The situation for the E.U. wasn't the greatest; they used the attack on Saint Petersburg as an opportunity to swiftly expand and recover lost territory.
But Euro Britannia, which swiftly got supplies from Britannia, recovered and went on the offensive.
Sutherlands and Gloucesters are superior machines to their 'new' Panzer Hummels, and they quickly showed that by blasting through the frontlines.
One of them, leading the front in Eastern Europe, was Shin Hyuuga Shiang.
The Holy Order of Michael is known for their bold actions, and it was exactly what they did.
When Shin took the order from Michele Manfredi, he not only took the command but his Knightmare as well.
A large machine that can transform into a centaur. It was one of the early 7th-generation machines. It was a sight to behold.
With a gold and red frame, it would lead the front while trying to retake their lost lands in the Belarusian front.
Sadly…
Such a machine can attract the attention of not only the enemies.
~~~~~~Meanwhile~~~~~~
'Minsk, huh…'
Marcus hummed as he looked at the sprawling city before him.
It was a city with over a million inhabitants. Sadly, conflicts have caused this place to suffer constantly.
The Inventor's Tiranis landed on the destroyed building's rooftop and looked around. The mobile suit's monitors have been replaced by drone footage; it became something like a security command centre with tens of lifestreams from around the city.
"It's quite nice of my older sister to allow me to play around in Europe." The Inventor Prince smirked as he joked, Cornelia didn't specifically allow such a thing.
But, for Marcus, rampaging in Euro Britannia is a great way to distract the Emperor and Schneizel from Japan, where the Exiled Prince lives.
Not only that, but it would derail Charles' plan to get the Thought Elevators.
"Hmm?"
Tiranis' camera picked up movement.
The mobile suit turned around and looked at the corner of the building at the ground level.
There was nothing there.
But the main camera swiftly shifted through a spectrum of visions.
The heat camera picked up that a person was hiding behind the corner.
"We can play this game." A beam rifle pointed at the corner.
"Or I can melt the corner. What do you say?"
With that said, a person revealed itself.
Marcus' eyes slightly widened. The next second, he grinned from ear to ear.
"I do love gathering ace cards."
"I will have a straight hand of aces if I continue this way. I do wonder if I am somehow related to Cao Cao." Marcus mumbled to himself as he moved his Mobile Suit.
The mech went over the edge and floated down to the ground level, landing in front of a terrified individual.
It was a girl with wine coloured hair.
This was a girl who could keep up with Lancelot in a fight with a mere 5th-generation machine.
Marcus' Tiranis dropped on one knee, the beam rifle folded behind the wing.
The cockpit opened, and he got out; the machine's hand assisted him to land on the street.
The girl's eyes looked at him with disbelief. He is certain she didn't expect him to do this.
Instead of saying anything, he pulled out a chocolate bar, more specifically a Mars bar, and offered it to her.
A gulp escaped from her lips, but she held herself.
"I-I am not…a cat… You can just domesticate!" She replied. Marcus smirked a bit as he felt that accent through his very bones.
"...Not a cat. How about a lioness?" He joked as he walked over.
His reply made her go through rows of emotions. Who was this guy?
What is with this machine!
"Why don't we introduce ourselves?" He changed his theme of conversation; meanwhile, he opened the package of the chocolate bar and began to eat.
'T-This guy!'
"...Jeanne…Jean Rowe." The girl went through a gender swap.
"I prefer Jeanne, regardless, I am Lelouch vi Britannia, the Eleventh Prince at your service." He didn't do a bow or anything; instead, he took a bite of his chocolate.
"!!!"
Her whole demeanour swerved a bit as she thought of dropping to a knee all of a sudden.
"So what do you say?" He pulled out another Mars bar and offered it to her.
"Do you want to follow me? You are a knight type, you might be dressed in rags, but you can't escape your noble heritage, you are a Britannian noble, that much I am sure." Marcus smiled as he began to twirl the chocolate bar with his free hand.
"..." She looked at him for a second. Hunger is crushing her resistance.
It has been days since she had any decent food…
"...W-What do you want me to do?" She asked with a gulp as her hand went to the offered chocolate.
"My knight? My follower? I have a sixth sense when it comes to talent. I have collected a decent amount of talented people.
You have piqued that sense. So I am offering you to follow me."
"...Y-You want a girl…to be your knight?" She looked baffled by that idea.
"Hmm? Why not? One of my sisters has a girl knight. Gender doesn't matter inside a knightmare." He shrugged for a second before smirking.
"Besides, girls look great in uniforms."
The girl snorted. It made sense now. This was a Prince, and royals have an array of weird tastes.
But this was an opportunity. If she can show him how good she was, then her life would be set.
With that in mind, any confusion or reluctance was gone. The girl finally tasted a sweet for the first time in weeks, if not months. By this point, she doesn't know how many days have passed.
After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.
"...Why are you here? Isn't this Euro Britannia?"
"I have here to hunt someone. But that can wait." He motioned her to follow him.
"Let me take you where you can have a decent meal, a shower and a change of clothes." He said that while walking towards his machine.
"...You ARE serious…" the girl realised that he wasn't joking.
"I am not joking if that's what you were thinking. I might tease you with chocolate. But I am an exiled prince. I know very well how you are feeling; you can be assured of that.
It's why I am offering you to join me. I don't offer this to everyone." He stopped and then turned around and looked at her. "Now come, Jeanne, I want to see you fight, that is why you tried to sell me that you are a boy, right?" The prince smirked, making her realise that she had messed up badly with her introduction.
"...F-Fine…"
The pair walked to the mech hand, the machine lifted them up and then got into the cockpit.
The girl realised that this was beyond what she expected in this advanced-looking Knightmare.
A 360-degree panoramic view was not part of it.
"Well, come on." He motioned for her to get on his lap.
"...I won't. I haven't had a proper bath in weeks. I won't embarrass myself." The girl walked over and stood next to the seat instead.
"...Very well. Then you owe me one. Maybe at a later date." He shook his head in disappointment, before making the mech fly and then fold into plane mode and fly away into the sky.
Jeanne didn't have time to respond as the smooth flying of the machine distracted her.
She trained in a Glasgow before… but this is beyond that!
They soon saw a huge plane leisurely floating in the air.
It was…stationary! Like it was defying laws of physics, planes should always be moving, or they will fall out of the sky.
This was completely different!
"...How can it float like that in place?" She asked as the mech flew to the back, and a ramp lowered where the mech flew in.
It had space for several of these machines. She saw two machines that looked identical, like knights, and one was feminine-looking.
This was clearly not a simple Britannian Prince's plane. None of these machines was something she had seen before.
Though it has been a while since she was left behind, there might have been some sort of leap in technology.
"Welcome to Anaheim."
"...Anaheim?" She looked at him. Now that he mentioned it!
"...You are Marcus Goldman!"
"My public name, yes. As someone whom Britannian Special Forces tried to kill, I needed to change just a little bit."
The girl was surprised to hear that Special Forces tried to kill him.
After the mech landed, it transformed into humanoid form and walked to its parking spot. A walkway lowered, and the cockpit opened, allowing it to exit.
"Now come, it's time for you to get a change of clothes, some food and clean clothes." He motioned to get out.
~~~
Leila's eyebrows trembled as she saw another girl next to Marcus! It's like he is collecting everything he sees!
"You do know that people are not some stray animals that you can collect!"
She travelled with him specifically so that this wouldn't happen! Yet, less than ten minutes after leaving, he comes back with this girl.
"Depends, really. Besides, I had this feeling she was great, so that's why I picked her up." Marcus didn't hide the fact that he felt exactly how Leila described.
"...I said the exact same thing. I am not a cat." Jeanne tried to explain herself, but when Marcus said he had this feeling, it meant she was good.
That's how he got Kallen, a girl who pretended to be sickly, but he picked her up anyway… turns out she was pretending, and her reflexes are borderline supernatural.
A great catch for his growing faction.
"...I see… anyway." Leila sighed as she looked at Jeanne for a second.
"Come with me, I will show you where you can change your clothes and get a shower." She motioned to follow her.
"Go with her." He motioned for her to go. Jeanne slowly walked after Leila.
Meanwhile, Marcus got into the canteen and took some snacks and a Thermos bottle with tea.
He is preparing to wait for his prey; it will be like stalking!
The Inventor Prince had some chocolate bars, chips, and a bag of nuts. It should be enough.
With preparations done, he strolled back into his Mobile Suit.
The plane was not empty, but it was not fully staffed either.
They are going through a rigorous application process for secrecy. Besides, Marcus sees this as a foundation building for his Anaheim; once he rules the world and space itself, he will need solid foundations.
~~~
"...so…are you his assistant?" Jeanne asked the blonde who was walking next to her.
"Among other things, yes. You can say I am your senior." Leila replied with a forced smile.
"...Senior…in—"
The girl stopped midway as she realised something.
"He 'picked you up' as well?" She asked with a realisation.
"Kidnapped the more exact word. I was mad at him for days. Until I realised that it was for the best. Now we are on the way to rule the world." The pilot of Andraste explained to the new girl.
"..."
"I know, but you will see. It depends on how good your piloting skills are."
"...Does it matter? My talent was the best my family has seen, but I was abandoned either way." She looked at the floor.
"...Don't worry." Leila stopped for a second, and Jeanne looked at the blonde.
"In this place, you will suffer in the polar opposite."
"...What does that even mean?" The new girl was confused by all the cryptic explanations.
"It means exactly what I just said. Marcus, your new Lord, will tease you with affection until it is far embarrassing for you."
The pilot of the KK-unit shrugged as if you would get used to it.
"Hugs, cuddles, lovers stuff like feeding each other… if I didn't know any better, I would say that he was from Paris." Leila sighed, she is certain that Marcus is Britannian, he is royalty!
But then she recalled that his mother was Marriane, who originally was from Europe…
"...Umm… are you sure he is a Britannian Prince?"
All of a sudden, the knight wannabe girl asked in a concerned tone.