Entering the director's office with Lacus, He Kui invited her to sit on the soft, plush sofa.
"Would you like some tea?"
"Sure~"
Lacus chuckled lightly, looking exceptionally gentle and charming.
"I wonder what brings you to me this time~"
He Kui asked, but his gaze was fixated on the girl's delicate pink lips.
"...It's about Alaska."
"What about Alaska?"
Feeling He Kui's intense gaze, Lacus maintained a calm expression, but a hint of shyness flickered in her heart.
Since their last kiss, she had even dreamt about it after returning home, finding it increasingly hard to resist.
Yet, despite these thoughts, Lacus's face remained composed, showing no signs of weakness.
"We've already taken that area; the defenses at sea and the installation of the light shield have begun..."
"I heard an unknown individual did something remarkable on the battlefield."
Lacus knew that Lass had a connection with He Kui, so she naturally came to probe him.
"Do you think it has something to do with me, Miss Lacus?"
He Kui asked, bewildered.
The expression on his face perfectly illustrated what it meant to be a good actor.
"How could it? I just wanted to mention it to you."
"After all, we share that kind of relationship."
"However, you should remember our deal, He Kui."
Lacus said with a faint smile.
Having feelings was one thing; if He Kui took the money and didn't deliver, she wouldn't let him have his way.
"Of course."
He Kui was prepared and took out a tablet.
"I was planning to deliver this to you personally, but I didn't expect you to be so eager."
From He Kui's words, it seemed as if she was the one impatient to see him.
Lacus pressed her lips together, not refuting him, and took the tablet from his hands.
Inside were some basic data about the Mark Knife that He Kui had compiled.
These were the results of his recent hard work.
Although it was still in the early stages, it was enough to keep Lacus satisfied for now.
"Since there's progress, then~"
Although He Kui couldn't read Lacus's emotions clearly, he knew the value of this information, so he didn't wait for her reaction. He stood up and kissed the girl's delicate pink lips again.
This kiss was more intense than the previous one, and after a moment of surprise, Lacus felt something unusual gradually spreading from her heart outward. Although she still resisted wanting to conquer him, she unconsciously softened a bit; it was less of a resistance and more of a cooperation.
"Well then, I've received the deposit."
He Kui pulled away from Lacus's lips, his voice laced with a magnetic allure.
"Mm, that's good."
Lacus returned to her usual demeanor, but there was a barely noticeable blush on her cheeks.
This was a battle of offense and defense; she was trying to use He Kui for her own purposes, but at the same time, He Kui was also advancing on her, wanting her heart or perhaps her obedience.
Once, Lacus thought she wouldn't lose, but now she felt a twinge of unease.
But she couldn't stop; He Kui's talents had to be harnessed, whether for PLANT or for the world, it was essential.
Although she wasn't a professional, she had seen enough of He Kui's reports to understand a bit.
There was indeed no mistake, and he should know that their capabilities were not fabricated.
His talents were too powerful, a double-edged sword.
"How have the recent negotiations been?"
He Kui asked as he watched Lacus put away the documents, pondering.
"It was going well, but now we need to pause for a while."
"Why?"
"The safety of the lunar route cannot be guaranteed."
Lacus didn't explain why, but He Kui guessed it.
Without Creuset, a hero capable of defending a region, safety was indeed uncertain.
"Do you know why, He Kui?"
Lacus had already returned to normal, raising an eyebrow as she asked.
"I'm not sure~"
After exchanging a few casual words, He Kui bid farewell to Lacus and smoothly returned to the asteroid with Setona.
Upon returning, He Kui also contacted Aegis, which was still drifting over the ocean.
At this moment, Forbidden had long surfaced, the cockpit door opened, and the system entered standby mode, maintaining simple propulsion to float on the sea.
It was drifting along the currents of this vast ocean.
"Brother, don't you really need to eat something?"
Although the ocean was dangerous, the girl didn't seem too afraid; instead, she looked up at the boy holding her with concern.
She had grown accustomed to his embrace over the past couple of days.
And although there was only one cockpit position, half of the Mobile Suit was above water, functioning like a simple little boat, except for the lack of handrails.
When the sea was calm, the girl would go out for a stroll, and even her needs were taken care of outside.
It didn't feel too stifling.
"Isn't brother hungry?"
The boy had given all the rations and water from the Mobile Suit to her.
This was something the girl hadn't expected; after the initial touch of gratitude, Yulis had already sensed something.
But she didn't voice it; she was afraid that if she did, everything would vanish like a mirage.
Just like the family she saw in every dream.
"It's fine, and we're almost there."
He Kui gently stroked the girl's hair, then looked down at the deep sea.
"People?"
Before the girl could ponder for long, a huge splash suddenly erupted from the calm sea before them.
A joint-standard transport submarine abruptly surfaced in front of them.
The waves from the machine caused the entire Mobile Suit to sway.
"Hello, Mr. Jason."
"Mr. Murakumo Gai, I didn't expect the famous Ultimate Coordinator to come to pick us up."
In the submarine's command room, He Kui smiled at the mercenary he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Just flattery."
Meanwhile, on the other side, Fuka seemed to be chatting with Yulis about their identities.
The two, close in age, appeared to be getting along quite well.
Of course, with Yulis's acting skills and appearance, she could strike up a conversation with most people if she wanted.
"I wonder how we'll get to PLANT."
"We can't reach PLANT, but we can take you to the Third-Party Waste Merchant Guild's spaceport."
"The employer will make arrangements from there."
"I understand."
As long as Mattias had arrangements, that was good.
Of course, he definitely wouldn't return to PLANT; there was no need at all.
Just getting Yulis back was enough.
However, where this Aegis was headed was still uncertain, but there was time for now. Perhaps finding a way to check out the moon wouldn't be a bad idea.
He had industries to protect over there.
(End of Chapter)