Chapter 8: Air Pirates(2)
Looking at the person who had raised their hands, Barkus immediately began to suspect that they were quite young. The most notable feature was their height—approximately 135–140 centimeters. However, what truly stood out was the face. Despite being dirty, it was clear that the person in front of him hadn't even reached ten years old. Among the young commoners, it wasn't uncommon to see children serving in the army or participating in battles for pay. It was often a quick way to earn a decent amount of money.
Barkus was aware of this and understood that seeing children in war had become almost normal. Still, he didn't want to take this boy along. Moreover, he didn't believe the boy could operate a mecha suit. Yet, since no one else was willing to take the job, Barkus decided to give him a chance. He urgently needed people—even if they were children. Due to Zoli, he couldn't hire trained mercenaries, so he had to make do with what he had.
"Alright, young man, step forward," Barkus said in a stern voice.
Leon quickly approached him, though he was a little nervous. "What if he recognizes me?" he thought, trying not to show any sign of fear.
Once closer, Leon responded,
"Yes, sir," purposely altering his voice to sound hoarse, as if he had a sore throat.
Barkus looked at him closely and asked a few questions about the mecha suits: how they were operated, what each button did, and so on. To his surprise, Leon answered all the questions correctly and even more thoroughly than Barkus had expected.
"Well, theoretically, you seem to know everything. But what about practical experience?" Barkus asked. "Have you piloted a mecha suit before?"
Leon nodded, his eyes radiating confidence. This didn't escape Barkus's attention.
"Alright. You can pilot it, but make sure to avoid close combat. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Fine. Everyone, onto the ships! We're setting sail. And you—follow me," Barkus said, gesturing to Leon.
He led Leon to one of the medium-sized ships. Once aboard, Leon saw the mecha suit.
"Meh, it doesn't compare to Luxon," said the first voice inside Leon's mind.
"Yeah," the second voice agreed.
Suddenly, Barkus's voice snapped him out of his thoughts:
"What are you standing there for, kid? Get in already!"
Barkus climbed into a nearby mecha suit, and Leon, without hesitation, entered his own. What he saw inside pleasantly surprised him.
"Wow, this is kind of like a game," said the first voice as Leon started moving the mecha smoothly and skillfully.
"Ooh, let me try! I want to feel this too!" said the second voice, taking control of the body. As the mecha moved under the second voice's control, he exclaimed,
"Wow, you're right—it does feel like a game!"
But then, slightly disappointed, he added,
"Still, the controls are subpar. It's obvious this is a cheap suit."
"That's true," the first voice replied. "Alright, let me take over again."
Control was returned to Leon, who continued piloting the mecha with fluid movements, heading towards the bay. Watching the boy handle the suit so skillfully left Barkus stunned.
"So, he wasn't lying. Interesting... who is he really, to be able to pilot a mecha this well at such a young age?" Barkus thought as he too made his way to the bay.
For the mission, it was decided to deploy two medium-sized ships and four smaller ones to deal with the pirates. Leon's and Barkus's mecha suits were placed on separate medium ships.
And so, they set off. After some time, an alarm blared.
"Ships dead ahead!" Barkus shouted through the radio. "Everyone, prepare for battle!"
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