The Mech Touch

Artists needed to develop thick skin in order to survive in their line of work.

They earned their livelihoods by presenting their works to the public.

A crowd contained all kinds of random people and personalities. Each of them could supply very different feedback from uncritical praise to a torrent of horrible insults.

Of course, the Impresario Prince's identity vastly limited the amount of flaming he received, but he must otherwise suffer the same tribulations as any other artist.

Given the fact that the man had stuck by his career for so long, Prince Casevir must have been able to develop his own way of coping with harsh criticism. Such an artist should no longer be easily swayed by any feedback, no matter whether it was positive or negative.

They had found their own vision, and unflinchingly pursued it with the sincere belief that there was a place for their work in the society they were a part of. Each and every creation contributed to a body of work that could serve as a monument that could inspire the public for many years to come.

Perhaps the Impresario Prince used to be on his way of building a legacy that could withstand the test of time and avoid the fate of becoming one of the many thousands of princes whose names would be forgotten after their passing.

Yet the most recent turn of events painted a much more ominous picture. The Great Severing changed many people's futures. The only question was whether it was for the better or for the worse.

So far, Ves did not believe that gaining access to cultivation was doing Prince Casevir any good.

Ves did not hide his judgmental attitude. Since the Impresario Prince had put up a wall, it was time to exert more pressure!

At this time, Ves did not really pay attention to Casevir's identity as a prince. As far as he was concerned, the Impresario Prince was a desperate artist. Vulcan had guided many of them over the course of performing duties in the Creation Association.

Ves moved closer and leaned forward until he tapped his finger onto the physical projection of one of the more recent scrap metal artworks.

Although he was only able to touch an illusionary representation of Casevir's work, it was realistic enough to portray its essence.

"Your work is beautiful, but only on the surface." Ves critiqued. "Let me be honest, Your Highness. It is painful for me to see how you have put decades worth of skill and technique to use in this fashion. Any other artist in your shoes would have been able to fashion these pieces of metal together in a work that can serve the public in different ways. Yet out of all of the possible reasons for you to make your latest works, you have solely fixated on satisfying your own shallow ego. Your earlier work has earned my respect, but ever since you have practiced whatever cultivation method that you have acquired, you have completely misunderstood what your profession is all about. The fact that you are incapable of recognizing your fault is a sign that you are not able to control the negative repercussions of your cultivation."

Qualified artists generally possessed the ability to deflect harsh critique, but everyone had their limits!

Ves was a creator himself, so he understood much better than ordinary people how to identify and exploit the weak points of an artist like Prince Casevir!

This became evident when the Impresario Prince's impeccable training and education could no longer restrain his rising anger and indignation!

The Rubarthan prince wanted to deny the faults right away, but it was difficult for him to counter legitimate criticism.

What was even worse was that the identity and the qualifications of the person who had supplied all of the critique was much greater than his own in this field!

Under all of this negative stimulation, the sequelae of his cultivation method became more pronounced!

"I am not regressing!" The prince slammed his fist against his work table! "As accurate as you may be, I am still in the process of reorienting my art and my vision. As long as I have gained a greater level of mastery in my art, my greatness shall spread throughout the Rubarthan Pact!"

Ves shook his head in disappointment. "All I see is an artist losing control over himself. Just think about what you want to make as of late. Have you truly thought about creating a work that serves a purpose beyond imposing your will onto others?"

"What is so objectionable about that, professor? Shouldn't artists take pride in their skills? Regardless of my intentions, a work of art that looks pleasing will always earn people's appreciation."

"Artwork can inspire people to do great things. Artwork can help people process their trauma. Artwork can entertain and brighten people's lives. No matter whether your motives are noble or utilitarian, the common denominator is that the artist must hold the mindset of serving people other than themselves. No matter whether they seek to fulfill the needs of a single client or satisfy as many people as possible, a qualified artist must prove that he exerts a positive influence on society in order to justify his existence. I don't know who you want to prove yourself to, but if you keep developing in this direction, you will continually disgrace yourself within the art community!"

Ves did not employ his glow or any other special tricks to make his point. Such cheap ploys wouldn't work against a highly trained and augmented Rubarthan prince.

The only weapons he employed against this prince were sound logic and his authority as a certified masterwork mech designer.

Both of these factors together turned Ves into an invincible monster!

"Tell me, Casevir." Ves commanded as he started to loom over the Impresario Prince. "What is driving you down this path? What are you trying to prove? Be honest. As an artist, you can lie to other people, but you cannot be dishonest about yourself. Denying your problems will only prevent you from making corrective actions that can bring you closer to realizing a more ambitious vision."

A Rubarthan prince should never casually expose his weakness to others, especially during a remote call that may or may not be perfectly secure.

There were many reasons why Prince Casevir should cut this inquiry short or even end the connection outright, but the part of him that was an earnest artist as opposed to a prideful prince cried for help.

When the Impresario Prince recalled all of the amazing and beautiful masterwork mechs that the famous patriarch of the Larkinson Clan had built, a burning desire surged in his heart!

"Fine." The older man spoke after he endured the continual incitement from Ves. "If you insist on knowing the truth, then I shall tell you. It is not that difficult to deduce. The overarching reason why I must attain greatness in my field is because the court has set this expectation on me since my birth."

Ves blinked. That did not sound like a big revelation to his ears.

"Uhh..."

"You are not native Rubarthan, so I do not expect you to comprehend this. Bloodlines are not equal. Many Rubarthans believe that the bloodlines of the more successful and enduring families are inherently superior than the rest. That does not mean that commoners are unable to excel and outperform those who were born in higher stations. There are bad apples in every family. What matters is that the descendants of the higher and more exalted houses are much more likely to outperform their peers."

"Ah." Ves said as he understood where the prince was going with this. "The bloodline of the seven Star Emperors is the most exalted of all. The expectations that your society puts on every single Rubarthan prince must be insanely high."

Prince Casevir pressed his lips. "It is not just the expectations of society that we must meet. We must also fight to command the attention of our great father. Do you know how many times I have met His Majesty in person?"

That was a difficult question. Ves had no idea how much the Star Emperor cared about each individual child.

He made a guess. "Thrice?"

"No. Once. He attended my birth in passing. He only glanced at my infant body a single time before expressing his hope and expectation that I can live up to the bloodline of emperors. Then he left without even bothering to hold me in his arms."

Wow. There were fathers, and there was the Seventh Star Emperor.

It was no wonder that Prince Casevir was so hung up over himself!

If Ves grew up with a 'wonderful' father like the current Star Emperor, he would also become desperate to earn his daddy's approval!

"Our great father is a busy statesman." The Impresario Prince continued to spill his story. "Thousands of children are competing for his attention. In this regard, he has set a simple rule. Only the most impressive and successful princes are qualified to earn his personal attention. He does not play favorites in this regard because he must show that even his own lineage must abide by meritocratic principles."

"I see..."

"My great father determined the course of my life before I was conceived." Casevir said. "When he took a liking to one of the distinguished court artists more than a hundred years ago, the geneticists and other specialists worked to combine the original genes of my great father and my highly accomplished mother to produce a child that should theoretically combine the best of both worlds."

"Genetics do not work that way." Ves frowned. "People are products of both nature and nurture. The former only sets the upper and lower boundaries of what individuals can reach over the course of their lives. It is how they are raised and how they navigate their lives that ultimately determine their ultimate place. As far as I am concerned, bloodline alone is no guarantee for critical success."

"Do you think I am not aware of that?!" The prince barked at Ves! "The Rubarthan Imperial Household is very much aware of the high variability between the princes. This is why an overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters have never managed to catch our great father's attention after they were born."

"Isn't it unfair to expect younger offspring such as yourself to compete against the first hundred or so princes?"

Prince Casevir shook his head. "Our great father is not unfair in this regard. I am not expected to become an equal to the oldest of my siblings. The only requirement that I have to meet in order to earn the right to make His Majesty remember my name is to realize the potential set by my bloodlines and my augmentations. My mother is a court painter. When she is truly serious, she can produce masterwork paintings at a frequency of 27 percent. She has painted so many masterworks over the course of her long career that they can decorate an entire throne room! As for my humble self, look around you. The works here are the best that I can produce in my current state. Do you understand my position now? My record is so paltry that I do not have the face to return to the capital!"

Wow.

This was really harsh.

The life of a Rubarthan prince was so much worse than Ves had ever imagined. It was rather funny because a lot of people envied the members of the Rubarthan Imperial Household for enjoying the greatest luxuries from the moment of their birth.

Ves tried to figure out what he should do with this revelation. How the hell could he pull a prince with daddy issues out of his distorted mindset?

Given how Prince Casevir obsessed about his absent father all his life, it was difficult to shake him out of this incredibly unhealthy fixation!