"Yes."
Fred nodded.
If his combat abilities were to continue improving, he needed sustained high-pressure training.
His body had become more robust now, capable of withstanding more attacks.
Besides studying, sparring with others would be a good option.
Moreover, he had just witnessed the battle between the three individuals.
In terms of MA piloting skills, those three were considerably stronger than him.
As for Andrew, his abilities were too advanced; Fred still needed others as reference points.
It couldn't be that every elite here was as strong as a tiger, could it?
Someone like Alec, with moderate strength and only appearing in side stories, was perfectly suited as a core elite.
"Sure, but let me contact you after the voyage stabilizes?"
After a moment's thought, Alec didn't refuse.
After all, Fred was worth it.
Moreover, he was very curious about Fred's capabilities.
Having already surpassed his peers in scientific research, just how strong was he in combat?
At this thought, Alec's heart grew fervent.
"Alright!"
Both shared the same mindset, their gazes burning as they looked at each other.
"Brother~!"
Flay's sweet call suddenly interrupted them.
...
During the brief moment Fred was speaking with his family, on the other end, Andrew's message along with the engine circuit system modified by Fred was transmitted to Patrick's personal terminal. Patrick had also left Copernicus early.
"Patrick, what's wrong?"
Having just finished a meeting, Siegel noticed Patrick's shocked expression as he looked at his terminal and asked curiously.
"Some issues came up with Andrew, but it's nothing serious."
"However, we need to cover our tracks properly."
Patrick spoke vaguely as he closed the terminal screen.
It was better not to let Siegel know about this too soon.
Yet, despite his good intentions, he overlooked Siegel's sharp perception.
"Did Fred do something again?"
As Siegel's words fell, Patrick halted his steps. Siegel turned around, and the two stood in silence.
"...He improved the P02 Prototype Engine."
Patrick uttered these astonishing words in a calm tone.
Considering the engine was jointly researched by both their teams, if he didn't speak now, the other would likely find out eventually.
So, after a brief standoff, Patrick revealed the truth.
"What?!"
Sure enough, Siegel's face was filled with shock upon hearing the news.
Patrick then briefly recounted the events from the message.
"You're saying he improved the engine under those circumstances and even designed the destruction of a Great Blue Universe Disguised Battleship in the process?"
After processing the information Patrick provided, Clyne snapped back to reality, his tone growing urgent.
"Pretty much."
Patrick shrugged.
"He just improved it like that?"
Siegel asked again.
His eyes, usually gentle behind his glasses, were now wide with disbelief, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"We really didn't discover this issue during our experiments."
"If we had found it earlier, it wouldn't have been too difficult for us to handle."
Patrick shrugged and added.
Both were Coordinators, and moreover, highly advanced ones in their prime. Besides being politicians, they were also highly skilled researchers in their own right.
Clyne certainly knew Patrick wasn't lying.
If they traced the problem backward, it could indeed be resolved.
But...
"You can handle it, I can handle it, Shiva can handle it—but how can Fred handle it too?"
"And while under attack at that."
Siegel retorted speechlessly.
His question struck at the core of the matter.
How could their decades of experience and knowledge as advanced Coordinators be on par with a thirteen-year-old Natural boy?
Just putting them in the same comparison was absurd to begin with.
Without waiting for Patrick's response, Siegel lowered his voice after his moment of shock and said, "Should we bring him into our research?"
As for what research, it went without saying.
"Hmm..."
Patrick pondered for a moment upon hearing this, gazing out the window at the passing cars and pedestrians, before finally shaking his head.
"I think we need to observe him further."
"If our food research is discovered, we can still play it off as long as it's not made public. But with weapons..."
"Right."
Siegel looked at his friend and didn't argue.
Such a powerful Natural—normally, he would worry that Patrick might pose a threat to Fred.
But that didn't seem to be the case.
Was it because Fred had grown close to his wife and child?
Though he himself was in a similar position.
He had also listened to Fred's recent speech and recalled the fiery determination in the boy's eyes when he spoke about making choices.
At that moment, a flicker of hope ignited in Siegel's anxious heart.
Perhaps there was a possibility for both sides to choose.
Peace might be achievable through a balance of power.
Of course, for now, they still needed more leverage and strength.
Only then could they find a balance point between PLANT and the Atlantic Federation.
Currently, the radicals within PLANT weren't too numerous; his colleague here was more of a hardliner, if anything.
At least most of them sought independence through relatively peaceful means.
Not out of any particular nobility.
But with tens of millions against tens of billions, plus the powerful industrial capabilities of the three Council Nations, anyone with sense knew what would happen.
And with declining birth rates, the Coordinator population was continuously shrinking.
Even with MS, no one believed they could win—especially when the other side possessed Strategic-class weapons.
Unless the situation spiraled completely out of control, power was merely a tool for balance, an extension of politics.
"You should hurry up on your end too. Relying solely on the mentor's mediation is still too weak in terms of influence."
Patrick urged.
"I'm working on it."
Bribing those politicians, persuading the moderate factions on Earth and the wavering nations—even East Asia—would take time, not to mention the potential impact on Earth's economy if PLANT's trade restrictions were lifted.
Even if they achieved independence, it certainly couldn't happen overnight.
Of course, Siegel had no intention of sharing these details.
The people he was bribing were his own contacts.
Friends were friends, but their factions differed, so naturally, they couldn't share everything freely.
"Hmph."
Seeing Siegel's unwillingness to elaborate, Patrick quickened his pace.
He couldn't be bothered to argue with this man. Julius's territory had been demarcated, but there was still plenty of preparatory work to be done.
Moreover, the modifications for the new Engine needed to be followed up on.
All their ships currently equipped with that Engine model required repairs.
Yet another urgent matter.