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Ves wasn't too impressed by the Clarke Clan. Though it was earning a lot of income by being a part of the Pentahull Coalition, operating an enormous space station also incurred a huge amount of expenses.

The Clarke Clan's mech forces were all strong and well-equipped, but their quantity and quality did not quite match up to the Larkinson Army.

Ves also estimated that the entire Pentahull Coalition wouldn't be able to match up against the Golden Skull Alliance.

This was because their economic strength was too far apart.

Though the Pentahull Coalition boasted more partners, none of them were particularly big or wealthy. The income they received from exploiting Pentahull Station could only support so much military expansion.

In contrast, the Golden Skull Alliance had managed to earn a huge windfall shortly after entering the Red Ocean.

The Larkinsons, Glory Seekers and Crossers subsequently spent much of their enormous gains on many structural investments that vastly strengthened their economic foundations.

In other words, the Golden Skull Alliance was able to acquire more carrier vessels, field more combat mechs and increase the performance of their hardware!

What was also important to note was that the soldiers of the Golden Skull Alliance also gained crucial combat experience. The Purgatory Campaign along with Operation Saturday Market massively boosted the combat readiness of the Larkinsons, Glory Seekers and Crossers.

As far as Ves knew, the Pentahull Coalition had never fought a major battle from the moment of its founding.

Its mech pilots mostly fought scuffled against unruly visitors and gangs that sought to extort the coalition, but they had never fought a pitched battle outside of simulations.

The only variable that Ves wasn't sure of was whether Patriarch Reginald Cross could defeat the ace pilot of the Clarke Clan in a duel.

If the latter gained the upper hand, then none of the aforementioned strengths would be of any use anymore!

This was why Ves did not blindly look down at the Clarke Clan even if it was probably weaker on every other front.

Ves would have liked to have Calabast at his side at this time so that he could properly communicate with Reynard Clarke, but he was pretty much on his own at the moment.

He threw a brief glance towards his wife, but she seemed to be completely taken in by the tragedy playing out on the theater stage.

Well, he would just have to rely on himself, just like old times.

As he scrambled to formulate a strategy for this conversation, Ves tried his best to revive his paranoid and Devil Tongue tendencies.

He had admittedly grown rather rusty over the years. He rarely handled these matters in person as he became more and more successful.

Hardly anyone had any reason to call him the Devil Tongue during the time he spent on Davute.

Though Ves initially felt a bit overtaken by the Clarke Clan's abrupt approach, he soon found his cool as he utilized his formidable Spirituality to construct a mask that would allow him to control his expressions.

Reynard most certainly noticed the shift in demeanor. He wouldn't be a good relations manager if he was ignorant of this dynamic.

Right now, Ves and the Clarke Clan were both in a position where they suffered from information asymmetry.

Ves was unsure how many secrets the Clarke Clan had learned. The Clarke Clan in turn may have only obtained scraps of information that didn't reveal too much.

However, even if the Clarkes only received hints of greater news, they could still use their logic to make a lot of guesses and inferences.

It was rather clear that the Transhumanists did not cozy up to a young and relatively weak associate of the Survivalist Faction without a reason!

Ves and Reynard exchanged a few inconsequential words to each other before the latter spoke more seriously again.

"Our relationship with the MTA is not as close as yours, but we are acquainted with a small but powerful subset of mechers." Reynard eventually revealed.

Ves raised his eyebrow. "Would you care to share that with me? I have been trying to guess which MTA faction is close to your Clarke Clan."

"We are acquainted with the Rubarthan Faction of the MTA." Reynard finally revealed. "Do not misunderstand me. Our Clarke Clan no longer has the right to call itself Rubarthan, but that does not mean we are willing to forget our roots. Getting demoted to second-raters is a great shame to the Clarkes and we are not reconciled with living out the rest of our lives in mediocrity."

His voice became more emotional and passionate as he expressed the regret of his clan.

Ves could easily believe that Reynard truly believed in what he said, but it was also likely that the man was deliberately overemphasizing this aspect.

Still, the revelation that the Clarke Clan maintained at least some ties to at least one group of Rubarthans was already shocking enough!

Ves didn't think that the Clarkes were particularly important to the Rubarthans, but even a shallow relationship was enough for him to reevaluate his judgment of the Clarke Clan.

"Your goals are your business." Ves eventually spoke. "I wish you the best of luck in your attempts to allow your clan to make an honorable return to the New Rubarth Empire, but if you think the Larkinsons are the same, then I am afraid that I have to disappoint you. My clan and I have different goals in mind. None of them have anything to do aligning myself to the Rubarthans. If I wanted to get closer to them, our Larkinson Clan would have been a part of the Rubarthan Pact as opposed to the Red Ocean Union. In fact, why is your Clarke Clan not a part of this pact yourself? Isn't it better for you to operate in their zones?"

Reynard ruefully smiled. "The Rubarthans only value ability and results. Joining the Rubarthan Pact is counterproductive if we cannot be of use to Rubarth. There are multiple ways to get back into its good graces, and our Clarke Clan can do more outside of the territories occupied by the Rubarthan Pact. That is why we are here. Besides, the rest of the Pentahull Coalition is not particularly interested in our goals. They lack a connection to the New Rubarth Empire so we do not blame their decisions."

Ves was surprised that Reynard was willing to reveal this much about the Clarke Clan. He then figured out that this was likely not a big secret.

From what Ves had learned during his tour through the space station, the Clarkes were obvious admirers of the Rubarthans. They mentioned their heritage a lot of times and they did not really hide their desire to rejoin the powerful empire.

Ves just dismissed all of that talk as fantasy in the past, but now he understood that the Clarkes were a lot more serious than he thought.

"All of that is interesting for me to hear, but as I have said earlier, this is your business, not ours." Ves insisted.

"Are you certain about that, patriarch?"

"Let me make this clear, Reynard. I am a mech designer, and I am completely engaged in my own work. It is completely logical for me to maintain closer ties with the Mech Trade Association. I recall that the MTA isn't exactly on good terms with the first-rate superstates, so I am afraid that I have no room to befriend the Rubarthans."

Reynard looked down at the stage where the play was beginning to reach its climax.

"That is not entirely true, Patriarch Larkinson." He said. "I have stated earlier that the Rubarthans only value ability and results. Everyone in human space who hasn't lived under a rock recognizes this truth. If you happen to have engaged in research that has produced results that are shocking enough to win over the Transhumanist Faction, then I can assure you that you will definitely win the appreciation of the Rubarthans."

Ves finally understood what this conversation was all about. This was a solicitation.

Reynard might be trying to lure the Larkinson Clan over to Rubarth in order to earn a 'referral fee'.

It could also be that the Clarke Clan had received an instruction from the Rubarthans to make a recruitment attempt.

Ves crossed his arms. "I have already formed agreements with both the Survivalist Faction and the Transhumanist Faction. Turning to the Rubarthans would not only constitute a betrayal, but also doesn't allow me to gain anything. The Big Two are the hegemons of human civilization these days. The New Rubarth Empire may still be powerful to an extent, but it has already degenerated, just like our ancestors."

"That may not always be the case." Reynard Clarke spoke. "Besides, even if the MTA is larger and more powerful, it is impossible for an outsider such as you to earn its complete trust. You will always be treated as an outsider by the mechers no matter how much you contribute to the Association. Many mech designers such as you have slaved their entire lives to earn the recognition of the MTA, only for them to pass away while realizing far too late that they could have accumulated much more wealth, power and influence if they did not give so much away."

Ouch. Reynard's words definitely hit a sore spot. Ves was well aware of how much the MTA exploited indigenous mech designers and engaged in unequal transactions. He only played along because there were no viable alternatives.

That didn't mean he was happy about the MTA coming in to steal his work and impose demands on him. The mechers simply got more while he gained relatively little in return.

"I have no complaints about my relationship with the MTA." Ves lied. "I do not see why turning to Rubarth would be any better."

"Then you are not taking my words seriously enough, patriarch. Do you remember what I said? The Rubarthans only value ability and results. If you have invented any new tech that can produce a noticeable difference in combat effectiveness of first-class multipurpose mechs, then the Rubarth will welcome you back with open arms."

Ves blinked. He didn't expect to hear this answer, but it made a lot of sense now that he thought about it. He never thought that this custom would apply to him in particular until Reynard explicitly mentioned this possibility.

The New Rubarth Empire was explicitly founded as a meritocracy. It existed as a rejection of the nepotism and other deplorable excesses of the Terrans. This meant that capable and successful individuals would always earn the recognition that they deserved!

"Our Larkinson lineage hasn't been Rubarthan for over four centuries." Ves pointed out.

"It is fine even if your line has no clear relations with the New Rubarth Empire, but it is even better if you have an existing relationship however faint it may be." Reynard reassured him. "You will make your ancestors proud by returning to the empire that they used to be a part of and restore the honor of their name. There may even be an established group in the empire that has distant ties to your ancestors. If such a connection exists, then you will easily be able to win over a strong patron with the ability and the results that you have shown."

This argument would have great appeal to Ves if actually cared about his ancestors.

Unfortunately for the Clarke Clan, Ves did not have any affection towards his distant ancestors. They lived so long ago that he dismissed them as ancient history.

Ves cared much more about his grandparents and parents. Those were the people he knew in person and grew up with. None of them expressed any love or nostalgia for the New Rubarth Empire, though, so that was no reason for him to cozy up to the Rubarthans.

He eventually shook his head. "I am sorry, Reynard, but my clan and I have no interest in earning Rubarth's approval. I believe in what you have said, but my interests are simply too far apart. I do not have a desire to become a mecher, a Rubarthan or a member of any other state or organization. I am a Larkinson. I have only ever wanted to become a Larkinson.To me, the Larkinson Clan is a much better home than the Mech Trade Association or the New Rubarth Empire. I am already exactly where I belong."

"...I am glad to hear that you are comfortable in your own clan. Autonomy must be important to you." Reynard said as he showed signs of retreating. "However, let me give you a warning as one descendant of Rubarth to another. Change is coming. It does not take a genius to tell that many conflicts will break out. Once the fighting starts, smaller clans such as ours can easily be trampled under the feet of larger powers. The only way to escape the fate of getting crushed is to take shelter under one of those larger powers that is willing to treat you as its own. Our Clarke Clan has already picked a side. What about your clan, Patriarch Larkinson?"