Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

Page 140

"Hmm? What's that noise?"

At this moment, Griffin and his men were still in the original trenches, only able to hear the distant thunderstorm mixed with the faint sound of approaching air currents.

"My God!" Before everyone could even catch their breath, they saw row after row of black smoke and thickets engulf the friendly reinforcements that were coming from behind. The earth trembled, and the troops that had been planning to advance now had to hesitate amidst such hasty destruction.

"Oh no! Why are the enemy bringing so many artillery pieces again? Get out of there quickly! Hurry!"

The situation was now completely out of control. The Soviet anti-aircraft artillery chains were still being pulled in this direction, while more shells and flames swept across the land like the Black Death. Suddenly, a huge building with black smoke rose from the ground, carrying more fragments of KMF limbs and even the broken turrets of assault guns, hurling them into the sky like candy, indiscriminately and mercilessly.

Formation? Marching? Ground troops? Massive and unstoppable? But what difference is there between all that and a loaf of black bread before naval guns of all calibers? And what difference is there between shells of all sizes and a bread knife? They can only be cut! Torn! Fresh flesh and tendons are only fit to bloom like the deepest aroma of black bread on this war-torn land! Death! Tear to pieces! The fragments of steel and flesh will be baked black along with the already ravaged earth! To entertain those dead ravens who deliver delicacies to hell!

"We'd better get out of here right now, okay?" Griffin was completely exasperated.

“Don’t panic, everyone.” Angeli was quite calm. “Captain, Brigade Commander, don’t worry. We haven’t been attacked by the Soviets. These artillery pieces are following their every move, and they should still be targeting the front-line combat groups.”

"But this... sigh..."

The brigade commander could only anxiously watch as his own troops retreated, his hands gripping the edge of the trench, his head peering out. He nervously tore apart sandbags, even trembling at the sight of the infantry fighting vehicle thrown out by the massive explosion. The entire vehicle had been thrown out, completely shattered! Like a cardboard box torn to shreds! What difference was there between this and blatantly telling you it was a piece of junk kicked out of hell's furnace?!

"Sir! We know where the artillery fire is coming from!" a soldier rushed over in a panic. "At sea! A sizable Soviet fleet is firing in our direction!"

"My God, a warship..." The crowd gasped in shock. "Now..."

"Sir, we suggest you suspend the attack, and also persuade the other units to halt their advance. While it's not impossible for Canterbury's direct fire to sink them, we need to get close enough to see the warships first, don't we?"

……

"Hurrah!—"

At that anti-aircraft gun position, the fighting spirit surged like a raging wall of fire, and the last surviving assault gun continued its advance toward the group of soldiers who had broken out of the position.

"Burn these pigs to death!" Ekaterina and the naval infantrymen approached with various weapons. A comrade next to her, carrying a flamethrower, poured a bright flame into the gaps between the turret and the vehicle without saying a word.

"Braise them! Make them into snacks to go with vodka! Hey!" As he spoke, a black figure popped out of the back of the car, and he quickly ran back.

"Stop! You beast!" In her excitement, she didn't even bother to aim. Ekaterina grabbed the rifle with the bayonet and swung it around, knocking the man to the ground with the butt.

"You fucking know what you've done? Huh?" She raised her gun high, the bayonet pointed at the Adam's apple of the beast lying on the ground. "You came to a place you shouldn't have come to! And you've angered those of us who are determined to go home!"

Section 219, Chapter 156: Target Location: Student Council

Welcome to Ashford College!

Colorful fireworks lit up the sky above the Tokyo Concession. The open day of this prestigious academy, though a little late, was fortunate enough to be there, just like a banana that had just been hurriedly placed on the table in front of me.

The food stalls and sheds were filled with the sizzling of oil and the irresistible aroma of grilled meat, punctuated by fruits and cold drinks; the horse riding area in the distance was also crowded with tourists, with riders' helmets and whips being passed around like batons among the throng; not to mention the bungee jumping platform, where a group of students couldn't wait to seek thrills, seemingly envisioning themselves freefalling through the air and then being pulled back up by ropes, their excited screams more captivating than any perfect score in any subject.

"Fantastic, this place is amazing." Clark followed several well-dressed officials as they slowly emerged from the food stalls—he held a large cup of ice cream filled with fruit slices in his right hand, and was shoveling it into his mouth with a spoon in his left. The cardboard box slung over his elbow was already filled with skewers, fried chicken, and other snacks.

"Hey, Mr. 'Uncle Sam'," the person in front of him urged with surprise, "Could you hurry up? These things at Ashford College don't seem to be that...desperate for you, do they?"

"Cough, you're worrying too much, or maybe you guys just don't know how to enjoy life?" Clark lightly wiped the cream from his lips. "Those big, meaty dishes at banquets, yes, that's what we should be eating with knives and forks. But, good food is something you have to explore widely. It's not just what's on a big plate that we love! Look at this hot dog, huh?! Sometimes it's just as good as some awesome spaghetti, isn't it?"

"Cough..." That's how he put it, but what he really thought was, "Damn it, I'm only 20 years old. What's wrong with indulging in some 'low-brow' things while I'm young and strong..."

"Actually, what we meant was... the academy is making a giant pizza today, and if you get too carried away eating here, you probably won't have room left in your stomach..."

"Uh, is that so? Then I'll rest for a bit..."

……

The group wandered around with the crowd, but still couldn't find the person they were looking for. So they decided to find something to amuse themselves in the surrounding area to pass the time.

"Hello, student, I'd like to take one of these." As he spoke, someone took the drink from the tray in a student's hand.

"Huh? This..." This time it was Clark's turn to scratch his head—the girls standing in front of him carrying drink trays weren't wearing bartender uniforms or any sunny dresses, but rather blue one-piece swimsuits!

That's not all. Her hair was tied with a large bow at the back of her head, she had a white maid-style headscarf on her head, a white shirt collar that looked like it was specially cut off and hung around her neck, a naughty mini apron around her waist, and a pair of pink stockings on her legs. What the heck is this outfit?

[Author's Note: When I was organizing the screenshots from the anime, I kept wanting to complain: In a Western empire with British blood, the atmosphere of this aristocratic academy is just too damn Heisei-esque.]

"what happened to you?"

"Ah...it's nothing, it's nothing..."

This scene was clearly far beyond Clark's comprehension—in his hometown of Chicago, in those glitz and glamour places, it might be somewhat acceptable for strippers and prostitutes to behave like this, but this was a school! Most of the students weren't even of military age yet, and they were behaving so promiscuously? Not to mention that a few years before the outbreak of World War II, certain theaters that performed this kind of thing were ordered to close down due to certain laws.

"Heh, if these young ladies took off the cloth covering their stomachs and backs, their outfits would really be similar to those dancers, haha."

Well, it seemed they couldn't stay here any longer, so the group started moving to the side. Just then, one of them spotted a tall woman with long, flowing blonde hair, wearing a dark red wizard's robe.

"Hey, isn't that... Miss Ashford! Over here!"

"Huh? Who is that?" Clark was still in a daze.

“Ahem, sir, please remember my name. The president of the Ashford Student Council, Millie Ashford.”

"Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't have time to greet you all! Haha!" She slowly walked over. "You guys, is there anything I can help you with?"

"You seem to be in a good mood, madam. May I ask if you have seen Mr. Hano from the Hokkaido Military Industry Department?"

“Mr. Hanno? Let me think.” Mirei raised her hand to adjust her sun hat as she pondered. “Ah, I saw him come earlier. It seems he went to the school library first? I’m not sure where he is now, but he shouldn’t have gone far.”

"Then, could you show us the way?"

"Uh, I can't really get away from student council stuff here..." She waved her fingers haphazardly, looking quite troubled. "Would you mind if I had someone else lead the way?"

"Well, as long as they don't call me something like a handyman."

"Alright! Wait a minute!" With that, Mirei smiled and took out her phone, contacting someone, "Lelouch! What are you doing!"

……

"What?"

Clark, who was quietly following behind, felt as if he had been electrocuted when he heard the name.

"Don't be busy cutting potatoes with Lolo!" Mirei's voice continued. "Come over here! It's right next to the swimming pool! We have a few customers who need your help to find them! Hurry up! Potatoes don't earn you PE credits! And don't let Suzaku take over your work! He needs to take care of the tomatoes for making pizza later!"

"Okay everyone, sorry!" The phone call ended. "Our vice president might take a little while to arrive, please wait a moment!"

"Excuse me, may I ask to confirm something?" Clark stepped forward. "Is this Lelouch your student council vice president?"

"Hmm? Yeah, what's the problem?"

Could you please spell his name for me?

“LELOUCH”.

“Oh…” Clark thought to himself—the initials of “Prince Lelouch” were exactly the same as the name he found online. “Okay, I was just asking, hehe, thanks.”

"I'm here, President!" Just then, the panting young man finally ran up to Mirei.

"Alright! This is our vice president, Lelouch! Complete the task diligently!"

"Alright, alright, come on gentlemen, where do you need to go?"

……

"Hey, Lamperuki, I'd like to know about your student council president..."

On the way to their destination, the others were busy asking about various things, while Clark walked at the back of the group, silently pondering and observing.

"Hmm, this person..." Does anyone know what the relationship is between this guy named Lamperucci and that guy named Britannia? Besides, I just asked him, and he's the only person in the whole school with that name. But looking at his face, and recalling the oil painting of the prince and his sister that I found earlier, the eyes, hairstyle, and expression are just similar, there's no solid evidence.

The audio? He didn't have any recordings of the prince's "pre-death" speeches, and Davis and his team hadn't recorded their wondrous experiences in the Tower of Babel either. This was going to be difficult.

As for equating him with ZERO? That's even more of a baseless rumor.

Now, whether we equate this man named Lamperuki with the missing prince or with ZERO, he needs to do something—either the spellcasting described and stiffly imitated by Davis in the Tower of Babel, or ZERO's outrageous remarks on the television screen, he certainly won't do it intentionally right now.

……

"Hey? Look, isn't that Mr. Hanno?" Before they knew it, the group had found their destination. "Alright, gentlemen, I'll stop here. Goodbye!"

Just as a meeting focused on money was about to begin, Clark stopped in his tracks and turned to catch up with the departing vice president.

"Excuse me, classmate, could you spare me a moment..."

"Oh? Is there something you need, sir?"

"I'd like to know, Lamperucci, haha." Clark frantically tried to form a sentence in his mind, "Um, you're the vice president of the student council, right? So you must talk a lot in your daily life, and maybe even give speeches, right? Ah, speaking in front of a lot of people without getting too excited and speaking clearly, that must take a lot of experience, haha?"

"Ah, I understand, sir. Thank you for your concern." Lelouch smiled calmly. "If you have important business to attend to, please save some time, okay?"

"Alright, I'll swallow my pride and tell you my intentions." Clark took a deep breath and paused. "Young man, do you have any experience performing on stage? Opera, drama, pantomime, or even a skit are all fine."

"Well, I'm sorry, almost never, sir. I usually handle the rehearsals for these kinds of things behind the scenes, haha."

"Oh, I see... then I think..." Clark scratched his head abruptly, "...a speech? A speech or something?"

“Almost none, sir.” Lelouch seemed to sense something was amiss. “Excuse my bluntness, but unless it’s something life-threatening, please describe it in more detail so I can give you a complete answer at once, okay?”

“Ah, it’s like this.” Clark glanced dismissively at the group discussing this, then pulled the boy over. “I don’t want those people to hear this, so I’m a member of a stage play production team. Oh, but we’re not in charge of a live performance right now, it’s a recording project. We’ve had a little trouble with our production lately; one of our actors had an accident, and we can’t find anyone to fill in for a scene right away, so…”

"Oh? Why did you insist on finding me, sir?"

"Hey, you have to understand, our shots need to be seamless so the audience can't see anything unusual. People like you and him, around 1.8 meters tall and slim, are really hard to find. It's also a hassle to do makeup for them, you know?"

[Author's Note: Lelouch weighs 56 kg, Suzaku, who is a few centimeters shorter than him, weighs 67 kg, and Kallen, who is the same height as Suzaku, weighs 55 kg. Ignoring the anime's art style, Lelouch is on the thinner side as a boy.]

He racked his brains to come up with anything he could think of to try and catch the boy's thoughts.

"So, adhering to the core principle that once this opportunity is missed, it will be gone forever, it's extremely difficult for us to find someone like this now. So, if you have time, may I invite you? You can pay the price, and we can meet all the conditions."

“Sigh, sir, why does your place reek of money?” Lelouch shook his head. “I don’t care about money as much as you do. As a student, I’m not too keen on getting involved in the adult world because I don’t understand it, and I don’t want to.”

“No, no, no, classmate, you’re wrong.” Clark grabbed him, suddenly thinking of a good line of dialogue, “Money and such may not be very attractive to your aristocratic academy, but you have to understand, acting and filming, sometimes a film set is more valuable than a million dollars.”

"Come on, let me tell you. I have a younger sister. She wasn't very sociable growing up. But then one time, I was basically forced to act in a children's play. When she watched the recording, she thought I was hilarious and the performance was so interesting that she wanted to learn it too. Gradually, she started to enjoy singing and dancing more and more. In other words, it was this performance that probably led to a big change in my sister. I think Lelouch must really love his younger brother and sister, right?"

This seemed to have some effect; he noticed a subtle reaction in the boy's eyes—just like when we hear someone say something that easily stirs our emotions.

"Heh, classmate." He thought to himself, "I won't guess if you have a younger sister, but if you do, is her name Nunnally?"

"So, what exactly do you want to say to me, sir?" Lelouch looked at him with a strange expression.

"Haha! Relax, young man!" He patted the boy on the shoulder. "If you had a younger sister, and if a vivid performance could make her happy, wouldn't you do it too? Right? Besides, I think sometimes the knowledge in books is much less impressive than vivid gestures and words."

"Okay! Let's just consider this a friendship, okay? We might need to help each other out in the future, right? Really, classmate, please help me, okay?"

Seeing this, Lelouch helplessly pursed his lips and took out his phone.

"Sir, please save my number. If you need anything, you can contact me later. Of course, I would prefer to have a better spot than mine."

"Aha! No problem! No problem!"

……

After finishing his work, Clark remained alone in the college's teaching building, looking at the empty classrooms and corridors, lost in thought.

"Sir, are you looking for someone?" a man dressed as a teacher asked him.

"Well, I'm not looking for anyone. But I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"Please say."

"Well, a friend of mine plans to teach here in the near future, so I'd like to check out the environment for him beforehand. Also, could you please take me to your administration building? I can provide my identification."

"Okay, please come with me. I'll see if I can find someone to help you with the application."

"Thank you so much, haha!"

While walking, Clark took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Is this Yamashita?"

"Is there something you need, sir?"

"Help me contact someone; I want to borrow some equipment from a film crew! Someone in the guild seems to know his number!"

Chapter 157, Section 220: Thick Eyebrows and Big Eyes, Sneaking Around

Two in the morning—this is a few words that can be used to describe any place in the world at this time.

Pitch black, like the distant skyline of the Tokyo Concession; quiet and secluded, like the rooftop terrace of the Tokyo Concession; drowsy, like the malfunctioning streetlights that startle you on the streets of the Tokyo Concession.