Interlude — The One Spared, The One Left Behind

 

「A curious fellow among the mercenaries hired by Misumaru, you say? Let’s see what we’ve got.」

The report from the Familias made Barry’s eyes widen despite himself. Yasuyuki, unusually, was sitting in.

「His win–loss record is slightly above average but otherwise unremarkable. The contents are what matter. In the few engagements he’s had, his enemy-kill rate is eighty percent—that’s something. Normally he’s attached to a Familia unit doing logistics, and sometimes escorts in a Lanius A. Aptitude tests confirm he’s an E-Rank Development Engineer.」

There was nothing in the raw statistics or battle results that demanded special attention.

An application written by the man himself, volunteering for a Trireme Lanius D-type unit, was attached.

「Interesting. Almost all assignments are escort duty—and he finishes fights in close combat.」

Barry’s eye stopped on one entry.

「During a Familia transport escort, he downed an Archangel with a lone Lanius A? Judging by the record alone, that’s ace-class.」

Dropping an Archangel