Chapter 176

"At least I didn't wait until the next day to remember that I had a mother who was eagerly waiting for me."

She tilted her head back, poked Vera's forehead with her finger, and said with a hint of complaint.

"How could that be?"

Vera laughed it off.

"You are as beautiful and radiant as ever, just like the bright moon in the sky right now."

She first offered an exaggerated compliment, then stepped forward, took her mother's arm, and quickly and naturally changed the subject, saying, "Mother, have you had dinner? I'm hungry."

No matter how imposing and dignified she may appear in front of others, at least Vera loves herself and has never done anything to betray herself. In fact, she doesn't put on airs in front of her mother who raised her.

Compared to Marianne, the 'Bloody Princess' of Aries, who treated her children as decorations of her own beauty and began trying to improve the Geass adaptability of her children from the embryonic stage, and who could reveal the murderous look on her eyes when she felt bored while comforting Lelouch and Nunnally, and who even considered having Lelouch and Nunnally have children to increase the possibility of obtaining a higher Geass aptitude, she was a truly despicable character.

Princess Hohenzollern with the Gemini Palace is actually a normal person.

As a royal princess carefully nurtured by a prominent family, Princess Victoria Adelheid is a typical European noblewoman.

She is quiet, gentle, well-mannered, and dignified. She only becomes much more lively in front of Vera, who is raising her child for the first time and currently the only time. Vera is so intelligent and easy to raise that she is like a sister raising her child.

Having a strong sense of family means genuinely caring about raising one's children.

As for their conservative political leanings, their tendency to calculate gains and losses, their enthusiasm for vying for imperial power, their love of luxury, and their detachment from reality... these are all characteristics that people from prominent families inevitably acquire to some extent.

"Oh my, your little mouth is as sweet as if it's been coated with honey."

Unfolding her ivory folding fan, studded with pearls, Victoria covered the lower half of her face with it, her eyes slightly upturned as she looked at Vera with a smile.

I love to hear it, please say more.

"Our beloved Duke William has just led the Empire's most talented men to pay you a visit?"

After the intimate reunion, Victoria asked questions as she walked.

"I have no reason to refuse any capable person who is willing to fight on the Eastern Europe front rather than succumb to colonial counterinsurgency."

"You two seem to be having a pleasant conversation. Do you have something big planned in European Britannia?"

The mother, ever astute, asked again.

"Yes. Mother, at the latest within a month, in response to the EU army's 'divine wind' sneak attack on my Order of Saint Raphael Knights, I have decided to retaliate in kind by launching a special experimental military operation against the EU military garrisons in the former Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania."

Vera had no intention of hiding anything.

Princess Victoria was no mere figurehead to be able to reside at the Camelot Palace.

It's even less likely that the intelligence was overheard by a waiter and leaked. This is Camelot Palace, not Aries Palace, the official residence of the Britannia royal family. If enemy agents could infiltrate here, her Cheap Dad, Emperor Charles, would surely launch a massive purge and massacre.

Knowing the truth about the assassination of Empress Marianne eight years ago, she scoffed at the claim that it was the work of terrorists.

It's just internal strife caused by a dispute over policy direction.

Those fabricated rumors that were spread with great detail, such as being assassinated because other royal forces were jealous of him, were not entirely unfounded, because the mastermind was indeed a member of the royal family, from the previous generation.

Wait a minute, who is the most suspected person in the eyes of the outside world right now? Hmm... it seems to be her?

"Your mother is far less knowledgeable than me when it comes to military matters, so I won't interfere. You have your own judgment, and you can consider things carefully. Let's talk about the large-scale construction you've been undertaking in the Ural and Novosibirsk industrial regions over the past six months. Do you still need funding and personnel support?"

"Of course, there's never too much. The Knightmare development industry, which we acquired in exchange from the Ashford family, has been properly settled in the Ural Industrial Zone. The development model of the fifth-generation machine 'Sunderland' has entered the stage of large-scale production, and the Seventh Generation machine 'Vincent' is also taking shape."

What about the Novosibirsk industrial region?

"I have specially approved the establishment of a number of specialized research institutions. These mainly include [Bionic Prosthetics], [Sakura Dite Engine Jammer], [FLOAT SYSTEM], [Blaze Luminous], [Hadron Cannon VARIS], [High-Frequency Vibration MVS Technology], [Radiation Wave System], and [Reaction Weapon Research]..."

"There are quite a few new technologies. Avi, is this why you decided to conduct trial military reforms on the European Britannia?"

"The application of new equipment and new technologies is only one aspect. The main issue is that the army is currently too reliant on the Knightmare armored knights. I plan to use the Eastern Europe front as a pilot project to explore the possibility of enhancing the Imperial military's multi-service combined arms operations."

Time waits for no one.

Victoria sighed with relief, "I won't keep you resting in Pandoragon. You wouldn't listen anyway. Victoria, when are you planning to go back to Saint Petersburg?"

"Tomorrow. After I have an audience with the Emperor."

"Alright, tonight, your mother will personally cook as a farewell dinner for you, Awei."

172

Chapter 172 Family Reunion and Parting Sorrow

"[Bionic Prosthetics]... Wait, you're personally in charge of the medical prosthetics project? Or the Chief engineer? Avi, when did you become interested in bionics?"

"It has always been so. Mother, bullets have no eyes on the battlefield. Too many Britannia soldiers have to retire with their broken bodies. As their sovereign, and as the one who issued the war order, I cannot ignore their suffering. The development of medical prosthetics is simply to better save the lives of our soldiers and allow them to work normally after suffering serious physical injuries."

After hearing Vera's explanation, Princess Victoria Adelheid smiled gently.

"How gentle you are, Avi."

Watching her daughter, who was forking a piece of grilled ribeye and chattering away as she put it into her mouth, with her clear, indigo eyes blinking as she chewed, the mother's brows revealed obvious satisfaction.

Resting her chin on her hand, she watched with a smile as Vera relaxed and enjoyed her meal after returning home.

Victoria really enjoyed this relaxed yet pleasant feeling.

It's like someone very close to you, showing their affection and unguarded side in front of you, and she's not afraid that you'll find her lacking in manners or unreliable. When she's with you, she can shed her dignified princess demeanor and be a little willful and playful.

In the brightly lit Camelot Palace restaurant, a group of uniformed waiters moved quietly around the long, empty tables.

Since tonight's meal was not a grand palace banquet, but merely a private gathering between the imperial concubine and her daughter, and the imperial concubine even personally cooked the meal with great enthusiasm, the food was not considered luxurious.

French-style large plates with small portions.

The cold appetizers included German white sausage, Black Forest ham, and Italian seasonal vegetable and seafood salad. The hot soups included Russian borscht and cream of mushroom soup. The main courses were Texas ribeye steak cut into small pieces, Texas smoked beef ribs, classic pasta, and Spanish seafood paella. Sauces were optional, and there were also many small desserts and ice cream on the side.

The pasta and seafood risotto were cooked by Victoria herself.

It looks like a lot, but over the years, Vera has grown tall and strong from a young age, and her large appetite and ability to stay slim are well-known among the Britannian Royalty.

Today's meal was just an ordinary one.

"Well..."

Vita, who was called 'Asahi', gave a helpless, wry smile.

"I am unworthy of such praise, Mother. Gentleness seems to be a derogatory term for people like us. If I were truly gentle, I should be like Euphemia, restraining my warlike nature."

After saying that, she forked another piece of grilled steak.

The rich fat and hemoglobin, squeezed under pressure, flowed from the cut. After being coated with black pepper sauce, Vera took a bite, her cheeks bulging as she chewed. After swallowing, she picked up the chilled cider beside her and took a big gulp. Then, she paused, shook her head, and sighed softly, "It's just to maintain the army's combat effectiveness, reduce casualties, ensure the survival rate of veterans, and incidentally earn myself a good reputation."

"To borrow the accusations made by the traitorous members of the Blaisgogh family who fled to the EU in their public speeches, all our favors are for the sake of better rule..."

Judge by actions, not intentions.

Victoria placed a hot plate of Texas smoked beef ribs in front of Vera, smiled, scooped up a spoonful of borscht, and said, "Ah~", before quickly and accurately covering Vera's mouth with hers, signaling that the topic should be dropped. Then she picked up a napkin and reached out to wipe Vera's mouth.

"Politics and war are both dirty, and sacrifices are inevitable in order to achieve one's grand ambitions. But as the decision-maker, Augusta must balance kindness and punishment, and apply both aspects flexibly according to the actual situation in order to achieve the best governance results."

"In this respect, you are far superior to your uncle's group of valiant warriors who only know how to brandish swords and spears. They can turn the Cabinet and the Civil Council into a generals' council filled with bayonets. The most important duty of a feudal lord is military command, but to become a great monarch, military command is by no means the only duty."

"Even your father, who dominated the world and looked down upon all nations, experienced the Blood Emblem Rebellion after ascending the throne..."

Victoria did not command Vera to do this or that. Instead, she used her own experience, the innovative monarchical education theories passed down by her family after the blow of the European Napoleonic Revolution, and the personal example of Emperor Charles to patiently guide Vera, helping her to provide and organize her thoughts.

Vera picked up a piece of refreshing vegetable salad with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully and nodded.

It's a policy that combines elements of both hegemonic and tyrannical rule.

Getting back to the main topic, as Vera and Victoria steered the conversation back to the "Bionic Prosthetics" and continued their casual conversation about the project's prospects, at least Camelot Palace, a warm and peaceful atmosphere permeated the air tonight.

The moonlight was as clear as if it had been washed.

The silvery light dappled the crystal curtain wall of the palace, reflecting a soft and cool glow.

Elegantly designed lights are arranged in an orderly fashion inside and outside the courtyard. From near to far, the dim light casts long shadows between the pillars. Sometime during the day, a person suddenly appeared in the shadows between the pillars and the steps.

"One of Charlie's finest heirs?"

A child with light blond hair strolled out.

She looks less than ten years old, but has long, flowing hair that almost reaches the ground.

Coupled with her impeccably tailored, formal attire and cloak bearing the royal crest of Britannia ... all these elements combined to create an especially bizarre appearance.

Half of his body was bathed in the gentle light of the Camelot Palace. He looked up, his dark purple eyes, hidden by the shadow of the pavilion's round eaves, quietly observing the dynamics inside the palace, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Reclaiming ancestral lands in Europe, restoring family glory, dreaming of global unification, vying for the throne... While these are ambitious goals, they are ultimately the wisdom of mortals. Only by slaying the gods can a truly unified world without lies be established..."

murmuring to himself, the little boy turned his gaze to the chalk avenue beyond the gilded gates of the palace gardens.

"Charles's (a nickname for Charles) offspring, since the passing of Marianne and her two wicked children, the Third Princess should be the one with the strongest Geass aptitude among Charles's descendants."

"Vera ...among the four great knightly orders of European Britannia, there is a Geass prodigy hidden. If she can discover and eliminate that Geass prodigy in time, or even touch upon a sliver of the truth of the world...we might as well accept her as one of us. She will be an aid to Charlie in conquering the surface world, as compensation for...brother's 'lying'."

Buzz... Buzz...

Along the chalk avenue, from afar comes the royal motorcade, followed by lead carriages, custom-made Knightmare armored knights, security guards, and a royal procession painted with the crown emblem and the insignia of the First Knights of the Round.

Emperor Charles arrived in a grand procession.

At this moment, in the dining room of the Camelot Palace.

"... During my spare time as the Supreme Military and Political Commander in European Britannia, I devoted hundreds of hours to studying anatomy, microanatomy, biochemistry, physiology, and robotics. I discovered that the Empire possessed, and was relatively mature, technologies related to mechanical body modification and reducing the compatibility and rejection of medical prosthetics. The only problem was that they could not be popularized cheaply."

Vera slowly and methodically listed out her plans.

This is the truth.

Even though she hadn't awakened the "Heaven's Gift" ability, and despite coming from Arasaka and GSG9, the cybernetic technology from Ghost in the Shell wasn't ingrained in her mind, Vera, as if drawn by some unseen force, naturally chose bionic prosthetics when selecting a side career for personal development.

In my Remembrance, the leader of the Pureblood Faction in District 11, Frontier Jeremiah Gottwald, was the unlucky guy who was tricked by Zero in the Orange Incident, and his body was later transformed into a cyborg.

Once this technology becomes widespread and inexpensive, Vera, as its advocate, will gain immense prestige and support within the military, especially among veteran soldiers and military aristocrats. The general public will be equally enthusiastic.

"As a pilot theater of operations, the Eastern Europe front has been piloting medical implants for several years ahead of schedule. The results have been remarkable and the feedback has been positive. What I need to do is to make mature and inexpensive prosthetics available to all citizens of the Empire within a year. By then, there will be no disabled people in the Empire."

Snap, snap.

"As expected of the 'Lamp Goddess' praised by Grand Duke Venance and the great nobles of European Britannia, Mom fully supports Avi!"

Victoria applauded.

Just like Cornelia's 'Britannia Witch' Schneizel's 'White Prince', 'Lamp Goddess' are the titles bestowed upon Vera by the outside world because of her reform projects that saved countless Britannia soldiers.

Of course, to the EU, Vera is a Tsarist-like black vulture.

Just as Victoria shifted the topic to District 11, inquiring about the details of Vera's deployment of the District 11 Honorary Britannia Legion to engage in a firefight with the EU—

Tap, tap.

A slightly noisy commotion followed, with the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, it is His Majesty."

A waiter hurriedly reported.

"His Majesty?!"

Upon hearing this, Victoria immediately stood up.

"Avi, come with me to greet them."

Forgetting about continuing her meal, Vera followed her mother out of the dining room, through the corridor, and just as they reached the front hall staircase, they saw Emperor Charles walking up the steps draped with luxurious red silk.

"His Majesty."

Victoria lifted her skirt and curtsied.

"Father."

Vera gave a military salute.

In fact, she was somewhat bewildered. It was so late; her mother was over forty, and Charles only liked young women, hadn't he? Over the years, he had been adding stepmothers and new siblings to Vera.

"My most wonderful daughter—"

Then, as soon as Charles spoke, Vera understood.

Is this just empty promises?