Chapter 25
The Figures of Restitution
Out of simple prudence and sheer practicality, the moment the battle ended and the immediate area was secured, Kaguya was bundled up and transferred back to Tokyo for her own safety. Considering she was very much a civilian, there really was no reason for Kaguya to remain at Lake Kawaguchi while Lelouch and Eden Vital sorted through the mess. As it happened, when Kaguya arrived in Tokyo, she was greeted by Colonel Jeremiah Gottwald and a contingent of the mostly Japanese 597th regiment, and one Millicent Ashford. When Milly caught sight of Kaguya, she immediately came forward and gave the younger girl a tight hug. And despite her surprise at being so embraced, Kaguya had sunk into Milly's arms as all the tension of the past day or so bled out.
While the Sumeragi family did have a residence in Tokyo, it had gone unused since Kaguya began attending Ashford and so was not exactly ready for her to just move in and be comfortable in. The viceroy's palace was certainly capable of accommodating her, and the original plan was to have her stay there for a bit, but at Milly's insistence, and Lelouch's eventual agreement, Kaguya was instead brought back to Ashford Academy. With an accompanying augmentation of security, of course. The stern looking female soldiers standing guard around the girls' dormitory were capable of quite a bit more than scaring off the random mischievous teenage boy.
Kaguya had however not returned to the dorms, instead she was staying in one of the Ashford estate's guest rooms. The security there was even tighter, seeing as a good percentage of the serving staff were former Japanese Security Police. Their loyalty to the House of Ashford was near absolute, especially after Ruben's efforts to help not only their immediate families but also their people in general. And any guest welcomed into the house would see similar dedication to ensuring their safety.
Milly knocked on the door, with Sayoko standing behind holding a tray of breakfast. When no answer came, she knocked again.
"Kaguya, are you awake?"
A shuffling sound was heard inside, but again no answer came. Frowning, Milly opened the door. As much as she wanted to respect the younger girl's privacy, at this time it was more important to make sure Kaguya was okay. Walking inside, Milly saw a large hump under the bedsheets. Gingerly, Kaguya peeked out, her eyes bloodshot and clearly exhausted.
"Oh Kaguya," Milly said, moving to the bedside and reaching out.
Kaguya flinched slightly, but did not pull away from Milly's hand. She let the older girl stroke her head, breathing in actual relief at the touch.
"I couldn't sleep," Kaguya murmured. "Every time I close my eyes, I see that sword. It just won't go away."
With a nod, Milly directed Sayoko to put the tray down. The maid then curtseyed before withdrawing, leaving the two girls alone. Once the door closed, Milly kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, wrapping an arm around Kaguya. Kaguya had seemed to appreciate the close physical contact when she first returned to Japan, and from the way she relaxed a bit, it was helping now too.
"You know," Milly began softly. "Back in Pendragon, right after what happened to the Empress Marianne, I spent quite a few days unable to sleep, worrying about what might happen to Lelouch and Nunnally. It got bad enough that I came down with a cold because of how exhausted I was."
Not exactly entirely comparable to the fear that ate at Kaguya, but Milly certainly was not trying to make any sort of correlation of the like.
"My mother became worried enough that for a few nights, she would join me in my bed, holding me and singing lullabies," Milly continued. "And gradually, I felt better, and safer again. And I could sleep."
"A lullaby?" Kaguya said somewhat dubiously.
Milly chuckled, then began ever so softly. "Lullay mine Liking, my dear child, mine sweeting, Lullay, my dear heart, mine own dear darling."
Kaguya blinked, seemingly uncertain on how to react.
"I saw a fair maiden, sitting and sing," Milly continued, her voice reverberating with every word. "She lulled a little child a sweet lording. Lullay mine Liking, my dear child, mine sweeting, Lullay, my dear heart, mine own dear darling."
At the refrain, Kaguya began the feel the sounds settle upon her frazzled mind. The harmonies were like a gentle wave washing upon her.
"That very lord is He that made all things," Milly's voice rose and fell. "Of all lords He is Lord and King of kings. Lullay mine Liking, my dear child, mine sweeting, Lullay, my dear heart, mine own dear darling."
A sigh left Kaguya. Even if the narrative meaning behind those words escaped her, the rhythm of the sounds still possessed a soothing effect.
"There was mickle melody at that Child's birth," came the steady flow. "All that were in heaven's bliss, they made mickle mirth. Lullay mine Liking, my dear child, mine sweeting, Lullay, my dear heart, mine own dear darling."
By now the alternation between refrain and verse saw Kaguya's own awareness fall and rise in turn. While she was stirred by the verses, the moment Milly began the refrain she was lulled into a calmer temperament.
"Angels bright they sang that night and saiden to that Child," Milly's voice actually rose here, giving a bright affectation to the words. "Blessed be Thou, and so be she that is both meek and mild."
Somehow, the strength of the verse bolstered Kaguya's own spirits. She was no less tired, but the demons that lingered at the edge of her awareness seemed less frightful now. The soothing sounds of the refrain were almost enough to push her into blissful sleep.
"Pray we now to that Child, and to His mother dear," Milly drew towards the conclusion. "Grant them His blessing that now make cheer. Lullay mine Liking, my dear child, mine sweeting, Lullay, my dear heart, mine own dear darling."
As Milly's voice faded away, Kaguya let out a contented sigh.
"You have a beautiful voice, Milly," the younger girl said.
"One of many lessons I was obliged to take," Milly responded. "And seeing the use I put it to now, I don't resent them quite as much now."
Kaguya saw enough humor in that to give a quiet chuckle of her own.
"And what of yourself?" Milly asked. "Surely you remember songs of your own?"
"I do," Kaguya said, closing her eyes as tears welled within from the memory of her mother. "I do."
Taking a deep breath, Kaguya began softly uttering the words.
"Nenneko shasshari mase, Neta ko no kawaisa. Okite naku ko no, Nenkoro, tsura nikusa. Nenkororon, nenkororon."
Whether because of the Japanese phonetics or due to the nature of the song itself, the lullaby sung by Kaguya had a sharper annunciation. Still, with how soft Kaguya's voice was, the edge was almost entirely absent.
"Nenneko shasshari mase, Kyo wa nijugo-nichi sa."
In accompaniment, Milly began humming. She might not know the words, but the melody was straightforward enough for her to pick up without much difficulty.
"Asu wa kono ko no, Nenkororo, Ise-Miya-mari. Nenkororon, nenkororon."
Much like English lullabies, there was a certain repetition to the words and melody. By now Milly had picked up when a repeating pattern would start, and so the last bits her own voice was added to the harmony.
"Ise-Miya e maitta toki, Nan to yute ogamu sa. Issho kono ko no, Nenkororo, mame na yo ni. Nenkororon, nenkororon."
Tears streaked down Kaguya's cheeks, and Milly reached out to wipe them away.
"Okaa-sama," Kaguya whispered as she cried.
As part of her own work in preparing Ashford Academy to begin Japanese language instruction, along with the bits and pieces she picked up from the household staff, Milly knew exactly what that word was. She also recognized full well that Kaguya was not calling her Mother, it was just a sign of how much the orphaned girl missed her parents. Holding onto Kaguya, Milly let the girl cry her heart out until exhaustion finally took her. This time, Kaguya's form relaxed as it settled down onto the bed in restful slumber. The demons that previously kept her awake were abated, even if momentarily. But for now at least, Kaguya indeed looked at peace.
The days following the attack on the sakuradite conference were a busy time. The remainder of the conference itself was of course canceled, with the delegates sent home, some with more dignity than others. The Chinese delegation was rather unceremoniously stripped of all diplomatic credentials and sent packing as quickly as planes could be arranged, with a rather pointed warning that if any of them ever entered Britannian territory again, they could expect to be dragged before the courts and face charges over complicity with insurgents actively bearing arms against the Empire. That was a capital crime in the Empire, and after what had happened, the Britannian government would probably not be especially receptive to any requests for clemency, even for such senior members of China's foreign ministry. Even setting aside their inability to ever engage in diplomatic exchanges with the Empire, the careers of those bureaucrats were probably over the moment the Empire announced the other half of their retaliation, namely a substantial increase in export levies on all sakuradite destined for China. The amount of sakuradite available for the Chinese to buy was still the same, but the extra costs were going to have knock-on effects that could not be ignored. That was guaranteed to enrage the Chinese further, but probably not to the point of declaring open hostilities then and there. For without Europe's help, China alone simply did not possess the power to match the Empire in a conventional war. In the past that might still have been possible to count on, had the EU grown equally desperate. Now, with the growing rapprochement between those two powers, China was looking lonelier than ever. It was probably a good thing Britannia was not interested in going to war, yet. At the very least they would need to figure out something to deal with the Chinese nukes.
For the immediate future however, Lelouch had his hands full dealing with the local consequences of the conference attack. The final count was six hundred three dead on the JLF side, the insurgents having fought with suicidal fanaticism. The survivors were to a man still alive only because they had been too wounded to take their own lives before the Black Knights could reach them. On the other side, Eden Vital's losses were a paltry eighty-six casualties, only thirty-two of them fatal. Sancia's ability to track the enemy and coordinate the Black Knights to launch precise attacks had kept losses to an absurdly low level. As a trial by fire for the young woman, she certainly passed with flying colors, and demonstrated quite pointedly the tactical advantage her geass represented. Had Lelouch not needed to send Lucretia out to hunt down the Raiko, the combination of their two geasses might have allowed the Black Knights to achieve an even more lopsided victory.
Of course, the actual cost of the battle was not just in blood, but also in material. The resort hotel itself would likely need months of work to make good all the damage inflicted, and there was also the damage done to the two knightmares. Lucretia's knightmare could likely be repaired, though sourcing all the parts for it would take a bit of time. On the other hand it would probably be easier to just build an entirely new prototype than to try and repair the Lancelot. Lloyd had spent a good few minutes simply gaping at the wreckage that used to compose his beloved machine, while Cécile hovered protectively over Suzaku as he was examined and treated. Lelouch already intended to have a little chat with Cornelia about just whose budget the money for making good the loss of those two machines would be coming from.
A few other facts had been established from the battle, namely the presence of not one but two heretical contractors in Japan. Based on the oddities that occurred inside the hotel and then in the engagement with the Raiko, the probability of a geass contractor actively participating was high enough to be a near certainty. While heretical activity in Japan had previously been strongly suspected, finding out there were two contractors mucking things up was still a rather unpleasant development. There were too many places that they might strike, and Lelouch's available resources for protecting even the most crucial assets might be insufficient, especially with one of those resources, Lucretia, out of commission for at least a week or so. Hopefully the setback the heretics suffered would see them lay low long enough for Lucretia to recover, and for further reinforcements from Eden Vital to arrive.
Having dealt with everything requiring his attention at Lake Kawaguchi, Lelouch thus made his return to Tokyo. The logistics of that actually took an interesting turn, due to how twitchy Lelouch's security elements were. A minor debate raged about whether to have the cardinal travel back by ground or air, with the eventual resolution being to use one of the army's armored transport helicopters. This of course created a slightly new wrinkle, specifically that the helipad atop the viceroy's palace was not rated to support that much weight. And while they could have landed on the garden grounds, the gardeners would likely have to spend a few weeks repairing all the damage. As such, the plan called for Lelouch to arrive at MacArthur Base and then be convoyed over to the palace under heavy escort. When Lelouch was told of the travel itinerary, he gave a metaphorical shrug and instructed his security team to do what they thought was best, this time around.
As with all the best laid plans however, not everything went entirely according to plan. The flight from Lake Kawaguchi went smoothly enough, and the motorcade was ready to go to ferry Lelouch back to the palace when they landed. The only deviation however was the young, blond-haired woman that was standing in front of the vehicles. Exactly how one Milly Ashford got past all of the base security to greet them, Lelouch never did bother confirming, he just elected to blame Sancia since that seemed the likeliest possibility from his experience. And despite the slight wariness at seeing his girlfriend like this, Lelouch still approached her with his usual stoic demeanor.
"Lady Ashford," he greeted.
Unlike Lelouch, Milly made no effort to hide her feelings, her soft expression openly displaying the apprehension she must have been feeling the past few days. Reaching up, she cupped Lelouch's face in her hands and leaned in. She did not kiss him, her irritation with him was enough to preclude giving him that sort of welcome, but she did rest her head upon his shoulders and wrapped her arms further around him. After a moment, Lelouch's own arms closed around her and squeezed her in a tight embrace.
"You big dummy," she whispered. "You had us all so worried."
Despite her face being hidden from his view, Lelouch could feel a slight moistening of his cheeks as the tears Milly shed touched him. A slight pain flickered in Lelouch's chest, in his heart really. His duty meant he would inevitably have to place himself in harm's way, and that would of course make his loved ones apprehensive. That was something he accepted long ago, and something he warned Milly specifically of shortly after their relationship truly began to blossom. Milly not outright admonishing him might be attributed to her acceptance of that warning, no matter how unhappy she might be about it. But she still obviously cared enough about him to reassure herself that he really was alright. And for that, Lelouch was more than ready to accept the sense of guilt he now felt for putting her through all this. This did not mean he would have changed anything about the sakuradite conference operation, insomuch as his own personal safety was concerned, but Milly's concern still brought a measure of comfort to Lelouch, and he was thankful that she was still willing to display it despite her own anxiety.
"I am returned whole and hale," he whispered back, "thanks to all those that stood by me. And I would have the comfort of your arms to return to every time I do so."
Milly gave a dry chuckle, snuggling against him. "God, you have such a silver tongue."
"I have been so accused," Lelouch responded.
Finally releasing him, Milly sighed. She then looked over at the women immediately accompanying Lelouch.
"Kallen. Sancia. Alice. Anya. Dalque. And please pass this onto Lucretia." Milly gave a polite curtsey. "Thank you for taking care of Lelouch in those places where I cannot follow."
As one, all of the women clicked their heels together.
"Your gratitude is appreciated, Lady Ashford," Sancia spoke for them in turn.
Looking back over at the youth, Milly regarded him levelly. "Take the night off. For me. Just so I can rest easy knowing you really are okay."
Lelouch raised an eyebrow, but after a beat gave a nod as he took Milly's hand and squeezed.
"Alright. For you. I'll take the night off."
Milly flashed him her trademark smile, and the tension in Lelouch's own chest unwound at the sight. The cardinal arguably still had a lot of work to do. Hell, there was not a time when he didn't have a lot of work to do. But tonight, he could at least relax a little bit.
"Hrmm."
Or maybe not.
"What's wrong?" Milly asked with a worried look.
"There are quite a few cameras pointed our way."
Looking over, Milly gave a bark of laughter. A small number of reporters had been allowed to attend Lelouch's arrival at the base, and another group would be waiting at the palace, if only to provide the evening news with some stock footage and maybe a soundbite or two. The cameramen and photographers amongst them had of course captured, from multiple angles, the hug Milly gave Lelouch. One could only imagine the heartbreak countless teenage girls the world over were now suffering at the sight of Lelouch being embraced like so. And probably a few teenage boys at Ashford on account of Milly being the one doing the embracing.
"Well, I have nothing to hide," Milly said with a wide smile, still holding tight Lelouch's hand. "Still, why don't we head out? I think I'd prefer a quiet evening for once."
"I find myself in agreement," Lelouch said.
The two walked over to the waiting car, an armored luxury sedan from the viceroyalty's carpool, while Lelouch's attendants got in other vehicles, to give him some time alone with Milly. As the convoy rolled out, Lelouch could see quite the crowd gathered outside MacArthur Base's perimeter, many waving Britannian flags and signs celebrating his return.
"Are the palace grounds also like that?" Lelouch wondered.
"Probably," Milly said with a wry smile and a shrug. "Considering the spectacle that the conference was, quite a lot of people seemed to have gotten swept up in the fervor." The girl looked at Lelouch worriedly. "You are alright, right, Lelouch?"
"I suffered no injury as a result of the battle," Lelouch said. "The same however cannot be said for many others."
Milly took a deep breath and nodded. "I saw the webcam stream. That JLF leader really was off the deep end. And Kaguya's been feeling extremely stressed since that, hard to blame her."
Lelouch's lips thinned. "I spoke to her after the battle, but…"
The girl tilted her head. "But?"
"To be honest, I do not know how I would comfort her. Those that I usually enter battle with have more experience in handling any traumas that we might suffer, and even for those that need it, it is generally others that provide the direct counseling."
Milly gave a slight smile. "Don't worry, I've been checking up on her ever since she's gotten back. She's starting to sleep a bit better." The girl gave a wry chuckle. "And I've picked up a few Japanese lullabies in the process."
Lelouch let out a somewhat relieved sigh. "My thanks, Milly. I really would have been at a loss as to how to comfort her."
"I can't say I'm terribly experienced at it myself," Milly said, "but I can at least lend an ear. And she is one of my students, after all. I'm not just going to let her stew in misery."
Lelouch gave a grateful nod. It had never been his intent to allow her to be so endangered, and as sincere as his apology was, the cardinal knew the young girl needed more than that. He simply did not know how to give it to her however.
The rest of the ride was a smatter of small talk, Milly filling Lelouch in on what she had been up to during the conference, besides worrying about him of course. Some of that involved placating an equally distraught Euphemia, others dealing with the simple logistics that came with being head girl. Namely how to deal with the absence of three of her prefects.
"So how long much longer do you expect the others to be absent?" Milly asked.
The others in question being Kallen and Suzaku, of course. While Kaguya was already back in Tokyo, at Milly's house at that, and glimpses of Kallen were caught in the video stream, Suzaku's status remained entirely out of the public awareness.
"Kallen should be back to school by tomorrow," Lelouch answered, "though she is more than a bit worried as to what her reception will be."
"Yeah, I can see that," Milly said sympathetically.
While the bulk of the public's attention had been on Lelouch's part in the video stream, the internet being what it was, plenty of others had dissected the video frame by frame to try to glean any additional details that might be had. There were only a few good shots of Kallen, and the speed with which everyone moved meant quite a bit was just a rapid blur, but there had been enough for a somewhat pixelated face to be pulled out. Not enough to necessarily run any sort of facial recognition software on, but those that knew Kallen, like Milly, might still be able to recognize her.
"Suzaku, the doctors want to keep him under observation for a few more days," Lelouch continued. "He was pretty banged up when his machine was disabled in the training exercise. He'll probably still be a bit fragile when he does return, but otherwise he should make a full recover."
The pretense was probably not necessary, but for now, seeing as Milly had no need to know what exact involvement Suzaku had had in the conference attack, it was better that the cover be maintained.
"I'll keep an eye out and make sure he doesn't try to push himself too hard," Milly said with a nod.
Lelouch allowed a slight smile. One of the things he'd come to admire about her was the girl's willingness to dive headlong into any task that needed doing. And not in a reckless or rushed manner, there was almost always clear deliberation behind any action of hers. In a way, Milly reminded Lelouch of himself. And as narcissistic as that might have sounded, the cardinal recognized that Milly was clearly more adept in certain social exchanges, just as he might be in martial matters.
As expected, by the time the convoy reached the palace, plenty more cameras were waiting for them. After a quick wave to indulge the viewing public however, Lelouch and his entourage entered the protective confines of the palace. Not that being away from the public eye necessarily brought much of a reprieve, considering whom else was waiting inside for him.
"Lelouch," Cornelia greeted.
Not just Cornelia and her usual guard Gilbert, but Andreas and those adopted sons of his that formed the Glaston Knights stood lined up. Lelouch had sent the Glaston Knights back to Tokyo beforehand, rather pointedly making clear he neither needed nor wanted any further help from them at Lake Kawaguchi after the battle itself was concluded. There certainly had been enough time for Cornelia to debrief them, and from the grimace on her face the princess clearly understood just what a debacle the involvement of her knights had devolved into. Milly cast a worried look at Lelouch, but the young man simply met Cornelia's gaze with a cool nonchalance.
"I have elected to retire for the day, Your Highness," he stated. "Anything that needs discussion can wait until tomorrow."
Without waiting for any protests, Lelouch began walking around Cornelia's party deeper into the palace. The princess could only stare at her brother as she was so brusquely rebuffed, and even her subordinates were too stunned at how impolitely Lelouch was behaving to immediately muster a response. Neither did Milly issue any protest of her own, considering she was the one that originally insisted Lelouch take the day off. What the exchange did demonstrate, quite pointedly at that, was that a new schism between the two siblings had been rent asunder, the fault for which Lelouch considered very much to be Cornelia's. And while it may be on Cornelia to apologize and ask for forgiveness, it was still entirely at Lelouch's discretion whether to respectively accept and offer it. How long that would take was very much an open question at this point.
"That bitch," Mao groaned as he sat up.
The bullet had been removed, and thanks to his augmentations the youth would heal quickly enough, but that did not change the fact that getting shot still hurt, never mind the actual mending process. Had Kallen managed to land her shots a bit higher, not even Mao's augmentations would have allowed him to metaphorically crawl away like he did.
"You should have known there might be contractors accompanying the cardinal," Mao said to her partner without much sympathy. "Considering his importance, it's not surprising Eden Vital would dispatch their best to protect him."
"Their best," Mao sneered. "And weren't the JLF supposed to be the strongest of the Japanese resistance movements? Kusakabe and his men were absolutely slaughtered by the Order Militant."
"The forces at the hotel itself were always the diversion," Mao remarked, then frowned. "The neutralization of the Raiko however was more troublesome, despite the confusion sown between the Britannian forces."
"Yeah, how exactly did you lose the Raiko?" Mao inquired with a sneer.
Mao regarded her partner, a glint in her own eye, before giving an exasperated sigh.
"I did not expect one of the knightmare pilots to be suicidal in his tenacity," Mao answered. "He used his own mech to physically intercept the Raiko shot."
"Really?" Mao said, sounding almost impressed. "Suppose there's probably not enough of him left over to bury."
"In point of fact, he may well have survived," Mao said, eliciting a disbelieving look from Mao. "It appears his knightmare is, or was, possessed of rather more advanced defensive capabilities than we suspected. That by itself is useful intelligence, though it is only a consolatory prize considering our failure to assassinate the cardinal."
Failure, that was not something accepted lightly by the grandmaster. Granted all of them had known that the operation in Japan would be a long-term one, every attempt that did not pan out meant the expenditure of resources that they really had no way of making good.
"So what now?" Mao asked. "We can't go back to the JLF, you can't manipulate their memories any further without basically causing them to mentally break down. And that one knightmare left over ain't gonna be of much use all by its lonesome."
Stealing the four Burais alongside the Raiko had been done somewhat opportunistically, but actually getting them deployed ended up being more challenging than expected. Few of Kusakabe's men had any idea how to even operate the machines, and despite the amount of memories Mao and Mao had pilfered from the rest of the JLF, they were only able to imprint a basic level of skill upon three JLF soldiers. While that did mean one machine survived the debacle at Lake Kawaguchi, as Mao rightly pointed out, a single knightmare was not going to mean much in the grand scheme of things.
"We can leave the knightmare where it's stashed for now," Mao answered, "it is unlikely to be discovered anytime soon. Our immediate concern should be to secure another source of Refrain. We had to use up quite a bit of it to manipulate the JLF and Kyoto House memories."
Mao grimaced. "Has there been trouble getting more from China via the usual channels?"
"The Britannians have definitely been clamping down, and with the current unpleasantness, I'm sure they'll be even more careful about things slipping in from China," Mao stated. "We have enough in reserve for the short term, but we'll want to get more before we risk suffering withdrawal."
Mao's grimace deepened as he nodded. Using Refrain to bolster the power of a geass contractor came with substantial risks, not least the chemical dependency that developed. That made long term deep cover missions like this one even more fraught than usual, and combined with the amount of Refrain they used to put Kusakabe and his subordinates into a suggestive enough mindset to manipulate them into the sakuradite conference attack, and the two could be in some real trouble if they did not find a new supply in the next month or so.
"Fortunately, we might be able to secure a new source that is entirely domestic to Area 11," Mao stated.
That got Mao's attention as he tilted his head. "Oh?"
"Refrain's precursors are after all derived from the waste products of sakuradite processing," Mao stated. "As Japan is the largest source of sakuradite in the world, it naturally would also be the largest source of Refrain precursors." She arched an eyebrow upward. "Do you recall nothing from our training?"
"Did you ever think we'd actually need to know how to make Refrain ourselves?" Mao retorted.
"No, but neither are we going to do that," Mao responded. "We simply need to attach ourselves to the people that area already making it within Area 11."
"Hmm, and whoever's making it has got to have lots of money," Mao remarked. "Enough that we might be able to fund our next op with."
"Exactly," Mao said, smirking. "I see you can use your head after all."
Mao snorted. "So, you already got a target, or do we need to do some sniffing about?"
"In fact I do," Mao stated. "In fact, one of the Britannian nobles with interests in sakuradite refining has been making use of that very interest to make Refrain to sell back to the Japanese populace."
"What, he hasn't got enough money already?"
Mao shrugged. "I cannot say one way or another what his motives are, but it is certainly convenient for us. It might also provide us avenues into the Britannian side of things, to see if there is another angle by which we might strike at the cardinal and his allies."
"And get some payback in the process?"
Mao rolled her eyes. Just her luck that her mission partner was such a vindictive bastard. She would have preferred if they simply went in, did their jobs, and then got out as cleanly as possible. Seeking vengeance simply made it harder to get back out alive, and the one thing Mao was determined to do was to live another day. Still, Mao had not survived this long without some awareness that sometimes people simply needed to be told what they wanted to hear.
"If the opportunity so presents itself," she thus said.
A hungry sneer crossed Mao's face. "Oh, I'll make damn sure it does."
And in the end, that was fine with Mao. So long as they got the job done, Mao could go do whatever he wanted, even if it got him killed, so long as he didn't drag her down with him.
"Kallen Stadtlfeld-Kouzuki," Mao said. "Oh, how I will make your life hell."
"My lord, your daughter has returned," the butler announced.
"Send her in."
Sebastian dipped his head, and held out an inviting hand. Kallen gave a nod of her own before entering the study.
"You wished to speak with me upon my return to Tokyo, Father," she said after making sure the door was indeed closed.
"Yes, yes I did," Albrecht said, regarding his daughter with clear frustration. "I believe I am owed an explanation, Kallen, as to just what the hell kind of duties have been assigned you by Eden Vital."
"As one of Cardinal Lamperouge's direct attendants, I am expected to perform any duty His Eminence requires of me," Kallen stated nonchalantly, "whether they be civil or martial."
"Martial," Albrecht said. "And on what grounds are you at all qualified to perform martial duties? You're a teenage girl, Kallen, not a soldier."
Kallen's eyes hardened slightly. "I am, and have been a soldier for well over a year now, Father, ever since Naoto died fighting the Empire."
That gave Albrecht pause, as he was confronted with several more revelations this day. As Kallen long suspected, while Albrecht may have been aware of Naoto's passing, he had had no idea that its cause was because his son had been an insurgent fighting against the very Empire Albrecht himself was a noble of. And that his daughter had also tread that path.
"Kallen, are you serious?" Albrecht demanded in a husky tone.
The young woman did not take any special pleasure in telling her father any of this. Her respect for him as a parent might not be very high, but she could at least appreciate the shock all this must be. And she was not even done yet.
"I was at ground zero when the sarin weapon went off in Shinjuku," Kallen went ahead and dropped another bombshell. "I was there because my comrades and I were trying to disarm it to prevent the Empire from poisoning our people. And I am alive today because the cardinal deigned to provide me with the very best medical care that Eden Vital was capable of, so yes, I am very serious."
For perhaps the first time in her life, Kallen witnessed her father genuinely stunned into silence. There were certainly times when Albrecht might have needed a moment or so to consider the matter at hand before mustering a response, but this time her father was openly gapping at her with no sign of coming back to his senses.
"You once asked me why I would cast my lot with Eden Vital," Kallen continued. "I did so because His Eminence offered me a path to achieving my goals, the restoration of the Japanese people's rights and dignity, without having to plunge Japan into open war to achieve it. In exchange, I have promised him my fealty, and the foreswearing of any further attempts at vengeance for not only Naoto's death but the suffering that my people have endured thus far." The girl's jaw tightened. "You wanted the truth, Father. For over a year now, you have been harboring an insurgent that took up arms against Britannia. I hope satisfying your curiosity was worth it."
"Satisfying my curiosity?" Albrecht said, shaken from his shock. "Kallen, do you have any idea what you have done!?"
"I have endangered not only myself but everyone else in this house," Kallen answered without hesitation. "Yes, Father, I know quite well how poorly the Empire looks upon sedition and treason, and how the emperor's agents cast a wide net indeed to snuff out both. And even so knowing I still took the plunge, and would do it again even with all my present hindsight."
"I took you in," Albrecht hissed. "I gave you a home, food, clothing, a chance at high station. And this is how you repay me!?"
"You offered me a life in comfort," Kallen said, "but the cost was to look the other way while my people were being openly murdered by the Empire. It was not a cost I was willing to pay."
"And it is a cost that all of us will end up paying," Albrecht said. "Whatever your beliefs, you had no right to condemn the others of this house with yourself!"
Of course her father cared more about the family legacy than the consequences upon Kallen's own person. He was that sort of man.
"You may rest assured, Father," Kallen said, "that I have received direct assurances, and a written amnesty, that protects both yourself and your house from any legal consequences of having harbored me." The girl smiled mirthlessly. "It was one of the conditions I negotiated in exchange for my fealty to His Eminence."
"And you think this amnesty absolves you of all consequences relating to your actions?" Albrecht however found not even the slightest of humor in the situation. "Legal protection does little good against the social judgment that would fall upon this house were it to become known you were an active insurgent against the Empire, and with that social judgment would come ostracization from our circle of associates, both professional and personal."
Kallen shot her father a slight glare. "If such associates are so quick to abandon you, then perhaps you were better off without them in the first place."
"That is not an assessment for you to make, Kallen," Albrecht asserted harshly.
"No? As your heir, do I not have a say in what kind of social circle I'd prefer the family to associate with?"
"While you are free to make known your preferences, so long as I remain head of this household, the final say is mine," Albrecht stated. "And as a member of this household, you are expected to respect my decision."
"And what exactly is your decision, then, Father?" Kallen snapped back. "You now know me to have been an insurgent bearing arms against the Empire. A traitor, by the letter of the law. Nothing is going to ever change that, so if you're so bloody unhappy about this, then why don't you just get it over with and disown me?"
"Don't tempt me by trying to rile my anger further, Kallen," Albrecht said, a glint of anger in his eyes. "But disowning you would no more help shield this house from the social impact of your actions than that amnesty you negotiated. Or are you honestly naïve enough to think disowning my own heir would go unnoticed?"
Kallen ground her teeth. "Then what is it that you want? What is even the point of this conversation? You should know by now that I won't swerve from my chosen course, whatever you say, and at this point I doubt you'd be happy with any decision I make. But you won't disown me either, because of more of those consequences you keep going on about. So tell me, Father. What. Do. You. Want."
"What I want is an heir that actually took into consideration the impact her actions have on the household," Albrecht stated bluntly. "What I instead have is an overly willful daughter that seems determined to ruin not only her own life, but that of the rest of her own family in pursuit of some foolhardy sentiment."
"Sentiment!?" This time Kallen's temper really flared. "So you're telling me that if Mother was one of those persons killed by the Empire, you'd just blithely accept it!? Oh, wait, what am I saying, you did exactly that when Naoto died."
"I gave all of you a chance," Albrecht shot back. "I offered Naoto work, and I took both you and Kohaku in, even though Kohaku was reneging on the terms of our agreement. And you thank me by endangering the entire household. Who is the one blithely disregarding others here?"
While Albrecht was not wrong in his charge, Kallen's anger was boiling too hot to particularly care.
"I have chosen my path, Father," Kallen spat out that last word. "I do not ask that you agree or accept it. If you choose not to, I can at least promise that I will stay out of your way, so long as you stay out of mine. But at this point I am prepared to concede nothing further."
Albrecht looked at his daughter for a very long moment, then gave a firm nod. Accompanied with that motion was a single, curt word.
"Fine."
Whether now was a good time for a group of well-dressed Japanese figures to visit Ashford Academy was always going to be subject to debate. That they were allowed entry probably indicated they meant no harm. It certainly did not mean they were in and of themselves harmless, even if one of the visitors was old enough to require a cane to assist in his walking. In all honestly Kirihara would have preferred to see Kaguya returned to Kyoto and fall once more under the protection of the security net there. That being said, loathe as he was to admit it, Kaguya was probably safer in Tokyo, within the security net that the Cardinal Lamperouge had cast over the city, and those close to his person. One such person now stood before him.
Milly gave a polite curtsey. "Mr. Kirihara. I welcome you to my house."
Kirihara and his entourage bowed in turn. "My thanks, Lady Ashford. For your hospitality to both myself and one whom I consider my own."
Milly allowed a slight smile there. "I am the head girl for Ashford Academy. Kaguya is one of my students, and therefore deserving of my hospitality in full."
A bit of hyperbole there, since students in poor standing were hardly likely to get nearly as much consideration. But the sentiment was clear enough and Kirihara gave a grateful nod.
"This way," Milly said.
The guests followed after Milly and were themselves trailed by a Japanese woman in a maid uniform. They all came to a halt before a set of doors, beyond which Kaguya was apparently waiting.
"I will leave you in Sayoko's care," Milly stated. "She will attend to you as the need arises during your discussion with Kaguya." The girl's lips flattened and became entirely devoid of humor. "I am certain you will find no cause for complaint, given the Shinozaki clan's reputation."
That saw a slight flicker in Kirihara and Tohdoh's eyes, even if Chiba did not pick up the entirety of the subtext. Sayoko was clearly intended to keep an eye on the proceedings and protect Kaguya if the need arose, but those familiar with the Shinozaki clan could more easily discern the extent of her proficiency in that regard.
"It is heartening indeed that one of the Shinozaki clan is watching over Kaguya," Kirihara said with complete honesty.
With a satisfied nod, Milly opened the door. Rising from her seat, Kaguya began to smile, before her expression faltered before at the sight of Tohdoh and Chiba. The two JLF officers immediately grimaced at eliciting such a reaction from the girl, but they nonetheless entered. Once Milly took her leave and Sayoko closed the door behind her, Tohdoh and Chiba both bowed deeply.
"Sumeragi-dono," Tohdoh began. "Our most profound apologies for the harm that you came to at the hands of our former compatriots. We can do naught but beg your forgiveness for having so aggrieved you."
While Tohdoh had taken the lead in speaking, Kirihara also bowed his head to show he shared in the JLF's contrition. Kyoto House was supposed to have a firm grip on the Japanese Liberation Front. That one of its senior officers not only went ahead with such a foolhardy venture, but then also threatened one of Kyoto House's own scions, went well beyond the pale. Kusakabe's actions were forcing the remaining JLF to take a long, hard look at themselves and ask whether they too could stoop to such cravenness in their pursuit of Japan's freedom. And for many, if not most of them, that answer was turning out to be a solid no.
Kaguya took a deep breath as she regarded the three bowing before her. That she would eventually forgive them was something of a given. Kirihara was after all very much a grandfather figure for Kaguya, and she remembered Tohdoh well from the time he trained Suzaku in kendo. Chiba, she was meeting for the first time, but Kaguya was not going to blame the woman for the actions of others.
"Please, rise, all of you," Kaguya said.
They did so, and met the eyes of a young woman, still unsteady thanks to youth, but having grown immensely in so short a time. Forced to grow, even.
"The harm done to me was by the hands of others. You cannot apologize upon their behalf, for you are not they. So tell me, what need have you to apologize? What guilt do you feel that you bear?"
It was not a rejection of their apology, but it was certainly not an acceptance either. And the nature of that distinction was laid out in the question she in turn had asked. After all, the ramifications of that day were many, and it was not solely limited to how narrow Kaguya's escape with her life was. Rather, it was because of her survival that certain consequences now came due.
While Kaguya had announced loud and clear her faith in the Cardinal Lamperouge, she had also announced for the entire world to hear her position as a member of Kyoto House, and as a backer of the Japanese Liberation Front. Such a declaration, even setting aside how compartmentalized Kaguya had actually been from Kyoto House's more clandestine activities, still compromised rather thoroughly the deception that the Six Houses had sought to maintain, however threadbare it might be to those in the know. When plausible deniability was still possible, both sides, Britannian and Japanese, could look the other way and maintain a strategic inaction. By blowing open the deception so publicly however, Kaguya had forced the hands of all parties. There would be no more kicking the can down the road, there was simply no more road to be had. A decision would need to be made on where everyone stood, and whether the resulting conclusion would result in a genuine peace, or open war.
"We are undoubtedly guilty," Tohdoh stated, "for having strayed from our mission. It was our duty to stand for our people. To defend them against any that might seek their harm. To fight for them, not for ourselves. Then, and only then, are we worthy of theirs, and your, trust. To lose that trust, it has most certainly not because you are lacking in faith, for you have clearly granted it to one whom proved entirely deserving. It is we who have proved undeserving in turn, and it is we who must make it right."
Kirihara himself nodded solemnly, indicating his agreement with Tohdoh. And assuming the lieutenant-colonel's statement was reflective of the JLF as a whole, that meant the largest and most powerful of Japan's resistance movements had made an irrevocable move towards coexistence with, and as part of, Britannia. Such a monumental shift would have been unimaginable a scant few months ago. Now though, as the culmination of the actions of not just Lelouch, but those around him, the years long deadlock was finally be broken. A chance had appeared, and having been so presented with it, the Japanese Liberation Front was choosing for the sake of their people, instead of for themselves.
Kaguya took a deep breath, and then graced the others with a bright, heartful smile.
"I am heartened to accept your apology, and offer my forgiveness in its entirety. And for the pain that you yourselves have endured on my behalf, I hope this offers some measure of succor," Kaguya herself bowed low, "for I apologize in turn."
At witnessing this, the eyes of those before her went wide. That Kaguya would likely forgive them was perhaps too easily presumed. For her to show such consideration still, that was a mark of her character, beyond the demands of protocol and station. As he gazed upon the young girl rise, Kirihara felt his own eyes moisten. For here was the desperate hope he had invested so much in, made manifest before his very eyes. In Kaguya, the Japanese would live on, stronger than he could have ever imagined.
End of Chapter 25
Yeah, I don't know what's going on with the site. Some readers claim Interlude II is visible on the app, but it's not getting updated on the site proper despite the chapter count incrementing. In case people were not aware/were not able to get to it, there's an Interlude II that provides more background info about Eden Vital in the chapter previous to this one that you may want to go check out.
Kaguya is obviously not taking her near brush with death well. Which is not terribly surprising, if one keeps in mind that she's one of the youngest of the current set of protagonists. She is still learning, and despite her innate intelligence, she has not yet been tempered by the experience that is life. Will she grow into a woman of firm resolve that can lead? Probably. But it will take a bit more time before she's able to catch up to the likes of Lelouch, or arguably even Milly. But as she does grow, expect to see her come into her own as a major player helping guide Japan's future.
Just a side note, finding an appropriate Japanese lullaby that was not utterly depressing was a pain in the ass. That being said, I've taken the opportunity to drop in a very subtle but very important bit of foreshadowing in that lullaby for those readers inclined to hunt for even the tiniest clues in a story. Though you might need at least a little bit of Japanese language knowledge to tease it out.
Milly continues to solidify her position at Lelouch's side. She is showing she can also exercise the sort of soft power necessary to win allies to his side, and do so in ways that Lelouch himself is not well-versed in. That in and of itself will prove very useful to Lelouch, irrespective of what Milly personally means to him.
I mean, if one is aware that the Sumeragi Group, which I should point out is not the same as Kaguya herself, possesses their sakuradite concession at the sufferance of the imperial government, that really should be all one needs to recognize that Kaguya herself is not actually that powerful. She is certainly very, very wealthy, but that in and of itself isn't a particularly interesting piece on the board. All it does is, as I noted, let her pass the negative check that would have otherwise disqualified her outright. It does not in and of itself move her any closer to Lelouch, that Kaguya must do by her own merit.
In frankness, I'm not really clear how Milly was at all hostile to Kaguya. She certainly didn't exhibit any of it in the three-way conversation a few chapters back as far as I could tell. Annoyance with Kaguya to a degree, yes, but that has more to do with how clumsily Kaguya was broaching the matter. In the euphemistic laden exchanges of the Britannian upper crust, Kaguya had actually insulted Milly when she suggested Lelouch might find opportunity to sleep around. Remember, polygamy is not the norm in Britannia, even if the law has provisions for it and the emperor himself does have multiple wives. That I have not ruled it out doesn't mean it's somehow a socially easy arrangement to arrive at, it is most definitely not. Kaguya almost certainly did not intend to insult Milly, so Milly kept her response mostly civil to try to warn Kaguya of the mistake she made. Had Milly actually been given to hostilities, that conversation would have unfolded much more differently. And ultimately, if Kaguya does want to move in the same circles as Lelouch and Milly, she needs to learn not to make those sorts of mistakes.
In general I feel like some readers seem to take as a given that there's going to be a progression towards intimacy between various characters and therefore assess interactions based on how much closer they move the needle. I however did not write those interactions with any intent to signal one way or another whether an intimate relationship was progressing or not. Most of those scenes are more to establish what sort of working relationship might develop between the various parties, because their capacity to cooperate in matters not related to romance is far more important to the progression of this story. If a romance does blossom, that's a happy coincidence, but whether any particular development carries with it a romantic undertone is pretty much tangential to the actually important information that I'm trying to convey to readers. So don't try to read too deeply into the romantic subtext, you're almost certainly going to be disappointed because more often than not there either isn't any subtext or nothing is intended to come of it.
The EU and China are not on the verge of collapse. Their economies have taken a hammering, but both are still powers in their own right. Let's make something clear here, the ability to stand up to Britannia in a conventional war is not a metric of economic health. No single power, either the EU or China, ever possessed the strength to take Britannia on in a head-on confrontation, even at their peak. It was always the two powers in combination that served as a check against Britannian power. If the EU and China were not able to coordinate a response, neither would risk confronting Britannia alone unless they were truly desperate, and Britannia has very purposely made sure to not push them to that level of desperation. This is why the Empire continues to ship sakuradite to them, even at severely reduced quotas, so that their economies can continue churning along, even if at greatly reduced efficiency.
Ultimately, contrary to what anime often likes to portray, the decision to go to war, even a purely conventional one, is generally not made based on some idealistic desire to do right or help others. There have arguably been more instances of complete sociopathic dictators igniting wars than wars getting started in order to right some genuine wrong. Wars in general are started because of a desire to achieve some sort of strategic objective, and usually only when all other avenues to achieve that objective have failed. It is a last resort not because of moralistic or ethical considerations, but because fighting a war is really, really expensive. Like, obscenely expensive to the point where wars of conquest only end up providing a net positive in wealth if they are kept very, very short. Otherwise, the costs involved in maintaining long campaigns will end up bankrupting the sides fighting, and the collapse of one side is economic instead of necessarily due to defeats in the field.
This is why competent statesmen always leave themselves or the opposing side an out, or some avenue by which to de-escalate a conflict, to avoid a flashpoint triggering a much greater conflict. This is what Britannia has been doing the past couple of years as it figures out how to deal with V.V. and China. It continues to trade with them, continues to maintain diplomatic relations, more cordially with the EU than with China, but relations with both powers are still present, and it also dangles the prospects of a return to normality to give the other two powers every opportunity to rationalize not taking proactive military action against Britannia. And for the most part, it's worked, because the EU at least really, really does not want a war on its hands. China, the situation there is more complicated and we'll touch upon it once we actually get to that arc.