Chapter 211: An Unexpected Gain (Refers to a Person)
"Tch, typical Titans."
Char cursed himself for stubbornly sticking to his red pilot suit—it made him far too easy to spot.
Unlike the days of the One Year War, the Federation forces, long accustomed to peace, had grown complacent. But this time, his infiltration had triggered a sensor almost immediately, alerting the Titans to his presence.
He had already tampered with the surveillance systems in advance to ensure no footage of him remained. Even so, the Titans' infantry had been swiftly mobilized and were closing in on him.
Given the current situation, returning to space via the outer hull of the colony was no longer an option. His only choice now was to head deeper into the colony and search for a way out from within.
That was easier said than done, especially since Char had ventured straight into the port district to gather intel.
He had successfully captured footage of the newly constructed ships and mapped out the layout of the military base, but now found himself asking—how the hell was he supposed to escape this cursed place?
The mobilized Titans forces posed a considerable threat. Operating under the alias Quattro, Char had already been nearly caught multiple times.
Staying out in the open like this was far too dangerous. It would be wiser to find a building to hide in for now.
With that in mind, Quattro quickly slipped through the side entrance of a nearby structure.
He first ducked into a corner, cautiously removed his pilot suit, and stuffed it into an empty cabinet.
Then he tucked his pistol into his waistband and pulled a white lab coat from the cabinet, slipping it over his clothes in an attempt to blend in and move naturally through the building.
Judging from the precision instruments he'd glimpsed in several rooms as he passed by, this building seemed to be a research facility.
As such, Quattro found it relatively easy to avoid the researchers and even had enough presence of mind to begin plotting his next move.
Unfortunately, he had no idea what positions these researchers held. Otherwise, he might have been able to identify someone of importance within the Titans—someone he could at least use as a hostage to buy some time.
"Mother, how can you just stand by and let Father do this?!"
Just then, a voice—filled with indignation—drifted from the stairwell.
"If Father has a mistress, then you should just divorce him! Let that irresponsible man go live with his precious Marguerite!"
"Kamille!"
Smack!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the stairwell, making Quattro flinch instinctively.
"This is a matter between adults. I still have to adjust the metallurgical formula—the Gundam's armor isn't... Anyway, Kamille, go home for now. Just pretend none of this ever happened."
The woman's voice faded quickly after that, followed by the clack of high heels that slowly disappeared down the stairwell.
The boy was probably still standing there.
From the sound of it, he had just learned of his father's affair, while his mother—for some reason—refused to divorce the man.
Judging by the tone of the boy's voice, he was likely at that age where people sought "justice" above all else. Something goes wrong, you fix it. Father cheats, you leave with your mother.
A very naïve worldview.
Not a bad one, though.
Quattro had no interest in getting involved in messy family drama, nor did he care to explore the emotional turmoil of some random teenager.
However, one particular word from the woman's dialogue made him pause and decide to wait nearby to see what might unfold.
"GUNDAM."
He had to admit, it was almost as if he were cursed to be constantly entangled with that word.
Quattro stayed near the stairwell, choosing not to step forward and interrogate the boy directly.
Footsteps approached again—the boy must have moved.
Strangely enough, the boy was heading toward Quattro's floor.
"Hm?"
Leaning casually against the corner of the stairwell, Quattro looked over just as the boy rounded the bend—and immediately noticed him, letting out a confused and slightly irritated sound.
Quattro turned to get a better look at the teen in front of him—boy?
A youthful, round face still tinged with childish innocence, framed by a hairstyle that left a soft, gentle impression.
His eyes were red from crying, and one cheek was slightly swollen from the slap.
At a glance, Quattro had almost mistaken him for a girl.
But that voice earlier—filled with rage and emotion—had left no doubt in Quattro's mind that the kid was a boy.
"You—you shameless eavesdropper! How dare you stand there listening!"
The boy—Kamille, from the earlier argument—gritted his teeth and actually tried to punch Quattro in the face.
Quattro effortlessly caught the boy's fist, though he was mildly surprised by the force behind it.
"Sorry. I was just passing by and stopped here to rest. I didn't mean to overhear your conversation."
"Liar! You're clearly not one of the staff here!"
Quattro was taken aback—the boy had seen through his disguise instantly.
Sure, he hadn't put much effort into blending in, but being exposed so easily still irritated him a little.
"You say that, and yet you're not afraid I'll just kill you right here and now?"
"So what?! You heard it all, didn't you? I'm just a kid abandoned by both my parents. If I died here, no one would even care!"
Quattro's brow furrowed.
He wasn't particularly concerned about the boy's self-destructive attitude, nor did he plan to get involved.
But the kid's voice was far too loud. At this rate, he'd definitely blow Char's cover.
And in moments like these, Char Aznable could be frighteningly cold.
Smack!
Another slap—this time from Quattro—landed squarely on the boy's other cheek.
Abandoned by his parents, huh…? Well, his circumstances might be different, but Quattro had lost both his mother and father even earlier than this kid.
And yet here he was, still surviving.
So why did this boy seem so ready to throw his life away over something like this?
Feeling the lingering sting in his palm, Quattro frowned.
Why had he acted on impulse just now?
Quattro studied the boy in front of him, mentally preparing himself to take further action if the kid started screaming again.
But instead, Kamille, stunned by the slap, slowly turned his head back and looked up at the man in front of him.
He didn't shout.
Faced with those eyes, Char's heart inexplicably wavered for a moment—but he quickly pulled himself back together.
"If you're unhappy with your mother's decision, then think about it carefully. Why would she choose to endure what is perhaps the greatest humiliation a woman can suffer and stay with your father?"
Forcing himself to return to mission mode, Quattro gave the boy one final piece of advice. Seeing that Kamille remained silent, he turned to leave.
"Someone's already noticed you. If you walk out like this, you'll be caught."
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