"I will definitely surpass you."
"And... happy birthday."
It would have been better if he had only said the first part.
But looking at Yzak's serious yet sincere expression before him, Fred still responded.
"Mm, I'm always ready."
Of course, he wouldn't be caught up by any of them, and Yzak's transformation plan could already be considered quite successful.
Although he was still focused on fighting, he had also developed his own judgment about many things.
Looking at Yzak, Fred felt a sense of relief in his heart.
Nicol, who was following behind Yzak, also stepped forward.
Nicol's face was flushed, looking somewhat embarrassed, but he continued anyway.
"Happy birthday, big brother~ May all your wishes come true."
Nicol's blessing was probably the most ordinary among the three, yet it still carried the sincerity of a good child.
"Alright, I'll take your kind words."
This little angel, Nicol, had recently become increasingly formidable in combat.
His achievements in fine control were also impressive, even to the point where he could rival Yzak and Athrun.
And toward Fred, he held the same feelings as toward an older brother.
As for Fred's feelings toward them, they were all the same.
To him, aside from being characters in the story, they were also his younger brothers.
Even though these younger brothers weren't related by blood.
In the process of teaching them, he had also come to understand them and listened to their troubles.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the person who understood them best aside from their own families.
And mutual understanding naturally represented the depth of their bond.
Looking at the young boys before him, who were gradually growing up and were already ten or eleven years old, Fred's lips slowly curved into a faint smile.
"Thank you."
"It's what we should do~"
"Big brother, do you have any wishes?"
Athrun asked curiously right after.
"Wishes..."
Fred paused under everyone's gaze.
"For everyone to be safe and healthy, and for world peace."
Upon hearing Fred's words, his parents and Flay weren't surprised, as Fred's goals had always been clear.
Although world peace seemed quite distant given the current situation.
But the boy's words carried a charm that made it hard not to believe him.
It made people unable to help but imagine the future he spoke of.
However, after Fred finished speaking, Athrun and the others were somewhat taken aback.
It wasn't because of Fred's goal, but because of the people included in his words.
"Does that include us too?"
Athrun asked somewhat uncertainly.
After all, Fred had said "everyone," not just himself and his family.
"Mm, of course it includes you."
"Who told you that you're my younger brothers?"
Fred patted each of their heads one by one.
This was also his responsibility.
After all, he was the one guiding them onto their future paths.
As an elder and a teacher, he didn't want anything bad to happen to them either.
Upon hearing Fred's words, Athrun was excited, Nicol was shy.
Even the most tsundere Yzak didn't refute it this time, only turning his head away as if embarrassed.
For a moment, the room grew even more warm and cozy.
"Time for cake."
Seeing how well everyone was getting along, Flay pouted slightly with a hint of envy, softly complaining.
"I made it with Mom!"
"Alright."
Hearing this, Fred looked at his adorable younger sister, then at his family and younger brother, and smiled gently.
There were many things he wanted to do.
He wanted peace, he wanted his family to be safe, he wanted to retire early.
Along this journey, he never stopped moving forward, and of course, there were times of exhaustion. But looking at everyone before him, he could feel the meaning behind his efforts.
For his cute younger sister, and for his dear family.
Just a little more effort.
...
Just as Fred had taken a brief rest for a few hours, and after the children had all eaten their fill and gone home one after another,
the young man had just bid farewell to his parents and returned to his study when the communicator beside him rang.
"Happy birthday, Fred~"
A simple message, but this time Fred had the name saved from a previous note.
Moreover, even through the screen, even if it was just text, he could still imagine the girl's tone.
Thinking this, Fred glanced at the Haro he had placed on the table. Sensing Fred's gaze, the Haro tilted its round body cutely.
As if asking him what he wanted.
...Had he also cuckolded Lacus?
"Thank you."
Thinking to himself, Fred also replied to Lacus.
"There's a gift."
After sending this message, Lacus didn't keep Fred waiting long. The next message quickly followed.
"The person has been found. It should be the one you mentioned, right?"
After Lacus finished speaking, Fred's terminal received a series of messages.
However, there were no detailed specifics—only appearance, name, and when they had arrived, and so on.
It was likely they had indeed found the information but weren't comfortable sharing everything with him.
This wasn't surprising.
His relationship with the Clyne Faction was just like that. Although they interacted frequently, they couldn't truly confide in him completely.
"It's him."
Fred replied.
"That's good."
Lacus didn't ask how Fred had gone from hearsay to certainty. She quickly followed up with a reply.
"Is this person named Rau Le Creuset really that terrifying?"
"Yes! Absolutely! Absolutely! Absolutely! Do not approach him recklessly."
Fred's reply was unusually serious.
He was genuinely afraid that some foolish ally would directly confront Creuset, alerting him and allowing him to slip away.
Otherwise, that would be a huge problem in the future.
At the very least, he didn't want to face off against this big boss piloting the Providence in the future.
Creuset's MS skills were among the top tier, second only to Kira at his peak.
Not to mention, he was also the one who killed his sister.
Fortunately, this time Lacus had contacted him alone. If he guessed correctly, Lacus might have kept this contact a secret from Siegel.
After all, Lacus was only nine years old. Although she was exposed to more things than Yzak and the others, and it was clear that Siegel trusted and valued his daughter highly,
when it came to the matter of Creuset, it should have been Siegel who sent someone to contact him.
Even if Lacus were to notify him, the proper procedure would be to first arrange a meeting place and then have Siegel's representatives step in for the discussion.
Yet Lacus did not request a meeting.
So perhaps Siegel
was unaware of this matter?
Of course, he never expected Siegel to immediately help him eliminate Creuset, but Lacus's contact still left him somewhat surprised.
"I understand."
Looking at the message that had been repeated several times before her, Lacus felt her heart tighten.
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