The Nahel Argama continued to sail smoothly across the surface of the Pacific Ocean, with the Ra Cailum maintaining a set distance alongside it.
Meanwhile, in a meeting room that was rarely used, a heated discussion was taking place.
Considering that it seemed inappropriate to continue their conversation on the deck, Roz and Murrue, after a brief consultation, had brought Bright and Char to the conference room.
Utilizing the meeting room's recording cameras and the large display screen, Bright successfully initiated an online conference, pulling in all the people who had simultaneously called him following Char's speech not long ago.
Looking at the figures appearing one after another on the screen, Roz sat in his seat with his hands crossed, supporting his chin in a pose reminiscent of Gendo Ikari. He felt a throbbing headache coming on.
Beltorchika, Sayla, Kamille, Kai Shiden... every critical node in Amuro's social network appeared on the screen.
The looks they directed at him were a mix of pleasant surprise, confusion, and a barrage of unspoken questions.
'Give me a break. Should I try to find the Amuro of this world in the psycho-space to prove it? No, there's a bunch of people here who aren't Newtypes; communicating via psycho-space won't work for them...'
Feeling a wave of mental exhaustion, Roz glanced at Char, who was sitting not far from him.
As if sensing Roz's gaze, Char gave an amused wave.
'Yeah, I should definitely punch him.' Feeling a surge of irritation, Roz began to weigh the feasibility of giving Char a thorough beating.
"Alright... everyone is present now."
Seeing that the full roster was displayed on the large screen, Bright breathed a sigh of relief. "A—Roz, if you have anything to say, you can say it now."
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Looking at the figures in the various boxes on the large screen, Roz took a deep breath, nodded to Murrue beside him, and stood up.
Although he still hadn't figured out exactly how to resolve the situation of them mistaking him for Amuro, if he didn't clarify things now, Amuro's web of interpersonal relationships would truly become entangled with his own life.
"Hello everyone, I am Roz Links."
After careful consideration, Roz spoke. "I have been thinking about how I can prove that I am not, in fact, Amuro Ray."
Upon hearing these words, the people on the screen froze for a moment, then began to frown slightly. Even Bright looked stunned.
This somewhat detached tone... it didn't seem like something Amuro would say.
"Although I look very much like that Amuro, we have lived completely different lives and hold different worldviews," Roz continued, laying out his chain of evidence. "Even the skills we have mastered are different. Amuro is a master of combat; I am more proficient in mechanical engineering."
Faced with Roz's self-disclosure, everyone in the video conference fell into a momentary silence.
Beltorchika opened her mouth but found herself unable to say anything. Her weak Newtype ability, formed because of her child with Amuro, allowed her only to recognize Amuro's brainwaves, but she lacked the razor-sharp insight of someone like Kamille.
Sayla frowned. The sudden disappearance of the hope of seeing Amuro again was painful, but if it was truly as Roz said, she could only accept it.
After all, if a false hope is never broken, it only continues to ferment until it becomes the most potent of poisons.
"Yes, indeed... your face was only visible for a short time back then. Looking closely now, I personally feel there are some differences in temperament between you and Amuro."
Finally, it was Kamille aboard the Ra Caim who spoke up after careful observation, his brow furrowed. "However, as for whether you are truly who you say you are, I will judge for myself once we meet in person..."
Kamille's words were essentially a tentative conclusion. Anyone who had lived through the Gryps Conflict knew how powerful Kamille's Newtype abilities were; even a slight shift in brainwaves was something he could sense.
"If it is truly as you say, then why did you impersonate Amuro?" Beltorchika asked, her voice filled with confusion.
Giving birth to and raising Amuro's child alone had been incredibly difficult for Beltorchika.
The more she saw the resemblance between her child and Amuro, the more she missed him. Now, faced with Kamille's rejection of the idea that Roz was "Amuro," she had to accept it.
Objective facts cannot be twisted by personal will. No matter how much she wanted to see Amuro, her character and dignity would not allow her to cling to someone simply because they looked like him.
Facing Beltorchika's question, Roz felt a sense of relief—perhaps because there was finally hope of proving his identity.
"Actually, that is a question that should be directed at Char."
Roz pointed the finger at Char, who was sitting nearby quietly watching the farce of "Roz's self-identification." "My goal was simply to take this man, Char, back with me. But he has been using his identity and my appearance to constantly lead people toward that conclusion."
Only now did everyone truly focus their attention on Char, who was sitting there wearing a familiar red vest and sunglasses.
"…That sounds exactly like something my brother would do. But as for whether he is the real Char, I think we should wait to confirm that until we meet in person."
Sayla scrutinized Char's unusually young appearance, narrowing her eyes before shifting the topic back to Roz. "However, the things you said sounded exactly like what Amuro would say. Should I interpret that as you assisting this 'Char' in his deception?"
"Those were simply words spoken based on my own life experiences and values. On one hand, I felt that Amuro's sacrifices weren't valued; on the other, I felt indignant that they treated civilian lives as worthless. I believe any normal person would feel that way."
Roz nodded, explaining further. "Additionally, the act of greeting you back then was something Amuro specifically asked me to do."
"Wait... are you saying Amuro is still alive?"
The sudden appearance of such "hope" energized Bright and the others. Bright asked urgently, "Where is he? Why hasn't he returned?"
Facing Bright's questioning and the expectant gazes of Beltorchika and Sayla, Roz thought for a moment and decided to reveal a small piece of information.
"Senior Amuro Ray and Senior Char Aznable are alive. Currently, he is in a... rather distant place."
Roz weighed his words carefully. "But if he were to return to see you... it would be quite complicated. For now, they have no way to come and meet you."
Hearing Roz's words, even without knowing if they were true or false, the mere thought that "Amuro and Char are alive" gave them a profound sense of relief.
'Wait, Char?'
At that moment, everyone's eyes turned back to Char.
While Roz had been proving his identity, Char had been staring at the segment of the screen showing Sayla.
He carefully observed her mental state, her clothing, the background of her home... she seemed to be living quite well. The heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.
"To be honest, I don't know why I came to this era myself."
Char smiled and spread his hands. "If my memory serves me right, in my timeline, I had just finished the One Year War and personally dealt with the Zabi family."
"Wait, you mean you aren't the Char of this era?"
Kai Shiden, ever the journalist and author, instinctively seized on the key point. "If what you say is true, how did you get to this era?"
"I don't know."
Char maintained that same subtle smile, making Sayla feel like she wanted to punch him in the face.
"The world is just unreasonable like that sometimes. You never know what might happen."
"Honestly, coming here to a place so different from my own time, I originally intended to just confirm Artesia's well-being and then live out a quiet, anonymous life."
Char stood up, looking at the figures on the screen. "Owning a farm or a ranch and enjoying a pastoral life didn't seem so bad."
"However, while in contact with Mafty, I was shocked by the Federation's corruption and its oppression of civilians."
Char took a deep breath. "And while on the Moon, I heard Lalah's voice in the psycho-space. I must find a new path for the development of humanity and Newtypes. That is her expectation."
"But Lalah is dead!" Kai Shiden frowned, completely unable to believe Char's claim about "hearing Lalah."
"I certainly heard her voice... On this point, I believe Kamille, as a Newtype, can testify for me."
Kamille was startled by Char's words and began to reflect. He remembered the final blow against Scirocco, how the wills of those who had died or were still living attached themselves to him, and the sensation of perceiving their thoughts.
"Yes... it is possible."
After thinking it over, Kamille gave an affirmative reply. "I experienced it myself. After Four died, her will attached itself to me and helped me kill Scirocco."
Hearing Kamille admit to such a possibility, Bright, sitting in the meeting room, widened his eyes.
He felt as though he had finally connected all the clues.
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The meeting concluded with a tentative plan for an in-person gathering, and the group filed out of the conference room.
In Bright's eyes, Murrue walked right beside Roz, staying close to him at every step.
She didn't fully grasp just how convoluted Amuro's interpersonal relationships were, so she chose to sit quietly by Roz's side, waiting for the moment she might be needed.
Still, during this meeting, it seemed Roz had resolved many of the fundamental issues; at the very least, today's outcome was satisfactory for everyone involved.
"Captain Bright, would you like to stay for a meal?" Murrue glanced at her watch and nodded to Roz before turning back to Bright. "If I remember correctly, today's menu at the mess hall is curry. Perhaps you could eat before leaving the Nahel Argama."
"...In that case, I would be honored to accept." After considering it for a moment, Bright accepted the invitation. Truthfully, while his primary goal for coming aboard the Nahel Argama had been achieved, he was still curious about this mysterious battleship.
"Oh? A free meal? What a stroke of luck." Char, following behind Bright, suddenly quickened his pace. With a smirk playing on his lips, he looked at Roz. "...Then you certainly can't leave me out."
Facing Murrue's questioning gaze, Roz could only sigh and nod. What will be, will be; he would just have to figure out the next steps as they came.
The group made their way to the mess hall, where a line had already formed outside the service window, with crew members waiting for the cooking staff to distribute the food.
At the window stood Mayu Asuka, smiling as she ladled curry filled with potatoes, carrots, and beef onto mounds of rice for the Nahel Argama crew.
"There... I spent a long time on this curry, so make sure you finish every bite!"
"Oh, don't you worry! Even if my bionic stomach lining bursts, I'm finishing this!" Looking at Mayu's smiling face as she served them, the crew members felt as if their cybernetic brains were being massaged. They left the window with blissful smiles; seeing Mayu's smile made even the lingering shadows of Cyberpsychosis feel as though they were vanishing.
"...I didn't expect such a lively atmosphere here," Bright remarked, nodding at the vibrant scene.
In a corner, Graham Aker—still wearing his mask—had finished his lunch and sat with his eyes closed as if in meditation.
Elsewhere, Shinn Asuka was surrounded by Stellar and Luna, caught in a preview of a literal battlefield of the heart. As for Natarle, she had already secured a table and was waving Murrue and the others over.
"One serving of curry, please. Thank you."
At some point, Char had already grabbed a tray and, having already picked out a few other items he liked, arrived at Mayu's curry window.
Last time, Roz had unceremoniously sent Char away with nothing but a few sandwiches and some bottled water, leaving the Red Comet unable to sample the Nahel Argama's mess hall or uncover whatever secrets Roz was trying to hide.
It was a minor regret for Char, and he intended to use this opportunity to see exactly why Roz kept the cafeteria under such wraps.
Mayu felt a bit confused; she hadn't seen Char on the Nahel Argama before, but she still ladled a generous serving of curry onto his tray.
Unlike the mushy, watery texture of Indian curries, Mayu's cooking leaned toward a Japanese style—thick with chunks of potato, carrots, and a massive amount of beef.
As the curry settled into his tray, Mayu offered him a sweet, beaming smile.
"Keep it up!"
She spoke warmly to Char. "I'm not sure which squad on the ship you belong to, but thank you for your hard work in battle."
Mayu's smile, combined with that soul-piercing, inclusive words of encouragement, caused Char to freeze. For a reason he couldn't quite name, as he looked at Mayu, he suddenly experienced a vivid hallucination of another silhouette.
It was a figure he had seen before—a young girl in pale yellow clothing, flying through the psycho-space like a swan.
Fortunately, only Roz and his group remained in the line behind him; otherwise, Char wouldn't have had the luxury of time to linger.
Seeing this scene play out, Roz guessed exactly what was happening. He slapped his free left hand over his face, looking like he couldn't bear to watch.
Meanwhile, Shinn, still caught between Stellar and Luna, happened to spot the man in the red vest chatting with Mayu at the service window. He strained his ears, trying to catch exactly what was being said.
"Ahem... if I recall correctly, your name is Mayu, isn't it?"
Inexplicably, looking at the young girl before him, Char instinctively reached up to straighten his collar.
"That's right! I'm Mayu."
Noticing Char's somewhat awkward and fidgety demeanor, Mayu made a guess. "Are you a new recruit? Life must have been very hard for you before, right?"
"But now that you've joined the Nahel Argama, everyone is a comrade and a family member. Remember to rely on us more, okay?"
Mayu spoke gently, as if trying to dissolve the barrier between Char and the rest of the crew.
"Ah... thank you."
One after another, Mayu's words slammed into Char's heart with the force of a tidal wave.
After a brief moment of reflection, and under the intense scrutiny of Roz, Bright, Murrue, and especially Shinn, Char slowly removed his sunglasses. He looked at Mayu with eyes as clear as sapphires, his expression profoundly serious.
"Ms. Mayu..."
Char leaned forward slightly, extending his right hand toward her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Char Aznable..."
"Your words just now... they were like the winter sun, providing a warmth and comfort that is rare to find."
From Mayu, Char caught a faint, lingering trace of the feeling he once shared with Lalah Sune—that boundless tolerance and encouragement for his emotions.
He felt an unconscious pull to draw closer. However, he caught himself; he had to maintain his composure for now.
"I suspect it is precisely because of your presence on this ship that the atmosphere here is so harmonious."
"Ah, thank you for the compliment!" Mayu, flustered by the sudden praise, took off her glove and shook Char's hand with her left. "But it's because everyone on this ship is family. This atmosphere is something we all create together."
"Is that so... family."
Just as Char was sighing with emotion, Roz—standing right behind him under Bright's utterly baffled gaze—reached out and clamped a hand onto Char's shoulder.
"Char, pull yourself together, you bastard!"
Without another word, Roz physically dragged Char, who was still clutching his plate of curry, away from the service window.
"...Eh?"
Mayu stood frozen, watching Char being hauled away, wondering if the man's psychological state was as fragile as his dramatic exit suggested.
......................