Origami had lain low in Tottori Prefecture for several days.
This place held the only desert in Area 11.
She was certain the Geass Order was hidden beneath that desert.
But although she had witnessed members coming and going, she had yet to see V.V., and she still did not know how they relocated.
There were no means of transportation anywhere nearby.
Origami suspected they might have secretly built an underground passage inside their base.
Still, she knew they had not left yet.
Over the past year, she had investigated many Geass Order bases, and almost all of them had been abandoned.
That meant they abandoned their previous base every time they relocated, to avoid leaving any clues behind.
So as long as this base still showed signs of activity, V.V. was very likely hiding inside.
For that reason, she had prepared plenty of dry rations and water and hidden nearby.
Then a call came in:
"The Black Knights have begun their operation. Once you've confirmed V.V.'s location, capture him and bring him over. Jeremiah will handle the handover."
That familiar voice jolted her to attention.
Several days of exhaustion seemed to vanish at once, and she answered with renewed energy:
"Understood, Lord Ask!"
Letting his subordinates hear his voice at the right moment was a way to encourage them, too.
Ever since Lelouch had won Rolo over, he had behaved as obediently as a real younger brother.
Lelouch had not brought him along on this trip to the Chinese Federation, instead leaving him at Ashford Academy.
The purpose was to help conceal his absence while evading the Special Affairs Bureau's surveillance.
Although Lelouch had placed everyone from the Special Affairs Bureau on campus under Geass, he still needed someone to keep watch, just to be safe.
Just