The operation to capture Cornelia had failed, leaving Lelouch and Kallen no choice but to "flee" back in disgrace.
Actually, it could hardly be called "fleeing." At least, both publicly and internally, it was called a "tactical retreat."
Although the media were trumpeting Britannia's great victory and the Black Knights' humiliating defeat, behind the scenes, the Kyoto Six Houses and the scattered resistance groups of the Island Nation knew that this battle had been a tremendous victory for the Black Knights.
Despite being hopelessly outnumbered and completely surrounded, they had broken out with minimal losses, defeated the Witch of Britannia, and annihilated General Alex's forces.
Such a feat was nothing short of a "miracle," something the people of the Island Nation had never dared dream of.
The name "Witch of Britannia" weighed like a boulder on every heart in the Island Nation, and the belief that "Britannia is invincible" had taken deep root.
Now, Zero had shattered that boulder, and the rise of the Black Knights had shaken that belief.
They had seen hope.
And the one who had given them that "hope" was none other than Zero, the man who had wrought a "miracle" no one else could achieve!
For a time, admiration for Zero reached new heights. People from across the Island Nation flocked to the Black Knights, more than doubling their ranks.
Yet the Black Knights were still strong only on the surface.
Without the technology and funding to match, numbers alone could not topple Britannia.
Fortunately, their glorious achievement in the Narita Mountains had earned them a "ticket" to negotiate with the Kyoto Six Houses.
The meeting was set for the following morning.
He needed to make some preparations.
Lelouch turned on the television and watched the press conference Cornelia was holding.
Ignoring the barbs aimed at Zero and the Black Knights, he studied the footage on the screen and thought.
Since Cornelia is unharmed, that man won't choose to intervene. In the battles ahead, he won't let Cornelia face Zero directly again, both to keep his faction stable and to preserve the Empire's dignity.
Jeremiah has also regained some of his command authority, so the fallout from the Clovis incident should end here.
As long as the Sakuradite mining operations remain undisturbed, that man will have neither the interest nor the reason to intervene. The Black Knights will have some time to develop.
I have to seize that time and expand our strength as much as possible!
Then I'll find a way to drag that man into this!
Lelouch was deeply wary of Ask.
Anyone who could single-handedly establish himself within the Imperial Family and become the leader of one of the Three Great Factions could not be summed up with a simple "he has talent."
Frankly, in Lelouch's mind, Ask's abilities had already surpassed Schneizel's, and he was still growing.
He was the single most likely person to become the next emperor!
Lelouch knew his elder brother's temperament. Ask would nip any potential threat in the bud, without the slightest carelessness or any inclination to treat it as a game-he would act personally.
If the Black Knights grew too quickly, they might well attract his attention.
The reason he had not acted yet was that he did not regard the Black Knights as a "threat."
The operation to capture Cornelia had been intended to confirm precisely that.
If Ask made any move to pursue them afterward, Lelouch would probably have to consider sacrificing a piece to save the king.
That meant he needed to prepare on two fronts:
First, use the Kyoto Six Houses' resources to develop the Black Knights.
Second, use the Kyoto Six Houses as bait he could discard at any moment to counter Ask's intervention.
In other words, tomorrow's negotiations were crucial.
After thinking for a while, Lelouch went to C.C.'s room.
He sat on the sofa facing the bed and spoke to C.C., who was lying on her stomach reading.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to negotiate with the Kyoto Six Houses. Taizo Fujiwara will probably do everything he can to force me to submit so he can control the Black Knights. That's why I want you to impersonate me while I use Geass to infiltrate the place ahead of time. Then..."
"I refuse."
Before he could finish explaining his plan, C.C.'s firm voice cut him off.
Lelouch frowned, puzzled.
"Are you serious? Don't forget that Britannia is hunting you too. If anything happens to me, you'll..."
"I hate men who drone on and on."
"..."
Lelouch was at a loss.
He had never been able to figure out what this woman was thinking, and he had no way to force this immortal, ageless witch to do anything.
If this route was blocked, he would have to find another way.
Lelouch wasted no more breath and turned toward the door.
Just then, C.C. suddenly spoke.
"I suggest you make more use of the people around you whom you consider trustworthy. It will help your organization develop in the future."
"Hmph. You won't tell me anything, so don't act like you know everything!"
"Whether you listen is up to you. I only hope you'll all close the door on your way out."
"...Tch!"
Lelouch clicked his tongue in irritation.
Though the woman's attitude annoyed him, he did not reject her suggestion in his heart.
The people around me, huh...
Lelouch pondered for a moment.
He had seen how every member performed during the Battle of the Narita Mountains.
Kallen was trustworthy and could be groomed for his future personal guard.
Kaname Ohgi was highly respected, but he had little talent. Lelouch could neither cast him aside as useless nor entrust him with important responsibilities.
He would have to give him a lofty position with little real authority.
As for the others, none particularly stood out.
He still had far too few capable people!
After turning it over in his mind, he concluded that aside from C.C., only Kallen could help him carry out this plan.
I'll go talk to her. I need to head back to Ashford Academy anyway.
Before you continue