A Miracle Was Needed

Despite his exhaustion in both body and mind, Lelouch was still seriously considering the feasibility of C.C's suggestion.

He was not a man who trusted others easily, much less one who blindly obeyed a mysterious witch. He had always trusted only his own judgment.

After some initial consideration, he felt that he could indeed bring forward his plans to "contact" the Kyoto Six Houses. He needed financial and technological support as soon as possible, as well as time to adapt to new technology and a new organizational structure.

It was not he who needed to adapt, but the members of the Black Knights, whose abilities varied wildly.

Lelouch did not have the luxury of spending years developing a complete organizational framework the way other groups did. He had to strengthen the Black Knights in the shortest possible time, and that strength could not be merely superficial. It needed solid foundations.

That made securing funding and advanced technology particularly important.

Another crucial factor was talent.

Train people from scratch? That would take too long. I can't afford the time, and it might not even succeed.

The only option was to recruit capable, fully trained people from outside, or to merge with and absorb other established organizations.

The Island Nation Liberation Front, for instance.

At present, he could think of only three sources of people with management or command skills-

The Island Nation Liberation Front, the Britannia Empire, and the Kyoto Six Houses.

In that case, he needed to plan his approach and attitude toward the Kyoto Six Houses ahead of time.

"Hmm, that man probably won't concern himself with things here for now. The only person I need to watch is Cornelia, the governor-general of Area 11. This really is the best opportunity to contact the Kyoto Six Houses..."

Lelouch paused, then changed tack after another few seconds of thought.

"But not yet. The organization only recently took in new members, and everything inside is a mess. We need some time to stabilize, and I still need to establish a unique system of trust."

His tone made it clear that the decision had already been made.

Seeing that, C.C had no reason to keep persuading him. Besides, it was better to adjust her suggestion to the actual circumstances and Lelouch's own pace. No one wanted to rush their growth only to leave them strong on the outside and hollow within.

She did not want to see that happen, and she believed Ask did not either.

"Then be careful. That man probably won't intervene, but Cornelia is no pushover either. Now that you've shown yourselves, she's bound to step up her efforts to wipe you out. Don't underestimate her."

She nodded her acceptance of Lelouch's thinking, offered that warning, then turned and returned to her room.

She had already done everything she reasonably could. If he still failed after warnings this explicit, she would have to advise Ask to choose someone else.

Lelouch remained alone in the empty hall, his gaze following the retreating figure with green hair. He had long since grown accustomed to the witch's mysterious nature. As long as it did not affect his current plans, there was no need to probe too deeply.

What he needed now was a "miracle."

The Black Knights had been formed by combining several spontaneously established resistance groups from the Island Nation. They were still nothing more than a "resistance organization." No matter how outstanding their leader was, he could not eliminate the gap between them and soldiers in a real army.

Those qualities were closely tied to education and the cultivation of principles-long-term endeavors that required time.

Moreover, even setting aside the gap in their individual capabilities, they were nowhere near Britannia's army when it came to "following orders."

That was Lelouch's greatest concern at present, and the reason his next-stage plans included a "system of trust," or rather, a "doctrine of obedience."

He needed a "miracle" that only he could accomplish to make these terrorists of wildly varying caliber trust him unconditionally. He had to instill the belief that "without Zero, we cannot win; with Zero, we cannot lose." No matter how incomprehensible or horrifying his orders might be, carrying them out had to come first.

Execute first, question later.

Only then could he make the fullest use of Geass and his own talent for command.

Only then could he enter the game on Britannia's chessboard.

Lelouch took out a map of Area 11. After a long period of consideration, he finally drew a circle in the center of a mountain range.

"The Narita Mountains."

The Narita Mountains were the ideal stage for this performance, as well as a "desperate situation" that could cut off every avenue of retreat.

Britannia's troops were stationed at the foot of the mountains. On the one hand, they were protecting the researchers there who were surveying the "resources" within the Narita Mountains. On the other, they were there to completely annihilate the Island Nation Liberation Front entrenched at the summit.

The Front had been entrenched there for a long time and had established multiple defensive lines, making them a persistent threat to Britannia.

If I could put that to good use...

The corners of Lelouch's mouth curved upward.

"Heh... if I crush Britannia's army in a desperate situation like that and capture Cornelia, the second princess, alive, the legend of Zero will live on forever among the Black Knights."

If he accomplished the impossible, defeated Britannia's invincible army, and captured Cornelia, renowned as the Witch of Britannia, the people of the entire Island Nation would likely worship Zero as fervently as a god.

That was what he truly wanted to do-become the "savior" in the eyes of the Island Nation's people and earn their unconditional trust.

The thought excited Lelouch, but amid that excitement, a trace of worry surfaced.

Capturing a princess might draw more of that man's attention. At that point, he might take action, or he might simply watch coldly from the sidelines.

His actions would become unpredictable.

Still, fortune favored those willing to take risks. Compared with the drawbacks, the benefits were far more tempting to Lelouch.

This could allow his Black Knights to skip a large portion of their necessary growth period and rapidly become stronger.

"I have to seize this opportunity!"

Success or failure hinged on this one move. The benefits outweighed the risks. It was a gamble worth taking.

Having made up his mind, Lelouch put away the map and returned to his room to rest.

Drawing up the plan would take several days. He needed to work out every detail as thoroughly as possible; it was not something he could finish in a single night. For now, he still had to deal with tomorrow's classes without letting anyone notice anything amiss.