"That's how it is, but if Flay doesn't listen or can't adapt, don't force her to come back."
George spoke with a hint of heartache.
Unlike his nearly perfect, heaven-sent son, Flay was indeed more delicate.
She was a pampered girl who had been protected and raised by her family.
Sending her to the moon for studies at eight years old—if their daughter hadn't insisted on going to find her brother, they would never have agreed.
Moreover, even Heather had gone up there, leaving him all alone in the Atlantic. Just thinking about it made him want to cry.
"Alright..."
Seeing that George had already made a decision, Fred didn't say anything more.
After all, since his arrival, he had already caused countless changes in the world, and the future would only see more as he actively intervened.
Flay coming up here was a minor matter in comparison.
At least in Copernicus, he, as her brother, could still protect his little sister.
It's just... would Flay end up becoming childhood friends with Kira?
And if Kira ended up stealing his sister away, what would he do? What about Lacus?
He couldn't possibly pair up with Lacus, could he?
However, this was just Fred's fantasy as a fan of Lacus from his previous life.
It was like saying things like "xxx is my wife."
He knew it was impossible—it wasn't even a delusion, just empty talk.
Back then, which of his classmates didn't want to meet this goddess, or even have something ambiguous happen with her?
His old bunkmate had bought countless posters of Lacus and Rie Tanaka, plastering his entire room in pink—it was terrifying.
But in the reality here, he didn't feel the need to actively pursue anything with Lacus. Cherishing what was in front of him, going with the flow, and enjoying life were enough.
George acted swiftly. In just a week, Fred's mother and sister had already arrived at Copernicus' airport via shuttle.
A large number of passengers bustled about, guided by outdated automated carts.
Aside from the automated carts and some more advanced convenience facilities, this airport wasn't much different from the ones Fred had seen in his previous life.
This wasn't hard to understand.
Copernicus served as humanity's bridgehead for building space colonies in space.
Constructed in CE10, it had been over fifty years since then, making it even older than the Yggdrasil Space Station outside.
Various facilities had aged or become obsolete.
Not to mention, with the colonial wave gradually passing, the port's revenue had declined significantly.
However, thanks to this, he was able to frequently pilot the Mistral.
With his golden finger, his piloting skills had genuinely improved through repeated maintenance work on Copernicus.
As for how capable he was, he guessed he was probably worse than his body, since his training time was less than his physical training. If he had to estimate, he might be around the level of an ordinary Natural soldier?
Fred felt a bit lost without a specific reference point.
Quickly suppressing these chaotic thoughts, the young man withdrew his gaze from the massive glass and refocused his attention on the virtual screen in front of him.
His father wasn't some high-ranking official, so there was no special treatment for them.
He waited in the departure lounge like any ordinary person, yet unlike most, the young man held a mobile terminal with a virtual screen displaying densely packed physics formulas. In this city teeming with Coordinators, such a sight wasn't particularly unusual.
Aside from a few Naturals passing by who inwardly scoffed at what they perceived as pretentiousness, he drew no further attention.
As for Fred himself, once he set aside those distractions, he quickly became immersed in an ocean of knowledge, completely unaware of—or perhaps indifferent to—his surroundings.
"Brother~!"
Before the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, the simulated sunset gradually descended, and a delicate voice reached Fred's ears.
Lifting his sapphire-blue eyes, the young man turned toward the sound and saw the familiar red-haired girl sprinting toward him.
"Flay."
Fred deftly switched off the screen and stood up, just in time for Flay to throw herself into his arms.
"You've grown," he remarked, gazing at the girl whose head now reached his chest, gently ruffling her fluffy hair.
"Mhm! I've grown!"
"And you've gotten taller, handsomer, and smarter too!"
Flay nodded happily, her words of praise flowing like an endless river, as if competing with Fred's own compliments.
Her red ponytail swayed with her movements, making her look like an exquisitely crafted doll.
"Little Flay, I've told you not to run around in public," their mother said from behind, her tone a mix of helplessness and affection as she watched the two.
"I know~" Flay replied obediently.
From Fred's perspective, it was hard to imagine that this sweet, adorable girl would become the Flay of the future.
Of course, since he was here now, Flay would never become that version of herself—she would simply remain his little sister.
"Brother~ what are you spacing out for?" Flay tugged playfully at his hand.
She had already praised him; it was only fair that he return the favor.
"Nothing, you've become beautiful too," Fred replied, snapping out of his thoughts, only to spot an unexpected figure.
At the exit of the departure lounge stood the young man he had kicked aside not long ago, his expression dark and brooding.
Their eyes met across the room.
Soon, the young man flashed a sinister grin in Fred's direction.
In response, Fred offered a gentle, mild smile.
Seeing that his intimidation had no effect, the young man snorted angrily through his nose and turned to leave.
"Boss... maybe we should just let it go..." his subordinate said, his face scrunched up as if he'd bitten into a bitter melon.
Had they known the other party had connections too, they would never have made those threats.
Accustomed to relying on their fathers' influence, they now realized they were outmatched and genuinely wanted no further trouble with that person.
The memory of that kick Fred delivered to their boss made him shudder.
What frightened him even more was the fact that Fred was a Natural.
If someone told him Fred was the Atlantic Superman, he'd believe it.
"Shut up!" the young man snapped, kicking his subordinate in frustration.
Yet, he couldn't help recalling what his father had told him:
That Fred was, in fact, a genuine Natural.
After all, no matter how you looked at it, given the Atlantic Federation's usual behavior, they would never allow someone with a Coordinator son to rise to a high position.
Let alone get promoted so quickly.
According to his father, Fred's abilities had likely already drawn the attention of the upper echelons within the Atlantic Federation.
He was the Atlantic Superman, with iconic red hair and blue eyes—for Blue World, which emphasized racial superiority, he was practically a born spiritual leader and a walking billboard.
A living proof that Naturals, people of their kind, possessed genetic advantages.
Not to mention, he also seemed to be an undercover agent sent by the Atlantic Federation to the Agricultural Research Center.
With such a solid and impeccable background, if he were to make a move against Fred, even his own father wouldn't be able to protect him.
But...
Copernicus wasn't that big, and the news of him being kicked flying by Fred had already spread within his circles.
Since childhood, he had always been the one bullying others. When had he ever been bullied by a twelve-year-old boy? He couldn't swallow this humiliation.
"You said he joined the Copernicus Support and Maintenance Team, right?"
His father hadn't even given him any other information, but in this internet age, he could still dig up some basic details on his own.
"Yeah..."
His underling, whose leg hurt terribly from being kicked but didn't dare stop following, nodded shakily and tried to persuade him further.
"He..."
"I won't go looking for trouble! Alright?!"
The young man snapped irritably and kicked his underling's other leg.
How could causing trouble with the Mobile Armor the other operated be considered looking for trouble?
"Alright, alright..."
The underling quickly agreed. He didn't care whether this guy was looking for trouble or not—as long as he wasn't going after Fred, it was fine.
After all, he knew nothing.