Zechs glared at Hakuba a bit, but ignored the hidden barb. He called Hakuba a kid because he was angry, mostly. When he was just nineteen, after all, he commanded armies and nearly destroyed the Earth. It wasn't his age - it was his experiences. Hakuba was never a soldier, and he had never been forced to kill a man. Never learned how to estimate how quickly he could kill men.

In that way, Hakuba would be forever young to him. But it was also why, except for when he was angry, Zechs didn't consider it an insult. It was a compliment instead.

Zechs was the last person to judge someone merely by their looks. Especially based on his own experience.

"Other people's opinions are rarely so important to me," Zechs said coldly, but admitted - showing a great trust in Hakuba, "except this man was one I wanted to impress and gain the respect of. I had admired his abilities as a soldier for a few years, and we had much in common. When he could see me as his equal, we could become friends."

Bitter, he said, "Such petty things were important to me at the time."