Lacus Clyne

Chapter 29: Lacus Clyne

Time does not stop for anyone.

In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed since the banquet began.

The guests had long since divided into groups based on their social circles.

The Pro-War Faction, the Neutral Faction, the Moderate Faction.

Each of the three factions had its own distinct circle.

Although many people moved back and forth between them, one could still discern their affiliations from their behavior and demeanor.

"I was wondering why I couldn't find you two, and here you are, stuffing your faces!"

Just as Noer was quietly observing the standing arrangements of the banquet guests, Yzak and Athrun, having finished their social interactions, approached together.

Noer had unconsciously joined the banquet's atmosphere.

"Noer said he was hungry, and I couldn't just leave him here alone," Diakka said, sitting to the side with a piece of grilled meat.

"If you could drop that grilled meat in your hand, you might be more convincing," Noer said, swallowing the food in his mouth and addressing Diakka, who had turned traitor.

"You must be Mr. Noer Cassia?"

As the two were bickering, Lacus, holding Athrun's arm, stepped forward to stand beside him and smiled at Noer.

"Hello, I am Noer Cassia."

Noer looked up at Lacus upon hearing her words. This was the first time Noer had seen Lacus up close.

Some people are more stunning on television than in person, while others are more captivating in reality than on screen.

Lacus undoubtedly belonged to the latter category. At the very least, the Lacus in her concert videos paled in comparison to the Lacus before him.

"Hello, I am Lacus Clyne. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Lacus smiled and bowed slightly to Noer, standing beside Athrun.

"Since you're so pleased to meet me, could you do me a favor?" Noer composed himself and smiled at Lacus.

"A favor?" Lacus was taken aback, a hint of confusion on her face.

"Athrun, I remember there are photographers here, right? Could you take a picture of Miss Lacus for me and get her autograph while you're at it?" Noer asked Athrun, who was nearby.

"Autograph?" Athrun and the others were stunned, not understanding why Noer wanted it.

"You guys don't know? Autographed photos from Lacus are incredibly popular. If you hype them up, they're worth at least hundreds of thousands!" Noer was speechless. These guys were truly rich and didn't know hardship.

He himself was carrying tens of millions in debt!

"..."

A brief silence fell over the hall. Even Lacus was taken aback by Noer's response.

However, her talent was no joke, and she quickly recovered, smiling, "Thank you for your praise. If you don't plan to sell it, I have one right here."

"Then never mind."

Noer waved his hand. What use would a signed photo he couldn't sell be? Could he eat it?

"Heh heh, Athrun said you were interesting. I thought he was joking."

Lacus's expression remained unchanged throughout, her smile constant. She then took out a photo with her name written on it and handed it over, saying, "I hope this can help you."

"Then I won't be polite!"

"Slap~"

Just as Noer reached out to take it, Yzak slapped his hand and said, "Can you stop being so greedy, kid? It really lowers my own class!"

"You, Yzak, have class? Are you kidding me?"

Diakka couldn't help but laugh upon hearing that.

"Yzak, Yzak, do you really think wearing a suit changes who you are? Give up, you're beyond saving."

Noer chimed in at the opportune moment.

"I thought I was the only one who felt that way. I didn't expect you guys to have noticed too," Latis added helpfully, having arrived at some point.

"Uh, actually, Yzak isn't that bad," Nicol said, perhaps feeling Yzak was too pitiful and stepping in to defend him. "He's actually a pretty good guy, although sometimes he's a bit..."

"That's enough from you guys! Do you really think I'm not here?"

Yzak couldn't take it anymore. Why had he suddenly become the target of their attacks?

"Hahaha--"

Seeing Yzak's pained expression, the others exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

Seigel Clyne, who was engaged in a discussion with Patrick Zala, heard his daughter's laughter. He turned his head and looked towards the edge of the banquet hall.

"Looking at them, I was suddenly reminded of our past."

Looking at the young faces of Athrun and the others, listening to their cheerful laughter, Siegel Clyne's eyes couldn't help but flash with a hint of nostalgia.

Patrick Zala and the others followed Siegel Clyne's gaze upon hearing his words.

"Is the one with black hair Noel Cassia from Junius 7?"

Ezalia Joule, standing beside them, noticed the unfamiliar face in the crowd. As Yzak's mother, she had met most of Yzak's friends.

"It is him," Cruze, standing next to Patrick Zala, nodded and replied.

"I heard he achieved quite good results on his first MS sortie?" Ezalia Joule continued to ask.

"Yes," Cruze nodded again.

Ezalia Joule nodded upon hearing this and didn't say much more, but the praise in her eyes couldn't be concealed.

"They are the future of PLANT," Siegel Clyne said slowly.

"So, for the sake of giving them a better future, we must fight!" Patrick Zala stated solemnly from the side.

He was a hard-line and stubborn member of the Pro-War Faction.

Ezalia Joule nodded; she was also a member of the Pro-War Faction.

"However, war only brings greater hatred and pain; it must be moderate," Siegel Clyne, on the other hand, belonged to the Moderate Faction.

Of course, the Moderate Faction did not mean the Cowardly Faction.

He also agreed with the war; otherwise, without his approval as the chairman of the PLANT Council, this war would not have been easy to start.

However, as a member of the Moderate Faction, he did not wish for the war to escalate. He only hoped to keep the war within a certain range, as war always brings only more war.

"Moderate?"

"Was the tragedy of Junius 7 not enough?"

Patrick Zala had just stated his position when Ezalia, standing beside him, quickly took over the conversation. This was not because she wanted to be the first to speak.

It was simply because she knew very well that Siegel Clyne and Patrick Zala absolutely could not come into conflict, or rather, could not have a significant overt conflict.

This was a tacit understanding among all members of the PLANT Council.

"Then, to what extent do you think the war should be fought?"

Irene Canaver, a member of the Supreme Council and a member of the Moderate Faction, stepped forward to retort.

"Until PLANT achieves victory!" Ezalia Zala replied.

"Victory? Do you even know what the victory you speak of looks like?"

"I know very well!"

"Deploying neutron jammers, building forward bases, large-scale weapon deployment – this is what you call knowing?"

"Are you suggesting PLANT should stop resisting and be slaughtered? Junius is still floating out there!"

"Are both PLANT and Earth's Naturals humans? Must we truly fight to the bitter end?"

"Fight to the bitter end? If the fish dies, the net might not break; a good wash will suffice."

"..."

Thank you~ I just came to take a look, and for Trooper1770's tip, I'll make a note of it.

However, because I've been organizing the outline for the past two days, there might only be one update today. The specific situation depends on the evening.

I should be able to start paying off my debts tomorrow~~

~

Thank you!