"Ugh~ Uncle and Aunt, and Dad are really mean." Seeing Yang Hui and the others acting like riddle masters, Unoa pouted in complaint.
"Haha, that's a gift from your brother. Why are you so excited?" Yang Hui chuckled as he ruffled Unoa's hair.
"Because he is my brother!"
"Unoa..." Asemu felt a bit touched. After all, he was also looking forward to what Yang Hui and the others had prepared for him. However, due to his personality and habits formed since childhood, he wouldn't ask even if they didn't say anything.
But this feeling of being touched dissipated in less than a second.
"...If I know what you guys prepared for my brother. When it's my birthday, I can just ask for an even better gift, right?" Unoa added.
Asemu: (☉д⊙)?
"Hahahaha..."
Everyone laughed happily, even Flit, who felt a bit awkward, joined in. They all knew Unoa was just playing around. In fact, she and Asemu respected and admired Flit more than anyone else in the world. Flit would always hold the second place in their hearts.
As for the first place... well, Yang Hui was the one who raised them, so he couldn't compare.
"By the way, Asemu, you're graduating this year, right?" Yang Hui asked.
"Yeah."
"Have you thought about what you want to do after graduation?"
As soon as he said this, the cheerful atmosphere quieted down. Everyone's gaze focused on Asemu, filled with anticipation, entanglement, and worry.
"Future plans, huh..." Asemu's expression hesitated, "...I haven't thought about it in detail, but I guess I will join the Federal Army?"
"Why?" Emily immediately asked. She supported Asemu in pursuing what he wanted to do, just like she had supported Flit back in the day. But as a mother, she naturally didn't want Asemu to encounter danger.
"Uncle Yang Hui, Uncle Graham, and Dad, you all taught me since I was little that as a man, I must protect the things I love. Isn't it a time of war now? The most direct way to protect you all is to join the army, right?" Asemu said.
"Protect us?"
"Yeah!" Asemu nodded.
"Pfft~ Hahahaha..."
"Hahaha, you little brat, don't think you can act tough just because it's your birthday today!"
"You think you can protect us? Hahaha..."
Yang Hui and Graham laughed the loudest. Asemu, this little kid, really dared to say that! He was just a student who hadn't even graduated yet. They had only taken him through some MS simulations half as a game, and now he thought he could protect them, the absolute aces of the Federation?
"I'm serious! Even if I can't do it now, I will definitely be able to in the future!" Asemu complained, feeling dissatisfied. He had mustered a lot of courage to say that, yet he was met with laughter. As a boy, his dignity only strengthened his resolve.
Yang Hui patted Asemu on the shoulder and smiled, "Good, you're a man. We'll wait for you to protect us."
"Uncle Yang Hui..."
"Just... it might be many years from now."
"Don't underestimate me, Uncle! Hmph!"
"Hahaha..."
...
The birthday party ended successfully. After tidying up, Vargas, Emily, Asemu, and Unoa all returned to their rooms, while Yang Hui, Graham, Yurin, and Flit stayed behind, as some topics were not suitable to discuss in front of others.
"Flit, are you sure you want to do this?" At this moment, Yang Hui's face was devoid of any smile, and his serious tone made the atmosphere heavy.
"Yeah, Asemu is a man of the Asuno Family. This is his responsibility and his mission," Flit said.
"Why not think about ending the war in our generation?" Graham asked Flit.
"Do you think that's possible?" Flit countered, "With our efforts, the war between the Federation and VEGAN has finally reached a stalemate, but you all know that the Federation is still at a disadvantage. It's entirely supported by a large population and resource reserves. To completely turn the situation around, it won't be possible for at least ten years. And..."
"Internal traitors in the Federation's upper echelons..."
Flit had noticed the presence of VEGAN traitors in the Federation's high ranks over a decade ago. Even if they weren't traitors, they were secret collaborators, and their positions were quite high. Even if their identities were discovered, there was no substantial evidence to be found.
"But you shouldn't keep Emily and Unoa in the dark as well," Yurin accused.
"It's impossible to hide things from Emily and Unoa. Once they find out, Asemu will sense something is off, and then doing this would be meaningless."
"But we can't let them fall into such danger."
"I've already told Vargas. He will pay attention to Emily and Unoa's safety. And with you all here, I believe you will protect them well." Flit remained steadfast in his decision, unfazed by Yurin's accusations.
"Honestly, Flit..." Yang Hui suddenly stood up, grabbing Flit's collar and looking him in the eye, "I really want to punch you right now, knock a few teeth out before you go back to the Big Ring. When did you start using your own family? I don't remember teaching you any of this nonsense."
"This is the best arrangement, the most reasonable arrangement. We all know the stalemate has reached its peak. VEGAN won't tolerate this situation continuing; there will definitely be major moves. I don't want to see Asemu joining the fierce war without understanding anything," Flit said seriously, his determined gaze meeting Yang Hui's.
"Tch."
Yang Hui released Flit's collar and turned to walk out. As he reached the door, he said without looking back, "Emily and Unoa are also our family. We will protect them."
Yurin naturally followed Yang Hui out, leaving only Graham and Flit behind.
"Do you think I did the wrong thing?" Flit asked Graham.
"No, you did the right thing. Yang Hui doesn't think you did anything wrong either. Asemu will inevitably pilot the new Gundam to join the war. That's why we've been teaching him various things since he was little. This is the mission of the Asuno Family, and it's also a curse," Graham said.
"...Yang Hui, he..."
"He's just angry that you didn't discuss it with us beforehand. If you had, we could have come up with a foolproof plan. You know that guy values family and friends more than anyone."
"...I'm sorry, that was my mistake."
"Flit, don't bear all the pressure on your own shoulders. After all, Yang Hui and I are your brothers."
"Yeah, I understand."
...
On the other side, after Asemu returned to his room, he stared at the AGE Device, lost in thought. In fact, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to become a soldier. The reason he answered that way was purely subconscious, after all, his family was the top military family in the entire Federation.
His father, Flit, was the Commander of the Federal Army, and he had grown up watching him. His most admired uncles and aunts were also ace pilots of the Federal Army. It was said that his mother had once been a nurse in the military's health department.
So Asemu had been raised with the mindset of a soldier, and it felt entirely natural for him to consider joining the Federal Army.
"It seems... I don't have any other choice, do I?" Asemu shook his head with a bitter smile.
He said he would think carefully about his future, but after a little thought, he realized that aside from joining the army, he had no other path to take. Otherwise, how could he gain his father's and uncles' and aunts' approval?
Moreover, the deeply ingrained belief that "men must protect the ones they love" left him unable to think of any other way to protect his beloved family.
So...
"I'll talk to Uncle Yang Hui again tomorrow."
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/TLGod
Thanks!