Ch. 50: Into the Lion's Den
7:54 PM, November 11th, 1921, Akasaka District, Tokyo.
Though it was dark, the streets of Tokyo were still active with many cars and people. Electric street lamps lining the street and lights coming from the windows of the various businesses brightened the environment and allowed the city to function well into the night.
Dressed like a chauffeur, Park drove both Lelouch and Kae to the Akasaka Palace. Lelouch wore a black tuxedo along with a pair of fine shoes. Kae meanwhile wore a deep red ball gown made of silk. Other things she wore included a pearl necklace and long white opera gloves.
"I can't believe I am wearing something like this. This dress hinders my mobility and is totally not my style. Also these shoes are pretty uncomfortable." Kae complained.
"Just bear with it for the time being. View it as part of the mission we are about to undertake." Lelouch replied. "Besides, that dress doesn't look half bad on you."
"Yeah it definitely brings out the feminine part of you we rarely see." Park said jokingly.
"Are you asking me to give you an ass kicking later?" yelled a now angered Kae.
"Everyone be quiet. We are about to approach the palace gates." Lelouch interrupted.
Kae and Park immediately went silent as the car slowly approached the tall, ornate metal gate that led into the palace grounds. Once the car stopped, one of the guards standing in front of the gate immediately walked to it and knocked once on the window. Lelouch in response rolled down the passenger window.
"How can I help you sir?" Lelouch asked.
"Entering palace grounds is restricted. Only those with personal invitations may be allowed to enter."
Lelouch then pulled out the invitation he received in the mail and handed it over to the guard. He also handed over several identification papers proving he was the designated invitee mentioned on the invitation. The guard took the papers and slowly proceeded to read their contents.
"Alright Mr. Lamperouge, everything seems clear here." the guard replied as he handed back the papers.
"Thank you. By the way, I have one more thing I would like to tell you." Lelouch said as he quickly took off his contact lens. "A large truck will be coming through here in a few minutes. The driver will tell you he and his associate are repairmen hired by the palace. You will then order your men to let them through without question."
"Very well sir." answered the now geassed guard.
The large metal gates opened and the car entered the palace grounds. Upon entering the grounds, one could see a single, wide cobblestone road lined with small trees lead to the palace. As the car started to drive on the cobblestone road, the car started to naturally vibrate. This made it more difficult for Lelouch to put his contact lens back on his geass-active eye without Kae or Park noticing.
"Once again it seems you have managed to convince the enemy to giving us what we want." Park said. "It's almost like magic."
"That's one way of putting it I guess." Lelouch replied. "Or just another miracle."
The car continue to drive towards the palace entrance. As it got closer, the sight of the Neo-Baroque style building became more clearer and imposing. Though there weren't any street lamps on the palace grounds, the light coming from the large palace windows illuminated the area.
Lelouch and Kae proceeded to look out their respective windows and could see multiple luxurious cars perfectly lined next to one another.
The car then slowed down before coming to a complete stop in front of the main entrance. A man wearing a tuxedo then approached the car and opened the passenger door.
"Good evening. Welcome to the Akasaka Palace." the man said as Lelouch stepped out of the car.
As Lelouch made sure his tuxedo vest was adjusted correctly, he noticed Kae having some difficulty getting out due to the dress she was wearing. He then walked around to the other side of the car and assisted her. Once she managed to get her and the dress out, Lelouch then grabbed her hand and walked towards main entrance.
"Did I give you permission to touch me?" Kae whispered.
"You want your disguise to look convincing don't you?" Lelouch whispered back.
The two then entered the palace while Park drove away so he would be in position should everything fall apart. Upon entering the palace, Lelouch and Kae saw a large marble central stairway covered with red carpet. As they walked up the stairs, they also noticed the gleaming marble walls surrounding them, which reflected the light coming from the gilded lamp stands lining the balustrade on the second floor.
While Kae was amazed by what she saw since this was the first time, and probably only time, she would see such a sight in person, Lelouch took interest with the ornate, luxurious architecture because it reminded him of his early childhood at Aries' Villa in Pendragon.
As both walked into a large hall consisting of multiple giant columns made of the finest Italian marble, chandeliers, and various valuable paintings, Lelouch took careful note of the multiple palace guards lining either side of the room. Standing next to one of the many ornate doors lining the hall, another man in a tuxedo saw both Lelouch and Kae walking towards them. He then turned the door handle and opened the large door for them.
Lelouch and Kae naturally entered the room which consisted of expertly-crafted golden stucco-relief, a polished wooden floor, and several mirrors which made the room more spacious. The room also consisted of many other guests, who were mainly dressed in either tuxedos or ballroom gowns. However a few of them were wearing traditional Japanese kimonos. Even though there were a dozen or so people in one room, nobody was talking. It was then they saw the guests formed a line in front of an altar for the late Prime Minister that included a portrait of him along with candles and flowers. Wanting to fit in, both of them got in line.
After paying their respects to he altar, Lelouch and Kae followed the other guests into what appeared to be the ballroom. Like the previous room, giant chandeliers hung from the ceiling and illuminated the whole room while the walls were decorated with stucco-relief. However, the ballroom contained way more guests, all of whom were all socializing with one another. Looking up, one could see a large, beautiful painting formed the ceiling above. Meanwhile the sound of classical music playing could be heard from the orchestra located in a balcony overlooking the room.
Out of all the guests, some could be seen wearing either military uniforms, which consisted of medals, a sash, and epaulettes, or European-style court dress instead of tuxedos. Lelouch deduced that those individuals were the people with power.
"For a post-funeral reception, everyone here seems to be more happy than I expected." said Kae.
"Really shows you how many people actually respected the late Prime Minister." Lelouch replied. "Anyway look out for either Hirohito or any of his close associates."
Lelouch and Kae slowly walked in between the many guests and kept their eyes open for their target. It was then Lelouch noticed Prince Yamagata Aritomo, wearing his military uniform, speaking with Prince Fumimaro Konoe, who was wearing a high-collared, gold-embrodiered court uniform with a bicorne hat, and Ichiro Kojima. Grabbing Kae's arm, Lelouch walked up to the three men.
"Mr. Kojima! Nice to see you again." said Lelouch.
"Ah Mr. Lamperouge, how's everything been for you since our last encounter?"
"Terrific. Everyone I have met so far has been more than friendly with me."
"I presume then that's why you brought this fine young lady with you?"
"Precisely. Gentlemen I'd like you to meet Ms. Kinoshita Eun, my personal secretary."
"Well I must say Mr. Lamperouge, she is as beautiful as a cherry blossom." said Kojima.
"By the way, when you say she's your personal secretary, does that include well "personal" services?" Konoe joked.
Naturally Kae clenched her fist as she tried to restrain herself from beating him up.
"Your Graces this is the Mr. Lamperouge I was telling you about. His banking firm, Lamperouge Capital, has invested heavily in Japan's economy in the past few weeks." Kojima said to Aritomo and Konoe.
"Mr. Lamperouge it's an honor to finally meet you in person. I'm Prince Yamagata Aritomo and this is my colleague Prince Fumimaro Konoe."
Lelouch then proceeded to shake both Aritomo's and Konoe's hand.
"We thank you very much for choosing our blossoming nation to do business with. Thanks to you Japanese industries and manufacturing now have more fertile soil to grow in." Konoe replied.
"Thank you Your Grace. I chose Japan mainly because I saw great potential in this ever growing empire." said Lelouch. "By the way, where is the Crown Prince? I heard he was the one who personally invited me."
"His Imperial Highness is just getting himself prepared and will be here shortly." Aritomo answered.
Suddenly a thin, young man wearing a military tunic approached the group. When the man got closed enough, it was then Lelouch realized it was Colonel/Baron Michio Daisuke, the commander of the Jorogumo Battalion.
"My Graces, sorry to interrupt, but several members of the Imperial Diet just arrived and would like to speak and..."
It was then the young Baron caught glimpse of Kae and was instantly taken in by her beauty.
"Good evening my lady. Never before have I seen such beauty all in one place." Daisuke said as he bowed forward slightly.
"My Lord, this is Ms. Kinoshita Kae, personal secretary of Mr. Lamperouge, who is here on business from America." Konoe said.
"How do you do Mr. Lamperouge." Daisuke said as he shook Lelouch's hand. "You must be someone very important if you were able to get an invitation this event."
"Thank you. However I'm not surprised about you being here. I've read much on your military career, especially your distinguished command of the Jorogumo Battalion." Lelouch replied.
"For a foreigner, you really have done your homework. Alas, the Jorogumo Battalion doesn't exist anymore. It was dissolved recently due to military budget cuts."
"Just as I suspected. The Jorogumo Battalion has been dissolved due to their humiliating defeat, and to ensure such embarrassing information doesn't spread to the public, the Japanese government has created a cover story and said it was due to budget cuts." Lelouch thought to himself.
"Mr. Lamperouge, if you don't mind, but it would be an absolute honor for me if I could have a dance with Ms. Kinoshita." Daisuke asked.
"I see no harm in having her dance with you."
It was then Lelouch felt the side of his torso being slightly jabbed by Kae's elbow. Swallowing the short burst of pain, Lelouch quickly excused himself and whispered into Kae's ear.
"What the hell was that for?"
"I understand I'm just playing a role, but this is almost crossing the line for me. I am not a toy that can be loaned from one person to the next." Kae whispered.
"Look it's not like I'm asking you to be romantically involved with anyone. Just keep Daisuke busy while I try to pry more info from Aritomo, Konoe, and Kojima. Meanwhile listen for anything else that might be important."
"Very well, but this better be worth it."
Kae put her hand forward, which Daisuke slowly grabbed. He then took Kae towards the center of the ballroom, where several others could be seen dancing to the classical music being played. Lelouch resumed his conversation with the two Princes.
Outside at the main entrance gate, a large truck was stopped by the palace guard Lelouch talked with earlier. Sitting inside the the truck was Seo and Roh, who were both wearing maintenance repairmen uniforms.
"Invitation and identification papers please." the guard asked the two men.
"Look we're repairmen hired by the palace and we were expected to be allowed in without any identification papers." Seo told the guard as per Lelouch's instructions.
A reddish glow immediately appeared around the guard's pupils. The guard then ordered the other guards to open the gate. Though they were confused on why they were opening the gate, the guards didn't question the reasoning and simply followed the orders given to them.
Once the gate was opened, the truck continued to drive down towards the palace.
"Wow, just on cue. Makes me wonder how much he paid those guys to open the gate for us." Roh said.
"I know right. However we must concentrate on the mission at hand." Seo replied. "According to the set of directions, there is a loading dock is around the side of the palace. We are supposed to park there and unload both Jeong and the cargo there."
When the truck turned at the corner of the palace, Seo could see the loading dock up ahead. Several men could be seen unloading what appeared to be boxes of wine, meat, and ice from several other trucks parked nearby.
In order to blend in, Seo slowly parked the truck near the others. Both Seo and Roh then got out and prepared to unload a large wooden box stored in the back of the truck. Jeong, who rode in the truck bed, opened the rear door and brought out a hand truck. Seo took the hand truck and aligned it with the truck while Roh and Jeong grabbed the box and carefully lifted it up. Once the box was out of the truck, Roh and Jeong slowly lowered it on the hand truck.
"Careful with that box guys. That box is carrying really expensive machinery." Seo whispered.
"We're doing the best we can. You must understand this thing is extremely bulky and heavy." Roh replied.
Once the box was on the hand truck, Roh quickly jumped back into the truck bed so he could retrieve a toolbox he brought for the mission.
The three then quietly wheeled the hand truck up the loading dock ramp. Because the other dock loaders were busy, they didn't take full notice of them entering.
The interior of the loading dock was filled with numerous wooden boxes neatly stacked on top of one another. Seeing the exit across the large room of stacked boxes, Seo directed Roh and Jeong to push the hand truck towards it. They proceeded to exit the loading dock and entered what appeared to be a long, seemingly endless cement hallway.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Roh asked.
"The electrical room." Seo whispered. "Since we were unable to obtain the schematics for the palace, we have to rely on external observations. That's why you and Jeong were assigned to reconnaissance the other day."
"So what was deduced from our observations?" Jeong asked.
"Well, according to Zero's deduction, the fact that most of the electrical wires leading to the palace seemingly were most concentrated in this area indicates that the electrical room must be nearby."
Seo, Roh, and Jeong continued pushing the large box on the hand cart forward until they found themselves at an intersection.
"Which way do we go?" Jeong asked.
"Uh...well...let me think this through. According to Zero's calculations, the wires were concentrated in the southwest part of the palace. Take into account that we are on the lowest level and how far we are inside the palace along with..." Seo said as he thought out loud.
"You three! What are you doing down here?" a voice yelled from a distance.
Seo, Roh, and Jeong looked to their right and saw a mustached man wearing a tuxedo and gloves approaching them.
"The service elevator to the kitchen is at the loading dock. Can't you read the signs?" asked the mustached man.
"Excuse me sir, but we are simply repairmen hired to fix some faulty electrical equipment." Seo replied.
"Yeah and we were never told where exactly the electrical room was so we kind of got lost." added Jeong.
"Faulty electrical equipment? I don't recall any reports regarding the Palace's electrical circuits. Perhaps I should double check with my superiors while you..."
"Listen, we are on a really tight schedule and have been instructed by your superiors to fix Palace's damn electricity. Now you can either waste our time and patience or you can simply lead us to the electrical room." an impatient Roh roared as he raised his fist at the mustached man.
"Ok ok I got it!" the now intimidated man said. "Just calm down."
He then instructed them to follow him down the left-hand hallway. After walking for about a minute and a half, the man led them to a large metal door labeled "ELECTRICAL".
"Here you are gentlemen. I hope you will be quick with fixing this..."
Roh seemingly out of nowhere whacked the man in the head with the toolbox, causing him to instantly loose consciousness and fall over.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR ROH?" a panicked Seo asked.
"We couldn't take the chance he would go to is superiors and verify our story. Besides, he's led us to the electrical room. We don't need him anymore."
"Still what the hell is going on in that head of yours? There are much less reckless ways to deal with situations like these."
"Then please tell me what we should've done to prevent him from blowing out cover?"
"Who cares about that now." Jeong said to both Seo and Roh. "We have a mission at hand and are wasting our time completing it by arguing here."
Seo and Roh then nodded in agreement and proceeded with the operation. They then opened the door to the electrical room and wheeled the hand truck into it. Before closing the door behind them, they also dragged the unconsciousness mustached man into the electrical room with them so he wouldn't be noticed by anyone passing by.
Inside the dimly-lit electrical room were multiple fuseboxes, gages, and switches. Roh and Jeong each took a crowbar from the toolbox and proceeded to pry open the large wooden crate. Seo meanwhile inspected all the different fuse boxes.
Once the top of the crate was fully loose, Roh opened it and looked in. Inside were multiple lead-acid batteries wired parallel to one another. Both the positive and negative terminal wires were connected to a small, complex device consisting of vacuum tubes, coils, and levers. The two wires were specifically connected to a switch inside the device.
"What the hell is this?" asked Roh.
"According to the instructions from Zero, these are all lead-acid batteries we managed to procure from various automobiles. All of them are connected in a parallel circuit, meaning the current of the whole circuit is equal to the combined current of each battery. As for the small device, this little thing is activated via radio waves. Once the built-in receiver receives the signal, it will move these levers and turn on the switch, therefore completing the circuit." explained Jeong.
"And how will this help us?"
"It will help us by overloading the fuses." Seo replied as he scanned the various fuse boxes. "Zero's plan is to have all these batteries be connected to the fusebox that leads to the ballroom. That way when he activates the remote switch he has hidden with him, the combined current of the batteries will overload the fuses resulting in a blowout, providing him with cover if needed."
It was then Seo found the fusebox labeled "BALLROOM". He opened it and signaled Roh and Jeong to wheel over the box. Seo then pulled out some pliers and wire cutters from the toolbox. After cutting and fiddling several wires inside the fuse box, he then instructed Jeong to connect the wire leading from the fusebox with the one leading from the batteries. Once all the wires were secured and checked, all three men quietly left the electrical room and headed back to the truck.
The sound of people chattering and the waltz being played could be heard throughout the ballroom. Lelouch, Aritomo, Konoe, and Kojima continued conversing with one another.
"Are you sure you don't want a glass of brandy? It comes all the way from France and has aged for at least 50 years." asked Kojima as he sipped some from his glass.
"No thank you. Alcohol is not my thing."
"Well your missing out on a lot. This stuff is absolutely exquisite." Konoe added as he got a nearby waiter to pour some more brandy into his glass.
"Since the war in Russia has practically cooled down, what has Japan been up to lately?" Lelouch asked.
"Mostly economic development." Aritomo replied. "Our empire is a growing organism, and therefore needs access to more resources to maintain it's growth."
"However the recent war in Russia and the spread of liberalism has changed the political environment. The people are becoming more vocal and demanding, which therefore makes it much more difficult for us to carry out our plans." added Konoe.
"And those plans would be...?" Lelouch asked.
"PRESENTING HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, THE CROWN PRINCE!" yelled an announcer across the ballroom.
The music went silent while everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and stared at the entrance. Entering the ballroom was Hirohito, wearing his usual glasses along with a black tuxedo, red sash, and two medals. All the guests then proceeded to slightly bow their heads at him.
"My fellow guests, I thank you for coming to this occasion. As we all know, this nation has lost one of its own citizens to an act of barbarism. Hara Takashi put down the rebellion in Chōsen, therefore preserving order. In addition, he sought reconciliation with the people of Chōsen in order to show them the benefits of being part of this Empire. The late Prime Minister's memory and his services to the Empire shall never be forgotten."
Everyone in the room then applauded the Crown Prince's eulogy. In tribute to the late Prime Minister, the orchestra played "Kimigayo", the Empire's national anthem. Afterwards everyone resumed with what they were doing while the orchestra went back to playing classical music.
Seeing Lelouch talking with Aritomo, Konoe, and Kojima, Hirohito walked over to them and joined the group.
"Hello there. I hope you all are enjoying tonight."
"Your Highness." Aritomo replied as he bowed. "We are all having a great time. Everything has been excellent so far."
"That's good to hear. And you must be Mr. Lamperouge. It's an absolute honor to meet you in person."
"Thank your Highness. It's absolute honor to meet you in person as well." Lelouch replied as he too bowed his head.
"Excuse me gentlemen, but I would like to speak with Mr. Lamperouge alone."
Aritomo, Konoe, and Kojima immediately excused themselves without question upon hearing the Crown Prince's request.
"Sorry to brush them off, but I wanted this conversation primarily between us two."
"No offense taken. In fact I agree with you." Lelouch replied.
"Anyway I have looked at your recent economic activity and I must say you have taken much interest in our growing economy."
"Like you said, Japan's economy is growing, which makes it a great place to invest in. Europe is still recovering from the Great War while America is dealing with massive deflation."
Hirohito then grabbed a flute of champagne from one of the passing waiters and sipped some of it. "However there are those who are overseas who seemingly want to hinder the growth and prosperity of this Empire. Tomorrow in Washington D.C., an international conference will be held among the Great Powers. Diplomatic analysts have told me that topics regarding naval disarmament and trade policy with China will be discussed. I've also been told that there's been word of Britain not renewing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in order to support the United States in the Pacific."
"So the American and British governments are seemingly becoming a thorn for you and this country?"
"Precisely. Japan must expand to prosper. China is in complete chaos and we are in the best position to stabilize it. But this upcoming conference shows that the Western powers want to prevent that and keep our navy small and inferior. Britain and its Dominions terminating our alliance in favor with relations with the U.S. is proof of that. They also oppose any intervention in China due to it potentially violating the Open Door Policy and demand us to withdraw our remaining troops in Siberia."
"I'm sorry to hear that. But doesn't the military and the navy oppose such ideas?" Lelouch asked.
"They absolutely do." Hirohito replied. "However the politicians lately have not. Ever since the revolution in Russia, socialist, communist, and other left-wing ideas have lately been spreading among the populace. These ideas have contributed to the growing number of labor unions along with greater demand for parliamentary democracy. As a result, the politicians have been more pacifistic and pro-cooperation with the West, meaning the military and navy have been forced to use every trick in the book to persuade them otherwise."
"So China is his main focus. At least we know where he is most likely going to make his next move." Lelouch thought to himself.
"Anyway I have some questions for you regarding your financial activities." Hirohito asked. "Some of my colleagues have been concerned about recent transactions you have made."
"Whatever could you mean?"
"There's been much talk about large sums of money being transferred from banks in America to those in Shanghai. Does any of that mean anything to you?"
"Well...um...interest rates are looking very favorable in Shanghai right now so I figured it would be wise to invest there for the time being." Lelouch explained.
"Of course. However, one thing still has me curious. The fact that your biography has very little concerns me and my colleagues. Also there has been a rumor floating around that you are receiving lots of money from missionary groups, specifically those that support that supposed provisional government in Shanghai."
"Your Highness, you should have no reason to fear anything. Like I told Kojima the other day, most of my business was within America. Only this past year have I decided to expand outward. Also whatever you have heard is simply not true. Lamperouge Capital doesn't serve as financier for terrorists or any political agenda. We are just a normal investment bank that just holds, moves, and invest money. If these missionary groups are depositing money in my bank, I assure you we are treating them like every other customer." Lelouch quickly answered.
"Well that's a relief to hear." Hirohito replied. "Anyway there some fellow businessmen here I would like you to meet."
Lelouch, wanting to maintain his charade and not arouse any suspicion, went along and socialized with several prominent bankers and industrialists who had connections with the government.
In the center of the ball room, several people could be seen dancing as Johann Strauss II's "The Blue Danube" waltz played in the background. Among the people dancing were Kae and Baron Daisuke.
"This music is quite lovely is it. But it's nothing compared to your beauty." Daisuke said.
Kae, still annoyed that she had to put up his advances, withheld her anger and feigned interest.
"Thank you my Lord. It is an absolute honor to hear that by someone with such a prestigious background."
"Oh you praise me too much. While I do come from the Michio Family, I prefer to be viewed for my own achievements and not my pedigree. By the way that reminds me, you said your family name was Kinoshita. Do you happen to be related to the Kinoshita Family?"
"Uh...no...uh...of course not. I just happened to have the family name as they do."
"That was close. If he found out my connection with the Kinoshita Family, he would surely report me to them. All my connections with them died when they banished my adopted father for vocally advocating opportunities for Koreans. I don't need to have them in my life again." Kae thought.
"That's a relief. While my relatives have been supportive of the Kinoshita Family, I on the other hand have been very critical of some of their beliefs."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Kinoshita Family along with many other powerful people in the Empire say they want to promote the expansion of prosperity. However, the Empire's repressive, discriminatory policies towards civilians in places such as Chōsen do the exact opposite. By repressing and discriminating against the civilians, we are denying them the opportunity to better themselves and experience prosperity."
"Then why serve in the military, the institution that promotes discrimination and repression?"
"Because though I disagree with the policies of the Empire, I am still a citizen of it."
It was then that she saw Aritomo approach a man wearing a tan Chinese military uniform that consisted of epaulettes and a shako attached with a feather plume. She therefore assumed the man Aritomo was talking with must be important.
"Pardon me, but do you know who the man Prince Aritomo is talking to over there?" Kae asked as she pointed to the man talking with the Prince across the ballroom.
"I believe that is General Yu Jingyi, a senior officer and influential power broker within the Republic of China. He's here representing the Chinese government. Apparently he's also good friends with Zhang Zuolin, leader of the Manchurian-based Fengtian Clique."
"So that's who he is. However I thought both the Fengtian and Zhili Cliques shared power in Peking. I'm surprised they didn't send a neutral representative."
"Well, according to what I heard, Prince Aritomo insisted that the Chinese government send General Yu as their representative. For what reason I don't know, but Prince Aritomo supposedly pulled a lot of strings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pressure the Chinese."
"Is that so. Interesting." Kae commented.
Kojima and Konoe both savored the music being played while watching the other guests dance.
"Beautiful music isn't it Kojima? This is Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of Flowers". I always find something soothing about this piece."
"I couldn't agree more myself Your Grace." Kojima replied. "However despite the relaxing music, I still am concerned about leaving His Imperial Highness alone with Mr. Lamperouge."
"There's nothing to worry about here. We're inside a ballroom filled with dozens of people within the Akasaka Palace. There couldn't be other place safer for the Crown Prince."
"You make a good point."
It was then a man wearing a suit and tie walked up to the two men and interrupted their conversation.
"My Lord, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have some important news for Mr. Kojima from Communications Department." the man said to Konoe.
"What exactly is it?" Kojima asked.
The man raised his hand and whispered into Kojima's ear. "The investigation team you hired to decrypt the coded messages being sent by Mr. Lamperouge to Shanghai have reported they have overall cracked it. While they weren't able to completely decode the messages, the phrase "Black Army" along with the names of several members of the Korean Provisional Government were found."
"And the team is absolutely sure about these new findings?" Kojima asked?
The man nodded his head in response. Kojima then dismissed the man after telling him he would handle everything else.
"My Lord, just got word from my team of investigators. Messages being sent by Mr. Lamperouge seem to indicate a direct connection with the Black Army and Korean revolutionaries. We now have evidence to justify an arrest for him." Kojima whispered to Konoe.
"Very well. I'll alert security to apprehend Mr. Lamperouge." said Konoe.
Hirohito proceeded to introduce Lelouch to several more politicians and aristocrats. Lelouch shook their hands and exchanged pleasantries with them. After talking with them for a few minutes, both Lelouch and Hirohito continued to walk around the ballroom.
"I hope you are enjoying yourself this evening." said Hirohito.
"Everything is practically perfect your Highness. I must say the palace's architecture is just beyond comprehension." Lelouch replied.
"Thank you. The architect was the late Katayama Tokuma." Hirohito answered.
"Anyway how is His Imperial Majesty the Emperor?"
"Ok, but he could be doing better. His health as you probably already heard has forced him to become more and more reclusive. Most of his official duties from military drills to ritual ceremonies aren't done by him anymore."
"I see." Lelouch said. "Your Highness, if you don't mind but I just have a question for you. When the day of you ascending to the throne comes, what you plan to do from then?"
"I plan to lead this country to success and bring prosperity to all its citizens and subjects. But like I said before, there are some things that need some removing and fixing."
Three palace guards, seemingly out of nowhere, immediately appeared behind Lelouch.
"Mr. Lelouch Lamperouge, for committing acts of conspiracy against the Empire of Japan, you are hereby under arrest." one of the guards said has he grabbed Lelouch's shoulder.
"Excuse me but what is going on here?" Hirohito asked.
"Your Highness, according to Prince Konoe, Kojima received intelligence directly linking this man with the Korean Provisional Government and the Black Army. Various messages mentioning them were intercepted." the guard explained.
"What! Not only did they intercept my telegrams, but they also cracked my code? Damn it and I thought that encryption was practically unbreakable." Lelouch thought to himself.
"As a result your Highness, we are hereby taking Mr. Lamperouge into custody if that's ok with you."
"Detain him for the time being. I want to talk with Kojima and verify this for myself." Hirohito said as he walked off to find Kojima.
"It seems that Aritomo was correct about you Mr. Lamperouge. Also did you really think I wouldn't find you the any bit suspicious with a sketchy biography such as yours?" thought Hirohito.
Meanwhile Kae, who was still socializing with Daisuke, saw the three guards apprehending Lelouch across the ballroom.
"Excuse me but I have something urgent to attend to." Kae said to Daisuke as he bolted away.
"Wait but where are you going?" Daisuke yelled as he chased after Kae.
Though Kae's speed was hindered by her dress, Daisuke couldn't catch up with her due to several people crossing in front of his path.
While the guards were focused on holding Lelouch still so they could cuff him, Kae ran up to them and sucker punched one of the guards in the face. The force of the punch knocked the guard, which caused several surrounding party guests to gasp loudly.
"WHY YOU LITTLE..." said one of the other guards as he pulled out his pistol.
Kae however was faster and kicked him in the shin, causing him to drop his pistol. She then proceeded to elbow him in the face. Once the second guard was down, she quickly pulled out a pistol she had hidden within her dress and shot the third guard in the arm. The loud "BANG!" echoed throughout the ballroom to the point that even the orchestra stopped playing. With the third guard holding onto his now bleeding arm, Kae used the opening to kick him in the head, a move which caused her dress to partially rip on its side.
"Thanks for the help." Lelouch said.
"No problem. However, I assume you have an emergency escape for this situation." Kae said as she saw more guards coming towards them.
"Yes I do." Lelouch said as he pulled out a small remote control from his pocket.
He then pressed the lever on the remote control, causing it to relay a radio signal that was received by the mechanism Seo, Roh, and Jeong placed in the electrical room earlier. Once it received the signal, the mechanism flipped a switch, causing the electrical circuit to be complete. As a result, all the electrical power from the many lead-acid were connected to the fusebox. Due to the sudden high input of electricity by the batteries, the fuse in the fusebox immediately blew out due to the overload, causing all the lights in the ballroom to turn off.
Kae and Lelouch used the darkness as a cover for their escape. Holding each others hand in order to not get lost in the darkness, the both of them pushed anyone they felt was in there way in order to get to the exit.
Author's Note: I apologize for the slow progress of this story. I thank all who have been following this story and for being extremely patient. Just to let everyone know, I do not intend to abandon this story.
As for this chapter, this one was hard to write since it was mostly dialogue based. The purpose of this chapter was to depict Japanese high society along with Lelouch having a chance to personally interact with Hirohito. I also wanted Kae to interact with Michio Daisuke, who is supposed to be the counterpart to Gino Weinberg.
This chapter and the next one were intended to be one chapter, however I thought it would be better to split them into two.
Next chapter will deal with the escape from the Akasaka Palace along with the Zero Division evacuating Japan.