Siegel pondered for a moment, his sharp gaze wandering over the young man.
Then he slowly asked.
"...How do you know this?"
"Blue Cosmos does exist in Copernicus. I overheard it by chance."
"So there's no evidence. Do you know the specific time he'll come to PLANT?"
Siegel asked.
If this were an ordinary person, he might dismiss it as mere nonsense, but Fred was different.
Regardless of why he said this, the message made Siegel take it more seriously.
This was exactly the effect Fred wanted to achieve.
If he were still in his previous position where his words carried little weight, such baseless claims would likely be dismissed.
"Year 53, that's when he'll arrive."
Fred reached this conclusion not through knowledge of previous events—since such knowledge wasn't that detailed—but simply by identifying the time of the Vlada family fire, or rather, when Creuset set the fire and left.
As a prominent figure in the business world, the burning of his mansion and the orphaned young son would definitely make news.
Where there's news, tracing back is straightforward.
"The information you overheard is quite detailed."
Siegel remarked.
"Yes."
Fred nodded, then continued.
"Our goals align. I too am striving for peace. I hope one day to board a ship exploring outer space, rather than perish here with everyone else."
"I also wish for all humanity to live peaceful lives."
He was well aware his words were full of holes.
But would the absence of holes prevent suspicion?
Ultimately, he simply lacked a convincing way to persuade them.
If he gave too little information, they might not find anything, but too much detail would raise suspicion and might lead them to contact Creuset prematurely.
That master manipulator—who knew if he might deceive others?
For now, there shouldn't be any major issues.
As for the rhetoric about "for all humanity," it didn't entirely align with the Clyne Faction.
After all, they were a political party in PLANT, focused on the future of Coordinators, albeit a more stable one.
But his words weren't meant for Siegel; they were for Lacus beside him.
He didn't know if Lacus had any awareness yet.
But if he were to retire in the future, he'd need to properly cultivate Lacus's sense of mission.
"I understand."
Siegel didn't elaborate further on the topic.
Lacus merely lowered her head, appearing like a confused child.
"By the way, how is your sister doing here? If you don't mind, she could come to our home and take private lessons with Lacus."
Siegel set the topic aside, his honest face breaking into a smile as he continued, like a friendly neighbor.
"Two girls would have more to talk about."
Faced with Siegel's kindness, Fred paused.
He truly hadn't expected Siegel to extend such an invitation.
The thought of Flay and Lacus studying together felt utterly surreal to Fred.
The plot had veered completely off course.
Setting aside those peculiar feelings, there was no doubt that Lacus had received the finest education.
Moreover, Siegel's current promise meant his own sister would enjoy the same educational resources as Lacus.
However... there was also a problem here - his sister might be influenced by their ideology.
The Clyne faction's philosophy only advocated peace and steady development, but that was stability for Coordinators.
Still, he held nothing against Lacus personally - at least her moral compass was quite upright.
As befitted a female protagonist.
But he didn't want his sister's life to become one of constant struggle for such causes.
He had long foreseen the complicated relationship between Lacus and Kira.
Furthermore, what if Siegel intended to influence him through his sister?
He absolutely detested the idea of anyone using his sister, loathing it completely.
Even if doing so might make the Clyne faction trust him more.
"I'll go back and ask her. Thank you for the invitation."
After a brief silence, Fred smiled.
Following his words, the Special Train gradually came to a stop.
They had arrived at the station.
This was an elevator reserved exclusively for special personnel, completely free from outside interference.
"I understand."
"Then Lacus and I will take our leave now, Mr. Fred. It was a pleasure meeting you."
"Thank you, the pleasure was mine."
Fred stood up and shook Siegel's hand.
Though only thirteen and not particularly tall, wearing his mask made him appear completely devoid of childishness.
...
"Lacus, what do you think?"
Siegel asked as soon as they boarded the elevator to the port with his bodyguards.
"He doesn't seem fake, but the source of his information is questionable..."
Lacus looked troubled, her small brows slightly furrowed.
She had thought meeting him once would reveal everything about this hero.
But clearly she had been too optimistic.
He was different from anyone she had met before, different even from that mentor.
Yet she couldn't quite articulate how - he felt like an enormous mystery she couldn't decipher.
If possible, she would have liked to speak with him more.
Unfortunately, time hadn't permitted.
It would have been nice if his sister could attend classes with her.
Too bad Fred didn't seem inclined to agree.
Thinking this, Lacus felt a twinge of regret.
"Is that so?"
Siegel nodded at her words, his expression remaining composed.
"Father, should we search for that possible clone?"
"Yes, if it's real, it remains a potential threat."
After all, investigating such matters wasn't difficult for them.
"I see..."
"And about Fred's sister - he seemed to dislike the proposal."
Lacus quietly voiced her vague impression.
It was just intuition - sometimes accurate, sometimes not.
"Family."
Siegel didn't answer directly, instead sighing noncommittally.
He could understand - if someone wanted to take his daughter away for their own purposes, he wouldn't be happy either.
So while Fred's reaction was disappointing, it had revealed more about his character, making Siegel feel somewhat more reassured.
People and individuals, factions and powers, all interact in this manner—only through continuous probing can they feel at ease.
"Let's plan this carefully for now."
Siegel said.
"Mmm..."
Lacus responded, also gazing at the receding Central Hub.
She had a feeling they would meet again.
For all of humanity...
She was overthinking things.