Unlimited Ambition

Chapter 43 What's going on here?!

Looking at the disgruntled Suzaku sitting across from me, the feeling of Brittany's decline that I had felt before intensified even more.

Zhuque, the scumbag. They're pretty much the same anyway. A man who dares to kill his father and betray his own people just to climb the social ladder—even with all my experience of meeting countless people, I've only ever seen one like him.

The little girl stood at the door, too afraid to come in.

That scumbag is truly despicable. Should I draw my sword and kill him right now?

I rolled my eyes and said, "Whatever, anyone will do—but can you give me the answer I want?"

Suzaku thought to himself: "It's truly infuriating to compare ourselves to others. We're both eighteen, yet the difference in our status is so vast... No, I must keep climbing. Bismarck has gotten old these past few years and is nearing retirement—not retiring means dying in battle, it's all the same anyway."

He was thinking that once he became the first knight, he could eat sesame cakes and fried dough sticks whenever he wanted; he could buy two bowls of soy milk, drink one and throw the other away... Just then, he heard me ask him a question.

Suzaku paused for a moment, then repeated what Bismarck had instructed him to say before he arrived: "We regret this matter. Lelouch's actions have amounted to treason. His actions are entirely personal and have nothing to do with Brittany. Therefore, Marshal Bismarck hopes this matter will not affect relations between our two countries—"

"Stop, stop, stop..." I frowned and snorted coldly, pointing the unsheathed Yitian sword at him: "You've been talking for so long, but all I've heard is one sentence, which is that this matter has nothing to do with your Britannia, and I can deal with whoever I want, it's none of your business—is that what you mean?!"

Suzaku thought to himself: After all that nonsense, isn't this the gist of it? But can I really actually say it out loud?

But he's on someone else's turf now. And I, as the host, am clearly at odds with him. That look in his eyes made Suzaku feel a chill. She couldn't help but shift the blame, saying, "Before I arrived, the Marshal gave me these instructions. Not a single word was different." The implication was that if he was angry, he should direct it at Bismarck; she was just a messenger. It wasn't her place.

“Bismarck isn’t here, is he? Otherwise, do you think he’d get away with this?” I said, standing up as I slowly walked over to Suzaku.

Zhuque instinctively stood up as well. Her mind was in turmoil, and she really didn't know what to do—then she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and lay down on the ground, clutching her lower abdomen.

“You really are disgusting, Lord Kuchiki Suzaku.” I said this while stomping hard on his head.

"Yes, it's Suzaku Kururugi..." For some reason, Suzaku still had the leisure to tell me this.

"Really? But I feel that the surname 'Rotten Wood' is more fitting." Of course, I couldn't admit that I had misremembered it when I was a child and had simply continued to make the same mistake as I grew up. I casually mentioned it and ended up scolding Suzaku.

Zhuque seemed about to say something, but I had no interest in listening. I stomped on him a few times, crushing all four of his limbs. Zhuque passed out and when he woke up, he felt pain all over his body. Then he passed out again.

"Tch, so easily defeated." I shook my head, making no mention of how much force I had used. Shaking my head, I walked to the desk and pressed the doorbell under it. The wall next to the office immediately opened, revealing a hidden door. Two soldiers wearing masks and black special operations uniforms, but without any rank insignia, walked out.

"Take this piece of trash over there. He's supposed to be a Knight of the Round Table, after all. Give him a good interrogation," I said, pointing to the trash lying on the ground.

Two soldiers saluted me and then dragged the trash inside.

The Special Operations Section of the Internal Affairs Department, a powerful warrior and executioner exclusively for me. I hope Suzaku can pull through.

Okay, next up is the loli.

I opened the door and saw a pink-clad little girl squatting in the doorway, muttering, "You can't see me, you can't see me, you can't see me..."

She really is... um... cute?

She's so cute, you just want to pinch her cheeks.

So I really did pinch it.

"Waaaah..." The little girl was so scared that she cried.

...Wait a minute, I remember this little girl was supposed to be emotionless, unemotional, and aloof, right?

Unbeknownst to me, while Suzaku was spreading rumors to Gino, the little girl quietly crept over shortly after. She arrived just in time to hear Suzaku say the part about "stuffing a bottle into an anus." The little girl's face turned pale with fright. She thought to herself, "Thank goodness I ran away quickly last time."

Just as the girl was about to punch me in the face and then run away like last time, I spoke again: "I can cure your amnesia."

I dare say back then, the little girl's eyes were almost as bright as Venus.

※※※

The siscon is having a really tough time right now. Ever since CC caught him and beat him up, and he regained his memories, the thought of almost sleeping with a man made him throw up—and then he got beaten up by CC again.

What he found even more unbearable was that, despite having regained his memories, he still had to pretend he knew nothing in order to deceive his father—and the next day, his younger brother confessed his feelings to him.

As expected of BLack, his attraction to men is truly remarkable.

After hearing Roro's confession, the siscon almost killed him without a second thought—though the more likely outcome would have been that Roro would have wiped him out. Then, what happened next? (Beep)

However, before that, C.C. appeared as a savior once again. Geass was ineffective, and Rolo was immediately startled. He was then easily defeated by C.C. After hearing C.C. explain Rolo's abilities, Rolo himself broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he had narrowly escaped death.

Then the sister-complex turned evil.

Such a good chess piece, wouldn't it be a waste not to use it?

So the sister-complex had a deep yet simple conversation with Luo Luo and successfully won the child's heart.

That's about it.

Immediately afterward, the siscon realized that although his Black Knights had been destroyed, their overall strength had actually increased. Orange, who had been sent by his father to monitor him, surrendered after learning his identity. The siscon secretly thanked his mother, who had been dead for many years.

With Orange as a powerful tank and top intelligence agent, the siscon used some tricks to turn all the Bretons who were monitoring him into his slaves. Then came Black, an upgraded and enhanced version of Black, who became the Speaker of the EU Supreme Council. He and Orange formed the colorful duo, the "Colorful Team," and unhesitatingly plunged into the war for world domination.

But wouldn't it be better if I could actually win through my own little tricks? For example, by luring both leaders out and then brainwashing them with Geass. Wouldn't that be a happy ending?

Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck the brother who was obsessed with his sister, and then he had a wild and unconventional thought.

The brother-complex thought this to himself, and he acted accordingly. He completely ignored CC's disdainful gaze.

Now that he's in a higher position, his power has grown immensely. The members of the EU's Supreme Council are all his slaves. The number of people vying to flatter him every day is easily in the six figures. This siscon has never seen anything like it before. He couldn't help but feel a little smug. Recalling his previous failures, he made up his mind: from now on, he'd just have to use cheat codes; he simply couldn't compete in normal ways…

※※※

Since that day, I used the Geass Remover and successfully removed the Geass from Anya. Anya felt much lighter then, as if the undead that had been attached to her for many years had suddenly vanished.

I solved the chronic illness that had plagued her for years. The loli's affection for me also barely reached a positive level. Afterwards, she successfully succumbed to the influence of the Geass aura. Her affection skyrocketed from neutral to worshipful. We became inseparable friends. Three days later, she reluctantly left.

However, only Anya returned after the two of them went—though Anya spoke highly of me. But Bismarck didn't believe her. He almost arrested Anya as a spy who had colluded with the enemy.

The day after Anya returned, it suddenly dawned on me that there was still a Suzaku imprisoned in the Ministry of Internal Affairs' jail. But that didn't really matter.

Bismarck immediately received my letter of thanks: "It is understood that a Japanese war criminal, Kuchiki Suzaku, who had fled to the Chinese Federation, was captured by your country today and repatriated to our nation. We have received your country's sincerity and agree not to pursue the matter of your prince Lelouch's appointment as President of the EU Supreme Council. We hope that our two countries will take this opportunity to enhance mutual trust and strengthen cooperation, jointly creating a better future..."

The entire article makes no mention of Suzaku Kuchiki being a Knight of the Round Table in Brittany. It insists he is a Japanese war criminal while subtly using Lelouch's case as leverage. Brittany has no choice but to agree.

After reading my handwritten letter, the old knight tore it up. He cursed, "That scoundrel!" Although he didn't like Suzaku either, he was still a Knight of the Round Table. Being detained so quietly almost made the old knight lose his temper; he just wanted to take his army and wipe out the Chinese Federation first.

Meanwhile, in Brittany, Schneider also crumpled up a letter. He thought to himself: Lelouch, Lelouch, inviting me and Cao Mengde to meet in the Mediterranean… what are you really planning?

Chapter Forty-Four: Heroes of the World

"That Black guy invited me to the Mediterranean? What's he up to? A decapitation strike? Capture the leader first? Is he an idiot, or does he think I'm an idiot? I'm not going!"

I received Black's letter that day, read it, and then threw it away. I didn't think about it at all. But on the appointed day, I heard that Schneider, for some inexplicable reason, had actually accepted the invitation and gone!

"Has he gone mad?" I thought, somewhat frantically. While I'd be celebrating Schneider's death, I really didn't want him to die now. His death would inevitably affect the joint attack on the EU. Even worse, what if he was affected by Geass, thus impacting Brittany's diplomatic strategy? Then I'd have nowhere to turn for help.

While I do believe that Britannia must have some understanding of Geass, and perhaps even developed a Geass elimination device like I have, this is just speculation and shouldn't be taken as fact.

Alright, Brother Schneider, I'll help you this once. You absolutely mustn't die before I annex the EU—and of course, you'd better not live after I annex the EU.

So, after receiving the news, I rolled my eyes. I summoned two squadrons of Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and then contacted the nearest Indian Ocean Red Sea detachment. We headed towards the agreed location, somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea.

※※※

At this very moment, Schneider had already taken the first step and was catching up with Lelouch.

Since learning the correct way to use Geass, Lelouch's confidence soared. Completely fearless, he boarded a battleship of the Britannian North African Fleet, his mind set on finding an opportunity to use Geass to control Schneize, achieving his goal without bloodshed.

"It's a pity only one came. But it doesn't matter. Once I integrate the power of the EU and Britannia, the Chinese Federation will be nothing but a piece of cake." The sister-complex comforted herself like this, but then asked this question: "Is Nunnally in your hands?"

Schneider smiled calmly and said, "She's my sister too."

Lelouch nearly went crazy. People say that Buddha sees the world as Buddha; and excrement sees the world as excrement. This saying applies to siscon types as well. Lelouch looked at his brother and saw him as a total siscon. Putting Nunnally in his hands would be like throwing a lamb to the slaughter!

Lelouch exclaimed, "What did you do to Nunnally?! You beast!!"

Schneider was helpless, thinking: What can I do to Nunnally? My father dotes on her so much, how dare I do anything to her?

When Lelouch saw that Schneider was silent, he put himself in Schneider's shoes and assumed that Schneider had already done it. He almost burst into tears: "You bastard!"

Schneider felt he really had to explain, so he said, "Actually, I don't know much either. After Nanali was brought back by her uncle, she has been living in the Gemini Palace. Her father personally sent people to take care of her."

"I see." Lelouch finally breathed a sigh of relief, but then looked puzzled: "Uncle? You mean Uncle?!"

Schneider then realized he had let something slip in his nervousness. VV's existence was a secret even within the Britannian royal family. He didn't want to say more at the moment, so he changed the subject: "Nunnally has gone home. Lelouch, when are you going back? You've been away for so long; your brothers and sisters at home miss you very much."

The brother, who was obsessed with his sister, immediately waved his hand and said, "I don't want to go back to that cold place!" His tone was incredibly childish. This is often the case for teenagers who run away from home after arguing with their parents.

Having already known about his younger brother's awkward personality, Schneider didn't take it to heart, smiled calmly, and continued, "So, what is it that you've called me here for this time?"

Lelouch, however, was no longer in a hurry. A smirk appeared on his lips, revealing a malicious smile: "Let's not talk about that for now. My brother Schneider. When we were young, we often played chess together. It's been a long time since we last met, and I really miss those days."

Schneider, though unaware of Lelouch's intentions, remained unconcerned. He clapped his hands and summoned his rabbit adjutant, who soon brought over a table, chairs, and a crystal chess set.

"Speaking of which, I also miss those days, Lelouch, when you cried after losing a game," Schneider said jokingly, making the brotherly Lelouch blush. Indeed, Lelouch lost more often than he won in chess back then. He even cheated when he lost.

“But things are different now. You’ve been prime minister for so many years, where would you find the time to play chess every day?! I, on the other hand, make a living from it. My chess skills have improved so much over the years.” The sister-obsessed brother thought to himself.

And so, the game began. Lelouch, following his usual strategy, made his first move with the "King".

“Oh… being in such a dangerous place is not the act of a king,” Schneier remarked sarcastically.

"Leading the charge is what a true king does." The sister-obsessed man stubbornly insisted.

Schneider simply smiled calmly, unconcerned.

The game begins, with the sister-complex player displaying ingenious and unpredictable moves. Schneider, on the other hand, plays calmly and methodically, with a classic and powerful style. The two engage in a fierce battle. After a hundred moves, neither can gain the upper hand.

Schneider remained completely unfazed, while the sister-obsessed boy was getting increasingly annoyed. He thought to himself, "I've been playing chess for so many years, while you've been retired for decades. And we ended up with a draw?! This...this...could it be that I'm really not as good as you?"

“Lelouch, your mind is in turmoil,” Schneider chuckled. Then, he made an unexpected move—he stepped forward and placed his own king before Lelouch’s king.

Quiet whispers immediately broke out among the onlookers. The Britannian side had no idea what their prince was up to. The EU side, while unconvinced, all believed their speaker was certain of victory.

Seeing Schneider's calm smile, Lelouch was deeply shaken. He immediately recalled the time he played chess with his older brother. Whenever Lelouch cried, his brother would smile gently and then deliberately lose to him.

"I don't need you to let me win!" Lelouch shouted, then tried to withdraw his king. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through, overturning the chessboard. The two players, startled, turned around to see a familiar mecha slowly descending.

"Hehehe, sorry, sorry, I was a bit too cautious on the way. I hope no one got hurt?"

Then, familiar faces came down.

As Lelouch watched his other nemesis walk over with a smile, his face darkened, but inwardly he was roaring, "It's done! This guy's arrival has saved me a lot of trouble."

Schneider, however, wore a look of delighted surprise. He quickly walked to my side, shook my hand, and said, "I knew it! My friend, you're a man of your word. You would never break your promise. And you were right! Hahahaha..."

I smiled politely on the surface, but inwardly I was cursing: If you hadn't walked right into my trap, would I be in this mess?

However, I also know that this is probably not Schneider's fault. After all, unlike me, he doesn't know that Lelouch possesses an almost godlike Geass ability.