Chapter 256: The Empire's Witch
Under the sky where twilight withered and night descended.
As the Britannian national anthem played, a large military transport plane gradually landed at a military airfield in Area 11. The Area 11 defense forces, lined up on both sides of the runway under their commanders' leadership, stood at attention, awaiting inspection by the arriving dignitary.
The one descending upon Area 11 this time was none other than Britannia's Second Princess, known as the Empire's Witch—Cornelia li Britannia!
"Your Highness!"
Euphemia, wearing a pure white princess gown, stood at the center of the crowd, awaiting her elder sister's arrival.
But beside Euphemia stood a woman with the stern demeanor of a teacher, who adjusted her old-fashioned glasses with a serious expression.
This woman, who appeared antiquated at first glance, was the retainer and etiquette teacher whom Euphemia and Cornelia's mother had found for Euphemia after Mahiro left Britannia.
Truth be told, Euphy didn't like this woman, but her kind nature made her consider her mother's feelings, so she never complained, merely offering a gentle smile instead.
The soldiers lining the pathway bowed respectfully as Euphemia passed, their gazes fixed straight ahead. These were Area 11's elite troops, assembled both to welcome Cornelia and to protect Euphemia.
Military personnel are typically punctual, unlike civilian flights. Before long, under Euphemia's watchful eyes, the transport plane landed smoothly with a roaring engines.
As the aircraft's hatch opened, the battlefield War Goddess emerged, clad in ornate robes and a royal cloak, her expression solemn.
Unlike the flashy but impractical passenger planes favored by politicians, Cornelia preferred these simple yet battle-hardened transport aircraft that carried the stark aura of war.
Whether it was Cornelia's personal guard following behind her or Area 11's stationed troops, all sweated under the princess's piercing gaze, straining to stand ramrod straight with chests out as if awaiting military review.
Having observed battlefields up close since childhood and participated in wars immediately after military academy graduation, Cornelia—veteran of countless battlefields—possessed authority, presence, and even the killing intent radiating from her that surpassed even seasoned soldiers.
"Battle-hardened" described her perfectly.
Like a ferocious lion—powerful, ruthless, and brimming with boundless dignity.
The pampered garrison troops who'd long grown comfortable in Area 11's settlements didn't even dare meet the Witch's eyes.
"I've heard, Euphemia... don't be too reckless."
The Empire's Witch, a veritable queen, delivered this reprimand to Euphemia as her first words upon disembarking.
Though it was a scolding, Cornelia's sharp gaze that had swept over the crowd instantly softened the moment it settled on her younger sister Euphemia.
Unlike gentle Euphy, Cornelia appeared more martial and iron-willed, her purple wavy hair gleaming mysteriously under the spotlights.
Her eyes were darker than Euphemia's, carrying such intense sharpness that people avoided direct eye contact.
Yet the tenderness she now displayed created a striking contrast that deeply impressed the officers present.
That War Goddess who wreaked havoc on the battlefield, never having suffered a single defeat—that bloodthirsty Witch—could actually show such a gentle smile?
...
"Forgive me, elder sister."
Euphemia lowered her head slightly. Though her earlier escape had only lasted an afternoon, it had already thrown the Area 11 Viceroy's palace into complete chaos.
"But..."
"On such occasions, you must address me as Viceroy, Deputy Governor Euphemia. Precisely because we are sisters, we must draw clear boundaries here."
"Yes, Your Excellency the Viceroy."
Even though she was interrupted, Euphy didn't argue back. She understood her sister's temperament well, merely bowing her head slightly in respectful response.
Seeing Euphy's reaction, Cornelia's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a gentle smile.
She turned to face the Area 11 Viceroy's palace officials who had come to greet her.
"What about the measures that were taken? How are they progressing?"
One of the responsible officials closed his eyes and bowed, addressing Cornelia with reverence: "At the administrative hall, we have prepared a ceremony to welcome Your Highness the Princess. We only need—"
"Fool!"
Click!
Cornelia immediately drew her pistol, aiming the muzzle at the welcoming official—the Viceroy's palace chief of staff.
The man panicked at the sight, instinctively stepping back. Though cold sweat dripped down his face and his body trembled, he forced a smile while looking at Cornelia, not daring to offer the slightest resistance.
"Degenerate, rotten, filthy! You officials are like termites corroding this nation's foundations! Do you think I'm asking about such meaningless matters? I'm asking you about ZERO!
Instead of wasting your thoughts on useless decorations, use your heads to think carefully about how to capture the empire's enemy, Zero, and bring him to justice!"
Cornelia reprimanded without mercy.
Truthfully, this couldn't entirely be blamed on them. It was said to be Clovis's lingering influence—since Clovis had been fond of such flashy banquets during his lifetime, they had instinctively followed suit.
But they had forgotten.
Cornelia was no fool like Clovis.
"Do you have any progress regarding Zero?"
After delivering her brief reprimand, Cornelia lowered her pistol and asked coldly.
Though her demeanor was considerably less intense than before, the officials present still couldn't help but break out in cold sweat.
Nevertheless, they responded respectfully:
"Reporting to Your Highness the Princess, recently we captured some terrorists wandering in Shinjuku. However, they didn't know much—only that besides ZERO, there's also a white-haired man of unknown name. Judging by appearance, he doesn't seem to be from Area 11..."
The man's voice grew progressively quieter under Cornelia's sharp gaze, eventually fading into silence.
Evasion!
Barely concealed evasion!
Did such intelligence require capturing people for confession?
Anyone who watched the broadcast that day already knew about these two individuals—did they need you to report this?!
Fools! Incompetent! Worthless!
Cornelia was currently itching to curse vehemently.
But she ultimately calmed her emotions, holstered her pistol at her waist, and turned around:
"Lord Guilford, when will the Knightmares for my royal guard be fully transported?"
"Your Highness, we will complete the mission within a week!"
Guilford performed a knight's salute and replied respectfully.
Due to their massive size, it was naturally impossible for all of Cornelia's royal guard Knightmares to accompany her immediately to Area 11.
"Excellent."
Cornelia nodded with satisfaction before speaking again: "After completing this mission, I entrust the pursuit of ZERO to you. You are my most capable subordinate."
"Don't disappoint me, Lord Guilford."
"Yes, Your Highness! I shall not betray your trust."
"Good, you may leave."
Cornelia waved her hand dismissively, permitting Guilford's departure. She then began walking, her long, slender legs carrying her forward as sharp heels produced rapid clicking sounds against the marble floor.
Her pure white cape billowed behind her with an air of decisive authority.
Though newly arrived in Area 11, Cornelia understood she had numerous affairs to handle—particularly the mess left behind by her younger brother Clovis.
Truth be told, she felt profound heartache and regret over Clovis's passing.
Unlike the Second Prince Schneizel, Clovis had been a simple soul.
Even their teacher's evaluation had been—
"Clovis would have made a fine artist, but unfortunately he was born into the royal family..."
He was ill-suited for schemes, politics, governance, let alone battlefield command.
Yet despite this, Clovis had insisted on coming to Area 11 to serve as Viceroy.
Beyond wanting to consolidate the strategic resource of Sakuradite and achieve some accomplishments, his deeper motivation was to locate siblings Lelouch and Nunnally.
He wanted to secretly bring them back to the homeland without their father's knowledge, ending their suffering in exile.
Unexpectedly, over seven years, Clovis not only failed to discover any traces of them but also plunged Area 11 into chaos, ultimately losing his own life.
Now, all Cornelia could do was govern Area 11 effectively to prove her brother hadn't been incompetent, while finding and personally executing ZERO.
This would be the finest tribute to Clovis!
"Elder Sister... no, Your Excellency the Viceroy, I need to speak with you."
Upon returning to the Viceroy's residence, Cornelia was stopped by the approaching Euphy. Turning around, she gazed at Euphy with gentle eyes and softly inquired:
"What is it?"
"It's about Mahiro-sensei."
Instantly!
Cornelia's heart skipped a beat, her ocean-deep pupils contracting slightly.
"Explain carefully, Euphy."
"Well, actually... during my escape, I happened to encounter Mahiro-sensei. He's currently employed as a teacher at Ashford Academy."
"Ashford? The family that Empress Marianne once took care of?"
"Yes, that's correct." Euphemia nodded in confirmation.
Having vanished for nearly eight years without a trace, as if evaporated from the human world...
Now he actually appeared in Area 11...
Cornelia silently stepped forward, passing by Euphy, and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window gazing into the distant night.
Amidst the brilliant stars reflected in her eyes, there was a hint of reminiscence.
When she first met this teacher, Yotsuba Mahiro, Cornelia actually didn't like him—one could even say she opposed him at every turn.
But every time, this Mahiro-sensei would always wear an indifferent, gentle smile while pinning her to the ground.
He tirelessly accepted the challenges of her mischievous childhood.
Then, the various martial arts he demonstrated, the strange abilities he possessed, and what could be called Spartan challenge training completely conquered her.
He even defied their mother's objections to take her to the EU battlefield, teaching her the meaning of war while piloting Knightmare prototype frames across various battlefields.
Even her current Knightmare piloting skills were learned from Mahiro.
In her heart, he was simply the most brilliant, most admired hero.
Yet such a person would appear in such a place after all this time, becoming a teacher at an ordinary noble school, living in such obscurity...
"Mahiro-sensei, you've fallen so low..."
"Achoo!"
In the classroom, Mahiro sneezed violently.
"Which bastard is cursing me behind my back?"
He muttered while rubbing his nose.
But soon, his gaze fell upon a boy standing at the podium facing the classroom.
"I'm Suzaku Kururugi, starting today at Ashford Academy. Pleased to meet you!"
Suzaku Kururugi stood there neatly dressed in Ashford Academy's male uniform, calmly introducing himself.
Unfortunately, the students below showed no curiosity or welcome toward this transfer student.
Some avoided his sincere gaze, while others stared back at Suzaku with hostile eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
They couldn't understand why a murderer could sit in the same classroom with them!
This was the killer who murdered Prince Clovis!!!
Even if cleared of suspicion, he was still a lowly Honorary Britannian!
Mahiro, standing on the other side of the podium, showed no intention of helping, instead watching Suzaku expressionlessly.
He was also curious why Suzaku would still come to study at Ashford Academy.
But he could probably guess who might have helped Suzaku Kururugi.
Either Euphemia, or that unorthodox lab coat wearer—Lloyd Asplund.
After Marianne's assassination, the Ashford family had declined.
But the Asplund family was different—they were prestigious hereditary earls of the Empire, not to mention Lloyd had connected with the Second Prince Schneizel, further solidifying the Asplund family's position in the Britannian Empire.
Countless families were rushing to establish good relations with the Aspulund family.
The Ashford family was one of them.
It was said that Ashford even planned to arrange a marriage alliance with Aspulund to restore their former glory.
"Alright, alright! Starting today, Suzaku Kururugi is a student at our school! Everyone should be aware that the recent rumors about Suzaku killing His Highness Clovis are completely false... That's all!"
Mahiro clapped his hands to interrupt the whispering in the classroom, finally taking on some responsibility as a teacher.
After all, classes still had to proceed.
After seating Suzaku at an empty desk in the corner of the classroom, today's lesson began.
After class, before Mahiro could leave the classroom, many students remained behind discussing the transfer student Suzaku Kururugi, except for those who particularly despised ELEVENS.
"I never expected he'd be an ELEVEN!"
Nina quickly left her seat, hiding behind Kallen and Shirley as if avoiding the plague.
"He's an Honorary Britannian," corrected the blue-haired Rivalz.
"But there's no difference, right..." In Nina's eyes, all ELEVENS were the same, regardless of the Honorary Britannian title.
"Don't just be afraid! You'll know what kind of person he is once you talk to him! He might be unexpectedly nice!" The cheerful Shirley, hearing Nina's words, acted faster than she could think—without hesitation, she stood up to approach Suzaku Kururugi, whom her classmates feared like venomous snakes.
She was completely action-oriented.
However, before she could speak to him, Lelouch suddenly stood up and walked out of the classroom.
Just as he reached the classroom door, Lelouch paused slightly, his peripheral gaze falling on Suzaku who was gathering his books at the desk. He adjusted his collar before finally stepping through the doorway.
"Ah!"
Suzaku, who was organizing his books, naturally noticed Lelouch's gesture. His body stiffened momentarily, his eyes flickering with intense emotion.
After leaving the classroom, Lelouch went directly to the rooftop balcony, standing before the railing to look down at the students relaxing in the courtyard below.
The sunlight was pleasant, and the perfectly landscaped courtyard attracted many birds whose beautiful songs filled the air.
Soon, the rooftop door behind him quietly opened.
Then, footsteps gradually approached.
"It's been seven years since we used this signal."
"Meet in the attic to talk, right?"
"Yeah."
"Glad to see you're okay, Lelouch."
Suzaku came to stand beside Lelouch, leaning against the railing's edge as he enjoyed the rooftop breeze.
During their first encounter, both of them had nearly died.
"Thanks to you."
Lelouch smiled gently, but then asked with curiosity, "By the way, how did you come to study at Ashford Academy? Did Euphy help you?"
Three days had passed since the two new viceroys arrived in Area 11.
Just yesterday, the news about Area 11's new Viceroy Cornelia and Deputy Viceroy Euphemia taking office had spread completely.
Moreover, Lelouch had heard from Mahiro about what happened between Euphy and Suzaku that day.
But Suzaku shook his head and said:
"No, it was Miss Cécile. She said someone my age shouldn't be stuck in the research institute with Mr. Lloyd all day and should go to school instead. So Mr. Lloyd suggested I attend Ashford Academy."
Even now, Suzaku could still remember Mr. Lloyd's exaggerated tone and expression at that time.
He seemed excited, yet also appeared to have some other purpose.
This, however, completely took Lelouch by surprise. He knew about that fellow Lloyd—someone connected to the Second Prince Schneizel, and the creator of that white knightmare frame that had appeared in Shinjuku before.
But he never expected that guy would get involved in such trivial matters.
Moreover, how did Suzaku get entangled with Lloyd?
Could it be...?
A possibility that Lelouch absolutely couldn't believe suddenly emerged in his mind.