Chapter 14
The Toll of Familiarity
"I don't like this," the heavyset man wearing the insignia of a lieutenant-colonel in the arguably defunct Japanese Army growled. "Kyoto House has been becoming too close to this new viceroy the Empire has foisted upon us. No matter what his credentials, he remains the instrument of our people's oppression. We should be planning how to have him join his murderous brother, not trying to find common ground, damn it!"
"If only that were so easy," the lanky young man walking alongside him said. "But seeing as the JLF never managed an attempt on Prince Clovis, how much greater a chance would you fare going after Cardinal Lamperouge, Colonel Kusakabe?"
Kusakabe growled at the point made, but was not prepared to concede entirely. "Clovis was a buffoon. Leaving him in place was a boon to our cause, while killing him like he deserved would have only made him a martyr, and brought the fullness of the Empire's wrath down upon us."
Despite his fervent desire to take the fight to the Empire, Kusakabe was not foolish enough to deny out of hand how dangerous an adversary Britannia was.
"The time will come however, when we strike a true blow against the Empire," Kusakabe went on. "And with the help of our stalwart allies the Chinese, we will eject Britannia and restore Japan to her people. Isn't that right, Mao?"
The youth gave a wide, sinister smile. "Right you are, Colonel. China has always been ever so ready to lend her hand to those she considers friends. It was a great failure on our part that we could not intercede when Britannia conquered Japan, but we are prepared to make good upon that failure to help your people win their freedom once more."
Kusakabe nodded confidently. "I never doubted China's commitment to us."
"Still, all the help in the world will not be enough if the right opportunity cannot be created," Mao said. "The cardinal is an extremely dangerous adversary, and much good would be done if he could be removed like you suggested. But his security is tight and thorough, and his minders equally capable. Removing him while he is ensconced inside the viceroy's palace will likely be impossible short of blowing the whole place up. The only other option is to wait for him to leave the palace on some sort of business and strike then."
"Easier said than done," Kusakabe said in irritation. "Without access to the viceroy's schedule, there is no way of knowing when he might leave the palace, and none of our sources are placed deeply enough to have access to that sort of information."
"A shame," Mao said. "I suppose we will need to wait for providence to provide, then. Until then, all we can do is make sure our forces are ready so as not to let any opportunities slip away."
The two parted ways not long after and Mao returned to the room he had arranged to be assigned. With a weary sigh, he closed the door, glad to have a bit of silence now that he was alone.
"Welcome back."
Or at least mostly alone. Seated on a chair with her legs dangling short, a petite girl with the same silvery hair as Mao himself.
"Our little puppets still obediently dancing to their strings?" the girl asked. "Or do I need to edit their memories again?"
"So far no one seems to suspect anything," Mao said as he plopped himself down on another chair. "They all firmly believe that China is prepared to come to Japan's aid when called for, and we are the advance agents helping to prepare the way."
"Well, none of that is an outright lie," the girl pointed out. "China will certainly come to Japan's aide, and we are advance agents here to prepare the way."
"Perhaps so, but I doubt the JLF expects to simply be trading one set of masters for another," Mao said, that smirk crossing his face again. "And thanks to you, Mao, they can't even conceive of that outcome."
Mao shrugged. "I wouldn't be too reliant on my edits. Even with those fragments you were able to pass me, there's still bound to be inconsistencies between their original memories and what I inserted. And I don't have enough Refrain to convert the entirety of even the JLF leadership and keep them onside. If we push our luck, those officers that I've tweaked might suffer a mental breakdown, or even be able to untangle my changes."
"The former has happened before, I'll grant," Mao said, "but the latter has never, so why even worry about it?"
Mao raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to explain to the Grandmaster we failed because we got cocky."
A noticeable grimace crossed Mao's expression at that. "Point. Still, we will need to take some risks, otherwise we might end up failing regardless."
Mao cocked her head aside. "You have something in mind?"
"The cardinal is the principal target," Mao said. "He's too well protected to get in the palace, and the JLF doesn't seem to have any way of tracking his movements accurately enough to plan some sort of ambush outside. There are however functions of state that the cardinal will definitely have to attend, and if we can infiltrate some troops into those events beforehand, we might get a shot at him."
Mao considered the possibility for a few moments. "Maybe, but we'd need to manipulate the JLF into thinking it's a good idea. With the rumblings we're hearing from Kyoto House, the JLF may not be willing to risk it."
"Do you have enough Refrain to try?"
"Probably. Should have enough afterwards to last us until our next resupply at least."
"Then here's what I had in mind," Mao began laying out his plan, as Mao sat there listening intently.
"Your Eminence," Sancia tried.
Lelouch was a heavy sleeper. Not in the sense that he could not wake up quickly and be fully alert if the need arose, his augmentations made that pretty much automatic. The cardinal had however figured out a way to employ those same augmentations to make it really, really difficult to actually get through his unconsciousness to actually stir him to consciousness. It was arguably an abuse of his gifts, but if the proctors were going to wake him up at ungodly hours of the day as part of his tutelage, he was going to make them work for it. Of course, the end result was just forcing those seeking to wake him to resort to more direct measures. Sancia nodded her permission to the other girl accompanying her.
"Cannonball!"
Dalque leapt onto the bed and landed straight atop Lelouch, eliciting a pained cry from the cardinal.
"Wha-Dalque!? Again?"
"Hehehe," the girl giggled playfully as she rested her elbows upon Lelouch's stomach.
Looking around, Lelouch saw Sancia standing by the bedside, eliciting a sigh.
"Oh. Alright, fine. What is it this time?"
"We've just received a notification that Her Highness the Princess Cornelia is inbound and will be landing in an hour," Sancia reported nonchalantly.
To that Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "And the purpose of her visit?"
"Her Highness is technically returning to the homelands after the successful conclusion of the Middle East campaign," Sancia said. "Seeing as traveling west would require her to cross European controlled territory, and in light of the EU's political opposition to Britannia's expansionism, it was therefore prudent for her to return home via an eastern route, even if it drastically increased the travel time. And as Japan is technically on the route back to the homelands, her arrival has the appearance of being innocuous.
Lelouch snorted. "For all that appearance is worth." He looked down at the girl still laying upon his chest. "Dalque, if you would please?"
"Oh, right boss," the girl said before hopping off.
"Thank you," Lelouch sat up. "Have preparations begun to properly receive her?"
"Yes, Your Eminence," Sancia answered. "Both here at the palace and at the base."
A thoughtful expression crossed Lelouch's face. "You say that Cornelia will be touching down in an hour's time?"
"Yes, Your Eminence."
"Rouse a platoon or two of the 597th," Lelouch ordered. "They will serve as the honor guard for my sister."
That decision could be interpreted in a multitude of manners, with countless messages aimed at any number of recipients. Was Lelouch snubbing Cornelia in some way, by having her greeted by units manned from a populace that Britannia had subjugated, instead of a more established Britannian unit? Was he also snubbing the other army units? Was this some sort of reward to the predominantly Japanese regiment? Plenty of tongues would be sent waggling by this decision, not least of which Cornelia's. And Lelouch was just fine with that.
From the way Sancia frowned, one would have thought she would also be one of those waggling tongues. The lay sister's response however was of a more pragmatic nature. "The 597th have not been issued their parade dress uniforms yet, Your Eminence."
"Have them wear field dress then," Lelouch said with a shrug. "And let Colonel Gottwald know I expect his command to not disappoint."
"Very well, Your Eminence."
When Cornelia stepped off the plan, she visible struggled not to frown at the sight that awaited her. The rows of soldiers standing by were certainly sufficient in number for greeting someone of her standing. That the Britannian anthem playing was done over speakers instead of by a band could be readily excused for how short notice the base was given for her imminent arrival. But the faces of the soldiers, and the colors they wore. The majority of the enlisted saved for a few non-commissioned officers bore the Asiatic face of a Japanese, and all of them, including the colonel that was clearly their commanding officer, were in field dress uniforms instead of parade dress. Sure the soldiers were presenting their rifles with the requisite precision, but this had the appearance of such slapdashedness that Cornelia could not help but wonder if she was being insulted. The way her knights did frown indicated that very question was also on their minds.
"Your Highness?" Gilbert prompted.
"Let us see exactly what this is about first," Cornelia responded.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Cornelia descended the stairs and walked purposefully towards the waiting colonel. At her approach, the man, one she recognized, snapped a crisp salute with palm out.
"Your Highness, it is an honor to have you with us. I am Colonel Jeremiah Gottwald, commanding officer of the 597th infantry regiment."
As Cornelia returned the salute, her mind raced as it dredged up the details behind that name. Jeremiah Gottwald, the Margrave of Winchester, had served under Cornelia's command as a member of Empress Marianne's royal guard, a service cut short with the empress' murder. Afterwards, he had fallen in with the Purist political faction, which Cornelia could not entirely approve of. Yes the princess believed in the superiority of the Britannian people, but that superiority came with it responsibility, a responsibility that the Purists seemed all too willing to shirk. And while Jeremiah never did anything that suggested he was quite that venal, the margrave had moved outside of the circle of soldiers that Cornelia held faith in.
Now though, Jeremiah was well removed from the Purebloods, and as a consequence of events equally as dramatic as Marianne's murder, that of the Prince Clovis' suicide. That separation had not moved the margrave back into the zone of Cornelia's trusted officers, and not just because the princess felt a lingering, arguably irrational, belief that Jeremiah was at least partially responsible for Clovis' death. After all, would her brother have been forced into such a corner had his military advisors not proven either craven or incompetent? No, Cornelia's continued disquiet with Jeremiah was not entirely due to that emotional reflection. It was certainly part of it, but the other part was the manner in which Jeremiah was installed in his new command, the result of the actions of another of Cornelia's brothers. Or at least one she hoped was still a brother. With this sort of reception, Cornelia was finding it harder to cling to that hope.
"Colonel Gottwald," Cornelia said, returning the salute before letting her eyes wander to the troops behind the margrave. "A most, unconventional, reception. From not just your troops, but from your own person as well."
"Apologies, Your Highness," Jeremiah actually sounded sincere there. "The 597th is newly formed and we were not scheduled to receive parade dress uniforms for the enlisted until next week. Furthermore, many of the basic enlisted were never, accorded their due, and provided with parade dress in their old units. While the noncoms and other officers like myself do have dress uniforms, I felt it was, inappropriate, to highlight the discrepancy in such a discourteous manner to my subordinates."
Cornelia's eyebrow was rising with every word the margrave was obviously very carefully picking. Such a degree of discretion was not what she would have expected from Jeremiah, based on what faint memories she had of the man and what information she had picked up recently. The margrave was supposed to be a direct sort, not one to dance around matters needlessly. While his current reticence might be attributable to being caught between two imperial scions, Cornelia's instincts told her that that alone would not be enough to induce such a shift in the margrave's demeanor. Especially considering the man had already weathered such a storm so recently. If that wasn't it then, the only other option was the margrave was being intentionally reserved, with her. Which was as clear an indication as Cornelia could have asked for that Jeremiah had cast his lot with Lelouch, come what may. How much of that was due to Lelouch being Marianne's son? And how much of that was because of the young man Lelouch had grown up into? That Cornelia did not know was perhaps the most disquieting thing of all.
Not that Cornelia did not have other cause for disquiet. She glanced over at the waiting Japanese soldiers again. Recruiting Japanese natives to serve in the military had been something Cornelia opposed from the outset. Based on the conditions in Area 11, there was no way the military would attract enough of the sort of recruits that would be both competent soldiers and loyal to their oaths to make the effort worthwhile, not after the complete travesty that the integration effort had been for the past six or so years. Indeed Cornelia remained opposed to it, but due to the leeway granted to the viceroyalty, she had not been able to stop that recruitment wholesale. The readiness reports of the subsequently stood up Japanese units seemingly validated her concerns, though whatever sense of vindication Cornelia might have enjoyed was easily outweighed by the concern over the security risk now possessed by these units, and the princess had even been momentarily relieved when she heard Lelouch was performing a screening of all the Japanese soldiers, in what she hoped would serve as pretext to discharge all of them, even if they needed to be pensioned to soften the blow. Instead, while Lelouch had dismissed those clearly grossly unfit to serve, he had reorganized those that managed to pass the evaluations into a single, unified regiment. What was more, he had handed command of that regiment to Jeremiah, a previously avowed Purist.
Cornelia's immediate, reflexive reaction had been complete incomprehension as to what Lelouch was thinking. Putting all the Japanese into a singular unit like this was risky enough, seeing as it granted them the opportunity to form into a large, cohesive combat element. The risk could be somewhat mitigated if a sufficiently credible officer could instill the necessary discipline to lessen the temptation for those soldiers to mutiny. But the officer that Lelouch selected was one of the highest-ranking Purists that was not in the process of being charged with dereliction of duty or sedition. A Purist whose open and known contempt for the Japanese people had been loudly and widely broadcasted to both the general public and internally within the military. Was Lelouch out of his mind? Granted the fact that Jeremiah was himself not being charged indicated the margrave was not guilty of the sort of extreme abuses that the other Purists had descended into, but that was hardly going to be much consolation to the Japanese soldiers that were suddenly expected to obey the man. How could Lelouch possibly expect Jeremiah to maintain discipline over his new command, much less command them effectively if they were deployed in battle? And in all likelihood deployed against their fellow Japanese?
And yet. Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she carefully observed the soldiers. And yet. The two platoons present stood crisply at attention, not a trace of fatigue or weariness despite the ungodly hour they must have been roused to come meet her. The weapons they gripped were also clean and glinted under the floodlights washing over them, indicating they had not slacked in their care. And their uniforms, even if they were not the parade dress that such occasion was supposed to warrant, all looked neat and tidy despite the hurriedly smoothed out wrinkles. And the focus in their eyes. These did not look like slapdash grunts more accustomed to being treated like cannon fodder than proper soldiers. There was actually a hint of the bearing that befitted those bearing arms in the emperor's name. Not fully there yet, but considering the short time in which Jeremiah had had to settle into his new command, either the colonel was a miracle worker or these men, and women, always possessed the sort of spark necessary to be proper soldiers. A spark that was now lit.
Cornelia's gaze fell back upon Jeremiah. The colonel carried himself with a confident bearing, such that one might have never realized he had just undergone some recent upheaval. Indeed there was not any hint of hesitation or doubt in his own eyes. It was as if Jeremiah truly considered himself to be this new regiment's commander, fantastical as that might sound. But as the saying went, confidence was half the battle. If Jeremiah believed it, then he could focus the entirety of his effort on making the rest of the regiment believe it, instead of wasting time or effort trying to convince himself. And if he could make this much progress in so short a time, Cornelia was not foolish enough to discount the very real possibility that the colonel would succeed. But neither was she susceptible to wishful thinking. Jeremiah might succeed, and he might not. And as Marshal of the Empire, it was Cornelia's job to contend with as many possible contingencies as possible.
"Well then, Colonel," Cornelia finally said. "Shall we?"
"Of course, Your Highness," Jeremiah dipped his head and stepped to the side to accompany her past the honor guard.
As Cornelia walked past, she at least deigned to regard the soldiers in acknowledgment of their presence. That too was a duty of hers, both as marshal and as a princess. Even as her gaze fell upon them however, her mind was elsewhere, with thoughts of the hand that had placed these soldiers here. And to whom that hand actually belonged to.
Approximately two hours later, Cornelia arrived at the palace proper and was shown into Lelouch's study. The cardinal was not seated awaiting her, nor was he standing either. Instead Lelouch leaned back against the front of his desk, palms resting against the surface, and looking none too pleased. In fact, her brother looked more annoyed than anything else. Cornelia had not been able to conceive of just what sort of reaction Lelouch would have upon their reunion, her brother had done enough seemingly inexplicable things since his reemergence as an Eden Vital cardinal to seem as if a complete stranger, but the coldness of his conduct now elicited a tinge of frustration and regret within the princess. Had the years apart irrevocably cemented the distance that began to widen when the Empress Marianne was murdered under Cornelia's watch? She hoped not, but that felt a forlorn hope what with the manner of Lelouch's bearing now.
"It has been a long time, Lelouch," Cornelia still nonetheless tried.
An eyebrow arched upward on Lelouch's expression and he let a moment pass before responding.
"Why are you here, Your Highness?"
The cardinal's tone was level, devoid of any emotion, even curiosity. That made his question sound all the more like an indictment. And the formality with which it was delivered, she was being addressed as a princess of the realm. And the one addressing her was a cardinal of Eden Vital. Cornelia's lips thinned.
"Is my presence somehow an inconvenience to you, Your Eminence?"
"That is yet to be determined," Lelouch said. "At the very least, Your Highness' abrupt arrival without any benefit of forewarning, with no attempt to contact me to discuss beforehand the manner in which your presence in Japan might be gainfully employed, cannot by any reasonable measure be construed as benign."
They were still in the polite language phase of their little dance of words, but Cornelia was already feeling distinctly uncomfortable about it all. She was used to being more forthright and frank when dealing with members of her family, even Schneizel. Still, she managed to maintain her composure, even if her expression was not as indifferent as the one Lelouch presented.
"As Marshal of the Empire, it is my duty to go where the need is greatest," Cornelia said, maintaining the formal tone that Lelouch began. "In light of the rather serious misconduct Your Eminence uncovered in Area 11, and with the conclusion of the Middle East Campaign, that duty led me here. I am after all ultimately responsible for ensuring all soldiers bearing arms for the Empire perform their duty to the highest standards possible."
"The officers most truant in their duties have already been purged," Lelouch responded without missing a bit, "and the investigations of their malfeasance concluded. The associated trials that were held locally within Japan have also been concluded, with most of the sentences executed. The only remaining task is the restoration and increase of general discipline and readiness, a task that is arguably made significantly more complicated by the confusion Your Highness' presence would engender."
Cornelia frowned slightly. "In what way would my presence cause confusion?"
"Prior to Your Highness' arrival, the chain of command within Japan was clear and straightforward," Lelouch said, placing especial emphasis on Cornelia's style as if in reproach for her not addressing him with similar courtesy. "I, as viceroy of the administrative area, am the highest commanding authority over the military units stationed within the region. There does not however exist a clear delineation of authority between a Marshal of the Empire and a viceroy, with relation to whose orders supersede whose, with respect to the standing military forces in an administrative area. That ambiguity creates opportunity for those officers who chafe at the more stringent standards I have set to revert to their previously derelict posture by using the excuse that they are unclear as to whose standing orders are preeminent. Such an outcome would be severely detrimental to the maintenance of discipline and readiness for the units responsible for Japan's defense against external threats."
Nothing Lelouch said was particularly unreasonable, but implicit in his position was that Cornelia may have sufficient reason to question his orders that she would not actively add the weight of her own position to them. That the princess picked out without much difficulty, causing her frown to deepen.
"I consider the discipline and readiness of this region's standing forces is of utmost important, considering the strategic value of Area 11," Cornelia said. "The only reason for any ambiguity or confusion to arise would be if, by my judgment as Marshal, your standing orders are inadequate to uphold that discipline and readiness. And as Your Eminence is not a trained military officer, it is almost inevitable that there may be gaps that you were not even aware of."
As capable as Cornelia was of this sort of polite doubletalk, she found the effort wearying and even annoying. But Lelouch was the one that insisted they engage in it instead of being forthright with her, and Cornelia was not going to back down just because of some minor mental fatigue. What Lelouch said next however elicited more than just fatigue or annoyance.
"Your Highness will have to forgive me if I personally find the judgment that permitted Bartley Asprius to engage in his machinations for two years and cook up a plot to use chemical weapons in a false flag operation to be particularly sound."
The statement was delivered in that same level tone, but Lelouch's features somehow sharpened as he spoke. Cornelia herself inhaled sharply almost on reflex, taken aback by the very blunt critique. Indeed the insinuation was very near crossing into outright offense, as a spike of anger rose within Cornelia.
"Are you suggesting I bear some sort of responsibility for the Sarin plot?" Cornelia said in a low growl.
And for Clovis' death, went the unstated insinuation.
"At minimum Your Highness was certainly negligent," Lelouch responded flatly. "You yourself declared it your responsibility to ensure everyone bearing arms for Britannia conduct themselves to the appropriate standards. If you were taking that responsibility seriously, then how did Asprius manage to advance his schemes for so long without any major impediment?" The cardinal's voice began rising. "How did the situation in Japan deteriorate to the point where Britannia actually risked losing outright control to the native insurgency? And how was it that our brother was left without any meaningful help or support for two years, resulting in him becoming enmeshed with Asprius' crimes and becoming a guilty party himself!?"
That last declaration was a roar, and Cornelia's jaw actually dropped at the brusqueness of Lelouch's charge. He was not merely insinuating she bore some responsibility for Clovis' death, he was calling her out for it.
"You think I wanted things to turn out the way they did!?" Cornelia demanded incredulously.
"Your Highness certainly made little effort to avert the outcome that resulted," Lelouch snapped back, somehow still of mind to retain the style of address.
The two knights accompanying Cornelia were growing tense as they witnessed the unfolding confrontation. The way their hands twitched ever closer to their weapons was probably not an indication they were going to use them, but the motion did not go unnoticed by the two young women flanking Lelouch from the rear. Their motions were more clear cut, as both rested a hand upon their still holstered sidearm. Indeed it was blatant enough that even Cornelia took note of it through her shock. The princess quickly signaled to her knights to restrain themselves. The exchange was too delicate to allow any opportunity for misinterpretation, and Cornelia really did not want to see Lelouch come to harm, despite the anger her brother was eliciting.
"I never wanted Asprius in the Area 11 post," Cornelia stated, "but he had backers of his own. Removing him preemptively would have required a drawn-out fight with them. Maybe I should have tried anyway, in hindsight it's pretty clear it was a mistake not to. But I most certainly did not want things to turn out the way they did!"
Lelouch crossed his arms as he leaned back a bit more against his desk before straightening.
"Prior to my arrival in Japan, my team spent a month performing an audit of the various expenditures the military incurred in the region," the cardinal said. "From just the records available in Pendragon, it was evident that there were significant gaps, indicating attempts at alterations and obfuscation. Upon my arrival, it took three days examining the records in Tokyo to find a trail leading to the Sarin weapons factory. And after Asprius' arrest, two weeks to compile enough evidence to see the man stripped of his noble patent and lined against the wall. Tell me, Your Highness, does any of that sound particularly drawn-out to you?"
Cornelia grimaced. "What are you getting at, Your Eminence? That I am performing my job poorly?"
"Are you suggesting you aren't?" Lelouch retorted. "Your Highness is supposed to be Marshal of the Empire, the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the entirety of His Majesty's Armed Forces. It is your responsibility to keep tabs on the overall military, to find and deal with problems before they blow up into full-scale catastrophes like the Sarin plot. Instead you've been cavorting around the Middle East as if you were some sort of regimental commander. Aren't you supposed to have other generals for this sort of thing? How exactly was the Middle East campaign so important that it needed your direct, personal attention, over and above the other duties you're supposed to fulfill?"
It was a rather surreal feeling, having her younger brother berate her about her apparent poor performance in her job. Of all the possible ways their encounter could have gone, this was definitely not one Cornelia could have envisioned. As it was, the princess was having genuine trouble trying to figure out what she should or could say in response. A part of her, the proud part, wanted to vehemently deny Lelouch's accusation. After all the effort she had put into serving as Marshal, how dare he suggest she was failing in such a manner? Another part, the part still grieving over Clovis' death, wanted to deny it even more. There was no way she could have possibly been responsible in any way for his fate. He was her dear brother, she could never have let something like that happen to him if it was at all within her power to prevent it. And yet, there was another part of her. One whose whispers Cornelia could barely hear. A part that recognized the painful, even hurtful, truth behind Lelouch's charge. That beyond all the extenuating circumstances, all the excuses, mistakes had been made by her, the cost of which culminated in Clovis' death. It was a very unpleasant realization, and one she was not at all glad to have shoved in her face the way Lelouch was doing. Perhaps that forthrightness was necessary to force her to acknowledge the legitimacy of the critique, but that necessity did not make Cornelia any happier.
"Is that the full extent of Your Eminence's assessment of my conduct?" Cornelia asked icily.
"On a professional level, it is, Your Highness," Lelouch answered.
The phrasing caused Cornelia's guard to rise again. "Does that imply you possess a certain dissatisfaction at a personal level as well?"
Lelouch's expression somehow still did not change. "Yes."
After a beat of silence passed, Cornelia snorted. "Am I supposed to believe you have any genuine reluctance in making known those dissatisfactions, when you have been so blunt in highlighting what you consider my professional shortcomings?"
In an instant, Lelouch's expression darkened and a chilling light seemed to gleam from his eyes. Cornelia actually felt as if her heart had skipped a beat. Nonetheless, she forced herself to meet Lelouch's gaze, despite the prickling sensation running down her spine.
"Twice now, I have been on the receiving end of your professional failures," the cardinal said, the flatness of his tone taking on an entirely different dimension now. "I will not brook a third instance, Cornelia."
Finally, Lelouch finally addressed her by name instead of title. And he chose to do so in the harshest manner possible. Lelouch did not just blame Cornelia for the circumstances leading up to Clovis' death, he was making clear that he blamed her for what happened to Marianne and Nunnally as well. Despite her anger and frustration with her brother's behavior thus far, hearing this somehow still caused Cornelia's heart to feel like it was crumbling. The single greatest regret of her life, the one thing that Cornelia had never forgiven herself for, was to have failed to protect the Empress Marianne and the Princess Nunnally. She was supposed to be the captain of Marianne's royal guard, indeed Cornelia had personally pleaded with the empress to be allowed the honor, so greatly did she hold the older woman in esteem. When Marianne acquiesced, it had been one of the happiest days of Cornelia's life. And then when her empress had needed her the most, Cornelia had come short. The grief and anguish that failure exacted upon her, the guilt and sorrow that spawned, it was a scar that would likely never fade from Cornelia's heart. And with those words, Lelouch had opened up that wound to bleed anew.
"It is a certainty that I fell short of my duty when in command of Her Majesty's royal guard," Cornelia heard herself say, even if she felt a certain detachment from those words. "And you have most certainly suffered a great deal as a consequence of my failings. I accept my fault in this, and more. Know this however, Lelouch. For all the pain that I have endured in losing those I love to death, the far greater one is losing those that I hold dear in life. So tell me, Brother. Truthfully. Do you see me only through the veil of anger and despair? Am I nothing more to you than a reminder of pain and suffering?"
Lelouch's expression was back to beingly flatly neutral. And then, after a long moment of silence, it actually softened.
"That question is one I find myself needing an answer from you in turn," the young man said. "When you look upon me, do you see me as anything but the instrument of Clovis' death?"
Cornelia inhaled sharply as the realization struck her. For all the unfairness that she felt about Lelouch's harshness, she in turn had also been unfair to her brother with her fixation on only how she felt about Clovis' passing. She had not given nearly enough consideration to how pained Lelouch must have felt, especially since he had been physically there when Clovis took his own life. Seen under that light, Lelouch's anger with her became all the more clear. He was not angry with her for her failings, at least not solely. He was also angry with the support she was failing to offer as a fellow sibling. That was an anger that Cornelia felt genuine shame for, seeing as she herself understood how much that lack of support could hurt.
"Lelouch. Would you be willing to dismiss your attendants?" Cornelia asked once her thoughts settled. "If I dismissed my knights?"
The four so referenced tensed at that, though only her knights seemed to want to protest. After a moment however Lelouch nodded.
"Sancia, Lucretia, if you would please," he said.
The two women clicked their heels together and made to leave through a side door.
"Gilbert, Marika, leave us," Cornelia instructed likewise.
"Your Highness," Gilbert began.
"That is an order, Gilbert," Cornelia reinforced.
After another grimace, the two knights obeyed and left through the front entrance. Once the door closed behind them, Cornelia let out a long sigh. So much of the stress and tension built up within her seemed to ease at the motion. And while Lelouch did not look any more relaxed, there was less of an edge in his gaze.
"You are likely tired after your long flight," Lelouch said, nodding towards one of the chairs. "It might be best for you to get off your feet."
Cornelia chuckled. "And here I thought you would force me to stand throughout this entire thing."
"Well," Lelouch drawled. "The thought had occurred."
Settling into the chair with another sigh, Cornelia regarded her brother. "Are you not going to join me?"
Lelouch seemed to consider it for a moment before shifting behind his desk and plopping into the chair there. That opened up the distance between them a bit, but somehow he did not seem any further away.
"How have you been, Lelouch?" Cornelia began. "Really."
The cardinal shrugged a bit. "I cannot say the past few months have been easy, but I am coping as best I can."
The worry on Cornelia's face was more sympathetic this time. "Was there nothing that any of us could have done to help? Was there a real need to remain so, detached?"
"Were any of you in a state to lend me aid?" Lelouch responded. "Clovis' death affected all of you, and I am given to understand the Empress Gabriella became bedridden upon hearing the news. How much attention could any of you have spared for my sake, especially considering I had the most direct hand in failing to prevent it?"
It was clear that Lelouch did blame himself as well, for all his frustrations with Cornelia's own failings that set up Clovis in such a precarious situation. There was plenty of guilt going around.
"Isn't that something for us to choose, however?" Cornelia countered. "Whether we could offer you some measure of comfort, regardless of how divided our attention may be?"
"And yet, how many of you made any attempt to offer it?" Lelouch pointed out.
That was a rather pointed statement, but one that held a grain of truth. Arguably none of them had tried to reach out to Lelouch, Cornelia included. Instead she had become fixated on whether Lelouch was deserving of that help, and nearly burned the bridge between them in the process. But they were backing off from that point now, something that Cornelia felt immensely relieved at.
"I don't suppose we handled ourselves very well on that account either," Cornelia thus said.
Lelouch gave a slight shrug. "I don't begrudge any of you for it. And it was not as if I was bereft of any emotional support either."
The obvious inference was that the attendants surrounding Lelouch might have provided him with the comfort to weather his loss. Cornelia however sensed something deeper.
"Does, that mean Nunnally is, well?" she inquired gingerly.
Lelouch's eyes clouded for a moment. "Nunnally's circumstances are complex. She and I are capable of exchanging conversation at length, but there are conditions that preclude her from interacting directly with those too far outside Eden Vital's sphere."
In other words, it was unlikely that Cornelia would be able to speak with her. That was disappointing, but Cornelia did not feel any particular resentment over it. Only regret.
"I'm glad to hear that she is at least still with us," she said instead.
To that Lelouch actually nodded, which helped further soothe Cornelia's concern for her little sister. Her anxiety did not entirely disappear however, as she broached the next matter.
"Lelouch."
The cardinal regarded her, waiting patiently for her to complete her statement.
"Do you hate me, for having failed your mother?"
Lelouch's head tilted side to side as he seemed to contemplate a response.
"Whatever resentment I held towards you for Mother's death has long evaporated," he finally answered, "as a consequence of my understanding of what exactly transpired that day. As it was, there was literally nothing you could have done to prevent Mother's death, not even laying down your own life for her sake."
Cornelia frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Lelouch's lips thinned. "The hand behind Mother's murder was not one you, or her guard, were properly equipped to deal with. The only one that possessed that capability was arguably Mother herself. She might have been able to survive had she focused her all solely on that. But she chose instead to save that which was most precious to her, her daughter. To resent you in turn would be to belittle Mother's sacrifice."
While it was certainly a relief to hear that Lelouch did not blame or hate her for Marianne's death, the way her brother worded his answer carried another implication that Cornelia quickly caught.
"Lelouch, do you know who orchestrated Her Majesty's assassination?" Cornelia asked.
"Of course," Lelouch answered frankly.
"Who!?"
The cardinal frowned slightly. "If you are hoping to make use of this information to exact vengeance, Cornelia, don't. That feat is beyond your reach."
"I'll decide that for myself," Cornelia said somewhat testily.
"Cornelia," Lelouch began firmly. "I have already lost a mother and a brother to these bastards. I am not going to brook losing a sister as well."
The refrain was familiar and Cornelia took a moment to realize why. When she did, she gaped at Lelouch for a moment.
"Was that you meant before!?"
The cardinal sighed. "Don't get me wrong, Sister. I was and am less than happy with how you left the situation to fester in Japan. While I do not blame you for Clovis' death, the fact of the matter is we were extraordinarily lucky that the situation did not degenerate even further, and that civilian fatalities did not cross into four digits. I am also entirely serious when I say that I am not going to sit idly by if it looks like you intend to intervene in the program of reforms that are currently unrolling in Japan."
"That's, fair," Cornelia conceded. "But your concerns obviously run deeper. You obviously think that I'm in some sort of extreme danger."
"Cornelia," Lelouch said, sounding more than a bit exasperated. "You are in Japan, which is right next to the Chinese Federation, the nation that the Empire has spent the last six years geographically isolating. Are you seriously suggesting you don't consider yourself in danger?"
"The Chinese Federation and Britannia have been geopolitical rivals for decades," Cornelia said. "That I'd be in danger from some mischief by them is a given."
"If mischief was all they were capable of, I wouldn't be so worried," Lelouch said with a slight growl.
Cornelia frowned slightly. "Is this related to what you said about how there was nothing I could have done to save Her Majesty?"
"Yes."
After a moment where Lelouch declined to elaborate, Cornelia gave an exasperated sigh.
"Is there a reason why you can't just tell me what's going on, Lelouch? Why is there the need for so much secrecy?"
"Because telling you exposes you to a series of threats for which you and your royal guard are simply not equipped to deal with, especially if you are intending to remain in Japan for any length of time," Lelouch answered. "At least back in Pendragon you would fall under the security screen that protects His Majesty, as well as the safeguards Eden Vital has put in place. Here in Tokyo, my resources are limited such that even if you never set foot outside the viceroy's palace, I could not guarantee your safety to the same degree as back in Pendragon."
"You are that worried about this threat?" Cornelia said.
"Very much so."
The princess took a moment to think things over.
"You mentioned previously the Chinese Federation. Am I to presume then that the threat originates from there?"
"The Chinese Federation can better be thought of as an instrument being employed against Britannia and our family," Lelouch explained without giving away too much. "It is certainly a problem that needs to be dealt with, but the Federation is not the entirety of the threat."
"I see," Cornelia murmured, mulling things over a few seconds more before nodding. "Then I should remain here."
"What?" Lelouch blurted out.
"Based on what you have said, the Chinese Federation is indeed a threat, even if it is not the predominant one," Cornelia explained. "Even so, the Federation is a vast and powerful nation, and dealing with it will not be a simple task." The princess leaned back in her chair a bit. "As you yourself pointed out, Britannia has spent the past six years encircling the Federation along its southern approaches. That fact certainly has not escaped my attention, and I always suspected that His Majesty intended to actually take advantage of this encirclement, to either force a settlement upon the Chinese or to conquer China outright. To that end, I've put a great deal of thought into how to militarily confront the Chinese, especially considering their possession of strategic nuclear weapons. If those could be somehow neutralized and the conflict turned into a conventional one however, Area 11, Japan, will be a major strategic front in our conflict with the Chinese. That being the case, it becomes all the more important that adequate military resources are marshaled here."
Lelouch did not look like he disagreed, even if he raised an eyebrow. "And my remarks about proper delegation and the other duties the Marshal of the Empire should be attending to?"
"You are not wrong on those counts," Cornelia said. "And I most certainly intend to start the housecleaning that is long overdue in the various military commands. If the work requires that I make trips back to Pendragon, I will do so." The princess bared her teeth. "But like hell am I going to leave you alone here without any help or support, like I did with Clovis."
That, Lelouch found a bit more difficult to argue.
"I am technically not exactly bereft of such support," he still tried.
"Not enough," Cornelia said. "Not by my count."
The cardinal gave a resigned sigh. It was certainly a trademark of their family, stubbornness. But sometimes that stubbornness was no bad thing, and could even be of some comfort. And as late as it was, he really did not have the motivation or energy to argue the point further. Instead his mind shifted to the pragmatic aspects of this.
"If you intend to remain in Japan, I will be seconding two of my attendants to accompany you at all times," Lelouch stated.
Cornelia tilted her head, not out of suspicion as much as curiosity. "Oh?"
"I was entirely serious when I said you and your guard are simply not equipped to handle the level of threat that may be coming," Lelouch stated. "My attendants on the other hand are. Having only two of them will not provide much depth in your defenses, but it is certainly better than nothing." This time it was Lelouch that showed his teeth. "And I'll be damned if I leave you exposed to any more danger than I can help."
The slight smile that flashed across Cornelia's face showed she was genuinely appreciative of her brother's consideration. The brevity of it however revealed an additional worry.
"Will detaching those attendants leave you more vulnerable?" Cornelia asked.
"Not enough to warrant consideration," Lelouch assured her. "I am also expecting some augmentation of manpower to arrive very soon. My resources will arguably still be stretched quite thinly, but so long as I do not have to further split them, it should be manageable." The cardinal shrugged. "Besides, Lucretia is a very skilled accountant and auditor. I'm sure you'll find her talents useful in your duties as marshal."
To that Cornelia chuckled. "In that case, I will gladly take her."
A yawn escaped Cornelia, to which Lelouch chuckled in turn.
"I suggest we turn in for the night," he said as he rose. "Anything further can be discussed tomorrow after we are rested."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Cornelia said as she did likewise.
Instead of turning towards the door however, Cornelia moved to stand before Lelouch. As the cardinal looked up at his sister, he found himself taken into her arms.
"Thank you for coming back to us, Lelouch."
At the comforting squeeze he was given, Lelouch did the only thing he could do in this situation. He wrapped his own arms around his sister and returned the hug.
End of Chapter 14
The Cornelia-Lelouch conversation went through something like five different rewrites before it settled into a version that I thought was both coherent and would work narratively for future developments. I originally did not intend for the two to reconcile so quickly, but every previous attempt to have them remain wary of each other kept pushing the distance between them to be really, really far apart. Like, actual burned bridges apart. It kept ending up that way because, paradoxically, neither of them wanted to be at odds with the other, so the only way for them to remain at odds was if one or the other let slip something so hurtful that the other thought they didn't want to reconcile at all. And while that may have played up the drama, having such a severe split would have put the two on a path that would really screw with my future plans. Hence the multiple rewrites to get them on a path that wasn't so severe while also still felt entirely natural. And that naturalness ended up being a reconciliation. Which I can live with.
The Mao scene was originally intended to be in the previous chapter, but then I ended up running over my targeted word count, again, with just the other scenes, and so I punted it. Not that punting it helped that much, since the Cornelia/Lelouch exchange also ended up nearly breaching my average word count target. I can't afford to punt it any further however, it needs to happen chronologically basically now, so I just shoved it in regardless of how much longer it would make this chapter. And yes, I'm intentionally trolling all of you.
Sacrifice is a common theme shared across all the stories I write. I eventually give my characters happy endings, those that survive to the end, but I make them work for it. As such, Calculus' main theme was not about sacrifice. I explained a bit about what the theme was in one of that story's author notes when I spoke about what Euphemia's goal was (not peace). As for what separates Calculus and Meridian, one way of looking at it is that Meridian Lelouch would understand the rationale behind Calculus Euphemia's actions, while Euphemia would envy Lelouch for having the leeway to be able to pursue the course of action that he does.
Ultimately the power system I use for code and geass are just a means to an end, they're tools that the characters can use to achieve their goals, the power system itself was never the main point. It is the goals however that dictates the theme that serves as a foundation for the stories themselves.
The explanation for the Eden Vital name is something that'll be happening in-story.
Hierarchy of Eden Vital's invested leadership is as follows.
Grandmaster – Leader of the entire order. Addressed as Highness (C.C. does not have pretensions of holiness, but she will take a royal dignity).
Cardinal – Deputies directly under the grandmaster, each one in command of one of the major orders (this will make more sense once I drop the second interlude). Addressed as Eminence.
Archbishop – Leader of one of Eden Vital's episcopal districts, which cover a large territory spanning an entire province or the like, generally reporting directly to the grandmaster but are still subordinate to cardinals. Addressed as Grace.
Bishop – Leader of a single Eden Vital facility, such as a hospital or school. If there are multiple Eden Vital facilities within a city or region smaller than a district, seniority dictates hierarchy. Addressed as Excellency.
Prior/Prioress – Elastic position without a permanent assigned command, equal in authority to a bishop or even archbishop depending on their specific duty. Addressed as Reverend Father/Mother.
That's the level of leadership that Lelouch moves amongst. There's a lower tier of leadership along with the lay members, of course, addressed broadly as brother/sister, but I don't feel a specific need to be too rigorous with them at this point.
Saving Japan is in and of itself a pretty shallow goal. If that was the only goal Kallen was capable of seeing, if she were solely fixated on personal satisfaction, then she would be neither capable of upholding nor worthy of the bargain that was offered her.
The explicit conditions that Kallen has to balance were not previously organized into a single place because I hadn't thought it necessary, since all of the information is there throughout the text, even if a bit spread out. The fact of the matter is, the only way that Japan might be "saved" is if Lelouch and C.C. win in their conflict against V.V. and the heretics. If V.V. wins, the world functionally comes to an end. In that case, Japan also loses by default. As such any and all costs necessary to defeat V.V. is worth it.
If Kallen wants Japan to emerge from this conflict relatively intact, then she needs to do her utmost to help Lelouch in his fight. And most importantly, she needs to keep Lelouch alive. Not only is Lelouch thus far the best viceroy Japan has gotten, someone that's both compassionate enough to want to help the Japanese but also competent enough to actually help them, he also is the only one besides C.C. that can kill V.V., and this is something that C.C. herself emphasized to Kallen. That makes Lelouch the ace up Eden Vital's sleeve for defeating the heretics, and if they lose him, the fight against V.V. becomes much, much more difficult and costly.
In summary, what it all boils down to is, if Kallen wants her family, her friends, and her people to make it through this war, the only way she has of making that happen is to make sure Lelouch lives. There is certainly still a chance that some or many of them might perish even if Lelouch lives, war is uncertain like that, but if Lelouch dies, there isn't any uncertainty in that case, everyone she cares about will die as a consequence, and nothing Kallen is capable of doing would be enough to change that.
Kallen herself figured this out pretty much immediately after her little chat with C.C. Her hesitation afterward was solely down to her trying to convince herself that Lelouch really was good enough to be able to carry the weight placed upon him by Eden Vital. After Nunnally gave her a peek behind the curtains as to what Lelouch has backing him up, she was convinced.