After going through an acclimation process, the four new Journeymen learned many new aspects about the clan that they didn't realize earlier.
Though they gained a lot of answers, they also gained a lot of questions as well. Many of them were related to the patriarch one way or another. Whether it was his living mechs, his glows and the strange entities which he somehow turned into the Larkinson Clan's pet gods, none of this made sense to the new Journeymen!
They became quite happy once they ended their tours and shuttled over to the Spirit of Bentheim.
The factory ship had become their main home and workplace for the foreseeable future.
Janassa and Tifi were fairly impressed by the factory ship, but Sara and Dulo had seen better back when they lived in the galactic heartland.
Nonetheless, it was the people who worked and lived on the ship that were truly remarkable to the new recruits.
"These Larkinsons are truly different." Sara observed as they all gathered in a small conference room.
"That's an understatement. I've studied all of their mechs and I still can't figure out where their glows come from or how some of the mechs are able to exhibit far greater power than they should!"
Tifi Coslone turned her head to the only empty seat in the room. "I think we'll have answers soon. The source of many of the Larkinson Clan's unique features comes from its patriarch. Our patriarch."
The more they learned about the strengths of the clan, the more they admired and respected the principal person who made it all possible!
Certainly, there were plenty of impressive individuals among the Larkinsons. Its expert pilots, its mech commanders and its other leaders had all contributed a lot to the clan, but none of them were as pivotal as Ves Larkinson!
In the opinion of the four Journeymen, none of them could ever replicate what the current patriarch had accomplished. The main reason for that was because they lacked the ability to grant so many advantages! Their design philosophies weren't so exaggerated!
Though they had already read a lot of impressive stories about Patriarch Ves, seeing how much he had done for the clan caused them to develop a lot of awe and admiration for this impressive mech designer.
This was decidingly unusual as they were all Journeymen who belonged to the same generation. Even if one of them enjoyed more success than others, it was hard for other Journeymen to bow their heads to a fellow peer.
This situation no longer applied here. Ves had the record and the accomplishments to prove that he was better than all of them. Mech designers always judged each other by their ranks and by the impact of their work, and Ves clearly scored exceptionally well on the latter!
When Ves entered the conference room with his pet Lucky in tow, the four Journeymen all stood up in respect.
"Please return to your seats." Ves said as he casually waved his hand. "We're all colleagues and work partners here. I may be the leader of the Larkinson Clan, but when we engage in mech design-related topics, we are all fellow Journeymen."
"That's hard to maintain so long our contribution isn't able to catch up to yours." Tifi spoke.
"I've heard you have all shown a lot of curiosity in my work."
"Yes."
A short moment of silence ensued. The four Journeymen had so many questions that they simply didn't know where to start.
"I can guess what you're wondering about and what kind of answers you are seeking." Ves smirked as he spoke up. "I can't explain everything I do in words. I've done that a lot of times and people don't seem to be able to accept all of my claims. I think the best way for you to truly accept what you have already heard from others but can't acknowledge is to experience them in person."
The patriarch lifted up a heavy tome with a hard metal cover and an impressive medallion at the front.
"Meow." Lucky hovered next to the book and licked its cover.
"Goldie? Can you come out here and introduce yourself more directly to these fine Journeymen?"
Nyaaaa!
To the utter amazement of the four newcomers, a bright, golden presence manifested above the Larkinson Mandate!
The beautiful and ethereal golden form that had just appeared into view was unlike anything the Journeymen had seen before.
They came from different parts of the old galaxy and had all enjoyed an excellent upbringing.
Yet nothing they had witnessed before could ever compare to this brand new life form that made the claims about Larkinsons consorting with actual gods a lot more plausible!
"This… isn't a projection, right?" Dulo questioned.
As Goldie proudly presented her form, Ves grabbed a hold of her body and rubbed her head sily.
Nyaaaa! Nyaaaa! Nyaaaa!
"She's not a projection." Ves said with a grin. "The Golden Cat here is a real living being. Just look closely at her and feel the bond that exists between the two of you. Each and every clansman is tied to Goldie, and that makes her special."
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