"That's not what I meant... I want to help too..!"
After a moment of thought, Flay added.
"For the sake of peace!"
Not for PLANT, but for peace—just like her brother.
Or rather, this goal of hers was meant to help her brother achieve it.
Only with peace could they perhaps attain true safety.
Hearing this, Lacus's smile grew even sweeter, and she gently comforted her.
"If Flay studies hard, that day will come."
"Mhm!"
While the two girls were sharing their heartfelt words, the three boys engaged in the chaotic brawl on the other side had already been separated by Fred, who had emerged from the kitchen.
Fred stood tall and straight, effortlessly pulling apart the boys, who still looked like teenagers.
"If you're done resting, go fight outside."
Fred looked at the three of them, a hint of anticipation on his face.
Although the news hadn't finished airing yet, it was just the same content over and over.
Now, he could feel an extra surge of strength within his body, and he naturally wanted to strike while the iron was hot.
This power felt somewhat mysterious, as if he had been given a temporary buff.
He felt more excited, and his reactions were sharper.
He had already noticed this when he pulled the three apart earlier.
At the very least, he had become 10% stronger, and this enhancement was comprehensive.
Not just in hand-to-hand combat—it should also apply to piloting Mobile Suits.
Perhaps even research...
However, it only lasted half an hour, and it required finishing a full meal. Maintaining this speed daily would be quite difficult.
Still, something was better than nothing. Three meals a day meant an hour and a half of increased reading efficiency.
In short, this skill, though perhaps basic, was quite useful.
"Alright!"
Yzak, who hadn't had enough of the fight, nodded in agreement without hesitation.
Seeing this, Athrun also nodded casually, clearly having no objections to this impromptu training session.
Such extra training was quite common among them.
It was just rare for Fred to take the initiative to propose it.
As for Nicol, who had been innocently dragged into it, he blinked but was still unavoidably pulled into the courtyard outside.
Meanwhile, Flay and Lacus watched the scene unfold from a distance.
"It's rare for Brother to take the initiative and invite them to fight."
Flay said in surprise.
"Mhm~ And he seems stronger too."
Though Lacus, with her keen senses, didn't know what state Fred was in, just watching him adjust his posture made her beautiful eyes widen slightly out of curiosity.
"Stronger?"
Hearing this, Flay tilted her head in confusion.
She couldn't see anything wrong with Fred.
But Lacus's intuition had always been reliable.
"Why does he seem no different from before?"
Lacus didn't respond to this.
After all, she herself didn't know why Fred suddenly seemed more capable.
Was it because he had eaten his fill?
But this thought had barely surfaced in her mind before Lacus dismissed it.
Although the food was delicious, it couldn't be that exaggerated.
However, the other party's effort and persistence truly rivaled several of those self-proclaimed geniuses.
Not to mention, he was also able to effectively absorb the fruits of his own hard work.
In this world, effort often doesn't necessarily yield results.
Whether the direction of effort is correct, or what one's natural talent is like—these are all challenging questions.
But Fred gave him the impression of someone with no barriers at all: if he worked hard, he would see rewards.
This alone made Fred quite special.
As the two chatted while watching the show, Yzak on the other side had already eagerly taken two steps forward.
His sneakers pressed firmly into the soft grass.
They left no trace behind.
"Still two?"
Yzak got straight to the point, his face brimming with excitement as if boiling water were bubbling over.
"This time, let's all go together."
Fred shrugged.
Freshly enhanced, he was eager to test his newly increased abilities.
Although the combined strength of the three of them still hadn't reached his limits, a bit more pressure would be good.
"Alright!"
After responding, Yzak exchanged a knowing glance with Athrun and Nicol, who had just been fighting.
The reluctance and helplessness from earlier had vanished from their faces.
Once in the zone, the three of them, after a brief silence, launched a coordinated attack toward Fred.
...
"Freak, how did he get so much stronger again?"
Yzak, who had just been knocked flying, couldn't help but pant and mutter.
The other two, who had also been taken down nearby, nodded in agreement.
Fred was already formidable enough on a normal day, but now he seemed absurdly powerful, as if he'd been injected with adrenaline.
"Alright, Yzak, your attacks are still too reckless. You need to coordinate more with your teammates."
"And Nicol, your attacks are too hesitant. Your timing is off, and like Yzak, you lack composure."
"As for Athrun..."
Fred paused mid-sentence.
Among them, Athrun was the only one who truly felt challenging to him.
This future super soldier was not only powerful in ability but also remarkably calm in his combat thinking.
In a few years, Fred doubted he'd be able to gain much of an upper hand against him.
Of course, this was measured against his current abilities.
He himself was constantly growing.
Even if he were surpassed, there would still be opportunities to catch up.
He wasn't afraid of that.
"Athrun is doing well. Just focus more on physical training."
"Alright."
Athrun happily responded upon hearing his brother's praise.
Yzak, on the other hand, snorted disdainfully and with a hint of defiance.
If he weren't still out of breath, he probably wouldn't have been able to resist challenging Athrun to another round.
Fred didn't comment on Yzak's reaction.
After all, this kind of rivalry was beneficial for their growth.
He only hoped they would all become pillars of peace in the future.
That way, his retirement plan would be even more secure.
"Alright, let's head back and shower."
Fred interrupted their playful scuffling and stepped forward, extending a hand to the three of them.
"Yeah!"
All three responded in unison.
Their eyes sparkled with excitement.
...
After seeing the three off, Fred immediately turned his attention to his system interface.
[Combat +0.07]
[Combat (Mastery) 39.86/100]
Eating the meal indeed had an effect.
His combat proficiency increased by 0.02 more than usual.
It might not seem like much, but he was on a path of continuous accumulation.
When stretched over a long time scale, even 0.02 could become a terrifying number.
It was already almost a 50% increase.
Although cooking for himself also took time, it certainly wasn't a loss.
It seemed he would need to cook more often from now on.
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