The Mech Touch

Chapter 7072: Booming Yernstall

Ves chatted with Raul Ottaviani for a few more minutes.

Just as he expected from a successful broker, the head of Ottaviani & Partners had plenty of stories to share. He also had a good sense of what sort of information Ves was interested in the most.

The man knew more about the economy and business opportunities of Yernstall than anyone else. Without the backing of his old state back in the old galaxy, Raul had adopted the Sapphire of the Red Ocean as his new homeland.

“The reappearance of Bridgehead One may be a disaster for the Red Two’s control over red humanity, but it has led to a resurgence of our economy.” The trade broker said. “The Terrans and the Rubarthans have declared their independence, but that has not only decreased their trade needs, but increased them instead. They are flocking to central star nodes such as Yernstall in greater numbers in order to acquire the goods and services they need to make up for the gap the mechers and the fleeters have left behind. They have even gone as far as to skip intermediaries and transact with each other directly considering they are peas in a pod.”

That surprised Ves.

“And the Red Two allows them to enter their unofficial capital and conduct their trade?” Ves inquired.

“It is better that they do so in a territory they control than elsewhere. The mechers and the fleeters still earn a large amount of fees and taxes from their stay, their spending and most of their transactions. Do not underestimate the magnitude of this revenue flow. There are strong interest groups among the local mechers and fleeters that have gone out of their way to reassure the Terrans and Rubarthans that it is still safe and convenient for them to trade in this central star node. It is rather problematic for them to possess such a strong pro-trade stance. They are being opposed by their more hostile peers who believe in choking out trade between the dissolute states.”

Ves grimaced. “I hope that does not happen. How much power do they have?”

“You need not be concerned, professor.” Raul responded with a reassuring smile. “The pro-trade factions maintain a persistent advantage. They are not warmongers who advocate hostile actions against the seceded superstates. Their income also dwarfs that of the pro-war factions. The Red Association and the Red Fleet no longer receive tribute from the Terran Alliance and the Rubarthan Pact, which means that both of them are operating with severe deficits in income and material imports. The pro-trade factions are doing their best to fill these gaps.”

“I see.”

The mechers and the fleeters were too accustomed to their wealth and luxuries. While most of their members were not decadent or anything, their research and their other activities demanded a huge amount of funding. They had long relied on their ability to suck blood from the states under their control to maintain their military supremacy and their technological lead.

Now, the RA and the RF were both at risk of losing their absolute advantages in these areas.

“There are those among us who argue that the Red Two have already lost their lead.” Raul said in a more subdued tone. “Participating in the Red War has savaged their mechs and warships. They cannot replenish them as fast as they are being lost. This is particularly the case for warships, which are much larger and more expensive to build. If you have access to the right statistics, you will note that the Red Fleet has been trending away from constructing large and unwieldy battleships and allocated more shipyard capacity to constructing small to mid-sized warships instead.”

Ves nodded in approval. His clan already owned a lot of sub-capital ships and capital ships, so he knew a thing or two about the differences between the two. This was especially the case after the Tortuous Scream had entered into service.

“That is understandable. There is stuff that capital warships can do that smaller vessels simply cannot match up with, but it is much more important for the fleeters to maintain a presence in as many star systems along the border as possible. Battleships are powerful without a doubt, but once they incur serious damage, they need to be sent back to a drydock and occupy it for many months at a time in order to repair it. Meanwhile, most sub-capital ships can be repaired by smaller repair yards in a month or less without necessarily needing to occupy an expensive drydock.”

The two chatted a bit more, unheeding of the time they spent or whether they had any other appointments on their agenda.

Ves actually grew comfortable enough with the trade broker that they soon addressed each other on a first-name basis.

Raul Ottaviani clearly wanted to turn Ves and the Larkinson Clan into his latest persistent trading partners.

This would grant an insane boost to Ottaviani & Partners as it would be able to attract powerful parties to come and use the trade brokerage firm to arrange potential business deals with the Larkinsons.

Ves saw no reason to reject this proposition, though he did not hold ultimate decision-making power over the clan anymore. Since the new matriarch came into power, Ves tried his best to remind the trade broker that he should make contact with the Saint Commander directly in order to establish a fixed partnership. She might not decide to work with Ottaviani & Partners for whatever reason. It all depended on her judgment.

Raul’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he observed Ves deferring to the leadership of the ace commander.

“I will certainly do as you say. Your introduction is all I need to get past her secretaries. It is noteworthy to see that you have truly shifted your leadership responsibilities to the ace commander that you have brought up for more than a decade.”

Ves frowned. “What are you implying?”

The trade broker quickly held up his palms. “Ah, please forgive me, Ves. I do not mean to imply or insinuate anything unpleasant. It is just that rumors are circulating about the abrupt and unexpected leadership transition of your clan.”

“What are the gossip mongers saying?”

“They are claiming that… your own subjects rebelled against you and usurped your leadership. The details of these rumors vary, but the gist of it is that your decision to step down was anything but voluntary. These stories also claim that there are Larkinsons who harbor different ambitions and have been longing to cast you away so that they can remake the clan in their own image.”

“…”

Raul Ottaviani studied Ves carefully to discern whether these rumors were accurate.

The situation of the clan was quite clear to Ves, but the same could not be said for outsiders.

It was not as if the Larkinsons publicly aired their political and personal affairs to the public. They tended to be quite close to each other but a lot more aloof towards outsiders.

Most clansmen no longer even had any contact with any outsiders. The Larkinsons had become the only community that mattered to them. They had very little need to interact and socialize with people they could not trust.

“Would you like to make a comment? It would be best if you issued a statement to clarify any doubts that your customers, suppliers and other people may harbor. I can tell you that the rumors are depressing sales of your Living Mech Corporation.”

Ves frowned for a minute, but took a deep breath and let go of his concerns.

“That will not be necessary. The press statements published by the Larkinson Clan already contain the essential facts. I have nothing to add to that. If the clan sees a need to provide additional clarification, then it will do so at its own leisure. I have better things to do with my time.”

The trade broker obviously disagreed. “Are you certain about this? It may sound banal, but rumors can lead people to form prejudices that are detrimental to your business affairs. I can tell you with confidence that the doubts related to your decision to step away from office has led at least half a dozen potential trading partners from refusing to consider any potential trades.”

“Then that is their loss.” Ves snorted while crossing his arms. “I am not pleased with this circumstance, but if this is how they respond to unverified rumors, then they are obviously not farsighted enough to do business with. I hope they reconsider on their own, but if not, I am sure you can find substitutes.”

Raul slightly grimaced. “That is not as easy as you think. Half of our trading partners offer unique goods and services that only they can deliver. You may be able to find alternatives that can meet your demands, but their cost and quality leaves much to be desired.”

They continued to chat for a bit before Ves finally decided to proceed with actual business.

“Enough.” He said while raising his palm. “As much as I appreciate your insights of the local and regional business climate, I have contracted your services with the aim of finding rare and valuable goods that I have specified. Please present your findings to me. I have been waiting for days to hear what you have found.”

Raul Ottaviani immediately switched to a more professional demeanor.

“Why certainly, sir. Let me start with an alien relic that should offer considerable research value of your inclinations.”

The trade broker projected a highly detailed image of a black alien ornament of sorts. It did not match the common alien art styles that he knew of. From what he could see, it may have been an idol, but the relic sustained enough damage and erosion that many of its identifying characteristics had been worn away.

It would have been great if he could study the relic in person, but that was not an option this time. Ves could have gleaned a lot more information by utili his other senses if that was the case.

“So what is special about this relic?” He asked.

“As far as we can determine, it contains the ‘soul’ or at least the remnant of it of an alien being. We cannot determine his or her identity or species. Its current owner had repeatedly tried and failed to make contact. The only result gained from these attempts was to damage the relic even further.”

“I suppose that is why the owner wants to sell it.” Ves made a guess. “He doesn’t have any confidence in extracting any value from this alien trinket, so he wants to sell it so that he can recoup his investment and maybe earn a profit while he still can. That is an understandable decision. Not everyone has the expertise to convert exotic relics into a useful and valuable possession.”

“Are you interested in this relic? If you wish to acquire it, I can contact the seller and arrange a meeting if both of you are amenable to a personal meeting. If not, my brokerage firm will serve as an intermediary. This is a good option to choose if you cannot stay in Yernstall or if you wish to hide your identity.”

“That will not be necessary.” Ves said as he dismissively waved his hand. “I will stay here until my eldest daughter has celebrated her birthday, so I still have enough time to meet with these potential trading partners. As far as this relic is concerned, I am curious, but this is not a must-have for me. I still have a lot of skepticism towards it. Not every remnant alien soul is worth studying and reviving. The serious damage represents the loss of vital knowledge and memories.”

Ves was admittedly interested, but not to the point of paying a fortune to secure this prize. He modulated his words to inform the trade broker that he was not willing to be too generous to obtain this damaged and half-broken relic.

“Understood.” Raul said. “I shall convey your sentiments but proceed with arranging a meeting.”

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