The Mech Touch

The Commercial District was the most vibrant area of Kotor City.

As one of the first and most central city districts in the colony, the Commercial District possessed the highest concentration of upscale retail outlets in Davute!

Those who managed to get in early and buy the rights to construct buildings on land and in the air had a figurative phasewater wellspring in their hands.

The sheer amount of visiting shoppers this prestigious district attracted was mind boggling!

Although the ironically named Austere District surpassed the Commercial District in wealth and prestige, the former exclusively catered to the ultra-wealthy who weren't all that numerous.

As such, the combination of decently wealthy shoppers combined with the large quantity of visitors caused the Commercial District to produce the highest amount of revenue out of all of the districts on the planet!

Much had changed since its initial inception. Many smaller parties who were unable to keep up with the rising requirements set by the city administration had opted to sell their real estate at extravagant prices.

As such, a lot of larger players managed to muscle their way into the coveted districts and open up premier flagship stores that not only gained access to a lot of well-heeled customers, but also put their brand on the map in the regional economy!

Due to the elevated profile of this location, it had become a mark of prestige to be able to set up a store in this coveted district.

It was already hard for a large company to be able to set up a store in the Commercial District.

The weaker organizations that were unable to resist the pressure and temptation of selling their property had already been cleared away.

The survivors who managed to cling on to their valuable real estate were all tough bones who could not be bribed or bullied so easily.

As such, the instances where property changed hands had slowed down to an enormous degree compared to just a few years ago. An unofficial ranking had formed where the companies with a presence in the Commercial District were unanimously regarded as the heavy weights in Davute.

The Larkinson Clan happened to be on this ranking.

Although its real estate was not the largest and did not occupy the most desirable locations, the eccentric pioneering organization's presence in the Commercial District stood out due to two separate reasons.

First, the Larkinson Clan actually owned two separate landbound properties in this expensive place.

Second, one of those properties did not necessarily cater to end consumers!

The Larkinson Clan therefore made its mark in Davute in yet another unusual manner.

In a time where it was already difficult for older and larger organizations to obtain a small store in this district, the Larkinsons extravagantly held two different properties that served two separate purposes!

The most prominent of the two Larkinson properties was of course its mech store.

No form of business was more intrinsically tied to the Larkinson Clan than its mech business.

It made a lot of sense for the Living Mech Corporation to construct its flagship store in the Commercial District.

Ever since it went up, hundreds of customers ranging from deep-pocketed mercenaries to representatives of large security companies visited the exclusive store in order to experience a sample of the LMC's diverse catalog in person.

Anyone who learned anything about the LMC's distinct products knew that the best way to evaluate them was to see them in person!

Looking at their images and footage on a projection did not do them justice. As such, the LMC actually sold a higher proportion of its products inside physical stores as opposed to accepting orders on the galactic net.

Not many people knew that this flagship store welcomed an extremely august personality today.

A group of four mechs flew through the air while escorting a black armored shuttle.

The glows and the markings of the armed machines in question made it clear that they were not only living mechs, but belonged to the Larkinson Clan.

The armored shuttle that flew in their midst had no obvious markings, but it stood out from all of the other high-end shuttles flying over Kotor City for several reasons.

Any knowledgeable observer would be able to tell that its exterior and most likely its interior was made out of first-class alloys!

Not only that, but the vehicle also possessed a lot of other powerful technical features. From an ECM system to presumably a transphasic shield generator, this black passenger vessel clearly put a lot of effort into protecting its passengers!

In fact, anyone who was willing to invest so much in a mere shuttle would have almost certainly installed a small-scale warp drive as well!

The vehicle did not actually attract that much attention, though. Davute had grown large and prosperous enough that such vehicles may not be common, but could still be seen once or twice a day on average.

As this vehicle came closer to the LMC flagship store, it smoothly landed onto the landing pad built on top of the flat roof of the multi-storied structure.

The mechs that escorted it remained close by while making sure not to hover too close and make themselves too conspicuous.

A gaggle of armed guards wearing subtler and more compact black combat armor stepped out of the armored shuttle first.

After that, a small family came out next.

Ves stepped out first and enjoyed the fresh air. The city administration put a lot more effort into managing the air quality of the Commercial District. None of the fumes generated by flying shuttles and vehicles were able to linger too long as a consequence.

He did not wear his usual patriarch uniform this time. The iconic colors along with the golden embellishments attracted way too much attention for his liking. He wanted to maintain a lower profile this time as he set off to tour the different properties of his clan.

His wife stepped out next. Gloriana had put a bit more effort into doing her makeup, even going as far as to use the brushes herself as opposed to letting a makeup bot do all of the work. She also wore a sundress that conveyed enough matronly vibes while also looking slim and fashionable enough to turn enough heads.

Naturally, she did not forget to carry her Pop Cult Tote Bag as well. The smooth, velvety-like suede made out of high-quality nunser leather looked so delicate and shiny that even Ves could feel how soft it was just by looking at it from a distance!

"Yay! We're finally here! C'mon, Lucky!"

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Andraste hopped out of the shuttle hatch and ran to the edge of the roof while carrying a certain gem cat in her arms.

The red-headed girl looked quite impressed as she gazed across the Commercial District. Floating structures combined with stately buildings on the ground made for an intricate shopping nexus where people had to navigate in three dimensions in order to fully experience this location.

Practically everyone who visited or worked in the Commercial District wore at least some form of smart clothing.

Although second-raters were pretty much accustomed to it, Ves never really got used to it. What if the smart clothing malfunctioned? What if someone wanted to snipe him from the air?

There were so many risks and dangers to flying in the open that he preferred to keep his feet firmly planted on a solid surface.

As Ves took a moment to admire the view, his other two children stepped out as well.

"Miaow~"

Clixie followed after Aurelia as the oldest daughter walked up to her mother and held hands.

Marvaine meanwhile held up his hands until Ves picked up his son and held him in his arms.

"You've grown bigger and heavier. You're growing up so quickly."

"I'm not fat!"

"Hahaha, That was not what I meant. Anyway, let's head inside and see how the store fares today."

This was not the first time that Ves and his family visited the flagship store, but it had been a couple of years since they last toured the facility.

As a store that primarily sold mechs, it had to offer enough space to accommodate at least a dozen different mechs on display.

Due to the diverse amount of glows of living mechs, the LMC flagship store needed more space in order to give potential clients the opportunity to experience them in isolation.

Though the amount of horizontal space was limited in the Commercial District, the flagship store solved this problem by building high.

Each tall, mech-sized floor had been transformed into an immersive environment that complemented specific mech types well.

For example, as the little family stepped onto the top-most shop floor, they entered a large chamber that looked as if it was located in deep space.

Distant stars and planets provided a backdrop for the spaceborn mechs that hovered above the floor utilizing strong antigrav modules.

Andraste quickly became impressed by the nearest machine. "Wow, is that a Ferocious Piranha Mark III Version B? I never saw one that was coated in neon purple. It even glows in the dark!"

"Wait, darling!" Gloriana called out. "Don't get too close! Watch out for its glow!"

The little girl ignored her mother and continued to move as close as she could until she hit an invisible energy barrier.

She showed no discomfort at all despite the fact that the Ferocious Piranha's infamous disorienting glow was most certainly active, if constrained to a much smaller range than normal.

Other guests who received the qualifications to enter the store and tour this floor looked surprised as they stood further apart from the neon purple light skirmisher.

Among the dozen clients and customers that chose to 'sample' the glow in order to weigh the merits of placing an order, at least half of them were active mech pilots or mech officers who possessed plenty of combat experience.

Even they had to respect the strangely alternating glow that forced them to alternate between calm and fury in rapid succession.

How come a girl who didn't look to be older than 5 or 6 years old manage to get so close where the suppressive glow became more intense?!

Only high-ranking mech pilots and the most elite soldiers could equal her performance!

Ves didn't worry at all. His daughter stood out from many other people due to many reasons, but her abnormally strong and activated spirituality was the main reason why she had the capital to resist glows!

To be more specific, Yaika resisted much if not all of the pressure on Andraste's behalf.

When Aurelia and Marvaine carelessly stepped forward as well, their own powerful spiritual traits allowed them to ignore the Ferocious Piranha's infamous glow with just as much ease.

"It's okay." Ves said as he patted her arm. "Our children are special."

As Ves and Gloriana joined their kids at the front, several guests wondered who they were and how they could all be immune to the Ferocious Piranha's glow.

"It's… it's the boss of the Larkinson Clan!"

"He has brought his family as well!"

"Quiet! Don't disturb these honored figures."

Ves briefly grew amused at the reaction that his appearance had generated, but he paid more attention to what his children thought of his commercial offering.

His wife on the other hand lifted up her chin and made sure to flash her expensive handbag as if she was afraid that the people around her would overlook its value.

"Wait, is that a Pop Cult Tote Bag? You can buy an entire mech regiment with that designer bag!"

"What a classy lady!"

Meanwhile, the manager of the prestigious store had arrived at this time. The problem was that his ability to resist the glow of the Ferocious Piranha was not as good, so the man had no choice but to stand further away like the rest of the crowd.

News about his arrival had already started to spread in a small circle, but Ves was not concerned that he would get mobbed. Not everyone was allowed to step into this flagship store.

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