All hail Lellouch Ch 27.
"Mister Lamperouge, what is your campaign agenda for the position of leadership of the New Commonwealth, now that the referendums have all passed?" The first question came from the group of reporters that was interviewing him.
"Fix it, that's my agenda."
At that a flurry of camera flashes passed as the reporters all scribbled down on their notepads and thousands of comments appeared on the live stream to this press conference.
"Fix what exactly your excellency?"
"Everything, for everything is broken. The postal service, healthcare, the school system, the justice system, everything is so broken that up until the referendum itself the world was engulfed in chaos. Can any of you honestly say that anything is functional in the EU or China?"
Another flurry of flashes, scribbles and comments followed.
"And what makes you so certain that you can successfully reorganize the entire world."
"I can achieve such an objective, because the deplorable state the world is in today it is impossible for me to, pardon the my language, screw it up even more than it already is." Lellouch added and then withdrew from the stage amidst a sea of flashbulbs and a cacophony of reporters asking questions.
"Mister Lamperouge, is it true that you will not participate in the upcoming electoral debate?"
"Never argue with fools. They'll stun you into silence with their stupidity, drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."
"Are you calling the governments of China and the EU fools?"
"And corrupt, incompetent, cowardly and only interested in votes, only to discard the voters once they're in office."
Lellouch continue to answer the questions as he made his way towards his prime minister column escort.
"Your excellency, what is your response to the accusation that this is another attempt from Brittania to conquer the world?"
"If I wasn't trying to rule the world, then I wouldn't be a candidate for the position of leader of the Commonwealth." He replied before he entered the limousine and they drove away from the reporters.
"I don't think even you would vote for yourself after such a pompous campaign press conference." C.C said from the opposite limo seat as she munched on pizza.
"That's the whole point." Lellouch replied as he went over a few drafts for the new laws he was putting through the Republic's parliament.
This whole referendum debacle was actually in his favor, since the Republican politicians where so focused on getting a piece of the power that came with the Commonwealth, that they were giving concessions left and right to him.
"Rivals will need to modify page 4 of the '4 year prime minister limit law'. And page 12 on the 2 terms max limit of the Presidential law, along with page 3 of the 8 years limit of terms as an mp or house of lords member" Lellouch muttered to himself as he went over the drafts.
"Why are you so adamant about limiting these things, won't it limit your time in power?" C.C asked.
"No king reigns forever."
"King? I thought you were a, what is it that you called yourself? A 'humble servant of the people'?"
"Don't try to play this game with me witch."
"Or what? You'll drag me down to your level and beat me with experience?" C.C said with a smirk, making Lellouch fume and glare at her. He did a few steady breaths to calm his nerves before he replied to her.
"I will eventually lose power. All in power eventually fall from grace and as such I would rather it be on my terms and with that I'll leave these new laws, which will act against any potential power hungry tyrants that will do whatever it takes to remain in power. This way they will be removed before they become a state within a state and also force them to continuously do some good for the common man so as to get elected." Lellouch replied.
"Won't they also hamper the politicians that have good intentions?"
"There is no such thing as a politician with good intention, only ones those whose do more good than harm."
"Speaking from experience?"
"Yes."
At that C.C gave out a brief chuckle.
"But why 8 years limit as an mp, 4 years as prime minister and 2 terms as president?" C.C asked.
"Because any more than that an you have system where they stay in power until they die. The Empire was such a system…..never again!" Lellouch vowed solemnly as he finished with his papers and then checked the poll numbers, his approval rating was high in the Republic, but low in the E.U and China, this was his intent all along.
If the elections continued to produce no clear winner, then the Commonwealth could crash and burn as it was designed to do.
He only needed it long enough to get the laws passed through Parliament and the House of Lords.
After that he checked on the interned the comments about his campaign from those outside his support base, namely the opposition to the undecided voters.
"I don't like him, but I don't like the other candidates."
"I'll be the first to vote against him come election day!"
"Like I'd follow some young punk!"
"I'm conflicted about this."
Were the various opinions from outside his support base, which was fine by him. Everything was going according to plan.
A few hours passed after that and Lellouch made his way to his office and once alone he turned on the TV to watch the debates between the main candidates.
Amongst the dozen or so candidates where two that he considered his biggest rivals, Xingke and Kaguya Summeragi.
As he watched them Lellouch's imagination ran wild. He pictured 3 great towers rising from the darkness, two towers bathed in blue light and the third one in red.
He imagined himself on the red tower and Kaguya and Xingke on each of the other two.
"You're move. Even if it's the last one from checkmate." Lellouch thought to them as an imaginary mental battle raged between the 3 of them.
This was the great trinity whose actions would shape the world.
All 3 of them starred at each other, daring the other to make a move.
Then something happened, something that not even Lellouch could comprehend happening.
Kaguya and Xingke turned their gaze towards him
"You are right Lellouch-kun." Lellouch heard in Kaguya's voice.
"It is the last move before checkmate." Xingke added.
"For you."
"For you."
Both voices echoed as the flesh and blood Kaguya and Xingke spoke.
"The Dragon Party will fully endorse and partner up with the Republican L.S.D party and we fully endorse Lellouch Lamperouge as Supreme Chancellor of the Commonwealth." Xingke said to the world.
"The Mount Fuji party will also endorse Lellouch Lamperouge."
Kaguya said and there and then Lellouch felt like the sky itself crashed on his head, he could barely breathe, let alone blink or think. How could he ever imagine that Kaguya and Xingke would team up and use Lellouch's own words and actions as a way to defeat him.
"This…this…this will put me in the lead. Which will force me to become Chancellor and I'll have to give them the money from the Titan sales and the Kyoto trade deal….I've….I've lost!" Lellouch thought to himself as he pictured himself falling of the great red tower and into the black abyss.
"Checkmate."
"Checkmate."
His blue clad opponents said as they watched him fall from grace. It was over.
"No! Check, but not checkmate!" Lellouch suddenly thought and stopped his descent. Surprising Kaguya and Xingke from atop their blue towers.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A week after that it was time for another press conference from Lellouch's side. And as the cameras shutters snapped shut upon Lellouch's entering the podium where he would make his press announcement both Xingke and Kaguya eyed their opponent.
"Why does he look so calm and confident of victory? And why did he wait until now to reply?"
"Why does he look so calm and confident of victory? And why did he wait until now to reply?""
They thought in unison from their respective campaign seats.
"Ladies and gentleman of the world, and those of you who fall into other categories." Lellouch said with a wink which made the reporters giggle at that.
"With the election of such a momentous event of global proportions, many of you ask why vote for me? What makes me more qualified than the other candidates? The answer to that is.." Lellouch paused and kept silence for a moment, this made the whole world hold its breath as that silent moment seemed to hypnotize them all.
"…I am not." Lellouch said and a barrage of camera shudders all went off at that time with such intensity and a wave of questions came in such plenty from the reporters that Lellouch actually felt the vibrations in his ears drums from the intensity.
"I am not qualified to rule the world. I am not a virtuous person. I have lied, I have gambled in underground casinos, I have shared my bed with multiple women at once. I have cheated, I have stolen, I have been vengeful, without mercy or remorse and I enjoyed every minute of them. My only regret is that I cannot go back in time and do it all again! So come election day cast your vote to the one you think of as a leader. For I am only a fool…..in checkmate." Lellouch said and left the podium, this time not answering any of the reporters' questions.
But leaving behind a stunned Kaguya and Xingke.
"You thought that you had bested me. But you didn't count on me giving up power. That's your problems, a general never considers defeat and a noble never even thinks of giving up. But I've won! With this my campaign will crash and burn."
Lellouch said to them, this time he was back on the top of the red tower and his tower was rising above both Kaguya and Xingke's tower.
"But you'll lose your power base in the Republic!"
"But you'll lose your power base in the Republic!"
The duo asked him in this duel in the mental plane shared by all 3 now.
"Lose? I didn't lose, I invested in the future. Currently I am at my peak politically. I will use this failed Commonwealth as an excuse to retire before the economy shifts once more and I can once more avoid the blame for when the bad times come, with my legacy undamaged I can then use that to help Kallen, Millie, Rivals, Jeremiah and Suzaku succeed me and take back the reins of power after the opposition is disgraced by the coming economic hard times. Do you now understand? You didn't win the battle? I won the war and gave you a token victory out of pity!"
Lellouch replied in his mind and then the two towers started to crumble and sink towards the abyss.
Lellouch returned to the real world and barely being able to prevent himself from laughing like a madman, he once more checked the comments from the undecided voters and the opposition supporters.
"You know I was unsure about him. But now I'm voting for him!"
"Finally someone who isn't another two-faced politician."
"Shit man, I'm starting to like this asshole."
"You know what. I still hate the damn white devil's guts, but at least he's honest about it!"
Lellouch dropped his phone there and then.
"This….this can't be happening!" Lellouch said as he collapsed on his knees as more and more support poured in from the neutral and opposition supporters.
His phone started ringing, and with trembling fingers Lellouch's answered it.
"Lellouch, this is crazy! We're getting data from all over the world, you're growing like crazy in support!" Rivals said over the phone.
"My liege, I just received word from out spies in the EU and China. Germany has declared bankruptcy, even thought our sources know that they still have staying power and we're getting reports that other countries are preparing to do the same." Jeremiah was the next to report.
"Our party members are asking for the official naming of positions in the Commonwealth or they are threatening to break the government and force us into special elections." Kallen was the next to reply.
"I just heard from one of my drunken union guests. It looks like the military and the police are preparing for a massive strike, and from his slurred words it's not gonna be only in the Republic!" Millie was the next bearer of bad news.
Chaos, pure unaltered chaos reigned once more, for Lellouch may had won this war, but by losing the battle to win the war he now had a miserable victory. More of a defeat than anything else.
But the despair did not last long, for he quickly recovered, got up on his feet and picked up his phone with calmness, confidence and determination in his soul.
For this unexpected reply from the population and the reports from his friends and allies that where to well timed to be a coincidence, it mean only one thing.
"This swift adaptation to an unexpected mass event, plus this timing and efficiency. It's you, isn't it? This was your plan all along, get us to fight each other and then strike at the victor while he's still recovering from the big Kansas city shuffle for power, now there is no doubt in my mind." Lellouch muttered to himself as he replied to the ones that contacted him.
"Set up a meeting with Kaguya, Xingke, Todoh and the whatever leader you may find in the EU. Tell them Schneizell has made fools of us all." Lellouch said and after finishing the conversation he opened the chess app on an in progress game and moved a white piece.
"Check. But not checkmate." Lellouch said in challenge and from an unknown location a certain blonde prince smiled with delight.
xxxxxx
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