Chapter 2 : The Victor’s Grace, the Vanquished’s Sigh
Chinese Federation
Capital City of Luoyang
A deep breath.
I am Lysander de Britannia.
A man who never existed in the original 'Code Geass'.
And yet, somehow, I was born as the fourth prince of the Holy Britannia Empire — the greatest power in this world — and as the son of that infamous “worst father ever,” Charles zi Britannia.
Twenty-four years have passed since then.
And right now, at this very moment, I am more nervous than I have ever been in my life.
“How do I look, Caroline?”
“You look truly wonderful, your highness.”
She smiled.
Caroline.
My secret intelligence officer.
And the first woman who had ever become mine.
With elegant brown hair and brown eyes, she looked nothing like someone who had once come from a high-class brothel.
She adjusted my tie and whispered softly.
“Still no intention of becoming my official mistress?”
“The coup that brought down the Commander-in-Chief of the SPQR, the five-front encirclement operation, the wide-area hacking ultimatum… All of that came from Your Highness’s mind, didn’t it? I may work in the shadows, but I am a woman who aims for the light.”
She winked.
“…Fine. Then I’ll make you Viceroy of one of the new territories we gain."
"Don’t refuse that.”
“I will gladly accept that, your highness.”
A few minutes later —
I opened the door to the conference hall.
“Welcome, Your Highness Lysander de Britannia, Fourth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire.”
A sharp, thin voice unique to eunuchs.
The first to greet me was Gao Hai, the Taijan and de facto regent of the Chinese Federation.
“Welcome, Duke of Tenochtitlan.”
Old, weary eyes.
A voice that still struggled to maintain dignity until the very end.
It belonged to the emperor of the defeated Senatus Populusque Romanus — SPQR for short — Regulus Martialis.
The rest of his titles were so absurdly long that even I could not remember them all.
The first to speak was Gao Hai, the mediator.
“I would like to begin with the most important issue—the sovereignty of Siberia, where the Sakuradite veins are located. May I ask for both of your views?”
Just as expected.
Britannia already possessed Area 11, formerly Japan.
Overeating leads to indigestion.
Besides, if the Chinese Federation and the SPQR joined hands, things would become troublesome.
“Our nation requires only the minimum territory necessary to defend Area 11 from Siberia.”
“When Your Highness says ‘minimum,’ how much territory do you mean?”
“The Kamchatka Peninsula, Magadan, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin. Those four regions will suffice.”
“…Pardon?”
Gao Hai and Emperor Martialis both widened their eyes at the same time.
I smiled and dropped another bomb.
“As for the rest of Siberia east of the Ural Mountains… I would like to offer it as a gift of friendship to the Chinese Federation, in thanks for mediating this treaty.”
“…What?”
Gao Hai was completely dumbfounded.
Martialis merely let the corner of his mouth twitch.
In this world, everything ultimately came down to Sakuradite and the Knightmare Frames powered by it.
Naturally, they must have assumed that Britannia would devour all of Siberia.
Who, me?
Did they think I had a hobby of overextending myself until two great powers could stab me from both sides later?
“Our nation volunteered to mediate for the sake of peace under heaven. We did not seek compensation! Please, Your Highness, reconsider!”
“Ha ha ha. What sort of guest comes to his host’s house empty-handed? Please, do not refuse.”
“…The defeated have no words. Let it be as the victorious duke wishes.”
In the end, Gao Hai bowed his head, and the matter of Siberia concluded with the Chinese Federation taking most of the territory east of the Urals.
But the real negotiations began now.
“You demand every other region without exception. Unlike with Siberia just now, Your Highness shows no mercy.”
“You have a lot to say for a man who managed to hold out this long only thanks to one girl barely older than your daughter.”
“…At least allow us to save face.”
“Isn’t Mount Ararat supposed to be the holy site where Noah’s Ark came to rest? That should be more than enough face-saving."
"Persia will become a neutral state ruled by its Shahanshah, and Aksum(*) will become an independent republic where its people choose their own leader through this thing called an ‘election.’ I have already granted you that much.”
Emperor Martialis let out a sigh.
“…What else do you want?”
“'Pleiades and Atlas'...the 8 conglomerates of the 'Senatus Populusque Romanus'.”
The emperor’s face turned pale.
“…Are you serious?”
“I said I would not demand reparations."
"I never said I would not take physical assets and shares.”
“Oil, finance, diamonds… Without those companies, the Senatus Populusque Romanus will…”
“In return, we victors will also make concessions."
"We will abandon any claims to the both the Albion Isles and the Iberian Peninsula, which were the land of royal origins."
"Also, we'll gladly accept Greenlandia and Islandia as the territory of SPQR, which could otherwise place a blade at our throat.”
“Moreover, this is also the price for creating one more neutral state around Mount Ararat — the Kingdom of Edessa.”
Martialis remained silent for a long time before he finally spoke.
“…Leave us the headquarters and the domestic branches of 'Pleiades and Atlas'. We will hand over all overseas colonial holdings, facilities, and the corresponding shares.”
“That will suffice.”
Gao Hai read the summary of the treaty.
1. The new borders of the 'Senatus Populusque Romanus' shall be limited to the North Atlantic, the Arctic Ocean, the Sahara Desert, the Euphrates–Tigris rivers, and the Ural Mountains.
2. The Kingdom of Edessa, the Persian Empire, and the Republic of Aksum shall become independent, and the three states shall be guaranteed neutrality by Britannia, Senatus Poplusque Romanus and the Chinese Federation.
3. Of Siberia, Kamchatka, Magadan, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin shall be occupied by Britannia, while the remainder shall be occupied by the Chinese Federation.
4. Sub-Saharan Africa, Arabia, and the Zirkistan(*) region shall be occupied by Britannia.
5. The Senatus Populusque Romanus shall cede to Britannia all overseas holdings, facilities, and shares of the eight great corporations — Pleiades and Atlas — which operated in its former colonies.
“If there are no objections, please sign.”
I accepted the pen.
'Phew'
With this…
Could this count as even the smallest repayment to the comrades who had died so futilely on the battlefield at the hands of the 'Commander-in-Chief of the SPQR'?
For a moment, I thought I heard the phantom cry of a blonde, blue-eyed girl echoing from somewhere.
But it must have been my imagination.
After all —
I have to survive first.
p.s.
* Sakuradite : A miracle resource. Think of it as something like a universal plot-resource — similar to Minovsky particles, Pim particles, or Vibranium.
* Tenochtitlan : OTL Mexico.
* Aksum : OTL Ethopia, Eritrea, Djibouti
* Albion Isles : OTL British Isles.
* Iberian Peninsula : OTL Spain and Portugal.
* Zirkistan : OTL Afghanistan
Author's Note : Thanks for reading. This is a completed Korean fanfiction being translated into English, so updates should continue steadily. Feedback on readability and terminology is welcome.