Chapter 196: Quattro
Blex left just like that—abruptly and without preamble—as if merely offering Char a solution was all he needed to do.
But Char understood very well that no matter what choice he made, if Lalah was sent to that Newtype research institute, given his own somewhat suspicious nature, he could never be at ease entrusting her to them.
Eventually, to obtain peace of mind, he would still have to join AEUG.
He watched from the window as Blex got into the car across the street and drove off.
Char silently let the curtain fall and stared at the business card in his hand.
In the end, he carefully put away the card Blex had handed him and turned to head upstairs.
Hearing footsteps, Latuera poked her head out nervously from the innermost room on the second floor. She relaxed upon seeing it was Char.
Latuera knew Char's identity, which was why she'd panicked earlier—afraid someone had come to take them away.
"Don't worry, it's nothing like that. It won't interfere with your and little Kelly's life. But we may have to consider moving out of here."
Though he said that, Char honestly had no hope of escaping.
Since they had already managed to track him down once, it meant they could easily do it again.
Rather than wasting energy trying to run, it was better to focus on suppressing the thoughts about Lalah's possible recovery.
Char entered Lalah's room. The girl of Indian descent was still asleep.
She had been asleep like this for nearly four years.
Even now, Char still desperately hoped she would wake up.
He held her hand, his azure eyes filled with hesitation and uncertainty.
He pressed his forehead gently against hers. It was an action he had repeated countless times in the past.
As fellow Newtypes, if Lalah still retained consciousness, she should be able to receive his thoughts this way.
That's what Char believed.
"Lalah… what should I do?"
In the days that followed, Char lived a peaceful life, as if Blex had never come to see him.
Until one day, as he was washing Lalah's body, he looked at her tightly shut eyes—and suddenly tears fell from his own.
Lalah's eyes had once been the most captivating thing about her to Char.
Those ethereal eyes always seemed to be gazing far into the distance.
That quality made her immensely appealing to Char, who was constantly weighed down by the mundane burdens of reality.
So, Char went to that bar.
When he entered, the only one there was Brigadier General Blex, and on the bar were two glasses of liquor—one of them being Char's usual.
Seeing all this, how could Char not realize how easily his movements had been tracked?
"So this bar was an AEUG base… I really didn't expect that."
Char let out a sigh and still stepped forward to sit down, picking up the glass from the bar.
"I didn't expect to see the famous Char Aznable here either."
Blex raised his own glass in greeting and took a sip.
"As for Miss Lalah's matter, I've already arranged everything. If you want, you can depart for the Newtype research institute on Earth as early as tomorrow."
Rather than seeking an answer right away, Blex first explained why Char had ended up here.
Char remained silent, which in itself was a tacit agreement.
"Tell me more about AEUG."
Seeing that Blex had gone silent after bringing up Lalah, Char couldn't help but speak up.
"May I take that to mean you're considering joining us?"
"…Let me hear more first."
Having been removed from the endless duties of Axis and largely withdrawn from Zeon, Char had been idle for almost half a year—and now he found himself yearning again for the days when he had something to fight for.
Blex chuckled and lit a cigarette.
"You know, the Federation government issued an energy restriction order. Because of the scarcity of helium-3, everyone in the Federation has to endure hardship together."
Blex's gaze grew distant.
"But do you know what I saw last month when I flew to Jaburo to attend the helium-3 defense hearing? Looking down from the shuttle… Dakar, Paris—all those places where the elites live—were brightly lit."
As he spoke, Blex laughed coldly, mocking those in power.
"I've always admired General Revil—he saved the Federation and managed to rein in the growing ambitions of those in Parliament. But from where I stand, efforts within the system have already reached their limit."
Blex said to Char.
"General Revil, who should've been the greatest hero of this crisis, did indeed get promoted—he's now the Federation's sole General. But…"
Blex gave a short laugh.
"Systemic reform has gone as far as it can. That's why I created AEUG. Not merely to grant independence to the space colonies—but to correct this unjust social order. Only by doing that can humanity keep moving toward a better future."
Char thought of his father's ideals.
When his father first proposed the Newtype theory, it was during the time when the Federation had just begun to break its promises to the space colonies and reveal its indifference toward their people.
From that perspective, could Zeon Deikun have been motivated by the inequality in resource distribution—hoping to use Newtypes to overthrow the old order?
The burden of the previous generation had always weighed heavily on Char.
In the past, he had vented that pressure through his hatred of the Zabi family. But now that the Zabis were dead, Char had begun reflecting on his father's ideals.
Because the name "Deikun" itself symbolized responsibility—whether as the instigator of this current world or its leader. As a Deikun, Char believed he had to shoulder that burden.
Especially now that his sister, Artesia, had already started walking her own path.
"I think I understand now, General Blex."
Char gently touched his own face.
"In that case, I need you to lead the former Zeon members in AEUG. Some of them share my ideals, while others joined simply because AEUG opposes the Federation. I need you, as a symbol of Zeon, to guide them—to help them understand what they are truly fighting for."
Was Blex referring to Char Aznable—or Casval Deikun?
The blond man raised his head and looked at the general before him.
From the look in Blex's eyes, he understood something.
The man was waiting for him to make a choice.
It didn't matter which identity he chose—either was acceptable to Blex.
But Char lowered his head and gave no answer to the look of anticipation in those eyes.
At that moment, he realized—he still wasn't ready to step into the spotlight and lead others.
With no other option, almost like running away, he reached into his coat and pulled out those familiar sunglasses, placing them over his eyes to hide his gaze.
Only then did he have the nerve to lift his head and look at Blex.
"Sorry… for now, I'm Quattro Bajeena. No one else."