"All right, I'll negotiate with the Chinese Federation in your place."
C.C. agreed without hesitation, catching Lelouch off guard.
He understood less and less of what this woman was thinking.
Maybe I should ask Shirley next time, get some insight into how women think...
No.
Shirley's father had died in the landslide in the Narita Mountains, and Lelouch had caused it.
He couldn't face her.
In any case, things would be easier now that this woman had agreed.
Although he still couldn't trust her completely, their attitudes toward Britannia didn't clash.
"Then I'll draw up the talking points for you later. If necessary, I can even make a recording so you can negotiate as Zero..."
"No need."
"..."
Another flat refusal.
Lelouch paused, then said with some irritation:
"You need to understand how important these negotiations are... No, I'll just negotiate with the Chinese Federation myself. With Geass, it won't take much effort. You can disguise yourself as me and stay with the Black Knights. I'll sort everything else out for you."
"But don't things like establishing the management structure here also require your personal involvement?"
"...Those things can wait a little..."
"Lelouch, you really don't understand management, do you?"
Lying on her stomach on the bed, C.C. idly wound the ends of her hair around her fingers, toying with the long green strands as she spoke:
"This is a crucial stage of growth. You don't have to handle every step yourself, but you at least need to be there to supervise. That isn't just so you can understand the organization better. It's also so the new members gravitate toward you. If you're absent now, someone else might end up taking a sizable share of your authority. Having been born into the imperial family, you should understand that very well."
"..."
Lelouch didn't argue.
His knowledge of management came mostly from theory. He'd had almost no opportunities to put it into practice.
Unlike that older brother of his.
Besides, he really did need to diminish some of Kaname Ohgi's influence.
"But the Chinese Federation..."
"Didn't I already tell you? I'll handle it."
"..."
"Stop hesitating, Lelouch. This isn't like you. Besides, now that you're a leader, you need to learn how to make proper use of others."
Proper use?
That witch had some nerve saying that.
Was it that I didn't want to give orders? No, I couldn't get anyone to follow them!
If this witch would obey his orders, at least his life would be a good deal easier.
"Fine, then."
Lelouch was mentally exhausted.
Even fighting Britannia had never worn him out this much.
Women were impossible to reason with, and a witch who'd lived for who knew how long was even worse!
Just as he was about to leave, C.C. continued:
"Also, you'd be better off not keeping the Kyoto Six Houses as partners forever."
"...You mean bringing them under my command?"
Lelouch thought for a moment, then said:
"I've considered that. Taizo Fujiwara is no pushover. Whether our partnership lasts depends entirely on how much each side stands to gain. It may be a fragile arrangement, but at the Black Knights' current size, we aren't strong enough to absorb them. If we try to swallow them by force, we might choke to death..."
"You're such a fool, Lelouch."
"What did you say... Tch! Then what brilliant idea do you have?"
He could accept being called a fool by people on Ask's or Schneizel's level, but he couldn't stomach hearing it from the mysterious woman before him, who did whatever she pleased.
He wanted to see just what "good advice" she could offer.
"The Kyoto Six Houses aren't a united front, either. Plenty of people are unhappy with Taizo Fujiwara's methods. Someone with standing, status, authority, and ambition, but no strength of her own-isn't that exactly the kind of person you're looking for?"
Standing? Status? Authority? Ambition?
Someone with all of those, who was also connected to the Kyoto Six Houses...
"You mean Empress Kaguya?"
"Mm-hmm~"
C.C. flashed a smug smile, almost as though she were mocking him.
"True, Empress Kaguya's standing could help build support for the Black Knights. She's also the nominal leader of the Kyoto Six Houses. Even if Taizo Fujiwara disagrees with her decisions, he could never challenge them to her face..."
Lelouch ignored her mockery and considered the matter calmly.
If he could secure Empress Kaguya's allegiance, he would effectively gain full authority over the Kyoto Six Houses. Then he could gradually whittle away at them until they became part of his own organization.
Besides, Empress Kaguya had been born into the Island Nation's imperial family, and the degree of control she exercised over the Kyoto Six Houses was proof enough of her excellent management skills.
She was a perfect fit!
The only thing he needed to ascertain was her "ideal."
Loyalty? That was far too shallow.
If loyalty were his first criterion, he might as well disband the Black Knights.
He only needed two kinds of people.
The first were capable people whose goals didn't conflict with his, such as Diethard. He didn't need to place much trust in him, only make good use of his talent for gathering intelligence and turn him into a sharp blade.
The second were people who entrusted their ideals to Zero, believing that Britannia could not be toppled without him. Such people would gradually develop a loyalty rooted in the conviction that they couldn't do without Zero.
And within the Black Knights, the position second only to him could only be held by someone of the second kind.
Although the last surviving member of the Island Nation's imperial bloodline was probably the second kind, he still needed to make sure.
Having worked it out, Lelouch looked at C.C. in puzzlement:
"Why do you know so much about the Kyoto Six Houses?"
Thinking back, both his contact with the Kyoto Six Houses and his plans to approach Empress Kaguya seemed to have been guided by C.C.
That stirred a trace of wariness in him.
This woman's motives were probably far from simple.
C.C. spread her hands, looking perfectly casual:
"I've lived for so many years and been to so many places. Naturally, I know more than you do."
"..."
What a convenient excuse.
Lelouch didn't press the matter. He left the room after one final remark.
"I'm counting on you to handle the Chinese Federation. If negotiations fail, arrange to meet them at a designated location. Then I'll find time to go and use Geass on their leaders."
It would be more troublesome that way, but at least it provided a safeguard for C.C.'s actions.
He certainly didn't trust this woman enough to leave everything entirely in her hands.
Before you continue