Editing Tytania:Volume 1 Chapter 5 (section)

=== I ===
The high officials of Tytania were far busier than the courtiers of the Vardana Empire. With status and power came responsibilities and duties. Those who failed to fulfil their duties were deemed unworthy of bearing the name Tytania.

Duke Zarlisch Tytania was standing on the bridge of his flagship, the ''Typhoon'', clad in his grey and gold military uniform. Had he worn mediaeval armour, his imposing presence would have been even more striking. It was said that his appearance and commanding presence evoked memories of the early days of Neville Tytania, the First Landless Clanner. For Zarlisch, this was the highest praise he could hope to receive and the very proof that his worth was acknowledged.

Zarlisch’s tactics were characterised by their rigour and sheer strength. He was the one who employed Tytania’s strategy of overwhelming force to the greatest extent. He would charge his enemies head-on, crushing them, sweeping them away, and overrunning them. Or he would completely encircle them to shatter them with concentrated fire. His military tactics were worthy of the title of “ruthless general<ref>The term used here is one of various expressions that Japanese has inherited from Chinese to describe certain qualities in military leaders. The novel uses them regularly to describe and compare the Dukes of Tytania, and unfortunately there is not really a direct translation for them. Here, Zarlisch is called a ''goushou'' (豪将, literally “overpowering general”), a term that refers to a commander who is brave, fierce, but also ruthless and tyrannical. </ref>”, he had accumulated many military victories, and it was said that whenever his figure could be seen at the head of the ranks, the morale of Tytanians would double, officers and rank and file alike.

Zarlisch was also a master of close combat and martial arts who could manoeuvre his rock-like colossal frame with ease and could take on ten battle-hardened armoured men at once. The other Dukes, Ariabert, Jouslain, and Idris, had also learnt close combat as a pastime befitting the Tytanian nobility and were, respectively, skilled, but none could match Zarlisch.

He was currently heading for the Blaze System while keeping contact with Jouslain, who was following behind. A coalition of space pirates of 5000 vessels called the “Blaze Flag<ref>“Meteor flag” (流星旗) is here pronounced “blaze flag”.</ref>” fleet had been attacking and plundering Tytania’s supply centres in that star system.

“These annoying rat-thieves are trying to step on Tytania’s tail without knowing their place. Even buffoons would understand that they risk their lives doing it.”

After briefly smiling, his expression turned bitter and stern. His interstellar communication channel switched, and the face of a young Tytanian scion appeared on the screen. He wasn’t wearing the grey military uniform but an overly ornate silk robe.

With an expression that was half fearful, half sulky, Count Arses informed his elder brother of Fan Hyulick’s escape.

“You’re damn worthless. Can’t you even manage to arrest a single unemployed person? And in spite of that, you won’t even abandon your title of count? That’s some serious nerve you have.”

Faced with this blunt rebuke, Arses Tytania, some twenty light-years away, paled and could only manage a forced smile.

“I’m apparently not cut out for work involving chasing criminals.”

“Hmm, well then, how about commanding a great fleet to battle the enemy then? If you so wish, we could exchange our places. After all, I’d rather spend my time lounging in the depths of my mansion, indulging in women and wine.”

This wasn’t necessarily his real sentiment. As one of Tytania’s Four Dukes, Zarlisch was someone who valued fortitude over weakness and preferred the bridge of a spaceship to a luxurious mansion. He believed that Tytania’s worth lay in its military might rather than its wealth or influence.

Though his values were somewhat simplistic, he was no fool. He had a grasp of its vast organisation and could manoeuvre it as an extension of his own body. He could discern the skills and abilities of numerous officers and place the right people in the right positions. He was fair to his subordinates, and his judgements were swift and accurate. He was the young man who embodied the expression “strong and fierce Tytania” the most.

Once the unpleasant exchange with his brother had concluded without any tangible outcome, Zarlisch shouted out to his ''aide-de-camp'', Commander Granite:

“How vexing! The very thought that the same blood flows in my veins makes me want to exsanguinate every drop of it and replace it with a transfusion.”

The ''aide-de-camp'' Granite pointed out calmly:

“Still, he is Your Grace’s younger brother.”

“That’s precisely why he was granted a pension and allowed to live on a fine planet like Ementhal. If it were up to me, I would have sent him to struggle on the border regions around Bargash, but Mother…”

The strapping young noble looked disgruntled. Zarlisch and Arses’s mother was Theresa, a woman who was now 50 years old. Her former beauty had been buried beneath layers of fat due to her lack of restraint in eating and her love for fine foods, and yet, her favouritism towards her second son in contrast to her eldest was extreme. Since the eldest was robust and dependable, she doted excessively on her frail second son. It appeared that whether one was from Tytania or a commoner, there was no difference in such proclivities.

Though Zarlisch, even as an adult, was somewhat reserved towards his mother; as the head of a duchy, he couldn’t treat her with contempt. For her sake, he couldn’t banish Arses completely, and it was precisely the reason why his anger towards him grew.

As the month of July started, Zarlisch commenced his entry into his destination star system. Upon receiving the news that Tytania was approaching, the enemy commanders literally jumped out of their seats.

“The fleet is led by Duke Zarlisch Tytania in person…!”

The fact that they were thrown in such a panic even though the situation was entirely plausible was quite telling of the “Blaze Flag” fleet’s poor judgement. A member of the senior officers’ council, a man by the name of Lee Shanchen, advised an early withdrawal, but his proposal was outright rejected. As he witnessed his comrades frantically dividing their looted goods and fighting among themselves, Lee Shanchen lost any faith in them. Unless he remained in the Blaze Sector and participated in the distribution meeting until the very end, he would not receive a share of the spoils. Lee Shanchen renounced his claim to the loot and led his own fleet away from his comrades’. His subordinates complained, but he managed to secure their departure by promising them a share of his own personal wealth, and once he reached the Turkaia System, he picked up a communication signal from the Tytanian fleet.

The Tytanian fleet was 12,000 vessels strong, while Lee’s convoy was only a mere 13 ships, a figure so pitiful it was almost laughable. And yet, it was this meagre fleet that ultimately saved Lee and his men. As they attempted to escape by hiding themselves in the asteroid belt, they were spotted by the Tytanians. However, Zarlisch had prioritised the launch of a surprise attack against the enemy’s main force. If he attempted to pursue Lee, the “Blaze Flag” fleet might have been aware of Tytania’s presence. As a military strategist, this was a perfectly correct judgement, although if there had been an omniscient prophet who could see the future, he would have likely advised Zarlisch to instead annihilate this insignificant force.

Thus, Zarlisch Tytania ignored Lee Shanchen’s fleet and launched a surprise attack on the enemy’s main force and, in a two-hour one-sided battle, annihilated 94% of them.

“Too easy,” muttered Zarlisch, sounding more like he was disappointed rather than sneering.

As a brave warrior, he had the psychological quirk of craving formidable enemies.

The few survivors of the “Blaze Flag” fleet issued a surrender. Zarlisch accepted their terms but only spared the rank-and-file and executed the 830 officers by a firing squad. While this fell well within his authority, he could have also chosen to spare them. What made Zarlisch carry out this seemingly merciless action was his anger at such a feeble enemy.

As a privilege reserved only for those bearing the name Tytania, Zarlisch had brought his mistresses along with the expedition. Compared to his younger brother, who would prattle about aestheticism, Zarlisch’s sexual preferences were far more conventional, although as a man of great vigour, he couldn’t be satisfied with just one woman.

For the expedition, he had assembled two women for each of the four hair colours: black, chestnut, red, and brown. These women were only there to serve Zarlisch by their beauty and sexual favours, and a total of thirty female soldiers attended to their every need, such as clothing, food, and the rest. The person in charge was a 38-year-old lieutenant who had been Zarlisch’s first lover some ten years ago and now managed and coordinated his relationships with women.

As he saw Zarlisch’s sturdy figure retreat into his private quarters, a member of his staff let out a sigh of envy.

“To lead a vast fleet, roam the universe, defeat the enemy, and embrace women after victory? This is what anyone born as a man aspires to.”

“If one is not of Tytania, one is not a human, huh?”

On Earth, in the 2nd century BC, a man named Liu Bang<ref>Liu Bang, also known as Emperor Gaozu, was the first emperor of the Han dynasty. He rose from very humble origins and, through a series of unlikely circumstances, went from being a delinquent youth, to sheriff, to bandit, to warlord, to emperor.</ref> of the Chinese Empire had boasted about his clan’s prosperity and rise by declaring: “If one is not of the Liu clan, one is not a human.<ref>It seems the author has deformed Liu Bang’s actual quote: “A king who is not from the Liu clan must be attacked by all under heavens,” which in Japanese is often rendered as “If one is not from the Liu clan, one is not a king.” This quote is known as the “Oath of the White Horse” that Liu Bang took upon becoming emperor after killing every king who wasn’t from his family and extinguishing their family lines. It is essentially an affirmation that only members of the Liu clan were allowed to be enfeoffed as kings, which effectively served to consolidate the imperial power in the hands of the Liu clan.</ref>” Some 1400 years later, a powerful figure from a neighbouring nation was said to have emulated that statement<ref>The author is probably referring to Genghis Khan. Or maybe to the Hojo clan that rose to prominence in Japan during that period.</ref>. And then, Neville, the first ruler of Tytania, had then boasted with unbridled ambition at the height of his power:

''“If one is not of Tytania, one is not a human!”''

Eight generations later, Zarlisch now secluded himself in the luxurious private quarters of his flagship with a similar aura about him. But his officers weren’t criticising him for it; if anything, they admired him.

In some sense, Zarlisch only treated women as objects of indulgence, and yet, most men, in the most primal and savage recesses of their minds, couldn’t help but envy him. Naturally, had Zarlisch been a mere lecherous and incompetent commander, his subordinates would likely not have been in such a forgiving mood.

Fourteen hours after the battle had ended, Zarlisch emerged from his private quarters, adjusting his uniform. He opened a communication channel with Lord Jouslain, who was in his rear, to report his victory and cracked a joke as he did so:

“Well now, Lord Jouslain, if you feel your bed is a little dull, should I send you a flower or two?”

“No thank you, but I appreciate the kindness.”

Jouslain gave a faint and wry smile. Unlike Zarlisch, he was no womaniser and didn’t have dozens of concubines to serve him in his bedchamber. The reason he kept Francia by his side on his flagship was mainly so she could attend to him, and not necessarily so he could have a woman to embrace every night.

Should Francia grow accustomed to his favour and become presumptuous, he intended to remove her at once from his service, but she behaved modestly and seemed content to simply be in Jouslain’s company, maybe because she had few worldly desires by nature or perhaps because she was wise enough to know her place. Jouslain found this adorable, but at the same time, a part of him yearned for a woman of fiery temperament. That was largely an abstract notion, and he had no specific object of passion in his mind.

“It only means that no such woman has appeared before me so far. No need to rush or grow impatient.”

Jouslain was still only 27 years old. As the head of a ducal household, he was bound to eventually marry, but he believed that taking a wife once at the age of 40 should suffice. Not that he attached any particular meaning to the number 40, but it just happens to be the current age of Ajman, the current Landless Clanner.

As he set out from “Uraniborg”, Jouslain had been entrusted with a mission of great secrecy by Clanner Ajman himself. He had learnt that Ajman’s half-brother, Marquis Estrade Tytania, who served as Minister of Military Affairs of the Vardana Empire, was conspiring with a group of Vardanan noble courtiers to depose Ajman from his position as Clanner.

Jouslain was stunned to learn this and yet was unable to dismiss the notion outright, so he sought clarification from the Clanner.

“Is it possible that it is a rumour that aims at sowing discord in the clan?”

“That is, of course, a possibility.”

Frankly acknowledged Ajman as he answered Jouslain’s question.

“But we cannot ignore this information. Lord Idris was quite certain about it.”

“Lord Idris?…”

''That young man has a knack for stirring up trouble on the plains'', thought Jouslain, without being able to say it out loud.

The clan’s leader let out a low and short chuckle as he glanced at the Tytanian youth’s face. He had read Jouslain’s mind. His following words proved it:

“Lord Idris wouldn’t claim that something exists when it does not. As for me, I believe that clouds gather before a rainfall. If these complacent Vardanan courtiers wanted to sow internal division within Tytania, they would definitely incite my half-brother.”

Feeling the full weight of the Clanner’s authority in multiple manners, Jouslain weighed his thoughts carefully, taking care not to step out of bounds while he offered his personal opinion:

“But if you suddenly ordered the execution of the Minister of Military Affairs, would that not delight the noble courtiers of Vardana? Wouldn’t they dance in joy, claiming that Tytania had torn off its important wing?”

“I suppose we can let them rejoice for a while.”

Declared the Clanner in a naturally low voice.

That remark sent shivers down his spine. Should Marquis Estrade be executed by the Clanner, the court nobles of Vardana would indeed applaud. But Ajman’s retaliatory strike would then send all the nobles’ heads flying one after the other. In the end, the number of Ajman’s enemies would have dwindled, regardless of the colour of their robes.

“However, Lord Jouslain, you are certainly right. There is no need to take immediate action against the Minister of Military Affairs. For now, let us just apply a light dressing to ensure the wound doesn’t reopen.”

With this preamble, Ajman gave his orders. Viscount Balamy, the son of the Minister of Military Affairs, was to accompany Jouslain on the battlefield as his senior ''aide-de-camp''. ''I see… so he is holding the son hostage to put pressure on the father?'' Jouslain immediately grasped the main implications, while the Clanner’s eyes glinted as they appeared as deep as an abyss.

“Even the most toxic poison cannot emit fumes without a catalyst. It is just a temporary measure, but hardly a bad one.”

“Very well. I shall appoint Viscount Balamy as my senior ''aide-de-camp''.”

Jouslain bowed. He had grown suddenly weary of engaging in this political charade with the Landless Clanner, a man of unfathomable and inscrutable scheming. Thus, as part of a highly strategic move, Commodore Balamy Tytania became Vice-Admiral Jouslain Tytania’s senior ''aide-de-camp''.