Chapter 27
The Restitution of Purpose
As with most inaugural music, the theme that now played was intended to be dynamic and catchy. The two men it was meant to serve as a prelude to did not look especially impressed by it, one probably because he had heard it countless times before, and the other because the nerves of steel that let him fight and kill multiple opponents with his own sword also meant very little else could faze him.
"Good evening and welcome to Nightline in Japan," the report said. "I'm your host, Diethard Ried, and with us once more is His Eminence, the Cardinal Lamperouge. I'll dispense with the gramercy this time around, if Your Eminence does not mind?"
Lelouch shrugged. "It is certainly better than regretting it afterwards."
Diethard smirked. "I suppose so." He quickly assumed a more serious demeanor. "That being said, I think I speak for many people when I say how relieved I am that you survived the Lake Kawaguchi terrorist attack unscathed."
"The viceroyalty would certainly run into some difficulty had I been incapacitated," Lelouch said nonchalantly.
"I suppose that is certainly one cause for concern," Diethard said. "Still, the fact that the attack happened at all is cause for some disquiet."
"The disquiet is unwarranted," Lelouch stated. "Sufficient forewarning was had that a trap could be prepared to wipe out the renegades in their entirety."
"Sufficient forewarning," Diethard repeated carefully. "Are you implying, Your Eminence, that the government had foreknowledge of the attack, and allowed it to happen?"
"Allowed implies the attack could have been averted," Lelouch said with a shrug. "We were not the ones that chose to mount the attack, that was entirely the decision of the renegades. We simply prepared an appropriate response."
"But, could you not have canceled the conference?" Diethard asked.
Lelouch cocked his head aside. "To what end? The renegades would not have gone away if their desired target was momentarily denied them, they would simply wait for another chance to strike. And the next time we might not have received sufficient forewarning to defeat them in detail like we did this time."
"Well, surely the risk to innocent bystanders should have warranted some consideration?" Diethard pressed.
"Certainly, which was why the conference was not called off," Lelouch stated.
The reporter blinked. "Umm, your pardon, Your Eminence, but I'm not sure I understand."
"Regardless of where the insurgents strike, there will always be innocent bystanders," Lelouch stated bluntly. "Calling off the conference and depriving them of an immediate target does not offer any guarantees about the eventual number of lives that might be lost. The sakuradite conference on the other hand took place in a controlled setting, with the entire region already closed to regular civilian traffic for the duration of the conference. Furthermore, it was only because of the nature of the conference itself that evacuation plans could be put in place to channel the attendees and other bystanders to safe zones while simultaneously containing and neutralizing the insurgents. Based on the information available, the conference offered the best guarantee of eliminating the insurgents with the absolutely lowest achievable cost of life. Not neutralizing them then and there would have almost certainly guaranteed greater losses of civilian life in the future."
"But you can't be absolutely certain," Diethard said.
That elicited an almost contemptuous snort from Lelouch. "Any man arrogant enough to proclaim absolute certainty is either a liar or a fool. I would thank you not to insinuate that I am either."
"Well, regardless of that," Diethard recovered without missing a beat, "even if precautions were taken, this was still an international conference. Surely the Empire had a diplomatic obligation to ensure their safety as best we can?"
"And it was," Lelouch stated. "It was determined that the best way of protecting the diplomatic delegations was to mousetrap the insurgents and wipe them out if they attacked the conference."
"I, am not sure the delegates themselves would necessarily share that assessment," Diethard said.
"Then the Chinese delegation should not have abetted the insurgents smuggle in weapons via their diplomatic baggage," Lelouch stated bluntly, "and actively engaged the Eden Vital forces deployed to contain the insurgents."
Diethard's lips thinned. The government's official rationale for the unceremonious ejection of the Chinese diplomats had already been widely publicized, so sympathy was decidedly low for a good chunk of the conference attendees. But there had also been European delegates, as well as members of the press, representatives of the viceroyalty, the conference site staff, and of course a rather special representative from the NAC.
"And the other attendees?" Diethard ventured.
"The decision to allow the conference to proceed was an executive one made under my authority as viceroy," Lelouch stated. "That right, and responsibility, is mine alone. That my decisions may cause disquiet cannot deter me from making them, that would be nothing less than a complete dereliction of my duty."
Such conviction could be quite admirable in a leader, and the Britannian public generally preferred decisiveness over tepid caution. Of course that preference could easily swing the other way if that decisiveness was intertwined with gross incompetence, but Lelouch could hardly be accused of that considering his manifold successes. If there was something the cardinal could perhaps be accused of however, it might be excessive zeal. In a religious persona, such zeal all too easily morphed into fanaticism, with dire consequences quickly following.
"And yet as a man of the cloth, should you not be inclined towards more peaceable solutions?" Diethard asked.
That elicited a raised eyebrow from Lelouch. "And where is that misconception coming from?"
"Misconception, Your Eminence?" Diethard said with equal confusion.
"His Majesty appointed me as viceroy of Japan explicitly because it is within my capacity to discharge both the civil and martial duties that accompany the post. Nothing about my position as a cardinal of Eden Vital precludes me from doing so."
"I must admit," Diethard said slowly, "I find that somewhat hard to believe, considering Eden Vital's posture on the innate good of man."
"That Eden Vital believes in the potential good of others does not mean we are blind to the lapses that occur," Lelouch stated. "That we believe in forgiveness does not mean we are so permissive as to allow others to transgress through our inaction. While we sincerely regret the necessity, it would be a mistake to presume Eden Vital would ever hesitate to draw the sword should the need arise."
"Like how Your Eminence personally did at Lake Kawaguchi?" Diethard said, a not at all subtle segue towards the hottest topic of the week, that of the video stream showing Lelouch personally leading the assault that rescued Kaguya from her grisly fate.
Lelouch was not so dull as to miss the oblique reference, but neither was he prepared to let himself be drawn into some statement that Diethard could then pounce on.
"Is that not self-evident?" Lelouch replied.
Diethard's lips thinned as the man considered his own response.
"And yet you speak as if you are acting in the capacity of a cardinal of Eden Vital," the reporter said. "Should there not be greater delineation between that and your secular position of viceroy?"
"My charge from His Majesty upon my appointment was to employ whatever resources were necessary to see to Japan's successful integration," Lelouch stated, "and I concurrently obtained the consent of the grandmaster to make use of Eden Vital's assets in support of that charge. Those are the only persons I am accountable to, as far as the question of secular division is concerned."
"Does that mean Your Eminence does not feel he is accountable to the subjects living under your jurisdiction?" Diethard immediately pounced.
"On the question of secular division, I am not," Lelouch answered without missing a beat. "What I am accountable to them for is the competent discharge of my duty as viceroy, much as reporters are accountable for the accurate dissemination of news instead of the making of it."
The risk in trying to mousetrap Lelouch was of course getting hit by a counterpunch. And if the cardinal refrained from an opening knockout punch, it was only because he possessed the discipline to wait for an opportunity to deliver an even greater blow. After all, the media was not the only one that knew how to proliferate controversy.
"Considering the excitement that seems to surround Your Eminence, there is little shortage of material," Diethard responded smoothly. "And as a reporter, it is our duty to delve as deeply as we can to provide greater insight upon events of interest."
"So long as genuine insight is there to be found."
The two exchanged smirks before Diethard continued.
"Let us not beat around the bush any further then," the reporter said. "The question on everyone's mind is, of course, what turn of events saw Your Eminence personally take to the field."
"The unit accompanying me was positioned closest to respond when we learned where Ms. Sumeragi was being held," Lelouch responded. "Due to the time constraints we were under, I made the decision to intervene directly."
"Surely there is more to it than that, Your Eminence," Diethard pressed.
"Why would there be?"
Diethard blinked. "Umm, should there not be consideration regarding Your Eminence's personal safety?"
"The risks to my person were judged manageable," Lelouch said with a shrug, "and the immediate danger to Ms. Sumeragi herself was deemed to be greater than any that I might face."
Considering the danger posed to Lelouch included a dozen armed JLF insurgents, even with his accompanying guards, such a claim seemed mildly incredulous. Battles where inherently chaotic, with nothing guaranteed. All it would take was a single stray bullet to kill Lelouch if he were especially unlucky, which argued for keeping the cardinal as far away from the actual fighting as possible. Even if he did hold the military command in Japan, long gone were the days where generals led the charge against the enemy.
"Surely Your Eminence sees the peculiarity of such a decision," Diethard asserted. "Your death could end up unraveling all the progress made in Japan these past few months, and risk an outright rupture of the schism that still exists. Ms. Sumeragi's death, as tragic as it may be, certainly would not result in such grave repercussions. Should you not have prioritized your own safety?"
Diethard was not winning any fans amongst the Japanese audience with that remark, even if they could see the cold logic behind it. One could even argue that letting Kaguya be martyred after her heartfelt declaration of support for the cardinal would galvanize the populace, Britannian and Japanese both, in support of Lelouch against the insurgents that would stoop to such lows. Of course the blowback if it was ever discovered Lelouch could have attempted to save her and prioritized his own skin would certainly undo that, but even that still had to be weighed against the damage his death would cause.
"Mr. Reid. You continue to presume the risk to my person was such that I was actually in danger at any point in that engagement," Lelouch responded. "Considering you have certainly reviewed the video footage that was streamed, I am confused as to how that can be."
That was a rather bold assertion, but with how quickly Lelouch had cut through every JLF soldier that tried to face him, the claim was far from groundless.
"Is the danger not inherent, however?" Diethard tried. "Especially in the chaos of battle-"
"I am His Majesty's duly appointed viceroy," Lelouch however cut the reporter off. "Holding that position in and of itself carries with it inherent risk, considering those opposed to Japan's successful integration, amongst both Britannians and Japanese. Were I one to let such inherent risk unduly influence my decisions, I would have never accepted the appointment to begin with. And every decision that make, I do so with full consideration of all the information available to me and of what the desired outcome is. That those such as yourself have the luxury to dissect those decisions is in and of itself an indication of my success, as were I unable to maintain control of the situation, you and everyone else in the administrative area would have far more pressing matters to pay attention to."
"Are you suggesting that your decisions are beyond reproach, Your Eminence?" Diethard asked.
"Were I beyond reproach you would be out of a job, Mr. Reid," Lelouch answered. "I simply hope that, considering the leisure you and many of your viewers enjoy being able to examine my decisions, you not take shortcuts and make a legitimate effort to understand the circumstances that drive them. That would certainly be a mite wasteful of all the effort myself and the viceroyalty have expended providing that opportunity, no?"
Diethard gave a rueful smile. That Lelouch could answer so immediately and so eloquently made clear that, despite his youth, the cardinal arguably possessed a sharper mind than he. Trying to get him to verbally misstep was clearly not going to work. But considering his candor, Diethard suspected that if he asked the right questions, the cardinal would willingly reveal some of those considerations in a way to advance his own agenda. Being the place where such information was released to the public was no bad thing either, as far as ratings went.
"Then by all means, please grant us insight regard this particular matter, Your Eminence," Diethard said. "During the broadcast, Ms. Sumeragi declared herself a member of something called Kyoto House, which she further claimed was a direct sponsor of the Japanese Liberation Front. Even with her openly disavowing of the insurgents that attacked Lake Kawaguchi and her advocacy for yourself, did she not effectively admit to sedition?"
Diethard really was not winning much popularity with his Japanese audience, even as they paid rapt attention to the screen. After all, as blunt and even crass as his question may be, Diethard did have a point. And the answer would not only reveal the political posture Lelouch held, but also perhaps the extent of his personal consideration for Kaguya. The gossip rags were already waiting with draft articles primed, those that possessed at least a modicum of restraint at least. The less classy ones had already splashed their covers with claims about some clandestine affair between the two. Milly had already had a good laugh upon seeing them.
"According to the letter of the law, she did," Lelouch answered bluntly, and a few million viewers drew in their breath. "But with the considerable progress the viceroyalty has made in its negotiations with Kyoto House, I expect she will be granted clemency once a final settlement is reached."
Because Lelouch always seemed to have a ready answer for anything that Diethard might ask, it fell on the reporter to keep mental pace and make pertinent follow-ups.
"Are you not letting Ms. Sumeragi off rather lightly?"
Of course, that did not mean Diethard would always necessarily do a good up with those follow-ups.
Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "And what was light about the peril she had to endure at Lake Kawaguchi?"
That, Diethard admitted privately at least, was rather poorly worded on his part.
"What I mean, is, Your Eminence," he quickly tried to salvage the question, and his own reputation, "sedition is treated so seriously because of the harm it causes other, law abiding subjects. While we all sympathize with the harrowing experience Ms. Sumeragi underwent, that should not excuse her of the harm her own actions have inflicted upon others, no?"
In that Diethard again had a point, and not just because there were as many viewers whose emotional instincts were to forgive Kaguya as there were those that felt she should face the full force of the law.
"The negotiations that I previously referenced encompass within them the recompense that Kyoto House would be obliged to provide in exchange for the general clemency," Lelouch stated. "It would be a mistake to presume anything is being granted freely or precipitately. That Ms. Sumeragi felt able to make her declaration was because of months of patient negotiations. Indeed the attack itself was because of the genuine progress being made, that a possibility had emerged of the willing demobilization of the resistance cells sponsored by Kyoto House. The renegades that attacked represented the hardcore fanatics who were more interested in petty vengeance than seeing to the interests of their people. With their removal, we may be one step closer to reaching an equitable peace here in Japan between our two peoples, but there still remains plenty of work to be done."
"Your Eminence seems to be expending considerable effort on behalf of these insurgents," Diethard remarked. "Do they truly warrant it?"
"The current relative calm you enjoy is a consequence of the effort I and the viceroyalty have exerted," Lelouch responded. "Those resistance movements actually dedicated to protecting the interests of their people have been given reason to refrain from further conflict, on a provisional basis right now, and should further efforts bear fruit, permanently in the near future. While a purely martial solution may sound dramatically appealing, its ineffectualness had already been demonstrated by prior administrations."
Including that of the late Prince Clovis, everyone readily inferred.
"So Your Eminence believes that the resistance movements can be convinced to demobilize?" Diethard asked.
"Those that genuinely seek the betterment of their people, unequivocally," Lelouch answered. "Due to the dereliction exhibited by past viceroys, the Japanese people had no reason to believe their interests would be looked after. Combined with the brutality by which the occupational authority attempted to suppress dissent, it is little wonder so many took up arms. Britannia may have won the war, but alongside the spoils also came a responsibility to our new subjects. As viceroy, it is my duty to protect not only the Britannians from intransigent Japanese, but also the Japanese from overzealous Britannians. This duty, I intend to uphold, to the fullest of my capacity."
"So things have settled down somewhat?" Schneizel's visage asked on the monitor.
"Somewhat," Cornelia repeated the qualifier. "I can't say they turned out the way I would have preferred, but I think Lelouch and I finally have a rapport of sorts worked out."
"I suppose it was a bit too much to ask that that rapport be established under more, amicable terms?"
Cornelia gave a wry grimace. "We're both probably too stubborn for that."
"I suppose we do take after our father in that regard," Schneizel said, then sighed. "I can't say I'm happy with the circumstances, or the fallout, of this rapport, but it is still better than the two of you constantly at loggerheads. And I'll do what I can to make sure the messaging is consistent that you're the one that proposed the chain of command clarification."
"I appreciate it," Cornelia said sincerely.
There would inevitably be rumors, people always talked, but so long as the government and the military stuck to its message, they should be able to maintain the credibility of the official version and its utility as a shield for Cornelia's own credibility. That was important in many regards, not least due to the woman's relatively youthful age for the rank she held. By all rights, even taking into account the accelerated promotion schedule caused by the Empire's recent campaigns, Cornelia should have been no higher than a major, maybe a lieutenant-colonel. Instead, after parlaying her technically heavily circumscribed position of brigadier general as captain of Marianne's royal guard into a formal posting in the Imperial Army, Cornelia had shot up the ranks with such speed that almost everyone assumed it was due to nepotism. And they were not wrong.
While Cornelia had demonstrated considerable skill as a divisional commander, even now she lacked a similar grasp of the corps level, where logistics and operational planning became much more important. The princess was undoubtedly improving, but her habitual impatience had yet to be curbed by the experience of age. To her credit, Cornelia at least recognized this, which was why she relied so heavily on her deputies, like one Andreas Darlton. And for the most part Cornelia just rubberstamped the decisions the war staff made back in Pendragon, though she did at least make an effort to understand the rationale behind them. In time, Cornelia probably would grow into her role and own it fully. For that to happen though, she needed to guard against anything that might offer an avenue to remove her.
"That being said, I could use your perspective regarding this little kerfuffle with the Chinese delegation."
"I can certainly tell you what I know," Cornelia said, "but I'm afraid it's all secondhand. Security at the conference was handled pretty much exclusively by Eden Vital. Neither the police, regular or Gendarmerie, nor the military, were included."
"Odd, that," Schneizel said. "Lelouch has been very diligent about working through the official organs of state wherever he can, and the Gendarmerie are fully onside with him as far as Japan goes. I would have thought they at least would have been tapped for conference security."
"Considering Lelouch knew the JLF splinter cell was going to launch an attack, he might have decided the Gendarmerie just didn't have the firepower to do the job," Cornelia said. "And even with the army's discipline restored, well, he might not have thought they would act with sufficient restraint."
"True enough," Schneizel conceded. "Though that does leave us with our little conundrum, since the most complete picture of what happened at the conference is solely in Eden Vital's hands."
"Are they not sharing?" Cornelia tilted her head.
"They are, but there's definitely some filtering going on," Schneizel answered. "And they are withholding all tactical data, including the actual unit movements of their forces. I've asked the war staff to do an assessment with what we were provided, you should also be getting a copy once it's officially done, but preliminary conclusions point to Eden Vital being able to completely outflank the JLF at basically every turn."
"The battle did take place on ground Eden Vital prepared," Cornelia pointed out.
"That is certainly part of it," Schneizel agreed, "but, well, I'm not a military man myself, but my instincts tell me it was more than just that. And Kanon agrees with me."
"Is that so," Cornelia said thoughtfully.
Captain Kanon Maldini was the staff officer attached to the prime minister's office, to provide briefings and act as a general liaison for the armed forces. While most of his experience was in staff positions, Cornelia knew Kanon to have a sharp tactical mind and good intuition. If he also thought there was something odd about Eden Vital's tactical prowess, then there was probably something worth investigating. Assuming Lelouch was willing to let them, that is.
"I'm pretty sure Lelouch isn't going to appreciate any sort of fishing expedition into his assets," Cornelia gave voice to that last concern. "And I doubt I have enough credibility with him right now to even try asking. You'd probably have to do it yourself."
"A shame," Schneizel sighed. "Though in frankness I'm less interested in whatever tactical wizardry these Black Knights pulled off and more on the veracity of what the Chinese delegation got up to."
Cornelia cocked her head aside again. "Are you doubting Lelouch's claims?"
"Not as such, but I must admit a certain surprise that the Chinese would attempt something so, blatant and clumsy," Schneizel said. "While the Chinese intelligence apparatuses aren't exactly known for their subtlety, this enablement of the JLF splinter seems even more uncharacteristically flagrant. Not to mention ineffectual, considering the ease with which Lelouch neutralized the entire plot."
"That's a good point," Cornelia found herself agreeing. "Actually, remember our little chat before I left for the Middle East? About how the Chinese must be feeling nervous with how the Empire had functionally encircled it along the south?"
"You believe the conference operation to be a consequence of that nervousness?" Schneizel asked.
Cornelia however shook her head. "Not exactly. Lelouch has made a few remarks about how the encirclement is deliberate. That's something we've both suspected, but I think we finally have confirmation that the endgame really is war with China."
"That, could be potentially catastrophic," Schneizel said slowly.
The princess gave a rather unladylike snort. "I see you're as given to understatements as ever."
Though granted, catastrophic well described a potential nuclear war. China might not have as many warheads, or as sophisticated delivery mechanisms, but it still was a nuclear power. If the Chinese felt they were at genuine risk of losing a conflict, they might become desperate enough to actually use their nukes, at which point a good chunk of the planet might turn into radioactive wasteland once Britannia got done retaliating. Taking that into consideration, apocalyptic might be more appropriate.
"If the Chinese are aware of Britannian intentions to start a war, it would not be unexpected for them to attempt countermoves," Schneizel said. "But what exactly would they have gained from the success of the conference attack?"
"You mean aside from Lelouch's death?" Cornelia said dryly.
"Point." Schneizel pursed his lips. "That would mean our dear brother is more read in on His Majesty's intentions than the two of us combined."
"That's been becoming more evident with each passing day," Cornelia agreed. "And whatever those intentions are, Eden Vital is also neck deep in all this."
"I cannot say I am particularly surprised, considering their history with Father," Schneizel said. "Still, it would have been nice to have more forewarning that his endgame really did involve a confrontation with the Chinese. If we are to win, a great many preparations will be necessary."
"Have we not been making plans in that vein even without the confirmation?" Cornelia asked.
"To an extent, but there remains a difference in the scale I would have been prepared to commit to depending on how firm the intentions are," Schneizel said.
"Knowing Father and Lelouch, them keeping us in the dark may be because they don't want you to bump up the scale then," Cornelia pointed out.
"Hmm, a very distinct possibility," Schneizel acknowledged. "Though if Lelouch is dropping hints to you now, does that mean we are at the stage where such subterfuge is becoming less necessary?"
"Considering the government is going to have to react in some official manner to the Chinese delegation's actions, probably."
That elicited a sigh from Schneizel. "Hence my questions. His Majesty's government must respond, firmly, to such a provocation, this is too blatant to just let slide or wait out. The forcefulness of our response however depends on whether we officially recognize the operation as precipitated by rogue operatives or had the full sanction of the Chinese government."
The Chinese were of course protesting their complete innocence and accusing the Britannian government of having staged the entire thing. There were even probably some people that believed the claim, one should not bet against the gullibility of the masses after all, but as far as the Britannian government's decision making process went, it was only a question of what degree of guilt to ascribe.
"Has Father indicated any preferences?" Cornelia asked.
"Just his support for the sanction Lelouch himself proposed, an increase on the sakuradite export levy," Schneizel said.
Which would amount to an increase in price the Chinese would have to pay for sakuradite. One advantage of having a near monopoly on such a strategic resource, you could jack up the price quite a bit before the cost started outweighing the benefits that usage of that resource presented.
"So they probably don't want us going over the precipice just quite yet," Cornelia said.
"Probably," Schneizel nodded. "Even so, we cannot entirely predict how the Chinese government will respond to further such pressure. For all our intentions, they may already consider themselves at the point of no return, and attempt something even more assertive next time."
"You think they'd risk being the ones to start the war?" Cornelia asked.
As that was as much a political question as it was a military one, it was only prudent for Cornelia to get a viewpoint from the other side.
"If they feel genuinely backed into a corner, yes," Schneizel stated. "Consider their current position. Britannia has already geographically encircled them along their southern border, and we have been putting their economy under considerable strain with the sakuradite quotas and the other trade restrictions. To their north, they thought they had an ally in the EU, but if Lelouch really has succeeded in convincing the EU to take a genuinely neutral, and therefore non-interventionalist, stance, the Chinese may feel genuinely isolated and without any friends that might come to their aid if they face further Britannian aggression. Under such conditions, they might conclude since war is inevitable anyway, to seize the initiative and wring as much advantage from that as possible."
"Put it that way, literally anything we could do might be the final straw that pushes the Chinese into action," Cornelia remarked.
"Quite, hence the headache this whole affair is turning into."
Cornelia gave her brother a sympathetic look. "My apologies for not being able to give further insight into what happened at the conference."
"As you yourself said, Lelouch seems to be keeping a very tight grip on the information that comes out about the conference. If I want that information, it falls upon me to make the approach."
Cornelia nodded. "Oh, umm, incidentally…"
Schneizel gave a wry chuckle. "Don't worry, there is enough slack in the budget to meet that invoice of yours."
To that Cornelia let out a sigh of genuine relief. Getting Lelouch's requisition through had not been a given, considering all the other demands upon the Empire's budget. Had Schneizel gotten sticky about the money, Cornelia was not entirely sure what her other options might be. She certainly did not have that sort of cash on hand, and while her personal fortune might have been able to cover it were some assets liquidated, the amounts involved would have resulted in a pretty significant hit. Thankfully it would not come to that.
"Just, try not to drop such requests on me on too regular a basis," Schneizel chided gently. "I still do have a budget to balance."
"I will certainly try," Cornelia said with a slight, apologetic smile. "And my thanks."
"So this brisket is from Hokkaido?" Milly said as she sliced into the cut of meat.
"More and more farms up there are getting reestablished, and a gift of prime cuts was sent to the palace just the other day by the Hokkaido Agricultural Association."
"Well, the palace chefs seem to have worked their magic, considering how tender it is," Milly said after taking a bite. "Oh, this is almost heavenly."
Lelouch chucked as he popped a piece into his own mouth. Milly was exaggerating, but only a little. The combination of fine ingredients and skillful cooking made for a delectable meal to be enjoyed in fine company.
"So has the furor around the academy died down any?" Lelouch asked.
"You mean you don't get daily briefings regarding the school?" Milly teased.
"Briefings are all well and good, but as someone on the ground, you will certainly have some additional insights to share," Lelouch responded.
To that Milly chuckled, before tapping her fork thoughtfully. "The reporters and paparazzi learned their lesson the last time around, so they're being reasonably discrete. Honestly some of the parents have been more annoying than the press."
"They protest the new security arrangements?" Lelouch ventured.
"They protest the necessity of them in the first place," Milly corrected. "They haven't been so brazen as to say it aloud, but they clearly would prefer Kaguya to withdraw, considering the noises they make about how certain students' presence endangers the rest of the school."
"Ah. And what has the academy's response been?"
"I told them I had no intention of withdrawing from the school that my family owns," Milly responded with a smirk.
If there was one person at Ashford that arguably was at greater risk of coming to harm than Kaguya, it would have to be Milly herself. By now the photo of her embracing Lelouch upon his return to Tokyo had spread to every connected corner of the world, which meant basically everyone in the modern world knew the two to be engaged in some sort of relationship. Seeing as Lelouch himself had no shortage of enemies, that Milly might be targeted as a consequence was a given. And though the nominally concerned parents might not know it, those gunning for Lelouch made the fanatics that might wish Kaguya harm look like playground bullies. Even without that awareness however, it should be quite evident to anyone with a brain that even if Kaguya were to withdraw from Ashford, the danger facing the school would remain the same. This being the case, it would be interesting to see who would be brave enough to try pressing the point. More likely than not, the ostensible concern about safety was really a mask for the underlying racism some of the Britannian parents undoubtedly still harbored. Some of the parents were probably genuinely worried about the safety of their children, but if so, one could argue they really should not have brought them along to an administrative area that a few months ago still had a very active insurgency fighting the Empire.
"And what of Kaguya herself?" Lelouch inquired.
"She's doing much better," Milly said. "The Japanese students have also pretty much closed ranks around her, and combined with all the Britannian students her student council work brings her into contact with, she's been making plenty of new friends." The girl shrugged. "Kaguya can be quite charismatic. I suspect she'll make the shortlist for head girl by the time she's a senior."
While the final say over who would be head boy or head girl was held by the teachers, the student body did signal their own preferences by providing a shortlist of candidates for the teachers to pick from.
"That is good to hear," Lelouch said. "And Kallen? Has anyone identified her from the video?"
"A few people have been giving her curious looks, but that's been about it," Milly said with a shrug. "I think some of the students are having just a bit of trouble actually believing that the fragile, anemic girl they all know could be some sort of elite soldier."
"Hrmm. And the revelation of her Japanese heritage has not caused her any trouble?"
"Eh, nothing more than a few passing remarks. Most of them have been of sympathy for her having to hide it in the first place. Those that were more, impolite, have been getting chased off. Kallen still has a lot of admirers at school." Milly now gave Lelouch a beady look. "Speaking of which, are you really going to be asking about other girls while having dinner with your girlfriend?"
Lelouch chuckled. "My apologies, but both girls in question are under my patronage. And you did offer to look out for them at school."
"Suppose I did. Well, things are mostly settling back down. So long as you don't pop any more surprises of your own, we shouldn't be getting any more excitement at school."
"One can only hope," Lelouch said.
The two took a moment or so to work through more of their meal, with Lelouch refilling Milly's glass. Between the two, technically Milly was the only one of legal age to drink, but in the privacy of the palace, no one was going to try dinging Lelouch for popping a bottle.
"Incidentally," Lelouch began again. "Do you know if Ruben would be willing to assume the office after my term is complete?"
That elicited quite the arched eyebrow from Milly.
"And what brought this about?" she asked in turn.
"My appointment to Japan is solely for the sake of stabilizing the region and ensure its integration gets back on track," Lelouch said. "After that is done, a different viceroy can handle the finishing stages, leaving me free to return to my actual duties."
Milly chewed slowly, using the time to ponder her response.
"Grandfather probably has the standing and local popularity to take the position," she finally said, "but I suspect a lot of people would prefer you to stay on until the formal organization of the area into provinces."
"That by itself is reason for me to not be viceroy at the time," Lelouch stated. "Having a provincial title foisted upon me would be, inconvenient, considering my other duties."
"Maybe so, but remember that my family already has a provincial title of our own," Milly pointed out. "And as my father and I are the only ones in the succession, there isn't even anyone else to split the titles with."
"A point," Lelouch said, pursing his lips. "I will have to find another suitable candidate, then."
"You seem pretty determined to avoid getting a title," Milly observed.
"Much as your family would be inconvenienced, despite the nominal honor and privilege that would be accorded, so would I be inconvenienced, albeit in different fashion, were I to be appointed a provincial lord."
"That's fair enough," Milly said, then tilted her head. "Is Kaguya one of those potential inconveniences?"
"I would not have put it so directly, but in a way, yes. Kyoto House seems inclined to try to press a suit with her, with the goal of tying me down to Japan. While I understand their rationale, I cannot dedicate the sort of time and attention they clearly hope I would solely for Japan's sake."
"So this is about trying to make yourself less valuable to them?" Milly said.
"That certainly would be one effect, but fundamentally I have more pressing duties to attend to once Japan's integration is set on track," Lelouch emphasized once again.
"I suppose you do," Milly said.
The remark was not just a platitude, Milly had learned more and more about Lelouch's responsibilities since cementing her relationship with the cardinal. She certainly was not read in about Eden Vital's innermost secrets, but she did understand that Lelouch's position as leader of the Order Militant was not just for show, that he was indeed actively engaged in a surreptitious war. That Lelouch was in Japan was due to the area being a major theater right now, but once the theater of operations shifted, the cardinal would similarly move on. That Milly was willing to follow was a major reason for why their relationship had progressed to its current degree, since what she sought from Lelouch was compatible with the discharge of his actual duties.
Kyoto House, and Kaguya on the other hand, sought to tie Lelouch down to Japan on a more permanent basis. Their motives were entirely reasonable, given that Japan was their home and they desired the best for that home. And Lelouch had demonstrated not only extreme competency in getting things done, but also clear favor from the emperor himself. That combination made him a desirable match for near any region of the Empire. But even though Japan was Kaguya's home, and to a certain extent Milly's as well, it was not Lelouch's. The youth had been born in Pendragon before moving to the Citadel after his mother's death. Japan, he had not even been in for a year.
"Do you want me to talk to Kaguya?" Milly asked.
"That would be helpful," Lelouch said. "In frankness I would prefer that she not exert any additional effort in trying to win my affections and instead focus on the actual work of easing Japan's integration."
Milly rolled her eyes. Lelouch may not be romantically tone deaf, but he did possess a certain clinical detachment when it came to relationships. In some ways it was a minor miracle that she was able to enter into his awareness as a potential romantic partner in the first place. Any other woman that did not have prior history with Lelouch would undoubtedly struggle mightily to draw his attention in a similar manner.
"To think, all those teenage girls out there swooning over your dashing looks," Milly teased. "What would they think if they found out you were so, rational?"
"Need you even ask?" Lelouch responded with raised eyebrow.
Milly gave an exaggerated sigh. "All those dreams of innocent maidens, crushed." She then regarded Lelouch with level eyes. "Though what happens if Kaguya is herself willing to pick up stakes like me?"
Lelouch blinked, as if that thought had genuinely not occurred to him. "Why would she be willing to do that?"
"Because while Kaguya clearly understands the advantages conferred by your lineage as an imperial scion and your position as a cardinal of Eden Vital, atop that of your appointment as viceroy, the person she's actually smitten with is still Lelouch Lamperouge," Milly pointed out. "Your heritage just provides a mechanism by which she can act upon her infatuation."
"My heritage," Lelouch said quizzically. "Are you talking about my father's marital situation?"
Milly snorted. "What else?"
"Does Kaguya not know why His Majesty's arrangement is the way it is?"
"From what Kallen's told me, she really didn't understand it before," Milly said, "which was why she dropped hints about how me, Kallen, and her might be counted as, in her words, your court ladies."
"Huh. I suppose that explains the look Kallen was giving me a few weeks back." The cardinal shook his head. "But in any case, I feel neither the necessity nor the desire to have multiple partners like that. I am not emperor, nor will I ever be."
"Well, I think it might be more than just Kaguya who thinks that way," Milly said. "You might want to talk to the rest of this Kyoto House, whoever they are."
Not that Kyoto House's was much of a mystery at this point, but images did need to be maintained.
"And to think, I began courting you to dissuade others from trying to make an approach," Lelouch said wearily.
Milly flashed a playful smile. "And you were won over in turn because of my wit and charm."
That elicited a hearty laugh from the cardinal. He certainly did not dispute the point.
While her injuries had not been especially severe, Lucretia was still obliged to spend some time mending. Thankfully that lack of severity meant she did not have to stay at an actual hospital while recuperating. Instead, Lucretia remained in and around her room at the palace. Consequentially, the girl had no shortage of visitors, from the maids that looked after the room itself to her fellow brothers and sisters in Eden Vital checking in on her. And Lelouch always made sure to ask how she was feeling during the communal breakfast he sat with his cohort. All things considered, Lucretia was healing quickly enough that she should be back to her usual duties in another day or so. That was something the young woman was grateful for, considering having to sit around waiting for her body to mend had been rather tedious.
With a sigh, Lucretia placed a hand against her temple. The hit on her cockpit had seen her bang her head rather hard, the main reason for the caution being exercised. While Eden Vital possessed a far greater understanding of the human brain than any medical practitioner outside the Order, the technology to translate that understanding into treatments to actually repair brain damage was still very much in its infancy. As it was, the first few days after the skirmish had seen her suffer mild but still irritating migraines. Those were gone now, but Lucretia was still under strict orders not to attempt usage of her geass until the doctors gave her an all clear.
For this reason, when a knock sounded upon her door, the girl genuinely had no idea who might be calling upon her. Her lay brethren usually gave her some advance notice of their visits, and the maids had already finished their daily turnover. Fighting back the reflexive urge to peek, Lucretia took a deep breath.
"Enter."
The door opened, revealing two figures that Lucretia was well familiar with, even if they were more recent acquaintances. The sturdily built man was General Andreas Darlton, and the tall young behind was one of his adopted sons, Claudio. Lucretia had had ample opportunity to interact with the general as part of her secondment to Cornelia's staff, and the two developed a professional rapport thanks to their mutual competency. Combined with the man's personal integrity, Andreas was someone that Lucretia respected. His son on the other hand, needed to overcome a few handicaps before he would receive a similar such assessment.
While Lelouch and Cornelia were on more or less amicable terms at this point, the previous friction had left a lasting impression upon the princess' royal guard. That the cardinal came so close to outright insulting Cornelia was a cause of some irritation for the armsmen sworn to Cornelia. They were professional enough about it to not give Lucretia a hard time while she was working for their liege, but neither did they ever go out of their way to actually make her feel welcome. That was fair enough, as far as Lucretia was concerned, seeing as she was only in that post because of a direct order from Lelouch. After all, if Cornelia's armsmen were irritated at Lelouch's conduct, the feelings were reciprocated by Lelouch's cohort at how the cardinal's biological sibling was treating their brother of choice. Lucretia of course did not ever breathe a word of this to Cornelia herself, she was there to her job of keeping the princess safe from any heretical plots, and she intended to discharge that duty to the best of her ability. But that did not mean she was obliged to socialize with Cornelia's cadre any more than was absolutely necessary, which meant there remained a distance between her and the princess' armsmen. A distance not at all helped by the fact that Claudio was directly responsible for knocking her out of commission. Even if he was holding a bundle of flowers.
"Sister Lucretia," Andreas said, bowing his head. "It is good to see you well."
Lucretia did not deign to rise in greeting, but she would probably be excused of that discourtesy. The girl looked back and forth between Andreas and Claudio, a quizzical expression on her face.
"I must admit to some surprise at your visit, General, Captain."
Andreas took a deep breath. "It was suggested that you were in need of time and space to recover, so I thought it inappropriate to intrude upon you at all. But, Claudio insisted on conveying certain words to you, so we waited until your fitness to return to work was determined."
Lucretia now turned her gaze fully to the youth, regarding him levelly. There was no animosity in her gaze, but neither was there warmth. Claudio however doggedly soldiered on as he stepped forward.
"Sister Lucretia, I must offer my sincerest apologies for that day," Claudio said, bowing. "Due to my lack as a knight, I not only caused you great harm, but endangered the success of the entire mission. I know I am not deserving of your forgiveness, but I ask nonetheless that you grant me a chance to earn it."
Lucretia blinked a few times as she looked at the young man. An official apology had already been issued by Colonel Guilford on behalf of Cornelia's royal guard, accompanied by a letter penned by Claudio. By hand, too, instead of merely being typed. As one might expect from a gentleman raised by Andreas. Still, Claudio clearly did not think a written missive to be enough, hence his presence today with the small bouquet of flowers. The carnations and chrysanthemums were common choices to wish one a speedy recovery, while white roses rounded out the selection. White roses. Lucretia's lips thinned, but before she could say anything, the door opened behind Andreas and Claudio to make way for a petite, pink haired girl carrying a tray of food.
Anya looked back and forth at the three before settling on Lucretia.
"You have guests?"
"Yes, General Darlton and his son came to deliver an apology," Lucretia said.
Anya regarded the two men again, then narrowed her own eyes at the flowers.
"I see."
She set the tray of food down on the table, then held out a hand towards Claudio. The captain looked down at the extended hand, then up at Anya's face, then back down.
"Presumably the flowers will need to be put in a vase?" Anya said.
"Oh, umm, yes," Claudio said, quickly holding the bouquet out to the girl.
Accepting them, Anya headed towards the bathroom to get some water, leaving Lucretia alone with the two men once more. With the flowers out of sight, Lucretia took a deep breath and met Claudio's gaze once more.
"Your apology is accepted, Captain," the girl said with a tranquil smile. "And I would welcome any effort of yours to earn forgiveness."
Considering how Claudio had screwed up, just showing up with some flowers was probably not going to get him off the hook. But Lucretia was magnanimous enough to not hold it against him forever, so if he was patient, time would take care of any hurt feelings. Only if he was too zealous in trying to rush that process was he likely to earn greater ire. Though perhaps someone should warn him about the other misstep he had made this day.
As Claudio allowed himself a slight smile, Anya came out of the bathroom with a vase and the carnations and chrysanthemums nicely arranged in it. The white roses were entirely absent, though the bundled newspaper was a telltale sign of where they had gone.
"There you go," Anya said, setting them at the center of the table before turning to Andreas and Claudio. "General, Captain, as Lucretia needs to eat before taking her medication, may I ask that you take your leave now?"
"Of course, Sister Anya," Andreas said, while Claudio also nodded despite his mild confusion.
"My thanks." Anya looked over at Lucretia. "I will be back once I see these gentlemen off."
And proceeded to basically shoo the two men out the room. Once the door closed behind them, Anya shoved the bundled roses into Claudio's hands.
"I will thank you, Captain, if you refrain from ever offering white roses to Lucretia in the future," Anya said frostily.
Claudio blinked. "Umm, does Sister Lucretia dislike them?"
"They were the last thing her father gave to her mother," Anya said with a slight growl.
The young man blanched. "Oh, my apologies. I did not know these flowers would elicit such sorrowful memories for the sister. If in the future I ever have reason to gift her with flowers again, I will be more considerate in my selection."
Anya gave Claudio a long, beady look before sighing.
"In frankness, Captain, Lucretia would likely appreciate you not gifting her with flowers."
"What?" Claudio said somewhat dumbly.
Anya regarded Claudio, then her eyes drifted over to Andreas, who currently had an equally puzzled expression.
"Had her father recognized her, her full name would be Lucretia Trevisan," the girl finally said.
The blank looks continued for a moment, before Andreas, but not Claudio, inhaled sharply. Satisfied that at least one of the two recognized the name, Anya dipped her head.
"A good day to you both."
And withdrew into Lucretia's room, firmly closing the door behind her. Left standing in the hallway, Claudio looked over at Andreas, who now wore a grimace on his face.
"Father? What was that about?"
Andreas regarded his son and after a few moments sighed. "The former Viscount Trevisan was executed, ten years ago."
It was Claudio's turn to inhale sharply, but before he even had time to fully react, Andreas dropped the second half of his bombshell.
"For attempting to hide his infidelity, by arranging for the attempted murder of his mistress and the daughter he had with her."
Now Claudio's eyes widened.
"What happened to them?" he gasped.
"The mistress succumbed to her injuries, but the daughter survived." Andreas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I had not known she was taken into Eden Vital's custody."
Claudio looked at the closed door, and then down at the bundle of roses. What he originally thought was merely a reminder of tragedy turned out to be so much more. Little wonder Lucretia reacted the way she did at the sight of him holding a bouquet. Indeed, as Anya made a point of saying, Lucretia probably would not appreciate flowers offered to her by any man, in light of what happened in her childhood. The captain grimaced. What he had hoped would be a peace offering to start resetting the troubled relations between Lelouch's cohort and Cornelia's royal guard had instead elicited extremely painful memories for the very person he was trying to apologize to.
Seeing his son's worry, Andreas placed a hand on the youth's shoulder.
"Fret not," the general said. "The mistake was honestly made, and Sister Lucretia accepted your apology nonetheless. So long as you refrain from further thoughtless actions due to a desire for haste, things should settle into an amicable norm all on their own."
Thoughtless actions like insisting upon personally apologizing to Lucretia with flowers in hand, Claudio realized. He gave a firm nod.
"I understand, Father. I will be more careful henceforth."
While Lucretia's conditions did not warrant her continued monitoring in an actual hospital ward, others that suffered harm at Lake Kawaguchi were for a variety of circumstances not as lucky. In the case of Cardinal Pieri Lorenzo, a combination of his specific injury, a stab wound in his gut, and his relative age, meant the man was handled with a bit more delicacy, hence his being put up in one of Eden Vital's more exclusive private hospitals. The Holy See had even been allowed to post some of their own sentries outside the ward, a concession that Eden Vital really did not have to make, but given Pieri and the fratello's contributions at Lake Kawaguchi, that would have looked ungrateful.
The pertinence of this lay in the young man standing attentively outside Pieri's suite as Lelouch approached with his own attendants. Petra gave them a quick look over, but promptly opened the door to let them in. They had been expected after all. Waiting inside was not just Pieri, but the other half of the fratello pair, the man calling himself Sandro.
"Your Eminence," Lelouch greeted respectfully, but not deferentially, as he entered. "I hope your recovery has been comfortable."
"Eminently so," Pieri responded with a wry smile. "Thank you for taking the time to answer my call, Your Eminence."
"It is the least I could do." Lelouch seated himself next to the bed. "My understanding is that you are scheduled to return to Rome next week."
"The doctors seem to think that is the earliest I should be able to do so safely," Pieri said. "As such I thought it behooved me to have a last few words with you before we part."
"Ah," Lelouch nodded. "I recall well what I said to you that day, that I would remember your effort. And I remember it not just because of the aid you lent, but that you did it for reasons you believed to be not just advantageous, but also right. And as I am not one to let debts linger, I certainly would prefer that the matter be settled before your departure."
The slight smile remained on Pieri's expression. "Have you ever considered, Your Eminence, that you might be too caught up in the machinations of the great game?"
"Possibly, even probably," Lelouch answered. "Though could the same not be said of you?"
"Probably, if not certainly," Pieri agreed.
Lelouch cracked a smirk of his own before continuing. "In practical terms, there are a few concrete ways by which I can express my gratitude. For example, it would fall within my authority to offer an increase of sakuradite exports to a third of pre-annexation levels."
An increase of just 3% from the 30% already conceded might not seem like much, but at the volumes involved, it still represented a substantial amount of sakuradite. If Pieri managed to wring such a bounty and nothing else in exchange for his act of self-sacrifice, the European sponsors of the Holy See would regard it as a more than equitable reward. But Pieri had not risen to his current post by settling for mere equality. He was a man that knew when to press an advantage, as well as when to hold back. This time, a little of both was required.
"There is arguably one boon that would be more worthwhile to the Holy See, Your Eminence," he responded. "If you deign to advocate for it on our behalf."
Lelouch raised a curious eyebrow. "I am listening."
"We would like to negotiate a contract," the Catholic cardinal stated, "with your grandmaster."
Of the two attendants accompanying Lelouch, Alice was generally recognized to be the more thoughtful one. Not because Dalque was in any way foolish or unintelligent, the latter simply recognized some matters were better left to others and so chose not to trouble herself overmuch with them. Thus while Alice's eyes widened slightly at the audacity of the request, Dalque stood otherwise expressionless behind her charge.
Lelouch on the other hand blinked a few times, before an uproarious laughter escaped him. After spending a few moments getting it all out of his system, he regarded his counterpart with an amused smirk.
"I can see your reputation is well founded, Your Eminence," Lelouch said. "Still, are you certain this is the boon you wish? Even assuming I can convince the grandmaster to negotiate, the price that she, and Eden Vital, will demand for a contract will be entirely separate from the service you have performed."
In other words, Pieri's selfless actions that day were far from sufficient to garner a contract with C.C. But that was already expected, so the Catholic cardinal nodded solemnly.
"I recognize well that the grandmaster harbors great antipathy for the Holy See, and that she would demand much in exchange for her blessing. But convincing her to negotiate at all would represent a substantial improvement in our relations with her."
"Word of advice, I wouldn't phrase it that way when actually negotiating with her," Lelouch said dryly. "The very notion of the betterment of the Holy See's standing in her estimation would be enough to dissuade her from considering the proposal any further."
This time it was Pieri that smiled wryly. "Duly noted, Your Eminence."
Lelouch stroked his chin thoughtfully before finally shrugging. "I will forward the proposal to the grandmaster, and I will even lend weight to it with my support. But whether or not she can be convinced to actually grant a contract, that will be down to the Holy See's efforts."
"I understand, Your Eminence. We will certainly do our best not to waste this opportunity."
End of Chapter 27
The interview this time around was really annoying to write and went through about three drafts. I had to get Diethard to try needling Lelouch without sounding overly whinny, and also to pick points of attack that made sense. Complaining too much about the shedding of blood by Lelouch doesn't make much sense, since the Britannian public as a whole is a lot less averse to the use of force as compared to citizens of modern-day liberal democracies. Questioning Eden Vital itself sort of works better, but to keep pushing the view that Eden Vital is acting out of character by using force will eventually come off as incredibly ignorant, considering all the examples Lelouch could point out that are on the public record of the Order's historical military interventions. I think the current version captures the tone I wanted, I'm not terribly inclined to iterate any more considering how much time just getting it to its current state took.
The Nightmare of Nunnally manga did not go too much into the background of the Irregulars, besides with Alice. And even then, it's pretty clear they gave her the background they did more as an excuse plot than anything else. Since I have more time and freedom, I'll be expanding upon the history of Lelouch's cohort as opportunities arise. All of them save for Anya are orphans, and even Anya is legally in Eden Vital's custody for, reasons that we'll get to in a future chapter. I know, I tease.
I think one of the reasons my stories work so well is that I make evident that it's not just Lelouch that's a badass. Sure, Lelouch himself is bold and highly competent, but it's when he interacts with people of similar caliber that things become really interesting. Case in point is Pieri. He might not be as powerful as Lelouch, but as the head of the Social Welfare Agency, he knows how the great game is played. He may not be able to move as many pieces as Lelouch, but those that he can move, he chooses moves of maximum effect. After all, how many of you thought he'd be ballsy enough to try asking for a geass, considering C.C.'s known antipathy for the Catholic Church?
Anyway, this wraps up pretty much all of the direct sociopolitical loose ends of the Lake Kawaguchi incident. There will be a few more personal loose ends that still need tying off, but those basically blend into the next arc and then some. When I'll get to that next arc, you'll all have to wait and see, I'll likely be taking a break for the short term.
