Chapter 16

In Receipt of Daring

"Ah, thank you, Sancia," Lelouch said as the woman in question set a teacup at his side.

Cornelia offered a simple nod instead of verbal acknowledgment, though her satisfaction was quite plainly visible as she took a sip. It had been a week since her arrival in Area 11, and in that time she had come to gain a firm appreciation for the competency in which her brother's attendants performed any task assigned to them, be it auditing accounts to making tea. Indeed Cornelia was so impressed with Lucretia's performance that she jokingly suggested to Lelouch that just being able to have the sister seconded to her staff was reason enough to remain in Japan. Lelouch's response was to send an invoice for Lucretia's service, one with enough zeroes that Cornelia was actually compelled to make sure her brother was joking. The cardinal's response was a thin smile and an assurance that indeed the bill was in jest, this time.

Of course the exchange was not solely one way, Lelouch was gaining some benefit from Cornelia's continued presence as well. The most immediately impactful was Cornelia countersigning the standing directives Lelouch had issued, a vote of confidence in the cardinal's authority that put paid to any temptations to try circumventing or defying his orders amongst the occupational military forces. Lelouch had of course needed to brief Cornelia in detail on just what he was trying to do, beloved brother or not, the princess was still not prepared to accept wholesale anything the cardinal claimed without at least some due diligence. That was a position Lelouch had no problems with, so long as Cornelia was indeed amiable to reason, which thus far she had demonstrated herself to be.

In the longer term, the other boon granted Lelouch was the presence of Lieutenant-General Andreas Darlton. One of the Empire's finest corps commanders, Andreas had been the ranking officer after Cornelia herself in the Middle East campaign. While Cornelia set the overall strategic objectives, and even led a few attacks herself, Andreas was the one that actually worked out the details of maneuvering the corps to achieve those objectives. The man possessed a sound grasp of both tactics and strategy, even extending his expertise into the field of logistics. And of significant importance to Lelouch, Andreas was a man bereft of the usual bigotry and racism so endemic in the Britannian upper class, including its officer corps. What mattered to Andreas first and foremost was a person's willingness and capacity to fight for the Empire. If they possessed those two qualities, he would give them a fair chance to rise as high as they could manage. That made the general perfect for assuming operational command of Area 11's standing forces, a task Lelouch was more than happy to finally delegate out. Indeed if Andreas worked out anywhere near as well as he hoped, the general may even be staying behind after Cornelia's inevitable return to Pendragon.

In the meantime though, there was a great deal of work to be done to shore up the Area's defenses against both internal and external threats. General insurgent attacks had been on a downward trend ever since Lelouch's ascension as viceroy, though few groups had as yet made any moves to actually demobilize. The feelers that Lelouch was putting out via Ohgi and his network of contacts were getting some bites however, with discussions progressing at an acceptable pace. Many of the resistance cells were still wary, but Lelouch's candor and the improvements his policies were bringing about was enough for quite a few to refrain from actively opposing the cardinal. That was in and of itself already a victory. And of those that still desired to fight on, or rather show their true colors in this new environment, Lelouch also had a few pages in his playbook for them.

"I understand the Gendarmerie took alive one of the insurgent cells operating in the ghettos," Cornelia said as she blew over the teacup to cool it a bit more. "Was that much effort really warranted? Surely they could have been dealt with more efficiently by a proper strike team."

"The collateral damage from such a deployment is higher than I would prefer," Lelouch said. "Besides, taking them alive offers certain advantages in and of itself."

"Oh?" Cornelia said after taking a sip. "In what way?"

That she did not contest the point on collateral damage was also an improvement, even if Cornelia was still not to the stage of actually caring about the human cost to the Japanese populace some of her proposed solutions would entail.

"These particular insurgents were little more than bandits with a self-aggrandized mentality," Lelouch said. "They may have considered themselves resistance fighters against the Empire's occupation, but most of their own Japanese likely considered them no better than thieves and opportunists. Their arrest will likely be celebrated by the local populace, and give them further reason to trust the Britannian authorities. In the long run, that trust will be the coin by which we earn the Japanese people's loyalty in addition to their obedience."

"I suppose that's fair enough," Cornelia said. "And I suppose there's nothing stopping us from shooting this lot now even if we did take them alive."

"That would depend on what set of charges they are faced with," Lelouch said.

Cornelia frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Insurgency is certainly a capital crime under imperial law," the cardinal said, "and should they be so convicted, I have no compunctions about signing their death warrants. Armed robbery on the other hand does not automatically result in a death sentence, and the specific criminal act that led to their arrest was technically just that."

"You cannot be serious," Cornelia said incredulously. "These rebels broke into an Eden Vital chapter at gunpoint, one that was an aid distribution center for the very people they claimed to be fighting for, and you think that does not warrant a charge any more serious than armed robbery?"

"It's arguably a matter of perspective," Lelouch said, sipping his own cup. At Cornelia's continued disbelief, he set it down before proceeding. "Consider this, dear sister. The goal of the viceroyalty is to establish sufficient law and order that the political and economic integration of the administrative area can proceed as a purely civil undertaking instead of a military one. So far, the current matter has remained a purely civil affair. The arrests were made by the Gendarmerie, and it's the civilian judiciary that is dealing with them right now. It is only if they get handed to the military that they would be treated, from a legal perspective, as active insurgents."

Cornelia's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure I buy it."

"Buy what?" Lelouch asked nonchalantly in between sips of his own tea.

"That these people aren't still insurgents, whatever crime they're charged with."

"Well, I suppose that will also depend on how vehemently they try to claim one way or another," Lelouch said, popping a biscuit into his mouth.

The look Cornelia shot him clearly indicated he would need to elaborate, but the cardinal took a moment or two to finish chewing and swallowing before doing so.

"You yourself pointed out that they robbed at gunpoint an Eden Vital facility, one of the few Britannian institutions that tried to actively help the Japanese people weather the privation and predation they suffered through much of the occupation," Lelouch said. "What kind of impression do you think that leaves on the very people that Eden Vital has been helping?"

To that Cornelia gave an unladylike grunt of concession. Lelouch however was not yet done.

"There is also the fact that quite a few insurgent cells are very sensitive to the notion of being considered mere criminals instead of stalwart defenders of their people. Should it become known that a particular cell had descended to such petty thievery, they would face ostracization from the wider insurgent network, isolating them and making them easier to deal with. Indeed as more of the opportunists are weeded out, the remaining number of active insurgents also falls."

"Leaving arguably only the diehard fanatics behind," Cornelia pointed out.

"Yes, and no," Lelouch reposted. "There are certainly those determined to fight to their dying breath rather than accept Britannian rule, but there are also cells that genuinely consider themselves to be fighting for the betterment of their people. The former, the only solution is to unequivocally wipe them out. No other consideration need be made. The latter though, those are the ones that can be convinced to demobilize and reintegrate into civil society, assuming a path is shown to them."

The rather nonchalant manner in which Lelouch advocated ruthlessly purging a portion of the insurgency was in stark contrast to the benevolent public persona that the cardinal cultivated. One should not mistake the compassion Lelouch demonstrated with weakness, however. And from what Cornelia had seen, those making that mistake were rarely given a chance to realize their error and rectify it. If Lelouch identified someone or something as a threat, her brother displayed no emotional hesitation to reach for the sword in putting that threat down, the only thing staying his hand being logistical considerations. Indeed his willingness to use force was all the more frightening due to how clinically detached the decision was often expressed. Cornelia knew with certitude that her brother was not a psychopath, Lelouch displayed a very acute awareness of morality, ethics, and especially empathy. But that awareness did not elicit in Lelouch any of the hesitation that it so often did for others, even Cornelia.

That being said, while force, including lethal force, was always something Lelouch retained as an option when choosing his response to various situations, it was not something he ever resorted to out of convenience. Expediency, perhaps, if there was simply no time to attempt more peaceable methods, but never convenience. Even if a diplomatic or negotiated solution held greater risk, or might take longer, or demanded greater expenditure of resources than simply going in and shooting everyone, Lelouch more often than not was prepared to attempt a resolution that ended without immediate bloodshed. He was simply very pragmatic about the utility of bloodshed when employed in the correct situation.

In this particular case, Cornelia was honest enough to admit that she likely would have employed far more force to simply put down all of the insurgent cells instead of trying to get them to voluntarily demobilize. Part of that was due to her own militaristic mindset, another down to the fact that she still did not really regard the Japanese as Britannian subjects, especially those that took up arms against the Empire's occupation, no matter how justified they may be. Ultimately though, she had promised Lelouch that she would keep an open mind and give him the room to pursue his policies and demonstrate their efficacy. Even if she was far from convinced, yet.

"That does not sound particularly easy," Cornelia thus said.

Lelouch gave a snort. "Were it easy, do you think His Majesty would have dispatched me?"

"No, I suppose not," Cornelia said softly before giving herself a shake. "This Yamato Alliance was clearly one of those opportunistic, more criminally inclined cells. And I'll accept for the moment that your plan for neutralizing others like it will likely work. I even agree with your assessment of how to deal with the real fanatics. But convincing the other insurgents to stand down? That seems a might tall order, even for you."

"Which is why the appropriate bait needs to be laid," Lelouch said.

"Which is what your hearts and minds campaign is all about?"

"Some of it. There's a second and third string to it all however."

An eyebrow quirked upward. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Lelouch gave a dismissive wave. "Later. First we need to cull as many of the fanatics and opportunists as possible. Only until that's done with will I be in any position to even contemplate the next stage."

Cornelia regarded Lelouch for a few moments longer before sighing.

"Alright. I did agree to try things your way, and by all indications things are working so far. So I'll be patient for a bit longer."

"Your consideration is duly appreciated."

Sarcasm was something of a pastime for the Britannian nobility, and despite his official exclusion from their ranks Lelouch was an experienced practitioner. Cornelia was no slouch herself, and proficiency in its usage was mirrored with a certain tolerance to being on the receiving side. Not that there was any pressing need to dignify some response, as the telltale beeping of a cellphone went off. Reaching into his suit, Lelouch pulled out a slim looking device that was probably some model or another of the current bleeding edge of consumer electronics. The sight of the ornately dressed cardinal fiddling around with a smartphone was enough to elicit a slight smirk from Cornelia as she enjoyed her tea.

Lelouch on the other hand was frowning slightly as he looked down at the incoming contact. Very few people had his direct number to begin with, and of those that did even they could only reach him if they called from preauthorized numbers. The name shown on his screen right now was that of Millicent Ashford, and Lelouch had given her the number on the explicit understanding that it would be for emergencies or sensitive matters only. Off the top of his head, Lelouch could not conceive of anything that might have gone so awry to require Milly to use the number now. As such he spared only a single moment looking at the screen before answering.

"Yes?" Lelouch said without preamble.

"Lelouch!" Milly's voice rang loud and clear. "Euphie's here!"

To the cardinal's credit, he did not let his surprise last more than a moment, two at most.

"Keep her there, and have that SP of yours masquerading as a maid sit on her to keep her from leaving if need be," he said as he rose. "I will be there as soon as possible."

"Gotcha," Milly said and promptly hung up to do as instructed.

Cornelia was now looking at Lelouch with some alarm. "What's going on?"

"It would seem another of our siblings has decided to emulate your example by dropping in unannounced," Lelouch said dryly as he started for the door.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she too rose, and then she made the connection.

"She did WHAT!?"

When the Empire invaded Japan, a large percentage of the country's upper educational institutions did not survive the country's transition from sovereign state to occupied territory. Notwithstanding the physical dislocation that many of their students suffered, the Britannian authorities had no intention of allowing these centers of learning to remain as bastions of Japanese language and culture that they otherwise might have served as. Those schools that were not forcibly shut down and had their assets seized were stonewalled in their efforts to get formal accreditation under Britannian law, without which none of the certifications they issued were of much use in the formal job market. These measures combined, over the course of six years, to thoroughly gut the previously vibrant and exemplary system of universities that Japan previously maintained.

One of the earliest casualties, and one which suffered from the seizure and looting of its assets, was Meiji University, whose main campus was located in the Chiyoda ward that formed the heart of the Britannian occupational governmental apparatus. The university had been founded in the era it served as a namesake of, by a trio of lawyers as originally a law school, and so was amongst the first generation of modern upper education institutions established in Japan after the country opened up. To have that legacy ended so abruptly was one of many spiritual wounds inflicted upon the Japanese people, and many feared that the site itself would be taken over and transformed into yet another example of Britannian domination. In some respects, that was exactly what happened. In others, there was actual room for optimism.

When Ruben Ashford was asked what boon he wished for as a reward for the contributions of his company's knightmares in subjugating Japan, the marquess requested a small portion of land within Tokyo to do with as he would. Not as an additional noble patent, but as a place whereupon he could conduct business in the newly conquered land. The request was granted and Ruben was given not just the land the Meiji University occupied, but also a portion of the surrounding land. Amongst the buildings within the extended bounds was an elementary school and even a hospital. And while the marquess did indeed adapt or construct some offices and residential blocks to house Ashford Industries staff stationed in Japan, he also used the land to establish Ashford Academy, an all-through school that provided education from primary to the end of secondary.

The rationale for establishing such a school was at first readily accepted, seeing as the many Britannians that would eventually be working as part of the occupational authority or otherwise moved in to help integrate the new territory would need a place to send their children for schooling. And even if Ashford Academy could hardly be expected to service all such children, the marquess' resources meant it was likely to become the premier school within the newly established Administrative Area 11. The occupational authorities had no problems with such evident goals. That attitude changed when the academy started admitting Japanese students, after which the authorities began finding all sorts of reasons to complain. Not that they could do much about it as Ruben's status as a great peer, and a man who had the emperor's ear, meant actually trying to confront the marquess carried a substantial risk of suffering reprisal in kind. And Ruben was very careful with the presentation of his initiative. All of the Japanese students admitted were children of Honorary Britannians, and the effort as a whole was framed as a means to help further Japanese integration. Under this context, it was difficult for the occupational authorities to protest the academy's policies without openly revealing their disregard for official policy as stipulated by the sitting government back in Pendragon.

The consequence was that despite ownership of the Meiji University grounds changing hands, the land was still employed for the purpose the school's founders intended, that of educating the next generation of potential leaders. Ashford Academy may still be relatively young, but it already possessed a reputation for the exceptional quality of its instruction and the high standard it expected from its students. And with its new plans to begin instruction in Japanese on topics of Japanese culture, the school was arguably further preserving the spirit of the university on whose grounds it now occupied.

None of that was particularly relevant to the figures climbing out of the car parked upon the academy grounds, beyond the fact that the location at which the academy was sited was in relatively close proximity to the viceroy's palace. Under normal circumstances, one needed no more than 14 or 15 minutes by car, assuming traffic cooperated. This car had made it in 11, and managed it without breaking any traffic laws or requiring a security escort. Though considering the personages amongst the party, they arguably should have brought a few more guards along.

Her concern getting the best of her, Cornelia burst into the room ahead of Lelouch and immediately locked her eyes upon her sister.

"Euphie!" the princess roared as she strode over. "What in the world were you thinking!?"

Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Realm, and younger sister to both the Princess Cornelia and the Cardinal Lamperouge, set down the cup of tea she was enjoying and rose to face her sister with serene composure. Or at least she appeared to. It was faint, but there was a hint of anxiety hiding in her eyes, hardly surprising considering Euphemia had to know just what sort of reaction her sudden appearance in Japan would elicit from her older sister.

"I was thinking it was about time I had the chance to see my dear sister and brother after a far too long absence," she responded calmly.

"You know full well that Area 11 is not safe enough for you to be here!" Cornelia's voice actually seemed to grow louder. "If you wanted to speak with me, you could have sent a letter, or an email, or just called. This is the most reckless thing you've ever done. Don't expect to get off with just a talking to, I'm inclined to confine you to the palace under guard until you reach adulthood."

Having likely expected her sister's volcanic reaction, Euphemia managed to find the resolve to hold her ground.

"And how much good would a simple call have done?" she shot back. "The last message you left me said that things with Lelouch were settled, but you won't tell me what needed settling in the first place, much less what the resolution was. And though I keep pressing to pass word to my brother, you continue to insist that now is not the time, without being able to say when that time might come."

Though her words may be directed towards her sister, Euphemia's eyes were now settled upon Lelouch. The cardinal for his part looked more weary than angry. Or perhaps resigned was a better adjective.

Cornelia for her part was suffering a wide gamut of emotions, ranging from anger to frustration to sadness. While it was not her desire, Euphemia was not wrong to accuse her older sister of having basically fobbed her off time and again when it came to Lelouch. She had originally ordered Euphemia to avoid contacting Lelouch on account of Clovis' death, but even after Cornelia herself was satisfied that that event was indeed a tragic misfortune instead of some devious machination, she had refrained from allowing Euphemia to commence communications with their brother. She had her reasons, and Cornelia certainly considered them to be valid ones. It was likely a mistake not sharing them with Euphemia, even if keeping mum was for the younger girl's safety. But as Euphemia's presence here indicated, there were things the girl considered more important than her own safety. As Cornelia struggled to come up with something that would concede Euphemia's concerns while still admonishing the girl for behaving so irresponsibly, a throat clearing sounded and saved her the effort.

All gazes fell upon the blond-haired girl that had previously been sitting aside to the confrontation.

"While I understand that this is an internal family matter, all of you are presently guests in my house. Might I suggest that all involved calm down a bit so that you can discuss this like the reasonable, mature people I know all of you to be?"

That actually elicited a snort from Lelouch, to which Milly flashed a smile before regarding the Princess Cornelia more solemnly. Cornelia remembered well the Ashford daughter, seeing as Milly had been not only a childhood friend of Nunnally and Lelouch, but also Euphemia. What she recalled was of a mischievous and energetic girl, one as comfortable rolling around in the garden and getting chided for dirtying her dress as sitting around a small table sipping tea and preparing to already be some high lady of society. That was years ago however, though what little Cornelia had seen thus far now indicated that those qualities were only further accentuated by the passage of time. Milly had also clearly reestablished her relationship with Lelouch, and with a fair degree of closeness at that if she was able to directly contact him like the way Cornelia witnessed.

"Very well, Lady Ashford," the princess finally said.

Milly nodded with another genial smile. "Then please, everyone have a seat."

Cornelia glanced over at Lelouch, who gave a simple shrug. Letting out a snort of her own, Cornelia simply sat down on one of the open loveseats while the others did likewise. A maid, one clearly of Japanese ethnicity, went about and poured cups of tea for all present. Cornelia spared her a single glance before taking a sip. A fragrant earl grey, she identified immediately.

"Now," Milly said, playing the good host. "Euphie, I believe you have something to say first?"

"I do," the younger princess said, fixing her gaze on her brother and offering a hopeful smile. "It's been a long time, Lelouch."

Lelouch set his own cup down on the tray after a sip of his own. The gaze he returned was a level one, as was the answer he gave.

"That it has, Your Highness."

The edge of Euphemia's lips twitched, and Cornelia did her best not to flinch herself. Avoiding this exchange was one of the reasons she had tried to discourage Euphemia from trying to approach Lelouch at this juncture. Cornelia's own rapprochement with Lelouch was certainly not enough for her brother to reveal all to her, but what the cardinal was prepared to discuss he did so with full candor. Elaborating on his prior remarks, Lelouch made clear that he was entirely serious about just how finite and limited his resources were for protecting any of his family and loved ones that came into close physical proximity of him. And in this case, that proximity included the entirety of Administrative Area 11. Protecting Cornelia was already stretching those resources, and Lelouch was only able to justify such overextension on account of how having the Marshal of the Empire actively helping his efforts in integrating Japan was a worthwhile return.

If some other, less authoritative or influential sibling showed up, Lelouch would genuinely not be able to justify extending that sort of protection on mere sentiment. Being family was not enough, not by a long shot, not for the sort of stakes the cardinal played at. This being the case, the best way, really the only way, that Lelouch had to protect his loved ones was to discourage any of them from coming to Area 11 uninvited. And to encourage any that came regardless to return posthaste. If that encouragement required him to act cold and distant towards his family, then so be it. As far as Lelouch was concerned, that was a fair price to pay, and any emotional anguish that occurred could be dealt with later. His sole priority was making sure his siblings remained alive for that later to actually happen. Of course, some of those very same siblings were going to make him put in some effort to create and maintain this distance.

"How have you been?" Euphemia pressed onward, not letting Lelouch's initial aloofness deter her.

The time between her initial arrive at Ashford Academy and the arrival of her siblings had not been idly spent. Indeed Cornelia was not the first this day to demand what Euphemia was thinking in coming to Japan, Milly had much the same reaction once she ushered out her other guests. That was followed by a fairly lengthy heart to heart, during which Milly forewarned the younger girl that Lelouch was likely to act this way in the belief that encouraging Euphemia to keep her distance would be better for her. This was an assessment that Euphemia herself emphatically did not share, and she was determined to make Lelouch reconsider. Stubbornness, it was a trait common to all of the imperial scions.

"Busy," Lelouch answered bluntly. "My duties occupy much of my time, leaving little for leisure or unexpected diversions."

Of which Euphemia's arrival was amongst the latter, went the unspoken insinuation. And an unwelcome one, was another. But Euphemia was not so oversensitive as to let those insinuations perturb her too greatly. Not when lashing out would undermine her actual objective.

"I know you are worried about how I might be endangered by being in Area 11," Euphemia stated. "And for worrying you so, I am sorry."

For all the seeming recklessness Euphemia was displaying by coming to Japan, the girl was possessed of a certain astuteness. And thanks to Milly's prior priming, Euphemia knew that the best chance of getting what she wanted out of this meeting was to return Lelouch's frankness with her own honesty.

"An apology does not automatically earn forgiveness for the pertinent act," Lelouch stated, allowing a bit of the anger that accompanied his worry to show.

Euphemia gave a slight, sorrowful smile as she nodded. "I know. But, might I still ask you to forgive me for it?"

The cardinal let out an exhausted sigh. After a few moments he drained his teacup and set it aside. For all the coldness of Lelouch's attitude, the cardinal did not actually regard his sister poorly or wish her any ill. Even if her appearance extended beyond merely inconvenient.

"How did Your Highness even get to Japan in the first place?" he asked.

There might still be a curtness to Lelouch's wording, indicating Euphemia was far from receiving that forgiveness. But the tone he took was not as prickly as before, so that was probably an improvement.

"I bought a plane ticket," Euphemia answered simply.

"You bought a plane ticket," Lelouch repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I have a credit card with a very high limit," Euphemia said, "and I don't really spend that much of it each month."

The cardinal now looked over at Cornelia. "Does Her Highness not have a security screen that should have noticed her attempting to leave the homelands?"

Cornelia grimaced slightly. "Mother and I have ensured Euphemia maintains a very low profile, and for the most part her anonymity has held."

No small feat that, considering the determination of the tabloids despite the very risk of getting shot by a royal's armsman if they intruded too forcibly into the lives of their charges.

"Maintaining that anonymity has required that the security screen protecting her be a bit more, passive, than that of other royals," Cornelia continued. "As a consequence, there are gaps in that screen that Euphemia could slip through if she set her mind to it." The princess shot her sister a reproving glare. "In the past, she has usually shown more sense than to actually do that."

"I see," Lelouch said, irritation flickering in his eyes, but he made no further remark.

After a moment of tense silence, Cornelia spoke up again.

"Euphemia, you need to go home."

A stubborn look crossed the girl's expression again and her eyes darted back and forth between her two elder siblings. Cornelia also glanced over at Lelouch, frowning slightly.

"Shouldn't you be helping me make the case here, Lelouch?"

Lelouch glanced over at his sister. He held up one hand. "Pot." Then the other. "Kettle." And brought the two together to meet.

A chuckle leaked out from Milly despite her arguably halfhearted efforts to restrain herself. Even Euphemia could not help but allow a smile to cross her expression.

"Must you be so flippant about this?" Cornelia said unhappily.

"I failed to convince you to go home when you arrived," Lelouch retorted. "What makes you think I'll have any greater success with your sister?"

"She's your sister as well," Cornelia pointed out.

"And that makes her more likely to listen to me, how?"

Milly watched the back and forth with some degree of amusement, but considering the clear impasse she cleared her throat to draw everyone's attention.

"Your Highness," she first addressed Cornelia. "I understand your personal concerns about Euphie's safety while in Japan. You yourself stated however that the security screen that is usually in place to protect Euphie tends to be more subtle and passive than that of other royals. This being the case, and assuming her anonymity can be preserved, the security measures here at Ashford Academy may well be of parity with that which protected Euphie back in the homelands."

While Euphemia's eyes lit up with optimism, Cornelia looked far from convinced and Lelouch's own lips thinned slightly. The cardinal was intimately familiar with the security measures Milly referenced, he had been responsible for augmenting them to account for the increased attention his courtship of the Ashford heiress might draw to the girl in question after all, and so knew that Milly was not exaggerating. The visible security personnel employed by the Ashfords were all highly competent and experienced professionals, and then there were the less obvious guards like the maid presently attending to them. Sayako Shinozaki was not the only former Security Police officer that Ruben had managed to recruit into the direct employment of his family, and the cadre that they formed was arguably on par with even a contingent of a royal's armsmen. Against any conventional threats, they were probably amongst the highest tier of possible defenders. Against the likes of the heretics, the augmentation that Lelouch had provided from Eden Vital's resources should have been adequate so long as Milly did not draw too much further attention. That being said, that augmentation had only been intended to protect Milly herself. Throwing Euphemia into the mix might end up stretching those resources to the point of rendering them ineffective, and Lelouch was not in a position to further reinforce them at this point.

"The security screen that is in place prioritizes your personal safety, Milly," Lelouch stated. "To ensure its continued efficacy in that regard, its attention cannot be split to account for another charge."

In other words, if push came to shove, the academy's security needed to prioritize who they would focus on, and Lelouch was implicitly suggesting that the focus needed to remain on Milly herself, even if that meant allowing Euphemia to come to harm. A very unhappy look crossed Cornelia's expression as she heard that.

"Lelouch," she began reproachfully.

"You know full well how limited my resources are, Your Highness," Lelouch however cut her off, even if he did so formally. "If you dislike the fact that I have to prioritize so aggressively, perhaps you might endeavor to not place me in such precarious positions to begin with?"

Cornelia snorted. "Trying to get rid of me again?"

"Just pointing out the facts," Lelouch said. "I cannot prioritize Her Highness' safety over that of your own person, or even that of the Lady Ashford, nor do I have sufficient manpower to provide all of you with adequate protection."

While it was certainly not gladness that filled Euphemia at hearing those words, the girl did sneak a glance over in Milly's direction. There could be plenty of purely pragmatic reasons for which Lelouch might be particularly invested in the Ashford heiress' wellbeing, above even that of his own sister, at the age she was at, it was only natural for Euphemia's musings to lean in a certain direction. And despite Lelouch's seeming aloofness towards her, Euphemia still felt a tingle of joy that he might have found someone special to him. And a bit of loneliness at the increased distance this would inevitably result in as Lelouch established a family of his own. That was perhaps inevitable as all of them grew up and went to find their place in the world, but seeing that Lelouch was already forging ahead in that regard only made Euphemia more determined to try and make the most of what time she could with her brother.

"That being the case, something has to give. Now, sending Her Highness back to Pendragon would resolve the immediate issue in the most expedient manner, but she has given no indication that she would go willingly," Lelouch continued. "Seeing as you are her full sister, I would think the responsibility to be yours if you think it necessary to force the issue."

Stubbornness colored Euphemia's face again as she looked at Cornelia. The older princess regarded her sister, clearly determined to see to her safety but also reluctant to hurt her emotionally in the process. It was in some ways a rather uncharacteristic display on Cornelia's part. No, not uncharacteristic, merely uncommon. Those that encountered the princess in passing often arrived at the conclusion that she was entirely lacking in tenderness. Those that knew her better understood that Cornelia reserved such warmth for only those she deeply cared about, and there was arguably no one Cornelia cared about more than her dear sister.

"Your Eminence," Milly once more broke the silence. "Do you truly believe that Ashford's security would be, compromised, by having to also protect Her Highness?"

Lelouch's lips thinned. "Let us just say, it is not within my current capacity to further bolster it should new demands arise."

"And yet the academy already has to provide protection for quite a few noble scions," Milly said. "My family is also not without resources of our own. If the need does arise, surely there is something that we can do to further enhance the screen protecting the school and its students."

Against geass wielders, that might be overly optimistic, but it was not as if Lelouch could explain that to those present. They did not yet have a need to know, if only because none of them possessed the qualities necessary to help him directly fight the heretics. But against more conventional threats, Milly did have a point. And if geass wielders really did rear their heads, it was unclear whether Lelouch's existing precautions would be sufficient to protect Ashford anyway. Perhaps there was a need to reevaluate the measures he took. In the meantime though, there was still the question of what to do with Euphemia. Lelouch glanced over at his sister with a speculative look.

"How many people are aware of Her Highness' presence, irrespective of whether they know her true identity?" Lelouch asked Milly even as he continued to regard Euphemia.

"Beyond the members of my household staff," Milly answered, "Euphie arrived while I was introducing Kaguya and Suzaku to some of my deputies and prefects."

From the surprise that Cornelia now displayed, the princess was not expecting the numbers to be so high already, and to include certain persons she had less than total confidence in. Lelouch restricted his reaction to a single quirked eyebrow in Milly's direction for now.

"The latter will keep their mouths shut, I didn't appoint anyone with a tendency to gossip," Milly stated confidently. "The former, they seem to understand when to be discreet. And you could always order Suzaku around since he's in the military."

"I will take your word for it regarding your fellow students," Lelouch said, then looked back at Euphemia. "It seems then Her Highness' anonymity remains intact, for now."

A hopeful expression appeared on Euphemia's face, while simultaneously Cornelia's frown deepened.

"Should it continue to remain intact, Ashford's security might be sufficient to ensure Her Highness' personal safety," Lelouch continued. "Maintaining that anonymity however requires a certain distance to be maintained from the viceroyalty, to avoid any attention being drawn to her. That would mean Her Highness cannot simply visit the viceroy's palace at her discretion, or indeed go anywhere that would otherwise allow her to easily and readily interact with imperial authorities." The cardinal's eyes hardened slightly. "It would also mean those authorities would also not be able to simply call upon places that coincidently Her Highness may be present at."

The hope faded, replaced by an almost sorrowful look. Similarly, Cornelia's discontent took on a more sympathetic shade as she regarded Euphemia. The girl's intent on coming to Japan was obviously to get closer to her family, Cornelia and Lelouch both. But now the latter was making clear that, if she wished to remain in relatively close physical proximity like this, she would still be restricted from actually being with them. In a way that invalidated the entire rationale for her being in Japan in the first place. But a look of determination quickly restored the vigor in Euphemia's face.

"I understand, Brother."

For all Lelouch's determination to maintain a certain distance between the two of them, ostensibly for Euphemia's own safety, the latter was equally determined to close that gap. While that distance was not quite as narrowed as she would have liked, she was still much closer than she had been before, and poised to draw closer yet should the opportunity arise.

With a slight sigh of exasperation, Lelouch glanced over at Cornelia.

"The final call is yours," he declared.

Cornelia grimaced. "Euphie. Are you absolutely certain about this?"

The girl gave an emphatic nod. "I am, Sister."

With a sigh of her own, Cornelia gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. You can attend Ashford. But you will follow my instructions to the letter while you are here, and you are not to ever stray outside of the security that the Ashfords can maintain. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Euphemia said with a wide, joyful smile. "And, thank you, Sister." The girl looked over at Lelouch as well. "Brother."

The cardinal's impassive expression was hardly an acknowledgment of the address, but neither was it a denial.

End of Chapter

Hmm, I'm running into that whole scenes running longer than I expected thing all over again.

Slight confession, at this point I'm literally just making up the chapter names when I go and upload the chapters. Any particularly evocative title is more a happy coincidence than me being deliberately clever.

Work has ramped up significantly again, so updates will likely remain highly irregular, even assuming I have enough content mapped out to fill out chapters.

The site has been doing some weird things, like sending notification emails twice. Not entirely sure what's going on there.

There was a question of about how far I intended to take this story. I don't know yet. About all I do know is that it damn well better not go on for as long as Calculus did. I don't think I have the patience or endurance to put out another story of that length so soon after its completion.

Milly's behavior in my story has been entirely in line with my understanding of her basic person from the canon. And frankly the Code Geass canon as a whole was far more guilty of shoehorning characters into specific roles and behaviors in order to justify the direction the overall plot went than to let the actions of the characters drive the unfolding of the plot.