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Page 142
"Hey? Lolo, what are you doing?" A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. "What? Someone called?"
"No, I just..."
"Hey?"
"Ah, Lelouch! Sorry!" Clark chuckled to himself. "I was about to call you about something, but your little brother answered and almost mistook me for a bad guy, hahaha! Having such a cute little brother must make every day happy, right? Hehe!"
"Ah, that's true... So, is there something you need from me?"
"Um, well... what size clothes do you wear?"
"180 cm, 56 kg, you decide."
"okay!"
The call was finally over, and Clark breathed a long sigh of relief. Just then, there was a knock on his office door.
"Who?"
"Hello, sir," said a bartender. "Here is a letter for you."
"Okay, put it here. Oh, and by the way, I have a question for you." He looked at the young man of Asian descent, "Are you from Area 11?"
"Yep."
"Have you ever played any of the visual novel games you made? It's okay, speak freely, I won't do anything about it."
"Emmm...I...yes, I have played it."
"How do you describe the process by which the male protagonist wins over the female lead through a series of speeches or just a few words, or how he throws a powerful enemy off balance with just his words?"
"Ah...we call this 'mouth cannon'."
"A mouthful of trash talk, yeah, a mouthful of trash talk!" He suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Okay, thank you, thank you! You can leave now! Hahahaha!"
The room was left filled with his idiotic laughter.
"Haha, heh." Her gaze lingered on the photograph on the table. "Lelouch, isn't your brother surprisingly weak at handling verbal sparring? I'd like to have a deeper conversation with him... Ah, of course, if he really is your brother. Nunnally, whose sister is she...?"
……
In the shadows of Ashford College, two figures, one tall and one short, were having a secret conversation.
"Who exactly is this 'Uncle Sam'? Has it been found in the records?" The shorter boy asked.
“We’ve traced it all back to the beginning.” The tall female teacher with gray hair answered him. “He’s a red-light district figure who’s only recently gained some notoriety in the Tokyo Concession. He seems to be supplying drugs to a department. Here’s a picture of him. Find an opportunity to ask Lelouch if this is the person who stopped him at school that day.”
"So, given this situation, this person..."
"Although we are acting impartially, we cannot intervene violently. If an important high-ranking figure were to die... my status and connections would probably be irretrievably lost..."
"Then, I'll just follow Lelouch's lead."
Chapter 159, Section 222: Building Cities and Paving Roads
Winter is not always cold; sometimes there are unexpected warming air currents, which can bring clear winter skies.
Of course, it seems that it will take more than a day or two for the thick clouds in Berlin to dissipate, and the sunlight is like sand sifted through a gauze window, with very little reaching the Victory Garden in the city center.
The sky was still quiet. Accompanied by several generals, Elizabeth strolled slowly about two kilometers west of the Brandenburg Gate—where there was a roundabout connecting five streets in different directions.
The center of the disc was a mess, with only a huge stone pillar base remaining, exposing the bricks and sand inside, proving that something had once existed there.
"What did General Marendor call this place? The Victory Column?" She looked around. "He took down the gilded statue on top of the column and brought it to my brother."
"Your Highness, is it a pity about it?"
"A little, but I think it's better to tear it down. According to the information we gathered, the Victory Column survived for years during the World War, which is quite a miracle. It's rather ridiculous that the general just bombed it like that. But, who knows, even if it survived until the day I took office here, it would still be somewhat..."
"Haha, alright, let's not talk about that anymore. I have a few questions for you all." She slowly turned around. "Yesterday I asked you to investigate several strange buildings in Berlin. How did it go?"
"Your Highness, we have figured out what those towers, several tens of meters high, in the city are. According to the Soviet prisoners of war, these are concrete fortifications built by Nazi Germany in Berlin before their defeat, and they are called anti-aircraft towers (Flak Towers). The Germans once built anti-aircraft guns on these towers to defend against air raids on Berlin by the US and Soviet air forces. Of course, the guns and related facilities in the anti-aircraft towers have long been dismantled."
"Oh? Building anti-aircraft guns on these things? Interesting." Elizabeth looked southwest from the roundabout, towards the Berlin Zoo, about a kilometer away, where two large concrete blocks stood.
"And the results? I'd like to know how many towers there are in the city, and what aspects of them are noteworthy?"
"Besides the two in front of you, there are two more in the eastern part of the city and two more in the northern part. The story the prisoners of war told us is that when they stormed Berlin six months ago, they had a headache with these things because their artillery couldn't destroy them, and it was also dangerous for their warplanes to approach them under anti-aircraft fire. Instead, the anti-aircraft guns on the anti-aircraft towers turned to attack the ground, leaving a block of destroyed tanks. At the same time, this was also the last place where the last German soldiers held out, and they only surrendered because they ran out of supplies."
"Of course, we confirmed with the prisoners of war, and they were certain that none of the German-held cities they visited, except Berlin, had ever built this thing. But that was east of Berlin. We don't know how the American troops in the west got here."
"Ah? That's interesting." The princess's expression became subtle. "Cannons and planes couldn't destroy them, and even six months after the war, there wasn't enough time to deal with them. Are these fortresses really that sturdy? Then we can make use of them, or build a few more in the future, inside and out. It doesn't seem like a difficult thing."
“Without a doubt, Your Highness, but before that…”
"Before that, we still need to improve the infrastructure in the city and suburbs, right? The crisis on the southern front has eased, and the Soviet army has begun to retreat to the south. The Soviet army's sea retreat in the north is still being pursued by us. The weather hasn't improved much yet. We should try to clear more urban buildings and maintain the roads inside and outside the city during this period. Of course, there's also what you mentioned before, the underground."
"Hey! Sister!" Kelly came running over without anyone noticing.
"Yes! I'm listening!" Elizabeth patted his head, waiting for him to say something.
"Sister, I and several generals have seen it. The subway under Berlin looks like it has a lot of development potential. If we need to take shelter from air raids in the future, it might be a much better place than any other building."
“That’s exactly what we were talking about. Now, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the wounded can receive better protection, and a lot of supplies can be transferred to underground storage.” She smiled. “Construction vehicles and equipment are basically in place. Given enough time, it wouldn’t be a big deal to even build a small town underground, right?”
"In addition, Your Highness, there is something that requires your approval."
"Ok?"
"We received a letter of recommendation from the Knights of Agincourt, suggesting that our troops need to change their current tactics in future engagements with the Soviet army. They should conduct more fire strikes on key enemy targets before any offensive. This strategy has significantly reduced our casualties during the 92nd Independent Brigade's operations in the north, and the brigade commander has signed off on it, so..."
"Oh? In that case, it's a good thing. However, speaking of artillery, I have an idea..."
"what?"
"I remember there was a newly formed railway artillery regiment that was conducting training firing in our leased territory on the Korean Peninsula, right? I know it will be a while before the railways near Berlin are completed and usable, but let's prepare in advance."
"Your Highness, does Your Highness intend to take them back?"
"Do you only remember which duke supported the research, development, formation, and training of those railway guns and the troops that operated them?" Elizabeth paused. "There may be many weapons that can replace the firepower of railway guns, but one technology of the railway gun troops is unique, isn't it?"
"Ah? Forgive... forgive my ignorance, Your Highness, do you mean that you want the railway artillery regiment to provide tactical support and development for our troops?"
"Looks like you're not so stupid after all, are you?" Elizabeth laughed. "Have all these things arranged? Oh, I just remembered, there are two more things I almost forgot to arrange for you: First, check if there are any existing airports or suitable places to build airports in the vicinity of Berlin, as we may need armed transport planes to drop bombs on the battlefield in the future; and second, go and ask the Soviet prisoners of war if there are any suitable ports along the northern coast of Germany, as we may need to bring the Britannian Empire's navy here in the future."
"As you command, Your Highness!"
"Report!" An officer ran over as soon as he finished speaking.
"what happened?"
"Your Highness, bad news! As the weather begins to improve, the Soviet air force has significantly increased the frequency and size of its air strikes. The air attacks from the north and south are becoming more frequent, so there is a strong possibility that American aircraft outside the battlefield will begin to operate again!"
"So you mean? Oh, I see." Elizabeth's expression was calm as she gently lifted her earring to her eyes, letting the sunlight reflect off the precious metal and into them.
"So, gentlemen, would you be interested in accompanying me to visit the air raid towers on the other side of the river? We might even be able to take shelter from an air raid while we're at it."
"Your Highness? What's wrong?"
"Let's put down our airs. In Rome, you live like a Roman. In District 45, you should treat war like a person from District 45. We're not afraid of how far behind we are. What we're afraid of is our inertia in not even wanting to catch up."
Section 223, Chapter 160: Achieving High Synchronization, Empirical Evidence
Two or three days later, in front of a somewhat deserted coffee shop in the Tokyo Concession, several American soldiers entered the place after skillfully looking around.
"Welcome! What would you like to do?"
"We need to find someone, buddy." The group easily spotted the figure they were looking for, exchanged glances, and said, "Okay, no need to bother you."
“You guys are being ridiculously punctual, for soldiers who are supposed to be on patrol every day.” Clark, who had already moved chairs for them at the table, had a laptop resting on his hand. “Hey? By the way, why are there only three of you? Where’s Garcia?”
“My old illness has relapsed, so I’ll go back to bed for a while.” Davis said, waving his hand. “Speaking of which, it’s not very safe for us to sit here like this, even though we’re not facing the store entrance.”
"It's okay, it's okay." With that, Clark turned on his computer screen and skillfully switched to a page. "If anyone questions me, I can jump to this drug's advertisement in the shortest amount of time. Don't forget what I'm doing right now, haha."
"Alright, let's get down to business: you and that student named Lelouch, have you finally reached an agreement?"
“Just asking him head-on won’t work. We have to use a roundabout approach to get him to reveal his true colors. So…” As he spoke, he opened a video on his computer.
“I’ve created a movie role for him. Now, sir, all you need to do is look at this young man and see if he has any similarities to the spellcasting prince you saw in the Tower of Babel or ZERO we’ve seen on TV.”
“Okay.” Davis put on his headphones.
……
The background of the scene is a green screen, and then a person wearing a black robe walks out.
"Hey buddy," Philip thought, finding the scene rather comical, and asked Clark directly, "What great movie did you get him to act in?"
"Pfft, do you guys really think I'm some kind of all-powerful genius?" Clark waved his hand dismissively. "I just barely managed to write a bunch of garbage fairy tales for kids, based on what I remembered my dad showing me—musicals and movies, and then I frantically wrote them down. It's just a story about a brave boy defeating a big bad king..."
"My God? He actually believed it?"
"Do you really think high school students would watch stories with childish plots and bizarre costumes? Just ditch the shoddy stuff... Uh, if this were actually made into a complete film, what if it turned out to be some kind of 'Lara Croft Little Witch'... Ugh! I'd be ruining everything my dad taught me..."
"Keep your voices down!" Davis stared intently at the screen. "Clark, that guy in black, the Demon King, right? Is that the role you got Lelouch to play?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmm... all black clothes, a black cloak, and that pitch-black helmet with only the mouth showing... couldn't you guys at least change into something better to make this look more presentable?"
"It's alright, sir. Those high-ranking officials often make films and such not to benefit the audience. Many of them are just used for money laundering and profiteering. There are quite a few of them, and the public has become used to it. There was this animated biography that claimed to have spent a lot of money to make about a heroic figure, but what the hell did they end up with? It was called, 'So-and-so's Story,' but I forgot the name."
"Your political metaphor is too malicious, buddy... Never mind, I'll keep reading. Did you guys bring any anti-nausea medication?"
……
"The sky! Will weep! The earth! Will crack! This continent will wail because of my existence!"
Davis winked and watched the young man's mediocre skills and words on camera.
"Foolish humans! How dare you set foot here! The ignorant are but dust in my hands! I will let their blood fill the sea! I will turn their villages into ruins! Prepare for the end of the world! You poor maggots! Your days are numbered!"
"My servants! Hear my command!—"
Gradually, the soldier's expression changed from one of utter distaste to one of disbelief and resemblance to someone who had discovered a forgotten corpse in a pot of excrement. His eyes lit up, and he nimbly picked up several photos that Clark had provided him—photos that he had secretly taken of Lelouch's face, profile, and back during filming.
"So similar...too similar..."
"Hmm? In what way, sir?"
“In any way… my God…” Davis shook his head, his eyes filled with disbelief. “I can’t remember the face because it was too dark, but the height, the hairstyle and hair color, the slender build… really, he looks almost exactly like the boy I saw in the Tower of Babel…”
"And this gesture, look at his hand movements when he's acting! ... Clark, you really didn't intentionally make him do any of those poses, did you?"
"No, no? I let him improvise. There were only 6 takes during that time, 4 of which were because he forgot his lines, and 2 of which were because he didn't get the emotion right. I reminded him to find the feeling, but I didn't say much else, otherwise he would have noticed it much earlier..."
“There’s no doubt about it! It’s definitely him!” Davis exclaimed excitedly, slamming his hand on the table. “Look at this scene! Yes! It’s his gesture in this scene! It’s exactly the same as how he casts the spell in the Tower of Babel! Pointing forward, then flicking it backward, and lifting it to the side and slightly above! My God! There’s absolutely no one else who could do it. Unless they’re a professional actor, no one could possibly make the exact same gesture as him!”
"Calm down, calm down..." Seeing the surprised looks on everyone's faces in the coffee shop, Clark quickly pressed him back onto the stool. "I know you're excited. Actually, his posture when he was giving his speech during filming was already quite similar to ZERO's on TV that time. I didn't expect... that would expose such a big mistake."
"Let's not talk about that anymore. Anyway, I'm sure of you. This student is definitely the same person as the one in the Tower of Babel. And look at his school uniform in this photo. My god, if the probability that the two are the same person is less than 80%, I'll run into the road and wait to be run over by a car."
"Alright, it seems we have everything. Now we can be fairly certain that the one with the surname Lamperucci is actually Britannia. What's the next step?"
"Let's observe the Black Knights' movements first. But Clark, I want to know, have you uncovered anything suspicious about Lelouch's brother?"
"Heh, to be honest, Lelouch came to film this time with his brother."
"What?!--"
“His younger brother said he was worried about his older brother, so he came along and could help him with his luggage and stuff.” Clark paused. “But what happened after he arrived? I feel like this younger brother is more of a nanny than a babysitter. He follows me everywhere. To be honest, the reason I couldn’t get a word out of Lelouch this time is all thanks to this damn younger brother!”
"Holy clinginess?"
"No, no, no, this is definitely not clingy! It's like your mom worrying about you picking up girls at school and secretly following you around town to observe you! In the end, I had to say there was a place he couldn't come in, and I had my men stop him outside. But what I didn't expect was..."
"what happened?"
"Let me show you: In this warehouse, I had my men keep his brother outside while Lelouch and I went in together, talking as we walked. I could still hear my men arguing with his brother. When we got to the back, just as I was about to ask him something rather private... I suddenly heard the arguing stop, felt someone behind me, and instinctively turned around. There was that kid hiding behind the box behind me!"
"And your men?"
"I quickly stopped and asked my men how they let him in, and they actually said they didn't see him at all! I went down and quietly asked, and it seemed that they were still arguing with the kid when suddenly the kid just disappeared right in front of them and flashed to the box!"
"God, this is like when I saw Lelouch casting a spell in the Tower of Babel... Could these two brothers both have some kind of superpowers...?"
"The two brothers, one older brother takes care of everything and meticulously looks after the other, the other younger brother is so clingy he's practically monitoring him, and both of them have something strange about them... I have an idea, I wonder what you think, sir: I suspect that Nunnally is actually Lelouch's real sister, and his younger brother is very likely just someone they temporarily put together, or rather, a cover for their identities. There's definitely some special working relationship between them! And now that Nunnally is in Britannia, could his formation of the Black Knights be partly an attempt to win back his sister? Of course, hiding this intention within the 'destruction of Britannia' seems to avoid making a fool of himself, ha!"
“The reason why Nunnally separated from him is another matter, but there’s another possibility for what you mentioned earlier: it’s not a cooperative relationship, but a real surveillance relationship,” Davis added. “It’s not impossible that Britannia suspects Lelouch of being Zero, so they might have sent a younger brother like this? To be honest, if my dad had done this kind of close surveillance, he probably would have been discharged from the army as a mental patient about 30 years ago.”