X686
…a day later.
Sharp shadow casted by the curtains that framed the window started to fade at the onset of daylight. The sun ray slipped through the small gap, streaks of yellow crept its way toward the wild and unkempt bundle of black.
Lelouch turned his body heavily as the light brushes against his eyes. The featherbed sank in with his light weight, and he almost moaned at the comfort. Yet, his mind refuses to rest as he wrapped himself into the fur blanket and snuggled into the warm softness of Heaven.
It's a shame, that his body could never get used to the luxuries available to him in this world. Eleven hours of sleep seemed a bit short, he told himself as he yawned. The days are growing longer, just as Zeref has warned. For a being with so much time and so little to do, the feeling is only natural.
Lelouch wondered just how much time he'd wasted in the last nine years, when he isn't reading up forbidden grimoires, ancient tomes and playing with magic. Not that he would ever need to squeeze every drop out of every minute to be productive, he does have time to waste, after all.
The symmetry of a hall doesn't really have meaning until one stand in it and stare it down for 7 hours straight.
With a silent curse, he pushed himself up, willing the pure Ethernano dwelling within the room into a gush of wind. The breeze levitated the bedding off the ground, folding the blanket as it straightened out his bed. He turned to the door and strolled down the corridor toward the communal bathroom at the end of the hallway, passing by the library and the other empty rooms in the residence area.
The marble door opened into a massive open air bath, bearing a design almost identical to one of Ancient Rome's bathing complex. Benches sprawled along the two side, and the bath in the middle, easily take up to over a hundred people, and still large enough to provide one with their own space. The water is so clear one could make out the intricate patterns of the floor tiles beneath. Majestic statues of various magical creatures could be spotted around the bath, from their jaws come an unending stream of liquids, purified by the runes carved into the statues, still humming with power despite their old age. There are drains underneath the bath, yet the water level has remained the same for centuries. He suspected that it's a part of a massive recycle system that provides water to the communal bathroom of the academy.
He undressed himself, gave his body a throughout rinse, and eased into the bath with a sigh full of satisfaction. The water is laced with cleansing magic, eliminating the need for shampoo entirely. Every stain that deemed unclean would be ruthlessly removed by the current, filtered down to the drain and emerged as immaculate liquid later.
"You're up early." Lelouch didn't need to open his eyes to know that it's Zeref. There are only two persons in this world who can find their way into Mildian.
"Forgive me, your Excellency." He apologised in an absolutely unapologetic tone. "I would kneel to greet you, but the task given to me have pushed me to the brink of exhaustion. I'm afraid my frail body cannot handle something so taxing at the moment."
Zeref sighed at the antic, before removing his own clothes. He wrapped a towel around his private part and joined Lelouch in the bath after washing his body, setting aside the towel on a bench within his reach.
"How did it go?" The mage asked, no doubt about the ruckus in Magnolia a week ago.
Zeref's wanderlust surfaced now and then, it is not strange for him to find the mage missing for weeks after a prolonged stay at the academy. It's been nearly a week since they parted at the edge of the forest.
"Tragic." He heard another sigh from the mage, "She was winning her battle, until she won, then she started losing."
Zeref blinked.
"Our heroes brought down the villainous guild, and emerged victorious through a good plan, an unbreakable will and the power of friendship, but it's mostly the plan."
"What happened after that?"
"Well, then it turned out their conviction to do good and the power of their friendship weren't all that powerful after all." Lelouch yawned, the images of Mavis desperately trying to convince one of her companion to leave the Tenrou Jade flashed in his mind. "Tenrou Jade, the treasure they sought after corrupted one of her companion, feeding on his greed. It took control of the pile of bones the Blue Skull have been parading around."
"I'm sure you took care of it then?" Zeref inquired, eyes glancing to the serene scenery of the lively forest and snow-white mountains from afar.
"I was, until she stopped me. Insisting that she would save everyone."
The mage blossomed into a smile when Lelouch stopped speaking. "...she succeeded." He concluded.
"You taught her Law."
"I did." Zeref admitted with a worried frown. "Did she-"
"She did." Lelouch nodded, twirling his hand in the water with a look of disinterest.
"She couldn't possibly mastered Law in such a short period of time." Zeref whispered, "You should've stopped her, you knew she is no match for such artifact."
"I wouldn't, not even if somehow you didn't accidentally forget to tell me that you have been teaching her such a spell."
Zeref winced when Lelouch pointed it out. "It could have costed Mavis her life." The mage protested anyway.
"I'd assumed that you knew of idealism and its impractical nature. She would blame herself for the fate of her dear friends." He replied nonchalantly, "Supposedly I could be bothered into saving her friend, of which I greatly doubt, and dismantle the Jade, she would still wallow in her misery, that she had failed her friend nevertheless."
"You are right." Zeref surrendered after a moment of silence. "Had I refused and distanced myself, they would give up on the task entirely, they would realize the futility, without the magic I have taught them. It was my fault..."
'Good grief, he doesn't know of idealists because he is one.' Lelouch rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you are aware that Mavis and her companions have already clashed with their enemy when she requested your assistance?"
"I do, they were injured."
"And the mood in the air when you first met?"
"Somber, doubtful..." The mage muttered, "...defeated."
"Quite obvious, is it not?" Lelouch threw the lazy summer sky a lazy gaze of his own, "Their friendship would have shattered under the bitter taste of defeat, snapped by the doubts that plagued them. They have emerged victorious instead, matured from the challenge and their bond will grow stronger than ever. There are potential, and you created the foundation which they may build upon to realize their potential. They ought to be grateful for the opportunity."
"It sounded as if you were trying to console me." Zeref smiled.
"That is because I am. A demon incarnate I might be, but I can share what little kindness I have left for a friend in this world."
Zeref grew silent as he contemplates the words, water glittered in his eyes, threatening to fall.
'I should've gone with the sarcastic route after all.'
"A simple 'thank you', or 'I'm grateful' would've been enough." Lelouch sighed, even now he's still not entirely sure how to react to that. "Shall I give you a hug too?"
"You should be careful, Lelouch." With a smile, the mage reined in his emotionally fragile state, mostly. "I would counsel you on your jest, but I shall concede before you push the matter further."
Violet orbs twinkled with amusement, "A wise choice. I can be a tad competitive at times, and my distaste for losing might stray us down the path we do not want to take."
Zeref shook his head. "You are fully aware of your flaws, yet you refuse to fix them."
"The moment I change myself, I am no longer Lelouch vi Britannia." Arrogance was oozing out from his declaration, prompting a chuckle from Zeref.
"Come with me." Zeref said, reaching for his towel. "It's time for you to know."
Lelouch nodded, reached for his own towel and wrapped himself with it. They left the bath, changed, and trekked to the dining hall, all done in a comfortable silence. Since he found a way to properly exploits telekinesis, his presence in the kitchen is only necessary for the most delicate of dishes. Telekinesis is essentially reaching out to the Ethernano that resides in an object. An order then could be given, to summon said object to one's hand or push it along a trajectory, the more complex orders needed a bit more mental concentration and picturing in his mind but that's about it. The only reason only a select few can perform the simple feat is because the Ethernano remains pure, and are not attuned to an element that an individual has the affinity to, thus difficult to control.
And his ability to manipulates pure Ethernano at his whim and wishes? Well, his potential is close to limitless, since he cheated.
He almost felt bad for mages around Earth Land struggling to control their magic, almost.
Lelouch cursed under his breath as the howling wind rammed into him. He let his eyes strayed up, the sunlight is struggling to get pass the clouded grey sky. Hand reaching to his walking cane, he tapped it once into the ground, forcing the snow away from his path, so that he may see the road. The ice-white dust clung to his cloak stubbornly, before falling to the ground as he pressed for another step.
His current attire is the exact same he'd wore under the name Julius Kingsley. He thought it was quite fitting for the journey, since when he had been Julius Kingsley, he was deployed to St. Petersburg, and was greeted with the same bloody snow. The Empire may be evil and cruel, but their uniforms are undeniably stylish. As the unpleasant memories of Charles' manipulation faded away with time, he has taken a liking to the outfit. Even the eyepatch remained on his right eye, dangling purple crystals thrumming with the power he infused into them.
Shadow of a derelict mansion loomed into his vision soon after, Zeref stood in front of it, the usual sadness on his face as he stared at it, uncaring of the snow raging around him.
He walked up the worn stone steps, eyes on the scratched teal paint of the door handle. He tapped the cane on the wooden door twice. With a loud metallic click, the door creaked open.
Zeref stepped into the dim hall, and he followed the mage with a look of disinterest. The smell of damp and dust struck him instantly. He gave a small wave of his hand, a soft hissing noise of Ethernano answered him and the old oil lamps lining around the derelict building lit up, casting a flickering light over the cobwebby walls.
The mage strode toward the door at the far end of the hall, stepped into the room and plucked out a locket from the drawers, channeling enough magic to make an S-Class Mage to collapse from exhaustion into it. In a spark of light, the locket opened to reveal a picture of a young woman, and a small dusty parchment of paper that fell out of it.
"Did we really killed four Wyvern and trudged through a blizzard for a locket?"
Zeref squeezed the locket tightly in his hand, turning to him with a sad smile, but this time, it was weighted further down. "Lelouch, I succeeded with the task I have set out to do over three centuries ago."
Lelouch blinked.
"I have created countless Demons from Ethernano. Among them, I created one from the dead body of my brother. E. N. D. Etherious Natsu Dragneel, whose purpose is to kill me. I met Igneel within the same year I created Natsu, and we became acquaintance, he agreed to raise Natsu and teach him Dragon Slayer Magic. It was then, that I became aware of the plan hatched by him and the other dragons to defeat Acnologia."
"I did read about it. The Dragon of Apocalypse, the greatest threat to all living beings in this world, stole their soul and leave them weakened." Lelouch commented, after processing the load of information suddenly dumped on him. "Dragons are noted for their strong connection to ethernano, if they are to survive and recover, they need to wait until the population of this world grew to an acceptable level, which then will result in a rise of excess Ethernano that mages exuded when their containers are full."
The mage shook his head, Lelouch might as well tell the rest of the story, his perception is frightening, "It will take centuries, they cannot afford to wait for so long. So, they decided to seal their soul within the Dragon Slayers they have raised. This coincided with my wish for Natsu to grow stronger and kill me, I decided to help them, and sought out the most powerful Celestial Spirit Mage at the time, Anna Heartfilia, to open the gate to send them to the future. They will be able to recover, and perhaps, battle Acnologia."
"When is this future?"
"This mansion used to be hers." Zeref looked around sadly, then pass him the parchment, "July 7, X777. I can wait, my death will eventually come, I can at least atone for my sin, by offering them my assistance and give them a chance to defeat Acnologia."
"I met the dragon."
"A piece of Igneel's soul, nothing more. It shall rejoin him when he arrived." Zeref muttered.
It wasn't the immortality that pushed him to such a decision, it was, and still is, the curse of Ankhseram. His very existence endangers the world just as much as Acnologia's. Lelouch could restrain him, but for how long? How long before his mind just snapped, and end up with him unleashing the full power of the curse?
He wondered, if it came out as selfish, if he left Lelouch alone in this world.
'No, it would be selfish to leave this world to Lelouch', Zeref chuckled mirthlessly, one day Lelouch might grow bored enough to consider world domination.
Lelouch do have enough princely quality about him that if he'd walked up to a stranger and claimed that he is one, they would believe him.
Demanding, authoritative, ruthless, cold and arrogant.
Worse, he's also cunning, sly, persuasive and somehow intimidating at the same time. He has the right to be arrogant. He can do what he claims he will do, or make other to do it for him, one way or another. Somehow, all that contradicting quality managed to fit seamlessly with each other.
A fearsome individual.
Truthfully, Mavis' presence, no matter how brief, was a calming draught to him. She is kind, cheerful, carefree and innocent, it was soothing just to hear her voice, laced with happiness. If there is anyone out there that might help him to rein in the monster within, she would be.
Lelouch vi Britannia, on the other hand, is completely uncaring of his vindictive nature, his ruthlessness, and his loathing of human's foolishness. Lelouch himself embraced his own monster, demand that it obeys him, and make it obey him.
He could see it, he could feel it.
The wariness of offers of friendship, the bitterness and betrayal in his eyes when his past surfaced. He was betrayed, he was hurt, and he was alone to deal with it all. They share a mutual understanding, the same burden, and the same sorrow.
The worlds branded two demons, one with power beyond mortal's understanding, the other with unquenched ambition and unmatched intelligence. Two lonely soul cursed by the burden they bear.
There is no one more worthy to walk with him as his equal.
Yet, the strain of immortality will eventually get to Lelouch, just as it did him, when Lelouch grew bored and tired of the world, he would try to end himself to no avail. That pain will be beyond excruciating, whether it's the loneliness that will make him to so, or the helplessness as he watches his loved ones grow old and wither.
"This change nothing." Lelouch said evenly.
"Nothing?" Zeref whispered, not even trying to keep the shock out of his voice. "I had expected-"
"What? Anger?" Lelouch smiled bitterly, "Zeref, my time was finite, and I was prepared to throw it all away. I knew nothing but anger, resentment, betrayal, hatred, sorrow, grief, despair and loneliness. Those I love died, one by one, for the ascension of the 99th Emperor of Britannia. I was determined to make that cruel world a better place for the only light in the darkness I have been living in my whole life. Then, that light too turned against me, and deemed me an evil to be removed. In the loneliness riddled with regret, I silently engineered my death, I engraved my infamy into pages of history. Then I left. I was tired, tired of the intrigue, of the deaths, of the blood on my hand. I was tired of living."
Zeref bit his lips, Lelouch'd told him about Shirley Fenette. When that terrible memory was brought up, Lelouch simply left and shut his room after.
"Then, the twisted humor of fate, or perhaps the maddening fools that are writing the story of my life saw it fit to deny me my rest. I will not deny you the rest you desire, Zeref."
Zeref face fell, he didn't expect that he would be so saddened by the acceptance he sought for. "Do you remember that day, four years ago?" He whispered wistfully.
4 years ago, X681
"Un verre de champagne?" He asked, in another language Lelouch often use, his robe and toga rustling in the wind as he seated himself down the wooden chair. "What's the special occasion?"
Lelouch's eyes met his own for a split second, before reaching for the decorated teapot with his hand.
He proffered his own cup out, turning to the gushing water.
They were currently seated under the willow tree by the river, as Lelouch had demanded so adamantly that they are to have a light meal between lunch and dinner. The weather is too simply pleasant, and the air is simply too fresh to waste, or so he argued. The meal consisted of light snacks, sweets and tea, never anything alcoholic unless there is something worth celebrating, which is quite rare for beings such as them.
"We met each other exactly five years ago, on this day."
"Ah." He smiled at the Britannian prince, "You were so paranoid then, even after you told me of your power, I did not know that both of your eyes could manifest the symbol, you have hid it well."
"My eyes are the reason I am able to control ethernano so easily. I do not need to reveal both, for I have yet to find the need to summon a quantity large enough to level a city." Lelouch said, taking a small sip, "And, in case someone somehow managed to remove the eye I shown them, I still have another to let them taste pain beyond agonising."
"I would never let you come to harm, Lelouch." He replied, almost standing up, but constrained himself to remain seated.
They sat there in comfortable silence, letting the Mildian's veil of time carry them away, along with the splashing water and the breeze in the air. A bleak, thin wind it was, he could hear the soft gossips of the broad-leaved shrubbery as he enjoys the drink.
"Do you remember your birthday, Zeref?"
The cup halted in its track, he felt his blood run cold at the word. "…no." He shook his head, "I haven't celebrated the day I came into the world since everything I have were taken away. It is long forgotten."
"I do not remember mine either." A crestfallen expression crawled its way to Lelouch's delicate face, "I never cared for it, I was kept occupied just to stay alive. My dear sister was determined to remind me, and I did it for her sake. Without her, the day has faded away from my mind so fast…"
An air of melancholy and the sentimental mood easily claimed them both. He wanted to break out of it, but the task just seemed to be so difficult.
"It is so peaceful." Lelouch murmured minutes later, head turning to the setting sun. "If only…"
"If only." He did not let Lelouch finish the sentence, it would only further the sadness of them both.
They fell silent again. The clouds turned to a bright red color by the rays casted down from above.
"I would betray my reward, if I let myself be drowned in sorrow." Lelouch forced a smile up his face, though there was still a hint of pain in his eyes. "Today is the day I met you and stumbled into this world, cursed to immortality, and today is the day the Dark Mage met his first companion. Shall we mark it as the day we were reborn?"
"Lelouch?" He whispered, eyes wide.
Lelouch held out his glass of wine, "Meilleurs vœux, Zeref."
With moisture glistened in his eyes, he raised his own, slowly, and clinked Lelouch's glass. "Best wishes to you as well, Lelouch."
"You could've simply said 'Happy Birthday'." Zeref smiled fondly, but right after, as the liquid traveled down his throat, he swore he'd heard a small whisper from Lelouch, something along the line of '…and you as well, C.C.'
"It sounded a bit corny for my taste." The Demon Emperor waved his hand dismissively, then smiled, "I suppose, once you were gone, I will visit your grave every year, with a present and a letter. Then the year after that, then on and on it goes, hoping that you will read them one day."
"You're cruel, Lelouch." The mage chided.
"I meant it when I say I would let you leave." Lelouch said quickly, keeping his voice blank, "I would even aid the Heartfilia in opening the gate again when the time comes."
"But then-"
"But then, I will end up alone." His smile strained, "I will aid you, and try my best in steering you away from such thought to the best of my ability, but I will not stop you."
"What would you do, if I am gone?" Zeref's breathing was ragged, "Besides the presents and letters."
"I would pierce the veil of space and time, and open the gate to another dimension, to a new adventure." Lelouch replied smoothly, "Now, however, I have one I need to finish first."
"Yes, it sounded like what you would do." He pursed his lips.
"Perhaps I shall bed every maiden in the world."
The mage choked.
X686
…five months later.
Mavis hummed, feet dangling in the air from the branch as she watches the construction of a building from afar, her building, Fairy Tail's home.
She sniffed, a sad gaze flashed for a split second, and disappeared as fast as it came. She stared to the empty space next to her, mind drifting to the hurtful revelation that the one most precious to her, is nothing but an illusion. When she'd realized that, when Yuri pointed it out to her at last, it… hurts.
Despite the promise she had made, to move on for Zera's sake and her own, she couldn't help but slipped to moments of melancholy every now and then.
"Ah, there you are."
Mavis whisked to the voice she had not expected to ever hear from again, spotting a cloaked figure. "Lelouch?"
"Good afternoon, Mavis." Lelouch greeted, pulling his hood down. "I see you have recovered from your reckless use of Law."
"Not entirely. This body can no longer mature, but it is far worth it, Yuri was saved." She gave him a bright smile, jumped down and enveloped him in a hug, much to Lelouch's dismay. "I haven't got a chance to say thank you."
Lelouch nodded in acceptance, then stared at her incredulously, "I'm a bit lost though." He said, "If I were you, I'd be overjoyed at the prospect of eternal youth."
"I'm no larger than a child, four or five more years would have been nice."
He inclined his head in agreement, "Indeed, four or five more years, then I might even be tempted to kidnap you."
Mavis could feel her face heating up, she understood the implication, yet got no idea how to react to it.
"A mage guild, I heard?" He glanced toward the construction.
She beamed at the mention of her plan, "It'll be my new family."
"I assume you already have a name in mind?"
"Fairy Tail." She replied instantly, with another smile, he's quite certain she was just waiting for that question to come.
"Hn."
"What's with that reaction!?" Mavis pouted at his most apathetic response. "I haven't forgot about the challenge-"
"I do hope that there won't be a directive carved into Fairy Tail's core tenet that stated something along the line of 'Prove that Lelouch vi Britannia is wrong.'" Lelouch sighed when he'd spotted the mischievous grin on the brat's face. "Very well, I will indulge you, why did you found a mage guild?"
"It's important that one has a place they can come home to. My…" Mavis trailed off, a hint of gloom in her voice, "…friend wished she could save Magnolia, and freeing them isn't enough. A guild has a lot of power over everything around them, we could help the people out this way."
"And the name?"
"Do fairies really have tails?" She asked with a faraway look, "In fact, do fairies even exist?"
'I'm sure I have the answer already.' He was tempted to say it out loud.
"An eternal mystery. An eternal adventure." The pair of longing emerald turned to him, "Those are the feelings I've tried to capture with the name. Fairy Tail."
"How long did it take for you to memorized it all?" He asked absently.
"You're evil..." She muttered, giving him a glare.
"Mavis." Lelouch said gravely, "it can be dangerous to give me compliments like that. I might feel underserving and bashful and want to do something worthy of your praise."
"You really are."
"Anyhow, I have a gift for Fairy Tail's first guild master."
Mavis tilted her head questioningly, then her eyes sparkled as a child would when they'd found a new toy. She set her sight on two glass bulbs connected by a narrow neck, indecipherable symbols and words carved on the wooden two-legged stand that hold the glasses together. The sands were a color of iridescent purple, shifting in color as they trickled down.
"This is an hourglass." There is no such thing in Earth Land, he had to make one himself. "An instrument to measure the passage of time. It shall take three hours to empty all the sand from one bulb to another, simply invert the bulbs once the upper bulb is empty, and you may reuse it indefinitely."
"There must be another way to use it. Something so simple shouldn't need such intricate magic runes to function." She said thoughtfully, eyes completely captivated by the trickling sand.
'Yes, it also measures how much time you have left, until the curse claimed you, just as it did Zeref. It will be only a matter of time, before the sand vanish at your touch.' Lelouch gave her a cryptic smile, then willed his existence away from Fiore. "That is for you to find out."
It is just as he predicted, she stopped growing after the use of Law… a shame. Preventing Zeref from rushing to her aid had been difficult, it would be too cruel if she found out now, if Zeref revealed it to her. He could at least hide it away from them both, and let she enjoy what's left of her time.
"You are leaving already?"
"We will meet again." He left the last sentence hanging in the air as his body faded away.
X690
"Lelouch."
"Hmm?" He stared up at Zeref lazily, looming over the patch of grass he's lounging on.
"I've heard disturbing news." The mage frowned, "Piracy all over Ishgar have ceased completely."
"Isn't that good news?" He asked, moving his eyes back to the large scroll of paper on his hand.
"They are convening on an island near Enca, all seventeen pirate captains and their fleets. I wish to root out the evil, given the opportunity, and do the world a favour."
"…that won't do." Lelouch drawled with the same lazy tone, "The time of pirates is long over, with the rising number of mages in the world, and the increasingly hostile response from the countries in Ishgar. They are about to turn themselves into a shipping company."
"How would you know-" Zeref came to a sudden halt as realisation dawned upon him, "You're behind it all…"
"My little side project." He nodded with a smile. "It took some very convincing persuasions, a handful of magic and a bit of blood to acquire their submission."
"What kind of project that involve pirates?" Zeref asked incredulously.
He let go of the scroll of paper, and let the wind carry it to Zeref's hand. The mage's brow rose as his eyes scanned the parchment.
"I'm founding a Merchant Republic in Ishgar." Lelouch said casually, as if he's just brewing another cup of tea. "Every merchant guild in Sin, Enca and Midi are about to unite into a single entity, the Austellus Merchant Guild. I have spent years building up my influence in the Pergrande Kingdom, entrenching myself in their political network. With their backing, I will dominate the southern trade routes after I reform the pirates, and overthrow the stagnant Monarchy in Enca, Sin and Midi."
"Aren't you satisfied with our living conditions?"
"I will not rely on Alvarez's coffer if I can help it." Lelouch smiled, "Besides, it helps passing the time. You are building an Empire simply out of boredom after all."
Zeref sighed, it is not as if he can deny the fact and dissuade Lelouch from the notion. It's just that the model which Lelouch design his guild in the parchment is eerily similar to the British East India Company, with Pergrande Kingdom as the royal backing. Including the intimidation, extortion and oppression part that are, no doubt, about to come for the supremacy over the trade routes.
"How will you convince the countries in the region to hand over it all to you?"
"I have the largest fleet in the entire continent, loyal to me after I offer them a chance make a living after their… profession become obsolete." Lelouch's smile widened, "I won't even need to lift a finger, Bellum wouldn't dare to resist the giant next door. A letter here and there to the rotten nobles in Desierto to offer a piece of the cake, and there is only Minstrel left."
"They won't oppose you, because by doing so, they will gain the ire of Pergrande and risk destabilisation of the entire continent." Zeref frowned, "It's not worth it in their eyes, when they have the entire west coast to themselves. There are much to loss and many to gain in cooperating with you."
"Don't look so grim." Lelouch waved his hand dismissively, "It is not as if I am taking away lives with magic you've taught me, or starving thousands for my own greed. Uneven trade treaties would only last as long as I need it."
"When?"
'Good grief' He rolled his eyes.
This world has yet to realise the potential of steam machinery and coal. The Austellus Merchant Guild would industrialise the republic early, with the ridiculous cheap price of coal, the massive reserve of iron in Pergrande and his, undeniably unfair, knowledge from his world. It would only be a matter of time until the guild became the main manufacturer of consumer goods, while those within his sphere of influence would become the main providers of raw materials.
The Workshop of the World.
...now, where'd he heard that before?
Not to mention, there are rare resources that only the southernmost part of Ishgar can cultivated. Enca, Sin and Midi will give him a monopoly over silk, dye and tropical woods. With them, the most luxurious clothing and furniture that the overprivileged nobles in Ishgar lusted after will be under his control.
"When the annual revenue of the guild reached nine hundred million Jewels."
"That's twice Alvarez's tax revenue." Zeref mumbled with shock, he has yet to conquer the entirety of the western continent, but still-
"Your empire isn't dedicated to making money." Lelouch dismissed the comparison, "Anyhow, it will take at least two decades after the guild established itself. Then, there will only be so much land and labour at my disposal, our growth will slow down, and I have no intention to conquer more."
"No, you are content draining the wealth of the world from your corner of the map." Zeref shook his head, they haven't account for buildings, ships maintenance, along with administrative cost and wages, not to mention dividing the wealth among the patricians and nobles of the guild. Still, traditions of merchant guilds dictate that a tenth of what remains of the revenue after all that are to go to the founder, then the rest to the guild's coffer.
Lelouch will become affluent.
Very, very affluent.
"I am simply founding the guild." Lelouch's nonchalant smile returned, "It's still a Merchant Republic, I will eventually give up my ruling mandate, and leave the responsibility of maintaining and expanding the guild to another. I have no intention to forfeit my freedom, and chain myself down, and so do you."
"As if." The mage scoffed softly, "I can imagine you revealing your immortality and power to the ruling oligarchy of this Austellus guild. Grant them a taste of wealth and power, give them an illusion that they are greater than what they truly are. Their loyalty to you will be absolute, it matters little who they elect amongst themselves, they will all answer to you, so will the generations after them."
"We both have grown bored of this tranquility, surely you would not let me stay to rot while you enjoy your fun alone?"
"No, I would not. It's just that-"
"It's settled then!" Lelouch cut him off, "You will leave tomorrow, as will I. We shall convene again in… eight years?"
"That's a very long time." Zeref frowned.
"On the contrary, you shall find time passed very quick once you sufficiently put enough devotion into nation building."
"I will respect your decision." The mage conceded, "I can only hope that time would pass by as quick as you believed it would."
"I hope so, too." Lelouch nodded gravely. 'I dearly hope that my estimation is correct, and you would not meet Mavis before I do, before her time is fully spent.'
