DISCLAIMER: Code Geass and its characters are the property of Sunrise, Inc.
Sirs Rittenberg and Hochstein are characters created by Anonymous Author in their work, which I borrowed.
03: Setting up the Board
Jeremiah Gottwald worshipped Marianne the Flash. Not to say that he was among those who wanted her for themselves, but rather one who'd always hold her in high regard. To place her atop a pedestal, above mere mortals like him.
So when he heard that the emperor had taken an interest in her, he was among those who rejoiced. He believed that him recognizing her talents should finally open opportunities to those who were common-born. He had lobbied for a position as a page boy under her wing, in hopes of supporting her in her moment of triumph, to later serve as one of her personal knights.
When the emperor declared that she would remain a mere concubine despite her carrying his child, he and his fellows conspired to take her away from the palace. She simply did not deserve such disrespect.
Somehow, the emperor learned about the plot. Somehow he was able to send the Knight of One to thwart their plan and all their countermeasures. Despite the united front of her entire household and her own true desire to escape, the emperor was able to keep his favorite concubine.
In short order, her entire household was dismissed and replaced with new onces, selected by the emperor and vetted by the Knight of One. Jeremiah, having been born to minor nobility, was able to sign up for military service, though was banned from serving in the royal households. In ten years, he served at the front lines in the invasion of Japan, and was one of the few who survived to see it renamed Area 11. It was during the establishment of the various Settlements and the new Viceroyalty that he decided to not return to the mainland to start a new life in the Area. He had hoped to gain influence here, and eventually plan another attempt to free his idol.
When news of her murder reached his ears, there was nothing left of her to pay his final respects to. Like before, her entire household was disbanded before the day was out. He despaired that despite all his efforts, the chance to redeem himself was lost forever.
Which was why he didn't know what to make of her son, the child she was carrying during the botched escape attempt, standing before him presently. Lord Stadtfeld intimated that his services would be needed soon, but Jeremiah hadn't in his wildest dreams expect Lelouch vi Britannia to be the client.
Having heard of the Prince's exploits, he had never considered him as a potential ally. The possibility of the Prince reporting his plans to the emperor was far too high. What could Lord Stadtfeld, a more than trustworthy benefactor and ally, have seen in the boy that he would risk all the influence they consolidated by allowing him into their circle?
However, a part of him that hoped to redeem himself was at least curious -- bordering on eager -- to offer what assistance he can give. In Marianne's memory.
"Your highness," he greeted, bowing low. They had already spoken briefly over the secure connection provided by Lord Stadtfeld. This performance was for the guards that flanked the prince. "Welcome to our humble business."
"Margrave Gottwald," the prince returned the greeting. "The reports that my brother receives regarding your operations haven't caught his eye. However, I've seen enough that I believe can be advantageous once I've taken over the Viceroyalty.
"Perhaps you can show me the current status of your businesses?"
"Then you have arrived at an opportune time, Your Highness," Jeremiah replied, bowing once again. "We have just been preparing our report to our stakeholders, to be sent out in two days' time." He straightened up before offering, "Would Your Highness be content with a draft of it? We are still finalizing some of the statements by the executive heads, but the data are final and complete."
"Very well," the prince affirmed. "Lead the way, Margrave."
"Of course. This way, Your Highness." He led them to the area where the executive meeting rooms were located, before finally stopping outside the largest door, which stood opposite a smaller, less ornate one with a window.
"Your guards can help themselves to refreshments in the waiting room while we speak." Jeremiah explained, gesturing to the smaller door.
"My Prince," spoke one of his guards. Hochstein, he believed his name was. Jeremiah quickly picked up on the guard's concern.
"We will be discussing some topics intended for a privileged few. I'm afraid royal guardsmen aren't part of that list.
"If it would help assure your guards of your safety, they may inspect the room before you enter. However, they will be barred from entry once I have activated the screens."
The prince nodded to his guards, and the one who spoke earlier indeed entered the room to inspect it. Meanwhile, Jeremiah explained, "This particular room we regularly sweep for bugs, being where we discuss highly confidential matters, even top-secret. Also, it will be impossible to enter this room once it is locked from the inside. The override codes are only known to three people. Only the executive vaults are more secure."
Just as Jeremiah finished off his explanation, Sir Hochstein returned to the hall and nodded to the other guard and the Prince. He made a note of these wordless interactions between the three of them. In the next moment, the prince spoke,
"It seems you have passed Sir Hochstein's scrutinizing eye. However, his palate isn't so selective as long as there is coffee among the refreshments you mentioned earlier."
"Nearly all of Britannia's popular blends, Your Highness."
"Then all conditions have been cleared. Let us proceed, Margrave Gottwald."
"After you, Your Highness," he waved the prince within and locked the door behind them.
-,o,0,o,-
"Are you certain you wished to keep your guards unaware of this?" the Margrave asked Lelouch as soon as the door was locked. "You three seem to be more trusting of each other compared to your brother and his own personal guards."
"Quite," he replied. "While they are loyal to me, their loyalties are ultimately to Britannia."
"I see," hummed Jeremiah. "You may need to consider further countermeasures if you are this close. They may be aware of tells that even you are unaware of."
"Duly noted," Lelouch agreed. Taking his seat at the head of the table, he went on to business. "How did you go about this with my brother, and how many others are in the know?"
"We started with him much like how we are doing now," Jeremiah began. "His particular manu involved rotating his personal guards for every visit and never visiting the same location twice. Of course, we requested a lead time of two days to meet such a requirement."
"So, none of his guards or his staff are aware of the arrangement?"
"Yes. Such visits are logged as regular inspections in his itinerary."
"For how much time?"
"We managed a stretch of eight hours, but we strongly suggest two to four hours."
"Why?"
"Official business or no, if no one has seen you for nearly a day's work, people will start wandering where you are."
"Fair enough," Lelouch conceded. "I think two hours would be sufficient. How do you handle unplanned extensions?"
"Up to half an hour, we simply wait. Beyond that, we check in every hour after."
"Your other clients?"
"Never know about each other. It is actually impressive how you deduced Prince Clovis is one of our clients."
"My brother is an artist. Some of his deepest secrets show up in his works, if you know him well enough. I will endeavour to store such works away once I take over as Viceroy."
"Many thanks, Your highness," replied the Margrave.
"One last thing," he said, leaning forward on the table, "Lord Stadtfeld mentioned that you might to decide to not take me on as a client, and yet here we are. Furthermore, you're offering your cooperation at almost no cost. May I know why?"
The Margrave hummed before leaning back and sighing deeply. "Two reasons," he began. "First, I owe Lord Stadtfeld a debt of gratitude. The second reason is equally a reason to reject or accept you as a client.
"You are the son of Marianne."
Outwardly, Lelouch only narrowed his eyes. However, the rest of his body tensed. What did the man mean with that statement? Did he know something about his mother's murder?
No, he chided himself. He really should stop having that as his first thought every time his mother was mentioned. He hadn't learned his lesson then. He had more than enough time to learn from that mistake.
"As a young squire, I idolized your mother. So much so that I did everything to prove I was good enough to serve in her household. When it was clear that she was not to be given the honor of becoming a true consort to the emperor despite carrying his child, I and the rest of her household at the time conspired to help her escape, and failed.
"Since then I have continued to come up with a way to try to rescue her again. This service, as it were, was one aspect of a larger operation. With the news of her death, however, I was ready to end it all."
The man twisted in his seat to face Lelouch fully before continuing. "When I heard that you were lobbying for the viceroyalty of Area 11, I was conflicted. Were you coming here as your father's son, the Demon, here to exact punishment to one who dared defy the emperor? Or were you coming here as Marianne's son, offering me a chance to redeem myself for my greatest failure?
"I am not so narcissistic to believe that your purpose would absolutely relate to me, but I have not yet decided to what extent should I assist you. However, I do wish to understand, what is it you hope to achieve, both as Viceroy of Area 11, and as one of our clients?"
Lelouch's eyes widened a fraction. Not many people would admit to admiring his mother, much less actually having conspired to help her escape her status as a concubine. Furthermore, this man owed Kallen's father a debt of gratitude. Such fortuitous circumstances to have conspired to come his way, he must consider his answer carefully.
Although, the question had him thinking. What was he hoping to achieve by coming here. The fulfillment of a promise to a girl who might never be able to recall it seemed flimsy, but it was truly one of his reasons. He needed to look back a bit further, to when he was last here, what he experienced, and what -- who -- he encountered.
"To seek answers. Ones that would not present themselves to a true son of Britannia. Ones that might eventually lead to my destruction, even perhaps of the Empire itself, should they come to light. All while protecting those important to me from harm."
"If such an endeavor would need you to go against your own sister?"
He froze. Nunnally was the only one he considered his true family. But she was already coming into her own, Knight of Two in all but name. She was still important to him, but,
"She no longer needs my protection, the sadness in his voice not at all hidden.
The Margrave regarded him silently before leaning back in his seat. He drew a deep sigh before explaining, "Answer reveal truths, but only from the perspective of it giver. To seek other sources for the answers you seek is admirable, and it shows that you are prepared to see your worldview shattered.
"Or, perhaps, it already has, and you wished to delve deeper into the rabbit hole. Either way, I have decided to give you my full support." The man then stood up and began to walk towards the far wall. "This way, Your Highness."
Lelouch stood and followed the man. When they reached a certain panel, the latter gestured for silence before activating it. Before long there was a rhythmic -- no, random, but structured pulses, that almost sounded like people were speaking in the room, though incoherent. He was then guided to the adjacent wall to reveal a hidden elevator, enough to fit perhaps four people in close quarters. They entered it then he felt them descending not too long after the doors closed.
"This leads to a parking level that houses emergency vehicles for the top executives. For the purpose of our services, there are also civilian vehicles to choose from. The vehicles will exit towards a ram that merged directly with the Tohoku Expressway. All the tags on those vehicles will appear legitimate in the toll gates, but can't be traced in their logs.
"As for the matter of going incognito, a closed van containing an array of apparel in your measurements was brought in an hour ahead of our appointment. We cycle the department stores where we source them from, most often of which are those that were changing out their display windows to be laundered. Would you require assistance in commoner fashion, perchance?"
"I have done some research, but I would like to request of an opinion or two for what I have planned," he admitted, fully committing to the choice he had made. It would not be Lelouch vi Britannia who will be befriending Kallen Stadtfeld, but Lelouch Lamperouge.
"Understood," replied Jeremiah. "As this is your first visit, wi will only be executing a dry run, which will only be for one hour We will measure the time you will take to change out of your uniform into commoner clothes, as well as for when you change back." At this point the elevator had reached their destination, and both have alighted. "We will stop by momentarily at your target location to give us an idea on travel time towards and back. After which we will be considering the facilities you will be inspecting moving forward."
Lelouch hummed, taking all this information in. It surprised him how simple it all was. Still, the coordination needed for everything to work seamlessly was impressive. He wondered that, if not for his mother's untimely death, perhaps they may have a chance at succeeding to free her.
The corridor they have alighted at was about fifty meters long, nearly the full width of the building they were in. A left turn at the end of it revealed all Jeremiah just mentioned, as well as a maid attentively waiting for them beside a desk. The maid seemed familiar...
"Sayoko," Jeremiah greeted the Eleven maid warmly.
"Jeremiah-san," she returned the greeting with a smile. "The documents you requested," she said as she picked up a manila envelope, handing it to him.
"Thank you, Sayoko." Perhaps noticing Lelouch regarding the maid with curiosity. "This is Sayoko Shinozaki. She supports this service while also serving at a nobleman's household."
That was it, he recalled, eyes widening. But what was she--
"Lelouch-sama," she spoke, addressing him directly. "My lord will be pleased to know you have decided to help us."
"What do you mean, Sayoko?"
"A mere coincidental crossing of our goals, Miss--Shinozaki, was it? My goals are my own."
"Of course, Lelouch-sama," replied the maid, bowing.
With the Stadtfelds' maid being a part of this operation, it wasn't a stretch to deduce that Lord Stadtfeld was part of it. Just how much influence had he amassed here in Area 11, and all under Clovis' nose?
Was Stadtfeld actually hoping to preserve this underground empire with Kallen at its head? Or perhaps--?
"How has she been?" he instead asked to distract himself from that outrageous train of thought.
"Asking after you, actually, Lelouch-sama. You have made quite the first impression.
"Jeremiah-san," she turned to the Margrave, "I must be heading back. Please take good care of Lelouch-sama." With that she turned and left, her footsteps not making a sound despite the silence of their surroundings.
"What is she?" he blurted out, recalling Sir Rittenberg's prior encounter with the maid.
"Trade secret," came the cheeky reply. "Though I am curious as to what you did to earn her respect."
"Pardon?"
"The honorific she used after your name. The Japanese use that to refer to those they hold in high regard, including their elders or their masters."
Lelouch's eyes narrowed. Stadtfeld has been making assumptions regarding his cooperation. Though he did make one other observation:
Jeremiah Gottwald referred to her people as Japanese.
"I haven't the foggiest," he lied. "Onward to business Margrave Gottwald."
"Of course, your highness."
A/N
Oookay, I didn't expect this to be as long as it became, though I have been changing the flow of the exchange between Jeremiah and Lelouch quite a few times. I hope this latest version of it doesn't disappoint.
I pictured Clovis needing regular painting retreats away from the hustle and bustle of being viceroy.
As always, feedback is much appreciated.
~ryder77
NEXT: A different sort of game.