"[Judgment Angel] Yang Hui, tsk, so you guys really found me?" Jehart felt a wave of despair and unwillingness as he recognized who was holding him.
Daz Roden was right behind him, leaving him no room for any argument. Moreover, based on the intelligence they had gathered on Yang Hui, since the other party had made a move, it meant they were absolutely confident; denying anything would be meaningless.
"Well, your intentions are so obvious that it's hard not to notice," Yang Hui casually remarked.
"I see, was I too hasty?" Jehart didn't realize that Yang Hui was aware of the plot from the beginning and had known of his existence. Instead, he was analyzing how he had exposed himself by approaching Asemu immediately after the invasion.
"Maybe."
"So… are you planning to arrest us?" Jehart asked.
"Unfortunately, you guessed wrong. You're a smart person; you shouldn't be asking such foolish questions."
"Guessed wrong?" Jehart was taken aback, not understanding Yang Hui's intentions. Their identities had been exposed; shouldn't it be natural for Yang Hui, a high-ranking member of the Federal Army, to arrest him?
However, as Jehart looked around, he realized that apart from Yang Hui and the person controlling Daz Roden behind him, there were no other members of the Federal Army present. It didn't seem like they were there to capture him at all. Could it be that Yang Hui was also an insider for VEGAN? But was that even possible?
"What exactly do you want to do?" Jehart understood that Yang Hui didn't intend to arrest him, so he asked.
"Sigh, you're still thinking too narrowly. Before I answer you, you need to answer me a question first."
"What question?"
"Is school life interesting?"
"What?"
"Why? Is that question hard to answer?"
"What are you trying to say?" Jehart frowned, completely not understanding Yang Hui's meaning, why he suddenly brought up a topic unrelated to the current situation.
"Just answer my question. Set aside your hidden identity, set aside the influence of Ezelkanta, and just answer me as a teenager: is school life interesting?" Yang Hui asked seriously.
"This kind of life… how could it be… I am…" Jehart's expression became complicated.
Is school life interesting? Of course, it is!
Otherwise, as a VEGAN elite, he wouldn't have momentarily forgotten his identity and mission, inadvertently getting lost in it.
Since childhood, Jehart had never experienced a proper childhood, always living under the ideology instilled by Ezelkanta. Now, suddenly enjoying a truly ordinary life, making friends, studying hard, and striving together with them, all of this felt so novel and heartwarming to him.
If he could, he would want to live like this forever.
But he couldn't; he bore an important mission. Ezelkanta's Eden Project was his lifelong goal.
"Looks like it's quite interesting," Yang Hui smiled broadly, having already gotten his answer from Jehart's complex expression.
"Stop joking around and just state your intentions," Jehart said coldly.
"You really are unlikable. Fine, I want to make a deal with you," Yang Hui said.
"A deal?" Jehart was taken aback, the previously discarded thought of "Yang Hui is a VEGAN insider" resurfacing in his mind.
"Exactly, a deal. I won't arrest you, and you just need to behave like a high school student and enjoy the interesting school life until graduation."
"..." Jehart fell silent, staring at Yang Hui's teasing face, trying to discern Yang Hui's true intentions.
"What do you think? It's a pretty good deal, right? It won't harm you at all."
"...I agree."
Jehart didn't understand Yang Hui's purpose, but after a moment of consideration, he realized he had no other choice. Even if Yang Hui had some conspiracy in mind for this deal, refusing would lead to his arrest, and everything would be over. He had no room to maneuver.
As long as he wasn't caught, he could take the opportunity to investigate Yang Hui's intentions in the days to come, thus finding a way to counteract.
Perhaps he could even use this to threaten Yang Hui?
"Now that's more like it. But remember, kid, don't break the deal, or the consequences will be severe," Yang Hui patted Jehart's shoulder as a reminder.
"What exactly is your purpose?"
"A caring elder looking after his nephew's friend, what bad intentions could I have?"
"But I…"
"Just a misguided youth who wants to waste an opportunity, sitting next to me. I don't know what life is like in VEGAN, but I guess a teenager your age can't enjoy a normal school life like this, right? Since you've now gained this opportunity, you should cherish it."
"You…"
"Alright, kid, enjoy this hard-earned school youth. When you next step onto the MS, your identity will no longer be that of a youthful teenager, but a soldier. And I won't go easy on soldiers."
After giving Jehart a final pat on the shoulder, Yang Hui stood up to leave. The person in the woods also released Daz Roden and quickly followed Yang Hui, disappearing from their sight.
"Lord Jehart, that person is [Battle Angel] Graham."
"I know." Jehart gritted his teeth, watching the direction in which Yang Hui and Graham disappeared.
"Are you really going to honor their deal?" Daz Roden asked.
"Yeah, we're already like fish in a barrel, with no other choice. I will report to Lord Ezelkanta and request new instructions. Until then, let's just do as they say," Jehart replied.
"Understood." Daz Roden also understood the helplessness of the situation. They had already been exposed; if they didn't follow Yang Hui's instructions, they wouldn't even be able to leave, let alone seize the Gundam. Daz Roden didn't believe that they could defeat the three Archangels gathered at [Celestial Being] with just their forces and those lingering outside the Colony.
Daz Roden quietly left, while Jehart looked down at the parts on the ground, feeling very complicated. On one hand, he felt that he had been manipulated by Yang Hui, which was quite frustrating. On the other hand, he was unable to complete the mission assigned to him by Ezelkanta.
But… for some reason, deep down, he felt a sense of relief.
"I'm not… I'm not…"
...
"Do you have high hopes for this kid?"
"Sort of. In terms of talent, he's much better than Asemu, but his mindset needs to be turned around," Yang Hui said.
Jehart was not only an excellent MS pilot but also had the talent to become a great commander. It must be said that Ezelkanta's vision was quite unique; otherwise, he wouldn't have appointed Jehart as the commander of the Earth invasion campaign at such a young age.
If it weren't for being deeply brainwashed by Ezelkanta, he wouldn't have become obsessed with the ideology of Ezelkanta and the Eden he spoke of, leading to frequent blunders that resulted in major mistakes, including the death of the woman he loved and his subordinate, ultimately leading to his despair and death at Asemu's hands.
Overall, he was an outstanding youth worth saving.
"Changing one's mindset is the hardest part, especially with that group of lunatics in VEGAN," Graham reminded. Over the past twenty-five years, Graham had deeply experienced the fanaticism of VEGAN, which was not easy to change.
"I understand; it's all about effort. The one who can change him is not me; I'm just creating an opportunity for him. As for the final outcome, that depends on him," Yang Hui shrugged and said.
The deal with Jehart was actually a spontaneous decision. He was a talent, but not to the point where he was irreplaceable. After all, they would experience more worlds in the future. Prometheus Fortress lacked talent, but countless worlds were overflowing with it; if one person was missing, others would step up.
"Do as you please; these matters are for you to worry about. I'll just focus on fighting," Graham said, raising his hands in a gesture of indifference.
After chatting with Jehart, Yang Hui and Graham had nothing else to do. They had a mission to attend to after watching the Tordia MS competition in a few days. Bored, Graham returned to the base for simulation training, while Yang Hui naturally didn't want to be so dull; it was best to spend the rare holiday with his wife.
However, upon returning to the Asuno Family, he encountered Asemu visiting with Jehart and two classmates.
"Hey, nice to see you again!" Yang Hui greeted warmly upon seeing Jehart, who was visiting.
"Uncle Yang Hui, do you know Jehart?" Asemu asked in surprise.
"Well, not exactly," Yang Hui teased, glancing at Jehart and casually saying, "I saw him buying parts for the MS competition on the way back. Considering the distance, it should be from your school, so we chatted for a bit."
"Uh… yes, Mr. Yang Hui's words have been very enlightening, opening up many new ideas for me," Jehart quickly responded, seeing that Yang Hui didn't directly expose him.
"Exactly! General Yang Hui is my idol! Just a word or two of advice can be beneficial for a lifetime!"
"Absolutely! Jehart is so lucky!"
"Haha, while I'm glad for your admiration, don't blindly follow; you need to have your own judgment."
"General Yang Hui, do you make mistakes too?"
"What a question! I'm just a person, of course, I make mistakes," Yang Hui said, playfully tapping the heads of the two boys.
"Hehe, we understand."
"Alright, it's rare to have guests at home. Asemu, make sure to take good care of your classmates."
"Okay, I understand. But we plan to gather some information related to MS; can we ask you?" Asemu asked Yang Hui.
"Of course, but I won't help you cheat."
"Of course not."
Then, under Asemu's hospitality, the group went to the study to look for relevant materials. While flipping through the materials and discussing how to prepare th
eir MS for the next step, Yang Hui didn't actively participate but would answer when they encountered problems outside the competition, ensuring a pleasant atmosphere.
Of course, except for one person with a complicated mindset.
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