115 Chapter 113 ~ A Princess’ Wish
Multiple stacks of papers, files, and documents rested atop a wide, mahogany desk within the office of the current ruling Subviceroy of Area Eleven.
Sitting behind the table was a beautiful young woman with light pink hair, the color of cherry blossoms which signified spring and new beginnings. At least, within the nation now called Area Eleven after her homeland stole its land, resource, culture, and name by force.
She was dressed immaculately in her royal, official attire. Her posture, an epitome of elegance that befitted her station and royal birth. Even as she was completing her official duties, writing and stamping the various documents, letters, and reports that seemingly never ended, her demeanor that she had honed since the moment she could walk and talk, never crumbled.
However, in reality, it was far from the truth.
The third royal princess of the Britannian Empire, Euphemia Li Britannia, had been working from the moment she woke up 'till the moment she fell asleep for a few weeks now. All for the sake of realizing her wish to stop the conflict that had been raging within the land she was currently on.
She knew it was her empire and her… family that had enacted war upon the land. However… She never wanted any of this to happen.
The only thing war could achieve was bringing suffering onto the common people, and began the spiraling cycle of death, hatred, and revenge. A never ending cycle of suffering.
However… As a mere third princess of an empire, she had no power over such a thing. She wasn't even a general that could somewhat affect the direction of the war. Even her current position as the sun viceroy of Area Eleven was only given to him because her brother, Clovis, passed away and she was the only one with royal blood available.
She had no power to stop the war. And the fact ate at her heart when she knew that blood was spilled and lives taken every passing moment in the land she was standing on.
But perhaps… all hope was not lost. Perhaps, with her limited power and influence she borrowed from her elder sister, Cornelia, she might be able to alleviate the suffering of the Japanese people… At least some of it.
To give them… No, to return their land and rights to govern themselves, however limited it may be, and return their name, culture, and identity.
To create a semblance of peace, where at least the common people wouldn't need to suffer on the battlefield and die as mere numbers.
And to accomplish this… she needed the people, the Japanese people, to believe her promise. She needed them to be willing to give her a chance and prove her sincerity and her wish to truly end the war and their sufferings.
However… as the princess of the empire that had brought upon the war onto their land in the first place, it would be extremely difficult for her to accomplish this.
Who would trust her to begin with? Perhaps, they might think of this as a ploy to make them submit to the empire's rule by controlling their "self ruling government" from the shadows. Or perhaps, to gather all Japanese en masse so they wouldn't need to try and find them to kill all of them.
It was… a near impossible challenge to accomplish. For once trust was lost, it would be extremely difficult to regain it.
That is why… she had made a decision that many of her advisors and subordinates have tried to dissuade her from.
"Your highness, I beg your forgiveness for having disturbed you during your duties."
A voice coming from the intercom in her room resounded. It was the voice of the officer in charge of guarding the office she was within.
"I don't mind it. What is wrong?"
"The guest you have summoned has been brought to the palace."
Her eyes widened ever so slightly before her lips curled into a relieved smile.
"Bring him to my office."
"Yes, your higness."
A few moments later, a voice coming from behind her door resounded, announcing the arrival of her guest.
She opened the door from the button near her desk, and saw the figure of the young man she had been waiting for.
"Your highness, we have brought Private Suzaku Kururugi, as per your order."
The two soldiers, including Suzaku, stood at attention and saluted the royal princess of the Britannian Empire.
"Thank you. The two of you may leave now."
"... Will that be fine, your highness?"
The soldiers looked hesitant. While it was the order from the princess herself, they did not want to leave the "eleven" alone with the princess. Even if he was an honorary Britannia, leaving a "number" with a member of the royal family would be extremely dangerous, as there was no telling what they would do.
However, Euphemia simply gave them a reassuring smile and waved her hand.
"It is fine. Just go. I wish to speak with him alone."
""Yes, your highness!""
The two soldiers saluted, turned around, and walked out of the room, leaving behind Suzaku alone with the third princess of the Britannian empire.
Silence fell within the room as the two exchanged gazes for a few moments. Then, Euphie stood up, walked around her desk, and greeted him with a soft, warm smile, just like the ones she had given him during their little outing.
"It has been a while since we last met face to face. How have you been, Suzaku?"
Suzaku flinched and straightened his posture, even more so than he already had, and answered her stiffly.
"I have been well. I thank you for the concern you have given to one such as myself, your highness."
A sad smile flashed across her face before she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.
"There's no need for you to be this formal, Suzaku. There's only the two of us in this room. You can just speak relaxedly."
Suzaku hesitated. But seeing euphemia's warm, assuring smile and her insistence, he finally relented.
"... I understand."
"Good. Fufu~ Seeing you again makes me remember about the day we went exploring the city during my little escapade. It… ended as well as I would've expected, but I still enjoyed that day. I've seen and experienced so much more new and enjoyable things in those short few hours than I've had years prior to it.
And… it also opened my eyes to the things that needed to be stopped."
Suzaku could see the happiness and excitement brimming in her eyes and voice as she talked about the day he first met the third princess of the Holy Britannian Empire he's serving him without knowing her true identity.
It was an extremely enjoyable day for him as well. But then, her voice turned melancholic as she spoke of how the day ended.
Going to the Shinjuku Ghetto and seeing the aftermath of the land Britannia had destroyed in the name of conquest first hand reminded them of the harsh reality they're currently living in.
It was shoved directly into their face.
"Seeing such a thing first hand pained my heart more than I ever could have imagined… In truth, I was barely able to hold my composure back then."
"..."
Suzaku agreed in his silence as his eyes lowered down to the ground and his hands clenched into fists by his side.
"That is why… I wish to change it."
His eyes widened and he looked up to see the figure of the kind and gentle princess standing with a strong conviction behind her eyes.
A sight so beautiful that it stunned him to the very core.
"Kururugi Suzaku. The bravery and prowess you had shown had made you the subject of admiration and respect of many Japanese people. And you have also proven your loyalty to the Britannian Empire for having fought and been a significant factor in multiple decisive battles. On the other hand, I am just a powerless princess with no strength nor influence. Moreover… None of the Japanese people have any reason to believe in the sincerity and the words of a princess who came from the nation that put them in such a state. That is why…"
She looked at Suzaku, her eyes filled with determination and sincerity, as much as she could muster, and lowered her head.
"Please lend me your strength. Be my knight, and let me show my sincerity to the Japanese people, so that I can return the name, land, and identity my nation had stolen from you."
--------------------------------X--------------------------------
"Has she gone to sleep?"
"Yes. Though, I don't know how long until she realizes I'm gone, so I don't have much time… How is it?"
The four members of the Multiverse Group Chat, including Yuuji who had just arrived, sat around the couches within Tatsuya's room in the mansion. They've gathered in secret in the middle of the night to not alert C.C of their presence.
C.C had already met Tatsuya and Satoru when Lelouch and Yuuji introduced them not too long ago. She knew that they were Ainz and Silver, respectively, and knew that they both possessed Geass.
But, the reason why they've gathered in secret was still a secret to her, because it has something to do with the Group Chat. And Yuuji was in charge of making sure C.C was asleep before slipping away from her embrace and joining them afterwards.
Thus, still dressed in just a light t-shirt and short pants, Yuuji sat down beside Tatsuya and turned towards Lelouch.
"Ah… I got my answer. It's… quite surprising, but not at the same time…"
Lelouch let out a sigh and leaned back, surrendering his entire weight on the soft cushion of the sofa.
The reason why they've gathered here… was to use Lelouch's [Mind of the World], an ability from his [Archivist of Universal Knowledge] SSR, to find out the reason behind Suzaku's unexpected summon by the military.
And true to its description, it gave him the truth.
"He's summoned by Euphemia… to be her personal knight."
If the room was silent before, it was a vacuum now. Lelouch's words felt like a tremendous weight that had just suddenly befallen them.
Suzaku becoming Euphemia's personal knight… This was exactly what happened in the anime. Which means…
"Lelouch… Does that mean…?"
"Yes… I used my remaining two questions for the day to confirm my guess… And I was right."
Lelouch let out a tired sigh and continued.
"I used my second question to ask why Euphemia made Suzaku her knight. And it answered "to show her sincerity to the Japanese People." And my last question… I asked why she needed to show her sincerity to them. The answer was…"
"To establish the Special Administrative Zone of Japan…"
Lelouch nodded at Yuuji's answer as Tatsuya and Satoru widened their eyes. Flashes of memories from the Code Geass anime they've watched, and the tragedy that gave Euphemia the nickname "Bloodstained Euphie" appeared in their mind.
"B-But that tragedy won't happen, right? After all, now that we know about it, Lelouch won't accidentally give her that order anymore!"
"That's right… But this might work in our favor."
Tatsuya brought out his phone, pressed a few buttons, and laid it on the table for everyone to see.
On his screen were the missions they've been given by the Group Chat. Five out of the six missions have been completed. And the last mission they needed to complete was to "Liberate Japan from the Current Oppressive Britannian Government."
Yuuji and Lelouch nodded in unison, understanding the meaning behind Tatsuya's words.
Their mission entailed them to liberate Japan from Britannia's "current Oppressive Government". Meaning, the success of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan would technically be "liberating the Japanese from the current oppressive Britannian government.
But of course, they weren't naive enough to think the Group Chat would consider it that way.
After all, while Euphemia might intended the zone to be a place where the Japanese could rule themselves as they see fit, in reality, the Britannian Government would still be "ruling" them from the shadows.
If the Japanese accepted becoming a part of this Special Administrative Zone, then that would be equivalent to surrendering and letting them be ruled under Britannian law disguised as Japanese law.
The only reason why many Japanese chose to simply accept becoming a part of the Special Administrative Zone in the anime was because they've lost hope with the fall of the last General of the Japan Liberation Front.
But now… Although weakened, the Japan Liberation Front still existed and were still amassing their strength for a counterattack.
If Euphemia failed to show her sincerity to the Japanese people and ensure complete autonomy of the Japanese Government within the zone, then… there was a possibility that it would spark another war.
Although she won't be the one pulling the trigger, Euphemia might still retain her nickname as "Bloodstained Euphie" for the war she had incited by establishing the Special Administrative Zone of Japan.
But… there is a way.
The Black Knights simply need to become the one to ensure that Euphemia's promises to the Japanese people become a reality. To be the one to make sure the Britannian kept their promises, even if it had to be by force.
"We'll need to start our preparations… Fast."
Yuuji nodded to Lelouch's words.
"If the special administrative zone succeeds, then Japan would gain the much needed time for them to heal, amass their military and political strength, and expand their influence. Perhaps… they might even be able to become allies with Britannia in the future…"
Yuuji knew full well how optimistic he was by saying those words. But… Such a thing might not be impossible.
Thanks to their actions, Britannia's seemingly unstoppable military advance and conquest had been halted, and the Japan Liberation Front, which should've disappeared along with the death of General Katase, still existed.
These two factors alone would force the Britannians to think twice before they decided to double down on their reach and commit even more resources to this conquest.
Even then, if things did come to that point, Lelouch, Yuuji, Tatsuya, and Satoru still had many "otherworldly" methods they could use to halt their advance.
Thus, the Special Administrative Zone of Japan might be the best way to liberate Japan from its current oppressive Britannian rule with the least amount of blood shed.
"Well then… Let's hope this goes well…"
