The Mech Touch novel Chapter 225

The traffic started pouring in after an hour into the festival. Most of the early visitors consisted of average people who wanted to avoid the crowded main hall. The opening ceremony started off with a bang. If not for the main hall’s excellent isolation, the side halls would have been inundated with music and cheers.

Ves got a notion of how well his show models attracted attention when he noticed a lot of foot traffic heading in his direction. Only around ten percent of the show models in the hall consisted of premium mechs.

The Caesar Augustus drew the most attention, but the Marcus Aurelius also held a certain appeal. A loose variety of visitors arrived at his booth to gawk at the expensive models up close.

"They’re just like the masterwork models at the show halls!"

"What is this design? The Caesar Augustus?"

"Oh. Let’s go then. I heard the Augustus was a flop."

"Are you kidding? You’re blind if you call this mech a flop! Just look at the detail of this machine!"

Ves couldn’t tell if the X-Factor or the rarity of his show models had a bigger influence on the crowd. Whatever the case, more than two dozen people of varying walks of life quickly congregated around his booth.

To his regret, none of them looked like potential customers. They ranged from couples hauling along their kids to career mech pilots on leave. Their clothing and lack of escorts made it clear that they didn’t have the credits to spend on something as extravagant as a mech.

Even if they didn’t spend a single credit on his products, Ves didn’t care too much. The day had only started and peak time came later.

The constant number of people lingering at his booth attracted the attention others who wanted to see what the fuss was about. His models gained a steady amount of exposure.

The kids and the adults who grew up during the golden period of the last generation worshipped his spin on the Caesar Augustus. The Eternal Edition’s glorious aura infected their minds with fanciful delusions where they imagined playing the hero.

The Marcus Aurelius on the other hand appealed to the older crowd. Compared to the bright and vivid Caesar Augustus, the sage-like mech exuded an aura of peaceful timelessness. That turned off those who craved constant action, but it put the elderly folk at peace as they thought about the legacies they left behind.

Only the Mark II Eternal Edition proved to be a disappointment. Its aggressive aura paled in comparison to glory exuded by the Caesar Augustus, while its inferior quality and cost condemned it to the role of a sidekick.

While Ves found it unfair for his cheapest model, he still hoped for a change in fortune. Once the people with money arrived, its price tag should warrant the forgotten mech second look.

The only unexpected surprise he encountered had to do with his virtual mechs. The recent promotion of his DarkSpear also had a knock-on effect on the recognition of his other designs.

"Will you be selling a dagger assassin like the one you designed for Jarle?" A young man asked.

"Jarle’s custom mech is an exclusive design. He won’t be happy if I make more copies available." Ves patiently explained. "Besides, I made a lot of expert tweaks on its design that make it exceedingly difficult to pilot for the average player. Only a top pilot with lightning-fast reaction speeds can get a grip on its controls."

The man and a few other fans looked disappointed at his answer, but Ves had no choice. He signed a contract with Jarle that stipulated that his mech should be the only virtual copy of its design.

Frankly, Ves got a little bored of the mundane questions. Very few festival goers showed any serious interest in purchasing his models.

Occasionally some other mech designers visited his booth. Their jealousy flared up when they watched the steadily growing numbers crowding at his booth. The organizers even stationed a couple of extra guards in the area to keep them well-behaved.

Sometimes they tried to argue with Ves about his design choices.

One skinny designer took stock with one of his designs and made his objections loud and clear. "Hey! You made a mistake with this mech! The arms are protruding forward too much! Don’t you know how to balance a mech?"

Ves grew a little angry at the ignorant remark. When he turned around to reply, Antje quickly held his arm.

"Don’t argue with trolls. You’ll only feed them. You’ll never be able to win a debate against someone who is set out to make trouble in public."

The reminder cooled his head, allowing him to regain his rationality. Antje had a point. He had everything to lose and nothing to gain by arguing in public. Still, his pride as a mech designer made it difficult to ignore the blow.

Antje whispered something on her comm. "Look. Security is already handling the issue. They won’t allow the festival to be spoiled by ignorant loudmouths."

A couple of security guards took hold of the designer and quickly hauled him away.

"Hey! Unhand me you muscle heads! I’m a highly successful mech designer! My mechs are up ahead! You can’t throw me out!"

The mech designer threw up so much commotion that the guards injected him with a sedative. That quickly shut him up. Ves and a couple of others shook their heads at the pathetic sight.

"I remember seeing his show models." One of the visitors remarked. "They hardly amount to anything. I can’t imagine anyone willing to buy those heaps of junk."

"Maybe that’s why he lashed out. His designs are crap so he wishes that every other design is crap."

In the Age of Mechs, humanity worshipped mechs to a degree that elevated them beyond the battlefield. An informal custom emerged where certain companies put mechs in front of their headquarters and important offices to show off their wealth. _{frёeωebɳovel.com}