"Doctor!!"
"Get a doctor immediately!!"
"Mr Carlisle has collapsed!!"
Near the corridor, Athrun and John paused mid-conversation, surprised.
"Has something happened?"
Athrun looked suspiciously at the tightly shut door, wondering if he'd misheard.
"Sounded like they were calling for a doctor. And I heard Mr Carlisle mentioned... Could it be that Mr Carlisle is in trouble?"
John hesitated as he glanced towards the doorway before finally asking:
"Shall we go take a look?"
"Let's check." Athrun felt vaguely uneasy.
If it really was that Mr Carlisle he knew who was in trouble...
Then... could Lacus be behind it?
Though doubting a friend felt wrong, the inherited friendship between their families couldn't stop Athrun's wild speculations.
Soon, the two arrived at the corridor, where they saw armed personnel rushing past and doctors in white coats carrying medical kits.
Seeing this, they quickened their pace until they reached the crowded doorway.
"With this crowd... no way we're getting through..." John clicked his tongue at the throng blocking the entrance.
Hardly any unfamiliar faces - mostly SDS section chiefs.
With these people gathered here, it had to be something significant.
Could it really be about Sir Hugh Carlisle, who was rumoured to become the Commerce Department Director?
If something happened to the head of Carlisle Conglomerate, the fallout would be enormous.
Athrun frowned as he surveyed the crowd, attempting to push through, but after meeting the gaze of a burly man at the periphery, he quietly gave up.
No doubt the combat faction from Operations was deliberately blocking the doorway.
Were they delaying medical assistance?
Athrun glanced at the doctors slowly making their way through and muttered:
"What on earth is happening?"
"Oh? Isn't that Athrun?"
Hearing a female voice, Athrun turned to see a girl standing in a corner, avoiding the crowd.
Upon seeing her, he instinctively said:
"Lacus?"
"What what?" John turned in shock, then spotted the black-haired girl leaning against the wall.
John sighed: "Oi oi, Athrun, since when did you need reading glasses?"
He'd thought the Chairwoman herself was here, but it was just another girl with black hair, no less.
How could he mistake the hair colour?
Athrun's face recognition skills were truly terrible.
Meanwhile, Athrun realised his mistake. Though this girl gave him the same feeling as when facing Lacus, her appearance was clearly different.
Moreover, Lacus's voice was coming from the other side of the door:
"Please make way for medical personnel to avoid any accidents."
Everyone present understood exactly what "accidents" might be avoided.
Especially when Commerce Department attendees began glaring at the Operations personnel blocking the way, creating a tense atmosphere.
Though slow, Athrun could read the room. He quickly realised the Carlisle faction in Commerce suspected Operations of foul play.
Just then, a man's voice laced with amusement rang out:
"To faint during our conversation... Lord Carlisle, this greeting of yours is rather unconventional."
"It seems if anything happens to you, I'll never shake off the suspicion of being the perpetrator."
'Who?'
Athrun froze momentarily at the voice, puzzled about its origin.
Nearby, John couldn't help muttering under his breath:
"Who's got the nerve to crack jokes at a time like this?"
As soon as he spoke, a faint female voice drifted over:
"The person speaking is Director Luo Shu of the Hidden Management Department."
John's expression instantly stiffened, and he blurted out:
"That lucky upstart who rose to prominence overnight?"
The moment these words left his mouth, John distinctly noticed the odd looks directed his way from all sides.
Before he could process why, Athrun beside him tugged at his sleeve and whispered urgently:
"John, keep your voice down."
Pausing briefly, Athrun added:
"My father mentioned that the new department's director might actually be... the Demigod the SDS has been keeping hidden..."
"Mr Zala said that?"
"A Demigod?"
John's face paled dramatically as comprehension dawned. Now he understood why everyone had suddenly turned to stare at him with such peculiar expressions.
Calling a Demigod – currently the world's highest-ranking powerhouse – a 'lucky upstart'?
Why did his big mouth always land him in trouble?
As John clamped his mouth shut, Athrun glanced towards where the female voice had originated, spotting a black-haired girl with a side ponytail:
"You are..."
Before Athrun could inquire further, the girl's figure was obscured by a passerby, vanishing from sight.
The girl's ghostly disappearance startled Athrun, but before he could ponder further, Kirika Tachibana's icy voice cut through the air:
"Everyone, clear the way immediately. Do not obstruct medical personnel."
At this command, the crowd blocking the doorway parted with practised efficiency, the swiftness of their movement leaving both Athrun and John momentarily speechless.
Once the path was cleared, John hesitated before whispering:
"Strange... where did that girl go?"
"Probably moved aside with everyone else," Athrun replied, exhaling slowly as he began suspecting something unusual about the girl. Gripping John's arm, he said:
"Let's go in together."
"Eh? But we're not medical staff..." John protested, yet hurried after Athrun despite fearing reprimand.
Entering the venue, they found it surprisingly spacious compared to the congested entrance. They stood midway through the conference hall – thirty-six tiered seating steps to their left, and a C-shaped head table to their right.
At the lowest level before them, where the steps met the head table's open space, white-coated medics surrounded a prone elderly man, administering emergency care.
Among the medical team, they spotted a solemn-faced Lacus, flanked by an expressionless Kirika Tachibana.
On Lacus's other side stood a strikingly handsome young man with profound eyes, quietly observing the medical procedures.
As the pair watched, the young man seemed to sense their presence. Turning, he offered them a brief smile before returning his attention to the scene.
Athrun and John immediately froze, hastily returning a respectful bow with strained smiles before retreating to the sidelines.
The two of them didn't notice a gentle-looking girl with black hair in a side ponytail behind them, waving at the smiling young man.
After hiding aside, John finally exhaled in relief: "That scared me to death. I thought the Demigod overheard us talking shit just now."
"..."
Athrun couldn't refute this, as he was well aware of a sorcerer's acute hearing. It was entirely possible that John's words had been overheard.
And based on Athrun's understanding of human nature, while important figures might not remember compliments, they certainly would remember criticism...
The mere thought of his friend being marked by a Demigod made Athrun regard John with increased pity.
At that moment, John hunched his shoulders slightly before lowering his head: "I suddenly feel a bit chilly."
"Speaking of which, how is Lord Carlisle doing? I think I saw a doctor reporting to Chairwoman Lacus just now?"
Hearing this, Athrun looked up to see a white-haired man in a lab coat standing beside Lacus, whispering something.
Just as the two watched curiously, wondering what was happening, a muscular man who looked like he'd stepped out of a bodybuilding competition muttered nearby:
"Preliminary diagnosis suggests fainting due to dizziness, physical weakness and low blood sugar. For thoroughness, Abyss Artefact No.2-13 was used for detailed medical examination."
"Results indicate the cause of Mr Carlisle's unconsciousness might be... excessive indulgence?!"
"Tsk!!" The muscular man sharply inhaled at this point.
Athrun and John immediately turned to stare at him in shock.
They also noticed that many nearby people were staring at the muscular man, clearly having heard him, too.
Flustered, the man awkwardly explained, "I can read lips. Is that so strange?"
Then a voice came from the crowd:
"Not strange at all."
"But what's strange is that everyone here could hear the conversation, yet you had to say it out loud."
Silence fell over Athrun and John.
They hadn't heard the conversation.
Meanwhile, everyone else present also fell silent.
Carlisle's collapse wasn't due to assassination attempts or internal strife, but instead... excessive self-pleasure leading to dizziness and weakness...
This...
Mr Carlisle is nearly 70 years old this year...
Truly... vigorous in old age...