Although he had been appointed captain, seeing Dearka's words and actions made Yzak doubt whether he was truly suited to stand above others.
A captain needed not only command ability, but also the personal charisma to unite the troops. In that regard, cheerful and considerate Dearka was clearly far more suitable than someone as aloof and hot-tempered as Yzak.
If Dearka had been captain, soothing the crew and easing their tension while Yzak served as vice-captain and focused on frontline combat command—that combination might have been more ideal.
But the reality was that he was the captain.
His mother, Ezalia Joule—a member of the PLANT Supreme Council—had personally secured this position for him.
He did not know how much political influence his mother had wielded, nor what she had said before Chairman Patrick Zala.
He only knew that, as the son of the Joule family, he had to prove that he deserved this honor and the trust his subordinates placed in him.
Even if he was not sure he could truly do the job well.
"Hey, Captain, say something too."
Dearka's voice dragged Yzak out of the whirlpool of self-doubt.
He looked up to see Dearka watching him with a gaze that mixed expectation and urging, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"--Yeah."
Yzak cleared his throat and forced himself to throw those chaotic thoughts to the back of his mind.
This was not the time for self-reflection. His subordinates were all watching him, waiting for him to speak.
As captain, he had to give them a direction, a reason to keep waiting.
"Dearka's right. It doesn't matter even if we can't help them. Boaz has that guy there..."
Yzak's voice softened subtly when he mentioned "that guy," though he might not have noticed it himself.