A week later, Yang Hui arrived at the Asuno Family to attend Kio's coming-of-age ceremony. Besides family members, Jehart brought Fram Nara and three members of the personal guard. As Kio's girlfriend, Wendy was naturally present, along with good friends Dean and Lu, and even former comrades-in-arms.
The three captains and vice-captains of the personal guard had been captured by Yang Hui during the battle of Laglamis, but he hadn't killed them. When possible, retaining talented individuals to work for him was always a worthwhile deal.
Lu's physical condition had been poor, but with the help of a treatment pod and updated medication, she could manage short outings.
However...
How did Lu and Wendy manage to be both rivals in love and as close as sisters? Was the Asuno Family finally branching into two?
But these were minor matters, not worth too much concern.
"Yang Hui, you're here," Yurin said, taking Yang Hui's hand and leading him inside to where Kio stood.
The lively atmosphere instantly cooled. Everyone held their breath, watching Yang Hui and Kio. They all knew that Yang Hui had harbored resentment toward Kio because of Yurin's injury, and that the tension hadn't eased over the years. Now that Yang Hui was attending Kio's coming-of-age ceremony, they wondered if this could finally mend their relationship.
"Grandpa Yang Hui..."
Kio kept his head down, not daring to look at Yang Hui. He had never resented Yang Hui for his coldness; he knew it was his own fault back then. All he wanted was Yang Hui's forgiveness.
"...Sigh." Yang Hui looked at Kio with the same calm expression as always, but eventually sighed. He wanted to pat Kio's head, but Kio had grown so tall now, almost as tall as him. In the end, he simply placed a hand on Kio's shoulder and gave it a light pat. "Kio, you've grown up."
"Grandpa Yang Hui!" Kio suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly welling with tears. "Yes!"
"Oh~! The Lieutenant General has softened!"
"Idiot! The Lieutenant General has retired! It's former Lieutenant General now."
"So what if I call him Lieutenant General? He'll always be my idol!"
"That's great, Kio."
"I knew today would go well!"
...
"Alright, go and greet the others."
"No need, Grandpa Yang Hui. We were just waiting for you," Kio said.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, you're the only one who was late," Flit and Graham teased.
"Is that so? What should I do then?" Yang Hui asked with a smile.
"Nothing much, Grandpa Yang Hui..." Suddenly, Kio became shy, leaving Yang Hui puzzled.
"Idiot! Kio, didn't you want to cut the cake with Uncle Yang Hui?"
"That's right! You didn't want Mom and Dad, or Grandpa and Grandma, but you wanted to cut the cake with Uncle Yang Hui and Aunt Yurin. Isn't that your wish for today?"
"Is that so?" Amid the chatter, Yang Hui finally understood what Kio was thinking. He smiled and took Yurin's hand, leading her to the cake. "What are we waiting for?"
"Huh? Yes!" Kio nodded happily, running to stand between Yang Hui and Yurin. Together, they grasped the knife and made the first cut into the cake.
"Pop~ Pop~"
Fireworks and ribbons flew, cameras clicked, and applause filled the air.
"Congratulations, Kio, on becoming an adult."
...
Ten years later, the development of the Ivalice System, which nullifies the diseases caused by Martian radiation, was completed. Thanks to this, the Martian sphere became a safe place to live, and the people of VEGAN fully integrated into the Federation society. Humanity finally found a living space that could accommodate the entire population.
For the world of Gundam AGE, a new era had finally arrived.
And for Yang Hui and his companions, their journey was about to turn a new page.
[Now settling the Gundam AGE world for the Commander...
Gundam AGE World Phase 3 Mission Released: Successfully obtained EXA-DB, successfully destroyed the guardian Sidd, successfully prevented the destruction of the Second Moon in the final battle, and successfully developed a method to cure the unknown Martian disease 20 years ahead of schedule. Rewards increased.
Rewards Obtained: 1 construction opportunity, 2 building enhancement opportunities, 2 skill extraction opportunities, 2 skill enhancement opportunities, medium resource package.
Created a new series of Gundams—deviation rate 11%.
Provided the Earth Federation with a large amount of advanced technology, advancing the Earth Federation's scientific research by over 50 years—deviation rate 8%.
Ensured the survival of Commander Hendry Bruza—deviation rate 1%.
Ensured the survival of Yurin Louser and informed her about the Prometheus Fortress in advance, leading her to become a B-class pilot—deviation rate 15%.
Desil Galette died prematurely—deviation rate 12%.
Grodek Ainoa survived and passed away naturally—deviation rate 4%.
Woolf Enneacle, Obright Lorain, Remi Ruth, Seric Abis, Shanalua Maron, Lu Aion, Dean Aion... survived—deviation rate 10%.
Jehart Galette survived and was greatly influenced by the Commander, undergoing significant changes—deviation rate 13%.
Fram Nara, Dole Frost, Orfa Dist, Dit Lancer survived—deviation rate 4%.
Established the [Celestial Being] unit, achieved numerous feats, and trained a large number of elite pilots for the Earth Federation—deviation rate 9%.
Gundam AGE-2 was not destroyed by Sidd, and Asemu Asuno did not become a space pirate—deviation rate 6%.
Gerard Nailf, Rena Spriggan survived and joined the [Celestial Being] unit, Angola Zuo joined the [Celestial Being] unit early—deviation rate 5%.
...
Total Deviation Rate Obtained: 121%, exceeding 100%. Qualification to connect the Gundam AGE world with the Prometheus Fortress has been granted. Please, Commander, determine the connection location and establish a two-way channel.]
"It's done, not bad. How about yours?" Yang Hui asked Graham.
"Two skill extractions, two skill enhancements, and a small resource package," Graham replied.
"Not bad at all. What we need most right now are resources," Yang Hui was quite satisfied with the mission rewards. The construction and enhancement opportunities were good, but since they didn't yet know the rules for personnel flow between worlds after the connection, expanding the Prometheus Fortress wasn't as urgent.
But resources were a different matter—they were hard currency. If nothing else, the research institute's tech tree still had numerous dimmed icons waiting for Yang Hui to unlock, especially the GN Drive and VEDA. Even if he managed to unlock these two technologies through research in the testing zone, it would consume a massive amount of resources—far more than they could currently afford.
And after research came production, which would again require resources. Though the exact costs in the production zone were still unknown, Yang Hui guessed they wouldn't be low.
"So, the mission is complete? We can head to the Prometheus Fortress you mentioned right away?" Flit asked.
"Yes."
"Hmm, I'm really looking forward to it."
"An infinite world, an infinite journey. Hurry up, Uncle Yang Hui—I can't wait!" Asemu said excitedly.
"I may not be able to fight, but I can still help."
"Mom, Dad, uncles, aunts—you can't leave me behind!"
"I can't wait to see another Eden in another world too."
"Wherever Lord Jehart goes, we follow."
...
Yang Hui, Graham, and Yurin were surrounded by a sizable crowd. Nearly the entire Asuno family was present, except for Kio, along with Jehart, Fram Nara, Unoa, the elderly Woolf, Mireille, and others—all old friends of the trio and all elite talents in their own right.
After the completion of the Ivalice System (a system for treating and preventing Martian diseases), Yang Hui had gathered them and revealed his and Graham's true identities, as well as the secrets of the Prometheus Fortress.
At first, they were just as stunned as Sumeragi and the others had been when they first heard it, suspecting it might be an April Fool's prank.
But once they confirmed it wasn't a joke, excitement took over. The chance to journey through infinite worlds and experience countless fantastical adventures—no one with even a shred of ambition would pass that up.
Initially, Jehart had restrained his excitement, intending to decline the offer. He still had the entire VEGAN behind him and couldn't abandon its people for his own desires.
But Yang Hui had a solution for that too—inviting Lady Donyell to the Prometheus Fortress as well.
Even without Mephis' calculations, it was inevitable that the deviation would exceed 100%. World connections meant the movement of people, so there was no issue with Lady Donyell, who lacked combat abilities, joining them.
Once Lady Donyell became a member of the Prometheus Fortress, her lifespan was fixed. With her lifespan stabilized, she could remain in the Gundam AGE world long-term, not only stabilizing VEGAN but also serving as a trusted figure among the leadership. Having at least one high-ranking individual aware of the Prometheus Fortress would help conceal its existence in the early stages while gradually gaining control over the Federation, eventually revealing the fortress to the Gundam AGE world step by step.
What? Lady Donyell was from VEGAN?
Please—with access to infinite worlds, what difference did Federation and VEGAN even make? They were all people of the Gundam AGE world. And did the Federation's leadership really need any further description?
So Lady Doryn was a chess piece controlling the world of Gundam AGE, working in tandem with Argreus to stabilize this world.
Of course, Argreus also made demands—stabilizing the political situation was fine, but he still wanted opportunities to command battles in other worlds. After all, he prided himself as a tactician, and combat was what he yearned for most.
"Anytime, but there's one issue—where should the entrance and exit of the Two-Way Channel be placed?" Yang Hui asked.
"..."
Everyone fell into thought. Indeed, the location of the channel's access points was crucial. Humanity lacked many things, but ambition was never in short supply. If an ambitious schemer set their sights on Prometheus Fortress, it could spell disaster.
For instance, simply stationing forces at the entrance to attack anyone emerging would sever the connection. Or what if Prometheus Fortress became a pretext to spread fear-mongering or conspiracy theories?
"...How about placing it in VEGAN?" Lady Doryn suggested. "With Jehart and my control over VEGAN, even if ambitious individuals arise, we can nip them in the bud immediately."
"No good. What if the Federation uses it to pressure VEGAN?"
"The Federation is definitely out of the question—they're the most dangerous."
"What about here? No one would dare force their way into the Asuno Family," Asemu proposed.
"Also not ideal. It's too small for large-scale traffic."
"Then Yang Corporation it is. That's the only place guaranteed to be secure," Flit said.
"Hmm... I'm just worried that if we're away too long, we might lose our grip on the subordinates..." Yang Hui voiced his concern.
"Don't you have that independent research institute? The people there are your absolute loyalists, all elite talents. It's normal for them to disappear for long periods, and the facility isn't small either," Graham reminded him.
"Right! How could I forget about that place?" Yang Hui clapped his hands—it truly was a perfect location. But...
"Did your brain just have an epiphany?" Yang Hui gave Graham a strange look.
Graham:凸(艹皿艹)
"Ha ha ha.".."
"Alright, enough joking." Yang Hui gestured for everyone to quiet down, then looked at them with keen interest. "Everyone, ready to witness a miracle?"