Chapter 19: Your Highness Wishes to Bestow an Honor upon the King

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Lelouch’s demeanor was sincere, inviting Duke Ruprecht to ask any questions he might have, promising to answer them all. Yet the duke was no rash man; he took a few moments to carefully read a confidential letter from Lelouch’s younger brother, Major General Karl. After all, Captain Enmeyman’s plane needed to be refueled, so a little wait wouldn’t hurt.

Having finished the letter, Duke Ruprecht dismissed his aides with a wave and solemnly posed what he deemed the most critical question.

“You told Karl that if, after this operation, it turns out the Empire’s naval radio codes were indeed deciphered by Britannia, we must never let that slip. We must continue to feign ignorance, keep the secret safe, and wait for a sufficiently lucrative opportunity to exploit it later. But don’t you think that’s extremely difficult? Karl may not grasp how factional and fierce the struggles within the navy are. I do. Even intelligence work is divided into competing camps, each pursuing its own agenda.

Once someone uncovers such a secret, they will scramble to claim credit and rewards. Whether it takes days or months, the Britannians will inevitably learn the truth…”

The duke immediately saw that Lelouch’s hope for secrecy was likely to become a “tragedy of the commons.”

In departments where everyone covets what others possess while eyeing what’s beyond, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

A plan that maximizes imperial interests does not necessarily align with the interests of smaller factions; who would be willing to hold back their achievements and wait patiently for a greater reward?

Fortunately, Lelouch had pondered this problem deeply aboard the plane.

After all, he had traveled back from a future era of market economies rife with relentless competition and cunning, and was well-prepared for human selfishness.

The duke’s concern resembled the situation in “A Bite of China,” where mushroom foragers would never wait for the matsutake to reach peak value—someone else would have picked it first.

Therefore, to deal with this tragedy of the commons, one must first be extremely selfish oneself.

After a brief hesitation, Lelouch bit the bullet and prepared to pledge his loyalty.

“Your Highness is far-sighted, seeing the root of the problem at once. That is why we must also keep the Navy in the dark! All future intelligence cooperation with the Navy will be conducted solely through Major General Hippel, who hails from the Baria faction. We shall share intelligence only with him, and him alone!

Your Highness, I do not intend to foment factionalism within the Navy. But I have long believed that the Prussian Junker officer corps is too amateurish and inept in intelligence. We can only trust our own men from the Kingdom of Baria—

Moreover, as you know, I am a foreigner, an Oriol. I serve in the Demanian army out of loyalty to the Demanian people, not to the Emperor nor to those Prussian Northerners.

Back when the Demanian Empire was founded, Prussia pursued the so-called “Small Demania” plan to exclude the Oriol Emperor from the empire, ensuring their own hold on power. This was a betrayal of the traditions stemming from the Holy Roman Empire.

Your Baria Kingdom and the other three states of Southern Demania have long been closer to the Oriol royal family, sharing their faith and heritage. Your ancestors supported the “Greater Demania” plan before 1870.

That is why I sought to serve in the 6th Army Group under you—I would rather pledge allegiance to you alone. As an Oriol, my vision of the Demanian Empire is the Greater Demania plan, uniting the Demanian people of the Oriol Empire under one banner.

This war has become a protracted conflict; swift victory is no longer possible. The brutal attrition of prolonged war will shock any monarchy, forcing many nations to reform in the future.

The Oriol Empire’s weak combat power and severe internal ethnic conflicts cast doubt on its endurance in this war. Who knows, perhaps this great war will be an opportunity for the Demanian nation to be reshaped and reborn from the ashes?

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In such circumstances, climbing the ranks from within may be more effective than a military coup. As the link between Oriol and Prussia, the Baria Kingdom can navigate both sides, perhaps even accomplishing more for the nation and the people…”

“Enough! Stop! I already understand. If that’s the case, this secret might indeed be kept for a long time, and many future secrets can remain concealed in the same manner…”

Duke Ruprecht hastily interrupted, unwilling to hear more.

This young man spoke without restraint. Even though it was late at night, on a field airstrip, and with his aides dismissed—where the rule of “what is said in private stays in private” applied—was it appropriate for a mere lieutenant to speak so freely?

Fortunately, the duke was unfamiliar with Eastern history; otherwise, he might have recalled how Yao Guangxiao repeatedly maneuvered before Zhu Di, inflaming tensions further.

Still, to the duke, Lelouch’s zeal was tempered by good intentions. He was clearly dedicated to uniting the entire people under one flag, one nation.

As a noble of the Southern Demanian states, the duke himself favored the Greater Demania plan over the smaller one.

After all, Baria’s ancestors were granted their lands by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa of the original Holy Roman Empire, marking over seven centuries of friendly relations.

Anyone who played the Barbarossa campaign in “Age of Empires II” would recall how Barbarossa defeated his arch-enemy “Lion Henry,” subsequently granting his lands to the Wittelsbach family, founding the Baria Kingdom in 1180—734 years ago.

Lelouch’s words today were a full declaration of loyalty, convincing the duke he had found a kindred spirit.

Such men of conviction should certainly be entrusted with responsibility!

As for Lelouch’s personal ambition, the duke gave it no thought. His position was too low; being a useful subordinate was enough.

After some admonishment, the duke decided to offer a token of encouragement:

“Though your words were somewhat excessive today, I will not blame you, considering your youth and inexperience. Your strategy itself is sound. Take this confidential letter to General Hippel.

Also, this is my private seal—you may keep it for now, in case there are any unclear details in the letter and Hippel doubts you.”

“Thank you for your trust,” Lelouch said, accepting the letter and seal with both hands.

“Do your best. If you truly distinguish yourself this time, you shall be promoted,” the duke said, patting Lelouch on the shoulder before departing.

Meanwhile, Captain Enmeyman’s plane had been fully refueled and underwent necessary maintenance checks. Lelouch boarded once more, heading straight for Wilhelm Harbor.

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“I didn’t expect the duke to hold you in such high regard. Brother, are you really just a lieutenant? Surely you have someone backing you, don’t you?”

The long night flight was tedious. Less than half an hour after takeoff, Enmeyman couldn’t resist striking up conversation with Lelouch.

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“I’m just a foreigner. Who could I possibly have backing me? It’s only that His Grace the Duke and General Karl are both men of meritocracy, who recognize talent regardless of origin,” Lelouch replied smoothly and tactfully.

“Are there really such generals who value merit alone? Fine, I’ll take your word for it,” Enmeyman said, losing interest in probing further and quickly changing the subject.

He proudly tapped a recently wrapped strap around his uniform, boasting to Lelouch, “You suggested we install safety belts on the plane and carry weapons to shoot down enemy scouts.

While refueling, I got a bit ambitious and had the ground crew fit this strap along with two C96 pistols. If we encounter enemy reconnaissance, I’ll get close and fire a few shots—you just handle the reloading.”

As he spoke, Enmeyman pulled out one of the pistols, waving it about.

Lelouch took a closer look—it was the boxy Mauser C96, with a twenty-round magazine, often seen in later war films.

Given the rush and lack of machine guns or sufficient payload, equipping a few high-capacity pistols was indeed a clever idea.

Still, Lelouch had to temper his enthusiasm: “Good idea, but even if there are enemy planes at night, it’s too dark to see them. Besides, how could Britannian planes have the endurance to fly this far? Consider it just a trial of armed flight.”

Enmeyman acknowledged the truth with a hint of disappointment.

They chatted casually for over two hours, Wilhelm Harbor now in sight.

In this era, there were no air raids, so the naval base had no nighttime blackout; the plane could safely land with ample lighting.

Just as Enmeyman prepared to observe the landing approach, he suddenly spotted something and shouted from the rear cockpit, “Hey! Look! It’s a Britannian BE2!”

Lelouch looked in the direction indicated but saw nothing. “Where? I don’t see anything! Are you sure you identified the model correctly?”

Enmeyman replied, “Of course! Our pigeon-winged planes have tail and wing tips slanting backward, like kites. Only the Britannian BE2 has elliptical wingtips. Don’t underestimate an ace pilot’s eyesight!”

Lelouch fell silent—specialists have their expertise, and as an ace pilot, Enmeyman’s eyesight was certainly sharper.

Enmeyman was able to spot the enemy plane because the harbor lights below reflected faintly off the wing edges. Without illumination over open fields, it would have been impossible to see.

The opposing plane paid no attention to them—or perhaps noticed but didn’t care—since this era had no aerial combat, and spotting enemy planes wasn’t a cause for alarm.

Enmeyman leisurely closed in until he could make out the insignia on the plane: it bore the emblem of the Kingdom of Netherlands’ Flying Club, not the Britannian military.

Lelouch saw this too, a sudden realization dawning—no wonder it got this far. It hadn’t taken off from Britannian territory, but from a neutral country instead!