Chapter 193
That usually arrogant and disdainful sneer, that slightly upturned corner of his mouth, this time carried a hint of expectant warmth.
It was after that audience that Vera was able to truly feel that the support from the Imperial Capital Pendragon for the European Britannia, or more precisely, for her, had reached a new level.
As Vera lived up to expectations in her practical experience in pacifying European Britannia, demonstrating outstanding integrated leadership and gradually delivering on the promises made in her PowerPoint presentation, Pandoragon's central government funding, policy support, and personnel assistance increased year by year.
This has led to the thriving four major industrial zones in European Britannia, and the remarkable success of the pilot military reforms.
Especially with the awakening of [Heaven's Gift], Vera 'embraced and accepted' everything about the other eight 'sisters'.
The foundation laid in the early 2014 calendar was originally intended to address many problems that were expected to take many years to overcome. However, the optimized projects have achieved key breakthroughs. It is foreseeable that 2017-2018 will be a year of fruitful technological achievements for European Britannia.
During this period, including the time before and after awakening [Heaven's Gift], Vera had actually slowed down, and even forgotten, her thirst for Geass.
Firstly, the timing wasn't right, and secondly—there were more beneficial and interesting things attracting her attention: farming, scientific research, replicating Gundam, training soldiers, handling government affairs, provoking the EU, arbitrating the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean, and lashing out at certain shameless nomadic peoples who brazenly used the Old Testament to claim Canaan as their own... She was having a great time.
Until Lord Manfredi, a subordinate of the Order of Saint Michael, came into view, a refugee with the ID number from District 11 who had somehow been picked up by someone.
Many Knight of Michael praised him as the last samurai of the East. He was also adopted by the extinct noble family of the Hyuga Family and became a son-in-law. After reviewing everything, Vera finally found the time to advance her progress in acquiring Geass.
The cult and VV are too crazy and insane, so we won't consider them for now.
Unless they come to us on their own initiative.
CC. Vera overcame the limitations of age, skipped a grade from the military academy to the Imperial University, and when she first took power, her opponent had already left.
All that is known is that she was traveling around the world, but it is unclear when she arrived in District 11, where she was captured and detained by the Geass research organization for research.
For Vera, she was a fallback option.
Vera will not go to District 11 unless absolutely necessary.
The combination of the Green Forest Witch and the rebellious Black Prince is a key move that could shake up the world. Let them cause trouble, Charles has seen through everything in secret, is not in a hurry. Why should she be in a hurry?
Finally, there's the acquisition method Vera is pushing for: Geass Fragments.
She recalled visiting her uncle's private museum when she was a guest at the New Hohenzollern Castle in the Americas. It was filled with Anteiku paintings and luxury goods brought from the Old World to the New World by nobles who had fled during the Napoleon Wars. Some were from Hohenzollern, while others were purchased from fallen noble families.
After browsing around, Vera noticed the crimson Geass bird mark on many medieval paintings, murals, and porcelain pieces. Religious themes, epics praising heroes, and the era of witch trials were relatively concentrated in these areas.
It's clear that in the Middle Ages, there were many instances of Geass users displaying their abilities in public, and these were subsequently recorded.
Among these are the Teutonic Knights choosing an ancient Prussian settlement with unknown ruins to establish Königsberg, and the story of Albrecht I, the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, changing the territory of the Teutonic Knights into the permanent Duchy of Prussia.
Ruins, Geass ruins, Königsberg...
Ah, killing two birds with one stone.
Based on this, Vera set the final destination for this Northern Army Group offensive.
Königsberg, currently.
Vera looked around at the painted murals in the underground chapel belonging to the tomb of the Prussian duke. The brightly colored Geass bird emblems were very eye-catching, just like the oil paintings she had seen in the exhibition room of her uncle's house in the Americas.
Tap, tap.
As if in remembrance and to comfort her ancestors, Vera, having dismissed the guards, gently touched the mural.
The next moment, something entered her mind.
Vera's indigo eyes were unconsciously tinged with a very dim, almost imperceptible red light, Vera felt as if there was something extra on her retina.
"It's not Geass... Oh well, although it's not perfect, at least hard work pays off."
187
Chapter 187 is a Geass titled "Plunder".
In the somewhat empty underground sanctuary of the church, Vera stood in front of the murals in the tomb of her maternal ancestors, one hand behind her back and the other gently stroking the patterns on the wall, lost in thought.
Before she was preoccupied with various military and political secrets, her goals, besides seizing power, were to obtain Geass and become the owner of 'King's Power'.
Although the process and method were different from what I had imagined.
At first, I thought I'd have to go to my uncle and beg for forgiveness, or maybe I'd have to force myself on some forest witch...
When she finally got her hands on the prize, she received a skull instead.
It's quite sad, really.
Unbeknownst to her, Vera's indigo pupils, glowing with an eerie red light, gradually widened.
In the seemingly quiet and ancient tomb, she saw something beyond the realm of the ordinary and the physical world—a human skull.
Floating in mid-air, skinless and fleshless, bald and clean, with a Geass bird mark on its forehead that shimmered with an eerie red light.
Those dark, hollow eye sockets looked like a gaze from the depths of hell.
"I sense your thirst and desire. Do you want power, descendant of Hohenzollern?"
A hoarse and deep voice.
Despite the fact that the upper and lower jaws did not move, there were no vocal cords, and it was unrelated to language, this strange voice, which could not be identified as male or female, still delivered the information accurately to Vera's ears, like the light, thin veil of Mnemosyne brushing across her mind.
Vera appeared perfectly normal, seemingly unaffected.
"Oh? What can you give me? The spirits of the dead that dwell in my ancestors' tombs?"
In the tomb chamber, which seemed to freeze for a moment, the colors faded, and gradually blurred, she asked a question she already knew the answer to, and her eyes lit up with interest.
"You're expecting it."
The skull said with certainty, "Descendant of the Black Hawk of Hohenzollern, you do indeed know something."
"Is that why?"
It asked a question in return, but quickly put it out of its mind.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter. As you said, I am a spirit of the past. So, you who are determined to conquer the world and scourge the land in this new era, your strong desire has awakened me. Thus, the contract is made, and I will bestow this power upon you."
The next moment, a dazzling crimson halo suddenly bloomed on the bird mark on the forehead of the skull.
The previously dark eye sockets suddenly shone brightly, bursting forth with irregular, flowing light and shadow like blood, formed by veins of light like silk threads.
It meandered towards Vera's eyes.
In an instant, a roar like the creation of the world echoed in her mind, followed by countless incoherent murmurs.
Vera looked up when the church bells rang in her ears again.
In terms of time, it was only a fleeting moment.
Her senses flowed again, the previously dull colors of the mural were refilled, and the skull that had been floating in front of her just moments before had disappeared.
Only the Geass bird emblem on the mural, its luster now dulled, remained.
Its spirituality has vanished.
Just like in archaeology, funerary objects that quickly oxidize and fade after being unearthed.
The head of a deceased ancient code possessor, or perhaps the remnant of their spiritual power...
Vera thought to herself.
It is certain that the ancient owner of the Code was killed and had his Code stolen; he did not voluntarily pass on his Code abilities.
If it's voluntary, according to the testimony of CC, the longest-living Code owner in the world today, who was having an affair with her rebellious eleventh brother in District 11: the predecessor will inevitably die after actively passing on the Code ability to the successor.
Because it is voluntary, the Geass abilities, which manifest in different forms due to the influence of one's own wishes, will disappear without leaving any lingering regrets.
The skull before Vera clearly still retained a considerable amount of Code power and spiritual remnants.
In conclusion, based on the information currently available, it can be inferred that the owner of this skull was likely killed by his contractor—a contractor whose Geass had grown to the point where his eyes could be controlled and his Code was acceptable.
Just like Lelouch, the 'rebellious black prince' in the original timeline, who murdered his father and mother.
After assimilating his father Charles's Code, which he had only recently mastered, Lelouch successfully seized power and implemented the "Requiem of Zero Project." He did not die, but during his subsequent resurrection and Remembrance recovery, he encountered the lingering resentments of Charles and Marianne in the chaotic "C's World." The two haunted him and tried to prevent Lelouch from regaining his Remembrance.
The C's World, in short, is the collective unconscious of humanity, the Alaya consciousness.
The only difference is that the skull was probably killed in the physical world before it died, which is why it left traces. Charles, on the other hand, was devoured in the [C's World] and left without a trace, so there's no way his lingering resentment could affect reality.
From the medieval Crusades to the Teutonic Knights, and then to Prussia, how and when Hohenzollern acquired it, and whether this skull was her ancestor in life, is irrelevant.
As Vera lowered her hand from the mural, she felt her mind was incredibly clear and her spirits were higher than ever before.
The warmth and slightly itchy sensation were so captivating that she completely forgot herself. The power called Geass was successfully imprinted into her soul, or rather, accepted by her soul.
But.
"My Geass ability?"
Vera frowned slightly, and a blood-red smear quickly stained her indigo left pupil, within which a fiery red bird seemed about to take flight.
Unfortunately, it was ultimately a case of 'wanting to spread its wings' but 'unable to fly'.
Because her Geass active ability is missing.
To be precise, it needs to be put back in its proper place.
"I see, plunder, huh?"
Vera muttered to herself silently, feeling the highly activated Geass ability she had just acquired.
She could sense the desire of Geass, whether it was plunder, acquisition, or exchange, she was able to seize and use the Geass abilities of other Geass users.
If other Geass users are like 'operation chips' to Vera, then her own Geass is like a 'universal slot', plug and play.
The specific effectiveness and the number of 'slots' are affected by her physical attributes, mental strength, and suitability.
Once her 'universal slot' is inserted into the 'operation chip,' it's time for the bird in her pupils to 'spread its wings and soar.'
"This is truly—a Geass that perfectly suits my needs!"
Grinning, Vera rubbed the lower part of her left eye socket and squinted slightly.
Upon closer reflection, it truly does perfectly match her personality.
The specific manifestation of Geass is influenced by its own desires and qualifications.
Eligibility criteria are difficult to quantify, so we'll leave that aside for now.
For example, C. C., who longed to be loved, received the Geass of 'being loved'; Mo, an orphan who hoped to understand others, received the Geass of 'mind reading'; Lelouch hoped to gain the power to destroy Britannia, received the Geass of 'absolute command'; Charles's Remembrance modification...
As for Vera—
She is quite pragmatic and not interested in being loved without any reason or cause, and she is even less inclined to spend her energy trying to understand others.
Although she also pursues and desires greater power, she is equally keen on vying for power and profit.
Go to fight, go to struggle, go to seize, go to conquer, go to Trailblaze, and go to establish your own Order.
He aspires to become the Emperor of Britannia, unify the world, lead the technological advancement of the era, and guide Britannia towards the stars...
It's not just about destroying the world or creating some kind of world for the sake of his sister.
Coupled with that special condescending attitude that cannot be told to outsiders, the strong desire to conquer the world, whip the world, and control everything, as well as the long-hidden defense and extreme resistance to being manipulated by various Geass due to being 'born with knowledge', he was also deeply ingrained in his heart.
This is how Geass, which appears to be a complex process but is actually quite simple and efficient, was created.
In short, he knows too much, thinks too much, and wants too much.
Then let's go and plunder and dominate other Geass users!
Undoubtedly, this is a powerful ability that takes into account both the secular and Geass realms. The initial 'blank entry' is not a big deal; for Vera, this is the most suitable. Her advantages mean she doesn't need to worry about the so-called growing pains of struggling to find her goals.
Thinking of this, she smiled.
With one hand covering her eyes, Vera's heart was filled with restless desire.
With a sharp blade in hand, the urge to kill arises spontaneously.
She couldn't wait to catch a Geass user and test it out.
After suppressing the urge to immediately set off to test Shin Hyuga Shingo, Vera calmed herself, turned around, and slowly drew her pistol, then aimed it at a shadowy corner at the entrance to the tomb of a first-generation Prussian duke.
"You've been watching for a while now, my friend."
Vera sensed being watched, but there was no malice in it.
Snap, snap.
"As expected of Charlie's most outstanding and most talented heir with the strongest Geass aptitude."