Eno Kamal is a Spy

Time passed quickly.

Thanks to the training provided by Athrun and the others, Eno Kamal's strength was increasing at a ferocious pace.

Inside the instructor's office.

Natarle was silently flipping through the file report belonging to Eno.

Eno was growing at a speed far exceeding expectations—

This was the conclusion drawn from the summary of the entire file report.

"Ranked thirteenth overall, huh..."

Looking at Eno Kamal's latest results, Natarle closed the file with a complex expression and placed it on the desk.

Eno's talent made her genuinely happy for him.

In fact, the possibility of an MS pilot ranked in the top twenty of the military academy dying on the front lines was extremely low.

According to a comprehensive analysis of various data obtained from the National Defense Staff.

The battlefield survival rate for pilots ranked in the top twenty was over sixty percent.

For the top ten, it was eighty percent.

For the top three, it was over ninety percent.

Of course, this was not absolute data, but rather an analysis synthesized from the entire battlefield.

Therefore, Eno now possessed the capital to survive on the front lines.

Knock, knock.

A knock at the door interrupted Natarle's thoughts.

"Come in."

Natarle composed herself.

"Excuse me!"

Following these words, an adjutant wearing a military uniform pushed the door open, saluted Natarle, and said, "Chief of Staff Natarle, the vehicle is ready."

"I understand."

After speaking, Natarle stood up from her seat, straightened her purple officer's uniform, and walked out from behind the desk.

As one of the main leaders of the National Defense Staff, Natarle possessed a purple officer's uniform, commonly known as the "Purple Uniform."

The adjutant in the black uniform stepped aside to clear the path, then followed behind Natarle as she left.

Halfway there, Natarle suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned her head to look at the distant MS training base.

There, countless MS were conducting their own training.

"Ace pilots who decide the course of the battlefield..."

For no reason, Natarle thought of Eno's exaggerated words from back then.

Yet now, she didn't know why, but she had a feeling that those exaggerated words were gradually becoming reality in a place she couldn't even perceive.

When Natarle arrived at the Ministry of Defense building, Patrick Zala and the others were already gathered in the conference room.

Although large-scale combat had not yet broken out between the Earth Alliance and PLANT, everyone knew this was only temporary; both sides were working hard to accumulate strength, intending to completely crush the other at some point in the future.

With the help of the guards, Natarle entered the operational conference room of the Ministry of Defense in her capacity as Chief of Staff.

"Hm?"

However, she encountered someone rather special here: Rau Le Creuset, wearing a white uniform.

Natarle had always felt a sense of unease regarding this man, though she didn't know where it came from.

"Chief of Staff Natarle, it has been a long time."

As a confidant of Patrick Zala, Rau Le Creuset naturally knew Natarle.

"It has indeed been a long time."

Natarle looked at his rational and refined smile, and at that moment, she seemed to understand why she felt uneasy around him.

Rational and calm.

This was a very calm and rational person.

This was normal, as there were many calm and rational people.

Most people in the National Defense Staff possessed this trait.

But this trait should not appear in someone who had been fighting on the front lines all this time.

The wailing of fading lives, the suffocation of the Grim Reaper's scythe, the air constantly wrapped in death—

These emotions, stemming from the basic human instinct for life, would destroy and change any person, yet Creuset had never changed at all—at least, not in any of her memories.

"Is there something wrong with me?"

Creuset noticed the scrutiny in Natarle's gaze.

"Nothing at all, I was just suddenly feeling a bit sentimental."

Natarle did not voice the doubts in her heart, instead walking straight toward Patrick Zala.

Le Creuset watched Natarle's retreating back, frowning to himself.

The operational meeting lasted for a long time.

It was not until the next morning that the group walked out of the conference room, their expressions weary.

"Chief of Staff Natarle."

Just as Natarle was preparing to leave, someone behind her suddenly called out.

"What is it?"

Natarle turned around to look; the person who had approached was Patrick Zala's adjutant.

"Chairman Zala would like to see you."

The adjutant stepped aside to gesture the way.

"I understand."

Natarle was not particularly surprised by this. As Chief of Staff, she was frequently called in for private discussions, so this was nothing out of the ordinary.

However, upon entering the office, she discovered the presence of another person.

It seems Chairman Zala thinks very highly of Captain Le Creuset—this was the conclusion Natarle reached the moment she stepped into the office.

"There is something I wish to tell you."

Patrick Zala said to Chief of Staff Natarle.

"What is it?"

Chief of Staff Natarle's face showed confusion.

"Eno Kamal."

Patrick Zala stated bluntly, "He may be a spy sent by the Earth Alliance."

"What!?"

Natarle's pupils constricted, a monstrous wave surging in her heart.

However, her experience and background allowed her to calm down quickly, and she raised her own doubt: "By 'may be,' do you mean it cannot be confirmed?"

"Yes, I do not have direct evidence to prove he is a spy."

Patrick Zala nodded.

"Then..."

"That is why I sent people to assassinate him."

Natarle's pupils shrank sharply, and she looked at Patrick Zala in disbelief.

"I know you are surprised, but these are extraordinary times that require extraordinary measures. Even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I will choose to nip it in the bud."

Patrick Zala's confession was sincere.

Chief of Staff Natarle looked at Patrick Zala's resolute gaze, opened her mouth, but could not say a word.

Her emotions told her that she should protest, that she should fight for justice for Eno, but her responsibility and reason as Chief of Staff told her that Patrick Zala was right.

Yes, it was ruthless.

But reality was just like that; this was war, a war where countless lives wailed and perished at every single moment.

Any minor mistake by the leadership would bring endless disaster to their subordinates.

Those who are righteous should not manage wealth, and those who are merciful should not command troops.

If everything were based on emotion, then the weight of the soldiers' sacrifices would become meaningless.

However...

Natarle's heart could not find peace no matter what.

"However, he did not die."

At that moment, Patrick Zala continued.

"What?"

Natarle felt as if her emotions were on a roller coaster.

So, it wasn't an assassination attempt for now, but one that had already occurred?

"Yes, I have already dispatched subordinates to carry out an assassination, but he did indeed survive."

Patrick Zala's words answered Natarle's confusion.

"This... why? Why tell me all of this?"

Upon hearing this, Natarle fell into confusion.

"Because I want to know what your take on this is."

Patrick Zala explained, "The first assassination was staged as an incurable sudden illness, but he survived and transferred from the command track to the MS pilot track. Did you have anything to do with that?"

"No, the change of specialty was initiated by him..."

Chief of Staff Natarle fell silent as she spoke, a flicker of sorrow passing through her eyes.

The possibility that Eno Kamal was a spy was now approaching one hundred percent.