"Cornelia."
In the corridor of Britannia's council hall in the Tokyo Settlement, Ask greeted Cornelia and walked toward her.
Her knight, Gilford, followed behind her.
Though her knight's presence was every bit as imposing as Monica's behind Ask, presence could not make up for a difference in Knightmare piloting skill.
Cornelia turned around and asked expressionlessly:
"What is it?"
"Are you planning to head to the Narita Mountains to wipe out the resistance organization there?"
"The staff office should already have sent you a copy of the operation plan..."
As the current governor of Area 11, Cornelia had the final say over its development, military operations, and all other activities. She was not required to inform anyone else of her decisions, including other members of the imperial family such as Ask.
She had specifically instructed the staff office to send Ask a copy of the operation plan partly out of respect for him, and partly in the hope that he would deal with certain exceptional circumstances when necessary.
For instance, responding to unforeseen "accidents."
Cornelia liked to take to the battlefield herself and crush her enemies, which meant that overall command had to be left to her adjutant, Andreas Dalton. But Dalton's abilities still fell well short of Ask's, so she had delegated some decision-making authority to Ask.
It was essentially a safety net, meant to prevent another major incident such as the murder of an imperial prince.
However, she had forcibly foisted that authority on Ask, simply to give her vacationing younger brother something to do.
Now, hearing Ask bring up the matter, Cornelia's eyes shifted thoughtfully.
Knowing her younger brother, he must have discovered something important.
"Is there something unusual going on?"
"When you take to the battlefield yourself, once you get into the thick of things, I'm afraid you won't pay much attention to anything else. Orders at the front might not arrive in time, giving the enemy an opening."
"...So you've come to plead your subordinate's case?"
Cornelia spoke. As someone born into the imperial family, how could she fail to understand what Ask meant?
Jeremiah had allowed Zero to escape after he rescued Suzaku Kururugi, and had been punished with temporary removal from his position as a frontline commander. He could not be entrusted with important duties again until the incident was fully investigated, unless he was recalled to Britannia to serve in the homeland.
But there was no way to get to the bottom of his "suddenly letting them go for no reason"-it had been the work of geass, leaving virtually no loose ends.
That meant Jeremiah could never be reinstated in Area 11. His only way forward was to return to Britannia and continue leading and managing the Pureblood Faction's activities.
Ultimately, though, whether he could be entrusted with important duties again came down to a single word from the governor of Area 11.
With Ask keeping it in check, the Military Court would not put Jeremiah on trial. It would simply leave the matter unresolved indefinitely. Besides, Suzaku Kururugi had returned of his own accord after leaving, and had been proven not to be Clovis's murderer. The incident could therefore be treated as either serious or trivial.
All that remained was for the governor of Area 11 to publicly appoint Jeremiah to a post again, and this "unsolved case" would quietly fade away.
It would not even leave a record.
For Cornelia, however, this was not something she could truly "resolve" with a single word.
If she readily agreed, she would be seen as drawing closer to the Radical Faction or the Pureblood Faction. She had no desire to be dragged into a factional struggle.
If she refused, it would inevitably create a rift between her and her younger brother, and she did not want their good relationship to deteriorate either.
Caught between the two, she was in a difficult position. She had to find a compromise.
After thinking for a few seconds, Cornelia said:
"You know what the issue with Jeremiah is. Reinstating him rashly before the incident has been fully investigated would attract considerable criticism..."
She was giving Ask a graceful way out.
If this was merely a performance meant to win loyalty, he could take the opportunity to end it here, and no one would have anything to say.
If he was sincere, he only needed to offer a reason convincing enough for the public, and she could agree to his request.
That way, she would merely be seen as making a fair judgment. There might be some suggestion that she was doing Ask a favor, but no one would think she had joined his faction or distanced herself from him.
That was Cornelia's way of handling it.
The speaker had a point to make, and the listener understood it.
Ask smiled and said:
"Jeremiah has served as a commander for years without making a single mistake. This was the only time he acted foolishly for no apparent reason. Why do you think that was?"
"...Was there more to it than meets the eye?"
"No. What I'm saying is that this minor figure who suddenly appeared may not be as insignificant as we imagined. On the contrary, he may be extremely formidable."
"You mean...Zero?"
Zero had left a deep impression on her. She had fought him before, but had failed to secure a decisive victory and let him escape. Clearly, he was a meticulous thinker.
And last time, Euphemia had also had Zero to thank...
"He certainly isn't an ordinary terrorist. His methods are extraordinary, too. He's talented. If possible, next time I'll try to spare his life, see what sort of face is beneath that mask, and then lock him up."
"That's exactly my point," Ask said in agreement.
"Zero always has methods we can't anticipate. We have to admit that an outstanding leader has emerged among the resistance. Doesn't that explain Jeremiah's mistake perfectly?"
"You mean..."
"He dared to kill Clovis, and he would dare to attack you as well. For this operation, he may already be plotting something, laying a trap and waiting for you to walk into it.
"Though I don't know where he obtained his intelligence on Britannia, as long as I'm in Area 11, I have to prepare for every eventuality.
"To prevent that from happening, assigning an additional commander is essential, and Jeremiah is the most suitable candidate."
Cornelia nodded slowly, apparently agreeing with Ask's argument.
If another member of the imperial family died while Ask was in Area 11, people with ulterior motives in the other factions would likely use it against him.
Once public opinion blew up, even Ask would have trouble handling it. He would have to put forward a capable veteran subordinate to shoulder the "blame."
It would be like cutting flesh from his own body.
She understood Ask's concerns, so she accepted his proposal.
"Very well. If the situation you described really does arise, I'll be in danger myself. If the army then suffers a crushing defeat because the front has lost its commander, it will become an everlasting stain on Britannia. I certainly don't want people cursing me as incompetent after I'm dead."
"Ha, there's no need to be so pessimistic, Cornelia. A gap in equipment, technology, and troop strength can't be overturned by one person's talent for command. Besides, they're facing the Witch of Britannia, who swept through the Middle East and established Area 18."
"Oh, spare me..."
At Ask's teasing, Cornelia waved a hand and gave a wry chuckle.
Her achievements might look dazzling to outsiders, but in front of this younger brother of hers, they seemed rather insignificant.
Piloting was the only area in which she was confident she surpassed him. In every other respect, she lost utterly.
"I'll be going, then..."
As she spoke, Cornelia seemed to remember something and changed the subject:
"Oh, right. Sorry for the trouble, but please try talking Euphemia around. She's old enough to choose a knight now, and I've already selected plenty of excellent candidates for her. Get her to make her choice as soon as possible. Especially here in Area 11, where terrorists are still very active. She's rather mischievous, too, and likes sneaking out on her own for fun. If no one protects her, I'm afraid she'll encounter something even more dangerous than last time..."
"Cornelia, she won't grow up if you keep spoiling her like this."
"...Ah, what else can I do? If I don't keep an eye on her, no one will look after her. You're close to her, so if you talk to her..."
"Well, I'll go and talk to her, but I doubt she'll listen to me either."
That innocent girl had once said she wanted to be Lelouch's bride. He wondered whether she still remembered.
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