On the other side, Nicol's expression had relaxed considerably compared to when they first started.
After all, that was Fred.
He wondered if Fred's skills had grown during this time.
He really wanted to have a match.
"But why is Flay here too?"
Nicol wasn't a battle maniac; he was just speaking with a hint of concern and curiosity.
"Flay's abilities aren't bad—she's here to help."
"With the Captain around, there's nothing to worry about."
Though Yzak said this, his blade-like brows furrowed slightly along with Nicol's words.
Regarding Flay, rather than seeing her as a rival, they treated her more like a junior apprentice sister.
Worry came naturally.
"Flay?"
Dearka and Lasty were a bit curious but didn't press further at the moment.
Nicol nodded in response.
"I wonder why the Captain kept Athrun inside..."
"I'll wait for him here."
As Nicol spoke, his footsteps came to a halt.
"Who knows what that guy's thinking."
Yzak continued to grumble, but his steps stopped alongside Nicol's nonetheless.
Back in the room, Athrun—the subject of their discussion—turned his gaze toward Flay.
His face showed a look of hesitation, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Alright, this isn't work hours now—relax a bit."
Fred waved his hand, the sternness on his face fading away.
Hearing this, Athrun finally relaxed and asked his first question.
"Flay... why is she here?"
"I'm here to help~"
Flay blinked, her earlier seriousness and focus replaced by a playful, mischievous air.
"Uh..."
"With me here, there's no problem."
Fred nodded, then continued.
"Our next mission—and your first one—should be heading to Heliopolis."
"ORB?"
Athrun was startled upon hearing this.
"Yes, ORB."
Fred quickly explained how they had been secretly assisting the Atlantic Federation in developing MS. Upon hearing this, Athrun's expression quickly turned complicated and angry.
"Claiming to be neutral, and yet they... pull something like this?!"
The young man, who had always upheld the spirit of chivalry, found ORB's actions utterly outrageous.
At the same time, however, he felt something was a bit off.
"Then why did you call me out alone to tell me this?"
This was routine information—there was no need to brief him in advance.
"Exactly."
Fred nodded in acknowledgment and said.
"The reason I kept you here this time is that there's another matter."
"It's about Kira—he's in Heliopolis too."
"This time when we go, I plan to bring him over as well."
"...What?!"
"What?!"
After a brief silence, both Flay and Athrun in the room let out exclamations of shock.
"Br...Brother, are you sure?"
Not just Athrun—even Flay, who had already known their objective, couldn't help but look at Fred.
"Yeah, I happened to come across this information before—there's no mistake."
"He's studying at a technical school, and sometimes he goes to the Dawn Organization for hands-on classes."
Fred nodded, then continued.
"But... what if he gets caught in the crossfire?"
Hearing that Kira was also in Heliopolis, even at the Dawn Organization, Athrun weighed his words carefully, unease spreading across his face. Flay beside him wore the same expression.
"So, this operation cannot afford any mistakes."
Fred nodded.
"Bringing him over would also be a form of protection."
"As for what happens after that, it'll be up to him."
"Yes!"
Athrun's expression at this moment was different from just a moment ago.
It carried far more resolve.
"But... will he come with us?"
On second thought, Athrun felt a bit uneasy.
"I'll go talk to him. Hopefully."
Fred couldn't say for certain, but if Kira didn't intend to leave, he'd just have to improvise and see if he could convince him.
"Alright, I'll do my best too!"
The moment Athrun's words fell, Flay's voice followed right after.
"Me too!"
Time quickly arrived at that evening.
Athrun had returned from the military academy to his home in February City.
"Athrun, how did it go?"
The moment he stepped through the door, the aroma of food arrived together with his mother's words.
As for Patrick, he hadn't come home.
With the war progressing, Patrick's visits home had become increasingly rare.
"It went well—I was assigned to Brother Fred's unit."
Athrun said.
Yet his expression remained grave.
One reason was what Fred had said, and the other was the nature of Fred's current mission.
Such an important mission, and it was being handed to them—a squad of rookies led by a Natural?
Even knowing there were other veterans in the unit, Athrun still felt uneasy.
"Don't worry, Fred has already completed quite a few missions with distinction."
Lenore offered a reassuring smile.
She carried two plates of dishes into the dining room as she spoke.
"But Athrun, do be careful!"
Lenore said seriously.
"Your father and I will both be worried about you."
"Don't try to be a hero on your own. Listen to Fred, understand?"
Even though she knew the abilities of both Athrun and Fred, as a parent, she couldn't help but worry.
"...I will!"
Under his mother's worried gaze, Athrun responded with mixed emotions.
It seemed Fred hadn't mentioned anything about Kira to his mother.
Though he didn't think the other would deceive him and Flay either.
"Kira..."
An image of that long-unseen friend surfaced in Athrun's mind, and his eyes grew more resolute.
If it was true, then inviting him over would be a good thing.
The key was that he couldn't be used by ORB and the Dawn Organization.
After all, that guy was soft-hearted.
But his abilities probably weren't that significant—once they pulled him over, ORB would likely forget about him before long.
Then they could bring his parents over too.
Once the war was over, they could even go out and have fun together.
At that thought, a smile crept back onto Athrun's lips.
...
Meanwhile, in April City, Flay looked at her brother before her with a grave expression.
"Is it true? Kira is over there."
"Yeah."
"What's wrong? Didn't you used to say you wanted to see him all the time?"
"Who said that!?"
"I'm just worried... I mean, Kira doesn't look like he can fight at all!"
Hearing Fred's words, Flay's face flushed red.
"You didn't say it."
Fred found this rather amusing.
He'd been guessing.
Although Flay rarely brought him up, from the occasional remarks she made, she did seem to cherish those brief memories of Copernicus.
Some memories don't fade with time—instead, they grow ever deeper.
That was exactly how it was for Flay at this moment.
"Brother! I'm trying to talk to you about something serious!"
Finally, Flay couldn't help but pout in a coquettish tone.
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