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.