AN: Hello, dear readers, and I invite you to read the next chapter of this story.
On the last occasion, the lap was finally interrupted and Britannia failed while Lucius arrived to Egypt. However, he and Cornelia must come up with a plan of action, while Leila is preparing to create more Wyverns and assisting in the finalization of Operation Pharaoh. However, before the offensive, proper preparations must be made and the enemy must be weakened. What will happen? Read on and you will get the answer.
Occupied Egypt, United Republic of Europia
Ricardo Citadel, Headquarter of Army Group East
February 2017 A.T.B.
Ricardo Citadel, one of the most powerful constructs of military engineering thought. A huge structure, reminiscent of the eighteenth and nineteenth century forts on the plan of a whistle. The difference, however, was that steel alloys or reinforced concrete were used instead of bricks. And instead of the guns on the battlements, modern turrets with anti-tank guns or rocket launchers were placed. The word citadel in the context of this construction was not accidental, because the armament and the thickness of the walls were to guarantee the highest possible level of security for everyone inside. Everything that a powerful headquarters of the entire army and front would require.
The citadel, in addition to its walls and turrets, also had about five thousand soldiers, technicians, pilots and over a hundred Knightmare Frames within its walls. Although the machines were largely outdated Sutherlands, only about twenty were the more modern Gloucesters. Regardless of these details, however, the fact was that Ricardo Citadel was perfectly prepared for a possible defense.
Within the walls of this fortress, however, a rather unpleasant conversation took place. It all happened around twenty after twelve. Up to this point, almost everything had been going normally. War councils took place between the commanders. Orders were issued and then transferred to specific units. But what was definitely not normal was the tense situation between Cornelia and Lucius. The latter tried to calm his sister and find solutions to this difficult situation.
"Your failures at the front in Egypt are worrying, to say the least." The Prime Minister Holy Britannian Empier coolly announced as he spoke on his computer, and the transmission was being broadcast straight from his office in Pendragon to a large television set in the personal office of the Chief General of the Imperial Army. Although the two initially exchanged polite greetings, it was clear to both parties that it would not be pleasant.
The recipient of his words was Second Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, who listened to everything in her personal office. It was a versatile room, but quite utilitarian for Britannian's standards. Nothing really precious or made of gold was placed here, and the emphasis was on the metallic design of the room. Basically, the only thing that was valuable to the Princess herself was a large and group photo that showed the entire royal family gathered together. In the painting, Cornelia was standing there right next to her younger sister, Euphemia, and next to Lucius. Both the general and the Grand Master stood to attention, smiles on their lips.
The Princess listened the Prime Minister's words with stoic calm and did not let anyone know anything about herself, but under this facade there was a fairly large dose of stress. It is hardly surprising, because so far it has not suffered any significant defeat, and these have only happened in minor skirmishes. Now, however, everything has changed, and the reason for this was that several EU divisions had escaped from the encirclement. The princess sat behind the desk on a soft, swivel armchair made of high-quality leather, but even the comfort of her seat could not reduce the stress and discomfort.
"You're not the only one who says so." Princess, until recently called the "Goddess of Victory", stated dryly and without the slightest hint of affection, which, however, in terms of recent events, was at least debatable. "Lucius said the same and informed me of the rumors that are being spread at this point and are appearing among others on court."
Schneizel made no reaction to these words at all and kept his poker face and unreadable face, only his bright purple eyes showed little signs of emotion. "Speaking of which, I asked Lucius for his report on the situation in this area and on the successful European counterattack."
While Cornelia had no doubts about the content of the report and about Lucius' support, she nevertheless decided to dispel the doubts just in case. "What did he actually report?" She asked, and for some reason she did not understand, she felt as if her stomach began to twist into all possible shapes and eventually into a knot.
"I haven't received any details yet." The prime minister replied impassively, and Cornelia clearly felt a stone fall from her heart. "Lucius clearly stated that he is not and will not be able to give an appropriate report for a few closest people, because he had spent too little time here and had not yet carried out the appropriate inspections. However, he was extremely specific in terms of the lack of adaptation possibilities of our army, which you have mentioned many times. "
In fact, it was so, because for many months the Second Princess sought to restructure the army, from a large and victory-oriented army, using numerical and fire superiority, into a specialized army with high-quality weapons and high ability to adapt to new situations or scenarios in the field. battles. Lucius shared her view and yesterday, during a private conversation between them, revealed that the rise of Knights of the Purple Rose is the first step towards this goal, because his long-term plan was to constantly expand the order into the best and at the same time the greatest force in the army that could either conduct advanced operations and adapt to an ever-changing situation on an ongoing basis, or act as firefighters on the battlefield and extinguish potential or ongoing fires.
"Incidentally, I also agree with our little brother on this point." Schneizel added after a short moment, but his face seemed a little clouded. "However, it requires much better equipment in the first place, and despite our economic domination over the world, we cannot afford mass production of highly advanced Knightmare Frames or any other kind of equipment. Even the introduction of new Gloucesters is taking place slowly and many KMFs battalions or garrisons in individual Areas do not got that equipment yet. "
Cornelia nodded understandingly. "While I'm not an economic expert like you or Lucius, I understand how costly it would be to replace old Knightmare Frames with much newer models." After these words, however, she remembered one but extremely important fact. "But isn't your research team accidentally researching new generations of Knightmares?"
The Prime Minister's face twisted into a smile very quickly. "You're right, sister. Indeed, Camelot is working intensively on the first seventh-generation machine in the world, plus a host of new systems and improvements."
The Chief General smiled at this news and did not fail to inform her brother about Lucius' actions. "This is great news, Schneizel. But it's not just your research team that is researching the new machines. As far as I know, it was Lucius' chief engineer who designed the new Knightmares, which will be one of the sixth generation of machines."
"I heard." The prime minister replied calmly. "Carl Tallgeese did indeed design a highly advanced prototype that several of my specialists believe is designed to surpass any machines the EU threw at you and your armies a few days ago."
"Now that we have reverted to the defeat of a few days ago. Is there anything known about the enemy unit that broke the encirclement?" The Princess asked as soon as the opportunity arose. Personally, she was interested not only in the enemy formation and the machines they used, but also in the identity of those who were able to defeat her armies.
"Not as much as I wish, unfortunately." The Prime Minister replied with a sigh. "OSI did not do a great job, although agents had previously reported on the new machines, but predicted that they would be used in West Africa, not Egypt. Regardless, they found out that the vessel that broke the encirclement was Wyvern Zero, or W-0 for short. From what I have been told, this is to be an elite equipped with the best equipment available, with the task of breaking through the toughest sections of the front, special operations and defending the most difficult to maintain sections of the front. "
Cornelia frowned. "It sounds very similar to the premise behind Knights of the Purple Rose." Then she added: "You can even say that the formation of these two formations coincided in time."
Schneizel chuckled at her remark. "If only I were a superstitious person, I'd rather describe it as destiny. However, it's not destiny, it's just a beautiful coincidence."
"I am personally curious to know who would be better," Chief General mused aloud. "Commander of this hostile formation, or maybe our younger brother?"
"I am also curious about it, because the commander of the enemy unit is Lieutenant Colonel Leila Malcal, or perhaps I should say Leila von Breisgau." Scheizel said while his eyes were fixed on one of the monitors in his office, which most likely showed intelligence on the subject.
His revelation, however, alarmed Cornelia, who almost instinctively noticed the name. "Von Breisgau?" She asked with obvious confusion on her face as well as with what could be briefly described as curiosity. "The name seems familiar to me, but I can't tell why."
"Because that's the name of one of the nobles who fled the empire after our father came to power." Schneizel replied impassively. "The father of this young woman was Bradow von Breisgau, who, after the coronation of our father, fled to the EU with a large group of other nobles in search of a new life. There he began a fruitful political activity that resulted in his election to the senate. Moreover, he married and he fathered a daughter. However, all this ended nine years ago when Bradow was successfully assassinated using a bomb filled to the brim with Sakuradite. His wife and daughter tried to escape, but the killers apparently decided to kill them as well. "
Cornelia almost instinctively felt disgust seize her palate and a knot form in her stomach. She was already aware and imagined what happened next, but decided not to say anything and listen to it until the end.
"The car in which Claudia von Breisgau and her daughter were driving was attacked and thrown out of the way in a forest near Paris. What happened next is not clear, nor is there any record of it. Regardless of what, Lady Breisgau died and only their daughter survived, who was then adopted by the Malcal family. I think you can tell the rest of the story by now. " The prime minister had finished, but did not seem thrilled to have to read the stories of their young enemy.
Cornelia thought for a moment about the information she had just heard. Several theories flashed through her mind, but she decided to stop talking about the past and focus on something more practical and having more to do with reality.
"How dangerous is this woman?" She asked after a short while, but still her thoughts wandered to the past of the young Lady Malcal and the similarities she had noticed with Prince Lucius.
"From what was reported to me, she graduated early and graduated from the military academy with honors. But beyond that, I can't tell you any more." He replied rudely and without any clear details.
"I see." She replied, completely dissatisfied with the answer she had received, but did not verbally express any sign of her emotional state. "Will that be all, Schneizel?" She asked, and at that moment a feeling of great fatigue flooded her, which was only made worse by the stress of the last dozen or so hours.
"Right now, I have nothing more to add than wish you good luck in continuing the fight." He replied calmly, then smiled warmly. "I advise you to rest, you are not looking your best and I think a few hours of sleep should be enough to regenerate your physical and mental strength."
Cornelia gave him an appropriate smile. "I will consider a dream, have a nice day." She replied, then ended the conversation, and soon the big TV screen went blank. Even so, she still had one more to do, and not necessarily a pleasant one. Although in this particular case, a lot depended really on the attitude of her next interlocutor.
"I guess you're satisfied, aren't you?" She asked, not hiding great weariness, especially in the face of sleepless power. While there were no obvious shadows under her eyes, it was clear that this was solely due to the makeup applied to her face.
"I didn't expect to hear anything else." A young teenager, who so far sat on the couch, in front of the Princess's desk, leaned against it. It was Prince Lucius vi Britannia, in his desert uniform and half cape.
Cornelia, hearing these words, leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. For the moment, her mind went blank and she almost let sleep engulf her. After a few seconds, however, she opened her eyes and her mind returned to normal performance. Regardless of everything, she still had a few questions for her stepbrother that she wanted answered as soon as possible.
"Why exactly did you want to witness this conversation, Lucius?" She asked as soon as possible with her present condition. "I thought all the time that you and Schneizel were allies and that you trust each other completely."
"We're." Lucius smiled slyly at her remark. "However, all alliances have the one thing that they are like the wind. The wind, as you probably know, sometimes blows back and forth. Sometimes for the benefit of one person, and sometimes for the benefit of another. However, this type of wind is extremely changeable and you need to look after and nurture it all the time, so that it does not start blowing in a different direction or favor someone else. " Saying this, he did not even say a word that overnight his confidence in the prime minister was declining in the face of his ever-new projects, about which Lucius himself was not informed.
For the Princess it was more than enough, but she did not have the opportunity to say or ask anything more, because at the same moment Lucius got up from the couch he had been sitting on, then walked towards the main exit and left his sister with the words: "My curiosity and uncertainty has been satisfied for the moment, dear sister. In return, I will live up to my obligations to you and bring these campaigns to an end. I will destroy W-0, and this bunch of parasites from the court will not affect you or Eupha. " His last words were spoken with redoubled force and determination, and he left the office.
Cornelia was left to herself, her thoughts focused on the last words of her stepbrother. On the one hand, the Princess felt offended by the necessity to be a pawn in Lucius' game and the involuntary ally of her younger brother. On the other hand, she was extremely grateful to him for his help, friendship, keeping company of her younger and full-blooded sister. Although she had conflicting emotions towards Lucius, and she noticed that from month to month, since joining the army, the young man had grown more and more distant from his family, she still felt warm feelings for him.
The Second Princess sighed heavily and put both hands over her eyes. She literally felt her body giving up in the face of exhaustion and hours of stress. Despite the fact that her younger half-brother was extremely helpful and his help relieved her heart in a truly meaningful way, the exhaustion still had to overtake her, as did everyone else.
"But I guess I'll let someone else do my daily chores and rest for a few hours at least. Lucius and Darlton should have been able to handle everything." She stated, then without wasting a moment left the offices and went to the personal quarters located one corridor further, where, after taking a sleeping pill, she allowed herself to be consumed by the blissful and relaxing emptiness.
XXX
While Princess Cornelia was enjoying her sleep, Lucius wasted no time and as soon as possible went to his personal quarters, which had been prepared for him before his arrival. It was an extremely modest, but undoubtedly tidy office. Like the ones occupied by the Princess, this too was made utilitarian and with the main focus on utility. The only decoration was a purple emblem hanging behind the desk. It was the same emblem that was the hallmark and crest of Knights of the Purple Rose. In addition, in the office - like the one belonging to the Chief General - a large TV was placed, which at that moment was transmitting transmissions straight from the Pendragon. In turn, the person who was shown on the screen was Emperor Charles zi Britannia himself.
Lucius had been talking to the Emperor and Father simultaneously for ten minutes. Throughout this time, the Grand Master and the Twelfth Prince had made a detailed report to His Imperial Majesty regarding the situation in Egypt and some progress that had already been made. Lucius informed the emperor about the preparations he had made to set up his air supply bases, and about further preparations for the entry of Knights of the Purple Rose into regular combat and the conduct of several special operations.
"As you can see, Your Majesty, my several-hour presence has already started to bring the first and at least positive effects." Were it not for the specific tone of voice, it could have sounded or interpreted as coarse and not covered in actual bragging. However, both Lucius and the Emperor were well aware that this was not just empty talk of the seventeen-year-old. "The supply bases, thanks in large part to the modern construction method, and also thanks to the use of Knightmare Frames, will be ready in just over a week. Moreover, some of my personal strength has filled the gaps created after this unfortunate event. the entire front should stabilize and slowly tilt in our favor. Especially since I have several special operations planned, which are supposed to weaken the enemy armies. "
Lucius was on one knee in front of the big screen and his head bowed as he reported. His tone was always filled with the right dose of respect. Nevertheless, it did not change his true feelings in any way, and that if he could, he would most willingly simply order the bombing of the imperial palace and either place Scheizel on the throne or seize power himself. The young prince, however, was well aware that this plan was on the verge of madness and feasibility, so he decided not to even consider it, at least not yet. If he was to honor the memory of his deceased mother and siblings, he would have to be patient and stubborn in pursuing this goal. Until now, Lucius has done exactly that, but in recent times he has increasingly wanted to make a coup d'état and declare himself the next Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empier. Despite the Prince's good control of his emotions, it was by no means easy.
"The results are satisfactory, if not more." The Emperor replied coldly, his stony expression showing no sign of emotion. "So far you have not let me down, so have total autonomy and your own activities. Nor do I require you to send me reports. Simply put, what you will do and any failures you may have is your problem. In case of complications, you have the authority to take all power and command over entire Army Group East. "
"Of course, Your Majesty." Replied Lucius calmly, who, under a façade of stoicism, almost danced happily at the news.
Moments later, the screen went blank and the Prince rose and went to his desk, then sat down in the chair behind him. The room was dim, but one finger on the right button made the ceiling lamps flared and the twilight was replaced with something more tolerable for a normal person during the day. By pressing another button, two steel plates were lifted, covering two windows. After a while, Lucius put a finger on the intercom built into the desk, which was permanently connected to another intercom, which in turn was used by the guards outside.
"Is there anyone outside to meet me?" The Prince asked, his tone deep and calm at the same time.
"Yes, Your Highnes." The ranger answered, his voice too distorted for any emotion to be determined. "Colonel Garma Zabi and Captain Ciaran de Revil say they have some urgent matter."
But Lucius had already figured out why they wanted to talk to him. "Let them come in." The Prince answered. While earlier he used to go to their offices due to the necessity of examining certain documents, it was now known why these two came to his office. The main task was to agree on the final details of the placement of the remaining Knights of the Purple Rose troops, and to use the newest machine, Tallgeese Zero, in the planned operation.
Lucius leaned back comfortably in his chair, then narrowed his eyes for a moment, gaining strength for the upcoming meeting. Shortly thereafter, the door to his office opened, and both Garma and Ciaran entered. Moments later, the Twelfth Prince opened his eyes and greeted the two with a polite smile.
"Garma, Ciaran. Have Char and Carl come to an agreement on the deployment of KPR-00?" Lucius asked, and there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes that dripped with amusement. For it was no secret that Carl and Char had argued almost to death over the location of the Tallgeese Zero. The Chief Engineer wanted his prototype machine to serve as special support for the main strike forces. Meanwhile, Captain Anzable, who would also be the prototype pilot, found the chief engineer's idea an idiotic waste of the potential of the best asset in the Knights of the Purple Rose arsenal. Char believed that this machine should act as the main force of his company, whose main role would be to break enemy positions and destroy their formations. Ultimately, Lucius agreed to Char's proposal, as he saw great potential in such a use of the prototype. Besides, it was the best opportunity to collect as much data as possible on the battlefield.
"As for the dispute you resolved, Carl finally approved and understood the benefits of using Tallgeese Zero in this way." Garma obediently reported with a stony and revealing expression. "As for the exact date of deployment, both the prototype and Carl himself will arrive in Egypt at dusk tomorrow."
Lucius continued to smile as he said, "Excellent, the time of arrival is acceptable, especially with my planned surgery."
Garma was not surprised by this decision, but Ciaran had several doubts.
"Operation?" He asked that he was frowning, then decided to ask for details: "Do you mean by any chance First Special Operation Knights of the Purple Rose?"
"That's exactly what I meant." The Twelfth Prince replied, though he was already aware of what the next words of the captain of his princely guard would be.
"Are you planning to basically confuse the enemy with artillery strikes at several different and distant points first. Then send three Knightmare Frames companies more than fifty kilometers behind enemy lines and destroy one key point?" He asked, struggling to hide the great uncertainty and confusion with such a risky plan. "And are you planning it despite the fact that I strongly advised against making such risky moves?"
The twelfth prince's face took on a somewhat cloudy and decidedly serious expression. "Initially, I planned to drop it, but in the face of new information, I found it the best possible option." Before either of the duo standing in front of him could say anything, he reached into one of the drawers and placed an intelligence file on the desk, directly from Lady Khushrenada herself. "Before you say anything, I advise you to read our latest intelligence report."
It didn't take long for a reaction to happen. Ciaran grabbed the briefcase almost immediately and began to read its contents. Garma was reading the intelligence report out of the corner of his eye as well. After a while, Captain de Revil looked at Lucius with an expression of pure disbelief, both on his lips and in his eyes.
"Has this information been confirmed by OSI?" He asked quickly and too vigorously.
"Yes, confirmation came from Lieutenant Colonel Kycilia." Replied the Prince calmly. "It seems that the EU army is getting ready to launch a major offensive in Egypt, code-named Pharaoh. From what has been established, the recent breakout of all these divisions from encirclement was part of a much larger preparation for the impending offensive, which it is scheduled to start in the first half of March. "
"And you decided that such a risky attempt to break through enemy lines and then break many kilometers deep into the enemy with the intention of destroying their supplies is a good idea?" Ciaran asked, his arms crossed, and a moment later an eyebrow rose above his right eye. "Sorry for saying this, but I definitely don't share your optimism."
"Neither you nor Garma have to accept or approve of my plans. Which, however, does not change the fact that either the operation will be implemented and will be fully or partially successful, or we will be forced to withdraw from Egypt." Lucius stated firmly - but calmly at the same time. His words essentially settled the matter and left no doubt as to whether the operation would be carried out, but when and how. "I already have a concept and an idea for an operation, but not by the force of three companies."
Both Garma and Ciaran were now somewhat intrigued by the Prince's proposition to carry out his proposed operation.
"Do you have anything specific in mind?" This time, the one who asked the question was Garma.
Lucius gave a knowing smile first, and then spoke. "I mean the call to help the Holy Order of Michael."
His words caused a dozen or so seconds of silence, and an exchange of worried glances between the Colonel and the Captain. Both of them did not have to say anything, because they understood perfectly well the concerns related to the call for help of this particular knightly order.
"Are you sure about this, Lucius?" The question came from the captain of the princely guard. "As you probably know, Shin Hyuga Shaing was promoted to the position of Grand Master of this order, right after his predecessor's inexplicable suicide."
"While Michele Manfredi was a trustworthy and honorable man, his successor seems to be merely posing for such a man." This time the words of concern were expressed by Garma, but he did not stop there. "In fact, I have met and spoken to him several times and would never describe him as trustworthy."
"Why do you say that, Garma?" Lucius was extremely intrigued at that moment, so he quickly clasped his hands in front of his mouth to avoid revealing the smile that made his face twitch very quickly.
"Because my survival instinct, a remnant of the ancient ancestors I had evolved from, has made all my strength to convince me that there is something wrong with this man." Violet hair The Colonel replied with a serious face and an almost steely expression in his eyes that clearly said he was one hundred percent convinced of what had left his mouth. "I can't tell you exactly what, but I have a gut feeling like that, a very strong feeling."
The young prince pondered his words for a moment, his expression decidedly serious. On the one hand, the use of Holy Order of Michael in the upcoming operation gave access to their elite assault units, the effectiveness of which was among all Royal Panzer Infantry pilots. On the other hand, however, his deputy's words seemed to be, to say the least, disturbing. Especially that in such serious situations Garma practically never threw words into the wind. Ultimately, though, the war was all one big risk, so this decision wouldn't be too special. Therefore, Lucius decided to make the best - at least in his opinion - decisions. "I understand your doubts, Garma. You've never said nonsense in situations like this. Nevertheless, war forces us all to take calculated risks. Put simply, we will ask for the help of the Holy Order of Michael."
Ciaran did not react at all to this decision, while the Colonel simply bowed respectfully.
"Forgive me if my words were read as timid." He said, but before he could add anything, the Prince interrupted him with his unequivocal words.
"Nonsense." Lucius said with a clearly raised - though still calm and polite - tone of voice. "I appreciate the insights of my subordinates and friends whenever they have logical grounds and do not reflect stupidity. I am pleased to see your caution, which will not be disregarded as timidity. On the contrary, I will take into account your fears and take the necessary precautions against this man . " After these words, he rose from the armchair on which he had been sitting so far, and then rested his hands on the desk. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss with me?"
Both of his interlocutors nodded in denial.
"So if all that was going to be discussed then you can go, my friends." Lucius said goodbye to them, and they left his office seconds later.
The prince dropped back into the chair behind the desk a moment later and pondered for a moment several points that had arisen over the past three days.
"Wyvwern Zero." He whispered softly as if it were one of the greatest secrets in the world. To some extent, this was the case, given the small amount of information available. "A unit that just days after its debut has earned the nickname 'The Ghost of Hannibal'." The prince pronounced the nickname given to the unit with some mockery. It was at least derogatory to him that intelligent people could invent such idiotic titles.
At one point, his mind wandered about the machines that had been used by W-0 in a recent operation. Lucius looked through many footage of the battle, including those showing the latest W-0 machines. Just a few hours ago, Mariemaia had provided him with reports on these newest machines, named Alexander Commander and Alexander Mass.
After carefully examining the enemy machine and analyzing its weaknesses and advantages, Lucius concluded that machines of this type were to some extent what both Carl Tallgeese and the chief engineer of the Camelot research team were aiming. Extremely mobile machines, with extremely neat and streamlined armor, which was supposed to resemble knightly armor from the late medieval period.
In the end, Lucius decided to send the battle footage and initial technical assessments of the machine to Chief Engineer Knights of the Purple Rose. It was just over three hours ago. At the moment, Lucius waited for any response from Carl, which came about a minute later.
Suddenly, his personal communicator began to emit a low squeal, which was unmistakable evidence that someone was trying to contact him. Accordingly, Lucius wasted no time and took out the communicator as soon as possible. The said device did not seem to differ at all from an ordinary telephone, which was used by ordinary civilians on a massive scale. However, appearances are often deceptive, and that was exactly what it was like in this case. After taking a closer look at the device, it was clear that it was not an ordinary phone. The messenger is designed to match the colors and aesthetics of the Knights of the Purple Rose theme. It meant a mixture of gold, green and an ornament in the form of one purple rose on the back. As for the front, there was only a screen without a keyboard, and the reason for this was that the screen itself responded to touch, which was extremely useful for quick communication.
The prince quickly picked up the call as soon as he realized who wanted to talk to him.
"Hello Carl." He greeted warmly and courteously. "Have you already researched the data and reports I sent you today?"
His question was answered quickly and quite vigorously. "Of course I did, Lucius. I have to say that these machines can easily outclass both Gloucesters and Sunderlands if their pilot is suitable. But the good news is that faced with resource and budget problems, they will not be able to to produce too many of these machines, and beyond any doubt, they will only be used by elite units. "
This was satisfactory for the young Prince, but nevertheless, even with the news, he still had a few questions for the chief engineer. These questions were solely related to the production of their own Knightmare Frames, reserved only for Knights of the Purple Rose.
"And did you find anything worth noting or copying about these machines?" Lucius asked. "For example, some system not yet developed by the empire that could be incorporated into the Knightmares models you develop."
Carl was silent for a moment due to reflection and the right choice of words. In the end, however, after careful consideration, he replied. "If I had to point to something, it would undoubtedly be an unprecedented form of Landspinner Propulsion systems, which in this case are all terrain wheels attached to the back of the lower limbs of machines. Also improved standard systems would be worth implementing. The KPR-00 already has a viewfinder, thanks to which it is possible to constantly observe and accurately analyze the terrain, without having to stop the machine. I also analyzed the latest rifles of enemy machines and I think I can develop them into something much better. everything will be, Lucius. "
The end of the report satisfied the young Prince one hundred percent, and as a result he allowed himself a proud smile. For he was faced with the possibility that the machines that would be delivered to his branches in the future would be one of the best in the world. In addition, he hoped that the machines prepared for his aces and himself would also be the best in the world.
"Thank you so much for your work and forgive me for having to add this to your already busy schedule." Lucius replied, although he was polite and calm on the surface, there was pure excitement beneath this facade. Some childish element in his heart awoke and it was not easy to suppress. "If you have nothing else to add then this conversation is over, goodbye."
"See you in a few days, Luc." A quick response followed, after which Lucius ended the connection and brought the communicator back into a reduced power state.
Then he leaned back in his chair once more and smiled both sincerely and occasionally with an expression of the purest satisfaction that only a living man can imagine.
Lucius had a lot to be happy about at this point. His position as the Twelfth Prince was secured, and the ongoing coalition of the vi and el Britannia parties is currently bringing sky-high benefits to both sides. A new weapon for his knights was on the way, and it wasn't just limited to Knightmare Frames. A few weeks ago, Carl designed a new form of armor for infantry soldiers, both highly advanced and tight, and incredibly light for the wearer, which was the result of the use of exoskeletons in the construction of armor. The new and exoskeleton armor were called Hermetic Armors, and Lucius had some hopes with their development that they would make infantry no less important force on the modern battlefield than Knightmares.
However, aside from the issues of armaments, the young Prince still had to be careful while being here in Egypt. The reason for this was the presence of hostile military factions. The Luxembourg Faction and the Vasa Faction. Both hostile factions were hostile to Prince Lucius. The first was under the command of Colonel Wacław Luxemburg, a famous and respected military commander, who gathered under his command nobility loyal to him and wishing to receive the title of a common that was usually used as cannon fodder. Meanwhile, the Vasa Faction under Major Eric Vasa was one of the most infamous formations in the entire empire, and the reason for this was not in the least ineffective, because it was extremely high. The main reason the formation became infamous was their brutality both during and after the battle. Major Eric Vasa was famous for not taking prisoners at all, and those who were caught by his unit died in a very cruel way. As if that were not enough, this formation used to use in its ranks particularly cruel criminals and criminals who had previously been brainwashed in such a way as to be one hundred percent loyal to their commander, although knowledge about brainwashing was not commonly known. known. Regardless of the disgusting practices and power of both factions, however, the hard fact remained that both commanders were staunch supporters of la Britannia. Additionally, both Waclaw and Eric were hostile to Lucius due to his maternal origin. The two at the same time seemed to completely overlook the subtle fact that after all, Lucius was still the son of the Emperor and the Twelfth Prince of the Empire.
Despite the might of his enemies, the young Prince remained calm and decided not to worry about too many details. Ultimately and no matter how powerful, no military faction led by less intelligent than him will be able to threaten him.
Accordingly, after a while the young Prince's mind returned to thinking about really important things, such as the First Special Operation. That said, Lucius did not initially plan to use the operation to give his knights numerical names, but at Ciaran's urging, he became convinced of the idea. The argument that finally convinced the young Prince was that information could always leak to an enemy who might have guessed some targets from the code name, if, of course, the code name actually referred to the purpose of the operation. Meanwhile, the numerical nomenclature left no trace of a guess. Paradoxically, it was the best solution, because the enemy, not having the slightest point of contact, could begin to invent the most preposterous theories as to the purpose of the operation.
Speaking of the planned action. Lucius grabbed his private messenger once more and immediately activated it. The person he was about to call was the commander of the elite Axis assault company, Captain Char Anzable.
"Char, this is Lucius. Call the meeting immediately in conference room four." The Duke chose this room for a fairly specific reason, which was the fact that it was put into use by Knights of the Purple Rose. "I want all the pilots of your company and your battalion commander, Major Schnee Hexenhaus, to be present."
Altogether, there were eighteen convention rooms in the citadel. Although each of them differed significantly in details, each one was equipped with the same set of devices that were necessary both for planning operations and for command during their duration. That is, a table with a built-in electronic display, and a whole row of computers, which were to facilitate the accurate management of the departments.
"Of course, Lucius." Char replied, but there was a dangerous and excited timbre in his tone of voice. The Captain seemed to know the reason for the meeting. In fact it was so. "So the long-awaited battle is approaching." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Indeed." Lucius replied with mock composure, but he was actually pleased with his enthusiasm for a battle. "Just try to contain your emotions, I need you down to earth."
"I can't promise anything, High Lord." After these words, the connection ended.
Now Lucius couldn't help but make a soft huff and a smile on his lips. He was well aware that Char was joking at this point. Captain Anzable was fully aware of his reputation and of the title of 'Full Frontal'. However, he decided to use it to joke or shock those who were around him and didn't know him very well.
Regardless of the joke, however, the Prince had a council at which he had to appear. So he wasted no time and went to conference room number four as quickly as possible.
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire
Imperial Palace
Same Day
Living as one of the Knights of the Round was undoubtedly a fate that never allowed any of the empire's twelve best knights to get bored, the main reason being the simple fact that practically still the best of the Holy Britannian Empire's army were regularly dispatched for a hellishly difficult and often impossible mission. Assignments of this type or assignment to a mission were a clear indication that the Emperor himself was interested or concerned. Basically, while the Imperial Orders of Knights were the best military formations of the empire under the direct command of the Emperor, the Knights of the Round were the best fighters, soldiers, and military leaders in the entire empire, also under the direct command of the Emperor. Regardless of all this, the fact remains that as a Knight of the Round you couldn't complain about boredom. Or at least it was so on paper and purely theoretically, because a bored soul had a completely different opinion on this matter. It was a woman, quite young and extremely attractive, with long and shiny blonde hair, a large part of which was pinned up in two, extremely beautiful braids, while the other part was flowing freely down the back. Currently, this beauty played a chess game in a special section of the imperial palace that was reserved exclusively for Knights of the Round.
"Checkmate." She stated with a malicious smile on her lips, and it was directed at a young blond-haired man sitting opposite her, dressed in the same white uniform as her. However, where the girl's opponent wore a malachite cloak held on a golden chain, she wore a bright spring green cape there. Additionally, the girl wore an elegant white skirt, which was not the preferred choice among the female Knights of the Round.
The boy was her age, and moments after she announced the end of the match and victory, he was still trying desperately to find any gap that could speak in his favor and give him a chance to continue the game for even one or a few more moves. Eventually, however, he had to admit his defeat, and he leaned back in his chair in frustration, whereupon his groan could be heard by the other three in the room.
"Fine, you won!" He groaned with what was half pure resignation and half was childish irritation at defeat. However, it was just banter and making a funny spectacle for everyone. Additionally, he put his hands over his eyes to intensify the effect and to fake tears of sadness.
Monica, although she was bored despite playing a chess game, giggled at his seemingly childish behavior. "I know I won." Her malicious comment was an occasion for her recent opponent to be even more dramatic. In the end, however, the blonde-haired girl decided to allow herself to be open-minded and friendly at the same time. "But you don't have to act like a clown because of this."
"Now you're hurting me, Monica!" A sixteen-year-old boy, whose real name is Gino Weinberg, and whose current status in the army of the empire is Knight of Three, said extremely loudly.
Gino was of the same year as Monica, so they both attended New Colchester in the same class. The two were largely unmatched in skill, especially in piloting Knightmares. However, in terms of leadership skills, Monica showed much greater competence in this area, which resulted in her becoming the Knight of Twelve and thus the commander of the Imperial Guard. This position, however, was excruciatingly boring and infuriated the young sixteen-year-old, for she had not had the slightest opportunity to fight a decent battle that could bring her glory and recognition, similar to her lover, who at that moment was half the world away from her. In fact, commanding the guard meant constantly visiting and checking the combat efficiency of the Emperor's guards. However, when this duty was discharged that day, the only entertainment available was presence in the palace chambers intended for the Knights of the Round, for these elite warriors had to be always on hand to be efficiently summoned by the Knight of One and on the orders of the Emperor. However, it was terribly boring, when you had to wait even days for any order. Fortunately, however, Knights of the Round could interact freely with each other, making it possible to relieve boredom through joint activities. Sometimes and as in this case, they were chess matches, but in other cases they could be duels, even with the use of Knightmare Frames.
"Come on." She replied with a clean and unmistakable weariness, a show of Knight of Three. "We're not kids like we started out in New Colchester, stop acting as one." While it was undoubtedly chilly and unfriendly, Monica couldn't help but say it, with little or no control over her emotions.
"Really, I can swear you get even harsher every year." After these words, he sighed, then began to put the pieces and pieces in order after the game.
Two other knights were present in the Knights of the Round chambers, and more specifically nearby. They were extremely different people, and the opinion of them in the empire's society was also extremely different.
The first was Rounds, not respected at all by his fellow colleagues, and widely despised by much of the nobility, but no one ever dared to say it to his face. Luciano Bradley, serving the empire with great honor as Knight of Ten. A man who, thanks to the amount of blood shed on the battlefield, was commonly called the Vampire of Britannia, and by himself the Homocide Genius, which was actually not far from the truth. At the same time, however, he was also a man born at the bottom of the empire's society, and who had to work really hard for his present position. However, due to his brutality and ruthlessness, his promotion to Knight of Ten was widely regarded as an insult to the position of Knights of the Round and the institution of knighthood itself. Right now, he was busy turning and playing with one of the many knives he used to carry with him.
The other man was a stout and broad-shouldered man with long graying hair. There was no need to introduce this man to anyone. Bismarck Waldstein, Knight of One, Commander of the Knights of the Round, and the Emperor's personal sword, whose shipment to the battlefield was unequivocal evidence of the Imperial ruler's concern or interest. Sir Bismarck came from a very old and widely respected noble family who were primarily military men who were responsible for much of the successes of the former Britannia that was essentially revived by Emperor Ricardo. As for Knight of One himself, he has come a long and bloody road to get to where he is at the moment. Even so, he did not allow himself to be swallowed up by a madness like Sir Luciano, and eventually Sir Bismarck earned a reputation as the Emperor's honorable and faithful blade, ready to attack or protect at any time, depending on the situation.
Monica at the same time allowed her thoughts to flow completely uncontrollably and in absolutely any way. Very quickly her mind turned towards a man who, as one of a really small group of people, was able to ignite her feelings. Basically, she held any deeper feelings for only a few people in her life, and the Rounds mates were not that group of people. Undoubtedly, that person was a seventeen-year-old prince, hundreds and thousands of kilometers away, who fights somewhere in Egypt for an empire and a bright future for its citizens.
Without even realizing it, Monica blushed at the thought of Lucius Cornelius vi Britannia, the Twelfth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. She sighed quietly enough, but enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear her and pay attention to her. However, she did not do anything about it, looked at one of the walls, and her expression in her eyes, and even more so on her face, became longing as she thought about her beloved Prince. The two met at one of those grand receptions the nobility organized for each other. Monica had never forgotten the moment when, running around in the garden with a cake in her hand, she ran into a boy with sandy blond hair a year her senior. They both got their expensive and flashy outfits dirty, but they helped each other to tidy up and offered each other an acquaintance, which was the beginning of a very long and fruitful relationship. Both Lucius and Monica met at every opportunity, until after the murder of Empress Marianne, their relationship turned into something romantic. Thinking about the young Prince, Monica could not help but sigh, but it was marked by a large dose of passion that once again caught the attention of the other three Knights of the Round.
"What's wrong, Monica?" Sir Gino asked, his face twisted into a teasing and teasing smirk. "Do you miss a certain Prince with blond sandy hair who just got engaged to you a few days ago?" His irritating tone of voice did not break even for a moment, and the playful gleam in the eyes of Knight of Three seemed to increase moment by moment.
A Memory From a Few Days Ago
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire
Marianne Military Airport
January 2017 A.T.B.
The VTOL carriers have just been fully loaded. The last Knightmares and ammunition supplies have been loaded. Meanwhile, the pilots, soldiers and technicians who were to be transported in the first place, seeing the completion of loading began to go inside and prepare for this distant journey. This was a foray far away from home that they would do for the first time as Knights of the Purple Rose, so the pressure to do the best and hard work was enormous so as not to disappoint and tarnish the reputation of Prince Lucius.
However, on the runway and extremely close to the order's transport ship, the two teenagers were having a conversation with each other.
The first was a seventeen-year-old boy whose body was undoubtedly athletic and athletic. His hair, combed back, a beautiful sandy blonde. His eyes were quite small and perfectly reflected the sharpness of his amazing mind. Meanwhile, the usually purple uniform, referring to bygone eras, was replaced by something of an extremely similar cut, but this time the color was sandy and could perfectly mask the desert climate.
Meanwhile, the second teenager was a young girl with beautiful, long blonde hair shining in the sun. Her figure was extremely beautiful, streamlined and simply feminine, in the full sense of the word. With properly developed muscles and other shapes on the body. All this, however, was carefully and extremely conservatively hidden under a white uniform, which had quite a lot of gold ornaments. However, the most characteristic and distinctive accessory was a cape suspended on a golden chain, in the color of beautiful spring green.
Both the boy and the girl held each other in a mutual embrace, and each individual's heads rested on the other's shoulder. It was a romantic embrace of two whole-hearted people who may never meet again.
"You know how I feel, Lucius." The girl whispered, and a single sob escaped her and echoed in their personal space like a single drop hitting the water, all in the Great Cave. "I know that we are both warriors and we may not come back from the war we are currently in. But still, I still cannot accept, much less bear the thought of losing you."
"I can't stand a thought like that either, Monica." Lucius replied, his right hand gently and sensitively stroking her beautiful hair, which seemed to be effective and calmed her a bit. However, these were not the last words of the young Prince of the empire. "However, it does not change the fact that this is the fate we have chosen for ourselves and we have to live with its consequences. It is the privilege of truly adult people, such as us, who are intellectually developed enough to make independent decisions and then face their consequences. "
However, his words did not reassure his longtime lover, because in response she stepped firmly on the Prince's foot. "Your words are not helping." She growled irritably. "They only remind us in the most painful way of a potential and not as unrealistic possibility as I would have liked."
However, her words did not affect the young Prince, who broke his embrace and took a step back, then began to speak with a passionate timbre in his voice. "She is well aware that it is not comforting, but only adds extra stress. Nevertheless, this is a world of choices and their consequences, we must learn to live with it, otherwise this world will destroy us." Monica wanted to make a few mischievous remarks about his unsympathetic speech, but he wouldn't let her, and continued. "However, it does not change the fact that this life can be extremely enjoyable and satisfying, despite the fleetingness of these pleasant moments. Some people choose cool action over feelings and anything romantic, I have made a similar decision in the past. this proposal will be one of the least rational decisions in my life, but ... "He paused for a moment, then knelt on one knee, and at this action Monica's eyes widened with surprise. After a while, Lucius took a small black box out of his pocket, and his hand was stretched out to the front and practically in front of the Knight of Twelve. "Monica, despite the irrationality of asking you at this very moment when we are going to be separated for a long time, will you decide to accept this ring with the promise that one day we will be husband and wife?"
Everything Monica had to say a moment ago was completely gone, and that place was taken by an absolute void, and not knowing exactly how she should have reacted to it.
Currently
Monica has so far been a bit irritated by his 'unique' proposal. Instead of talking about romantic love, Lucius chose to recall the brutality and ruthlessness of the reality that surrounds them, which is why one of their potentially most beautiful moments in their life together was completely ruined. Nevertheless, Monica showed nothing of herself and held it all behind the perfect mask that her face undoubtedly was. After all, she accepted the engagement from her beloved Prince and undertook to become his wife one day.
"That's possible." Knight of Twelve replied evasively, then looked into Sir Gino's eyes. "Are you jealous of him and want to have an affair with our Purple Knight yourself?" If Monica were still the same and immature teenager, she would most likely blush mercilessly and would most likely try to deny everything. Nevertheless, Lady Krushevsky was not one of those girls who are unable to contain her emotions when faced with accusations of romance. On the contrary, her mother taught her how to control her own emotions, or turn such comments and taunts against those who directed her against her. It was proof of how well she had been taught this.
Sir Gino blushed at her comment, but said nothing and silently finished putting together his chess set.
Sir Luciano broke the play with the blade for a moment and sneered, his lips twisted into a mocking laugh.
Meanwhile, Sir Bismarck retained his restraint and confined himself to a faint smile which, however, showed no sign of malice. Nevertheless, his words resounded at one point throughout the immediate vicinity. "Speaking of Prince Lucius, do any of you know the exact situation in Egypt?"
His question surprised everyone present, because Knight of One was famous for always being the best informed about everything. Hearing him ask for military information was extremely surprising and unexpected. The first to say it aloud was Sir Gino: "Lord Bismarck, how come you know nothing of the situation there, after all you have access to all the military reports from the entire empire?"
Sir Luciano and Monica nodded as Sir Gino finished his reply, however Sir Bismarck answered the questions quickly and concisely: "Yes, but that does not change the simple fact that reports coming from there are often contradictory and nothing is certain. Moreover, I accept the possibility that some of you may know more than I do. "
It was one more piece of the Knight of One's wisdom, and a reminder of exactly why Sir Bismarck had received the title. Monica smiled in response, but said nothing, because since Lucius left his homeland, she had no contact with him and the information from Egypt was at least contradictory, so finding the truth in the forest of contradictory information was impossible at that moment.
The one who answered his question was Sir Luciano, who finished playing with the blade and focused on the people around him. "Apparently, the arrival of Prince Lucius and his knights completely stabilized the situation."
Sir Gino frowned at his answer as it seemed far too simple to be true. "Their arrival just stabilized the situation?" He asked, although he realized that this type of question was stupid and pointless.
"Dull and detached from reality, noble." Sir Luciano practically growled in irritation, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, then answered the question. "Of course not, Sir Gino. From what I have learned, Prince Lucius sent several companions of his knights to the most threatened or unmanned sections of the front almost as soon as they arrived, and their arrival managed to stop several local counterattacks." He finished Vampire of Britannia, and a maniacal smile appeared on his face. "I may not have any respect for the rest of our Emperor's children, but Prince Lucius is amazing and completely deserved his position in our empire."
Sir Gino couldn't help but chuckle that quickly escaped and confused the other knights. "Vampire of Britannia and the self-proclaimed Homocide Genius praising someone born in the upper classes, the world must go to the end."
Sir Luciano snorted in response and threw one of his knives at Knight of Three, however Sir Gino managed to grab his knife with relative ease.
"Don't mock me, noble." The lips of the Knight of Ten curved into a sinister smile, at least, and the eyes seemed to pierce the soul of the Knight of Three. "Unlike you, me and Prince Lucius have earned our position hard and we have not received it on a tray because of our family ties, Sir Gino." He pronounced his knighthood as if it were just a funny joke.
Soon the two men stood facing each other, clearly ready to move from words to deeds. However, the two couldn't be more different. Sir Luciano Bradley, the redheaded and bloodthirsty maniac. Sir Gino Weinberg, a calm and composed knight. Before they could move on, however, they were both held back by Sir Bismarck, who stepped violently and menacingly between the two.
"Enough." He said threateningly but at the same time calmly Knight of Ten, who had no intention of allowing this type of clashes between the elite of the empire's army.
Monica, in turn, quietly watched the entire interaction with an indifferent expression on her face, and her feelings were even more indifferent, despite her feelings for the three of them. She respected Sir Birmack and would never say anything bad about him because of his powerful personality, skill, poise, and iron loyalty to the Emperor. As for Gino, she had a friendly relationship with him and appreciated the company of a loud blonde, and respected his skills. However, towards Sir Luciano, Monica had conflicting feelings, on the one hand he disgusted her because of his brutality and many disgusting acts. However, on the other hand, the Vampire of Britannia also evoked some form of sympathy in her. Admittedly, Monica had never heard the full story of this man, and he himself was reluctant to talk about his past. However, from what she learned or concluded, the Vampire of Britannia had a very difficult past, which resulted in shaping him into one of the most infamous monsters that only walked the earth. However, perhaps it is this very p
Moments later, Monica did not pay attention to what was happening around her at all, and all her thoughts were directed to her fiancé. Moments later, Lady Krushevsky raised her right hand, on which was a beautiful gold ring with a heart-shaped amethyst attached to it. Monica couldn't help but smile from her beautiful lips, and a single tear left her right eye socket.
"Lucius." She whispered tenderly and so softly that none of the people here could hear it. "Stay safe and be a winner, no matter where you go and who you have to fight."
AN: This is how the next chapter ends, I hope you liked the content and it was not a waste of time.
I would like to inform you that the next chapter will focus on Lucius and Knights of the Purple Rose, and the Leil and Akito story will be given a rest.
Regarding the section with my notes, I have a question for you, dear readers. Would you like descriptions of all the original machines that I introduced in this FIC and their specifications to be here?
Also, leave a review, and if you have suggestions for story development or new Knightmares, don't hesitate to write.
That's all for now, I say goodbye to you and have a nice day.