to my various crafts. I have yet to create a single masterwork. You on the other hand have managed to accrue 9 masterwork certificates. I still do not know how a mech designer less than half my age is able to turn the most complicated and technologically challenging machines into genuine works of art and beauty."

Was this what the Rubarthan prince paid attention to the most? It was quite a surprise, but it made sense in hindsight.

"I am a mech designer, Your Highness." Ves respectfully stated the obvious. "Since I was a teenager, I have dedicated almost every day of my life to designing better mechs. While my interests are broad, they mostly remain confined within the sphere of mechs. All of that effort and dedication in a single craft has paid off in a big way."

The Rubarthan Prince chuckled at that. "You are being too modest, Professor Larkinson. Hardly any mech designer of your generation has managed to advance to Senior so soon. You have also set a new record and proved to the entire mech industry that Journeyman are capable of fabricating masterwork mechs as well. No one else who has spent as much time and effort into improving their mech design skills has come close to matching your illustrious accomplishments. You are one of a kind. Your art and vision sings through your living mechs."

"I am pleased to hear that you appreciate my mech designs, but I am hardly the only mech designer who expresses their art through their works. Every high-ranking mech designer imbues their designs with their own charm. I am sure that your colonial superstate has many talents that are able to create aesthetically pleasing mechs in their distinctive styles."

"You are correct in that, but their artworks are too... polished." The Impresario Prince briefly frowned. "None of the mech designers whose work that I admire is younger than myself. Each of them has completed a lengthy journey before advancing to Master. Once they have reached this advanced stage in their life, their artstyle has already reached a stage of maturity. Their works are still as beautiful as ever, but... their evolution has stalled. There is no progression between mech designs anymore."

Ves felt the need to stand up for his elders. This was his obligation as a mech designer.

"I can understand your perspective, Prince Casevir, but I disagree with the notion that Master Mech Designers have stagnated in their work. Many of them are engaged in incredibly difficult research projects that can easily span for decades. It is customary for them to make relatively little progress for many years. Only when they have attained critical success in their ambitious research projects will their works be completely reinvigorated. We haven't seen much of that as of late as the Phasewater Generation only lasted for about a decade while the Hyper Generation has just begin."

The Impresario Prince clearly did not agree with Ves' argument. He openly shook his head while expressing clear disdain towards those old and terribly slow Masters.

"That is no excuse for them to slack off and rest on their laurels. For whatever reason, from the moment they have realized their design philosophies and attained one of their greatest dreams, they slow down and stop feeling any urgency. It seems as if anything that took years to complete now takes decades to produce any substantial progress. This is why I prefer younger artists and mech designers such as yourself. You are still in the prime of your life, and it shows in how productive you are. Your design style is constantly evolving. The Fey Fianna that you have released most recently are a far cry from the works that you have designed during the Phasewater Generation."

Though the 5733rd prince possessed an extensive understanding of mech designers, he was ultimately a layman. He was not initiated into the craft nor designed a mech of his own. How could he possibly understand all of the difficult burdens of Master Mech Designers?

Reaching Master might seem like a fantastic accomplishment, but it was ultimately not as significant as everyone assumed.

A Master Mech Designer was just a domain shaper in the end!

Compared to the true magnificence of a Star Designer, every Master Mech Designer was like a child.

However, Ves did not accept this call to debate about this kind of stuff. He still remembered that he was here to talk about a potential agreement about obtaining partial ownership in a large Rubarthan company.

He coughed. "I am still exploring my craft, Your Highness. It is in the process of doing so that I have gained an interest in Isthmus Manufacturing. I have many ambitions as a mech designer, but I am unable to pursue them as freely as I like due to logistical constraints. I think there are many grounds for cooperation between my mech company and Isthmus Manufacturing. With the help of the latter, I can introduce many of my works to a brand new set of consumers who reside in the Rubarthan Pact."

The Impresario Prince grew a little more serious now that Ves addressed the main topic for this call.

"Good art like yours indeed deserves to be appreciated by a wider audience." The prince nodded in agreement. "I normally do not intervene in person whenever Isthmus Manufacturing has signed a new contract with a mech designer, but your case is different. You are the first to turn what should have been a simple business transaction into a mutual investment deal. It is not unacceptable to grant you shares in Isthmus Manufacturing, but I expect much more from you in order to justify this extreme measure."

Ves grew a little nervous. "Is my work to your satisfaction?"

"I adore your work, as you can already tell, professor. I have few objections to allowing Isthmus Manufacturing to produce your mechs and handle all of the downstream activities related to them within the Rubarthan Pact. The greatest issue I have with your work so far is that they are only limited to second-class mech designs."

"I am working hard to gain the qualifications of a first-class mech designer. I am a quick study, so it should only take a few years before I can present a first-class mech of my own design."

"That is to be expected." The prince nodded in an approving manner. "The other major issue is that your asking price is too excessive. The valuation of Isthmus Manufacturing is astronomical. It is a centuries-old mech manufacturer with a long heritage of stable business and prudent decision-making. It has developed close contacts and partnerships across multiple networks. With my help, the recently reorganized Red Ocean division of this company has not only maintained its footing in the rapidly changing economic situation of the Rubarthan Pact, but it has also managed to increase its footprint by acquiring dozens of distressed smaller mech companies."

"Your Highness, I understand that Isthmus Manufacturing is a valuable mech company, but my value is no less impressive. It is not a loss to give me a 20 percent stake in your company." Ves insisted.

The Impresario Prince shook his head as he began to show the attitude that was expected from a true blood descendant of the current Star Emperor.

"As great as your potential may be, it will take many years for you to live up to your promises. It is not too late for you to acquire more shares by drawing from your own warchest. In the meantime, it is much more appropriate for you to start your long-term cooperation with Isthmus Manufacturing with a more proportionate degree of ownership. It is relatively customary in the mech industry at our level to bestow Master Mech Designers with a 1 to 3 percent stake in a company. Given the high demand and the beautiful artistry of your recent mech designs, I have little objections to granting you the treatment of a Master as opposed to a Senior."

This was a huge step down compared to his initial asking price!

If Prince Casevir thought that Ves was willing to gamble, then he guessed wrong!

"I am afraid I cannot agree with this, Your Highness. I progress quickly, so it takes much less time for me to realize my potential. I do not want my mechs to be controlled by a company that I can hardly influence, so I must insist on meeting my original demand."

It looked like this was going to be a difficult negotiation.