King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

Compared to the turbulent weather outside, the atmosphere within P·B Base was fantastic.

Joe Ga worked overnight with a few newly arrived ground crew members to equip several 250-kg class missiles with the 'Pathfinder' wings, then installed four on Big Beak Bird One and five on Big Beak Bird Two.

Having handled the missiles, Joe Ga used his Omnipotent Toolbox to check all the aircraft, confirming there were no issues. He directed the ground crew to arm the 'Doe', while he and Ayu equipped the rear cabin of the 'Hippo' that Nis would pilot the next day with two M61 Vulcans and two captured MG3 machine guns. This setup did make the cabin door a bit crowded, but he didn't mind...

Antar was familiarizing herself with the electronic system of the Hippo. Although she couldn't pilot, she was quite adept with electronics. Joe Ga perceived that using her as a gunner might be a slight stretch, so he prepared sixteen expensive anti-tank missiles for her.

The 'Hippo' had six hardpoints, four of which were equipped with four anti-tank guided missiles. The remaining two hardpoints carried the unlikely-to-be-used Flare Launchers, just in case.

Nis could feel Joe Ga's extra care but said nothing, just sitting on an ammunition crate hugging two playful, chubby dogs, watching Joe Ga at work.

In her heart, Nis understood Joe Ga's intentions. She accepted them fully and wholeheartedly embraced this feeling, which might be called 'happiness', and then reciprocated with all her strength.

It was an odd tacit understanding, but Joe Ga hadn't realized much of the underlying issues. He saw Nis sitting there smiling goofily with the dogs and, impatient, nudged her to get up and fetch water for himself and the numero uno mechanic, Ayu.

Then he saw her inexplicably overjoyed as she skipped off. When she returned, she pushed a small cart laden with tea, coffee, mineral water, cola...

Antar, having missed Nis's brewed tea, chose a chilled cola from her doe-eyed glance, prompting her to laugh until her eyes disappeared.

A psychologically troubled female sniper and a boss who seemed completely clueless about romance.

Between them, their understanding grew deeper, yet neither spoke of it.

The brilliant but rough boss treated Nis like a grade-school boy crushing on a girl.

Brimming with machismo and occasionally a bit rough, even bullying the girl he fancied.

This led to many lively moments for the typically stoic Nis.

Dorian, who was helping out, also sensed something. He chuckled as he moved to grab some tea, only to hear the boss from behind him say, "Are you free? Go load the ammunition boxes onto the plane, or you'll just be a 15-second sir even with the Fire God."

Nis, holding a teapot and watching Joe Ga chug down cola and let out a burp before turning to continue his work, felt something but chose not to speak up. She liked the attention and even worried that saying anything might dispel this feeling.

Dorian glanced between his boss and Nis, his cheeks splayed, and moved to where the munitions were stacked. He picked up a crate and said to Ayu, "I think the boss is biased against me. Could it be because I'm too handsome?"

Ayu, with an annoyed glance at Dorian who was struggling to carry a 1,000-round ammo crate, gripped one effortlessly in each hand and walked towards the helicopter, rolling her eyes monstrously and said, "White people are really stupid!"

......

Early the next morning, Teams D and E boarded the 'Hippo' for departure, while Joe Ga was still sleeping in the hangar.

Once the 'Hippo' had left, Joe Ga got up from the lounge chair and through the hangar doors, watched it ascend without knowing what to think.

Soon, a gruff voice disrupted his thoughts as Archerfish approached with a large pie wrapped in lots of offal, swaggering into the hangar.

The old fellow circled around the Big Beak Bird that had been prepared for flight, wolfed down the pie in a few bites, and then struggled to squeeze into a flight suit.

Wondering if he was seeing things, Joe Ga distinctly noticed a large cut on the back of the old fellow's suit, which wouldn't close properly.

From the front, the guy looked like a plump pilot, but from behind, he resembled a patient who had escaped from a mental institution.

Especially when he tried on the helmet, his facial fat almost blocked his eyes, lending an especially comical appearance.

But the old fellow was quite accustomed to it. Struggling to take off the helmet, he approached Joe Ga and said, "Boss, are you really sure you don't want to fly a round with me?

I heard you have a pilot's license. I think you should try being a fighter pilot instead of sitting in the back as some airborne commander."

Pointing at the reconnaissance pod hanging from the belly of Big Beak Bird One, he grinned and said, "You should load up missiles, creating explosions and flames—that's the mission of a fighter jet.

Trust me, get on my Big Beak Bird Two, and I'll show you the joy of flying!"

The more enthusiastic Archerfish was, the more Joe Ga resisted. He always felt that this mentor-type old timer was up to no good.