At the edge of the sprawling warehouse district, standing by a quiet loading dock, I remained rooted to the spot long past the appointed hour.
I had no choice but to wait in silence, my mind preoccupied with the specific cargo due to arrive today.
Finally, a gargantuan silhouette emerged at the periphery of my vision.
It was a massive trailer truck, its chassis coated in a matte, midnight black.
"…Is that today's delivery?"
A moment later, the driver's side door swung open, and Jeremiah Gottwald stepped out, disguised to blend into the industrial backdrop.
"Forgive the delay, Your Highness."
I cast a discerning eye over the trailer. Up close, its presence was even more overwhelming.
While it appeared to be a standard cargo hauler on the surface, the undercarriage had been reinforced with ballistic plating. Subtle vents and various antennae for sophisticated communication arrays peeked out from the sides of the container.
"This is…"
"The mobile command center for your resistance headquarters," Jeremiah explained, his tone possessing the dry, clinical precision of a seasoned soldier.
"While its exterior is indistinguishable from a civilian freighter, the interior has been gutted and rebuilt using military command vehicles as a blueprint. It features armored plating, satellite uplinks, an encrypted network, and a tactical briefing room. I have tailored this mobile base to match Your Highness's exact specifications."
"It's… larger than I anticipated."
"As your group expands, a fixed base will eventually become a shackle. You must possess the capability to relocate and evade pursuit at a moment's notice. This should suffice for your operations for the foreseeable future."
I nodded, thoroughly satisfied with the arrangement.
"And the acquisition? How was the trail handled?"
At my question, the corner of Jeremiah's mouth twitched upward in a faint smirk.
"The primary purchase was made through a defense contractor within the Britannian homeland. From there, it was funneled through two shell companies in the neutral territories of the Third World before being acquired via a circuitous route. On paper, the current owner is a nominal subcontracting firm for a shipbuilding company."
He produced a manila envelope and held it out to me.
"Capital flow, ownership transfer papers, and the details of the proxy representative—everything has been thoroughly laundered. Should anyone attempt to trace this, they will find themselves spinning their wheels in at least three layers of deception."
"Meticulous. Just as I expected from you, Sir Jeremiah."
Jeremiah bowed his head slightly at the sincere praise.
"I merely executed Your Highness's commands as they deserved."
After a brief pause, he suddenly looked me directly in the eye.
"…However, there is one thing I wished to confirm by coming here personally."
"Confirm?"
"The Japanese you mentioned before. The Kozuki Group, was it?"
He chose his words carefully before speaking with uncharacteristic bluntness.
"I wanted to judge for myself whether they are truly worth utilizing. Deep in my heart… a prejudice against Elevens still lingers. I beg your forgiveness for my insolence."
With those final words, he bowed his head low.
'At least he's honest,' I thought with a bitter internal smile.
The convictions of a man who had spent his life as a Pureblood wouldn't vanish overnight. On the contrary, the courage to confess this flaw was perhaps the strongest evidence that he truly recognized me as his sovereign.
"Raise your head, Jeremiah."
When he looked up, I stood by the trailer and spoke in a low, resonant voice.
"Regardless of what you feel, you can mend the prejudices in your heart over time. It doesn't need to be instantaneous. But there is one thing you must keep in mind."
I shifted my gaze to the side. Shadows were emerging cautiously from the darkness, right on schedule. It was Ohgi and his companions, disembarking from a weathered van.
"In front of those people, never use a term like 'Eleven.' From this day forward, they are my army, and they are my comrades."
Jeremiah closed his eyes for a heartbeat before answering in a heavy, somber voice.
"…Yes. I shall bear that in mind."
I gave a short nod and gestured toward a crate I had prepared behind the truck.
"Your equipment is there. Today, you will not stand before my subordinates as you are."
Inside the box lay a black cloak and a mask designed to conceal more than half of the face.
"I shall introduce you as an anonymous benefactor—a Britannian collaborator who was moved by the Kozuki Group's resolve."
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Jeremiah donned the cloak and the mask.
Shortly after, the truck arrived at the Kozuki Group's hideout. The warehouse doors swung open, and the core members—Ohgi, Tamaki, Kallen, and Minami—emerged one by one.
Their mouths hung open as they beheld the massive trailer looming over the clearing.
"What… what on earth is this?"
"Lelouch! Where did you get a massive truck like this?"
Ohgi ran toward me with wide eyes. Tamaki began kicking the tires, letting out a series of impressed exclamations.
"Whoa, this thing is incredible! Is this really ours to use?"
I offered a confident smile, enjoying their sheer astonishment.
"I promised you, didn't I? We needed a proper base of operations."
"I mean, sure, but… how did you even acquire something like this?"
"I received support from a trustworthy acquaintance. A gracious individual who supports our cause."
My gaze drifted toward Jeremiah, who stood shrouded in the shadows beside the truck.
It was only then that Ohgi's group noticed the masked figure and flinched back.
"Wh-who is that?"
Glares of intense suspicion were leveled at Jeremiah. He stepped forward, reciting the lines we had rehearsed.
"Greetings. I am the benefactor who provided this vehicle. I trust you will understand the necessity of keeping my identity concealed."
His voice, filtered through the mask, had a strange, resonant echo. Tamaki furrowed his brow and shouted.
"What? How are we supposed to trust some guy in a mask?"
As the atmosphere grew tense, Jeremiah remained remarkably calm.
"You need not trust me. I am merely lending my strength because I am in accord with your resolve and Lelouch-sama's vision. Do not put your faith in me—put it in Lelouch-sama, and in this equipment and these supplies."
His tone was polite, yet it carried an unmistakable weight of authority.
"Lelouch, are you sure about this? He sounds like a Britannian…"
Ohgi asked with concern. I gave him a reassuring nod.
"Don't worry, Ohgi-san. He has my personal guarantee."
I turned to look at everyone, putting command and conviction into my voice.
"Everyone, do you remember what I said last time? That we must not become mere terrorists who only seek to drive out Britannia."
The members fell silent.
"We must become the champions of the weak. We must judge those who trample the helpless and become the arbiters of justice where justice has been extinguished."
The wind from the docks ruffled my hair.
"A group that transcends the narrow boundaries of nation or ethnicity to realize a universal justice. Only then can we gain the support of not just the Japanese, but also the conscientious Britannians. Just like our friend here."
I gestured toward Jeremiah before addressing them again.
"Therefore, I have prepared this. Our first step in being reborn as true champions of justice."
On my signal, Jeremiah wheeled out a large cart from the back of the truck.
On the cart lay a stack of neatly folded black uniforms.
"Is this… clothing?"
"Exactly. We are no longer a resistance group hiding in the shadows."
I picked up one of the uniforms and held it high against the night sky.
"I propose that as of today, we break the shell of the 'Kozuki Group' and be reborn under a new name."
Beneath the moonlight, the black fabric fluttered like a banner of war.
"The knights who protect the weak and judge the wicked. I propose that here, we establish the Black Knights—a legion bound by a single ideal."
Ohgi and the others stared at one another, stunned by the declaration. Ohgi slowly stepped forward.
His gaze moved back and forth between the uniform in my hand and my face.
"The Black… Knights…"
Just then, a man stepped out from the back. It was Minami.
"Lelouch, is such a grandiose name really necessary? Can't we just fight to liberate Japan?"
Tamaki chipped in as well.
"Yeah! Isn't a name just between us enough?"
I met their gazes one by one, my response calm and measured.
"No. Our group is currently approaching nearly a hundred members, including those who recently joined."
Ohgi's eyes wavered at that remark.
"Only you here know that I am Britannian, or that I serve as your strategist despite my youth."
I had deliberately avoided appearing before the newer recruits. If the fact that I was Britannian were to spread, it could lead to unnecessary friction. Above all, not everyone possessed the same convictions as Ohgi's core circle.
"When an organization grows, internal strife is inevitable. Differing motives, differing ideologies. We need a grander cause to bind them as one. The name 'Black Knights' is not a mere symbol. it is our ideology, and it is our identity."
Ohgi fell into silence for a moment before asking softly.
"…Lelouch. Could you give us a moment to think this over?"
I nodded.
"Of course. This is a critical decision."
Ohgi gathered the core members together. They huddled a short distance from the truck, beginning a low-voiced deliberation.
While they were distracted, someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Kallen.
"Lelouch, a word?"
She stole a quick glance at Jeremiah before grabbing my arm and pulling me toward a secluded corner.
"Ouch!"
As soon as we reached a spot shadowed by a container, Kallen let go of my arm.
"Are you trying to leave a mark? You're grabbing way too hard."
"Don't be a baby. Is that really what's important right now?"
Kallen's expression was full of pouting resentment.
"How could you not say a single word to me? A massive truck like that, uniforms, even a new name for the organization… you were preparing all of this by yourself?"
Her voice was dripping with hurt and feeling left out.
"We're… partners, aren't we? You said it yourself. So why leave me in the dark about something this huge?"
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. She had every right to feel marginalized. She was the one who had watched over me most closely, from school life to the resistance activities.
"I'm sorry, Kallen. It's not that I didn't trust you. It's just… I wasn't certain myself."
"Certain?"
"I didn't know if this plan was truly feasible, or if that benefactor would actually deliver the goods. I didn't want to get your hopes up with empty promises in an uncertain situation. I wanted to show you the finished results."
I gestured with my chin toward Jeremiah. He remained masked, silently guarding the truck.
"…Is that man really trustworthy? A Britannian collaborator? What if he's a double agent? If he sells out our info and runs, we're finished."
"Rest easy. He is not a man who would ever betray me."
Kallen arched an eyebrow at my definitive tone.
"How can you be so sure? Do you have some kind of superpower that lets you read hearts?"
"Well, something like that. That man is… in a sense, more invested in this cause than even I am."
I added a bitter chuckle.
"Remember? I told you before that I have a secret."
Kallen paused, lost in thought.
"A secret? Oh… you mean during our date?"
Her face flushed slightly at the memory of that date—the one that had ended abruptly when she fled.
"Yes. I said then that I would tell you my secret."
"So? What is it? What's your connection to that masked man?"
Kallen pressed me with curious eyes. I scanned the surroundings before taking a step closer and lowering my voice to a whisper.
"The truth is, Kallen…"
"Yeah?"
"I am a Prince of Britannia."
Kallen stared at me blankly for a long beat before letting out a heavy, exasperated sigh.
"Haaa…"
Thwack.
"Urgh!"
She landed a light punch right in my gut.
"Don't play games! I'm asking you something serious and you have to make a joke like that?"
"Ow… that actually hurt. I was being serious just now…"
"As if! Why would a Prince be out here doing resistance work? You might as well tell me you're actually Japanese while you're at it!"
"No, really! It's the truth! Why are you hitting me for telling the truth?"
I rubbed my stomach with an aggrieved expression, but Kallen just shook her head in disbelief.
"Fine. If you won't tell me, then don't. Teasing me like this is just petty."
She huffed and turned her head away.
With her lips in a pout and her crimson hair shimmering in the moonlight, she looked remarkably lovely.
Without thinking, I reached out and pulled her into a sudden embrace.
"Wait! Wh-what are you doing!"
Kallen gasped and tried to push against my chest, but I tightened my arms and refused to let go.
"Thank you, Kallen."
"…For what?"
"Just everything. For trusting me, for staying by my side. And… for responding even to my absurd jokes."
Kallen stopped resisting at the sincere tone in my voice. Her face ripened into a deep scarlet, like a well-aged apple. I could feel the frantic thumping of her heart against my chest.
"What is this… you're so unfair, honestly…"
She mumbled, but she didn't push me away any longer. Instead, she leaned her forehead gently against my shoulder.
"…Are you ever going to let go?"
"Just a little longer."
"Honestly… what if Ohgi-san or the others see us?"
Even as she grumbled, she gripped the fabric of my shirt tightly. After a moment, she stepped out of my arms, blushing and looking away as she spoke.
"…I'm in."
"Hmm?"
"The Black Knights. If it's something you're doing, if it's the path you say we should take… then I'm for it."
To hide her reddened face, she spun around and walked toward where Ohgi and the others were gathered.
"Hurry up! Everyone's waiting!"
Watching her retreat, a chuckle escaped me.
'Really, I can't win against her.'
A warmth spread through my chest. With a stalwart ally—and someone far more than that—like Kallen by my side, I felt that even this reckless founding of the Black Knights and the arduous battles ahead could be overcome.
Now, the time for the final decision had come.