Chapter 33
Prospectus Perspective
"Alright Schneizel, I think it's time I actually know what the blazes the military I'm supposedly responsible for is actually up to," Cornelia said a bit testily.
The projection of her brother gave a wry smile. "And you are very much supposed to be responsible for the armed forces. I think quite a few people in the chain of command would welcome your increased attention."
In other words, Cornelia had herself to blame at least in part due to her constant globetrotting and even outright avoidance of the less glamorous administrative minutiae that came with actually managing the Imperial Britannian Armed Forces. The grunt the princess emitted was probably the closest to an admittance of that fault as she was likely to make at this point, and thankfully her brother did not press the point.
"As you have likely surmised," the prince continued, "the Empire is indeed marshaling the resources necessarily to fight and win a conventional war against the Chinese Federation. Arguably, doing so has always been within Britannia's capabilities, assuming we were prepared to pay the cost. What has ultimately stayed our hand, and that of the Chinese's in turn, is the fact that both of us are nuclear powers, and hence any war is liable to see both sides launch the moment hostilities commence. Figuring out how to neutralize the threat of the Chinese nuclear arsenal has been a major focus for the past few years."
"I already know about the anti-ballistic missile shield the military has been working on," Cornelia said. "They just did a test run over the Pacific. But that's all they've gotten to, testing. It'll be years yet before we can deploy something actually able to handle the number of nukes the Chinese can lob at us."
"That is the publicly acknowledged countermeasure, yes," Schneizel said.
Cornelia's eyes narrowed. "Just how many projects have been kept from me?"
"Answering that is the point of this meeting, no?"
"Fine," Cornelia said curtly. "So what are these projects?"
Schneizel did something on his end, and a map of the Pacific Ocean appeared floating in mid-air, along with three flashing dots.
"Those are the three ballistic missile submarines the Chinese Federation has out at sea," the prince said. "They have a fourth, but that one is presently laid up for maintenance at the Yulin Naval Base."
"We have the exact, real-time position of China's ballistic missile fleet?" Cornelia said incredulously.
"With each being shadowed by an attack submarine," Schneizel said. "Eliminating those, boomers, I believe they're called, would functionally neutralize over two thirds of the Chinese nuclear arsenal. The remaining land-based launchers are much fewer in count, and if the Chinese would be so obliging as to wait another year or so before commencing hostilities, we'll have a direct answer for them in Project Damocles. Perhaps even sooner, thanks to the research work Lelouch was able to bring us from the Sumeragi Group."
That saw Cornelia take several deep breaths as she grasped the full scope of the strategic picture that Schneizel was presenting to her. Preparations for the impending conflict with China were far in advance of anything she had previously suspected, and as much as that annoyed her, the princess was honest enough to admit she had not exactly shown the sort of diligence that would have encouraged her father and brother to entrust her with this knowledge previously, even if she was the highest-ranking uniformed officer within the armed forces. That was slowly changing, but the rate at which that changed depended as much on her as the others.
"And what is this Damocles?" Cornelia thus asked.
The map of the Pacific disappeared, to be replaced by a large, multi-cylindrical construct with giant solar panels unfurled around it.
"I presume you recognize this?"
Cornelia nodded. "That's the space station Fidelity that Britannia has been building since the late 1990s. And last I heard, it's still not complete."
At over a hundred fifty meters in length, Space Station Fidelity was the largest man-made structure orbiting the Earth. At last count, constructing it had cost Britannia bordering on 200 billion pounds, with yet more work remaining.
"Quite," Schneizel said with a chuckle. "In particular, it is missing two major modules. The first is a new power module, an Yggdrasil Drive that will help provide power for the second module, a graser assemblage."
Cornelia stared at Schneizel for a few moments before inhaling sharply.
"I thought the Sumeragi Group was the first to develop a working gamma ray laser," she finally said.
"They are not," Schneizel said. "But the Sumeragi Group has taken their graser down a different avenue than Britannia. Whereas we sought to emphasize destructive power, they have focused on size and reusability. The Guren graser may not be able to match the output of the Damocles graser, but its sheer compactness makes it viable for numerous applications where the latter is simply too big."
Cornelia cocked her head aside. "So the Damocles laser would let us target things from orbit and destroy it?"
"Quite, and the Chinese at present have no means to defend their land-based ballistic missiles from it," Schneizel said. "The moment hostilities commenced, we could destroy the entirety of China's deployed nuclear weapons, and thereby drastically reduce the strategic threat facing Britannia."
"Assuming Fidelity is actually overhead in orbit," Cornelia said.
"Fidelity, or any of the actual Sword-class attack satellites that would be launched after the graser and Yggdrasil Drive combination has been proven to work."
"How many satellites?" Cornelia immediately asked.
"Six, with two spares, for total global coverage," Schneizel answered. "Though I should caution, each satellite would only be capable of firing so many shots. Something about the lasing medium used to generate the coherent gamma rays burning out."
Which meant about as much to Cornelia as it evidently had to Schneizel, but the princess did not need to understand the science or engineering to comprehend the stated limitation.
"So Damocles would be more of an opening act than a closing finale," Cornelia said.
"It depends on how many shots it takes to neutralize the Chinese ballistic missiles, but generally, yes," Schneizel nodded. "And due to the sheer expense of the satellites, there are no concrete provisions for additional deployments, at least not concrete enough to allow the military to rely on them in any further strategic planning."
"A shame," Cornelia said. "I can imagine countless ways we could make use of such a capability."
"As did Kanon," Schneizel said with a slight smile, referring to the officer that served as his chief of staff. "That said, the Damocles engineers are looking over the Guren specifications. If it can be adapted to the project's requirements, we might be able to deploy a few more satellites to assist in the war proper."
Cornelia grunted, about all the acknowledgment she was prepared to grant to the contribution of the Japanese, or rather Indo-Japanese, program.
"Granted you've been able to keep all this hidden so far, but shouldn't the other powers be suspecting something before we're able to actually deploy all the satellites?" she asked instead.
"Hence why the Fidelity tests are being hidden in plain sight," Schneizel said. "Publicly, the project is known as Project Icarus, an effort to develop a microwave power transmission scheme that would allow for sending back the energy collected by satellites orbiting the Earth."
"Icarus," Cornelia said dubiously.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Schneizel said with a smirk.
That simply elicited a snort, quickly followed by a more solemn expression.
"Even if Damocles is fully deployed, it's still arguably not a guarantee that we'd be able to completely neutralize the Chinese nuclear arsenal."
"That is true," Schneizel said. "On the other hand, if we can at least prevent China from initiating a nuclear exchange as its first reflexive act and let us defeat them conventionally."
Not that that was going to be anywhere near as easy as Schnizel's tone might have suggested, but removing China's nuclear arsenal from the equation at least moved the feasibility of defeating China from impractical to merely difficult. In such a conflict, Cornelia wanted as many advantages as could be mustered. Negligent as she might have been with her administrative duties, the princess was not so amateurish that she intended to engage in a fair fight against China, chivalry be damned.
"Besides Damocles, are there any other toys in development that might help tip the balance that I'm not aware of?" Cornelia asked.
"No," Schneizel shook his head. "And you were only kept out of the loop on Damocles because the graser that is the centerpiece was something Eden Vital provided. Otherwise, you would have been briefed much earlier."
Cornelia gave a snort. "Doesn't it worry you, the reach that Eden Vital possesses? How they can basically dictate orders to the government, and even to some degree to His Majesty?"
"And you ask this on the communications infrastructure that Eden Vital maintains?" Schneizel said, eyebrow arched upward.
"At this point I doubt anything I say would be some major revelation, considering I've made my sentiments loud and clear to Lelouch," Cornelia said.
"Maybe so, but I at least still have a reputation to maintain with the Order," Schneizel responded with a wry smile. "That said, it is not as if the government's trust in Eden Vital is unconditional. We cooperate because there is benefit therein, and this goes both ways. Should His Majesty's Government feel that Eden Vital is overstepping some bound, we will make our reservations known, and it becomes the Order's responsibility to realign their activities to be in compliance with our expectations once more. Should the Order decline to do so, the Empire reserves the right to take enforcement actions, or to terminate our relationship entirely if the situation has so deteriorated."
"But at this point, can Britannia even do that without suffering massive collateral damage?" Cornelia pressed.
That elicited a sigh from Schneizel, the prince idly wondering whether Cornelia was actually aware that they were speaking over an Eden Vital line, or whether she simply did not care.
"All I can say is," he finally answered, "preparing for that possibility is part and parcel of our duty."
And if they did that jobs right, Schneizel did not say aloud, then excising Eden Vital from Britannia would be entirely surgical instead of requiring a hacksaw be taken to the Empire. Cornelia gave a slow nod, but otherwise limited her reaction to that.
The meeting concluded shortly thereafter, with only a few more innocuous topics like the disposition of the Empire's standing forces and the rate at which mobilization could be achieved being discussed. When Cornelia stepped out of the secured conference room, the princess was not entirely satisfied with the present situation, she at least felt a bit less uneasy.
"Your Highness."
Cornelia blinked, looking over at Lucretia. The Eden Vital lay sister was still seconded to Cornelia's staff, though Lelouch had already made known that once the Knights of Seven and Twelve arrived, he intended to assign the latter to provide the supplemental security that Lucretia currently served as and recall his own subordinate. Cornelia was honest enough to admit that she would miss the young woman's presence, not least because of her clerical efficiency. While Monica likely matched or even exceeded Lucretia's combat proficiency, it was doubtful the knight could also perform administrative tasks with equal competency.
"Yes, Lucretia?" Cornelia responded.
"A call for you from the Empress Victoria came while you were in the meeting with the Prince Schneizel," Lucretia said. "Her Majesty requested that you call her back immediately."
Cornelia frowned. Now why would her mother be trying to contact her so urgently. Only one way to find out.
"Set up a call to my office here," she ordered.
"By your leave," Lucretia said, turning about to go make that happen.
Cornelia was only a few steps behind, seeing as they were all headed in the same direction. Even so, by the time she was settled at her desk, the computer screen was indicating the teleconference session was set up and just waiting for her to enter the room. When she did so, the placeholder wallpaper disappeared to show the regal, but notably perturbed expression of Victoria li Britannia, Empress-Consort to Charles II and mother of Princesses Cornelia and Euphemia.
"Mother?" Cornelia said. "Is something wrong?"
Approximately six minutes afterward, an irate Cornelia stormed over to Lelouch's office and physically forced her way in. Fortunately for the princess, Lelouch had issued explicit orders to his guards to not employ force to try to stop Cornelia should his sister ever do such a thing, as otherwise an actual scuffle might have broken out between their respective security elements. As it was, the shouting got loud enough that more than one hand drifted towards the weapons holstered on their belts.
"Suzaku?"
Looking over his shoulder, the youth saw Cécile approaching with a slightly quizzical look.
"Is that a new wheelchair?"
"Oh, yes," Suzaku said with a wry smile. "Eden Vital decided I warranted an upgrade, after my help at Lake Kawaguchi."
That was at least the public explanation being given, and he was even supposed to use it on his official superiors. They had no need to know his new duty as a reserve guard at Ashford, and so they would not be told.
"And quite a substantial upgrade at that," Cécile remarked as she looked over the wheelchair.
Cosmetically, the wheelchair was already significantly different than the one he previously used. The wheels for one were at a noticeable negative camber to allow for better stability at higher speeds and improved turning capability. Hydraulic actuators on the back could also lift Suzaku up into a standing pose if needed. All of this was fully motorized, so Suzaku did not need to expend any physical exertion on his part to move about, and yet the wheelchair itself remained surprisingly compact and even light. The improvement in mobility this new wheelchair offered had taken Suzaku by some surprise when he first started using it. And there was one more feature on top of everything else.
"Though, where are the controls?" Cécile said with a quizzical frown.
"Oh, uh, actually," Suzaku said, rubbing the back of his neck. "This thing is equipped with a neuro-link interface."
That saw the captain's eyes widen in surprise, a perfectly reasonable reaction considering Camelot was still working out the kinks in their setup. Eden Vital was clearly well ahead in the development of the interface however, and while the synchronization of his implant with the wheelchair controls had not exactly been plug and play, it had gone considerably faster than when Camelot hooked him up to the Lancelot's controls.
The actual integration had taken place on a weekend, when Suzaku was ferried over to the viceroy's palace and guided by Sancia to a section where everyone seemed to be wearing Eden Vital colors. After receiving an explanation of what he would be receiving, Suzaku spent the next hour or so sitting around as the actual synchronization was performed, after which he was taken to a gymnasium and made to drive the wheelchair around some obstacles to make sure everything was working correctly. They even had a girl, Oldrin, whom Suzaku later learned would be transferring to Ashford to help bolster security at the school, walk around and intentionally get in his way to see if the controls could handle snap responses. And for the most part it could, though Suzaku did end up apologizing profusely after he ran into Oldrin at least once when she apparently managed to move across a blind spot and Suzaku lost track of her.
Before Cécile could muster a verbal response in her surprise however another clearly excited voice cut in.
"Is it now?"
The two looked over to see Lloyd standing behind them, with an inquisitive smirk stretching across his face.
"No, Colonel," Cécile reflexively declared.
"Oh come now, Cécile, you don't even know what I was about to say," Lloyd said with a petulant looking pout.
"I can easily imagine what it might be," Cécile however responded sharply.
"Umm, if you wanted to examine the wheelchair, sir," Suzaku quickly cut in before things could escalate further, "I'm afraid I'm under strict orders not to allow it. Officially this wheelchair is still the property of Eden Vital, it's only on extended loan to me."
"Surely there's no need to notify the Order of every little thing?" Lloyd however persisted. "What possible harm could there be in letting me examine it?"
"His Eminence threatened to pull the budget that was allocated for the Lancelot's reconstruction if I let you try to tinker with the wheelchair," Suzaku said flatly.
That saw the smirk disappear entirely from Lloyd's face, while even Cécile found herself mildly taken aback by the cardinal's directness. Then again, that was probably necessary to get through Lloyd's tunnel vision.
"The cardinal is a rather stingy fellow," Lloyd said bitterly.
"Considering His Eminence did come up with the supplemental funding we needed without delay, it is arguably us that need to take care not to presume upon his generosity," Cécile however chided her superior.
"Yes, yes, so you always say," Lloyd said with a dismissive wave. "If Suzaku will not let me examine his wheelchair, then let us not dally any longer, there remains much work to be done."
Cécile rolled her eyes. "Yes sir."
"So the Lancelot's reconstruction is going well?"
"Quite so," Cécile said. "And rebuilding the Lancelot offered ample opportunity to apply all of the improvements we've devised based on all the testing you've helped us do. The new Lancelot will likely be even more responsive and maneuverable."
"Well, I'm glad to have been of help," Suzaku said.
The trio entered the assembly area where the mostly completed knightmare was held upright. For the most part the mech looked much Suzaku remembered, though there a few small cosmetic changes that likely belayed some under the hood tweak.
"So what exactly was changed, ma'am?"
"Mechanically, we've tweaked the placement of some components to better distribute the weight, which should make the Lancelot more stable when it's moving at speed," Cécile said. "You were actually pushing the higher end of what our simulations suggested the old Lancelot was capable of. A bunch of the other changes are software, tuning of the neuro-link signal processing, the AR HUD got spruced up a bit, stuff like that. We've also reinforced the armoring around the cockpit, on the off chance the Lancelot is pressed into an actual combat deployment again."
A reminder, that the knightmare's deployment to Lake Kawaguchi had occurred despite some major misgivings on Cécile's part. Indeed it was thanks to how impressively the Lancelot had performed that might see it be pressed into service in the future despite still officially being a prototype. Of course if enough people took note of the knightmare's performance, that might see some more money kicked their way to build more frames. That might increase the workload on the Camelot Institute, but a hardware rich development program was usually a good problem to have.
"Though unfortunately we still haven't been able to integrate an ejection system," Cécile added, "so do take care if you do find yourself in combat again, Suzaku."
"Hmm, yes. A machine can be rebuilt easily enough," Lloyd said, "but finding a replacement for you would likely be extremely troublesome."
It said much about just how skewed Lloyd's value system was skewed that him treating Suzaku as some indispensable part was actually very high praise indeed on the earl's part. And in an odd twist, as annoyed as Lloyd had been with the destruction of the first Lancelot prototype, the colonel had not been actually worried about its loss, blithely assuming as he did that money would be forthcoming to build another one. He had however been worried about whether Suzaku would continue to be fit to pilot said replacement. Indeed he was worried enough that he actually dropped by and said as much to Suzaku's face, just a moment before Cécile could rush over and stop Lloyd from being so crass. Suzaku however had already grown acclimated to the colonel's sensibilities, and reassured an exasperated Cécile that he took no offense. And that he was himself eager to get back to work at the first opportunity. Now, here they stood, or in Suzaku's case, sat.
"Oh, right," the youth said, pulling out an actual data drive. "So, as part of syncing me up to the wheelchair, Eden Vital did some tuning of my neuro-link interface. This is the telemetry and the parameter tweaks they did, which they said should get applied to whatever else I'll be connecting to."
Cécile's eyes widened while a wide grin crossed Lloyd's face.
"Is that so?" the colonel said, taking the drive. "I might have to take back my remark regarding the cardinal."
"We'll need to vet the data and run a few simulations first," Cécile said as she quickly snatched the drive from Lloyd's grasp. "While Eden Vital clearly has more experience with the technology than we do, that doesn't mean their changes will necessarily be compatible with our implementation."
"The Eden Vital sister, Sancia, seemed to think it would be," Suzaku said, "but better safe than sorry."
"Then let's not waste any time," Lloyd said, rubbing his hands together. One could almost hear his cackling. "My, but won't this be fun."
Since her arrival to Japan, as remarkable as it might seem, this was actually the first time Euphemia had set foot within the viceroy's palace. Its halls were reminiscent to the style used in her home back in Pendragon however, so the place still felt familiar, even nostalgic. And hopefully she would soon be able to call upon the palace on a more regular basis. First though, she would need to pass today's hurdle.
Cornelia was waiting for her sister in one of the palace's numerous sitting rooms, and the look she regarded her sister's entrance with was clearly conflicted. As dearly as the princess loved her one and only full-blooded sibling, it was undeniable that Euphemia was charting a course that Cornelia did not agree with. The tea was already poured and waiting, so aside from Gilbert, who stood behind Cornelia, and Lucretia, who had showed Euphemia in, the two sisters were otherwise alone.
"Thank you, Lucretia," Cornelia said, "you may leave."
Euphemia tensed slightly. While she did not have any problem spending time alone with her sister, in this case they would not be alone, and Euphemia suspected that should the discussion take a turn not to Cornelia's liking, she would not hesitate to call upon Gilbert's support. As such what Lucretia said in response offered a not inconsiderable relief to the girl.
"I'm His Eminence has ordered me to see after the Princess Euphemia," Lucretia stated. "As such, I am only permitted to take my leave if Her Highness so wishes it."
Cornelia's eyes flared. "This is a family discussion."
"Then you will be dismissing Sir Gilbert as well?" Lucretia however was nonplussed.
"Gilbert has served at my side for many years, and has my complete and implicit trust," Cornelia said. "He has earned the privilege, and obligation, of being present in such discussions."
"And His Eminence has granted me similar if not greater trust," Lucretia however would not budge. "Or are you implying that you do not consider the cardinal to be family any longer."
That last remark was delivered in an entirely level, even serene tone. That did not in any way take out the bite behind the words. Cornelia visibly bristled, while Gilbert looked ready to also take offense on behalf of his liege.
"Sister."
Euphemia's voice however cut through the tension with a single word. Cornelia looked over at her.
"Is this a discussion regarding family or not?" the younger girl asked.
After several long seconds of silence, Cornelia finally mustered a reaction.
"Gilbert, if you would please wait outside."
Despite a look of worry, the knight clicked his heels together and obediently responded. "Yes, Your Highness."
Euphemia let out a deep breath, then to Lucretia. "Please wait outside, Sister Lucretia."
"By your leave, Your Highness," Lucretia dipped her head.
The two took leave of the room, closing the door softly behind. Taking a seat, Euphemia picked up a cup and took a sip, letting the warm liquid soothe her racing heart. She might have won the first exchange, assuming such things as victory and defeat held meaning with dealing with family, but the greater issue as yet remained unsettled.
"Euphemia."
The girl met Cornelia's gaze. And now it was time to find out what turn that would take.
"What you are trying to do, it is not worth the risks you would need to take."
"That is not a choice either of us have," Euphemia stated. "Those risks come part and parcel with us being the children of our parents."
"Those risks, yes," Cornelia said, "but others are entirely within our control. And it is most certainly a choice as to whether you make your debut here, in this administrative area, versus back in the safety and security of Pendragon."
"That, certainly," Euphemia said, "but I clearly disagree as to whether the benefits outweigh the risks."
"What benefits?" Cornelia retorted. "I can see no benefit whatsoever to your person."
Euphemia regarded her sister flatly. "As scions of the blood, it is not merely our benefit which should guide our choices, but whether the Empire as a whole benefits, even at the cost of our personal wants."
"And I can see even fewer benefits for the Empire," Cornelia insisted.
Euphemia regarded her sister with a slight, sad smile. "Would that be because you do not consider me of any use, or because of your disdain for the people that call Japan home?"
"You have yet to complete your formal schooling, as such much of your contributions are constrained to symbolism," Cornelia said frankly. "And while there is a time and place for such symbolism, it is most certainly not here in Area 11, where Britannia has yet to properly integrate the region and populace into the empire proper."
"I disagree," Euphemia responded. "Of all the methods used to try to integrate Japan, the most successful has been the artful usage of symbolism. What is it that the Japanese people have rallied around? Not the heel of the boot, but the hope of a better future. Every gesture that Lelouch has made, from the courtesy he pays to Kaguya, to the recruitment of Kallen, to even his consideration of Suzaku, each such act has done more to weaken the insurgency than all the bombs and bullets the Empire has expended since we annexed Japan combined."
That was not a new argument, but that did not mean it was not without merit, as much as it frustrated Cornelia.
"And yet are you actually doing this for the sake of this area, or because of something you yourself want?" Cornelia challenged. "Don't even try to suggest this isn't about Lelouch."
"Why should I?" Euphemia said with a shrug. "But sometimes, what we want and what duty demands can sometimes align. By helping our brother, I help advance the Empire's interests."
Cornelia's jaw tightened. "The payoff isn't worth the risk."
By now Euphemia was regarding her sister with a slightly irritated look. "And whose assessment is that? Cornelia li Britannia's, or the Marshal of the Empire?"
"Seeing as both are one and the same, there is no distinction," Cornelia declared. "If you are truly insistent on making your debut, then I will be equally insistent that you do so back in Pendragon. Whatever your personal sentiment, Area 11 is not fit to host your debut, much less your public residency."
"I would appreciate your cooperation in making my debut, Sister," Euphemia said softly, and then very firmly, "but I do not require it."
Cornelia's expression hardened. "I have already spoken with Mother, and she has made clear that unless I am satisfied with the arrangements of your debut, she will not be either."
Euphemia closed her eyes for a moment, but when they reopened, Cornelia found a reflection of her own steely visage staring back at her.
"The only real condition for my public debut is His Majesty allocating a budget for my royal guard," Euphemia stated.
Cornelia inhaled sharply, but her sister was not done yet.
"While I would certainly appreciate any recommendations you might have for that guard, there are others whom I could ask for assistance in recruiting armsmen and knights."
"Euphie, you can't be serious!" Cornelia exclaimed.
"And why can I not be?" Euphemia's own voice rose. "Why is it that every time I try to approach the duties all of you undertake, I am brushed off? You say that I am not ready, but where any of you ready for the tasks set before you when you first entered the public eye?"
"That was different," Cornelia began. "None of us were dropped into what amounts to a warzone!"
"Clovis was," Euphemia said, levelly and calmly, but still emphatically. "Lelouch was."
"Clovis died!" Cornelia cried out. "I will not have the same happen to you!"
Euphemia faced her sister without flinching. "If that is your concern, does that mean you've already written off Lelouch?"
The older woman actually flinched at that question. Accusation, really. Because the worst part was, there was a certain truth to that. For the sake of her vengeance, the only person Cornelia was not prepared to sacrifice was Euphemia. Lelouch himself was implicitly no exception, especially not when Cornelia considered her brother to be a fellow compatriot in the quest for revenge. But that was not exactly something she could say to Euphemia, not least because the full circumstances were so perilous that they outweighed even any prejudices Cornelia held against the Japanese.
"Lelouch is capable of handling the risks he faces," Cornelia admitted.
That was perhaps the first time she had ever done so outside the privacy of her own thoughts, even after all these months watching her brother so deftly handle both the civil and military aspects of his duty as viceroy. Progress, in a way, but the fact that Cornelia was needing to be forced to face such basic truths was undoing much of the good such an admission would have otherwise done for her mental well-being.
"And is it so hard to have similar such faith in me?" Euphemia asked.
"My faith has nothing to do with it," Cornelia responded. "My faith isn't going to change how much danger you will face, or whether you can be protected from it."
Euphemia tilted her head. "Then does that not mean I could be entirely safe, even if you believe otherwise?"
"That's not what I meant, Euphie," Cornelia said.
"Why? Because one thing is what you wish for and the other, not?" Euphemia asked bluntly. "I do not doubt that you love me dearly, Sister. And I in turn cherish you with all my heart. But you can't protect me forever, and there will be a time when if you try too hard, you will only end up hurting me instead. Is that time going to be now?"
"As the lesser evil to you dying outright, I am prepared for it to be now," Cornelia insisted.
"Even though in the long run, your actions would only further endanger me?"
Cornelia's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
"Why are you so stridently determined to keep me hidden?" Euphemia asked rhetorically. "Because there are dangerous things in the world, I am well aware. But hiding me away does not solve the cause of these dangers, it does nothing to actually make them go away. All it does is maybe delay the inevitable. If you wish for me to truly be safe, Sister, then the world as a whole must be made a safer, better place. And if by my action I can help with that process, then any inaction on my part, either willing or forced, does not serve to protect me, but to actively endanger me."
The reasoning was abstract, significantly more so than Cornelia would have expected from Euphemia at her current age. But then again, few of the imperial children were outright fools, so perhaps she should not be surprised at all. The real surprise was arguably the level of maturity her sister was displaying, one that indicated Euphemia was actively hurrying to grow up. And amidst the mixture of frustration and pride, Cornelia also felt a tinge of sadness that such a thing was necessary.
"For you to benefit from this better world, you still have to live to see it come about," Cornelia said. "Listen to me, Euphie. With everything that's happening in the world, we're at a point where, as much as I don't want to admit it, I genuinely can't guarantee your safety if you remain here in Japan, regardless of whether you debut or not. Things are, happening, that could really see Japan turn into a battleground. And no, this isn't just about my distrust of the Japanese. You're right, I don't trust them, but they're not the only potential threats out there. Remember, we're sitting right next to one of the other great powers, and one that's not particularly fond of Britannia either."
That last bit seemed to actually give Euphemia something to mull over, but if the girl's determination at all wavered, it only did so briefly.
"Then do your best," she said, reaching out and clasping Cornelia's hands. "And let me do my best. I have no wish to die, Sister, nor do I intend to. But none of us can let mere uncertainty, or even certainty, keep us from doing the really important things."
The worst part about all this was that Euphemia was not wrong. Not entirely right either, there was still plenty of the girl's young naivety imbued within her reasoning, but she was not fundamentally wrong. And her younger sister was clearly determined to forge ahead, even if it meant outright defying both Cornelia and Victoria.
"Euphie," Cornelia tried one last time. "If you get hurt, or God forbid, actually die, that's likely to rent a schism between the rest of the family and Lelouch."
Euphemia frowned. "Lelouch wouldn't be at fault for-"
"That wouldn't matter," Cornelia said sharply. "Lelouch could have done everything within his power to have kept you safe, he could be lying there bleeding right next to you. But if you die, and he lives, after what happened to Clovis, none of us are going to be able to promise to be rational about the whole thing. He might not be at fault, but he'll still be blamed."
Again Euphemia was given something that required her to muse over, but again, her determination was not swayed. Instead, when she met Cornelia's gaze again, there was an even more willful gleam in the younger girl's eyes.
"I will make sure then to include a forgiveness in my testament, for those of my family that would so ostracize one of their own who shared the pain they all feel so keenly."
On many an occasion had Kaguya been summoned to the viceroy's palace, but this was arguably the first time she had ever been guided to this particular section. One immediately evident difference was the greater number of personnel in the colors of Eden Vital. While there were always plenty of Eden Vital personnel working around the palace, they at least tended to be comingled with regular civilian bureaucrats or soldiers. This part of the palace, Kaguya had yet to see anyone not with an Eden Vital emblem adorning their uniform. Whatever went on here, the Order clearly intended to keep as much of it inhouse as possible. And that included the two armed guards standing aside of the door they now stopped before.
"His Eminence is awaiting you inside," Sancia said.
Kaguya gave Sancia a courteous nod before stepping through the door. As she was told, Lelouch was standing within, hands clasped behind.
"Kaguya," he greeted.
"Your Eminence," the girl responded, even curtsying.
"Please, have a seat," Lelouch said, actually pulling out a chair for her. "We have much to discuss today."
"My thanks," Kaguya said with a beaming smile as she accepted the invitation.
Lelouch likewise took a seat directly opposite her.
"What I am about to reveal to you might sound fantastical to the point of delusional, Kaguya," the cardinal began. "I swear to you however that I speak the complete and absolute truth, that any omission is due to prioritization. There is so much to tell, it will simply take time to cover it all."
Kaguya's expression lost her almost playful demeanor, as the girl adopted a serious, contemplative look. She was at a precipice, the girl could feel it. After all the hints, all the uncertainty about what happened to her family, to her people, to her country, it would all be laid bare. A part of her was afraid of how these revelations might change her perceptions. Could she still look at Lelouch with the same respect, and affection, once she knew the truth? Kaguya hoped so, and thus she nodded.
Once her acknowledgment was given, Lelouch motioned for Kaguya to put on a pair of glasses set before her. The cardinal did likewise, and then typed something into his keyboard. In the center of the table between them, a three-dimensional projection appeared, eliciting a slight gasp from Kaguya. The girl lowered the glasses to get a better look, only to see nothing. Pushing the glasses back up, she saw the projection again.
"An augmented reality interface," Lelouch explained. "Useful for providing visualizations of complex data collections."
"So I can see," Kaguya said, physically leaning forward with the glasses on to get a closer look.
"Do you recognize the place being projected?"
"It looks like the, the structure on Kamine Island," Kaguya answered. "I think I went there when I was very young, with my mother. It's supposed to be called a, thought elevator?"
Lelouch nodded, then changed the projection. "This is the thought elevator located in New York." Then another. "And this is the one located in the Antarctic. London, the Congo, Baghdad, Taklamakan. A total of seven thought elevators on Earth."
Kaguya looked up at Lelouch, sensing the emphasis on that last bit. "On Earth?"
The cardinal changed the image again, this time showing a desolate, cratered landscape with a starry backdrop. Another thought elevator was visible amidst the gray terrain.
"This is a composite of images taken by the Apollo 12 landing team," Lelouch said, "of a thought elevator located in Oceanus Procellarum on the lunar surface."
Kaguya's eyes went wide like saucer plates.
"A total of four thought elevators have been located on the moon," the cardinal continued, "and the purpose of Britannia's Apollo program was to document and collect samples from their vicinity. The flag planting thing was just song and dance for the consumption of the general public."
Her mouth was also dangling open in a most unladylike manner, but after a few moments of processing the revelation she was finally able to regain her composure.
"What are the thought elevators?" she asked in a hushed whisper.
"We'll get to what they are later," Lelouch said. "Of more immediate relevance is what they can do, and how they have been employed by humanity in service of our needs."
Kaguya nodded dumbly, not that any other reaction could be expected of her.
"This next bit might seem like a divergence, and it glosses over quite a few details, including the how," Lelouch said, "but it is intended to illustrate the most relevant point to our current discussion."
Another nod. The projection of the lunar surface disappeared, to be replaced by one of the human brain.
"The human brain is capable of many seemingly mundane acts," the cardinal began anew, "from recognizing the things we see to being able to form and understand coherent statements to convey and receive information. When you see an apple, you know to be an apple."
An apple appeared.
"And when you hear a bark, you know that the source was most likely a dog."
It was then replaced with a dog. An Akita inu, specifically, with tongue hanging out in a goofy looking grin.
"Such acts might seem naturally intuitive to us, but the amount of computational resources required to replicate these acts of cognition can take up entire floors or even buildings with computers. In that regard, the human brain can be thought of as an immensely powerful biological computer, capable of performing certain types of pattern matching and calculations with incomparably greater speed, and accuracy, than any computer system of comparable size."
The dog disappeared, to Kaguya's mild disappointment.
"There are countless other mathematical computations that, if we attempted to perform them on conventional computers, would take more time than the universe has existed to complete. But what if we could instead apply our brains to performing these computations?"
The projection of the brain doubled.
"Now imagine if we could have two brains working together on such a problem."
They doubled again.
"Or four."
And kept on doubling until Kaguya's view was filled with them.
"Imagine how quickly we could solve these problems if the whole of humanity could be marshaled."
By now the viewpoint had zoomed out enough that each brain was but a single dot, with lines connecting them to their nearest neighbors to create a giant mesh. A mesh that surrounded and was further anchored to a thought elevator.
"This networking of minds is but one of the feats the thought elevators are capable of performing," Lelouch explained, "and is the most immediately relevant one with regards to your own person."
"Me?" Kaguya said quizzically.
"Do you recall how, during our tour of the Sumeragi Group's R&D institute, many of the research teams mentioned a lack of sufficient computational resources?"
The way Kaguya's eyes lit up, things were clicking into place for the girl.
"The Kamine Island thought elevator was used by the Sumeragi Group to do these, computations, you spoke of."
Lelouch nodded. "And after Britannia's invasion, they lost access to it. Not that any of them would have known the exact cause, the secret behind the thought elevator would have been very closely guarded."
Kaguya nodded in turn. "But, you're suggesting my mother would have known."
"Of certitude," Lelouch stated. "She was after all a priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine."
A confused look returned to Kaguya's face. "What? What does the shrine have to do with the thought elevator?"
"Much as Eden Vital is responsible for the New York and Antarctic thought elevators, the Ise Grand Shrine was responsible for the Kamine Island thought elevator. Similarly, the Roman Catholic Church oversees the London and Congo thought elevators, the Baghdad Imamate oversees the thought elevator in their city, and the Jokhang Temple oversees the Taklamakan thought elevator."
Kaguya blinked. "All of the thought elevators are managed by religious denominations?"
"That is correct," Lelouch affirmed. "The framework that underlies this arrangement is outlined in the Treaty of London, signed at the end of the Great War. That treaty was intended to ensure as equitable a balance as possible, to avoid another war starting over possession of thought elevators. It has held, just barely, since then, but has come under considerable strain over the past six or seven years."
"Because of Britannia's conquest of two additional thought elevators?"
Quick on the uptake, Kaguya was.
"The exact start of the breakdown stretches further back," Lelouch said. "The Empire's seizure of the Kamine Island and Baghdad thought elevators was more a reaction in response to the growing schism, it did not precipitate it."
A big schism that must have been, for Britannia to resort to open war.
"Before we delve into that matter however, we should finish our discussion of the thought elevator's utility," the cardinal redirected the conversation. "Now that you understand the strategic advantage that possession, and utilization, of one grants, you need to be aware of the cost as well."
"Cost," Kaguya repeated.
"Power of such magnitude does not come for free," Lelouch stated frankly. "One paid for not just in coin, but also blood."
At that Kaguya swallowed. She should perhaps not be surprised by that, seeing how many people that she herself knew of had already perished over this secret.
"The most basic cost with utilizing a thought elevator is that only a human mind can interact with one," Lelouch continued. "No artificial electronic system has ever been created that can directly, plug into, a thought elevator. That means to set up a computation simulation, to feed in the data, and to read back out the result, requires a person to be hooked up to the thought elevator. And not just any person, some people's neural physiology is not robust enough to survive contact with the increased sensory awareness that comes with the connection. Even those that are strong enough, prolonged exposure inevitably results in medical complications, up to and including death. Hence why Eden Vital has invested so much effort in finding, training, and ultimately augmenting contractor candidates, so that each one never has to stay connected for very long to conduct whatever computation is necessary."
Kaguya nodded once more, to show she was following along.
"With respect to the Kamine Island thought elevator however, as far as Eden Vital and Britannia can determine, the stewards responsible for managing and performing computations with it, the priests and priestesses of the Ise Grand Shrine, were all but wiped out prior to the Empire's invasion," the cardinal said with a grimace. "In the case where an ecclesiastical order falls, the Treaty of London stipulates that the sponsoring polity has the right to select a new ecclesiastical order to serve as stewards for the thought elevator. As Japan is no longer an independent polity, according to the letter of the treaty, Britannia holds that right now."
That grimace was now mirrored on Kaguya's expression, and not just because amongst those murdered priests and priestesses were her own family. Even worse from a cold, rational, strategic perspective, was the Japanese people's loss of the Kamine Island thought elevator.
"However," Lelouch lent particular emphasis to that word, "with the revelation that you were trained, at least partially, to serve as a priestess of the Shrine, it could be argued that the Ise Grand Shrine still exists in the form of your person. And with that existence, stewardship of the Kamine Island thought elevator as yet remains with Ise."
Kaguya was back to gaping at Lelouch. The ramifications of the cardinal's claim, the weight of the responsibility that was suddenly now upon her shoulders, the girl struggled to fully grasp. If what everything Lelouch had claimed about the thought elevators was true, then abstractly, Kaguya held the rights to an immensely powerful strategic asset. Difficult and costly to employ, yes, but one that placed her amongst the highest tiers of power in the world. But along with that power came risk and danger, for she was still but one person, and the infrastructure that previously supported the utilization of the Kamine Island thought elevator was gone. Kaguya would not even know where to start. And if the claim was limited to just her own person, then it was a tenuous, fragile claim indeed, for the only thing that stood in the way of someone else seizing that claim was her life. A chill ran down Kaguya's spine. Surely Eden Vital, and Lelouch were not so ruthless as to be willing to take her life. Surely.
"Eden Vital has no wish to forcibly seize the Kamine Island thought elevator," Lelouch said gently, as if sensing the budding fear within Kaguya.
Reflexively, Kaguya let out a sigh of relief, and then returned the smile with one of her own.
"That said, we do desire the Kamine Island thought elevator be put back into service," the cardinal continued. "Having two out of the seven terrestrial thought elevators idled means forgoing some considerable opportunities, and with the challenges we presently face, we can ill-afford to be so wasteful."
"I wouldn't even know where to start," Kaguya said frankly.
Lelouch clasped his hands together. "The Order is aware of this, and is prepared to lend its expertise to that task. There are however two avenues by which that aid might be rendered, and it falls upon you to choose between them."
And thus they arrived at the crux of today's meeting. Kaguya met Lelouch's gaze with steely resolve as she prepared to hear the offers.
"The first option would involve the Ise Grand Shrine accepting communion with Eden Vital, and effectively becoming a part of the Order. In that scenario, Eden Vital would deploy its own contractors to help oversee the stewardship of the Kamine Island thought elevator, and would accept for induction into our ranks both yourself and those persons you recommend, after the appropriate vetting, of course. You would then been trained in preparation for appointment as the archbishop in charge of the Kamine Island archdiocese. This would be the quickest way of bringing the Kamine Island thought elevator back online, and you would yourself be granted a position of high authority within Eden Vital. In addition, the Order would be prepared to cement this communion with a more personal union."
As roundabout as that last bit was, Kaguya immediately inferred what form that union would take. It was quite the shift from the cardinal's previous circumspection, and while Kaguya felt at least some elation that such a prospect might actually be in the cards now, her rational side was able to assert enough of itself to keep that joy from overcoming her sensibilities. There was after all a major caveat here.
"Choosing this course of action however would see you ultimately subordinate yourself to Eden Order's hierarchy," Lelouch stated very clearly, "and the end of the Ise Grand Shrine as an independent ecclesiastical order. While you would oversee the administration of the Kamine Island thought elevator, prioritization of computational tasks would be set by Eden Vital as a whole, and the Sumeragi Group's R&D institute would remain bereft of its prior privileged access. It would still be amongst those few companies given access to thought elevator compute resources, but it would be in company of other organizations like the Ashford Foundation, Steiner Konzern, and the Camelot Institute."
In other words, much to gain in the short-term, but there was a significant long-term cost. Eden Vital might be able to get the Kamine Island thought elevator working quickly again, and in the interim the Sumeragi Group could tap compute time in the other two thought elevators, but once it was up and running, it would be the Order that controlled three thought elevators. Even if there was functionally no hope of Japan becoming an independent polity again, possession of a thought elevator independent of either Britannia or Eden Vital's direct control would still constitute a major strategic boon for the Japanese people. No, they might not be able to perform as many computations with just their one thought elevator, and yes it would likely take much, much longer to bring the system back online again, but to have full say on what it was then used for, that could well eclipse whatever short term, and personal, benefits that effectively surrendering the thought elevator to Eden Vital might bring.
"And what would be the second option?" Kaguya thus asked. And the other implicit costs, she had no need to say aloud.
"The second option," Lelouch answered, "would be to reconstitute the Ise Grand Shrine as its own independent ecclesiastical order. Eden Vital is prepared to provide technical expertise, but not contractors, to support this task. We would be willing to help identify and train candidates to interact with the Kamine Island thought elevator, but we will not provide any candidates to help accelerate the process of reactivating and utilizing it. Furthermore, the House of Sumeragi would need to marshal the financial resources to perform this reconstitution without assistance from Eden Vital, though you may be able to negotiate something with the Britannian government, if you wish to sign them on as a sponsoring polity."
About what Kaguya expected, including the absence of any mention of any personal union.
"In addition."
Or perhaps the cardinal was just getting to that, if the flatness of his expression was any indication.
"The Lamperouge lineage is one that Eden Vital has invested considerable time and effort in improving over multiple generations. Our ability to interact with the thought elevators is such that we suffer almost none of the debilitating effects that come from prolonged exposure, though more intensive usage of the thought elevator's capabilities can still render us infirm. Because of this however, the Order absolutely will not countenance any relation that would produce progeny that might go on to serve in an ecclesiastical order other than Eden Vital."
Kaguya felt as if her heart was freezing over.
"If you should choose the second option," Lelouch said softly, "then I am sorry, but that would preclude any possibility of my acceptance of your hand."
Duty or desire. That so succinctly framed the choice that lay before Kaguya now. Possession of a thought elevator constituted the strongest possible expression of the Japanese people as an independent power, even if not an independent polity. It would allow them to pursue paths of development without needing Britannia's express permission, and would oblige those that wished to benefit from the thought elevator to curry favor with Ise directly. As a measure of sovereign will, there were entire nation-states that could not match the sort of power that represented. And it was hers for the taking, indeed a duty for her to uphold, if she would just give up her heart's desire. This was clearly a choice that Lelouch himself had also been asked to make, with a decision that he held resolutely to even now.
"Your Eminence," Kaguya said, her voice cracking from the effort to convey her words.
Lelouch rose, swiftly walking around the table before kneeling before Kaguya. He reached out, gripping Kaguya's hand with his own. A most forward action, even setting aside Kaguya's Japanese sensibilities. The girl inhaled sharply, wondering whatever could the cardinal be trying to do here.
"Kaguya," Lelouch said. "Whatever you choose, know that I will lend you my aid. Not as a cardinal of Eden Vital, but as my person of Lelouch Lamperouge. This, you are owed, as much for your deeds, as for the worthy heart you possess."
A consummate gentleman, and one that carried himself this way as much because of nature as by nurture. His competence and successes might have drawn Kaguya's attention, but it was this that won over her heart. A heart that she could almost hear breaking now, as she too was forced to make a choice.
End of Chapter 33
The turnaround time for this chapter was arguably much faster, thanks to it being half-done already when I posted the previous one. The next one is liable to take much longer, as the events in it are less mentally stimulating to work on than quite a few previous chapter parts. Not that the scenes themselves won't be interesting per se, but from a writing perspective the process of getting them out is more rote mechanics than requiring active creative generation.
Euphemia's grown quite a bit since her first appearance. She's arguably made a somewhat large mental leap since her last appearance, but take that as an indication that she's been having lots and lots of conversations with Milly, Lelouch, and Lelouch's attendants to fully think through her planned course of action. As such she did not go into the conversation with Cornelia without preparation. This is the sort of trajectory her character development is taking. Still optimistic, but shedding much of her previous naivety and showing a willingness to actually do the work needed to make her hopes a success.
Right, so, Kaguya. A while back, a reader prodded me for some hints as to what sort of pairings I had planned for Lelouch. They were specifically prodding, hoping for hints of their preferred pairing. I responded with the following line, nominally spoken by Lelouch himself way in the future.
"The one that awakened my heart, the one that got away, and the one that redeemed me."
At this point I think all of you have pretty good guesses as to who the first two are. Anyone want to bet who the third one will be?
In a lot of respects, Kaguya's development with Lelouch was allowed to occur almost entirely organically. The plotline involving the thought elevators was conceived of after her introduction into the story proper, but still early enough that it wasn't entirely clear whether her relationship with Lelouch would actually grow closer or not. And frankly, I think a lot more readers were convinced of that growing closeness than I, as the author, personally was. Not that I couldn't see certain trends, but they still felt rather tenuous to me for a good chunk of the story.
The overall feasibility of the relationship didn't really solidify until Kaguya's interactions with Milly started firming up. There was actually a scene that I ended up cutting that was supposed to take place after Lelouch's tour of the R&D facility but before this meeting at the palace that would have seen Kaguya and Milly bond more closely, that would have really reinforced the feasibility of the relationship. I ultimately cut it for time constraints and because I was literally running out of places to slot the scene, but in my head it still happened, so the proximal relations were still there. But overall, the narrative as a whole was edging towards making a relationship possible at a personal level. At a political level however, things were much more complicated.
Narratively, having a relationship not work out can be just as useful as having relationships that do. After all, the relationships are a means to an end, not the end itself. This story does not seek to pair characters up or anything, they get paired up, or not, depending on the circumstances within the story and to help the narrative as a whole progress. As such, every time a relationship doesn't work out is also a mark of a character's development, and opens up new possibilities for where that character can go next now that they are no longer so encumbered. Will Kaguya continue carrying a torch for Lelouch for a while yet? Probably. But watching her grow out of it, or at least enough so to find someone else, will be a story in and of itself. And with the particular set of political conditions here, having Kaguya herself choose to decline Lelouch's hand actually helps fully establish her as an astute young woman that will likely grow up into a great leader because she can properly balance between the things she wants and the things that are better for her people.
To be honest, I really am surprised no reviewers considered what independent control of the Kamine Island thought elevator represented. In a lot of ways, Kaguya, as the de facto head priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine, now possesses authority that is theoretically on the same level as C.C. or the pope. Granted much of that authority is presently contingent on the willingness of Eden Vital and Britannia to recognize it, but given time, Kaguya could actually elevate Japan to a position that, while still part of Britannia, would constitute an outright crown jewel of the Empire. And she personally has just become one of the most desirable bachelorettes in the world. But possession of those very qualities is ultimately what disqualifies her from being a partner for Lelouch, since the Ise Grand Shrine is at the end of the day, a competitor to Eden Vital. A major prospective ally, yes, but competitors can still be allies, and having Ise be constrained and thus a lesser ecclesiastical order is preferable from Eden Vital's perspective.
In a lot of ways, Eden Vital's leadership were entirely expecting Kaguya to reject communion because they presumed she would be smart enough to recognize the prospective advantage that sole custodianship of the thought elevator would mean for Japan, even as part of Britannia. If she turned out to be as astute as expected, that meant it was probably safe enough to allow her to reconstitute Ise, with Eden Vital's help putting Kaguya in their debt anyway. If she was not, then both she and the Kamine Island thought elevator were probably better off under the stewardship of Eden Vital.
Why would Eden Vital be willing to give up a thought elevator? Well, that's complicated. Recall that the agreement between the Holy See and Eden Vital is that the Holy See gets a contractor in exchange for Eden Vital taking custody of the Kamine Island thought elevator. No thought elevator, no contractor, so any major advancements the Holy See was hoping to accelerate with a contractor also goes up in smokes. Furthermore, Eden Vital can expect to always have a certain degree of influence over Ise due to being the senior ecclesiastical order within Britannia, and because both Ise and Eden Vital are sponsored by the same polity, they're actually in the very unusual position of having fewer impediments to linking their respective thought elevators up, on a case-by-case basis perhaps, but even that is far more than can be said of any other combination of ecclesiastical orders. And the precedent this sets might also entice the Baghdad Imamate to accept similar such requests. So Eden Vital can get a good chunk of the benefits it would have otherwise gotten in its agreement with the Catholic Church, without having to cough up a contractor. And if the Catholic Church gets really desperate, Eden Vital could turn the agreement around and have it so instead of the Kamine Island thought elevator, they get Europe's blessing (unlikely though that may be) to take custody of the Taklamakan thought elevator after the conflict with the heretics and China is resolved. In which case, Eden Vital still gets outright control over three thought elevators, while wielding considerable influence over two others, functionally granting them five of the seven terrestrial thought elevators. C.C. knows how to play the long game.
To those that are tempted to think Eden Vital's reasons for restricting Lelouch's prospective partners is somehow too contrived, yeah, no. There has been a significant amount of emphasis throughout the story about how Lelouch (and Nunnally) in many ways represents the culmination of Eden Vital's eugenics program. On their father's side, they are part of a lineage that was actually able to produce someone capable of hosting a code. Granted V.V. is all indications being driven insane by the mental strain of being a code bearer, but that he didn't just die outright to begin with is already quite impressive. And on their mother's side, they gained all of the benefits that have gone into fortifying their neural physiology to withstand that sort of strain. As such, Lelouch and Nunnally are, as far as Eden Vital is aware of, perhaps the only two people that could survive a code manifesting within them and keep going. And for those organizations that don't have a code bearer of their own, if they were to try to artificially induce it in someone, they'd need someone like Lelouch, or a descendant of his. This is why the restrictions on Lelouch's prospective children are likely even stricter than some of you have been presuming. And yes, the Ashfords have accepted those restrictions, since for the most part it doesn't interfere with a child carrying on the title. Indeed, by marrying Milly to Lelouch, the future Ashford family effectively gets a seat at the highest levels of authority within Eden Vital, which can be parlayed into higher priority access for Ashford Industries to the thought elevators under Eden Vital's control. As such, the true prize for the Ashfords is Lelouch's connection to Eden Vital, while his imperial lineage is the bonus and the public rationalization. Notice how the situation with the Ashfords provides a contrasting parallel to that of the Sumeragis. Yes, Ruben too knows how to play the long game.
Cornelia's beliefs sort of developed organically independent of any nurture from her parents. The Britannian Empire of my story isn't the sort of genocidal, xenophobic polity it was portrayed as in canon. It's still deeply conservative and has very deep racial and social divisions, but the attitude of the average Britannian is closer to apathy for other societies than outright disdain or contempt. Cornelia's military service in the various campaigns that added all these new conquests to the Empire has however colored her perspective, since her interactions with a lot of other populaces involves each side actively trying to kill each other. This perhaps inevitably sees her reflexively regard non-Britannians as prospective enemies instead of prospective allies.
The latest wave of imperial expansion by Britannia has a pretty straightforward objective, to put down the heretics and specifically V.V. That the campaign to do so required the conquest of so many new regions should indicate to all of you just how dangerous Eden Vital, and Britannia, views that threat. Thus far it's basically been a large encirclement campaign, as well as eliminating prospective allies that V.V. and China might try to win over to their side. The next big step would be outright war with China, which as the opening scene this chapter indicated, is something the Empire has to approach very carefully on account of China's nukes.
The question of how to defeat Britannia is not one of tactics or strategy, but logistics. How do you sustain a military force large enough and for long enough to fight something the size of the Empire. Answer that, and you have a roadmap to Britannia's downfall. That's ultimately the thing most fanfic writers don't grasp, though to be frank it's not like the canon writers (or the German high command when planning Operation Barbarossa) bothered dealing with that issue either. But again, Code Geass wasn't trying to tell a realistic war story, the conflict was just the backdrop to the story about the characters that they actually wanted to tell. At least in season 1. Season 2 kind of went off into the weeds.