All battles were about to commence.
Of course, before this prologue, there was one final farewell dinner to be held.
As with previous farewell dinners, this one was also hosted at Fred's home.
What was different this time was that not only did Athrun and the others attend, but their parents also came along.
This made the room even livelier.
"You said Athrun's father is coming too? Are you sure?"
Early in the morning, George grabbed Fred, looking horrified.
"Uh... yes?"
Fred nodded.
"That's the Chairman of National Defense!?"
"Yes, but he's also just Athrun's father."
"Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Hearing Fred say this, Heather rolled her eyes from the side.
"Of course he'll be fine. I'm worried about you."
"Is it really safe to go to the Defense Committee?"
As she spoke, complex thoughts surged in Heather's heart.
If possible, she certainly didn't want her son to take risks.
But Fred had goals, and his performance had consistently exceeded her expectations, as had his growth.
He was still just a teenager, yet already so mature.
She didn't know how to keep Fred from leaving.
Perhaps deep down, she understood that even if she said something, Fred wouldn't listen.
"...It's safe."
Facing the warm gazes of Heather and his family.
The living room, scattered with sunlight, seemed to grow warmer and brighter.
"You can trust me to handle things."
Fred quickly suppressed the lingering emotions in his heart, speaking earnestly.
He only had two things to accomplish.
"Hmm..."
Heather fell silent, but her bright eyes remained fixed on Fred.
As if trying to see through the young man's smile.
After a moment of silence, Heather slowly raised her hand.
Sunlight shone brightly on her face, which rarely showed a hint of worry.
Soon, it transformed into the same radiant smile as always.
Her hand rested on Fred's head—already taller than hers—and ruffled his hair.
The unrestrained gesture messed up the young man's hairstyle.
"Home will always be your support."
Heather's voice carried warmth and depth, reaching straight into the young man's heart.
"Now, let's start preparing to welcome our guests~"
"You're cooking today."
As she spoke, Heather headed toward the fully stocked kitchen.
"Alright."
Looking at his living, breathing family before him, Fred silently clenched his fist.
He, too, had things he must protect.
...
Time quickly passed from morning to afternoon.
It was the start of their small gathering.
Joule and the others arrived as promised.
Having met many times before, there was no awkwardness when they reunited.
On the contrary, they had all reviewed the intelligence and were quite familiar with what Fred and the others had been doing recently.
They didn't have to wait long before Patrick arrived at his doorstep with his wife and child.
"Uncle Patrick, I didn't expect you to actually come in person."
Fred stepped forward to greet the influential figure.
Although the other party had mentioned coming, it still felt somewhat strange for him to visit their home.
"Hmm."
Patrick responded with his usual stern tone.
"I'm here to pick them up this time, so I just dropped by. Don't make too much of it."
For Patrick, saying something like this could be considered quite mild.
Heather and the others behind Fred were inwardly astonished to hear Fred address the military Committee Chairman of the Radical Faction as "uncle."
This was the leader of the Radical Faction, known for his disdain toward Naturals.
And Fred was calling him "uncle"?
Though surprised, Lenore and George, having weathered their share of storms, greeted him with neither arrogance nor humility.
"Mr. Zala, Lenore, welcome."
"No need to be so formal. Park came this time to celebrate the success, all thanks to Fred."
Lenore, who had long been close friends with Heather and even become her confidante, now acted as a bridge between the two sides, her smile warm and affectionate.
As Lenore said, Patrick's visit this time also carried the meaning of a celebration—though not in the broad sense, of course.
After all, the formal banquet had already been held.
It was just that not inviting Fred, the masked man, had left a lingering sense of guilt.
So, he decided to come in person.
On one hand, it was to pick up his son; on the other, since Fred had entered the Defense Committee, it was also to reassure Fred's parents and Fred himself.
"Haha, is it really that exaggerated?"
Heather laughed twice, but her smile soon faded.
After all, she knew Lenore well.
Judging by the other's expression... it really didn't seem exaggerated at all.
Heather was still unaware of Fred's research and his role in ZAFT.
So, hearing the implications in Lenore's words only deepened her surprise.
Her gaze couldn't help but drift toward Fred, who was chatting with Patrick and Athrun.
Although she knew Fred was set to join the Defense Committee in the future, Patrick didn't seem to treat him like a subordinate but rather like a junior.
This put her somewhat at ease.
Of course, before she could ask Lenore anything further, their doorbell rang again.
"Who—"
Heather didn't even finish her sentence as she walked to the door and checked the monitor, already speechless.
Could someone tell her if the PLANT Chairman outside was real?
She had only heard that Patrick was coming, not that Siegel would also visit.
Although Lacus was indeed his daughter, the Chairman himself coming to their home as a guest?
It was no different from the Atlantic Federation President coming over for dinner.
And while the President was currently sidelined, the PLANT Chairman certainly wasn't.
In short, Heather was stunned, but she still opened the door.
"Chairman, your presence truly brings honor to our humble home."
Heather's smile was polite.
"Aunt Heather, you don't need to be so formal~"
Lacus, standing behind Siegel, covered her mouth with a light laugh.
"Indeed, no need for titles. We're just here for a casual meal."
Calling it "casual" was truly a bit of an understatement.
After all, Lacus wasn't living here permanently.
Siegel didn't have to pick up any children.
However, Heather naturally couldn't point this out and simply smiled as she invited the two inside.
"Thank you for taking care of Lacus recently."
Siegel spoke very gently, watching this lively family in the entryway with some mixed feelings.
He knew Lacus was familiar with them—she had even brought them over before.
But he didn't know what Lacus thought of Fred.
His visit this time was partly due to this consideration, but also simply because he wanted to get to know Fred better.
Information on paper always remained just that—on paper.
So, as he looked at Heather and the others now, a rare curiosity welled up inside him.
Facing Siegel's intense gaze, Heather's smile brightened even more, yet a deeper sense of worry arose in her heart.
Although she didn't know why he had come too, it certainly proved that Fred was being heavily relied upon.
But such reliance was both a good thing and a bad thing.
An opportunity, but also a danger.
If possible, Heather didn't want such an opportunity at all.
Fred wouldn't actively seek such a conspicuous opportunity either.
So, was this part of the plan?
Heather's feelings were complicated, but she kept her smile as she led everyone into the living room.
The living room had now become a place for the adults to chat.
Perhaps sensing that the children would feel constrained around the adults, under Siegel's suggestion, Fred took Athrun and the others out to the garden.
The scent of flowers and plants, mixed with just the right amount of damp earth, filled their nostrils, giving a rather rustic feeling, like camping.
However, despite the beautiful scenery and pleasant smells, the atmosphere among them was not lively.
"Brother, won't we be able to attend classes together anymore?"
Nicol was the first to break the silence, asking with reluctance.
"Yes."
"You've all grown up."
Fred looked at the three before him, who had grown in height, personality, and ability, his eyes also filled with nostalgia.
What he could teach them was almost done.
They had mastered all the skills, and his guidance on how to conduct themselves, as well as his efforts to correct the personalities of Yzak and the others, had been perfectly accomplished.
It was indeed about time for them to graduate.
There was no longer any reason for him to stay here.
"Will you stay here in the future, brother?"
Athrun asked reluctantly.
"No, probably not."
Fred said this but didn't mention where he would go.
Hearing this, the three exchanged glances.
They all had the same guess in their hearts.
They weren't unfamiliar with Fred.
Given their teacher and brother's abilities, he was most likely either going to do secret research or become the commander of covert operations.
After all, when it came to classified matters involving Fred, there were only two possibilities.
Thinking of this, their thoughts diverged.
For a moment, silence fell.
Lacus blinked as she watched this scene.
She didn't know what choices those three would make.
Or perhaps, she knew what choice Yzak would make and could guess Nicol's to some extent, but she was unclear about Athrun.
What were the thoughts of this boy who had a father as the leader of the Radical Faction yet inherited his mother's gentleness?
His mindset was too hesitant.
But someone always needs to bear the future.
She couldn't do it alone, so she had to pull Fred in, and Fred would bring them along.
Given their parents' positions, from the Atlantic Federation's perspective, they would be seen as descendants of rebels and traitors.
If PLANT were gone, they certainly wouldn't fare well either.
Not to mention, their personalities were all upright.
In that case, the only path was to take the initiative.
However, she couldn't voice this openly. Their parents understood such matters better than she did.
And as Lacus muttered to herself, the scene shifted back to the group.
At this moment, Yzak also took a step forward toward Fred.
"Fred! I plan to enlist in the military!"
Hearing Yzak's voluntary offer, the other two fell silent.
In Yzak's view, Fred was either involved in research or heading to the military.
He wasn't cut out for research; on the contrary, he had always wanted to enlist.
So what to do was obvious.
He would graduate as an Elite and join the military, then enter Fred's unit!
After all, he believed the chances were quite high.
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Fred's face.
Although he had roughly guessed Yzak would say this, hearing his reply still filled him with emotion.
He hadn't doted on him for nothing.
As for Athrun and Nicol, they exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.
"What about the two of you? What do you want to do in the future?"
Faced with Fred's question, the two were taken aback once more.
What did they want to do?
If it were peaceful times, Nicol would likely pursue music, while Athrun would engage in research or something similar.
But now, with war seemingly on the horizon, their futures felt abruptly interrupted.
What should they do?
Neither of them had a clear answer at the moment.
No, Athrun actually knew.
He recalled his experiences in Copernicus, where his brother had protected their family.
He, too, wanted such power to protect his loved ones.
That was why he had worked so hard and why he had come to follow Fred.
But his mother would probably never allow him to go.
And how could he protect his family? Would enlisting in the military suffice?
He couldn't figure this out.
Lost in confusion, Athrun gazed at the distant red sun, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Well, even if you don't know what to do, you can't slack off on training."
Fred casually brushed aside Athrun's inner turmoil.
He didn't interfere with their reflections on the future.
He wasn't one for brainwashing tactics.
It all depended on their own resolve.
Watching the two struggle, Yzak snorted coldly from the side.
Though his expression remained aloof, he surprisingly refrained from saying anything.
After all, he understood what enlisting meant.
Forcing them onto the battlefield to kill?
Though proud, Yzak considered them friends and couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.
At the very least, his brother wouldn't want to see him act that way.
The battlefield was no game.
And Fred, observing the scene before him, also remained silent.
He truly didn't want to force the matter.
After all, forced affection never yields sweetness.
He casually brushed past the topic.
Meanwhile, the adults were engaged in lively conversation.
Joule also approached Patrick, whispering some confidential words.
"Yzak is highly likely to enlist in the military," Joule said.
"What about yours?"
In response to Joule's question, Patrick remained silent.
Though his tense face revealed no emotion, Joule, who understood Patrick well, recognized his inner conflict.
In truth, if Yzak hadn't insisted on enlisting himself, and if he hadn't shed some of his recklessness after being mentored by Fred, she wouldn't have wanted Yzak to join the military either.
After all, they were all her own children.
Who would willingly let them endure hardship?
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "TLGod" on Patreon!"
Thanks!