Jehart was taken aback, not expecting that Fram Nara, who had been sent by Zannald to monitor him, was actually Dolph Frost's sister.
So... did Zannald know about this? And what about Dolph's stance, Fram Nara's stance...
"Please rest assured, Lord Jehart, I remain loyal to you and have no intention of betrayal," Dolph Frost quickly explained, noticing a hint of suspicion in Jehart's eyes.
"Dolph, you should be aware that Zannald and I are not on good terms."
"Yes! Zannald did send Fram to monitor you, but he doesn't know that Fram has always been on your side."
"Is that so?" Jehart asked Fram Nara calmly.
Jehart needed to hear Fram Nara's answer directly. Although he trusted Dolph Frost and his personal guard, he didn't sense any loyalty or agreement from Fram Nara.
If Fram Nara answered truthfully from her heart, Jehart wouldn't make things difficult for her. But if she went along with Dolph Frost's words insincerely, then she couldn't be kept around.
"I will judge whether you are worth following based on your actions, Lord Jehart," Fram Nara said.
"Fram! You..." Dolph Frost was shocked and about to reprimand her, but Jehart interrupted.
"Hmm, I see. Then use your eyes to observe carefully."
"Lord Jehart..."
"It's fine. She's just speaking her mind."
Jehart was satisfied with Fram Nara's answer. Even if she was Dolph Frost's sister, if she could pledge loyalty to Jehart's ideals based solely on her brother's words, she wouldn't be of much use.
Observing with her own eyes and judging with her own heart, discerning what is right and what is wrong—these are the qualities an excellent subordinate should possess.
"From now on, you will serve as my adjutant, Fram. Only by staying close to me will you have the best opportunity to observe me."
"Yes, Lord Jehart."
"Lord Jehart, what about Zannald..." Dolph Frost asked.
"Just report my itinerary to him truthfully," Jehart said. At this point, many things no longer needed to be concealed. He had already gathered considerable strength.
At the same time, he felt that Lord Ezelkanta must have realized their differing ideals but hadn't directly sent troops to suppress him.
Although he didn't know what Lord Ezelkanta was thinking, the fact that no action had been taken gave him more opportunities to strengthen himself.
As for Zannald, a ruthless individual who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, there was no place for him in either Lord Ezelkanta's dream of Eden or the future Jehart was striving for.
"...I understand," Fram Nara said. Although she was still observing Jehart, she would carry out his orders until she reached a conclusion.
"Hmm, Zannald is not a concern. What we really need to focus on... is them."
In the dim office, four screens lit up.
"It's them!"
Seeing the Dawn Gundam and the Luna Gundam in the footage, they were first shocked, then filled with hatred.
"According to the data, these two units are the Dawn Gundam of the Judgment Angel and the Luna Gundam of the Moon Angel, right? I didn't expect that even though the Three Archangels of the Federation are old, two of them would return to the battlefield..."
"Wrong, not two, but three."
"Three?" X4
"This unit is the Battle Angel, Graham Aker," Jehart pointed to the drastically changed Flag Gundam.
"What?"
"Such a huge change. Has the Gundam evolved again?"
"Damn that Grim Reaper!"
The three members of the personal guard looked extremely grim. They had personally experienced how troublesome Gundams were. The original Flag Gundam had already been difficult to handle, and now it had evolved, leaving them unsure how to avenge their fallen brothers and sisters.
"Although Yang Hui and Yurin's Gundams don't seem to have changed much, the research and intelligence departments analyzed the records from Levi City and found that these two Gundams must have undergone significant changes as well. And also..."
As Jehart explained, the four of them focused on the Gundam they had never seen before.
"This is a brand-new Gundam, completely different from Flit Asuno's AGE-1 and Asemu's AGE-2."
"Gundam..."
Ever since the word "Gundam" appeared, it was like a divine punishment from the God of Nightmares upon VEGAN, an endless nightmare that could never be shaken off.
"Beep beep beep..."
"It's me."
"Lord Jehart, Lord Zannald has sent a communication request."
"Put it through," Jehart said, waving his hand to signal the three members of the personal guard to hide in the shadows, leaving only Fram Nara by his side.
"Yes!"
The CIC communication was cut off, and the burly, fierce-eyed Zannald appeared.
"Jehart."
"Zannald, what is it?"
"I'm just reminding you that the battle for Lost Loran is about to begin. You've failed once before; this time, you absolutely cannot fail!"
"Zannald, if I recall correctly, I am the Supreme Commander of the Earth Invasion Operation. You have no right, nor the qualification, to speak to me like this," Jehart countered calmly.
"Hmph! A brat still wet behind the ears. Don't think you can act recklessly just because Lord Ezelkanta favors you..."
"If you have any objections, you can bring them up with Lord Ezelkanta. Until Lord Ezelkanta removes me from my position, I am the Supreme Commander."
"You! Don't think I don't know what you're scheming. I'll be watching you, hmph!"
Zannald, unable to vent his anger, ended the communication.
"Lord Jehart, it seems Zannald has noticed our movements," Dolph Frost said, emerging from the shadows.
"Yes, I know. But it doesn't matter. As long as we don't openly clash with Lord Ezelkanta, we just need to continue with our original plan."
"Yes." X4
"Right now, we should focus on the invasion of Lost Loran."
As he spoke, Jehart pulled up the intelligence on Lost Loran and the findings from the reconnaissance units he had sent out. As he read, his brow gradually furrowed.
"Something feels off..."
"What is it, Lord Jehart?" Fram Nara asked.
"Strange, it shouldn't be like this..." Jehart carefully analyzed the intelligence and reconnaissance results, but the inexplicable sense of incongruity grew stronger, though it remained just out of reach.
Including Fram Nara, everyone in the room fell silent, not daring to disturb Jehart's thoughts.
"The Federal Commander... the return of Yang Hui... Mr. Yang Hui! That's it! I know what's wrong!"
Jehart marked several points of interest on the holographic display.
"These are..." The four of them were puzzled, seeing nothing unusual.
"These are the results from the reconnaissance units, showing the current defensive layout of Lost Loran. Look closely. Can you spot anything unusual?" Jehart didn't reveal the answer directly but instead asked the four of them. He didn't need subordinates who only followed orders; he needed those who could think for themselves, strategize, and help him identify gaps.
"..." The four of them scrutinized the markings, trying to spot something unusual. After a while, Dolph Frost and the other two still couldn't see anything amiss, but Fram Nara noticed something.
"I see it!"
"Go on."
"These defensive units are scattered, seemingly unprepared. But upon closer inspection, the distances between them are quite uniform. If..."
"If what?" Jehart's lips curled as he pressed.
"If these defensive units are bait set by the Federal Army, with enemy forces already lying in ambush nearby, then..."
As she spoke, Fram Nara marked several more spots around the original markings.
At this point, the three members of the personal guard finally understood what was going on, their expressions changing drastically.
"Damn the Federal Army! How treacherous!"
"But... is that possible? Couldn't it just be a coincidence?"
"If we don't overlook one person, then it's likely not a coincidence," Jehart said.
"Who?"
"Mr. Yang Hui."
"Him!"
The three members of the personal guard were startled but quickly found it reasonable.
Only Fram Nara, who wasn't very familiar with Yang Hui, was unconvinced.
"Is he really that formidable? Isn't he just a strong pilot? Including him, there are only three old men."
"You haven't looked into Mr. Yang Hui's background much, have you?" Jehart asked her.
"...I apologize, Lord Jehart."
Fram Nara indeed hadn't delved deeply into Yang Hui's background. She had only briefly reviewed his achievements leading the Celestial Being team to remarkable victories and knew he was also an outstanding researcher.
But she hadn't conducted in-depth research, especially into other aspects of his background.
"Do you know about the intelligence on Flit Asuno, the Supreme Commander of the Earth Federal Army?"
"Yes, one of the former ace pilots of the Federal Army, also a master tactician. The current Admiral of the Federal Army is his disciple."
"To Flit Asuno, Mr. Yang Hui is both an older brother and a teacher. There were even rumors within the Federal Army that if Mr. Yang Hui hadn't deliberately stepped aside, Flit Asuno wouldn't have become the Supreme Commander."
"Really?"
Fram Nara was completely shocked, unaware of such hidden details.
But suddenly, she noticed something.
"Lord Jehart, you... seem to hold that Yang Hui in high regard?" Fram Nara asked cautiously.
Jehart smiled mysteriously and began to explain his past connections with Yang Hui.
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