Chapter 5: Lelouch

Chapter 5: Lelouch

A gun.

A pistol.

Compact in size, exquisitely designed, it was both aesthetically pleasing and practical, resembling a personal defense weapon carried by someone of importance.

The muzzle was pointed directly at Ethan's head, as he was the closest.

The owner of the pistol was a young man, about 17 or 18 years old. He was roughly the same height as Ethan and Orochimaru, around 180 centimeters, with similar hair color. His eyes were a deep purple, slightly lighter than black, and his looks were strikingly handsome, surpassing both Ethan and Orochimaru combined.

His physique was somewhat unusual, not that there was anything wrong with it, but his proportions were different from an average person's, somewhat reminiscent of the basketball player Kevin Durant.

If it weren't for the young man's slender frame, Ethan would have mistaken him for a high school basketball player, like Rukawa Kaede, who was also incredibly handsome.

Of course, Ethan had never heard of a basketball player using a pistol, not even in supernatural sports anime; it was completely out of style.

"Where is this place?" the young man asked, his voice not loud but carrying an imposing sharpness and authority.

"This is the Super Dimensional Office," Ethan replied. "Sir, could you please put down the gun? No one here will harm you."

The young man snorted coldly, his gun hand steady, clearly not trusting Ethan's words.

"Answer me, why am I here? I was just in my dormitory, how did I end up here all of a sudden..."

"That's because you, our guest, have a sincere and strong desire in your heart. Only with such a desire can the path to this office be opened."

The speaker was Orochimaru, whose salesman-like gestures made it clear that he had entered his business mode.

Seeing Orochimaru like this, Ethan knew that the newcomer's orientation had begun.

The core mechanism of the office was desire, a strong and sincere wish. By relying on this prayer, the office could transcend time and space, connect different worlds, and bring the wisher into the office.

"Do you think I would believe such an obvious lie? At least make your deception more convincing," the young man said with a voice full of sarcasm, his cold eyes scanning the room, followed by a sneer.

Ethan followed the young man's gaze and quickly understood what he was referring to.

The office's setup was indeed too simple.

Yes, overly simple.

Despite its not insignificant size, there was only a desk, a few chairs, not even a sofa, let alone any other decorations like cabinets, coffee tables, or vases.

Such a room, paired with the name "Super Dimensional Office," not only failed to highlight its prestige but instead made it seem lowly and unbelievable.

Ethan now understood why the previous director had made the environment so dark; it was to avoid raising suspicion due to the simplicity of the surroundings.

He glanced at Orochimaru, inquiring silently about the situation.

The latter spread his hands, indicating either ignorance or that it was none of his concern.

Seeing this, Ethan sighed deeply, feeling more and more that he had been tricked into joining a dubious venture.

The young man, observing the interaction between the two, had an even colder and more impatient look in his eyes:

"Out with it, what are you really after?"

"We truly have no hostility; we were indeed summoned here by your prayer."

Although he knew it was hard to believe, that was the only response Ethan could think of.

"Do I look like an easy fool to deceive?" The young man's finger tightened on the trigger, ready to pull at any moment.

"You are not, which is why you can verify it for yourself, like trying to pull the trigger," Orochimaru said, still smiling.

"Hey—" Ethan instinctively shivered.

Without wasting words, the young man pulled the trigger without hesitation, producing a faint "click."

Then—nothing happened, because nothing happened.

The young man, disbelieving, pulled the trigger a few more times, still only hearing "click-click."

"Impossible! I had just used it a few hours ago, and it was indeed loaded with bullets, how could it be?"

"Because within the office, all hostile actions are prohibited," Ethan explained.

This was also one of the rules of the office, although known, it was hard to correct the body's instinctive reactions immediately.

Seeing the young man's disbelief, Orochimaru added, "You can try shooting at the wall."

The young man, skeptical, turned the gun towards the wall and pulled the trigger.

"Bang," the bullet was fired, hitting the wall.

Then he turned the gun back towards Ethan—

"Click-click!"

And back to the wall—

"Bang-bang."

"How is this possible?" The young man's eyes widened, his arrogance fading.

"Do you find it impossible? I was once like you, thinking I had fallen into a trap, thinking it was impossible, even thinking it was a dream, but in fact... this is reality."

Orochimaru stepped forward, placing a chair in front of the young man.

"Human understanding is limited; there are too many things in the world we do not understand, so don't rush to conclusions. Since you're here, why not assume what we're saying is true, sit down and have a proper talk, because—"

"—you can't do anything to us," Ethan interjected.

"That line is very much in the style of the former director," Orochimaru commented.

"It seems it really is, I've been influenced by him without realizing it."

Ethan's mouth twitched, but he didn't feel repulsed; instead, he tried to step into the role of the director.

"Although there has been a slight mishap, anyone who comes here is a guest. Welcome to the Super Dimensional Office, I am the director, Ethan, and this is my assistant, Orochimaru. Our office transcends worlds, transcends dimensions, and is only attracted by wishes—guest, do you have a wish you wish to fulfill?"

To be honest, saying this felt somewhat embarrassing and difficult to express. But Ethan, who worked in a field related to the secondary dimension, had heard and said such things too often, so it wasn't much of a pressure.

"A wish..."

The young man's body trembled, and a clear daze appeared in his deep purple eyes.

"...I do have one."

"As long as our guest has a wish, we will strive to fulfill it. Of course, it's not without cost; we will charge the guest a certain price," Ethan said with a slight smile, more and more like a director.

"A price, what kind of price? How is it paid?" The young man's gaze instantly cleared.

"The price is determined based on the difficulty of the wish and the client's own situation, and we will charge the guest after the wish is fulfilled."

"What if it's not fulfilled?"

"We won't take a penny; the guest can try stating their wish first."

"My wish..." The young man paused for a few seconds before slowly speaking, "I wish to destroy the world!"

"...Guest, perhaps this is your wish, but it's not the one you most wish to fulfill. The principle of the office is to treat people with sincerity; we only accept the most sincere wishes."

This was also one of the privileges of the director, not exactly mind-reading, but able to judge the intensity and sincerity of a wish.

"I'm starting to believe what you're saying is true," the young man was finally moved, "My wish is... for my sister to regain her health and live like a normal person."

"The names of the guest and his sister are—?"

"My name is Lelouch,Lelouch Lamperouge, and my sister's name is Nunnally."

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(End of Chapter)