Chapter 1173: 1173
For some reason, the prominent sculpture of Prophet Ylvaine seemed highly incongruent in this setting . Calabast herself admitted that Madame Cecily was a fabricated identity that didn't exist before she infiltrated the Protectorate .
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Now that she faced him from the other side of the desk, grinning like a certain mechanical cat who just devoured a huge lump of high-grade exotics, Ves simply could not equate her to a devout believer .
"What is it, Ves?" Calabast asked as she caught his skeptical expression .
"Is it difficult for you to maintain your cover identity here? What if you're found out? I doubt the Ylvainans will be pleased to have a nonbeliever in charge of such an important responsibility . "
"Come now . Who do you think I am?" She chuckled . "That little fellow from Flashlight who recently joined your staff has nothing on me! Infiltrating a religious state like the Protectorate is not as difficult as you imagine . In time, you will realize that the Protectorate will play a very important role in the future . You'll thank me for being in the right position at the right time . "
"Sure . I suppose you can't tell me anything?"
"I'm sorry . Some secrets are best left with me . For now, it's important for you to expand your presence in the Protectorate . Our goal is to make your mech company into one of the leading foreign enterprises involved in the local mech market . "
Ves adopted a skeptical expression again . "I'm happy to see that happen, but is that even possible? The LMC is far from a dominant mech company in the Bright Republic, let alone in the rest of the star sector . It is a bit too much to expect for the LMC to take up a leading position in the Protectorate when companies like NORA Consolidated and other mech companies owned by Seniors can do a much better job . "
"Ah, but that's the genius of it . " She grinned . 'The Ylvaine Protectorate recognizes the need to liberalize the mech market, but the opposition to it is very intense . The pressure exerted by the Ylvainan Journeymen and Seniors will make it so that the liberalization process will be slow and gradual . Any mech company that is led by a foreign Senior will be restricted from entering, while a smaller mech company led by a Journeyman like you will be able to slip through the cracks . Very few Ylvainans in the mech industry feel threatened by your presence . "
Basically, with Calabast's help, the LMC stood to benefit from a first-mover advantage in the Protectorate mech market for a substantial amount of time .
"How much time are we talking about here?"
"Two or three decades . It's difficult to estimate that far ahead . In my judgement, as long as the Protectorate continues to pursue gradual liberalization, you can expect to enjoy that much time in which the Protectorate's mech market can serve as your playground . Every year, I'm expected to permit more foreign mech companies to enter the market without many restrictions, so don't think you have this place to yourself . "
The local Ylvainan mech designers also wouldn't sit still and let the foreign mech designers take away their market share . Ves knew that Calabast couldn't push the local interest groups too far on this matter .
"I take it you can manipulate the foreign entrants into the market in my favor, right?"
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"Right . I'm expected to allow a number of mech companies led by Apprentices or Journeyman entry into the market . Unlike the offer that I'm about to extend to you, your competitors won't enjoy unrestricted access . While they are allowed to expert a much greater amount of mechs to the Protectorate than before, tariffs and other trade barriers will make them more expensive and less competitive to the other offerings in the market . "
If Calabast kept her promises, then a mech designed by Ves that sold for 50 million credits would be for sale in the Protectorate for roughly the same price .
On the other hand, a competitor would still need to deal with a number of trade barriers that increased the cost and reduced the profit of every sale . A mech sold by a competitor needed to be priced at 55 to 65 million credits in order to earn the same amount of profit!
This was a massive competitive advantage to the LMC!
"So all I need to do to earn the right to earn the right to do unrestricted business with the Protectorate is to fulfill the commission, right?"
"Right . It's not a sham if that's what you're thinking of . My cover identity's power base isn't entirely secure . Not everyone in the Curin and the Kronon Dynasty agrees with opening up the economy, and I haven't even mentioned the Poxco Dynasty yet . Suffice to say, need a lot of protection if I want to remain in a position to help you . Ever since I left my old employers, I have to depend on myself for protection . It will be good if you can lend a hand . "
"Do you really need my help?" Ves asked . "Surely the local mech designers won't resort to perverting the designs of your bodyguard mechs . "
"No . In truth, I can import a decent mech from any foreign mech company if I don't trust any of our domestic mech companies . I just wanted to invite you here so that we can hit multiple birds with a single stone . By making you responsible for designing six of my bodyguard mechs, we can make multiple statements that advance our interests . "
"One message would be that you don't trust or think you can rely on a bodyguard mech designed by a domestic mech designer . " Ves mentioned .
"Correct . It's meant to be an indirect slap in the face of the Ylvainan mech industry that I turned to a foreigner instead of one of their own . "
"I heard your bodyguard mech pilots all consist of members of the Kronon Family . Will they be agreeable to your choice of mechs?"
"They're good soldiers . " Calabast dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand . "Regardless of their personal opinions, they'll follow orders . They will pilot a hollowed-out mech-sized cleaning bot if that is what is expected of them . The Protectors of the Faith is one of the least political institutions in the Ylvaine Protectorate . The Ylvainans learned the hard way that pairing fanatics and extremists with mechs is a recipe for disaster . "
What she said made a lot of sense, but Ves reserved his own judgement . "Can I meet the six mech pilots who will pilot the commissioned mechs in person? It will help me a lot if I have a solid impression of the people who will actually make use of my products . "
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"Sure . I'll schedule a meeting for you with them tomorrow . Right now, they are housed in a training base not far from here . My new batch of guards are young mech pilots who graduated from the mech academies only recently . Please take that into account when you design your mech . "
"I understand . However, do you really think it is a good idea to assign inexperienced mech pilots to hero mechs? Not everyone is suitable to pilot such a mech . "
Calabast swiveled her chair to stare up at the sculpture of Prophet Ylvaine . "You and I need to impress the local mech designers . If you come up with a great hero mech design, we can impress them to such an extent that they won't raise any eyebrows when I give you unrestricted access to the local mech market . "
"I can do that . . I think . Do you want my mechs to look fancy or do they have to be combat effective as well?"
"Both . From what I've gathered from your design style, you are capable of both, right? That will be very beneficial to you as you work in this state . Many Ylvainans have a penchant for elegant, artful-looking mechs . Your Blackbeak and the Crystal Lord received a modest amount of attention in some of the local mech circles . The only reason why your company didn't sell more of them is because your gold label mechs are far too difficult to obtain . "
"What are your demands when it comes to their performance?"
"I'll leave that up to you . Aside from looking impressive, I want the new mechs to be able to fend off landbound but especially aerial threats . "
"Is there anything else you want to add to your shopping list?"
"Yes . I want you to apply a religious theme to the mechs . Outwardly, the mechs have to come across as holy machines . "
Ves looked pensive . "While I am confident in my artistic skills, I am not an expert in the Ylvainan Faith . How am I supposed to design a mech with this theme when I know nothing about this faith?"
"You don't have to work alone . Not every mech designer is against the reforms . I'll put you in touch of a couple of friendlier mech designers, though they aren't very high in rank . They should still be able to help you in this field . "
"Thank you . From what I've already seen of Protectorate mechs, it's best to have a local on hand to help me shape the aesthetics of my mech . "
Outward appearances didn't matter too much in the Bright Republic, but in the Protectorate many mech buyers expected a certain look to their designs .
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"I think it'll take me a couple of months to finish the commission . "
"I will put the best workshop I have access to at your disposal . If you are short on anything, feel free to inform me . I will make sure you are supplied with what you need as long as it falls within our budget . I can't spend an unlimited amount of money for this commission, so you need to make sure you design some efficient mechs . "
"No problem . Can I have a full list of parameters that needs special attention?"
Calabast shook her head . "I'll prepare the list tonight . I don't have too many demands, though . Their ceremonial purpose comes first, but they should still be good enough to put up a fight . "
After some poignant questions, Ves understood what Calabast wanted out of the commissioned mechs .
She wanted to intimidate the local mech designers . A hero mech that looked fantastic and performed decently would not have been anything special if designed by a local . If they learned that a foreigner designed such a mech, they had no choice but to bear the implicit insult .
Keeping the local mech designers busy and worried allowed Ves enough room to establish himself in the Protectorate's mech market .
After Ves received all of the instructions of what Calabast expected of the mechs, he could begin to work whenever he wanted .
He still had one more question, though .
"Seeing that you are not entirely safe here, will I be in any trouble while I work here?"
Calabast nodded grimly . "Some of my problems might spill over to you . It's unavoidable . I trust in your survival abilities . A Holy Son shouldn't die so easily . "
Ves wanted to groan . "I don't appreciate being exposed to any danger . Can't you just let me return home to the Bright Republic and finish my work at home?"
"Nope . You need to immerse yourself in the Ylvainan culture and way of life if you want to design mechs that appeal to Ylvainans . Running home will also weaken the statements that I intend to convey . "
Those sounded like weak reasons to him . "Is that all?"
"For now, yes . If you are really concerned about your safety, then I can allow your own bodyguard mechs to accompany you on the surface of Kesseling VIII . "
Ves trusted in the Avatars of Myth he brought along this trip . Currently, the mechs and mech pilots taking part in this mission were still stuck aboard the Greenfeather in high orbit .
Ves still felt as if there was more to the situation than Calabast revealed . "Please tell it to me straight . Am I in serious threat while I'm here?"
"It depends . "
"On what?"
"On whether you will be able to charm the local mech community . "
Ves began to smile . "Is that all? I'll have you know that I'm an excellent charmer . I'll have the locals eating from the palm of my hand in no time!"
"I see that sarcasm suits you well . "
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