"...Alright."
Upon hearing this, Lacus quickly understood.
Her mentor had been busy traveling outside, but now he had time to visit.
Her mentor was sharp in judging people—even more so than she was. Initially, the idea was to let him see what kind of person Fred was, so they could feel at ease.
But now, that wasn't really necessary anymore.
After all, she didn't believe Fred was a bad person.
However, looking at her father, Lacus didn't say anything.
It was just a casual visit anyway. It would be good for Fred to meet her mentor, and for everyone to discuss their future plans together.
With a mix of complicated and expectant thoughts, Lacus quickly nodded in agreement.
The rest would follow naturally. Without overthinking it, Lacus first sent a message to Fred's Terminal after bidding farewell to her father and heading toward Flay's room.
As Lacus's message was sent, on the other end, Fred—who had just finished arranging tomorrow's specific schedule for Albert Heinlein and the others—saw Lacus's message.
"I'd like to bring Flay to watch your test. Is that okay?"
The message was short, as concise as ever.
"Letting Flay observe..."
Fred murmured as he looked at the Terminal in front of him.
But it was indeed about time. His sister was growing smarter, and keeping things from her was becoming impossible.
It was better for her to know sooner rather than later.
After all, he couldn't keep it a secret forever, nor had he ever intended to.
It was just that such confidential matters weren't something he could casually bring up with his sister.
Now that they had agreed to let Lacus bring Flay along, it showed they trusted him even more.
Given that, Fred saw no reason to refuse.
He just wondered how Flay would react.
Learning that her brother was still researching weapons.
But she probably wouldn't mind.
Thinking about how that clingy little girl was gradually growing up, Fred felt the weight of his responsibilities grow even heavier.
He had to build the MS quickly and improve his proficiency just as fast.
Eliminating all those fools who wanted to destroy the world and retiring as soon as possible was the right path.
After reaffirming his goals in his heart, Fred quickly replied to Lacus's message.
...
"So that's how it is. Tomorrow, I'll take you to see your brother~"
In Flay's room, Lacus held the girl's hands and explained affectionately.
"A secret experiment? For the MS..."
Flay, who had also grown taller and more mature, wore a complicated expression after hearing Lacus's words.
She had known her brother was researching agriculture, but recently, it was clear he wasn't focused on that.
That was why she had been curious, but she never expected it to be weapons.
"Yes, but power is also an essential part of balancing the world and maintaining peace."
Without power, the strong would oppress the weak, and the weak would fight back desperately, inevitably leading to war.
So the balance of power was crucial. That was likely what Fred had in mind.
But things have two sides. If Fred had stayed in the Atlantic Federation, continuing to research weapons and directly eliminating the weak, that might also have led to a world of destruction or a tragic peace.
Yet he came here, choosing to help the weak gain strength.
In this regard, Lacus admired him.
But this balance was too precarious. To ensure Fred's efforts weren't in vain, their Clyne Faction also needed to rise up.
Otherwise, with the success of this weapon research, the Radical Faction within the country might regain momentum.
"Your brother is a noble person. He researches weapons not for war, but to protect you all and for peace."
Lacus spoke a bit more than usual, but she truly didn't want to see Flay misunderstand her brother.
"Pfft."
After hearing Lacus's words, Flay, who had been feeling conflicted, couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"Does Lacus really think my brother is that amazing?"
"Huh?"
Lacus caught the teasing tone in Flay's question and gave her a playful glare.
"I'm just telling the truth. But doesn't Flay feel the same way?"
Lacus subtly shifted the topic.
"Well... because my brother would do anything for us..."
Thinking back to the time in Copernicus, Flay's eyes grew even more determined.
"That's why I want to help him."
"Yes."
Lacus sighed in response.
He truly was that kind of person, and his family understood him well.
This made Lacus think of how her father had kept things from her at times.
Unconsciously, a sense of envy surfaced.
Or perhaps she had always been envious, which was why she visited every month, clinging to the genuine warmth there.
Even though she knew it didn't belong to her.
As Lacus's thoughts drifted away, Flay quietly asked again.
"Is it a very confidential experiment? Would it be inappropriate for me to know..."
These matters probably weren't even known to Athrun and the others.
For Lacus to tell her now seemed somewhat improper.
Although she didn't mind her brother researching weapons, she didn't want to put Lacus in a difficult position.
After all, she was her best friend.
Just as she had only touched on the topic lightly whenever she asked Lacus about it before.
"It's fine. Your brother agreed, and my father agreed too."
Lacus patted her chest, masking her inner turmoil while her expression remained lively.
"And would Flay tell anyone?"
"Of course not!"
Hearing Lacus's question, Flay quickly shook her head.
"Then that settles it~"
Looking at the adorable girl, Lacus smiled even more gently.
Her tone carried a warmth reserved only for close friends.
"Thank you!"
Flay's face flushed red—not out of shyness, but excitement and curiosity.
Her worries also faded somewhat under Lacus's reassurance.
"What are you thanking me for?"
Lacus tightened her grip on Flay's hand.
"We're good friends, right~"
"Yes!"
Flay nodded happily.
"Then let's go to class~ It's vocal lessons today."
As she spoke, Lacus took Flay's hand and led her toward the courtyard.
...
Time quickly passed, and the next day arrived.
For ordinary PLANT residents, this day was just another regular workday—people went to their jobs as usual, students attended their classes as usual.
But for ZAFT researchers, it was one of the most significant days in over a decade.
If they succeeded, they would truly possess a certain measure of power.
Of course, this success wasn't just about the experiment itself—it also meant that, as an MS, it could tactically counter the cannons of enemy battleships.
And today marked the very first step toward all of that.
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