The Mech Touch novel Chapter 4156

Ves held a fruitful talk with Professor Benedict Cortez about the Cross Clan's participation in the Trailblazer Expedition.

Just as expected, Patriarch Reginald Cross was so eager to test his massively improved combat against real opponents that he would jump at any opportunity for a fight!

To be fair, his eagerness to prove himself and enjoy a good fight was not only about satisfying his urges.

Ace pilots could not stand still. The journey from junior ace pilot to senior ace pilot was long. The journey from senior ace pilot to god pilot was even more arduous and torturous.

Halfgods that took it easy and only spent their time on training and preparation would never be able to make significant progress!

One way or another, ace pilots needed to fight in a battle with real stakes in order to progress their willpower and mentality.

This was a known concern to many states that were qualified to retain ace pilots and they found various ways to resolve this issue.

In fact, Ves had learned only recently that one of the favorite methods that states employed to keep their ace pilots in shape was to conduct secret duels.

A state with at least two ace pilots who could both compete against each other without provoking any incidents against foreign neighbors.

These were intensive sparring sessions that were much more destructive than usual!

In order to generate as much stimulation as possible, the two combatants received allowances to fight harder and more extensively than regular sparring sessions. Inflicting serious damage to the ace mechs was not an uncommon occurrence!

Though the practice was expensive, the growth of the ace pilots made it all worth it. States that weren't short of money were naturally more interested in accelerating the growth of their top combat assets.

More contentious and controversial spars occurred between states.

Ideally, the states that agreed to pit their ace pilots against each other had nothing to do with each other.

States that did not neighbor each other generally had no competing interests, so their ace pilots could fight to their heart's content without giving their enemies detailed information about their fighting prowess.

These spars usually yielded more growth because the ace pilots wouldn't be fighting against colleagues from their own side. They also became more exposed to different mech design styles and unique piloting specialties.

Still, the chance of details leaking out was still a persistent concern. This was a devastating disadvantage that could give an enemy a powerful head-start in countering an essential military asset.

What surprised Ves was that Patriarch Reginald Cross was not afraid of exposing his full combat prowess.

"There is no way to hide this information forever, Ves." He spoke during a follow-up meeting on the planning of the Trailblazer Expedition. "I will fight in a battle sooner or later, and the more I show up on the battlefield, the harder it becomes to keep the footage and details confidential. Rather than cowering back because we are so paranoid about giving away an information advantage, I would rather fight in front of an audience and gain the combat experience I need to further my rise. As long as I become a senior ace pilot or more, what is the harm of letting our enemies know how strong I am? The Mars and I will just smash through the opposition by relying on our superior strength!"

The new Saint did not just convey his confidence in words. He radiated it with his powerful Saint Kingdom!

Even if Patriarch Reginald wasn't interfacing with the Mars right now, his force of will was still qualitatively more powerful than ever before, allowing him to distort reality in a short range around his body!

Ves winced as he found it harder to maintain his composure. The strong mental and spiritual pressure that Reginald exerted when he became passionate was enough to influence ordinary people into submission!

"Can you be more considerate and temper your emotions?! It's difficult to conduct a proper conversation with you when you are expressing yourself so exuberantly!"

"Oh. My apologies, Ves. I am not accustomed to holding myself back."

"That is quite obvious."

Patriarch Reginald was not only an aggressive person by nature, but grew up in a substantially different culture and environment where open expression of strength was much more common.

This was why Ves knew that Reginald didn't necessarily mean to browbeat anyone. It was just part of who he was, as evidenced by how the ace pilot's domain had developed.

Ves and the Larkinsons had already learned that they needed to change the way they communicated and cooperated with the Cross Clan.

Anything that Reginald had a vested interest in always had to meet his approval. This was quite annoying at times because the strong-willed ace pilot almost never changed his mind! He was so resistant to persuasion that it was just easier to work around him entirely if possible!

Fortunately, Patriarch Reginald was still a bit more grounded than his infamous father.

Compared to the son who had undergone a huge amount of hardships and suffered lots of tragedies, Saint Hemmington Cross had enjoyed a relatively smooth ride to his peak.

The more Ves understood the emboldened Cross Patriarch, the less concerned he was about their continued cooperation.

Patriarch Reginald might be wilder and less restrained, but he at least paid more attention to the safety of his fellow Crossers.

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