Editing Tytania:Volume 1 Chapter 1 (section)

=== II ===
In April that year, Duke Ariabert Tytania was the commander of the Tytanian forces at the “Battle of Cerberus Sector”. He had assembled a fleet of such a magnitude one could hardly imagine that it was intended to oppose a single city fleet.

This fundamental strategy wasn’t flawed in any way. Even a close examination of Earth’s ancient history shows that military leaders such as Edward the Black Prince and Wallenstein had achieved victory by gathering large numbers, organising and structuring them, guaranteeing their supply lines, and deploying them through conventional tactics. In the first half of the 17th century AD, Wallenstein was capable of mobilising an army of 100,000 to 200,000 men, although no city in Germany at the time had a population exceeding 40,000.

Tytania would first overwhelm the enemy through the quality and quantity of its fleet. The fact that the primary purpose of military force was deterrence through intimidation was something that Tytania understood. Speed and firepower of the vessels, crew proficiency, and operational and command capabilities of the leadership. In both hardware and software, Tytania was far ahead of the rest.

As long as that superiority was maintained, Tytania’s defeat was inconceivable.

Ariabert himself had his first battle when he was 15 and was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral of the Vardana Imperial Army at 25 a few years ago. It seemed assured that he would be made full admiral by 30. For a head of one of the Five Families, this was a perfectly reasonable career progression. As a side note, the heads of the Five Families held the title of Imperial Duke, were members of the House of Peers, and possessed privileges such as tax exemption and immunity from arrest. Tytania was a ''de facto'' independent state within the Vardana Empire, and its private army was the most elite force within the Imperial military.

Ariabert Tytania, after meticulous preparation, moved his troops with majestic pomp. “A hiking trip, armed to the teeth” is what Ariabert himself described it, and he was confident of his complete victory. It would be harsh to call him negligent. Fan Hyulick, the appointed commander of the Euria City Fleet, would crush Tytania’s invincible armada using tactics that no one could have possibly imagined. It was a sleight of hand in the deployment of the Weigert canons.

The Weigert canon was named after its developer. It was a type of electromagnetic catapult, but it was difficult to reuse, making it a single-use weapon. A non-magnetic projectile was coated with a conductive metal in its rear, and a massive current was applied through it, causing the coating to vaporise instantaneously. This created an expanding magnetic field while simultaneously a powerful explosive charge instantly compressed a metal track, generating a magnetic field in the opposite direction in the accelerator. Thus, the two opposing magnetic fields were violently compressed, like two springs pushed together from opposite directions, propelling the projectile at terrifying speeds.

A standard Weigert cannon barrel measured ten metres in length for a calibre of 46.5 centimetres and could fire a massive uranium-238 projectile at a speed of 150 kilometres per second, which was equivalent to 540,000 kilometres per hour. It was virtually impossible to defend against it, and a single shot could destroy a battleship. However, the recoil from the firing energy rendered the barrel unusable, making it a one-shot certain-death weapon.

They were useless unless trying to finish off the enemy or for a desperate comeback when an artillery battle reached its final stage. A skilled commander would avoid using Weigert canons and secure victory at an earlier stage. A Weigert could damage not only the barrel but also, sometimes, the mount or even the ship carrying it, so it was, in a sense, like a family heirloom sword: not something to use lightly.

Fan Hyulick had employed them extensively. He had assembled a fleet of six hundred small gunboats, each armed with a single Weigert cannon, some newly built, some acquired secondhand, prioritising sheer numbers. Against the imposing and well-organised Tytanian invasion force, he had repeatedly feigned retreat before engaging in a close-range gun battle. The result of the battle was that in exchange for 600 small gunboats, Fan Hyulick had completely destroyed 119 battleships, 47 space carriers, 80 landing ships, 106 cruisers, 147 frigates, and 104 transport vessels.

From the outset he had intended not only for the Weigert cannons to be disposable but for the vessels carrying them as well. The gunboats would partially disintegrate upon firing, and the crew, already wearing airtight suits, would escape via capsules. The total crew for the 600 vessels was 7,200 men. This represented less than 1% of the entire Tytanian force. And among these 7,200, the number of casualties such as KIA, killed in accidents, prisoners, or MIA didn’t even reach a hundred. The Tytanian casualties amounted to over 100,000 men. Commander Ariabert Tytania was profoundly shocked, and while Zarlisch and Idris welcomed their kin’s woes, when they imagined themselves in his position, they harboured a winter in a corner of their minds.

“Fan Hyulick, huh? He strikes me as a rather intriguing individual, but what are your thoughts, gentlemen?”

In response to Ajman’s voice, Idris raised one hand to his shoulder height to request permission to speak.

“Your Clanner Highness, I, Idris, have undertaken some investigations into this Fan Hyulick.”

Eight pairs of eyes focused on the youngest. Idris slightly straightened his back under his grey military uniform and met the Landless Clanner’s gaze. When Ajman silently nodded, Idris rose from his seat and began to speak.

“Although Lord Ariabert was immature and careless, it remains a regrettable fact that this Fan Hyulick could strike a blow to the Tytanian army.”

Upon hearing these words, Ariabert, the defeated commander, fixed him with a gaze filled with loathing. He was doing this on purpose. Idris remained impassive.

“To ignore such a man and leave him unchecked would not serve Tytania’s interests. A city-state like Euria is too small a place to nurture such a military talent, so I therefore am of the opinion that we should set our grievances aside and welcome him into our ranks, or otherwise, eliminate him.”

“Which of these do you hope for, Lord Idris?”

“I shall answer upon your will, Your Clanner Highness.” With perfectly natural flattery, Idris proceeded to state his opinion: “If Your Highness permits me to offer my humble thoughts, I believe that we should first dispatch emissaries to call for submission, welcome generously those who respond, and severely punish for their discourtesy those who refuse. Tytania may value talent, but we show no mercy towards the arrogance and rudeness of others, and both these aspects must be made perfectly clear.”

Idris then began to describe the character of the enemy commander based on his investigations.

Fan Hyulick was not a famous military person. Far from it, he wasn’t even a soldier to begin with. At the age of 20, he graduated from Euria’s Merchant Marine University and became a clerk aboard a passenger ship, spending a year doing menial tasks. He then became a clerk at Kafir’s kontor, spending two years doing menial tasks. He then worked as a clerk for a cargo convoy, spending another year doing menial tasks, and after that was captured by a Tytanian warship and spent a year in a detention camp. By the time he returned home, he was already 25 years old, and far from making a name for himself, he hadn’t even secured a job that could put food on the table. He had a woman who seemed to be his lover, but while Fan Hyulick was lamenting his meagre soup rations in the detention camp, she went and married someone with a brighter future. Convinced that he was on friendly terms with misfortune, Fan Hyulick applied to join the City Fleet. He outrageously thought that he could take advance pay and desert, but he got the deadline wrong and ended up sleeping in the apartment of a woman he met at a bar when the military police<ref>“Military police” (軍警) is here pronounced “MP”.</ref> raided the place to force him to enlist. Once conscripted, his talent as an artillery officer was revealed, and he rose through the ranks in short order…

“You did a good investigation, Lord Idris.”

Having received the magnanimous praise of his lord, Ajman, and thus saving face, Idris saluted and returned to his seat. Ariabert and Zarlisch looked at him, each with a different expression. Jouslain slightly closed his eyes and looked like he was conversing with his own inner universe. That man was the only one who resisted Idris’ attempts at psychological insight, which often irritated the youngest Tytanian.

“There is a fact here that even Lord Idris doesn’t know about.” The voice had flowed from the lips of the Landless Clanner Ajman. “Fan Hyulick has already been expelled from his mother city. His merit was rewarded with punishment. But I wonder if any of you knows why?”

After a moment of silence, Zarlisch slightly tilted his powerful neck.

“I presume that the citizens of Euria feared Your Clanner Highness’ wrath, took matters into their own hands and disposed of this meritorious man?”

“That’s a part of it. But it isn’t the whole story.”

A faint smile flickered at the corner of the Landless Clanner’s mouth. When his white teeth gleamed like blades, Ariabert, Zarlisch and Idris felt sharp waves of dread surging through their nervous systems. The silver-haired overlord’s demeanour was serene, but it only meant that even during the harshest winter there were mild days. They knew this very well.

“Gentlemen, let us consider this. Why did Euria send an unknown and inexperienced commander to oppose our Tytanian army? If they were expectant of Fan Hyulick’s exceptional talent, then they don’t seem to be satisfied with the outcome. How do you interpret this?”

As the overlord’s voice reached his ears, Jouslain Tytania finally opened his eyes, his gaze turning thoughtful.

“Your Clanner Highness, mayhap Euria deliberately appointed some obscure commander, thinking from the start that he would lose?”

“An apt observation, Lord Jouslain. You are correct,” nodded Ajman, speaking in the manner of a teacher. “Euria resorted to underhanded means. While secretly seeking reconciliation with Tytania, they had to maintain their appearances as a League city. They intended to fight a battle, lose it, and dismiss the entire situation as radical factions running amok, however…”

“Then Your Clanner Highness, if I may be so bold as to ask, had you already negotiated in advance an agreement with Euria?”

Jouslain Tytania’s expression and voice were nonchalant, but they had the effect of an invisible hand brushing over the assembled guests like static electricity. The one whose expression looked the most hurt was Ariabert, the defeated commander. He realised that far from a tragic hero, in the worst-case scenario, he might have been a mere supporting actor in a third-rate farce.

“Tytania fears not bloodshed. But she disdains pointless bloodshed. If our objectives are achieved and coexistence with the opponent is established, that is sufficient. Don’t you agree?”

The Landless Clanner Ajman had affirmed Jouslain’s question. In other words, the Battle of Cerberus Sector had been a staged performance from the outset. Secret negotiations had taken place, leading to an agreement being reached: the price for the chemical formula would be tripled, and ten percent of the royalties that Tytania would receive would be returned to Euria. In order to quell discontent within Euria, a token battle was necessary, so they deployed a small force with the intent to lose. They had even chosen an obscure commander and had meticulously staged the scene of their soldiers losing and fleeing, but that commander, who had no knowledge of the political agreement (or so it appeared), ended up winning. Euria had every reason to be panicking.

With these circumstances clarified, a decision was taken to extend an invitation to Fan Hyulick to go to Tytania. After discussing a few more routine agenda items, the meeting was adjourned thirty minutes later.

''“This concludes our meeting. Gentlemen, thank you for your hard work.”''

Such ordinary farewells held no place in Tytania. Without a word, Ajman Tytania, the Landless Clanner, rose from his seat, swung his sturdy tall frame, and left the conference room. Upon watching him, the four young Dukes, for some reason, took a breath.