A grand coup d'état came to an end. Lelouch proclaimed himself the ninety-ninth Emperor of Britannia. Such a major event taking place within the powerful Britannian Empire left many people unable to understand what had happened. In the blink of an eye, Charles had become history, and someone nobody had ever truly known had become the new Emperor.
However, Schneizel's support brought a group of supporters with it, as did Cornelia's. More than half of the current Knights of the Round supported him, especially Xiao Ran, who had achieved tremendous military merits only recently, as well as Bismark, whom Charles had always trusted most. With the support of the Crimson Knights, recognized throughout the Empire as its strongest Military Strength, it could be said that those with the greatest authority and the biggest fists in Britannia had all chosen to support the new Emperor, Lelouch. This left many people unable to make sense of the situation. What exactly had happened? Why had such a drastic change occurred so suddenly? How long had preparations for this day been underway? Countless people could only sense undercurrents surging beneath the surface.
Whether the lower classes opposed it or the colonies opposed it, neither could affect the overall situation much. Lelouch becoming Emperor was no longer something that could change easily. Even if every colony united against Lelouch, it would be useless. The combined Military Strength of the colonies could never match the Empire's own forces. Choosing direct armed confrontation would be the most foolish option. Before they understood the intricacies of the matter, or before someone else stepped forward as the first target, most people chose silence, unwilling to become the second chicken slaughtered to frighten the monkeys.
Only a very small number of people knew that while there had indeed been certain