Chapter 72

Remediated Bias

When one was responsible for heading the government of the most powerful nation on Earth, and nominally responsible for overseeing the most powerful military in said world, rare were the occasions that Schneizel and Cornelia could have just a simple meal together as siblings. This evening was no exception, the two having a working dinner to discuss the logistics of the war they were orchestrating.

"The war staff still thinks we'll meet our mobilization milestones," Cornelia said, "though we're apparently cutting deeply into our reserve stocks of gear. The military's been fighting on and off for the past seven years, and that's put a lot of wear on pretty much everything. We really could have used at least another six months if not a year making good what we expended in the Middle East."

"It was indeed inconsiderate of the Chinese and Russians to precipitate this new conflict at so inconvenient a juncture," Schneizel said.

The princess gave a snort. "A shame your witty tongue doesn't add to our available arsenal."

"We all serve in our own way," Schneizel responded. "You, wielding the scythe that reaps aside our enemies, and I making sure your blade is not unduly dulled after every sweep."

"So I won't have to argue with the treasury about the requisitions I'll be making?"

"Well," Schneizel demurred, "some concessions must be made with fiscal reality."

Cornelia snorted again. "And this is why I prefer to be out in the field instead of trying to wring money from the bean counters."

"Do spare some sympathies for the bean counters," Schneizel said with a smirk. "They ultimately have to justify to the taxpayers where every cent of their money has gone."

"I'll spare them sympathy when they're also the ones sweating their asses off in an IFV with broken aircon because they insisted on the lowest bidder for the contract," was Cornelia's wholly unsympathetic retort.

The prince chuckled. "Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated."

The two spent a moment digging into their respective dishes, a roasted fish for Cornelia and a cut of seasoned chicken for Schneizel. Simple as the pleasure was, the kitchen of the prime minister's residence did not disappoint in making sure the meals it prepared were superlative.

"Speaking of sacrifice," Cornelia said through the clutter of their cutlery. "Will the navy really have to hand over two of their unfinished battleships to Eden Vital?"

Schneizel's knife paused momentarily. "Arguably you would have a better idea than I, considering the war staff is the one that is assessing the tactical feasibility of the proposed deep strike."

"It's feasible," Cornelia stated bluntly, "and likely would end the war. But so would threatening to nuke China and Russia once Damocles is operation. Doesn't mean His Majesty's government would ever seriously contemplate such an option, for the sake of political expediency if nothing else."

The prince's eyebrow quirked upward. "And you believe His Majesty's government would share a similar hesitancy on the proposed deep strike operation."

"I think you," Cornelia emphasized, "would prefer a solution that was wholly yours in conception instead of something giftwrapped to you by Eden Vital."

The sound of silverware filled the otherwise silent lull between the two for several moments. Eventually Schneizel wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin.

"In truth, I wouldn't really mind if Eden Vital provided a step-by-step plan for every stage of this conflict and even beyond."

This time it was Cornelia's eyebrow that rose.

"What aggrieves me is this, pretense, of theirs that we are free to choose which course of action we wish, only for them to chide us when we select one that results in outcomes contrary to their, or even our own, desires."

"You really think Eden Vital has all the answers?" the skepticism rang clear in Cornelia's tone.

"They certainly have most of them," Schneizel said, taking a sip from his wineglass. "You don't have as much exposure on the military side of things, but the civilian government runs quite a few simulation models with Eden Vital to explore the effects of various policy tweaks. By and large, the accuracy of their highest confidence results tends to be within five percent of the statistics we gather afterward to measure the effectiveness of any change, while the very best of the government's own internal calculations tend to have much wider variance."

"So Eden Vital has better models," Cornelia said with a shrug.

"Their models are a bit more than just 'better,'" Schneizel said with thinned lips. "Much of the variance in the government's internal models are a consequence of us failing to predict or even conceive of certain side effects, whereas Eden Vital can. But the Order refuses to give us access to those predictions, and only supplies us with the immediate, first order results, keeping the second order results for themselves."

A slight flicker passed in Cornelia's eyes. "You think they're using those second order results for their own ends?"

"I certainly would," Schneizel admitted nonchalantly.

"And that's what really grinds your gear, isn't it," Cornelia asserted. "Not the fact that there's a power making others dance to their strings, but that you aren't one of the ones pulling those strings."

Schneizel shifted slightly. "Is it not the desire of every person to be master of their own fate?"

After a moment his sister snorted again. "You might be able to pull that philosophical nonsense on others, Schneizel, but we grew up together. I know you far too well to buy that sort of excuse."

The prince chuckled. "I suppose you do. And I suppose that also means you know I speak the truth when I say I am genuinely disquieted about the degree of control Eden Vital exerts behind the scenes, and the lack of accountability when they err."

"Stop," Cornelia said almost before her brother had finished. "As your sister, I will pretend that you did not just try to draw lines for me to pick."

Schneizel frowned. "I wasn't-"

"If you persist, I will pick the side that isn't instigating a course of action that has already preemptively written off members of our family," Cornelia did cut him off this time, her eyes hard.

The princess knew what her brother was trying to do. She even understood, to an extent, why he was doing it. And a few months ago, she might have even agreed that Eden Vital represented an unchecked influence long overdue for reining in. Now though, after having gotten a peek behind the curtains, and seeing actually much of the view that Schneizel himself had seen for longer, Cornelia was settling on the conclusion that, at the end of the day, the Order really was not responsible for all of the tragedies that had befallen their family, or even the world at large. Yes, Eden Vital could appear overly meddlesome, and yes some of their mistakes directly led to the worldwide war now raging. At the same time, it was still people making these mistakes, and these mistakes were happening because the Order was leaving enough leeway, or even offering enough rope, for the people to hang themselves on.

Her brother was probably right that Eden vital could dispense with what he termed the pretense of free will, to just dictate to everyone what they should be doing. Yet Cornelia could not agree with the notion that, by holding back, by allowing for people to make their own choices, and to consequently err, Eden Vital warranted greater oversight or reproach. Because frankly, it felt nonsensical, even hypocritical, to Cornelia that the Order could be critiqued for both being overly meddlesome while also not exerting enough control to keep people from making mistakes. And if one did need to err on the side of caution, she by this point would prefer that side of caution to be the one that did not rob people of total agency.

This was not a conclusion that Cornelia had arrived at casually or easily. If anything, a part of her was still tempted to give up every last vestige of said agency if it meant Euphemia would never have gotten caught in the crosshairs in Japan. But reflecting on that last year of her sister's life, on just how much the girl had blossomed into a young woman, Cornelia could not deny that it was only in being able to make her own choices, being able to make the mistakes that she did, that Euphemia had actually grown, and perhaps become the happiest she never had been since Marianne's death and Lelouch and Nunnally's disappearance. A happiness that for all the at times stifling coddling Cornelia and Victoria showered Euphemia with, they were never able to properly restore to her, until she started slipping their leash. Because happiness was not something that could be spoon fed and given. It was something that one needed the freedom to go out there and search for.

As painful as it was to lose Euphemia in the process of learning that lesson, Cornelia still understood that trying to ignore it by reverting back to her old mentality would do nothing to bring her sister back and only demean Euphemia's sacrifice. And the determination to never do that shone visibly in Cornelia's eyes. Schneizel held that gaze for several lingering moments before finally letting his head dip ever so slightly.

"Very well," he said, maintaining a level voice. "Consider the matter dropped."

The undertone of disappointment was still audible, at least to someone who knew the man as well as Cornelia did. The princess however kept to her word and similarly did not pursue the matter. Hopefully this would be enough to dissuade her brother from doing something stupid, but as of late Cornelia could not profess particular faith in the judgment of far too many members of her family, not even her own.

"If the war staff does sign off on the feasibility of Eden Vital's plan," Cornelia said instead, "will the government as a whole also back it?"

"At the moment, I do not see any other alternative," Schneizel stated, moving on with as much if not more grace than his sister. "Actually fighting a war to the knife against China and Russia would be catastrophic, even if the respective nations' nuclear arms are neutralized. And as vindictive as some of Eden Vital's demanded sanctions are," or perhaps not, "they do make enough strategic sense that the government is prepared to include them in the demanded terms for peace."

Cornelia's lips thinned, but she kept her curiosity tightly leashed. "Then I suppose the only question is if we can pay for everything."

"Payment will probably be forthcoming," Schneizel said, slicing apart his breast meat. "And while the expected indemnities aren't going to come anywhere close to covering it all, at least not without crippling the Chinese and Russian economies to the point of inciting severe long-term resentment of Britannia, we should still be able to arrange for a controlled landing for reverting back to a peacetime budget and economy."

"At least until the next crisis," Cornelia said wryly before taking a bite of her fish.

The prince chuckled. "Personally, I have found that there is never not a crisis already unfolding. We just don't know about it yet because something else is holding our attention."

"Then we had best settle our current one quickly," Cornelia stated succinctly.

"I don't want to be apart," Milly said.

Lelouch looked down at his girlfriend, cuddling as she was against his chest. The two were in one of the sitting rooms of the Ares villa, reclining on an overlarge sofa, spending a quiet evening in one of those rare breaks they had been able to find in their otherwise very busy schedules.

"I want to go back to Japan, with you," the young woman continued. "I don't want to be spending months here back in the homeland, separate from you."

Reaching down, Lelouch gently brushing aside his girlfriend's hair.

"If that is what you want, it can be arranged."

Looking up, an eyebrow quirked up on Milly's face. "You're not going to insist I should be going to uni?"

"Eventually, you will need to," Lelouch responded. "And it should certainly be on the sooner side than the later. But if needs must, something can still be arranged." The cardinal chuckled. "Rebuilding Japan's higher education facilities is certainly on the governmental agenda, and I doubt you'd have any trouble winning entry into any of the extant universities there."

Milly's eyes were still burrowing into him. "And you won't try to keep me away from Japan, for my safety?"

It was a legitimate question, seeing as Japan constituted one of the frontlines in the Empire's war against China and Russia. Combined with the still somewhat fraught security situation, plus the deaths of multiple prominent Britannians, and there was plenty of reason to be concerned about the safety of someone like Milly, even setting aside her publicly known relationship with Lelouch.

"Milly," Lelouch began, "the things that I actually fear are a danger to you, honestly at this point aren't significantly more difficult to deal with in Japan, or at least Tokyo, than back here in the Empire. With the manpower and resources I'm expecting, so long as you stick to the same sort of procedures you did while attending Ashford, you'll be as safe as can be had. So no, I'm not going to try to keep you away from Japan, certainly not for the sake of your safety."

The cardinal was not underselling anything either. Even if Japan was on the frontlines of the war, actual contact with either of the hostile polities was separated by several hundred kilometers of ocean, especially when considering where Tokyo was relative to the Asian mainland. As the opening offensives by the Chinese and Russians so aptly demonstrated, crossing even a fraction of that distance to strike at Japan was a ludicrously difficult task, and one their means of even attempting had been badly depleted by their prior failure. While the two countries could still try and lob long range missiles at Japan, even that was likely to wilt in the face of the air defense network already in place, and constantly being improved at that.

The only other threat then was direct assassination, which while difficult, Euphemia's death had proven was not impossible. Circumstances had however already rapidly evolved since then. The local Japanese patsies the heretics employed had been almost completely wiped out in the failed attack upon Tokyo, while the heretical contractors themselves were either neutralized or departed. And while the heretics might yet attempt to insert new operatives into Japan, Lelouch's own force was getting a substantial augmentation that, with fewer primaries to cover, even with Milly getting added back in, could be further concentrated to better protect those remaining.

After a moment of contemplating her boyfriend, Milly let out a chuckle and leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"You really do spoil me at times."

"All so when I ever do deny you something, you are willing to actually heed me."

The eyebrow was back up. "And you think telling me this is going to make me more pliable if and when such a time comes?"

"Would you prefer I lie and be dishonest about my machinations?"

The couple stared at each other for a beat, before a mutual chuckle broke out.

"You know I'm going to have to manipulate you right back for this," Milly said.

"I look forward to further testing my mettle against you, Milady Ashford."

Said lady gave a most unladylike snort, then rested her head against Lelouch's chest once more.

"I've been talking with grandfather, about what I want to do in the interim after I complete my studies but before I start assuming more of my family's official duties."

"And how many years does he think you'll be able to fob off your parents' retirement from active politics?"

"Mmm, he gives it a decade, maybe two," Milly answered nonchalantly. "Which honestly isn't that far away, especially if kids come into play."

Lelouch caressed his girlfriend's hair again. "No, it is not."

Milly giggled. "Well, setting kids aside for the moment, I do need something to occupy my time in my prime years."

"So?" Lelouch asked after a beat passed. "Have any ideas?"

"Honestly? A part of me really liked all of the PR events I took part in back in Japan. I mean, I know some people write those off as just feel-good busy work, raising people's spirits, that's not nothing, you know?"

"You'll certainly get no argument from me," Lelouch said. "Morale is not to be underestimated, and trying to sustain it is and always has been a perennial challenge for any leader."

"Selling hope," Milly said. "Except I don't really want to just sell hope, I want to make sure it's delivered upon."

"An even more difficult to surmount challenge," her boyfriend stated frankly. "Not just because people's immediate hopes can be hard enough to meet, but because there is, to be honest, no end to those hopes. No point at which people will say, this is enough, I need nothing more."

"Well sure, us humans are somewhat insatiable like that," Milly agreed. "I'm not naïve enough to think I could keep up with that kind of uninhibited expectations, nor would I want to. That's just asking to be burned out without feeling like you actually achieved anything. But I still want to see if I could shine just a little bit of light into people's lives, to show them the paths they could take to get closer to their dreams."

"I take it this aspiration of yours does not include becoming some sort of motivational speaker?"

Milly snorted again. "No, of course not. That's a bit too far removed from the actual frontlines for me, metaphorically speaking."

"I sure hope that was metaphorically," Lelouch said dryly.

"Different frontline, dear," Milly assured him. "Don't worry, I'm not reckless enough to want to stand on the sort of frontlines you frequent. Though I am looking forward to the day you retire from that nonsense as well."

"Rest assured, I too would like nothing than to have that day arrive soon," Lelouch said. "Once the root of the heresy is dealt with, I will be able to assume a more sedate posting." The cardinal chuckled. "I might even wrest an early retirement from the grandmaster."

A far less restrained bark of laughter escaped Milly. "You? Retire? Ha! I give it a week before boredom drives you right back to work."

Lelouch snorted. "Since when would any retirement with you ever be so lackadaisical?"

"Well, that's probably fair," Milly conceded. "And hey, why are we talking about your prime? We were talking about me!"

"Indeed we were, dear."

"And don't you forget it." The girl took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Anyway, giving people hope. I actually got the idea after talking with Kallen's father."

"Albrecht?"

"Yep. What is it that I have an absolutely ludicrous amount of, that most people in the world could only dream of?"

"Money," Lelouch answered immediately.

"Hmm, I don't know if I should be offended you didn't at least try beauty or charm first."

"Milly," Lelouch sounded almost laggard as he answered. "I was raised by arguably one of the most vain women in the history of the world during my time at Eden Vital. Believe me when I say you don't want to be competing with her on the exclusivity of beauty and charm."

"…Having met the grandmaster, I actually can't dispute that. But anyway, yes, money. I, or at least my family, has lots of it, and while a good chunk of it is tied up in our company and province, we still have ludicrous amounts sort of just sitting there. Well, not just sitting there, though with how bored to tears even my grandfather sounded describing the treasury bonds they're invested in, they might as well be."

"It's a pretty common way for noble families to park money," Lelouch said. "Imperial bonds tend to be fairly liquid and so can be converted to cash pretty readily, and in the meantime the yields on them offer some measure of protection against inflation."

Milly actually groaned. "Please, don't start. I had to sit through the explanation twice already, once with Grandfather and once with Albrecht."

The cardinal chuckled. "If you say so. Though what caused you to go to Lord Albrecht?"

"It was part of Kallen's crash course in being a fief holding noble," Milly answered. "But anyway, we're getting sidetracked again. So, I, or at least my family, has lots of money that's not really doing much aside from financing the imperial government's debt. Now, according to Albrecht, Britannia's economy is actually rather top-heavy, with most of it dominated by big companies with noble backing. New entrants face a lot of hurdles trying to get anywhere, not least of which is lack of decent financing options. While banks are usually pretty happy to lend to small businesses like ma and pa shops serving local communities, they're pretty stingy about financing medium-sized companies that are trying to grow their businesses. And entirely new businesses? Even getting a foot in the door is next to impossible."

"And that's what you want to use some of your family's just sitting there money for?"

"Yes. Maybe? Sort of?"

"I take it you're still working out the exact how of all this?" Lelouch offered.

"Yeah, that," Milly agreed. "I mean, it's not like I can just go and give money to whoever, even if I think a bit more risk-taking is warranted, I'd still want to do some due diligence. And the whole thing has to be sustainable, even after I need to turn my attention to my official and familial duties or just outright lose interest, so on balance it still needs to be in the black at the end of the day."

"Certainly sensible," Lelouch said. "And how early a stage are you hoping to provide funding for?"

"Mm, maybe even right at the start?" Milly said. "If the pitch is good enough, that is. And I'm not going to be funding things like some new feelgood placebo nonsense. I want the things I invest in to actually do something, to make some sort of actual improvement."

"A rather tall order there," Lelouch remarked.

"I know," Milly said. "And I also know that part of the whole making money bit is as much about selling people on the idea that they actually do need whatever it is you're selling, even if they don't need it or it doesn't actually help with anything. But that's the thing, thanks to my family's money, I can afford to be patient, you know? To look for that one golden egg that meets all of my requirements, however contradictory they might be."

"Well, I can certainly think of less productive ways to spend that money."

"Hey now," Milly said, looking up. "Aren't you supposed to be the supportive boyfriend cheering me on? Where's the, 'That's a great idea, Milly! I'm sure you'll find exactly what you're looking for!'"

"The day I start showering you with false reassurances and empty platitudes is the day you likely lose interest in me."

Milly met her boyfriend's eyes and after a moment wrinkled her nose. "You could still be a bit nicer about it."

Lelouch chuckled. "Your forgiveness." He leaned down and pecked her forehead. "I think what you intend has many merits, though I suspect what you have spoken of is not the whole of it. After all, I somehow doubt the limit of your intentions is some venture capital fund distinguished only by being backed by Ashford money."

"Well, not just Ashford money," Milly said. "But you're right, I have a bit higher aspiration than just merely throwing my family's money around." She rested her head once more. "What's something that my family's company has access to, that few others in the world are so privileged to have?"

Lelouch hummed thoughtfully. "Aside from your family's illustrious leadership?"

A snort sounded from below. "Oh now you start with the flattery?"

"Would you prefer I stop?"

Something poked him in the ribs. "Don't you dare. And you still haven't answered the question."

"Well, there are arguably quite a few advantages that Ashford Industries possesses that others do not, but I suspect the thing you are specifically referring to has something to do with Eden Vital."

"You're certainly on the right track," Milly confirmed.

"Eden Vital of course works with quite a few commercial interests beyond just the Ashfords, but there is one particular privilege afforded to your family's company that only a few others possess."

"Getting warmer," Milly said with a slight smile.

"Though I admit a bit of hesitation as to how exactly I am to play a role in your entrepreneurial efforts."

"HAH!" Milly let out a bark of laughter. "Now who's the vain one?"

"Are you saying my value does not merit such exclusivity?"

"At the risk of giving you an even bigger head, yours is not the sort of exclusivity I ever intend to share," Milly declared. "Not if I can help it at least."

There was a noticeable pause before Lelouch responded. "I promise, Milly, to do my utmost to never have need to ask such of you."

"Mm, not sure I liked that hesitation," Milly said, "but I get it. I mean, there was that near-run thing with Kaguya. Not that I dislike the girl, or really resent her for trying to throw her hat into the ring, but I'd prefer you stay mine and mine alone."

"You are not alone in that sentiment," Lelouch said, tightening his embrace of the girl. "Of that I assure you."

"I know," Milly said back softly, before clearing her throat. "Aaand we got off-track again. And you know exactly what thing of Eden Vital I was actually talking about."

Lelouch grunted. "To be honest, I feel perhaps an even greater degree of trepidation on that point. Just how exactly do you think you could leverage Ashford Industry's access to a thought elevator to help with your venture?"

"Weeeell," Milly drawled. "A couple of ways, actually. The most direct, but arguably most complicated, way would be to grant slices of compute time to those startups or early-stage companies I'd be investing in."

"Umm…"

"I know, I know," Milly said. "Knowledge about the thought elevators, much less access, is restricted, and for good reason. I'm not going to go blabbing about them to some random entrepreneur."

"Good," Lelouch said, his tone carrying a measure of seriousness wholly lacking his prior jocularity.

"But that's now," Milly said. "And that's also because to let someone take advantage of the thought elevators, they have to be brought into the know, since it's not like any conventional computer in the world. They have to be taught how to, well, program it specifically. Right?"

"That broadly captures the challenges, yes."

"But," Milly repeated, "what if access could be made more accessible, while also still obfuscating the true nature of the thought elevators?"

"Your what if is already starting to sound very expensive," Lelouch said dryly.

Milly gave a pout. "That's what Grandfather said too."

The cardinal chuckled. "I presume 'no' was not also amongst his words?"

"Well, not yet at least," Milly said. "And that doesn't mean 'yes' has been amongst them either. Honestly, I'm still working out the details of my proposal."

"Though you do have the kernel of an idea," Lelouch said. "That is a start."

"Yes, but as we're often taught in school, ideas are cheap," Milly said. "Realizing them is, what did you just say? Expensive."

Lelouch chuckled again. "Most good ones tend to be, at least."

A similar chortle sounded from Milly. "Ah, now you're getting generous with the compliments."

"I do try."

"Don't stop on my account" Milly said. "Anyway, back to the idea. Talking with Grandfather, it's clear that there are a set of problems that the thought elevators are good for, and that the type of computer that they are, it's actually possible to build smaller version, ones that don't go a few dozen kilometers into the ground. They'd of course be a lot less powerful, but they could still be useful."

Lelouch hummed. "A personal neuromorphic processor."

Milly snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that neurowhatever, that's what Grandfather called them."

"You know, if you wish to inspire confidence as a prospective venture capitalist, you should probably at least be more familiar with the jargon," Lelouch said dryly.

"Jargon is for when the marketing campaign starts," Milly retorted. "Right now I'm just sounding out my boyfriend on the basic idea, so no more backtalking on the minutiae!"

"Yes milady."

A snort sounded. "Where was I? Right, neuromorphic processors. According to Grandfather, the Ashford Foundation has been working on smaller scale computers with them, and they're starting to reach a point where useful work can actually be done on them. Nothing like the large-scale models Eden Vital runs for the government or major companies, smaller stuff like how to schedule trains at a trainyard or order the deliveries of a truck. But still stuff that can, in the long run, improve productivity."

Lelouch nodded, letting Milly continue with her explanation.

"Then there're other usages, especially in relation to pattern recognition. I saw a really neat demo where they took a picture of someone's desk and was able to tag all the items on there." The girl's head tilted a bit. "Would be bloody useful tracking down where you forgot your keys or wallet or phone."

"How would you be able to look things up if you didn't have your phone?" Lelouch asked.

Milly reached up, tapping the side of Lelouch's temple. "Those AR glasses you showed me before. If they had a camera built in as well, you could keep a catalog of where everything was last seen. Aside from the slight creepiness of having a camera running wherever you look."

"You don't say," Lelouch drawled.

The girl looked up, eyes narrowed. "You're not wearing some sort of supersecret contact lenses with cameras embedded in them, are you?"

"Milly," Lelouch deadpanned. "If Eden Vital was willing to spring for something like that, do you really think I'd bother with the AR glasses?"

Milly chewed her lips before answering. "Knowing you, yeah, I can see you being lazy about it."

"I'm glad you know me so well," Lelouch was nonplussed with his own response.

"You'd get me a pair too, right?"

That saw Lelouch blink a bit, before snorting. "I'll put you on the list."

"Good," Milly said, settling back down. "So, as for the neuromorphic processor, I think it could act as a sort of gateway, something that could be the centerpiece of products and services in and of itself, while also helping grow the number of people that could become versed in how to program things like it, like the thought elevator."

"Certainly an interesting idea," Lelouch said. "And its further provenance would help better camouflage any advancements in the field that Eden Vital wants to release."

"My thoughts exactly," Milly said, then let out a short laugh. "Okay, not exactly, but the thought did occur to me."

"I'm sure," Lelouch said. "So, a venture capital fund centered around trying to grow an ecosystem using neuromorphic processors. A perhaps overly narrow focus, but I suppose if you are able to sufficiently grow the market, you could end up with another cornerstone company like Ashford Industries itself is. Though, there is still the issue of finding entrepreneurs that have a sound enough idea to invest in, especially ones that would actually be able to take advantage of a neuromorphic processor."

Milly almost bounced up as she rose to sit back up. "Actually, I have an idea about that."

"Oh?" Lelouch said as he did likewise, albeit more sedately.

"What is a place that, right now, is in the throes of regeneration and therefore ripe for new ways of doing things to be tested out, new solutions to old problems to be tried?"

"Japan," Lelouch immediately made the inference.

"And where is a place where ideas tend to blossom, because of a large congregation of budding minds, but also because those minds don't know enough to know better?"

"A university." The cardinal chuckled. "You really have given this some thought."

"But of course," Milly beamed. "I mean, it might have started as a sort of flight of fancy in figuring out how I'd stay close to you without disappointing my grandfather's expectations about my education, but the more I thought about it, the more it all seemed to click."

Lelouch rubbed his chin. "We finished properly reconstituting the University of Tokyo in time for the new term, though did you actually submit an application to the school?"

"Of course," Milly said. "Granted it was more of a PR thing at the time, but it's looking to be pretty handy now, no?"

"Hmm," was Lelouch's immediate response. "It's still hardly a guarantee you'd find anyone to invest in, especially since we're rebuilding the student body from scratch. Though being on campus, you might be able to set up some sort of incubator program as well, to attract prospective candidates. Maybe toss in some scholarships or research grants."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Milly said again. "And this time I do mean it."

The cardinal chuckled. "I will admit, the idea is sounding more and more feasible. Once you work out more of the details, I might even be enticed to join in as an investment partner. And not just because I am dating the founder."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't say no to another partner," Milly smiled coyly.

The cardinal blinked. "Another?"

"Yep," Milly said, almost preening. "And no, it's not my grandfather. Or rather it's not just him."

"And who are the other interested parties?" Lelouch asked after Milly did not immediately continue.

"Well, as it happens, while learning about all the boring ways in which money can be moved around."

That elicited a snort from Lelouch.

"I actually got to talking with Kallen's father about the more interesting, productive ways that money could be used. And apparently he's also feeling rather adventurous with his own money! Did you know Kallen's family is actually like within the top fifty richest noble families in Britannia?"

Which for a mere viscountial house, was pretty impressive, seeing as that put them ahead of a not insignificant number of outright provincial lords.

"Lord Albrecht is interested in investing?" Lelouch quirked up an eyebrow.

"Yep," Milly said again. "He also spies opportunity in investing in Japan, especially if Kallen really does end up with a provincial peerage. And I'm going to be talking to Kaguya tomorrow too. Ise controls the Japan thought elevator, so her family and their company might also be interested."

"Hmm," Lelouch rubbed his chin. "A venture fund fronted by yourself, Kallen, and Kaguya."

"Oh, trying to play the girl power angle?" Milly said.

"It does have its appeal," Lelouch said. "But it is your fund, you run its PR element how you wish."

"And I will," Milly said with a wide smile. "But that doesn't mean I'm not open to suggestions. The idea can be revisited once I've actually had a chance to talk with Kaguya."

"You certainly will be keeping yourself busy when you go back to Japan with me," Lelouch noted.

"Just because I want to be close to you doesn't mean I intend to center my all around you," Milly said with a smirk, one that quickly faded. "Besides, you're going to be plenty busy yourself, what with your new duties, no?"

It had yet to be officially announced, but with the impending ramifications, it was not as if the government or Eden Vital could just spring it on everyone without some measure of preparation and even forewarning beforehand. Come tomorrow, Lelouch would no longer be Viceroy of Japan. Much the cardinal's time in the last week or so had been in vetting a successor and performing handoff duties, while also slowly transitioning to his new office.

Lelouch reached over and wrapped an arm around Milly.

"Busy though I may be, I will never be so busy as to not make time for you when you need me," he promised.

Milly smiled. "I know, which is why I will never take your own time for granted by demanding it heedlessly."

Lelouch blinked, before a gentle smile spread across his own face. In some ways, his renewed relationship with Milly had started as a consequence of convenient familiarity. Since then however, he was finding that the young woman possessed an exquisite sensitivity, knowing both how much to ask for but also how much to herself give. And while Lelouch hardly had a large body of personal experience to compare against, the cardinal suspected he would likely never meet anyone else who so perfectly complemented him this way. Leaning in, his lips touched Milly's in a display of his own appreciation for such consideration.

As befitted the single largest nation on Earth, the throne room of the Holy Britannian Empire was as opulent as it was stately. The chamber was designed to allow an audience of over a hundred attendees, not counting the inevitable security and media presence. All told, upwards of three hundred could probably fit within the room without becoming overcrowded. Today, perhaps only half that number were present, but the guests were all of esteemed standing, not least one who was yet to step in.

"Now entering, His Eminence, the Cardinal Lamperouge!" the crier announced.

A hushed silence fell upon the throne room such that Lelouch's boots sounded audibly with every step he took, despite the soft carpet upon which he walked. All attending had their eyes upon him, from the various courtiers to the guards to even the emperor himself. Lelouch did not let the attention faze him in the least however, his eyes remained steadfast as he approached the throne. Once at the requisite distance, he dipped his head, not quite a bow, but still a mark of deference.

"Your Majesty," Lelouch began. "I beg leave to report the gravest of news."

The formalities might have seemed overwrought to a casual bystander, especially as far as the courtiers were concerned, Lelouch's appearance this day was a mere formality. It was not as most everyone already knew the meat of the exchange that was now taking place, if only because of all the preparations that took place to enable it.

"You have Our leave," Charles spoke, his thunderous voice reverberating through the chamber.

If Lelouch was at all shaken or stirred by his father's tone, the cardinal did not show it. It was in total confidence that he next spoke, and it was the audience that was stunned by the words he uttered.

"Your Majesty, as per your personal request, the Order of Eden Vital has refrained from publicly declaring the precipitation of the Schism. Events in Japan however have made clear that the heretics are irredeemable, and by decree of the Grandmaster, let it be known that your brother, the former Cardinal Victor zi Britannia, is declared Excommunicado Diabolus."

Then again, the cardinal and the emperor could yet surprise those watching. If the previous silence was total, then the one now was absolutely deafening. That Charles had a brother was a known fact amongst the court, even if Victor had not been seen for many years. Now the audience knew why, though just how this related to the shifting circumstances of today was yet unclear.

"In light of the magnitude of his crimes, which include orchestrating the murders of my mother, the Prioress Marianne Lamperouge, and my sister, the Princess Euphemia li Britannia."

Now that was seeing gasps ripple through the crowd. The assassination of the Empress Marianne was widely acknowledged to have a domestic origin, a faction from within the Empire that was opposed to Her Majesty's closeness to the throne. No name had been attached to that faction however, until now, and as appalling as it was that the emperor's own brother orchestrated the murder of Charles' wife, intrafamily bloodletting was not entirely foreign to Britannia or its ruling family.

The murder of the Princess Euphemia on the other hand, that had a far less domestic dimension to it, seeing as both China and Russia had been publicly named as the backing parties of the Japanese insurgents that pulled the metaphorical and literal trigger. Now though, Euphemia's death was also being tied to the same domestic party behind Marianne's murder.

"And the resources which the heretics have accrued with the help of foreign polities," Lelouch continued, making explicit the ties between all the complicit parties, "Eden Vital hereby declares a Crusade to destroy these apostates and their supporting polities."

As a nominally purely religious order, under normal circumstances Eden Vital certainly would not possess the legal standing to pursue offensive military action against anyone, even if they were enemies of the state or the Order. Indeed most of the courtiers present were wondering just what sort of insanity had prompted Eden Vital to make such a brazen declaration, and whether Charles would actually be willing to countenance it, whatever his clear favor for his son may be. A few others though grew tense as they anticipated yet more revelations.

"In accordance with the Convocation of Glastonbury, we hereby invoke the Britannian imperial family's obligation to sanction the Crusade."

Now that really caught the attention of the courtiers. Glastonbury was not a term unfamiliar to them, even setting aside the Arthurian legends. At the coronation of every Britannian emperor since Ricardo himself, an Eden Vital cardinal would invoke that Convocation as the grounds upon which a sovereign was recognized by the Order. Most Britannians presumed Glastonbury's terms to be mostly symbolic however, especially those related to martial matters. That Eden Vital intended to actually exercise them to the fullest extent came as quite the shock.

"What is the theater in which this Crusade will be conducted?" Charles asked.

The unease was now reaching palpable levels within the throne room. For all Eden Vital's authority, few had ever imagined it would reach for or exercise powers that by modern convention should be the sole preserve of secular nation-states. For the most powerful secular authority within Britannia, and arguably the world, to consent to that exercise, elicited an instinctive fear as to where this might end. The Crusades of ages past were after all not known for their moderation, and wars rooted in religious intolerance had visited many horrors upon innocents all around. Was the world about to take a step back into such a dark age?

"The Chinese Federation," Lelouch responded, "and the Russian Federation."

The emperor nodded. "Our consent is granted."

Despite the exchange, everyone present knew this exchange was, if not exactly staged, then at least had all its salient points agreed upon previously. There was no way Eden Vital would have so brazenly declared a Crusade without reassurances that the emperor would not withhold his consent, the blow to the Order's prestige and credibility would have been too great. All this therefore had to play a role in the actual matter that the courtiers had originally been expecting to happen. The how was soon laid out for them.

"As the cardinal of the Order Militant of Eden Vital, it is therefore my responsibility to prosecute the Crusade to its final conclusions. This being the case, I am no longer in position to serve as viceroy of Administrative Area 11, Japan, and must inform you of my resignation."

And there it was. Lelouch's intended resignation had been one of the most open secrets in the court's recent history. While some, especially amongst the cardinal's detractors, postulated that the resignation would be due to Lelouch's ostensible failure in ensuring his sister's safety, other, less prejudiced members presumed there was some other charge that was being demanded of the cardinal. Lelouch's announcement now confirmed the latter to be correct, not that that would see the cardinal's political opponents ever admit to such. Not that their opinions mattered a wit on this matter.

"Your resignation is noted," Charles responded. "In turn however, We have a new charge to set before you, one We believe to be complementary to your duties in this Crusade."

Lelouch did not look surprised in the least. "What be this charge, Your Majesty?"

Charles clasped his fingers together, the slightest of quirks touching his lips. "We would name you supreme commander of the Pacific Theater, charged with bringing the war to the Chinese mainland and the Russian Far East."

The reaction was a mishmash of gasps and stoic silence. In one respect, the appointment made sense. As an ostensibly trained military practitioner that Eden Vital was already preparing to employ in their own part of the upcoming war, it was no great stretch to simply have Lelouch oversee the Britannian component as well, as far as the Pacific theater was concerned at least. On the other hand, Lelouch had just reached the age of majority, so however well trained he might be, he could not possibly possess the sort of experience needed to effectively command such a large theater of operations. Granted he had shown a deft hand administrating Japan while viceroy. And dealt rather firmly with the active insurgency trying to eject Britannia from his administrative area. And decisively defeated the initial attempts at wresting Japan from the Empire by the combined Chinese, Russian, and insurgent Japanese forces. Well, perhaps the notion of placing Lelouch in such a lofty position was not completely ludicrous. Even so.

"This charge is acceptable," Lelouch responded, "with the understanding that should Eden Vital conclude its Crusade before a settlement is reached with the secular governments of China and Russia, I would have to recuse myself from any further participation."

A rather interesting stipulation, and one that might help assuage concerns about Eden Vital crossing too much into the domain of secular power. Of course, there was an interesting question of what would happen if Britannia did come to a settlement with those other governments and the Order did not consider its Crusade to be over.

"Your condition is noted," Charles said, then waved his hand.

From the side, a page stepped forward with a large ornate box and presented it to Lelouch. Upon opening it, the cardinal actually paused. The sight saw the emperor actually smirk.

"The supreme commander of the Pacific Theater must hold a rank consummate with his charge," Charles declared. "And who better to wield the sword that is Britannia's armed forces than a Knight of the Round?"

Amidst the far louder and widespread gasps, Lelouch's hands rose and pulled out from the box a large black cape with gold trim. The cardinal stared at the cape for a long moment, then looked up at the emperor.

"My oaths to Eden Vital do not allow me to swear one to Your Majesty," Lelouch stated. "Not while acting in my capacity as Cardinal of the Order Militant."

"This We are so aware," Charles said. "So We shall not ask for an oath from your person. Rather, We would simply ask for a promise, from Our son."

Lelouch met his father's eyes, his own violet color reflected back. After a long, pensive lull, the cardinal finally dipped his head.

"From a son to his father, I do so promise, to uphold the virtues these colors represent."

"Then set forth, Sixth at the Table of the Rounds," Charles said. "And sweep away all that challenges Britannia's might."

End of Chapter 72

After about six months of me futzing around with the light novel contest entries, as well as a trip overseas behind the Great Firewall, I have returned. I should be able to resume more regular updates for my stories now that I'm not trying to bang my head in rushing out text for the contest, though if I make it past the judging rounds and am offered a publishing contract, that might yet change. I suppose those of you following my writing might have mixed feelings about that.

I genuinely did not expect Lelouch and Milly's conversation to go on for so long. It just kind of meandered because it felt very natural for Milly to do so.

Charles has a plan. It involves his son. And as emperor, Charles has a lot of levers by which to push forward that plan.

The notion of Lelouch also assuming a seat at the Rounds had occurred to me a while ago, and I actually commissioned a drawing of it. Since it would have constituted a fairly major spoiler, I elected to withhold it until now. Reconstruct the link as usual.

deviantart dot com slash z98 slash art slash Lelouch-the-Chevalier-1019272829