The door opened, and Lacus was delighted to see Yang Hui returning with two meal trays. She was indeed hungry, but also a little displeased—because he had brought two portions!
Honestly, did he think she was some big-eater girl in his eyes?
However, her interest was immediately piqued when she noticed the person following behind Yang Hui.
"Eat up."
Yang Hui placed one tray in front of Lacus and began eating from the other.
This made Lacus blush with embarrassment—she had misunderstood him. Lowering her head, she quietly ate her meal.
"Kira, this is Lacus, Lacus Clyne."
"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Kira Yamato."
"Hello, Kira. Just call me Lacus."
Seeing Lacus put on her mask again, Yang Hui's lips twitched. She really was a demon—effortlessly switching between countless personas without the slightest hesitation.
"Kira, are you a Coordinator too?"
"Y-yes."
"Then why did you board this ship? Isn't this an Earth Forces vessel?"
"Uh... well..." Kira didn't really want to answer, so he glanced at Yang Hui for help.
"I brought him and his friends aboard. It was the only way to survive," Yang Hui explained.
"I see... That must have been hard for you."
At these words, not only did Kira freeze, but even Yang Hui paused mid-bite before setting down his utensils.
"...Yeah." Kira nodded with difficulty.
"Fighting... is such a sorrowful thing."
"I... don't want to fight either. But..."
"Kira really is a kind person," Lacus comforted him.
"Huh?"
"Even though you don't want to fight, you still join the battle. There must be some unavoidable reason, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Yang Hui?" Lacus turned to him with a smile. Though there was no accusation or anger in her expression, Yang Hui could sense the silent questioning and reproach in her gaze.
"In this chaotic, turbulent world, isn't everyone fighting in their own way? You're no exception," Yang Hui countered, glancing at her.
"..."
At this, Lacus's mask fell away, revealing her mature demeanor. A somber, sorrowful atmosphere filled the room.
"I don't like others controlling my fate. And I refuse to hide under a table, praying for someone to save me when danger comes. I want to be the master of my own destiny—that's all."
With that, Yang Hui quickly finished his meal and left with the tray. But before exiting, he lightened the heavy mood.
"Oh, by the way, Kira was a childhood friend of mine and Athrun back in elementary school. And Lacus is Athrun's fiancée. Funny how the world can be so vast yet so small, huh? Haha."
Only after Yang Hui left did Kira snap out of his shock, whipping his head around to stare at Lacus.
"Wait... WHAT?!"
"My, so you're Athrun's friend too? What a coincidence," Lacus said with innocent amusement.
"You... I... you... fiancée?! Athrun's?!"
"Yes."
"Ah... this is really..." Kira forced a bitter smile, fully agreeing with Yang Hui's words. The world was vast, yet at times, it felt pitifully small.
"Athrun... I saw him."
"Oh? It must have been a good reunion then? Would you tell me about it?"
"...Well... it wasn't as friendly as you might imagine."
Kira then began pouring out his heart to Lacus, recounting everything he'd experienced at Heliopolis—why he'd joined the fight, and how he and Athrun... had become enemies.
Perhaps because they were both Coordinators, Kira found himself opening up completely to Lacus without suspicion, sharing every detail of his ordeal.
Lacus listened quietly, occasionally offering words of comfort, but mostly serving as a patient listener, learning how this kind-hearted boy had been unwillingly dragged into the vortex of war.
...
Leaving the room, Yang Hui headed straight for the bridge. One of the surprises Madok had sent had already arrived—now it was time for the second.
"Yang Hui, you're here. How is she?" Murrue asked.
"No problems. Kira's keeping an eye on her."
"Kira, huh..."
Truth be told, Murrue wasn't entirely comfortable leaving Kira to watch over Lacus. She knew how kind-hearted he was, and as a civilian, if Lacus made any unreasonable requests that Kira failed to see through, it could spell danger for them all.
Moreover... both Lacus and Kira were Coordinators. What if... Lacus managed to turn Kira against them? What would become of the Archangel then?
"Don't worry, I've already warned her. Lacus won't try anything."
"...That's good."
"By the way, Captain Ramius, have we received any nearby communication requests?" Yang Hui inquired. He'd arranged for Serpent Tail to wait for them in this vicinity, and by his calculations, they should have made contact by now.
"Not yet—"
Beep beep beep—
"Captain! We're receiving a communication request from an unknown signal!"
Speak of the devil—no sooner had Yang Hui mentioned Serpent Tail than their transmission came through.
"Put it through."
"Aye!"
The screen flickered to life, revealing a young woman with short brown hair that made her gender somewhat ambiguous.
"This is Serpent Tail. Is this the vessel carrying Mr. Yang Hui?"
"Long time no see, Kazahana. Why are you handling communications? Where's Gai? Elijah? Reed and Loretta? Have all the adults on your ship kicked the bucket?" Yang Hui teased.
"I'm Serpent Tail's broker. Liaising with clients is naturally my responsibility—please don't underestimate me." The girl puffed up like an angry steamed bun, complaining to Yang Hui.
Kazahana Azure, trainee member of Serpent Tail and only daughter of fellow member Loretta Azure. Though not yet a full-fledged operative, she served as the mercenary group's broker, having represented Gai Murakumo in business negotiations. Despite her youth, she possessed insight and initiative surpassing most adults.
"Hey hey hey! We can hear you, Young Master Yang Hui!"
"Trying to badmouth us behind our backs? Not happening!"
With boisterous and fiery voices, a burly blond man and a brown-skinned woman with a ponytail pushed past Kazahana Azure to occupy the screen.
The burly man was Reed Weller, a full member of Serpent Tail and a former officer in the Earth Alliance military. Though he had been discharged due to alcohol-related incidents, his high reputation still granted him connections within the Alliance forces. His exceptional intelligence-gathering skills made him the core of Serpent Tail's information network.
The woman was Loretta Azure, Kazahana Azure's mother—a single parent skilled in martial arts and explosives. A fiery Natural, she specialized in undercover operations and close-quarters combat, occasionally donning powered armor for support. Known for her nurturing nature, she was popular among mercenaries, with many aspiring to become Kazahana's stepfather—though none had succeeded yet.
"Heh, so adults can't show a little self-awareness?" Yang Hui teased.
"Tch, you annoying brat. I should've never taken your job!"
"My daughter's still the cutest!"
"Mom! We're on a mission right now—what are you doing?"
"Move."
A cold voice cut through the chatter. Reed and the Azure mother and daughter instinctively stepped aside, revealing the speaker.
His stern face, partially obscured by orange sunglasses, couldn't hide his rugged handsomeness. His deep brown hair was slightly unkempt, adding to his roguish charm rather than detracting from his imposing presence.
Gai Murakumo—leader of the mercenary unit Serpent Tail. Trusted deeply by his comrades, he was renowned in the underworld for accomplishing the impossible. As the team's absolute core, Gai bore the title of "Strongest Mercenary."
"Long time no see, Gai. You look well."
"Mn. Shall we begin the mission?"
"Mission start. Escort this ship until we evade Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty pursuit and reach the Atlantic Federation's lunar base."
"Understood. Mission begins."
This was Gai's style—direct and efficient. Even with acquaintances, he prioritized the task over small talk.
But Gai wasn't the type to accept any job. Unlike mercenaries who took morally dubious contracts for money, he evaluated requests through ethical and political lenses, rarely accepting missions involving wanton slaughter, oppression, or destruction. This principled approach earned Serpent Tail an impeccable reputation.
As the call ended, all eyes turned to Yang Hui.
"...You didn't tell them?" Yang Hui asked Murrue.
"Ah... I hadn't gotten around to it..." Murrue wiped her brow. She'd genuinely forgotten to brief the crew, especially after rescuing Lacus.
She quickly explained Yang Hui's hiring of Serpent Tail, which caused no objections. As captain and their commanding officer, her decisions were to be followed. Besides, having elite mercenaries as extra security—without dipping into their own funds—was hardly something to complain about.
Just then, a new hope dawned before them all.
"Captain!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"We're receiving an encrypted pulse signal... This is! The encrypted pulse signal from Earth Alliance's 8th Orbital Fleet!"
"Confirmed accurate?"
"Can we trace it?" Murrue Ramius quickly asked.
"Working on it... Beginning analysis!"
"...zzzt...zzzt...This is...8th Fleet advance...Montgomery...Archangel...respond..."
"It's the troops under Brigadier General Halberton!"
"Yahoo~!"
"Is he looking for us?"
"Location?"
"Is it Major Koopman's unit?"
"Wonderful!"
The heavy mood that had weighed on Murrue, Murrue Ramius, Arnold and the others throughout their journey was finally lifted - they felt like they'd finally found home.
But...only Yang Hui showed a worried expression after everyone else.
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/TLGod
Thanks!