Despite what I said in the previous chapter's author's note this chapter will feature very large notes. Such is to be expected as the story is in its early chapters, and I'd like if you could read those as the feedback greatly improves my writing and story planning.
Before anything, I'd like to state that I'm still unsure of how to deal with reviews, I've seen lots of different works, and whilst some do what I'm doing right now, answer in paragraphs. Others prefer to answer each review separately, either through a pm or a direct mention on the notes. If you guys think I should change my method please let me know.
Also, a huge thank you to all those who reviewed, this really meant a lot for me. Now to the things that were asked, or commented on in the reviews.
A lot was said about adding Leila Malcal (or Breisgau) to the harem, something which truly surprised me, as I had no idea that she was so liked. As the story is still in a development process, I can't make any promises regarding her, I have several options on how to conduct things, and Leila and the EU definitively will feature in some of those. I personally would like to add her, but I cannot guarantee it since my ideas about her aren't fully developed.
Oldrin Zevon is another definite possibility, and at this point, I'll likely end up adding her as a pairing. She plays a pivotal role in Marrybell's story, and I plan to give her space to shine here too. Whilst she made minor appearances in this chapter, she'll truly shine next chapter as I plan to develop Lelouch's relationships with the other cadets.
Since this will already be a long note, I'll talk about the other options next chapter, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
This chapter features the long-waited talk between Lelouch and Schneizel. Those talks will often feature more advanced debates, which may be difficult to read at first, but that will do well in the long run as it provides perspective on their views of several subjects. The whole imperial family will have their own chance to shine, Clovis will have his own development arc, Guinevere will play an extremely important role in the near future, and I'm considering possibilities for those minor characters such as Laila and Carine. Odysseus will also have an expanded role, although in a different direction than he went on canon.
Lelouch will follow his own route in the military, and will truly have to work hard to earn the respect he deserves. I do plan on making him the commander of a special unit, similar to the Glinda Knights, but focused on combat rather than antiterrorism. His skill set will also be developed accordingly, and whilst a better pilot than on canon, his main strength will still lie on his genius-level strategies. I'm still researching Geass possibilities for Lelouch, but at this point, I'm likely to stick to the canon one.
Things will happen differently in Japan, as Clovis will follow some of Lelouch's advice. I plan on having Lelouch visiting Japan, but that will happen further down the road, likely when he's fifteen or sixteen. His relationship with the Student Council will be different because of that, as he won't have previous interactions with Shirley, Rivalz, or Nina, and will be introduced as a prince rather than a commoner.
Lelouch's goal is still the same: create a gentle world for Nunally, what will change however is his approach to that problem. In the future, as his other relationships develop this is bound to change in a way or another.
Suzaku will appear as one of Lelouch's allies but will have a diminished role as things evolve. The reasoning behind this change will appear in the next few chapters. But I guarantee there will be moments where his own ideas will clash against Lelouch's.
Chapter Three: On the footsteps of Alexander.
If a discussion was to be held regarding the one human who changed history the most, Alexander the Great should be a name put forward in consideration. He lived more than two millennia away from the present and died relatively young, at the tender age of thirty-two, which makes his achievements even more impressive.
A noteworthy general, Alexander never lost a single battle, and personally led his own troops, not only commanding but also actively taking part in battles. Despite often being outnumbered, Alexander was victorious each and every time, facing different armies, from the Indian War Elephants, the Persian Immortals, and the Egyptian Chariots, in opposing terrain.
Alexander also displayed remarkable exploits as a scholar, being educated by Aristoteles himself, whilst also showing impressive stewardship, bringing stability to the Macedonian homeland and building over twenty cities through his empire, all named after his own name.
Even after his early death, Alexander's exploits are still studied and revered. His tactics are still studied by military academies, his legacy is one of a classical Greek hero. And his name lives on, even on lands that never witnessed his glory. Britannia had three emperors named Alexander, and there are over fifteen cities named Alexandria scattered through the mainland.
Of those fifteen cities, Alexandria, Virginia, would be the most prominent one. With a population of over a hundred and fifty thousand, the city was the seventh-largest in the province of Virginia. Most of the city's economy revolves around tourism of its famed historical complex, with houses and monuments that went back as far as the early days of the colonization.
Another important aspect in the city of Alexandria would be the presence of the Military Academy of Alexandria, often referred to as Alexandrine Academy. After the defeat at Trafalgar and the Humiliation of Edinburgh, Britannian nobility tasted defeat for the first time, and after the exile to their possessions in the New World, they swore to ensure they would never be bested in war again. The next decades were marked by an increased relationship of military, politics, and aristocracy as it became the norm for a noble to be educated in one of the several war academies, serving in the army and then making a career in politics.
The Emperor of that time, ironically Alexander II ne Britannia, however soon realized that just like economics, having just one school of thought would sooner or later mean problems, so he did his best to encourage the formation of new academies, with different approaches to the subject of war. This would be pivotal for the continued military success Britannia experienced as their generals and army became more versatile.
In that context, Alexandrine Academy strived to follow some of the principles set by Alexander of Macedon itself. When compared to other mainstream orthodox academies such as the Imperial Colchester Institute, the Alexandrine Academy had a more heterodoxic approach, valuing different thinkers and expanding its academics to other areas.
Lelouch's mother was a student here, but the prince was not here for a trip down memory lane. He decided that this was the best fit for him due to the quality of teaching here and due to Imperial Colchester Institute, their west coast counterpart, more conservative beliefs that could see his education being harmed by their hatred of commoners.
The military academy looked like a diminutive version of the Campus Complex he saw in construction by the Ashfords back when he was in Tokyo.
Lelouch adjusted his outfit, the dark blue tunic, and trousers which he would be wearing for the next five years.
The girls beside him wore a similar tunic but donned a knee-length skirt instead of the trousers.
The first one, is his sister Marrybell, with her signature light pink hair and violet eyes.
The second one was Marrybel's best friend, Oldrin Zevon, who has green eyes and goldish blonde hair tied into pigtails by a red piece of fabric.
"Let's go."
"FUCK!" Lelouch cursed from inside the cockpit as he received the results of the drill. Knightmare Frame training was started a month ago, and now was the time to put their skills on display. On a simulator, of course, as not even Britannia, the military powerhouse of the world could afford careless eleven years old cadets destroying valuable equipment.
He finished eighth. If one were to look on the bright side there were twenty cadets, so it could be said that it was a top-half finish. Lelouch was not having any of it, though.
Knightmare Frames were the backbone of the Britannian Army and one's standing in the army's hierarchy was capped by his proficiency piloting a Knightmare. It was needless to say that finishing in eighth was not nearly enough for someone whose sights were way above distinguished military service. His anger was amplified further as he saw the rest of the results:
1st- Gino Weinberg
5th – Oldrin Zevon
6th- Marrybell mel Britannia
He had nothing against Oldrin, she seemed like a nice girl. But it wasn't nice for him to be behind a girl so nice, and even innocent enough to be incapable of harming a fly.
The same could be said from Marrybell, although his sister gained a somewhat darker side after his family's murder. Like him, Marrybell was also a member of the Imperial Family, so losing to her also mined his own standing inside the court. He is of course happy for her achievements, but won't deny that at this moment she also was someone to be beaten.
Yet what unnerved him the most was the first place. Gino Weinberg could be described as a good-looking, tall boy, with blonde hair and blue eyes. The Weinberg family has a distinguished lineage, which could be traced back as far as the Golden Age of the Tudor Dynasty. They became a prominent family and reached their apex under Sir Andreas Weinberg, a staunch supporter of Empress Claire li Britannia who also was granted the Duchy of Sinaloa.
Gino could also be described as someone born with a silver spoon on his mouth and as being naïve and ignorant of the real nature of the world. As a fourth son, he was not set to inherit any titles and ended up being trained to be a knight from a very early age. He was excellent, even Lelouch had to admit that. In fact, he was so good as a pilot he was admitted a year early than usual, making him the youngest amongst their class.
The black prince hated him. First, because he was the best, and Lelouch knew he needed to be the best for his plans to come to fruition. But the most annoying thing about Gino was his personality. The noble was cheerful, happy, easy-going to the point of being unprofessional. Losing was bad, losing to him who was pretty much his polar opposite, was really bad.
"Don't worry about Lelouch!" Gino said giving the prince his signature one-armed hug. "I think you did well."
With that the blonde noble went to talk to some other students, oblivious to the violet eyes glaring at his back.
"Gino Weinberg, I swear by God, I'll defeat you, even if it's the last thing I do."
As Lelouch reached the half of the year mark he could say he had mixed feelings on his experience so far. Studying with Marrybell, Oldrin, and even Gino to an extent has been an interesting change of scenarios. His class had a total of twenty cadets, all of them being nobility, but he was well regarded amongst his peers as Alexandrine Academy had a more inclusive approach. Numbers still couldn't apply, but the academy accepted both non-nobility and honorary Britannians, which was an exception to the norm as far as military academies were concerned.
With newfound determination, Lelouch quickly set himself apart from the others by topping the class in all the basic subjects (those who also were taught in civilian academies) and most of the core military subjects such as logistics, tactics, strategic planning, military history. There were only two subjects that didn't saw Lelouch in the top three: Knightmare frame piloting and physical.
It seems like whatever made Marianne Lamperouge become Marianne the Flash was not genetic, as Lelouch ended up ranking only sixth in class. In comparison, Marrybell was fourth whilst Oldrin ranked second. His innate knowledge of tactics couldn't help him as he often found himself mismatched and overwhelmed at competitive exercises. He could operate the slash harkens and rifles well enough, but lacked the something special people like Marrybell, Oldrin, and, most importantly, Gino displayed. In combat, he could see and predict movement patterns unfurling before his eyes, but always seemed to react a little bit too late. But why a natural genius like Lelouch vi Britannia would struggle so much?
He assumed the answer he was looking for laid into the second subject: physical. A military school had no such thing as gym classes. Instead, they had physical tests way more gruesome than normal classes, they were preparing to join the military after all. Piloting a KMF was way more than just knowing the controls, it actively put a strain on the pilot's body. Efficiency or synergy rating was a commonly used metric that would relate to how well a pilot would work with a specified frame. This value could be set through simulators, but also obtained by existing combat data and would vary with the frame, so a simulator efficiency of 70% would not necessarily translate into a 70% efficiency piloting a Glasgow. The simulators were usually developed to provide the most realistic experience using the army's standard model: the Glasgow.
If the Ashfords were to be believed (they usually were) this could change in the near future as several fifth-generation Knightmare Frames were being developed by different companies, with some reportedly being easier to pilot.
To keep things succinct Lelouch knew that at the moment his lack of physical abilities severely crippled his progress. Ever since his close call with death, he had been keen on working to destroy that particular weakness, but it was easier said than done.
Lelouch's aversion to physical exercise was legendary even amongst the athletically inept Britannian nobility (sans Cornelia, of course), so he would have to make up for years of lounging in chairs, reading books, and playing chess. An already ungrateful task, which had its difficulty further increased by the fact his moths in Japan caused him to become malnourished. Before he could even exercise, Lelouch had to spend three months just regaining lost weight, and when he was apt to train, his development was further stagnated by constant strains and soreness. His muscles were simply not fit for physical work.
Amongst the ten male cadets, Lelouch ranked ninth, directly in front of Henry Fritz (affectionally known by his fellow cadets as Big Chungus).
The prince knew this needed to change, urgently.
Because it covered both civilian and military education at the same time, the Alexandrine Academy workload was amongst the highest in the country. They would have classes from seven to midday, an hour of lunch, another five hours of classes, dinner at nine, and curfew at ten, which gave Lelouch only three daily hours of free time to do homework and socialize. He obviously didn't socialize, thus deciding to spend this time working out or at the KMF simulator. He saw progress, but too little.
After another day of workout, he went back to his dormitory. Cadets were given a single room with just the basics. That's why he flinched when he saw the tall imponent figure waiting for him.
"Hello, brother. How do you like the military life?"
In front of him stood a man he knew was bound to make history. Only time would tell whether he would be hailed as a hero or villain, but Lelouch knew Schneizel would be there. The second prince has an unparalleled intellect and immense charisma which is further accentuated by his imponent statute, pale blonde hair, and violet eyes.
"Schneizel. What you're doing here?" Lelouch asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"Can't I come to check on my favorite sibling?"
The eleventh prince actually believed he was Schneizel's favorite sibling. Unlike him, Euphemia or Clovis, he had no younger siblings and ended up taking interest in Lelouch's intelligence.
That still meant nothing as the raven-haired prince knew that Schneizel could easily crush him, blood relation and favoritism being damned.
"You flew all the way from Pendragon just to visit me?" his disbelief was clear.
"No, of course not. I am returning from a meeting with the EU, so I decided to check on you."
Lelouch nodded. "How did the meeting go?"
Schneizel let out a sigh. "At this moment I doubt a compromise could be reached, the Europeans are still at odds with us due to how the Oriental Affair was conducted, and father seems keen on having military deployed to Area 7."
"You think war is coming?"
"At this point, it seems unlikely, should we attack them it's most likely that the other nations would join in and I'm afraid our military, as mighty as they are, can face the two other superpowers whilst maintaining peace in the newly occupied areas."
"Sounds tough." Lelouch said in sympathy.
"It is even worse; father seems keen on reclaiming the original homeland to the point of ignoring affairs rising at the other areas."
"Well, look on the bright side, you won't be the one getting shot at." Lelouch quipped, earning a chuckle from Schneizel.
"That is right." He then gestured to a box. "This is my gift to you, open it."
The younger prince did what was asked of him, the small box containing two leatherback books: The Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes and Two Treatises of Government by John Lock. The books looked antique, maybe even an original edition; although extremely well conservated.
"Schneizel… that's…." whilst one could easily download those books for free on the internet but those seemed extremely old, their price tag reaching seven digits figures.
"Consider them homework of sorts. Do you know these works?"
Lelouch glanced at the books. "The Leviathan is the reason why some people put Hobbes on the same level as Darwin, right? This work here provided the backbone to the entire pollical and judiciary system of the Tudor Golden age." The raven-haired prince then glanced at the other book. "But I'm afraid I don't know about this John Locke."
Schneizel nodded. "That is to be expected, his works were forbidden for a long time; although nowadays they are just ignored. It was different though, those two authors coexisted and it may sound absurd now, but they had a fierce debate during their lifetime. Hobbes defended absolutism, whilst Locke is considered to be the founding father of liberalism, which would become prominent in continental Europe after the French revolution." He glanced at Lelouch. "Can you guess why Locke's work was prohibited?
"The revolutionaries who apprehended Elizabeth III probably followed his ideas right? People can be spiteful, nobles even more than the rest."
"And can you guess why I'm giving this?"
"Because I'm a spiteful person?"
Schneizel chuckled. "You're way too funny for someone attending military school. A belief or opinion created due to the lack of other ideas is similar to indoctrination."
Lelouch hummed. "You are right but don't you think Britannia did right? By adopting Hobbes instead of Locke Britannia became the strongest country in the world, whilst Europia United is eaten from the inside by populist leaders' promises of grandeur."
"You may be right, but one could only guess what happened what would have happened if Locke prevailed. Maybe democracies would prevail whilst monarchies would be a relic of past."
The raven-haired prince seemed in deep thought for some time. "You're right in that, we would never know, but we could always debate."
"Hence why I gave you these books. Read them, think about them, next time we see each other we will talk."
As his brother turned to leave, Lelouch had another question. "Schneizel, why you are doing this for me?"
The prince smiled and despite knowing his brother's nature, Lelouch couldn't help but feel this one was honest. "Because you are my favorite brother. You can do great things Lelouch, I'm interested in seeing what you can achieve."
The first of the five years Lelouch would be spending at the Military Academy ended without the breakthrough he so desperately waited for. Despite not being able to even reach the top three in KMF Piloting (5th) and Physical (7th), he still had the highest average in his class, mostly credited by his perfect grades in the other military core courses.
The end-of-year ceremony at the Alexandrine featured a Knightmare match between the best two devicers in each year. His class saw Oldrin Zevon put up a brave fight, but eventually being defeated by Gino Weinberg, who was being hailed as a prodigy and future Knight of Round. Lelouch was not amused by it, at all.
Not that the blonde prodigy was a bad person. Whilst Lelouch saw Gino as a rival to be beaten, he had to admit that this was simply due to his desire to excel in everything. In the prince's opinion, Gino is a great human being, and should more Britannians were like him his country would not be the most hated in the world. Yet, being beaten by someone younger and sheltered to a fault severely bruised one's ego.
The prince needed to be better, but at this point, he was running out of options. As much as it pained him to admit, he needed help. Someone who had already been there and knew how to pilot a KMF, and someone good in that.
The most obvious choice would be asking a Knight of the Round, but it would be a dumb idea to do so. They had zero reasons to help him, some might even do it as it is said that his mother's name still was regarded in admiration, but if they did people were bound to know. Soon enough rumors were bound to surface and he would either be indebted to one of them, something Lelouch desperately wanted to avoid (imagine owing a debt to the Vampire of Britannia), or risk having his achievements discredited by his special training.
He needed someone who would be discreet.
Cornelia definitely would do it for him. She probably would be happy and eager to help. But she was also the only lead to the mystery of his mother's murder. That bit of information was still something Lelouch had to come to the terms with. He attempted to distance himself from her, but that was easier said than done as before the revelation he held Cornelia in respect and admiration. The crux of the matter is that Lelouch still had no proof of whether she facilitated his mother's murder, so he was divided. His heart wanted to believe his sister; his brain pointed that he should not be believing anybody.
Then another name came into his mind: Jeremiah Gottwald, the imposing overzealous knight who wished to offer him his loyalty last year. During their meeting, Lelouch made clear that he could not afford to trust Jeremiah, and then asked whether he was willing to prove his loyalty. The margrave of Area 11 was keen on doing as asked of him, and helped the Ashfords with a few inside jobs in the area. The eleventh prince still feels reluctant in accepting his loyalty, mostly because he admittedly not understood why the man was so keen on serving him without receiving anything back. But at the moment there was not much he could do. He took his phone and dialed the man's number.
After a few rings, a groggy voice answered.
"Who are you? And why you're calling to me at this hour?"
Lelouch facepalmed, as brilliant as he was, the prince had the habit to overlook small things, such as the time zone.
"I apologize. I'm calling from the Homeland; I've forgotten about the time zone. It's the eleventh prince, Lelouch vi Britannia."
"Your highness, I apologize for my tone earlier…." He heard spluttering through the phone
The prince interrupted the noble. "No need to, I'm the one to blame. I'm calling you to ask for advice."
"Advice your highness?"
"Yes, regarding Knightmare frames."
"I'm listening."
"I'm having trouble with some aspects, mainly the synchronization rate as mine could never surpass 74%."
"But a rate of 74% is not bad at all, as you get older and your body develops it could probably reach the eighties."
"The top-rated cadet has a sync rate of 86%. I don't want to lose to him. I need to be the best."
He could hear Jeremiah humming in the background. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Go on."
"How physically fit are you?"
The prince gritted his teeth. "Seventh out of ten cadets."
"Do you understand that synchronization rates are limited by how fit are you, right?"
"We were informed by the instructors that fitness played a part in the ratio, but we never heard about limiting it."
"It is a limiting factor, there's a limit of how humanly possible it is to perform the other tasks. Your highness might probably be the best when it comes to operating systems, quick thinking, and hand-to-eye coordination, but…"
"Since I'm closer to that maximum, the increase of sync is substantially smaller." Lelouch completed.
"That seems to be the case, those physical limitations are the reason why we don't see scientists and engineers operating at the same level as Knights of Round."
"I see. And how do you suggest I proceed?"
"Intensive physical training, don't even bother with piloting, just focus on your body. It's the advice we give to the recruits that lack fitness just like you. It will also pay off when they start the basic military training."
"Any suggestions on how to conduct that?"
"Don't get stuck on just one modality. Do cardio, strength, even sports; if you rotate well, you will even be able to improve more than just doing a pre-specified set."
The price could see the wisdom in the margrave's words. "Thanks, Lord Jeremiah, can I ask you another question?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Why loyalty means so much to you?"
The line was silent for some meaningful seconds.
"I think we live life looking for something to follow. A person, an idea, a belief; this goal you need to follow is what keeps you afloat, doesn't let you get distracted. Marianne was that for me, and I see a lot of her in you."
The prince nodded. "I may have some qualms about that, maybe I'm just prideful to willingly and blindly follow something so zealously. But I admire you Lord Jeremiah, and I'd be honored to have your loyalty."
"It is what I always wanted." Even on the other side of the world, Lelouch could feel the honesty in his words.
"I'm glad to have you onboard, Lord Jeremiah. Take a well-deserved rest, then get prepared for the most important assignment of your life."
"And what it will be Your Highness?" the Margrave asked excitedly.
"To protect Nunally."
Back to the capital, Lelouch wasted no time in following Jeremiah's advice. After a bit of tinkering, he found a schedule that would work for him. On weekdays he would alternate between strength workouts in the morning and swimming in the evenings, at the weekends he would practice boxing.
Due to such harsh training, Lelouch learned to cherish every single minute he had of rest. Hence why he was rightfully grumpy when Euphemia dragged him out of his well-deserved nap time.
"Cheer up, Lelouch! The skies are clear and the sun is out. Enjoy yourself." Euphemia said atop her caramel mare.
Horseback riding always had been one of the nobilities' favorite pastime activities, a tradition that was carried when the original homeland was lost. Pendragon, being a meeting hub for the nobles had several bridle paths available for those who wished to partake in such activities.
"Euphemia, I can't even feel my legs." The eleventh prince protested atop his black stallion.
A member of the Imperial Family is expected to learn some skills. Horseback riding was one of those, alongside ballroom dancing, etiquette, and basic KMF training. The prince was somewhat fond of horses, but not as much as Euphemia.
His favorite half-sister is a great animal lover and could bring herself to care for even the most despicable ones, such as cockroaches and vultures. Apparently, this love was returned by them, as animals never seemed to dislike her.
Still, a natural genius, the prince had long learned that arguing with his female relatives was pointless, and just shook his head and followed his sister's path.
Despite what most foreigners would think, the Britannian Homeland had plenty of greenery and several spots of untouched flora. For progress, Britannia would defile mines, chop trees, cause the extinction of several species and pollute, but in the other countries of course. It is a common saying that it is easier to get a permit for chopping ten thousand trees at the Amazonian Rainforest in Area 4 than a permit to chop one in the mainland.
The green hills soon turned into a comfy patch of forest.
"I've been speaking a lot with Marry recently."
"Yeah? That's good." After the tragedy, Lelouch did his best to help his sister, but he knew sometimes Marrybell needed to speak with people other than him or Oldrin.
"She tells me you are great with Knightmares."
The prince shook his head. "I'd say I'm a bit above average, she's great though."
"Are you happy at the military academy?"
The prince went silent at that. His definition of happiness was messed with by losing his mother and being banished to a warzone with his crippled sister. In Japan, happiness meant being alive and unhurt. In Pendragon though…. "I'm not really sure. People treat me well enough; I have some goals I plan to achieve…. I'd risk saying I am happy though."
From the corner of his eye, Lelouch saw his sister frowning. "I wished that this was not the case."
Euphemia laughed. "I know it's egotistical, but I wish you weren't. I wanted you to give up and come back here. I wanted you, Cornelia, and Nunally here. For me." There was an intake of breath. "My mother died way too soon; I can't even remember her face."
Lelouch as intelligent and witty as he was had no words. Dealing with emotions was always somewhat hard for him, so he just kept quiet and let the princess speak her heart out.
"But for me it was okay, Cornelia took care of me, and then I knew you and Nunally. I was happy, my sister nearby and with you there too. Then one day I lost you, Nunally, and Cornelia was suddenly deployed to different places. I cried a lot back then, but one day I woke up thinking I could go on, replace you, replace Nunally." Her laugh was bitter. "Turns out I can't, you're unique because you're Lelouch; Clovis couldn't be the same as you. Nunally was irreplaceable too, no matter how much I wanted, my relationship with Laila and Marry was different."
"It is a good thing you realized that." The prince voiced his thoughts. "We are human because we are unique. We're not parts of a machine to be replaced. It is a human mistake to make, but I'm glad you did. That proves you missed me, missed Nunally. Back in Japan, I kept wondering if people here missed us. I'm happy to know that we were."
"When you came back, I thought things would go back to normal, Nunally would soon join us and Cornelia would be back. But things didn't go that way at all. You are on the other side of the country, Nunally on the other side of the ocean, and Cornelia is on God knows where." Euphemia protested. "And I'm still here, just alone."
"That's the way things are, people get together, then separate," Lelouch said. "This moves us forward, to reunite, to distance. Every time I close my eyes and go to sleep in Alexandria I think back on that time, mother alive, Nunally well, getting together with you, Cornelia, Clovis, Schneizel…"
The prince kept his eyes glued on the path. "The world is hostile. Every day out there I think of my goal, to make those memories reality again, this is what moves me."
The prince made eye contact with the princess, who was surprised by his smile. "As hostile as this world is, it is also amazing. When I thought everything was lost, I found friends in the most unlikely of places, when I came back life steered on a path I never envisioned before. That would be my goal: make a world for Nunally where she can look on the past with happiness, to the present with wonder, and to the future with anticipation."
"That was beautiful." Euphemia said, a lone tear rolling through her cheeks.
"People get together and come apart, getting frustrated by it is a natural process. My advice to you is to not close yourself to the world, cherish those memories, but don't be afraid of making new ones." The eleventh prince said, newfound conviction lacing his voice.
Euphemia smiled. "Thanks, Lelouch, you really gave me something to think."
The prince looked around, the grassy open path was long gone and they were deep down into the woods now. "We should head back."
"Wait…. Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what?" all the prince hear was the sound of the wind rustling leaves.
Without much further explanation, Euphemia took off, leaving the path and down into a clearing.
By the lone tree stood a carcass of a red fox, bite marks on its legs neck, and torso.
"That's horrible!" cried out Euphemia. "Hunting is prohibited on these grounds."
Lelouch was silent for a moment. "This is recent, blood is still fresh…."
"We need to denounce that!"
As the eleventh prince prepared his explanation on how nobles with a fat wallet could get away with almost every existent crime, and how doing so would be a loss of time, a small whimper was heard.
Lelouch dismounted his horse and moved the carcass a little bit to reveal a small ball of fur, so young that even its fur hadn't fully grown out yet.
"That's a newborn." He noted, Euphemia, being quick to take possession of the pup.
"It's so cute!" she squealed, but soon turned serious. "We need to help it."
Knowing that further arguing at this point was a waste of Lelouch nodded. "We can take it to the guards, they can move it to a rehabilitation center."
"Or we can take care of it by ourselves."
"Euphy, this is a fox, not a cat."
By that time Euphemia was already cuddling with the pup. "Your point being?"
"They are wild animals, if we treat them like a normal pet not only it'll end up biting us but also will endanger them when it is released."
Euphemia frowned. "What if we don't release it?"
"That's not how things work…" Lelouch attempted to reason but was cut off.
"His mother was killed, even if it is released back who can guarantee its fate? Who can guarantee it won't get killed, like its mother?"
"That's how wildlife is."
The princess shook her head. "Not for me. People, animals, I want to keep them safe. Besides" Euphemia hugged the pup "would you say no to that cute little thing?"
"Yes, I would." Lelouch couldn't see how Euphemia thought the fox cute. Its fur was still beginning to grow and it was dirty and covered in blood. His sister however was a different story. She was pouting and intentionally making her eyes bigger whilst making a pleading face. Looked really cute.
The prince sighed, knowing he was about to make a bad decision. "Okay, I will help."
By the middle of his second year at the military academy, Lelouch was thriving. Jeremiah's sage advice truly worked out, and the prince could actually feel the results of his improved conditioning. His reflexes were sharper, his body healthier, and his own endurance increased as result. He was no buffed by any means, but even with his dislike for physical exercise, the eleventh prince couldn't deny that the benefits severely outnumbered the drawbacks, namely working out.
With his increase in fitness, Lelouch also gained confidence. This was indeed his breakthrough year. Sans KMF piloting, where he was involved in a three-way battle for the second place with Marrybell and Oldrin, and Physical training he led the other subjects, with relative ease.
Quick to adapt, the prince found himself having free time, which he would split between two hobbies of his: studying ancient general's campaigns and investing in the stock market.
Lelouch had obvious reasons to study those who came before him. But instead of sticking with Britannian generals, he took a step further and studied the campaigns of foreign generals such as Alexander of Macedon, Julius Cesar, Gustavus Adolphus, Frederick of Prussia, and even the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte, the scourge of Britannia. As result, the eleventh prince could be considered an 'outside of the box' thinker, whilst also obtaining a solid grasp of the more conventional strategies.
The prince had no interest in stock per se. However, he knew the importance of money and would be a fool to not use the inside info for his own gain. One could learn a lot simply by listening to his less than stellar siblings' ramblings.
Whilst not poor by any means, Lelouch had a lot of catching up to do when compared to his half-siblings, as they had wealthy relatives and a bigger inheritance. His mother's assets only consisted of a sizeable part of the Ashford Corporation shares and a small amount of money.
He obviously had to mask his identity in order to conduct these operations, but he did so with ease, using the identities of the deceased.
Odysseus would sometimes let slip that a development project would be approved, Clovis would often disclose to him details of different contracts he made when rebuilding Tokyo. As things progressed, he would even make an effort to listen to his other siblings; like Carine and Guinevere.
Carine had nothing useful to say, Guinevere however was a different story. Due to her lavish spending habits, even more than Clovis' Lelouch had lots to work with. When he was younger, he believed Guinevere was a witch. Now he realized she was just Guinevere. She spent more than anyone in the Imperial Family in frivolous things such as dances, festivals, banquets, and balls; however, by doing so she cemented her position as a contender for the throne. Not that she would win; Schneizel, Odysseus, Clovis, Cornelia, and even him were more likely candidates, but she was a contender. His relationship with her was not as bad as with Carine, however, they were not close by any means.
Hence why he was genuinely surprised when he received an invitation to her wedding. Heck, he had no idea that she was even getting married.
One look at the ballroom where the wedding reception is being held would justify why Lelouch's half-sister received the "Britannia's Marie Antoinette" moniker. The opulent space was filled to the brim with Earls, Dukes, Princes, and all sorts of nobles. Those who were more important were seated on tables nearby the bride and groom, whilst others, such as him and Marrybell were segregated onto the more peripheric areas.
"It's empty?" his sister asked in surprise as she glanced at the table.
Lelouch shrugged. He was here to listen, the run of the mill noble loved to brag, about anything. Quietly eavesdropping on the conversations, the duo already learned that the Earl of Wayne was severely indebted, the Duke of New Hampshire was seeking marriage for his daughter, and that one of the Earl of Marion's wives was cheating on him with the Baron of Gresham.
"Well, hello there." A male voice, belonging to a rather…unique person greeted. The man in front of him has light lavender hair, greyish blue eyes, and very pale skin. He also has a smile on his face, but one could easily see it as being fake.
His companion: a rather attractive female, with purplish-blue hair and light blue eyes, elbowed him in the ribs. "You're addressing two members of the Imperial Family." She chastised, whilst bowing, earning a muttered "Your highnesses."
Marrybell frowned. "Who are you?"
Although his sister was rather forceful, Lelouch was about to ask the same thing. The two of them weren't the most liked people in the Imperial Family, so it was a surprise to see someone talking with the duo so early.
"I am Lloyd Asplund, and this is my assistant Cécile Croomy." The man said, with his obvious fame smile.
Lelouch frowned. "Weren't the Asplunds a family of landed nobles?"
The man nodded. "I also am the Earl of Vanderburgh."
This caused the prince and princess's eyebrows to raise, conventional landed nobles would usually present themselves by their title rather than name.
The earl fake smile dropped and gave place to an actual smile. "I also develop Knightmares."
"Really?" the eleventh prince asked in surprise. "Which one? Glasgow, Sutherland, Liverpool, or Portman?"
The first 'pure' KMF was the Ashford's third-generation frame, the Ganymede. Still, it was heavy and extremely hard to pilot. Apart from his mother's sixty percent sync ratio, other aces who piloted it only scored into the low thirties. The Ganymede, as famed as it was only was used in small skirmishes by the end of the Emblem of Blood period, and despite that with plenty of operational support in the form of battle tanks and attack helicopters.
The Glasgow represented the next generation and was used in mortal fashion during the Conquest of Japan. They were an unknown force at the time and easily carved apart the Japanese defenses. They also were the first frames that were mass-produced, giving Britannia an edge against all other superpowers.
Still, the Glasgow is soon bound to be replaced by the newly introduced fifth-generation frames. Those were still in their developmental phase, but according to Odysseus they would greatly out spec the Glasgow. The Sutherland is said to be the Glasgow's spiritual successor. The Liverpool is a heavier and burlier frame, which was intended to be used for sieges as it featured a cannon, Gatling gun, and missile launcher instead of the slash harkens. Finally, the Portman would be a slightly modified Glasgow, with optimal adaptations to maritime combat.
"None of them. I develop experimental frames." The noble said.
"I had no idea there were experimental frames amongst those of the fifth generation." Marrybell chimed in.
"There aren't."' Cécile clarified. "We are working with the sixth or even the seventh generation in mind."
Lelouch leaned forward, as someone who intended to make a living out of piloting those frames, he was particularly interested in what was next for the Britannian Knightmares. "And which improvements do you intend to add?"
The scientist's smile widened. "I plan to scatter Sakuradite through the frame, giving more potency whilst improving the frame's overall performance by using custom parts and sensors."
The prince frowned. "Sakuradite is a highly explosive material, what would happen if one of those spots were to be hit by a slash harken or even a missile?"
"It won't." the engineer said with glee. "Its armor will use a different alloy, which will have even more tungsten, and if that's not enough it will also have an energy shield system."
The prince glanced to his sister, who seemed extremely impressed by the frame. He also was, but there was one thing that bothered him. "Scattered Sakuradite, reinforced alloy of already rare metal, custom parts, energy system… how can you even power something like that? Even more important, how do you plan to mass-produce it?"
"We will have a custom Yggdrasil Drive and a bigger energy filler to supply. But we aren't planning to make our project a mass production frame."
Lelouch nodded. "It makes sense, still you know that custom units can't influence the outcome of a battle that much, right?"
"You're saying that because you don't know the Lancelot. The Lancelot can single-handedly wipe out an entire battalion of Sutherlands." Lloyd said confidently.
Lelouch was not convinced. "Even if what you say it's true how do you plan to finance it? With that high number of specifications, you can even sell your Earldom and still don't have enough to build half of it."
"That's why we came here, we want to find a sponsor for our project." The assistant, Cécile said softly.
"You do know that neither I nor Marrybell has that amount of money, right? In fact, I doubt even Clovis or Odysseus would have that much to invest."
"We are seeking funding from the military instead of private funding."
"That's unlikely to happen." Marrybell pointed out. "No one will spend that much money to fund just a single unit."
"I agree with my sister. The military doesn't have a reason to change their approach, they will keep with the mass production KMF development. I'm not saying that this is the right or wrong decision, I'm just pointing the way things are."
"Tell me your highnesses, any of ever heard about Fordism?"
Lelouch was the one to answer the question. "Economics isn't exactly my field of expertise, but I believe it was the name given to Ford's production system developed about fifty years ago."
Lloyd nodded. "Fordism employed the concept of mass production, by standardizing the production and by using assembly lines. Their cars were exactly the same, and because of that cheaper and accessible to most of the population."
The eleventh prince nodded. "You're comparing the actual KMF manufacturing to Fordism, standard issues with lower production costs."
The scientist clapped his hands. "Exactly. But have you ever heard of just-in-time production?"
Lelouch glanced to Marrybell, who also seemed to be clueless about the subject. "No."
"It would be a response of sorts to the Fordist mass production. In this system, we get rid of those large assembly lanes and focus on producing only what is required, with more specialized machinery substituting a larger workforce and working on smaller time windows. A company in Area 11, Toyota was about to challenge Ford's primacy at the automobile market, but they were frustrated by the invasion. Yet, there is yet another concept I've yet to mention: customizing."
"I see where you are coming from, but I don't personally believe economic theory applies to warfare."
"Oh, it does. Before being bankrupt by the invasion, Toyota had a higher level of innovativeness level and their vehicles had better specs when compared to the others. Custom-made KMFs are the future, not only they can counter the mass-produced versions but also are more difficult to be countered."
As her brother was frowning, Marrybell attempted to be polite. "Your work is truly interesting but I'm afraid neither of us is capable of helping." The princess had a sincere tone in her voice, the Lancelot Lloyd talked about seemed to be an amazing creation, but fated to failure.
"Maybe…just maybe, I can help." Lelouch said suddenly, earning an actual squeal (!?) from the scientist. "I have direct contact with the Prime Minister, I can ask for him to meet you two, but I'm only going that far. Publicly endorsing you is out of the question though."
Cécile smiled. "Thanks, your highness."
The prince smirked. "I have a feeling that if your frame truly comes to life, I'll be the one thanking you."
True to his word, Lelouch introduced the eccentric duo to Schneizel, who promptly agreed to meet them in the near future. As Cécile dragged the earl away from them, the second prince turned to the younger brother. "You believe in him?"
"His ideas are different from the rest." Lelouch noted, before letting his more pragmatic side take control. "I'm still unsure whether they will be able to accomplish those ideas, I had a headache just of thinking how expensive their project will turn out to be."
"A good idea is often an investment rather than an expense."
Whilst Lelouch could measure to Schneizel in tactics and chess, economics was a field that he was severely outclassed by the second prince. The ever-genial prime minister had more extensive knowledge of those matters due to his overall experience and office.
"You plan on funding them?"
"If they make good points, I don't see why not."
Lelouch nodded. "I looked for you during the break, you were away on international business."
"Yes, I had to venture south of the homeland, some minor disagreements needed to be settled, and the Areas had to feel they weren't neglected."
"You were successful?"
Schneizel sighed. "In some aspects, Areas One and Two keep pushing for full integration whilst the viceroys of Area Four and Six keep fighting over Uruguay."
"That difficult?" Lelouch asked, earning a tired nod from the prime minister. "Any chance of pacification?"
"Unlikely, when Area 0 was integrated back during Empress Claire, the old nobility was outraged, and even now the nobles south of Texas are way poorer than those of the original homeland. Integrating any of those areas will most likely make other areas demand the same and we can't handle internal unrest. Areas Four and Six were at odds ever since they were independent countries, and Uruguay, or Cisplatine if you support Area Four's claim, was always a point of contention between the two." The prime minister took a sip of his drink. "But enough talking about those tiresome matters, read the books I gave you?"
Before Lelouch could answer the Knight of One appeared before them. "Prince Schneizel, the emperor wishes to speak with you."
Just like that Schneizel was gone, leaving Lelouch alone in the room.
This was quickly remediated when another of his siblings appeared.
"Greeting brother."
"Clovis." Lelouch acknowledged with a nod
"How is life at the military?"
"Well enough." The eleventh prince responded curtly, eyeing Clovis suspiciously. He may be liked by his older sibling, but he knew Clovis wouldn't go out of his way to speak with him if he wasn't about to ask for something.
"I've been thinking of bringing my siblings to Area Eleven."
Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I miss them." Clovis said sincerely. "But I want your opinion, would it be a good idea?"
Lelouch frowned. Clovis had two full siblings: Gael and Laila la Britannia; aged ten and nine years old respectively. "I'm not sure. You plan to keep them at the Viceroy Palace?"
"Yes, why? There's another option?"
Analyzing the different scenarios in his mind, Lelouch opted on being honest with Clovis. "Do you remember the Ashfords?"
The older prince nodded. "They manufactured the Ganymede. I've sent Reuben a few invites to the balls on the palace, but he never attended."
"They own a Private School at Tokyo."
"Yes, I've heard of the Ashford Academy the premier destination for Britannian students living at Area Eleven."
"Nunally is currently attending there."
Clovis' eyes widened. "How!? I was not made aware of that."
"Because she uses a fake surname." Seeing the betrayed look on Clovis' face, Lelouch scowled. "Don't give me that look, if you never heard of it until now this simply means that she's safe and no one has an idea that she is a princess."
The third prince took a sip of his champagne. "But why would you prevent her from living as a princess?"
"Because I'm not near enough to protect her. Besides Nunally never cared for titles, if anything the friends she has there aren't with her because of her status."
Clovis was still frowning. "So, you're suggesting that I enroll my siblings there with fake identities."
"Whenever we spoke, Nunally sounded happy, even free."
"And how do you guarantee her safety?"
"I have some people inside the academy, also I order a background check on anyone who interacts with her."
The Viceroy still seemed unsure. "I'm not saying that you should do the same, Gael and Laila are your siblings after all, but if I were you, I'd take the off Pendragon, Marrybell's mother and sister were murdered here after all."
With that last bit of info, Lelouch mentally called a checkmate. As much as Sayoko and even Milly attempted to socialize with his sister, he felt that she needed a friend of her age. Besides, it would do good to have reinforced security at the building.
"I…will think about it."
"That was a productive outing." Marrybell said as Lelouch twirled her across the dance floor. Despite his dislike for balls, Lelouch was far from being a bad dancer.
"It was, I managed to speak with Clovis and Schneizel."
"No Euphemia?" his sister teased. Sometimes Marrybell's playful side would come out.
"She's with Cornelia."
"So?"
The prince gave her a grim look. "I don't want to speak with Cornelia."
"Why though? She always treated you extremely well."
"What I'm saying won't leave this room okay?"
"Huh?"
"Okay?"
Marrybell tensed at her brother's serious expression. "Okay."
"Remember when I said I had a lead to my mother's murder?"
Marrybell reacted instantly, her mouth agape. "You suspect her? Why? How?"
"My mother's security was called out the night before her murder."
Marrybell's eyes widened. "Cornelia was her head of security." At her brother's somber nod, the princess protested. "But Cornelia loved your mother, loved you. Why would she do that? There must be a mistake of some kind."
Lelouch nodded. "I wish there was. But the information is good."
"There must be another reason."
"Every night, before I go to sleep, I wish that this is the case. But so far everything points to her."
"So why don't you confront her?"
"This is the only lead I have, if she covers her tracks, I'm back to ground zero." The prince explained
"But Euphie…"
"She was too young to have anything to do with it." Lelouch cut off.
Marrybell was silent for some seconds, dancing to the tune, glancing at Lelouch's sad eyes. "But you like her…" the eleventh princess said softly.
"Of course, I like her."
"By like I mean romantically."
"I don't…" the prince flushed as he attempted a protest but was swiftly cut off.
"Don't try to deny it."
Lelouch let out a defeated sigh. "Who else knows?"
"Schneizel probably knows, Cornelia too."
"Euphy is special…"
He was promptly cut off by Marrybell. "I know, you don't have to explain to me."
Lelouch let out a smile. "Thanks."
"If you want to talk, I'll listen. You did the same for me."
The eleventh prince nodded. "Maybe I will, someday."
"Euphy has been glaring at me for the last five minutes, so here's what we are going to do: I'll distract Cornelia and you ask her for a dance, alright?" Marrybell said in a bossy tone.
"You don't have to…"
"I want to, okay?"
Lelouch smiled.
As the princess turned to leave, he called out. "Marrybell."
"Yes?" his sister asked with a smile.
"Please never change."
When I planned things, this chapter was supposed to cover Lelouch's entire stay at the military academy, but I felt a split would be the more sensible option as I feel that chapters longer than 10K words are tiresome to read. Because of that division, I will be able to add more scenes during these cadet years and develop more of Lelouch's relationships with people like Oldrin and Gino.
There was a lot of world-building at this update, and whilst I did my best to explain things to the best of my capabilities, I'm sure some questions are bound to appear. So, feel free to ask about anything in the reviews, I'll make sure to answer. To make things easier, starting from the next chapter I'll also be adding a glossary of sorts to clarify some concepts important to the story.
When writing about nobility, I attempted to make duchies similar to the American states and Canadian provinces, with earls governing areas similar to the American counties. There will be a huge focus on land ownership later on in this story, so I'd like to hear your thoughts on this particular approach of mine.
Whilst I could (and would be happy to) ramble about this chapter's writing process, I'd rather have you giving me your thoughts on how things turned out. So please review, you have no idea how important those reviews are, and I assure you each review I receive only makes my work better and more enjoyable.
That being said, I'm afraid that the next chapter will take longer to be updated as I have to focus on personal matters for a while. For those who are curious, this next update will cover the second half of Lelouch's education and will have a big focus on his self-proclaimed rivalry with Gino, whilst also giving Oldrin and Marrybell some important scenes.