Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 96 He finished his business and left without a trace, leaving not a cloud behind.

Two minutes later, the Vienna City Tax Bureau's Collection and Administration Department.

"Lelouch? Hey! You're actually back? Your sister's been looking for you for almost half a year! Were you forced into military service, or did you evade it?"

As soon as Lelouch knocked on the door of the section chief's office, he was immediately grabbed by the arm by a man in his thirties, who was none other than his brother-in-law, Guilford.

Lelouch: "I'm doing well now. I've gone to Barea to join the army. Brother-in-law, this time I came back hoping to take everyone to Barea, to Demania. I have some businesses there, and I need some people to help me in the political arena."

Section Chief Guilford looked him up and down before noticing that his brother-in-law's attire was quite different; he clearly looked like a respectable person.

"You served in the army in Baria? Judging from your appearance, you've made it big. You must be more than just an ordinary sergeant... or a non-commissioned officer now, right? You even have businesses. Did you stumble upon some extraordinary event?"

Lelouch: "Indeed, I am now an officer in the 6th Army of Demania, and I have also gained the favor of His Highness Prince Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Balria..."

Guilford had initially been curious about how his brother-in-law, a recent college graduate, could have achieved such impressive results. But upon hearing that the young man had gained the favor of members of the royal family, Guilford immediately had a guess:
"You? You're appreciated by members of the royal family? Haha... You didn't go and live off a woman, did you? Maybe a royal lady has taken a liking to you, so that duke can only take you as his son-in-law or niece's husband."

Before Lelouch was possessed, his body didn't possess any extraordinary talents. Based on his sister and brother-in-law's understanding of him, the only reason he could suddenly and dramatically rise to prominence was because of his incredibly handsome face.

Lelouch felt a mix of amusement and exasperation: "You've misunderstood, I relied on..."

However, before he could finish speaking, the office door was slammed open with a loud bang.

Several Austrian conscription officers rushed in, followed by several city tax bureau employees who were watching the commotion, and Captain Klose, who hurriedly locked his car and followed.

"Lelouch Hunt? Your act of deserting to evade military service has been discovered. Please come with us and explain yourself!"

Lelouch's shoulders were pressed down, but he didn't want to resist with force. He simply explained calmly, "I didn't evade military service. I left the country before the war officially broke out and went to the neighboring country of Baria."

One of the leading sergeants in the group of military police immediately rebuked them sternly: "Nonsense! A month before the war started, most people could guess that war would definitely break out! When you left the country at that time, weren't you just trying to evade military service!"

The Sarajevo incident broke out on June 28 last year, but the war officially broke out on July 28. In fact, there was a whole month of negotiation and protracted struggle in between.

Therefore, even before the war officially broke out, some rational Austrian citizens fled out of fear.

Lelouch happened to go abroad during the university graduation and job-hunting season at the end of June and beginning of July, getting stuck in that time window.

He didn't want to explain further, but seeing that these military police were disregarding the law, he couldn't help but remind them: "Legally speaking, those who leave the country before the mobilization order is issued are not considered deserters!"

The military police officer was taken aback by his retort, but quickly recovered: "The war has been going on for more than half a year now, why don't you go back to your country? Even if you didn't go abroad on purpose, as long as you're not a coward, you should come back and fight for your country!"

"Who says I didn't fight for my country? I fought the Britannians for six months! I received the Iron Cross Second Class, the Iron Cross First Class, and the Blue Mark! I rose from a communications corporal to a colonel and regimental commander in the 6th Demandian Army!"

“I can vouch for Commander Lelouch! What he said is true! I am Commander Lelouch’s guard company commander! I am a Demanian!” Klose, who was standing nearby, quickly squeezed in front of Lelouch and took out his own identification.

Klose had been in the car the whole time, so he was wearing his Demacian captain's uniform and carrying his identification with him, so he wasn't worried about attracting attention.

The people at the conscription office looked at his documents and, although they couldn't verify their authenticity, they believed him to some extent, especially since the two countries used the same language.

The military police officer only asked with a hint of doubt at the end: "From corporal to colonel in half a year? What kind of merit would that take? You lie without even thinking."

Before Lelouch could answer, Crozier immediately stepped in to defend him: "It was Commander Lelouch and his battalion that first captured Dunkirk, cutting off the retreat of the Burkina Faso expeditionary force! It was also Commander Lelouch and his battalion that first stormed Ypres and captured Marshal John French, the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force!"

Klose, dressed in a Demacian uniform, still carried some weight with his words.

In addition, everyone reads newspapers, so of course they know the hottest war news recently, and they know that the Britannian Expeditionary Force was completely wiped out half a month ago.

Everyone was startled, and the expressions of the military police changed drastically, but they were still unsure.

Fortunately, there were some shrewd people in the room. Lelouch's brother-in-law, Guilford, being a section chief, certainly had a keen eye for situations.

He immediately and smoothly countered with a witty remark: "Oh? So you're the one who captured Marshal John French? Did you seize any tokens? I've heard that those marshals all have very ornate scepters. It's not that I don't believe it, I just want to see for myself."

The tone and expression were just like a female student who, after hearing Mr. Lu Xun say, "What does your Zhou Shuren have to do with me, Lu Xun?", went up to him and said, "Mr. Lu Xun, I am your admirer, please sign my name for me."

Unfortunately, he was a grown man. If Lelouch's older or younger sister were present, it would have been much more effective to have a woman say the word.

Since Chief Guilford had said so, the military police could only suppress their emotions and observe for a while before making a decision.

We're all civilized people. Even those colleagues who arrested Lu Xun knew to check if the autograph the female student wanted matched the one on the wanted poster.

Lelouch also gave his brother-in-law an approving look, which conveniently gave him a way out.

Who are those military police? Do they even deserve to make Lelouch prove his innocence? But since my brother-in-law wants to broaden his horizons, I have to satisfy his curiosity. "Klose, bring up all the souvenirs from the car."

Klose immediately ran downstairs again and returned in less than two minutes, holding the ivory and gold-inlaid marshal's scepter that Lelouch had seized from Marshal John French.

Lelouch took it, completely ignoring the people at the conscription office, and handed the scepter to his brother-in-law for his appreciation.

Guildford had only intended to help, but it turned out to be true. His hands trembled slightly as he received the ivory scepter, fearing he might drop it.

“John Denton Pinkston French, Marshal…” Guildford muttered to himself as he spelled out the inscription on the scepter. At this moment, he was no longer trying to prove anything; he was simply admiring it with heartfelt reverence, much like someone visiting a museum.

The people at the recruitment office, seeing him like this, were completely overwhelmed by an inexplicable force and didn't bother to argue anymore.

"Forget it, let's check the Demacian newspapers later. Maybe there really is something about this guy." The leading sergeant whispered to his subordinates.

The group left silently, without causing another ripple.

In the tax collection office, only a group of civil servants remained, watching the spectacle.

Some gossipy female employees, who were also quite familiar with the Guildford family and loved watching the drama unfold, rushed downstairs to inform Guildford's wife, Lelouch's sister Cornelia, at the nearby dormitory.

Lelouch took the scepter back from Guilford and said leisurely, "I didn't mean to hide it from you. I was just about to say it when the military police arrived. Well, since you all know, I'll just say it directly. Brother-in-law, I hope that you, my sister, and my little sister will all come with me to Demania this time I'm back."

There are much bigger opportunities to do there. If you feel you're better suited for economic regulation and don't want to switch to running a business, I can help you find a way.

I'll call Mark von Baden, the Minister of the Demand Department for Prisoners of War and Occupied Territories Affairs, and suggest you become the Commissioner of the Wartime Economic Coordination Committee for the Dunkirk-Yipour Region. That's no more promising than being the head of the tax collection department at the Vienna City Tax Office."

"Hiss—" Guilford's colleagues all immediately revealed envious glances.

What a lucky life!
Guilford, however, was more astute than his colleague: "Baden... Minister? That surname sounds like the name of a duchy? Could it be..."

Lelouch: "That's right, Minister Baden is also the Grand Duke of the Principality of Baden."

What else is there to say? Guilford has completely surrendered; a minor section chief in Vienna is better off gone.

Just then, a few gossipy female colleagues at the door pulled a 30-year-old woman with naturally purplish-red hair, dressed in casual clothes and flat shoes, who hadn't even had time to do her makeup, and hurriedly ran upstairs.

"Lelouch! You're back!" The woman gave Lelouch a hug as soon as she entered the room.

“Sister Cornelia, I’ve already talked to my brother-in-law. The whole family will go to Demacia to work for me. My career is on the rise quickly, and I need a lot of people on my side. These are my badges of honor.”

Cornelia remained calm, offering no questions, and simply gazed at her brother's three medals.

"I never expected you to achieve so much in Demacia, but I believe in you."

After putting away the badge, Cornelia took Guilford's arm and pushed him to the director's office, urging her husband to resign immediately in person.

“Dear Director, my husband has quit. He doesn’t need his retirement pension anymore. Let him hand over his work today.” Cornelia spoke up for her husband as soon as she entered the room.

The bureau chief was shocked; his pipe fell onto the table. "This is against regulations..."

But he swallowed his words before finishing them. Since the other party didn't even want his retirement pension, he could simply leave without handing over his responsibilities, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Chief: "What great job has Guilford found?"

“It’s nothing, we just don’t need the money anymore,” Cornelia said, once again speaking on behalf of her husband.

Having said that, there's nothing left to say to stop them.

The director immediately found a deputy section chief to take over the work from Guilford.

Cornelia rushed to the school to pick up her younger sister, Nanali, who was staying there.

By the time she brought her younger sister over, Section Chief Guilford had finished handing over his duties.

The family got into Lelouch's car, and the bewildered little sister finally remembered to ask, "Second brother, where are we going? Are we going straight to Demacia?"

Lelouch, driving the car, said, "There's no rush. Before leaving Vienna, I need to talk to Mr. Porsche from Daimler Vienna about something these next couple of days, and also get to know some people from Skoda through him."

"You guys pack your things first. Oh, and brother-in-law, do you have any relatives in Vienna? We can leave this car with them before we leave."

(End of this chapter)