Planting Spies

Suddenly, Leila seemed to have hit upon the answer, and a hint of excitement entered her voice.

Ask looked at her approvingly and said:

"Exactly. In the end, the organization's original members all came from resistance groups, and each group was its own faction with its own leader. If he doesn't promote those leaders to senior positions, he risks upsetting the rank and file. That's a cardinal mistake in the early stages of building an organization."

"I see. I really do still fall short of you, Ask..."

Leila sighed. She did not feel particularly defeated-she was used to it by now-but she still felt a little disappointed.

She was not as intelligent as Ask. In combat, she could not even match an ordinary soldier. As for looks, Ask already had Monica by his side.

Apart from her special Geass, she probably had nothing of value to offer Ask.

Even so, he hasn't treated me as a tool for my Geass. He keeps me by his side as the person he trusts most and has given me tremendous authority. I can never repay that kindness.

And my family...

Leila's family had originally been Britannian nobility, but they had been implicated in the "Bloodstained Rebellion." The entire family had fled into exile in the EU, hoping to escape the conflict.

However, after Britannia conquered most of the EU, Leila's family was discovered in hiding. Her parents were killed, leaving Leila as the sole survivor.

She was then adopted by the Marcallé Family, a massive financial conglomerate, and treated as a tool whose talents they could exploit. That lasted until she met Ask, who "rescued" her, taught her, and gave her a relatively comfortable environment.

She was grateful to Ask, and she loved him too.

"I'll compile the information on the terrorists as soon as possible."

Leila instructed the servants to investigate the terrorists so she could organize their findings and pass them to Ask.

"Good. Sorry for the trouble."

"However, from what we know so far, those terrorists are all from the Island Nation. I'm afraid it will be difficult to get them to willingly become our spies."

After Britannia conquered the Island Nation, it renamed the country "Area 11," and its inhabitants were called "Elevens." Only a few kindhearted people like Leila continued to call them people of the Island Nation.

"They don't need to be willing. I'm not foolish enough to trust an Eleven's loyalty."

"So we'll need leverage to make them comply. Understood."

Leila nodded and left the room. With the efficiency of Ask's faction, gathering the information would not take long.

Ask stretched, then pulled Monica into his arms.

"It's been a while since we were intimate, my little knight."

With Ask so close that she could feel his breath, Monica showed little embarrassment. They had done this many times before. Half joking, she said to him:

"Honestly, Your Highness, I thought you'd forgotten your old love now that you had a new one."

"Hahaha, of course not."

Ask tipped his head in a gesture, and Monica obligingly knelt before him and undid his clothes.

Enjoying Monica's attentions, he reclined on the sofa with his eyes closed and said:

"There are still a few resistance groups active in Area 11, aren't there? One of them is called the Island Nation Resistance Front?"

"Yes. Would you like them eliminated?"

Monica's expression did not change. To her, the Island Nation's resistance groups were nothing more than scum. There was no need for a Knight of the Round like her to take the field; Ask's personal guard could easily wipe them all out.

Ask shook his head.

"Resistance groups only ever make small moves. They won't amount to much. From Lelouch's perspective, he needs a proper debut, something that brings his organization into the public eye and gives the people hope. That will win him a large following."

"What does that have to do with the resistance groups?"

Monica looked adorably puzzled.

"To bring his organization into the public eye, he needs an opportunity to show the people their strength in the name of justice."

"Oh, I see. So the Island Nation Resistance Front will become their stepping stone?"

Understanding dawned on Monica. She was not as clever as Leila, but she was no fool either. A little prompting was enough for her to grasp his meaning.

"Yes. And after suffering a setback at my elder sister Cornelia's hands, he'll definitely want to settle that score. He'll use the Island Nation Resistance Front as a stepping stone to present themselves to the public as the side of justice. Then he'll demonstrate their strength by driving back a Britannian princess-"

"And recruits will naturally come pouring in, right?"

With a mischievous smile, Monica interrupted Ask and finished his thought.

Ask merely smiled, unbothered. There was no need for excessive formality between him and Monica. They were more like lovers than master and servant.

"When Lelouch steps into the spotlight, that will be our chance to plant spies."

As he spoke, Ask took out his phone. Leila had gone to compile the information, and Monica was busy attending to him, so he would have to issue the orders himself.

"Jeremiah."

"Yes, Your Highness. What are your orders?"

Jeremiah's voice came through the phone.

"Arrange for people to contact the Island Nation's resistance fronts. Plant our people among them and await my instructions."

"Understood, Your Highness."

Meanwhile, at Ashford Academy, established in Area 11-the Island Nation-by the Britannian noble house of Ashford.

It was part of the settlement in Britannia's colony, a safe haven far from the fighting. Thanks to the nobility's influence, many soldiers guarded the surrounding area, allowing the students to enjoy a school life "untouched by the world's troubles."

Naturally, almost everyone attending the school was of Britannian descent, including Lelouch.

During the break between classes, Lelouch kept thinking about his next move.

Just as Ask had predicted, his organization was still far too weak.

It had no troops, no combat power, no technology, and no money.

Still, he had stormed Suzaku Kururugi's execution with only three companions and taken Suzaku away. That achievement had drawn more people to join their organization in secret.

But ultimately, his organization was still just a resistance group, with little room to grow.

Now, he needed an opportunity.

As C.C said, that man's actions are unpredictable. But it's already been several days since Suzaku was taken away, and he hasn't made a single move...

Using Geass in full view of everyone really was reckless. Jeremiah is his trusted subordinate. There's no way he failed to notice Jeremiah's abnormal behavior under Geass.

I'll have to be more careful from now on, or I could easily expose Geass.

And I'll have to act ahead of schedule. Tch, what exactly did he come to the Island Nation for?!

Lelouch was so deep in thought that he did not even notice Milly giving him a long, searching look as she passed the classroom.