Chapter 195: Blex
As soon as he stepped onto the street of the colony satellite, Quattro Bajeena took off his sunglasses and slipped them into the bag in his hand.
It wasn't that he was giving up on concealing his identity, but rather that the circumstances simply no longer allowed for walking around the streets of the colony with sunglasses on.
Due to a power restriction currently in effect on the colony, and given that it was nighttime, there was little illumination on the streets. Apart from the occasional streetlamp still flickering, most of the lights had gone out.
This colony had once enjoyed a lively nightlife, but now, that had all but vanished.
Quattro began walking toward his home on the colony.
It was a standalone house in a relatively nice residential area.
There were rumors that the previous owner of this house was the founder of DAIBAN, Tem Ray, who had risen to fame among children thanks to Gunpla. Supposedly, this was the house he had lived in during his downfall.
If that was true, then fate's sense of irony was almost too cruel to be funny.
Quattro walked at a slow pace, letting the night breeze carry away the lingering effects of his alcohol.
Even if his wife wouldn't notice he'd been drinking, there was still a newborn baby at home. He figured he should at least make an effort to be responsible.
The night breeze was slightly cool, but not unpleasant.
According to the colony's seasonal chart, spring was just about to turn into summer, which meant the days would soon get longer.
Quattro was thinking about such trivial matters when he turned the corner toward his house.
He put his sunglasses back on.
It wasn't without reason—he had immediately sensed a gaze locked onto him.
It wasn't the casual glance of a passerby. This gaze was deliberate—targeted.
Its source was a black luxury sedan parked right across from his front door.
Through the tinted lens, even with his vision dimmed, he carefully studied the man in the driver's seat of the car.
Through the front windshield, he saw the man pick up a radio and transmit some kind of message.
The sight made Quattro furrow his brows, though it also put him slightly at ease.
These people didn't appear to be from the Federation or Zeon—far too unprofessional.
But even so, he couldn't figure out which organization they might belong to.
Without showing any sign of distress, Quattro stepped through his front gate and pulled out his key to unlock the door—only for the door to open before he could.
"Mr. Quattro, someone's here to see you."
A gentle female voice greeted him, though the unease in her tone was barely concealed.
The woman was cradling a baby in her arms, her helpless expression fixed on Quattro.
"I understand. Latuera, take the child to Lalah's room."
Quattro handed the plastic bag to Latuera—a visibly pregnant woman whom Cima had sent over five months ago.
Quattro had initially intended to refuse her, but when he saw how lost and alone she looked, he took on the responsibility of caring for her.
Though to be honest, it was more like she was the one taking care of him.
She'd used her own assets to buy this house.
Shaking off a twinge of guilt, Quattro gestured for her to go upstairs via the staircase beside the entryway.
Once she had gone upstairs, Quattro's gaze fell upon a pair of men's leather shoes left at the entrance.
They weren't synthetic—they were genuine leather.
There was no doubt that whoever had come to see him was someone of status.
Had he come alone to show sincerity?
Quattro changed into indoor shoes and put his outdoor shoes into the cabinet.
But as he looked at the open shoe cabinet, he paused in thought.
He wasn't staring at the shoes themselves, but at a hidden compartment within the cabinet—inside was a handgun.
After a long moment, he finally closed the cabinet and walked toward the living room.
He couldn't afford to put Lalah, Latuera, and her child in danger.
Even as he made this decision, his thoughts wandered to the decorative rapier hanging on the living room wall—at least that might serve as a deterrent.
When he entered the living room, the lights were bright—despite the power restrictions, essential household electricity wasn't too strained. After all, it was nuclear-powered.
Seated on the sofa, with his back to Quattro, was a lone figure.
Sensing Quattro's presence, the man turned slightly, allowing Quattro to see his profile.
Curly light blond hair and a thick beard marked him as someone older.
"Sorry to drop by uninvited, Mr. Quattro. This house looks like a comfortable place to live."
Quattro hadn't expected the man's opening line to be a comment about his home.
He stood silently for a moment, then walked over to the dining table and poured two cups of tea, placing them on the coffee table before sitting across from the man.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me who you are?"
After asking the question, Quattro picked up a cup and sipped, trying to clear the alcohol-induced haze from his head.
This wasn't exactly an ideal state for a proper conversation.
"But of course. I'm Blex Forer, a major general in the Earth Federation Forces."
His hand paused mid-sip. The cheap tea leaves floated on the surface like his swirling thoughts.
"My apologies, Major General."
As a former member of the Federation Forces, "Quattro" set his cup down and straightened up, offering a salute to Blex.
The rather half-hearted salute reflected the fact that Quattro knew Blex hadn't come because of his old military affiliation.
Subtly, Quattro's gaze flicked toward the rapier on the wall.
"Hahaha, looks like you've adapted well to the role of a Federation officer, Colonel Char."
"...Since we're laying it all out, let's get to the point—what do you want with me?"
Quattro—no, Char—said calmly.
Fortunately, the man only seemed to know the identity of "Char," and not the face beneath the mask...
"I'd like you to join my cause—join AEUG."
Blex leaned forward slightly, making sure Char could meet his gaze clearly.
Did he really not know...?
Char wondered to himself.
"I have a wife who needs my care. I'm sorry, but I can't join you."
Char did, in fact, agree with parts of AEUG's ideology—but not enough to abandon Lalah, still unconscious, and throw himself into something so dangerous.
"If it's about Lalah Sune, perhaps I can help. Don't let appearances fool you—I'm part of the Revil faction. Arranging for someone to be examined at the Newtype Research Institute is something I can manage."
Blex's words hit Char right where he was most vulnerable.
"No matter what your answer ends up being, I'll arrange the examination for Lalah. In return, please keep the fact that I lead AEUG a secret. That's classified."
Blex stood up, as though he'd already gotten the answer he was looking for.
"Living behind a mask is exhausting. In that sense, I should probably learn from you."
With those parting words, Blex turned to leave—and Char, who had been planning to see him out, stopped in his tracks.