"How will you prove it, Brother Fred?"
"Prove it?"
Hearing Lacus say this, Fred's earlier suspicions were confirmed.
As for how to prove Creuset's situation, he had already given it some thought.
Identifying a clone was simple—just take them for a medical examination.
This wasn't the future timeline; Creuset held no power or influence.
As long as they didn't alert him, capturing him directly shouldn't be a problem.
No matter how careful he was, Creuset was still on Coordinator territory.
With only Durandal and an informant to help him, isolated and without support, capturing him alive shouldn't be too difficult with a proper plan.
After all, this time, Fred was in the shadows, while Creuset was the one exposed.
But proving that Creuset harbored ill intentions toward the world was more troublesome.
Moreover, Fred wasn't satisfied with just capturing him alive—he wanted Creuset dead, to avoid any complications down the line.
"We can lure him out with news of an impending biochemical weapon attack on Mendel."
"By spreading this news and muddying the waters, what lies buried beneath the soil will naturally be exposed," Fred said.
If there was one thing Creuset hated most, it was undoubtedly this world.
But if there was one place in this world he hated the most, it was likely Mendel.
It was also the place where Creuset's CGUE was shot down by the Freedom, nearly costing him his life.
Of course, part of this was due to the performance gap between the Mobile Suits.
But there was no doubt that Creuset held a deep grudge against Mendel.
Based on Fred's memories of Mendel from his past life, a biochemical incident—or rather, an attack by Blue Cosmos using biochemical weapons—would occur in 68, two years from now.
That would be the perfect stage to lure Creuset out, and perhaps even find Bella and the children along the way.
Moreover, this news was absolutely true. With proper planning, it could minimize Creuset's suspicions.
On the other side, Lacus was stunned as she read the message.
A biochemical weapon attack on Mendel?
How did she not know about this?
But Fred was probably just using this as an excuse to lure out that young man named Creuset.
Come to think of it, that young man also wore a mask. She wondered if there was any direct connection between the two.
Thinking about this, Lacus felt that the mysteries surrounding Fred had only deepened rather than diminished.
"Will Mendel really be attacked?"
After a moment of contemplation, Lacus replied.
"If I said it was true, what would you think, Lacus?"
"..."
Since this was a text conversation, Lacus couldn't see Fred's expression or hear his tone, making it impossible to discern his emotions as he said this.
With this in mind, Lacus didn't reply immediately. Instead, she glanced around her room.
She was in her own room.
Her father certainly wouldn't be monitoring her, and there was no one here to eavesdrop.
Should she call him?
It wasn't her first time calling someone, but for some reason, the thought of calling Fred made her feel strangely uneasy.
However, it was only for a moment, as if it were an illusion, and soon Lacus tapped her finger on the communication device.
On the other end of the line, Fred quickly answered.
"Miss Lacus."
"Just call me Lacus."
Hearing the familiar tone from the other side, Lacus said this before continuing.
"I don't know much about Mendel, but their research on genetics is even more advanced than here in February City."
At just nine years old, Lacus spoke clearly and crisply.
"That place is our hope for saving the birth rate."
"But it's also a thorn in the side of Blue Cosmos."
Lacus explained simply.
That place, controlled by the genetic modification company, would certainly disrupt the balance between Naturals and Coordinators.
But relatively speaking, the research there is also the future of Coordinators.
It's essentially a high-level troop production point for the Coordinator side.
Blue Cosmos is bound to be wary, or rather, both the Atlantic Federation and the Eurasian Federation are wary.
Wary of the power that could emerge from there.
"Yes."
Fred nodded on the other end of the line.
"So the attack is only a matter of time. Mixing truth and falsehood makes for the best trap."
Listening to Fred's words, Lacus couldn't tell whether Fred truly knew in advance that the attack would happen or if he was just setting a trap as he claimed.
After all, if she could really discern such subtle details, it would be like mind-reading.
Although she seemed to have some special abilities, she wasn't at the level of knowing every thought of the person on the other end.
It was more like questions with only "yes" or "no" as answers.
It was impossible to cover every detail.
Finally, after a moment of silence, Lacus gave up trying to find the answer to this question.
"Brother Fred, our goals are aligned, aren't they?"
Lacus asked one final question.
At the same time, she focused her mind intently.
This time, she was determined to discern the meaning behind his words.
"No."
Before a surprised Lacus could press further, Fred continued on his own.
"If your goal is to economically colonize Earth, we are not on the same path."
"But if Lacus's goal is world peace and maintaining a balance among all forces, then our goals are the same."
The first statement was true, the second was true, and the third was also true.
At least in her perception, Fred wasn't lying.
And she trusted her intuition deeply.
"I understand."
Lacus responded solemnly.
The reason Fred spoke truthfully might be because he wanted to rely on her strength.
After all, his goal differed slightly from Patrick's.
Perhaps, in Fred's view, their cooperation was only temporary.
As for Uncle Patrick's thoughts, it might be the same.
In that case, cooperating with Fred was the best choice for them.
At least until the goal of world peace was achieved, their objectives were aligned.
And once world peace was achieved, she wouldn't need to worry about what he did in a peaceful world.
Trust is the hardest thing.
The more at stake, the harder it becomes.
In a situation where a single betrayal could mean losing everything, trust is even more precious.
Few can unreservedly trust someone who could kill them at any moment.
But only the highest level of mutual trust can maximize efficiency; otherwise, suspicion will only slow each other down.
"Can I really trust you?"
Lacus didn't say anything like "brother," nor was there any trace of the gentle, half-smiling tone from before.
Compared to the girl in Fred's memory, compared to ordinary nine-year-old girls, she was far more solemn.
"You can."
Fred likely understood her capabilities as well, and his response carried the same seriousness.