Unlimited Ambition

As he fantasized, he opened the door and called out Nanali's name.

no answer.

"Where are the members of the Black Knights?" he then shouted.

There was no response.

Lelouch panicked. The nightmare Mao had given him months ago resurfaced. He then sprinted toward Nunnally's room at the fastest speed a sports idiot could manage.

No one is empty.

The brother, who was obsessed with his sister, suppressed the urge to fall, leaning against the wall to support himself. Then he noticed a note on the bedside table.

“Nanali is in my hands. If you want her to be alright, come to Kagami Island alone.”

Chapter Thirty-Five: Which is more important, the country or the beauty?

I received the call during a war conference. Under the machinations of the old man, the Sun family of the Southeast Asian Military Region suffered a devastating blow. Yan Baihu, the patriarch of the Yan family, who had ruled Vietnam for generations, and Liu Yao, a branch of the Liu family who had ruled Thailand for generations, announced their allegiance to the central government.

The Liu clan, entrenched in the Indian military region, also suffered significant losses. The heads of two important branches, Liu Yan and Liu Biao, refused to be summoned by Liu Bei, the clan leader, and announced their allegiance. Meanwhile, the South Asian navy controlled by the Liu clan, led by its commander Cai Mao and deputy commander Zhang Yun, went even further, directly leading their fleet to Hainan Island and declaring their submission to the central government.

The rebellion in the south had barely begun before it was practically declared a failure.

That's what they say, but leaving it unattended isn't a solution. The Central Plains Military Region and the Jiangnan Military Region have been fully mobilized, with a total of seven million troops rushing to the front lines. An uprising has broken out within the enemy ranks, and they are now embroiled in conflict with the southern rebels. In an instant, the southern continent is engulfed in flames of war.

However, the troops in the Central Plains and Jiangnan regions had been at peace for a long time. Although they were superior to the rebels in both numbers and equipment, they could only hold a slight advantage. They didn't know how long it would take to achieve victory.

So, since the beginning of this month, the old geezer has been summoning the powerful Northeast Army south at an average rate of twelve imperial edicts per day.

I did try to deflect their attacks a few times a few days ago. They brought up the Japanese archipelago, which is on the verge of sinking. At the same time, they claimed that the EU had heard about the civil war in the Chinese Federation and was currently transferring troops to Russia. They said they might launch an attack at any time.

However, these two reasons soon became unusable. The old man, his eyes red with anger, said, "Isn't it just about Japan? How much scrap metal did you lose there? I'll compensate you double! Brand new electromagnetic rifles! Sixth-generation combat mechs!! As for the EU? Bah! They practically threw their main force into El Alamein. You might as well conjure up an army for them and send it to Russia."

And so, the pressure on me was immense. After all, I really didn't want to fight the rebels in the south to the death. There were the Central Plains and Jiangnan military regions in between. Even if I conquered them, they wouldn't be mine. Was it worth it? I was quite interested in the double supplies the old man mentioned. So I tentatively asked if I could receive the supplies before setting off.

But that old geezer yelled at me, "No! The supplies are all in Zhu Jincheng in Luoyang! If you want them, send troops over to get them!!"

Oh dear, I slapped my forehead after hanging up the phone. Your words really reminded me. Do I need you to give it to me? I can send troops to get it myself. With three million troops in the Northeast Military Region, I can take whatever I want once I get to Luoyang. Even if I take your life, that's... hehehehehe.

You brought this on yourself.

So, after discussing it with his close friends Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, Jia Xu, and Sima Yi, a detailed plan for "holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords"—I mean, "using the emperor to command the disobedient"—was finalized. Cao Ren was the chief commander, and Xiahou Dun was the deputy. They were paired with Yue Jin, Li Dian, Zhang Liao, and Zhang He. With such a lineup leading a million troops, the EU wouldn't dare to make a move.

Very well then, the rest of the troops will follow me into the pass...

Wait a minute, let me take this call first.

"Who is it...?" Generally speaking, those who can get my phone number are already sitting here. If anyone else can get through, it's basically a high-ranking member of another organization.

"I'll be waiting for you on Shengen Island for three days."

"Hello! Hello!" Damn it, he hung up. When I called back, I heard, "Sorry, the user you dialed is currently unavailable." I was so angry I almost smashed my phone.

Three days? I took a deep breath and said, "Everyone, the situation has changed, and the plan will be postponed for three days. That's all." After saying that, I prepared to leave—but Xun Yu stopped me.

"Where is our lord going?" Xun Wenruo asked.

"Something came up," I replied.

"What is it?" Xun Wenruo continued to ask.

"It's urgent." I rolled my eyes. Most of the people present could tell I was a little angry. Those who were usually on good terms with Xun Yu secretly worried for him.

"Is there anything more urgent than marching into Luoyang right now?" Xun Wenruo asked for the third time.

I nodded: "Yes."

"Your subject humbly requests your wise counsel, my lord," Xun Yu said, then knelt down. He adopted the posture of a loyal minister ready to die for his country, which I found utterly repulsive.

Forget it, you know I still can't bring myself to kill you, so you pulled this stunt? My future Prime Minister?

That damn bastard.

I cursed inwardly, then swore: If this guy dies after me, that's fine. But if he dies even a little before me—even if I'm dying on my deathbed—I'll issue an edict to level his grave—and that's not enough! Confiscate his property, exile him, and whip his corpse three hundred times.

After comforting myself like this, I felt much better. I quickly helped Xun Yu up from the ground and even brushed the dirt off his knees. Then I smiled and pulled him aside to whisper, "Wenruo, tell me, which is more important, the country or the beauty?"

Xun Yu replied, "As for me, a beautiful woman is naturally better. Moreover, I am quite self-aware that this country is meant for heroes like you, my lord. I am far from being worthy of such a title."

If you really had any self-awareness, you wouldn't have stopped me. I thought to myself, scoffing.

"However, for a hero like my lord, a beautiful woman is naturally not as important as the country. After all, with the country, one can have any kind of beautiful woman. What do you say, my lord?"

First praise, then criticism; seemingly commendation, but actually condemnation. Pshaw, a petty trick of strategists. It won't scare me.

I continued, "If—and I mean if—there were a truly unique beauty—the kind of woman you couldn't find even if you conquered the world. Which would be more important?"

Xun Yu acted as if he were seeing me for the first time, his eyes fixed on me with murderous intent, and he spoke through gritted teeth: "My lord, the Xia dynasty fell because of Meixi, the Shang dynasty fell because of Daji, and the Zhou dynasty fell because of Baosi—if there is truly a beauty as you say, I am willing to take up my three-foot sword and slay this scourge to appease the world."

...Forget about it, even a hundred of them wouldn't be enough to defeat them.

"Wenruo, Wenruo, you've known me for a while now. Do you think I'm that kind of person?" So I started to deny it.

Xun Yu's gaze clearly said, "You are..." I rolled my eyes in exasperation. Fine, I'm too lazy to argue with such a pedantic person. I'll just go for it!

Geass enabled.

Xun Yu then bowed deeply, muttering, "Your Majesty is a great emperor of all time, a wise and virtuous ruler, unparalleled before or since... Bird and Fish Soup..."

Wait, what's with the last sentence?

Upon hearing Xun Wenruo's words, the others felt a jolt of unease. What was going on? How had their advice turned into urging him to ascend the throne? What was this all about? Although they were all lord's confidants and had anticipated this turn of events, the timing seemed a little...unfavorable.

Those who think this way are considered mature and strategic in governing. The rest, the impatient ones, are even worse.

Several burly, uncouth military officers thought to themselves: "Xun Wenruo, you're really not being fair! Trying to take all the credit for yourself without inviting the rest of us. Fine, you wait. You don't give us face, so we won't give you any either. But the most urgent matter is..."

When I turned around, a whole bunch of people in the conference room were kneeling down, muttering incantations. The more knowledgeable ones said, "Please, my lord, have the people of the world in mind." The more imaginative ones said, "Last month, a phoenix came to Harbin, and a black dragon appeared in the Heilongjiang River." Those like Xu Chu, who were unlearned and only knew how to fight, recited Xun Wenruo's cliché: "Your Majesty is a bird born from fish soup..."

Well, now everything's in chaos. I shook my head, thinking: What am I supposed to do in a situation like this? Agree? Disagree? Oh well, I'll just keep using my cheat codes.

Geass enabled.

The entire meeting room instantly fell silent. Civil and military officials alike stood at attention, trembling with fear. Their voices all rang out in unison: "Your Majesty is wise."

"Fine, fine, let's do it this way." I said one last thing: "While I'm away, the official business will be handled by you few. The minority shall obey the majority." Then I pushed open the door and left.

After I left, the civil and military officials looked at each other. Then they all turned to Xun Yu, Xun Wenruo. They were reminded of the time they spent fighting together at the Gao Family Private Academy. They chuckled and surrounded him.

"What are you all doing? A gentleman uses words, not fists!" Xun Wenruo saw a group of colleagues surrounding him with ill intentions and realized he had misspoke. It was truly strange. At the time, I thought my lord was incredibly wise and powerful, practically the greatest ruler of all time, and then I let it slip… It was really…

"Hehehehe." The civil and military officials chuckled lewdly, having already surrounded Xun Wenruo. Then, a fierce beating ensued.

"Help! I've been assaulted!" Xun Wenruo's screams carried far and wide, reaching my ears. I shuddered. A strange sense of satisfaction crept into my heart. Heh heh heh, serves you right for being so blind and offending me!

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Final Battle on Shengen Island

CC, oh CC, I ask myself if I have ever let you down, so why do you keep making things difficult for me? (Tenshi, Kagura, Viletta, Karen, Cornelia, Euphemia... is this what you call never letting me down?)

Sitting in the cockpit of the Killer Wolf, Gu sighed softly, thinking to himself.

Yes, that previous phone call was from CC.

Wait a minute... she just randomly called me. And I eagerly went over... isn't that... isn't that... well, it's a bit... shameless.

Thinking of this, I punched the armrest of the seat. Luckily, it was covered with a layer of sharkskin, otherwise the mahogany inside would have definitely shattered.

Damn it, if you don't give me a satisfactory answer this time, I'll make you regret it!

Thinking of this, Gu once again increased the speed of Killing Wolf, reaching Mach 4. At low altitude, only a silver-gray figure could be seen flashing by; nothing else was visible.

On Kageshima Island, at this very moment, CC was eating pizza out of boredom. Beside her, a child whose gender was indistinguishable spoke to her in an unusually aged voice: "CC, what are you really thinking?"

"What do you mean, what do I think?" CC didn't turn around, and sucked her fingers after finishing her meal.

"Why did you call that person here? And who did you choose between those two people?" asked the androgynous Luo Tai.

"Guess?" CC still didn't turn around. The smell on her fingers was almost gone. She clapped her hands, then, not caring about the dirt, wiped them on her clothes a couple of times.

Luo Tai shook her head and said, "Speaking of which, if you didn't choose him, you would have eaten pizza for five years just to keep a promise you made to him back then. That kind of friendship is truly rare. But if you chose him, you would have followed someone else and been at odds with him at every turn. You can't possibly not know how petty he is... So, I can't guess."

CC remained nonchalant: "Can't guess? If you can't guess, then don't guess. And don't ask."

Luo Tai chuckled lightly, unconcerned. Seeing CC's indifferent attitude, he remained unperturbed. He continued, "However, if you ask me, I have my eye on someone else. After all, in terms of status, he's practically my junior."

"Is that so?" CC remained indifferent. Hearing that Luo Tai was about to say something, she preemptively interrupted, saying, "Since you've taken a liking to that person, why did you kidnap his sister here? Come to think of it, that person seems to care about her quite a bit."

Luo Tai shook her head: "Jade must be carved to become a useful object. Look at what he has done. Even I feel ashamed watching from the sidelines."

CC remained silent this time, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. However, Luo Tai was standing at the wrong angle and didn't see it.

At that moment, both CC and Luo Tai sensed something, but neither of them moved. CC turned to Luo Tai with an amused look and said, "The person you invited has arrived. Aren't you going to greet them?"

Luo Tai smiled slightly: "I don't need to lift a finger. His opponent has already been chosen."

At this very moment, the siscon, driven mad by his obsession, was driving the Mirage towards Kaminoma Island. He silently chanted in his heart, "That ruin... Nunnally, Nunnally, wait for me!"

CC and Lota, who were standing on the other side of the cliff, watched as the Mirage Tower stopped in front of the ruins. Then, the sister-complex jumped down and rushed inside at the fastest speed that a sports idiot could achieve.

CC sighed inwardly, but her expression remained unchanged: "I'd like to know who exactly the opponent you've arranged for him is?"

Luo Tai chuckled and said, "I am different from you. I am very tolerant, so I will answer your question. The opponent he arranged is a person named Suzaku."

“Suzaku?” CC chuckled and said, “How did you find that person? Didn’t he disappear during the Japanese turmoil? Even if you found him, why would he listen to you?”

Luo Tai's expression was slightly arrogant as she said, "I have the ability to find someone in a country like Japan. As for why he listens to me... well, I told him to take that person to Brittany after we capture him. Then he can become a Knight of the Round Table."

CC scoffed, clearly unimpressed: "Him? Knights of the Round Table? What a joke."

Luo Tai, however, was unconvinced: "So what? Although he may be morally flawed, he's certainly capable. Surely a great nation like Brittany can't even support a stray dog?"

CC stood up, stretched, and said, "You really should have told him that." Then she turned and left.

Luo Tai, who was behind, did not follow. Before CC had gone far, she asked, "Are we going to see him?"

CC replied as he walked away, "Of course, I don't have your ability to find a dog."

※※※

As soon as I stopped my car on the beach, it suddenly dawned on me. I wiped away my tears. Shengen Island isn't huge, but it's not small either, several square kilometers. That woman CC didn't explain the location clearly. Where am I supposed to find her?

Just as I was hesitating, I saw a figure approaching from not far away. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than CC with green hair. She was wearing the same outfit as when we met at the dock a few months ago—a black bodysuit, looking absolutely stunning.

But before I could even praise her, CC spoke up first: "I never expected that the mighty War God of the Chinese Federation, the Wolf of the Far North, would be so spineless. He didn't care about anything else after receiving a call from this young lady. He rushed over here. Isn't that just shameless of you?"