"So my place has become a daycare center now?"
"Long time no see, Captain Yang Wei. Though it's happy to see you again..."
"But..."
After hanging up Kira's call and sending Li Chengzhi to fetch Liu Peiqiang and the other person back immediately, Wang Hu finally complained to his former superior who had returned to this world after properly handling matters on that end.
"You too, better not go out and run into any acquaintances. That would scare people to death."
"And what was Core Wang Hu thinking? I'm quite busy here too."
"Wang Hu, you didn't have this attitude when I brought Nina over last time."
Yang Wei, who came from the Homeworld, chuckled at his former subordinate's complaining demeanor.
"How is that the same as the current situation?Pointing at the green-haired woman staring blankly at the unhealing wound on her finger while grinning foolishly, and the black-haired boy crouching beside his sister, Wang Hu's face was full of disdain as he said:
"Touted as that world's great physicist, any faction in any world would treat her as an honored guest."
"But a useless woman and a boy who only knows how to flip floors?"
"To be honest, we're not exactly lacking those here."
At this point, Wang Hu stared at Captain Yang Wei, who still wore a smile, quietly waiting for his response. Based on Wang Hu's understanding of his core self, he couldn't believe Yang Wei came here just to deliver people.
Even if the Wang Hu from C World wanted to secure Lelouch's loyalty, he would at most ask him to make a trip to the public area of Homeworld. There was no need to trouble Yang Wei to personally make the journey.
Eliminating those possibilities, the most likely remaining explanation was...
Yang Wei, who had died once and now been revived, nearly laughed at Wang Hu's words. He stared intently at Wang Hu for a long moment. Indeed, from certain perspectives, Nina - who developed the Goddess of Love weapon in C World - held tremendous value.
According to the data, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the bespectacled girl named Nina enabled humanity to master a power similar to stellar collapse.
Through the collision of two hadrons causing spatial expansion that rapidly collapses to form an absolute gravitational field resembling a mimetic black hole, any matter within the weapon's range would be annihilated.
This weapon had surpassed currently known human technological domains.
Therefore, the value of this girl Nina went without saying.
But the green-haired woman he brought along, and Lelouch - the absolute protagonist of C World - weren't completely worthless as Wang Hu claimed, were they?
However, when Yang Wei glanced back at the three newcomers he had just delivered, he had to admit that without the protection of C World's will, and having lost her ageless and immortal body along with the ability to grant Geass, C.C. indeed wasn't very useful.
Now she was merely a beautiful woman at best.
But just as Captain Yang Wei was about to say that Lelouch still held significant value - definitely not the kind of person Wang Hu claimed they didn't need - something quite embarrassing happened.
"Nunnally, have you finally been able to open your eyes?"
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"
At this very moment, for the same reason that C.C. had lost her curse,
Nunnally, originally Lelouch's sister, had become blind due to witnessing a tragic human event in her childhood,
compounded by the Geass command from her father and brother.
Upon arriving in this CE World, the shackles imposed by the C World on the girl naturally lost their effect.
Thus, with her eyelids trembling, Nunnally opened her eyes, and seeing that his most beloved sister had regained her sight,
Lelouch's emotions overwhelmed him, and he couldn't control his reaction.
"Sigh."
Patting his own forehead, Captain Yang Wei watched the future Black Prince's current state and thought, to put it bluntly,
that if someone pointed at Lelouch and called him a creep, they'd probably believe it.
Because of these rather unreliable teammates' behavior, Captain Yang Wei had no choice but to tacitly accept Wang Hu's assessment of them.
"So?"
Taking advantage of their display, Wang Hu, with a half-smile, stared at his former captain, crossed his arms, and pressed further.
"You didn't just send these three here for no reason, did you?"
"I heard you've been quite busy lately?"
"Over in the C World, Wang Hu is making smooth progress. Having successfully established a foothold in Area 11, he's planning to use the forces there
to stall the Britannian Empire's advance when he returns to seize the nation."
"With support from both your side and the Breaking Ball World, as long as Area 11 can buy him even a little time, the time difference alone will be enough for him to complete his plan."
Without answering Wang Hu's question first, Yang Wei put on a serious face and briefed them on the recent developments regarding Wang Hu in the C World.
"I figured as much when I saw him coming."
Nodding, CE Wang Hu indicated he understood. If even Lelouch had been sent here,
it was obvious that Wang Hu in the C World must be progressing very smoothly.
Characters like Ka Yunchang or Zhu Lü Bu were likely already under his control.
"Ka Yunchang is indeed a loyal subordinate to Wang Hu in the C World now. Rumor has it that as soon as Wang Hu revealed his identity,
people like Kaname Ohgi immediately pledged allegiance, though Zhu Lü Bu is still with the Britannian military."
"However, Wang Hu in the C World has made several contacts with him, and it's probably only a matter of time before he switches to our side."
Simply by reading CE Wang Hu's expression, Yang Wei guessed what he was thinking and explained.
"Mm, and then?"
Deliberately feigning impatience, CE Wang Hu asked.
"What's your real purpose for coming here?"
"CE Wang Hu, I thought you were a wise man, but it seems I overestimated you."
Just as Yang Wei was about to reveal his true intentions, Lelouch suddenly interjected from the side.
Earlier, he had been focused on his sister Nunnally, so although he had heard many things,
he hadn't paid them much attention due to his concern for her.
But now that his sister's eyes were open, a heavy weight had lifted from his heart.
To secure proper treatment for his sister and ensure her safety,
Lelouch summoned immense willpower to restrain his desire to stay by her side, fussing over her well-being.
Rising to his feet with an arrogant stride, he spoke words meant to dominate the conversation from the outset.
Standing before Wang Hu, who was half a head taller than him, Lelouch looked up at the other man yet his aura surged intensely. For a moment, it nearly overshadowed Wang Hu's presence.
What did they mean by a boy who only knows how to tear up the floor?
I am Lelouch vi Britannia—a man who dared to declare war on the entire world for his sister's sake!
Don't look down on me!
Even if you are this world's counterpart of that C World Wang Hu, it doesn't matter!
"Oh?"
Wang Hu looked down with amusement at Lelouch before him, then glanced over at C.C., who was still grinning foolishly. Finally, his gaze fell upon Nunnally, who had just opened her eyes and was watching them with a worried, pitiable expression, delicate as a little rabbit.
"No need to put on such a show. In the name of the state, I assure you Nunnally's safety will be guaranteed—she will receive treatment befitting a princess of a nation. No one here will harm her, and we disdain such tasteless actions. Moreover, after you return, you may act as you wish, pursuing whatever you desire. By the way, if you prefer not to go back, you're welcome to stay in this world. I can provide you with identity documents and financial support until you come of age. Anywhere within the East Asian Federation, you may go freely, without surveillance or restrictions."
"What?"
Lelouch was visibly taken aback by Wang Hu's words, his rhythm thrown off. If Wang Hu had responded with disdain, annoyance, or scrutiny, Lelouch wouldn't have been surprised. But the sincerity Wang Hu displayed now—it wasn't fake! Staring into Wang Hu's eyes, he seemed to see the Wang Hu from his own world. Even without using Geass, Lelouch could confirm that this man, like the C World Wang Hu, wasn't deceiving him.
"Hmph, this Mr. Yang Wei went out of his way to bring us here, so he must have a favor to ask of you," Lelouch said stiffly, steering the conversation back to his own pace, his gaze shifting slightly. His imposing demeanor had softened considerably; he was no longer as aggressive.
"From the intelligence I gathered from Mr. Wang Hu in the C World, Mr. Yang Wei should be acting as an assistant to you Wang Hus. Just as each person's Geass has different effects, I imagine the individual abilities of each Wang Hu across worlds vary as well. So, naturally, some are stronger and some weaker. For instance, you've developed quite well in this world, but isn't it possible that in some worlds, development is extremely poor? To the extent that they can't even return to the Homeworld, unable to personally seek aid in dire circumstances?"
After finishing his speech, Lelouch regained his confident, spirited composure.
"Is that so?" Wang Hu smiled and turned to Yang Wei.
In truth, Wang Hu had already considered what Lelouch mentioned. The best example was the Wang Hu from the Breaking Ball World. Among the three known, his overall abilities were slightly inferior, so it stood to reason that there could be Wang Hus even weaker than him.
At this point, some might raise questions.
Since you, Wang Hu, were fully aware of everything from the start, why did you put on that anxious act initially?
Why repeatedly press Yang Wei to quickly state his purpose?
The answer was actually quite simple—it was for Lelouch, who stood before Wang Hu.
Lelouch wasn't the type to easily trust someone upon first meeting.
Rather than exhaust effort trying to build rapport with him, it was better to let him demonstrate his abilities.
Establishing an initial connection through mutual exchange of interests was the way to go.
Groups bound by shared interests typically developed trust and solidarity far surpassing that of mere friendship.
In an instant, as Yang Wei looked at Wang Hu's smiling face, he grasped the other's intention.
As for Lelouch, he clearly realized this too, which caused a flicker of unease to cross his face before he quickly concealed it.
"It's exactly as Lelouch said."
"As an assistant to the Wang Hus across various worlds, I've encountered trouble in one particular world."
"The Wang Hu of that world, how should I put it…"
Yang Wei sighed, carefully choosing his words.
"That world's Wang Hu joined a certain organization, but his awakening happened at an inopportune time, and his mindset after awakening wasn't quite right either."
"So his current situation is even more problematic—there's a high probability he can no longer fulfill his duties as Wang Hu."
"That's when I need to step in, taking over as the coordinate for the Homeworld to access that world."
"At the same time, I'm responsible for seeking external assistance to help that Wang Hu complete the mission he can no longer carry out."
"An organization?" Wang Hu pondered briefly, feeling the information he'd received so far hadn't exceeded his expectations.
He was quite curious about that organization too, but…
"What kind of organization could even a fully awakened Wang Hu struggle to handle?"
"So now you want me to go clean up the mess?"
"But I'm quite busy here too—I can't just drop everything and go there immediately. Will there be enough time?"
(End of chapter)