They were on the beach of Kamine Island. The details of the trip seemed fuzzy to Lelouch, but it was a glorious day, the sun shining down on them as the blue waves rolled in.
Yet Suzaku… Suzaku was behaving oddly. First he was waving around a pair of lobsters around. Where Suzaku had gotten them, Lelouch wasn't sure. Euphy looked on in admiration, but Shirley was frantically trying to wrest the lobsters from Suzaku, much as she had tried to grab the bottle of champagne back when Kallen joined the Student Council. Somehow, she managed to get a hold of them, but Suzaku was unperturbed. Producing a large fish, seemingly from out of nowhere, Suzaku held it up proudly.
"I'll now proceed to pleasure myself with this fish," Suzaku grinned.
Lelouch awoke from the dream with a start. Of course it had been a dream. That explained all of its bizarre occurrences, and why he couldn't remember the journey to Kamine Island past their arrival at Izu; they hadn't actually left Izu yet. But the bit about Suzaku and the fish… that was just wrong. Why would his subconscious imagine that?
Lelouch glanced around. It appeared that he hadn't woken the others.
They were staying at a former ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn of the sort that usually accompanied an onsen, though like many businesses in Izu, it was now under Britannian management. It still had the tatami matted floors and sliding paper doors that were typical of ryokans, perhaps because the owner considered significant renovation too costly, and even the futons had been retained. Lelouch didn't mind the futons; they were of high-quality, thick and comfy enough that he doubted that most Britannian patrons would complain, even though they were accustomed to platform beds instead. However, to Lelouch's distaste, other changes clearly reflected the new owner's preferences. Any Japanese artwork in the rooms had been replaced with works by Britannian artists that clashed with the aesthetics of the rest of the inn, some of which were even reproductions of Clovis's paintings. Instead of decorated yukata, visitors were provided with plain bath robes to use as they headed to and left the onsen. Lelouch had little doubt that breakfast would similarly reflect Britannian tastes.
As much as he hated Britannia's overprivileged nobility and supremacist ideology, he had nothing against Britannian cuisine himself. That said, he couldn't help but feel a bit irked, as it would be a bastardization of the ryokan experience. Most of his friends wouldn't know what they were missing, but Kallen and Suzaku would know, and Leila might as well, given her interest in Japanese culture. Kallen of course couldn't bring that up in her assumed role as a Britannian noble, and Suzaku would be too polite to do so. Leila might comment on the differences, though she would undoubtedly present them as a matter of academic interest.
It was still too early to rise, so Lelouch closed his eyes, trying to fall back to sleep.
He had no doubt the day would be eventful.
xXx
"Again, I'm sorry about last night," Milly said as they waited for breakfast that morning. She made a slight nervous laugh. "Hopefully there aren't any hard feelings between us."
The Student Council and its guests, sans Euphemia, had gathered around a long, low table, in the Japanese style. It wouldn't do for Euphemia to join them here. It had already been problematic that she had shown up with the girls on the student council at all last night. But at least Euphemia hadn't done anything to draw attention to the fact that she was the Third Princess of the Empire, so at least they had a measure of plausible deniability for now.
Still, Suzaku knew who Euphy was, and if Rolo didn't, he likely would soon. The young detective might question why a bunch of high school students were acquaintances of a princess. And more to the point, they were a group of high school students who were almost certainly Rolo's prime suspects of being members of the Black Knights. Obviously, the circumstantial evidence available was far too flimsy to tie Euphemia to their heart-changing activities in any concrete way, but that was not a line of thought that Lelouch wanted Rolo to pursue.
For similar reasons, Alice's presence on the trip was also increasingly worrisome to Lelouch. What if Rolo looked into Alice's background? Jeremiah had since falsified additional records, strengthening her cover, but there was no reason why Rolo wouldn't investigate her as well now, and he might discover the fabrications.
Then there was the matter that Leila herself had acted a bit too familiar with him. As far as Rivalz, Suzaku, or Rolo knew, he had only just met Leila. Yet already, she was saying he had a "gift for handling situations like this". Wasn't it too soon for her to be coming to that impression? Or was he just being paranoid and overthinking the whole thing?
Paranoid or not, his mind still couldn't help but think of contingencies. What would he say if Rolo began probing too closely on Alice's identity, or why Leila already seemed to know him? Perhaps he could "confess" that Alice was attending Ashford Academy under an assumed surname because she was the illegitimate daughter of a noble who wanted her to get a good education, but wished to be discreet about his connections to her. And maybe he first could claim that he first met Leila through online chess matches, and had played against her on and off for some time before learning who she was?
Those were only possibilities of course. And it wasn't as if he was going to be volunteering a false explanation unless Rolo directly asked him about it. To do otherwise could be seen as indicative of a guilty conscience. So he had plenty of time to fabricate more convincing stories for them, if need be.
But the fact remained that he was still less than pleased with Milly's prank from last night, both for its general tastelessness, and for how it potentially complicated their plans where the detective was concerned. Why couldn't she have thought things through first?
Even if not for the same reasons, it appeared the others were still unhappy with Milly's antics in the hot springs as well, as several sets of eyes glared at her. They guys of course didn't like being put into a position where they could have easily been subjected to the wrath of angry girls, had things gone a bit differently. But the girls were every bit as upset with Milly, if not more so. Milly had first put them in the embarrassing position of being seen half naked, in only their towels, and then they had to deal with the realization that they had allowed themselves to be tricked into coming to the hot springs at the wrong time.
"Um… yeah…. I guess that was too much to hope for," Milly grimaced. "But at least you were able to enjoy the hot springs in the end, right?"
There was some nodding and murmurs of assent.
"We should do it again one day!" Nunnally said cheerfully, and the tension in the air seemed to dissipate.
"I mean, once we were alone, it was a good way to end the day," Shirley agreed.
"The water was very soothing," Leila nodded.
"But no mixed bathing, giving the boys a peep show, or whatever else it was that you had in mind!" Kallen said adamantly.
"I'm not going to make that mistake again," Milly sighed. But then, her expression brightened. "Thankfully, as you can see, Nina has rejoined us, and says she feels up to continuing on the trip with us."
Nina nodded, her eyes glancing to Lelouch and Kallen as if for reassurance. He nodded back to her.
"Understandably, Nina's still a bit shaken about the whole thing", Milly continued, "so give her some space if she needs it, but as much as you can, try to make sure that she and the rest of you have fun and make some good memories together."
That was something they could all agree on.
A few minutes passed as they chatted with each other, sharing stories of what they had done during their day in Izu. As they did so, Lelouch noticed that Suzaku, Kallen, and Leila had impeccably followed the rules of Japanese etiquette for sitting at a low table at a casual gathering, legs crossed for males, and both legs to a side for females. Soon, Shirley noticed how Kallen and Leila were seated, and adjusted her own posture to follow their lead. Milly and Alice remained cross-legged, though Milly was at least seated in the correct location for the highest-ranking member of the student council, in front of the tokonoma, an alcove containing artwork. Rivalz and Rolo were also seated correctly, but that did not seem to reflect any genuine knowledge of Japanese culture on their parts, as it was simply the posture they would normally assume while sitting on the floor.
At last, breakfast was ready, and was brought out to them. Nina shied back slightly, seeing that their server was a Japanese woman, though Lelouch had the feeling that Nina would have felt much more threatened if it was a Japanese man, given what had happened yesterday. He was glad though that she did not seem to treat Suzaku any differently after yesterday's incident. Perhaps she had long since desensitized herself to the fact that Suzaku was Japanese, or maybe it was because she saw Suzaku by now as an "Honorary Britannian", and thus worthy of her respect, rather than a feared and hated "Eleven".
As the meal was laid out before them, Lelouch saw that his prediction of a Britannian breakfast was correct... or so it seemed at a glance. For starters, the presentation was distinctly Japanese. Individually, the portions were smaller than a Britannian might be accustomed to, but they were aesthetically arranged in front of each of them in small bowls, and each of them received a variety of breakfast items, almost like a sampler, making up for the portion sizes. As for the items themselves, they were mostly Brittanian foods that had been introduced to Japan following the opening of ports to Brittanian trade and Japan's subsequent push to modernize itself, each receiving a Japanese twist.
There was toast, a breakfast staple throughout Britannia, but Lelouch noticed that the bread was shokupan, a popular Japanese variety. Butter and a selection of jams were provided. Then there were omurice. At first they appeared to be ordinary omelettes, but Lelouch knew they were filled with rice and chicken, and that when one cut into it, the omurice would unfurl, revealing its contents. Soy sauce and local wasabi was on the side, offering additional flavor to the omurice, and fresh greens were served as garnishes, unusual for breakfast in Britannia, but very common in Japan. Other items included strips of bacon, yogurt, and juice, coffee, and tea as beverages.
Finally, there were the pancakes. Unlike Britannian-style pancakes, which were wide and thin, Japanese-style pancakes were almost like biscuits in size and shape, but with flat, golden brown tops. The comparison to biscuits failed however when it came to the texture and taste of the pancakes. They would be light, very fluffy, and sweet, practically a soufflé, making them more of a dessert item. The pancakes came with imported maple syrup and mixed berries.
"This all looks great!" Rivalz enthused.
"You're very welcome, Rivalz," Milly replied. "Now dig in, everyone!"
The incident in the onsen would not soon be forgotten, but they couldn't help but appreciate such a breakfast, bought for them at Milly's expense. Some might cynically see it as a bribe, but even if some of them weren't quite willing to forgive Milly yet, it did much to restore a measure of goodwill toward her. Moreover, sitting there, enjoying a meal together served as a reminder of their camaraderie, both as members of the Student Council and, for many of them, as Black Knights and Irregulars as well, further easing tensions between them.
"Oh! My omelet!" Nina squeaked. "it... it fell apart."
"That's omurice, Nina," Suzaku explained. "It's supposed to do that."
"Omurice?" Nina was suddenly eyeing her omelet suspiciously. "Does that mean it's an El-"
"Just try it, Nina," Lelouch told her. "You see that none of us have keeled over yet." He cut into his own omurice, and took a bite of it. "You might actually like it."
Tentatively, Nina followed his example. For a moment, he thought she was going to spit it back out out of reflexive dislike for anything 'Eleven', but she swallowed, and continued eating without complaint.
"Yikes, this stuff is strong!" Rivalz yelped, his eyes watering after trying too much wasabi with his omurice. He glanced nervously over at Kallen's place at the table, where she was heaping what had to be enough of the stuff to rival Guren Jigoku's nuclear fury onto her food. "Um, Kallen, are you sure you'll be okay with that much? I mean, with your constitution..."
"It's just wasabi," Kallen shrugged. "I'll be fine."
Rivalz sighed. "You really like spicy foods, don't you? Well, don't say I didn't warn you."
"These are some delicious pancakes!" Rolo exclaimed, a smile forming on his face. Alice seemed to be similarly enjoying herself, but she was too busy eating to talk. "I don't think I ever had anything like these back in the homeland!"
From what Rolo had described of his past, the orphanage where he had grown up had been a forbidding, neglectful place, and he had since constantly been on the move for his work, thus lacking the time for anything but simple meals, so this sort of cooking was novel for him. But Lelouch wondered how much of Rolo's story was true. Their bond was symbolized by the Moon, and one of its primary meanings was illusion. He wore the mask of a friend around Rolo while viewing him as an enemy, all while talking about his past in half-truths, but who was to say that Rolo didn't view their bond in the very same way?
"I wish I could cook like this," Shirley frowned, "but I'm a hopeless klutz in the kitchen."
"I've wanted to get some practice myself," Leila said, "But my staff will barely let me. What are they afraid of?"
"Don't worry, you two!" Milly grinned. "There will be plenty of time to practice cooking once we're at the island! It'll be just like real camping!"
Lelouch felt a premonition of disaster. Then again, Milly was a pretty good cook herself, and she would be eager to avoid any further any further debacles on the trip, so meals couldn't go too badly under her supervision.
Could they?
"Well, I wasn't sure what to expect of the food in a traditional place like this," Rivalz said, helping himself to more familiar items, "but it's a good thing they carry the tried-and-true full breakfast fare."
Kallen silently glowered at him.
"I must say, I had been looking forward to miso soup, like Sayoko prepares," Nunnally said.
"Soup for breakfast?" Rivalz asked, nonplussed.
"Don't let her hear you," Lelouch said, sipping his coffee. "She might commandeer the kitchens to make it for you."
"And for you too, onii-sama," Nunnally smiled, affectionately using the Japanese honorific for a highly respected older brother, though it earned her a few odd looks.
"It does feel like we're missing something," Leila agreed. "Part of the charm of a ryokan is partaking of washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine. While it is very good and has some local flavor, what we are eating right now would be called yōshoku, meaning foreign food."
"You mean that this isn't what they normally serve?" Rivalz asked.
"To be fair, even before the war, most places had started offering both washoku and yōshoku to accomodate a more international clientele," Suzaku explained. "Even outside of ryokans, yōshoku was getting pretty popular."
"You'll barely find traditional recipes anymore though," Lelouch scowled. "They were suppressed, along with most other hallmarks of Japanese culture after this place became Area 11."
Once again, Nina looked distinctly uncomfortable by the way the conversation was going.
"I did try to book us the complete ryokan experience," Milly pouted, "but the best place was way off our route in a small town near Okina City, on the other side of Mt. Fuji."
"Are you talking about the Amagi Inn in Inaba?" Suzaku asked.
"That's the one! Have you stayed there before?" Milly asked.
"No, but I know of its reputation," Suzaku replied. "Inaba itself is a sleepy town, but the Amagi Inn is on its outskirts, and it's said to be a top-notch ryokan, with its own hot springs too. A cousin of mine once said she wanted to go there for her honeymoon."
Lelouch almost choked on his coffee.
"Is she older than you, Suzaku?" Rivalz asked.
"Actually, she's about three years younger than me," Suzaku replied. "She's always been... precocious. She said that when she was seven, I think, and that she wanted her honeymoon to last for a month."
"A month?" Shirley asked in disbelief.
"That's what she said. And then she told me, 'As long as my husband isn't you, I'm sure I wouldn't want him to leave our bedroom for at least half as long!'"
Lelouch felt himself go pale, while Shirley's face turned beet red.
"She sounds like a bit of a bully, if you ask me," Rolo said.
"M-more importantly, a seven-year girl said that?!" Shirley spluttered.
"As I said, she was precocious," Suzaku replied with a wry smile. "I didn't get the joke myself until I was 14."
"She sounds like my kind of girl!" Milly grinned.
Lelouch imagined a nightmarish scenario in which Milly and Kaguya were the best of friends.
"Lelouch, are you alright?" Kallen asked.
"I'm fine," he said. But if he heard any more about what Kaguya might have in mind for him, he was going to lose his appetite.
xXx
Leaving the ryokan and Izu behind them, they headed over to Ito, where the Izukyu Line began. It followed a southwesterly route, parallel to the ocean, taking them down along the Jogasaki Coast, a shoreline characterized by lava flows from the nearby Mt. Omuru which had reached the sea and formed dark, craggy cliffs with varied formations and caves cut into them by the action of the waves. Many of the cliffs were crowned by verdant forests, growing in the rich volcanic soil.
"It's all so pretty!" Shirley smiled, looking out the window to admire the scenery.
She wasn't the only one enjoying the sights. Shi and Tsu had boarded the train as well, and the younger warden clearly hadn't seen anything like the cliffs before.
"Um, Lelouch, I don't mean to be rude," Suzaku whispered, "But weren't those same two girls on our train down to Izu?"
"Yes," he replied. There was no point in lying about the obvious.
"Doesn't it seem a bit weird that they seem to be following the same route as us? Do you know them?"
Lelouch shrugged.
"And what about -"
Lelouch glared at him, and Suzaku immediately fell silent, grasping his meaning. Suzaku had meant to inquire about Princess Euphemia, who had shown up at both Tanabata and Izu, but such questions were dangerous in Rolo's company. "I see," Suzaku said quietly. "She's here to see you and Nunnally, right?"
"You could say that," Lelouch nodded.
"Then I'll leave it at that."
By this point, Shirley, naturally friendly as ever, was attempting to strike up a conversation with the green-haired girls nearby her.
"I saw you on the train before. You're sisters, right? Are you both heading down to Shimoda? I hear there's some great beaches there!"
Tsu regarded Shirley coolly, pulling down her sunglasses slightly to gaze at her over their rims. Shirley's eyes widened slightly and she made a small gasp as she saw Tsu's golden eyes, but she managed to stand her ground without recoiling or making a scene. Though Tsu kept it well-hidden here, had Shirley sensed her otherworldly nature? At the very least, there was no doubt in Lelouch's mind that in seeing Tsu's eyes, Shirley had been reminded of the encounter with her own Shadow.
After a moment, Tsu spoke. "You're an interesting one, Shirley Fenette."
"Huh? H-how do you know my name?" Shirley stammered.
"I heard your friends calling you Shirley earlier," Tsu smirked. "And it says your name on your luggage."
That might all be true, but Lelouch knew that Tsu was still lying. She had probably known who Shirley was even before her Palace fully manifested, or perhaps even earlier than Lelouch dared to imagine.
"Do you believe in fortune-telling?" Tsu asked. As if out of nowhere, a Tarot deck was in her hands.
Lelouch felt a chill pass through him. Not only was the question an eerie reflection of one he had been asked before, but unlike Leila, who undoubtedly relied on cold reading, Tsu was, at her very essence, a supernatural being. Did that lend extra weight to whatever her reading might be? No, that was to admit that fate-
"Let's take a look at your future, shall we, Shirley Fenette?"
"Wait, what?" Shirley looked mortified. "You can't mean... not in front of everyone! Thats-"
Tsu ignored her. She shuffled her deck and drew its top card, placing it down between them in the upright position. It was one of the Minor Arcana. "The Six of Swords," Tsu announced. "You have just endured a trial, but the future before you is hopeful." She drew the next card, which was also in the upright position. "The Chariot. Victory is within your grasp, even as you wrestle with opposing forces, if you have but the will to act." She paused. "And let's look one more card into your future..."
Shirley was rapt with attention now.
Tsu placed down the last card.
"Temperance, in the upright position," Tsu said. "A merging of opposites, into a new and harmonious whole."
Shirley sat silently for several moments, processing Tsu's predictions of her future. Finally, she said, "Thank you."
Tsu simply returned a mysterious smile.
xXx
They continued down the Izukyu Line, past Kawazu, which Kallen had told him was home to the best cherry blossom festivals on the Izu Peninsula, finally reaching the station at the line's southern terminus, located in the port city of Shimoda. It was a historic port, the first where Japan had allowed foreign ships to dock, when Britannian Commodore Matthew Perry arrived with his heavily-armed fleet of Black Ships. Perry was a hero to Britannia, and a large statue had been erected in his honor following the invasion, supplanting the older bust that that the Japanese themselves had placed in memory of that day. But Lelouch knew from his time at the Kururugi Shrine that opinions of Perry were far more mixed in Japan. At one point, his arrival had been the impetus to begin a period of modernization, militarization, and economic growth that transformed Japan in a global power, but it had also been a humiliation, in which Perry forced Japan to sign the treaty opening the port at Shimoda under the threat of his ships' guns.
Once they boarded the ferry, it would take about three and a half hours for them to arrive at Shikine Island. As much as the Student Council would have liked to spend some time exploring the city before then, the ferry only departed from Shimoda once a day, at 9:30 in the morning. However, Milly promised that they would have the chance to do when they returned from Kamine Island. One of the main attractions would be Ryosenji Temple, which had been preserved as the site where the historic treaty had been signed. Personally, Lelouch had little interest in the site. Just as Tokyo Tower had been converted into the Britannian Victory Memorial Center, Ryosenji Temple would likewise serve a propaganda role. Doubtlessly, it would say that the treaty marked the first steps by Britannia in "enlightening a primitive people, who knew nothing of how to build a prosperous and modern nation until opened to the glory of Britannia and its many technological and social achievements," or some such drivel.
Just as on the train rides before, Shi and Tsu boarded the ferry with them, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the other members of the Student Council.
"We need to talk," Lelouch said, finally catching Tsu and her sister away from the others.
"About what?" Tsu asked lazily, looking over the railing of the ferry as Shimoda receded in the distance.
"You perfectly know why," Lelouch said impatiently.
"Are you embarrassed by the others seeing me? Or perhaps you're feeling a bit possessive of that girl earlier, and didn't want me sinking my claws into her, so to speak?" Tsu laughed. "For one who used to have a Palace of her own, she really is a straightforward girl. I can read her like a book."
"What are you thinking, bringing that up here?" Lelouch hissed.
"Don't make a big fuss about it. None of your friends can hear us at this distance, especially not over the engine and waves. If you must know, I was curious about her. But don't worry. There aren't any big surprises about her that you don't know already. She's not another Trickster, unlike your little sister. Though she does have a remarkably high base level of ability as a Persona user. I wouldn't be concerned about whether she'll be able to catch up to the rest of you. Give her a few battles, and she'll be doing just fine."
"Why read Shirley's fortune?"
"I thought she needed a bit of encouragement." Tsu replied.
"I like her!" Shi smiled. "She's nice!"
"And what are you going to do when it's time for us to make the final leg of the trip to Kamine Island? It's not open to the public, and you're not members of the Student Council, nor our guests, so-"
"As I said, you think too much?" Tsu replied. "Really, of all people, you think we would have difficulty stowing away on a ship?"
Lelouch didn't want to admit it, but she had a point. Shi and Tsu could simply enter the Metaverse and return to the real world when they reached Kamine Island, or perhaps they could temporarily revert to being as they had first appeared in the real world, invisible and inaudible to anyone but those whom they had a contract with.
"Lelouch!"
Kallen had seen him talking with Tsu, and was now coming over to them.
"Kallen?" he asked.
"Okay, who is she, Lelouch?" Kallen asked crossly, putting her hands on her hips. "You did a good job playing dumb on the trains, but you two clearly know each other."
"She's a fiery one," Tsu smirked.
"Excuse me?"
"My name is Tsu, and this is my little sister, Shi," the older warden replied, now addressing Kallen directly.
"Let me rephrase that. Who are you to Lelouch?"
"So direct. To put it simply, I am his warden, as is my sister, though by now I think it's safe to say that we're also accomplices. Does that answer your question, Kallen Kozuki?"
"What's that- Wait! How do you know my real name?" At once, Kallen's hand reached for her pink pouch, the same one which Lelouch knew concealed a knife. "Both of you better have a good explanation for this!"
"You honestly think you can threaten me with something as weak as that?" Tsu asked with amusement. "Besides, is it really a good idea to be taking that out right now?" She glanced down. Shi was holding her leg, trembling as she gazed at Kallen. "And you've frightened my little sister," Tsu added, her own voice becoming menacing.
Kallen glared at her.
"Put it down, Kallen," Lelouch said gently, trying to defuse the situation. Reluctantly, she did so.
"So who is she?" Kallen pressed.
"You know how I sometimes seem to zone out for a moment before we enter a Palace?"
"Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?"
"I've said that it helps me organize my Personas. That's true, but there's more to it. I didn't tell you the whole story before, Kallen, because you and the others couldn't see what I did, and so it wouldn't make sense to you even if I tried to explain it."
"Try anyways. This is something to do with the power that my brother had, and that you and Nunnally now have, isn't it? If it's not..."
"It is. There are doors, that only Nunnally, myself, and anyone with a power like ours can see. Maybe it has to do with Cognition, maybe they actively hide themselves from those don't have the power. I don't really know myself, to be honest. But these doors lead to a place called the Velvet Room. It's not a physical place, not quite."
"It exists between dream and reality, mind and matter," Tsu supplied.
"Thank you. As I was saying, whenever I seem to zone out in the Metaverse, its because my mind is in the Velvet Room." He gestured at Shi and Tsu. "These two are my helpers in there, and they assist Nunnally as well. They help me create new Personas, strengthen existing ones, and recall old ones."
"I don't think I've heard you describe our relationship quite in that way before," Tsu said with a smile, to Kallen's consternation.
"Don't let her get to you, Kallen. Tsu loves to tease, and once she knows what buttons to push, she'll tease you mercilessly as well. But it's true. You two have been an enormous help. I could have never gotten this far without your help Kallen, and for that I will always be grateful-"
"But my sister and I are the accomplices at the very essence of the man you call Zero," Tsu smirked, causing Lelouch to glare at her.
"But their services were just as valuable in their own way," he corrected.
"Did he tell you all of that?" Kallen asked warily. "You said you were his wardens. What does that mean? And if you're from that world..." Her gaze locked on the sisters' golden eyes, noticing their supernatural glow. "Are you Shadows?!"
"To compare us to mere Shadows is like comparing humans to ants, to put it in a way that you might understand. But yes, we are his wardens. You see-"
"The form that the Velvet Room takes is a prison," Lelouch said, cutting Tsu off before she could make it weirder than it had to be.
"Mister Lelouch and Miss Nunnally are our Inmates!" Shi said, sounding entirely too cheerful. Seeing Kallen's expression change to bewilderment at the incongruity, Shi quickly corrected herself. "And my friends," she said softly.
"I'd appreciate you not interrupting me next time, Inmate," Tsu said sharply. She turned back to Kallen. "But your boyfriend here is our prisoner in the Velvet Room, as is his little sister, and they have both been sentenced to rehabilitation." She made a sidelong glance at Lelouch. "I must say that he was in far more desperate need of rehabilitation from the start, but they've both made remarkable progress."
"Prisoner? Rehabilitation? Sentenced? Who sentenced him?" Kallen huffed.
"He is a prisoner of fate." Tsu chuckled. "But isn't that true of all humans? Whether by their own volition, limited perceptions, or unquenchable desires, humans are trapped in prisons of their own making. Occasionally, a human will escape from their prison, but all they've done is put themselves in a larger prison."
Suddenly, several things clicked into place for Lelouch. Unquenchable desires... put themselves in a larger prison... Didn't that sound exactly like Palace Rulers and their Palaces? He had never seen a Palace Ruler outside of its Palace, and seemingly they had no desire to leave, exulting in having a world of their own to rule, warped to satisfy their own perverse desires. Palaces really were worlds of their own, massive distortions disconnected from reality, and even cut off from the rest of the Metaverse, accessible only by the proper set of keywords that would unlock the enormous, ornate prisons for infiltration. But without the Metaverse Navigator, the Palace's Ruler remained imprisoned within. More than any other Palace Ruler, Shirley had recognized, even on a subconscious level, the true nature of her Palace, seeing it not as her own personal paradise, but as her prison and watery grave, casting her own room as a brig.
He could take that idea further. They knew that Palaces arose from Distortions in Mementos that grew too large to be contained within it. But if Palaces were personal prisons for those with the most distorted hearts, wouldn't the smaller Distortions be a form of solitary confinement, with prisoners sentenced to isolation before even more drastic measures were called for? But the fact remained that the Distortions and the prisoners within them were housed in Mementos... which meant that somehow, despite appearing as a run-down subway, Mementos itself served as a prison. No, it did not simply serve as a prison. He recalled an earlier conversation with Tsu. Mementos wasn't the realm of the gods that she had spoken of. It had been constructed over it as a prison. It seemed so obvious now.
Mementos was the Palace of the Public. Mementos was the Prison of the Public. The two were one and the same.
There was another thing. Every Palace had a Treasure. Therefore, the general public must also have its own Treasure. If the Black Knights could infiltrate to the lowest levels of Mementos and steal the Treasure that resided there, then wouldn't they be able to force a change of heart on the public as a whole? Everyone would realize their complicity in Britannia's tyranny, whether by action or inaction, and the Empire as it was would collapse overnight, a bloodless revolution. Mementos itself would disintegrate without its Treasure, like the other Palaces before it. A kinder and gentler world would be at hand.
But unfortunately, simply stealing the Treasure of the Public was not possible at the moment. Much of the Public's Palace remained unexplored, and the Black Knights would have to work their way further into the public's collective consciousness to gain passage past the barriers deep in Mementos. That meant stealing more hearts, and raising their profile with ever more ambitious Metaverse heists. Moreover, a Treasure with so much Cognition behind it would undoubtedly be extremely heavily protected. They had already encountered one of its guardians, The Reaper, and they were a long way from being able to beat it in a straight fight, not that he would ever be foolish enough to engage it without a plan to distract it, weaken it, or somehow subvert its strengths first. But at least Lelouch now knew what his endgame was.
Igor had to have known this, but as always the Master of the Velvet Room had said nothing. But if Mementos and the other Palaces were prisons, Lelouch doubted that the fact that the Velvet Room was a prison was a coincidence either. Any prisoner who had the freedom to move between the other prisons and rally fellow rebellious spirits around them would be especially dangerous to whoever was running the greater prison, especially if they were to conspire to destroy Mementos and free all of the other prisoners within. So such prisoners would be watched most carefully of all. Perhaps their captor would even seek to deceive them, presenting himself as a mentor and dangling "rehabilitation" as a chance to escape the prison, all to ensure that these most dangerous of prisoners would dance to his strings.
All of this lead him to the conclusion that Igor either was the being who had first constructed Mementos, a would-be god reigning over the prison that humanity unwittingly lived in and keeping personal watch over the prisoners who were the greatest threats to his power, or a subordinate thereof, serving an as of yet unseen master as a trickster guardian protecting Mementos' Treasure where The Reaper's brute force was insufficient. Given how quick Igor was to anger when his authority was challenged in any way, Lelouch quickly ruled out the second option in turn. Lelouch couldn't see Igor accepting any authority but his own.
In this context, Igor's obsession with preventing Ragnarok made more sense as well. If mythology and anything Igor said could be trusted, Ragnarok was the Twilight of the Gods. Further, if Lelouch was correct in his assumption that Igor saw himself as a god, then Ragnarok would pose an existential threat to him, one that he could not act openly against, something that Igor would seek to stop at any cost, even if it meant drawing together several dangerous prisoners around him. Those who saw all the way through his ruse could be eliminated, leaving the spares behind to stop Ragnarok, while others would be culled by Shadows in the Palaces. Of course, the mythological Ragnarok had not only killed the gods, but was nearly the end of the world in general, so Lelouch had no reason to let his father's plans of bringing it about succeed either.
"Um... Lelouch... is something wrong?" He became aware of the fact that Kallen was waving her hand in front of his face.
"No, Kallen. I'm fine." He affected a chuckle. "Tsu gets very philosophical at times."
He couldn't tell Kallen what he had realized out loud. If Igor knew the true depth of his understanding, the Master of the Velvet Room would doubtlessly try to have him and Nunnally executed or otherwise disposed of. His only choice was to continue playing the role of the Fool.
xXx
Shikine Island had a rocky, irregular coastline and hilly terrain, but plenty of vegetation still grew on it. Continuously inhabited for hundreds of years, it was home to a small town, though no more than a few hundred Japanese lived there, and now a small Britannian airbase as well, from which regular patrols over the surrounding islands could be launched. The airbases's presence demanded improved infrastructure and facilities on the island, but any improvements to conditions and the local economy that the base might have brought were certainly outweighed by more stringent security regulations and constant reminders of Britannia's oppressive power. Security was even tighter than ever, for it appeared that a VIP of some sort was coming to the island. However, as personal guests of Earl Asplund and his fiancé, most of the checks would be waived for them. Lelouch was grateful for this. A stringent security check was the last thing he could afford, lest the long-lost vi Britannia siblings were rediscovered.
They didn't have to go far to find Earl Asplund either, as he was waiting for them at Shikine Island's port. Milly had described him as eccentric, but Lelouch found he was still quite unprepared for meeting the Earl in person.
"Well hello there!" The Earl's voice managed to sound somewhat gravelly yet nasally at the same time, but was filled with an exuberant energy, even as he drew his words out in a drawl. "You're here! Hip hip hooray!"
"Lelouch, is this really the guy Milly is engaged to?" Rivalz asked nervously.
Earl Asplund was wearing a lab coat, with the top of a green turtleneck visible underneath and black pants. He seemed just shy of thirty, was about six feet in height, slightly taller than Milly, and was far more well-groomed than one's stereotypical image of a mad scientist. His hair, silvery but with a hint of lavender, was neatly combed, and he was clean-shaven. He did however wear a very large pair of glasses over his grayish-blue eyes, and his eccentricity extended to exaggerated mannerisms, though he did not seem outwardly malicious in any way.
Accompanying the Earl was a woman who appeared to be several years younger than him, just in her mid-twenties. She had short, dark indigo hair that fell in a pair of bangs at the sides of her face, gentle features that showed exasperation, and large blue eyes. She was wearing an unconventional orange military uniform, with a matching skirt, tall black boots that cut off below her knees, and a green tie and an armband that identified her as a member of the Camelot Special Engineering Corps.
"Earl Asplund, you're going to overwhelm them!" she cried.
"Oh, really now, Cecile?" he asked, turning to his assistant, seeming genuinely curious. "I thought that I put on a warm welcome for them."
"You did, but there's such a thing as overdoing it!"
Earl Asplund shrugged. "Something to file away for next time. As I always say, I was born with an abandoned heart."
"What's that mean?" Rivalz asked, growing ever more anxious.
Earl Asplund overheard him. "It means I'm a sociopath," he said, sounding all too cheerful about it.
"He really isn't a bad person, though!" Cecile quickly cut in. 'He says he was born with an abandoned heart, but he still has one, no matter how stubbornly he insists he doesn't!"
"Cecile, you'll embarrass me in front of my fiancée ," the Earl said, making a show of modesty, though Lelouch doubted that the nobleman felt bothered at all.
Earl Asplund turned to Milly. "You brought more friends than I expected," he said in an easygoing manner.
"They're all precious to me, Earl Asplund," Milly said in a studied, respectful tone.
"Well, congratulations!" The Earl broke out into a grin. "The more the merrier, that's what they say. All aboard, boys and girls! Next stop, a desert island!"
"You really need to stop trying so hard," Cecile sighed.
A/N:
Obviously, I had a much slower pace for writing this chapter than the past several. This was a confluence of several factors. The Fourth of July holiday, a spell of summer heat and humidity sapping my energy, some errands that I had to attend to in real life, and the amount of time I spent researching ryokans, western-inspired Japanese cuisine, and the route that the Student Council took through Izu. It also ended up being a lengthier chapter, but I'm pleased with how things unfolded, and hope you will be as well.
Also, thanks to the reader who contributed the skit that became the basis of the scene where they talk about the Amagi Inn and Kaguya.
Chapter 48 definitely will be Kamine Island though, and I will try to keep the events on it self-contained to a chapter if I can, and then we'll bring the summer vacation mini-arc to a close and move onto the bulk of the 5th Palace Arc.
Edit: Some minor adjustments made to this chapter for consistency with the changes made in the previous one.