While Fred was muttering to himself on one side, Nicol and the others, walking back home, also started chatting.
"Even if there is a war, as long as Big Brother is here, we'll definitely be fine."
"But I don't know if Big Brother will go to the front lines when the time comes."
Nicol's words broke the rare silence that had settled after the earlier liveliness.
It also continued the unfinished conversation they had in front of the television earlier.
"Hmph, but we also need to become stronger ourselves. Otherwise, we'll just hold others back."
Yzak, for once, didn't refute Nicol's words.
After all, Fred, their big brother, was truly strong.
They still hadn't been able to surpass him.
And it had indeed made Yzak respect him even more.
The words Fred had said to Flay when they first met were still etched in his mind.
In his view, Fred was a person of noble character, and following someone like him brought a sense of reassurance.
As the only one who knew Fred's true background, Athrun fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
Fred was fighting to protect his family.
He had known this since their time in Copernicus.
But he had never once asked how exactly Fred planned to do it.
As Athrun grew older, he became increasingly curious about Fred's intentions.
He couldn't see through Fred, nor did he know whether Fred would actually join the war.
Perhaps, one day, Fred would tell them.
And he, too, would contribute his share of strength.
After all, Fred wanted his family to be safe, and so did he.
Their goals were the same.
Just like that time in Copernicus.
On the other side, while the group was chatting, Lacus, who had also watched them walk away, withdrew her gaze.
She turned to look at Fred, who was standing beside her, lost in thought for some reason.
Perhaps he was also feeling anxious about peace because of the recent news report?
"As long as our strength is united, we can definitely create peace."
Thinking this, Lacus solemnly made her promise to the young man beside her.
"Uh, yeah."
Hearing this, Fred snapped back to reality. Though he didn't know why Lacus said this, he certainly didn't find anything wrong with her words.
He just hoped to resolve things quickly and retire.
When the time came, he'd leave this heavy burden to the main characters.
"But Big Brother is becoming more and more impressive."
Seeing Fred agree, Lacus's smile grew even brighter on her lovely face.
She then asked him.
"It's alright. Eating well gives you more strength."
Fred said, patting his stomach, which had no trace of excess fat.
"I plan to cook again tomorrow."
"Huh?"
Hearing that Fred was actually volunteering to cook, Lacus widened her eyes in surprise.
At the same time, a sense of loneliness welled up in her heart.
She... actually quite liked seeing Fred's helpless expression directed at her?
However, Lacus quickly composed her emotions, her smile gradually fading as her expression turned serious.
"The world's order could collapse at any moment. We need to prepare as soon as possible."
"Alright."
Fred took a deep look at the girl beside him before thanking her.
Lacus definitely knew something he didn't—ZAFT was close to fully controlling PLANT.
Based on Fred's knowledge of the upcoming events, the situation would rapidly deteriorate.
As long as the Atlantic Federation refused to grant PLANT autonomy, conflict was inevitable.
These matters were not particularly significant to Fred.
After all, he had been operating under the assumption that war would break out.
With that thought, Fred also lifted his gaze to the sky.
The dark expanse was dotted with twinkling stars, serene and refreshing to behold.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't be long before the flames of war would likely pollute this tranquility.
He had already fortified this place to be impregnable; now, all that remained was to welcome the war.
And he himself was already prepared.
Whoever stood in his way would be eliminated.
At that moment, Fred's eyes turned sharp and piercing, a stark contrast to his usual gentleness, though hidden behind his mask, unseen by anyone.
...
Year 68 quickly passed halfway through amidst this inexplicable tension and calm.
First, just as Fred knew, most Councilors within the Council had chosen to join ZAFT.
Of course, beneath this ZAFT, there remained distinctions between the Clyne Faction and the Zala Faction.
But without a doubt, for Siegel, who had once again become Chairman, this further expanded his power.
Under these circumstances, obtaining autonomy and trade independence became PLANT's top priority resolution, and a formal application was submitted to the Council Nations.
Against this backdrop, the military encirclement deployed by the Council Nations around PLANT gradually tightened.
Clearly intended as a threat.
Such actions further fueled the Coordinators' discontent, while Blue Cosmos continued to expand.
Restrictions on PLANT's food supplies grew increasingly severe.
"Even though Chairman Siegel has officially initiated trade ship exchanges with the United States of South America and Oceania, you should understand that this is not secure."
In his office, Fred looked at the documents Lacus had handed him, his brow still furrowed.
Although the Mendel incident had been resolved not long ago, after ZAFT's rise, the blockade by the Council Nations—or rather, the Atlantic Federation and the Eurasian Federation—had intensified.
Even with his knowledge of the plot, facing this barrage of news left him feeling weary.
"Oceania and South America are no match for the Atlantic Federation, not to mention that the Atlantic Federation has long coveted South American territory."
"Yes."
Responding to Fred's incisive words, Lacus offered a bitter smile.
She also sat down across from Fred.
When they had signed that secret agreement, they had anticipated such a day, but circumstances forced their hand.
After all, the Clyne Faction truly did not wish to bear the cost of war with the Naturals.
"But if it truly comes to that, we'll have no choice but to grit our teeth and proceed."
As she spoke, Lacus's expression grew sharper, gradually resembling the future Lacus Clyne.
"So we are also preparing to officially popularize mass food production technology."
It was like two people dancing a duet—the other side took a step, and they could only follow inertia with the next.
But this also presented many problems.
This step has very obvious drawbacks.
In reality, once production becomes widespread, it will inevitably be impossible to hide from the Atlantic Federation.
Or rather, it is fundamentally impossible to deliberately conceal it; instead, they must publicize it extensively. This is also their means of stabilizing the hearts and minds of the people in PLANT.
However, once the Atlantic Federation learns of this, they will undoubtedly take the next step.