Over the span of his short career, Ves rapidly rose in prominence.

His grand accomplishments as well as his success raised his stature to a height that put him above the level of commoners.

While Ves still took his humble roots to heart, it was undeniable that he had gained enough power, wealth and influence to negotiate with entire states!

Even a great statesman like Senator Tovar had to take him seriously!

With such a status, why should he continue to entertain his grandfather who attempted to mediate on behalf of the old family and the conservative faction?

They were barely different from the common citizens of the Bright Citizens! Despite all of their accomplishments, the traditionalists in the family still abided by the laws and customs of their home state!

Though this was a very righteous and honorable stance to uphold, the true beneficiary of this tradition was the Bright Republic rather than the Larkinson Family!

Ves literally pointed out this truth on the day that Venerable Ghanso took him away, but it seemed his grandfather and the rest were still too accustomed to the old status quo to realize their 

The old family possessed no bargaining power to speak of!

Without real power, how could they ever think to push their demands onto a Journeyman, a galactic citizen, a war hero, and most recently a savior of many states?

He was the Bright Martyr! He enjoyed the worship of almost every Ylvainan!

He was a Journeyman! His mechs were celebrated throughout the star sector!

He was a Larkinson! Unlike his more indoctrinated relatives, he was actually willing to wield his power for his own ends!

The difference was too vast. Not even the former and current expert pilots in the family were capable of dragging him to the negotiating table. Like feeble slaves trying to push a statue, their paltry arms would just break if they attempted to drag his vast might from his place!

The Larkinsons who were used to their old ways didn't understand. Why should they? None of the older Larkinsons ever thought to use and abuse their power to enrich themselves or pursue greater benefits!

It went against their principles! The Larkinsons ought to be humble servants of the Bright Republic. The family always kicked out the relatives who disagreed with their ways like Raella, thereby ensuring that the long-standing consensus was never threatened!

The continuous lack of challenge to the tenets the Larkinsons abided by would prove to be the downfall of the old family.

Ves was in no mood to be generous to them, not after Venerable Ghanso sold him to the Fridaymen like livestock!

If Ghanso was heartless enough to sell out his own family, then the faction he belonged to shouldn't complain if Ves paid them back!

Once he contacted Leland, he patiently waited as the spy got in touch with his superiors, who in turn contacted the relevant higher ups.

It took some time to set up this daisy chain, especially when Ves requested to talk to Leland only.

He wasn't in the mood to talk to a shrewd official like Senator Tovar. His tolerance towards these high-minded power players was very poor after they allowed General Cavendish to 

Knowing that Ves would react poorly if he faced a senior representative of the government, the state was okay with allowing Leland to be their spokesperson.

The fact that the government readily made this concession to Ves was very telling.

The Bright Republic still wanted to maintain relations with him. Perhaps it even wanted to repair the damage it had done in the last month.

Certainly, Ves did not feel very inclined to treat his home state earnestly, but for the good of the Larkinsons, he would not tear the veil of civility between them unless he had cause to do so. If the government knew what was best for them, they ought to play along.

"My apologies, Ves. This took a bit longer than we thought due to the suddenness of your request." Leland interrupted his musing.

"So can we actually talk frankly, now?"

"Certainly."

Leland's projection exuded more certainty now that he was tasked with representing the will of the state.

For his part, Ves did not only represent himself, but also the LMC as well the new family.

An unspoken understanding had formed between the two. The agreements they made today would have far-reaching consequences.

"Before we begin, let me inform you of some developments that pertain to the ownership structure of the LMC. In the weeks you were gone, some of the shares have exchanged hands."

"Oh?"

"Two major transfers have occurred. First, Sibilant Asset Management managed to buy out Marcella Bollinger's stake in the company. That increased the holding company's ownership in the LMC to 26 percent."

Sibilant Asset Management was a front for Flashlight, which in turn represented the government.

All of this basically meant that the Bright Republic's stake in the company had grown.

Ves couldn't help but smile suspiciously at Leland. "Mrs. Bollinger is a shrewd businesswoman. Her entire career is built on her business acumen. I can't imagine why she would ever relinquish her 5 percent ownership in a mech company that has already earned an astronomical amount of money and is on track to enrich her even more."

"Everything can be negotiated." Leland replied with a coy expression. "After much persuasion, we have managed to convince Mrs. Bollinger to sell her stake in exchange for a rich reward. We made sure that she hasn't suffered a loss."

That was pure nonsense. Ves did not have to think too hard to guess that the government essentially did the same to his old backer as he did to his grandfather!

This was yet another lesson in why it was best to pursue greater power.

If Ves was as powerless as the likes of Mrs. Bollinger, he would have never been able to drag the state to the negotiating table! They would merely take advantage of their power and dictate the terms as they did to other powerless people!

"So does that mean the state owns more of the LMC than the Larkinson Family?"

That sounded very concerning. It essentially signified that the Bright Republic could potentially team up with the Larkinson Family and gain total of the company! Ves, who owned 49 percent of the shares, could not legally go against the wishes of the holders of 51 percent of the shares in his company!

The only caveat was that such an outrageous takeover would definitely burn the few bridges between them that still remained.

Despite the damage to his reputation, Ves would rather turn his back to the LMC than subject himself to the control of a majority that did not deserve to profit from the fruits of his labor!

Leland, Flashlight and the government knew that as well, Ves could tell. Their reaction wasn't as pushy as it could have been.

"The Larkinson Family is not affiliated with Sibilant Asset Management. The two are two separate shareholders. I can't imagine that both will march in lockstep." Leland described.

Openly, Leland didn't lie. Yet Ves did not believe the government was above co-opting the Larkinson Family in order to influence their votes whenever a decision was brought up to the company board!

Ves did his best to remain reserved and crossed his arms. "What else has happened?"

"The Bright Republic has recently signed a treaty with the Ylvaine Protectorate. I'm sure you have heard of it, right?"

How could he not? He couldn't help but smirk. "If General Cavendish hasn't driven me away, I would have facilitated this agreement myself."

Leland looked a bit ugly. "It's a pity that such a shameful event has taken place. In any case, the Ylvaine Protectorate agreed to lend us their Hunters of Ylvaine and their remarkable Deliverers in exchange for a number of concessions. One of them happens to pertain to the shares owned by Sibilant Asset Management."

Ves widened his eyes! "Don't tell me.."

"Your guess is on the spot. We have sold a portion of the shares to the Ylvainans. They've driven a hard bargain, from what I'm told. I won't tell you how these secret negotiations proceeded. I don't know the details myself. The result of these talks is that our government has agreed to relinquish 19 percent of our shares to the Transcendent Investment Authority, an Ylvainan sovereign wealth fund."

That much?! Ves didn't hide his surprise. The Ylvainans truly made good use of their superior bargaining position! With the power of the Deliverer mechs under their control, the Ylvainans succeeded in fleecing the Brighters!

Ves clapped. "Bravo! It turns out the Ylvainan people are good at something other than praying to their prophet!"

"Is that the tone that a Bright Martyr should adopt to the people who hold him in high regard?" Leland asked with an intrigued look in his eyes.

"Oh, I have nothing but respect for them. Anyway, does this mean that the Ylvainans own 19 percent of the LMC while you are left with 7 percent?"

"Not exactly. You're correct about our ownership stake, but from what I've been told, the Protectorate has already let us know that it intends to transfer a 10 percent stake to you at some point in the future."

"What? Why?"

Ves never heard of this! Neither Calsie, Gavin or Raymond informed him of this development!

"The Ylvainans are waiting for you to arrive at the Protectorate before approaching you with this matter. We believe that they are partially willing to offer you to buyback some shares out of gratitude for what you have done to their people. Another reason for doing so is to secure your continued support for the Ylvainan Faith and its people."

That.. made a lot of sense, Ves considered. As the Bright Martyr, his products stimulated their faith like nothing else! The Transcendent Messenger, Holy Soldier and Deliverer mechs all proved that Ves possessed an exceptional connection to one of the objects of their worship!

Almost no one was able to channel the Great Prophet as him, let alone allow others to experience the notable figure's majesty through his mech designs!

"I guess another important talk is in store." Ves muttered with anticipation.

"In any case, are you content with our diminished amount of shares in your company?" Leland pressed. "It was very difficult for us to come to this decision. We gave up much in order to accommodate the Ylvainans and you. Many people within our government strongly opposed this sacrifice."

The deliberate use of the word 'sacrifice' was meant to make Ves believe that the government attempted to make amends for his kidnapping.

Though Ves still did not forgive the Bright Republic for allowing this scheme to happen, Ves had to look past his private grievances this time.

It would not behoof him to blow up at Leland. He wouldn't be able to get anything out of it other than to worsen his already-tense relationship with the Bright Republic.

He had to admit that allowing the state to retain just 7 percent ownership in the company was a palatable outcome.

It was a bit too much than he was comfortable with, but not enough to surpass his tolerance.

Ves had already decided beforehand that he would never allow the state to retain possession of 21 percent of the outstanding shares of the LMC, let alone 26 percent!

The Bright Republic, which was led by many smart and wise officials, likely predicted his stance and moved to forestall his response.

Allowing them to keep 7 percent despite everything that happened was barely acceptable to Ves! At the very least, he didn't feel like quibbling over this matter.

Let the state hang on to these shares. As long as the Bright Republic possessed a meaningful stake in his company, it would still be in their best interest to protect the Larkinson Family and treat them right.

For the sake of Benjamin, Ark, Melinda and Raella Larkinson, Ves did not wish to break this protection.

This was especially important if the Komodo War ever spread to this region! He could not allow the Friday Coalition to pressure the Bright Republic in mistreating the Larkinsons who still stuck to the old ways!

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