Editing Tytania:Volume 2 Chapter 3 (section)

=== I ===
The news of Fan Hyulick’s arrest and detention reached Uraniborg on the 10<sup>th</sup> of September, and the first to receive it was Viscount Balamy Tytania.

In his capacity as senior ''aide-de-camp'', he immediately relayed the news to his superior, Duke Jouslain Tytania. Or at least he should have, however, by the time he delivered his report, Jouslain was already aware of the matter.

“It appears that Admiral Hyulick has been seized by the collar by Lord Zarlisch’s massive hand.”

Realising he had been beaten to it, a faint disappointment flitted across Balamy’s eyes.

“How did you learn about that?”

“Lord Zarlisch has directly contacted His Clanner Highness.”

''A reaffirmation of ownership, perhaps?'' surmised Jouslain with a touch of sarcasm. He had no small amount of interest in the matter, but for the time being, he had neither reason nor grounds to intervene. Residing in Uraniborg, he was kept busy with his duties as a statesman.

Between August and September of that year, Duke Jouslain Tytania, a member of Tytania’s Five Families, had interfered in the domestic affairs and personnel matters of eight nations, handling every one of them successfully. These matters—ranging from the determination of heirs to the throne to the legal resolution of the ownership of mining planets—involved a tangled web of conflicting interests and claims, much like the threads spun by a clumsy spider. Jouslain’s reputation soared as he brought them to a clear and decisive conclusion.

“Ultimately, it is all backed by power. It is not worthy to be called ‘diplomacy’ or ‘political manoeuvring’.”

Although Jouslain himself held this view, there was no need for him to reject the trust and goodwill placed in him. Since he could not withdraw from the world entirely, he should not shy away from having his reputation grow and his position strengthened, both within and beyond Tytania. As his senior ''aide-de-camp'', Balamy had contributed to some extent to Jouslain’s achievements.

“Is it conceivable that Duke Zarlisch might exploit Fan Hyulick’s situation for political gain?”

The question asked by Balamy made Jouslain tilt his head slightly. Zarlisch was, after all, a man of arms through and through, and seemed far removed from political manoeuvring. Of course, at the same time, Zarlisch was no saint and could hardly be entirely indifferent to his own rights and interests.

“It is certainly possible that Duke Zarlisch might use the achievement of arresting Fan Hyulick to strengthen his political position.”

That said, from Zarlisch’s perspective, taking Fan Hyulick prisoner would likely be a matter of little consequence. It was possible that he might prioritise personal vengeance over his own interests.

Even so, was Fan Hyulick the sort of man who would allow his future to be sealed simply by falling into Tytania’s hands? On that point, Jouslain harboured a subtle mix of doubt and hope. After all, Fan Hyulick had a track record of escaping from the clutches of Count Arses and evading Duke Idris’ traps. He might well manage to slip away from Duke Zarlisch’s powerful grasp as well. Sooner or later, Zarlisch would have to bring his precious prisoner to the planet Ryutehi, and it was unlikely that nothing would go amiss during the long journey from planet Bargash.

As it was time for lunch, Jouslain decided to invite Princess Lydia of the Kingdom of Elbing to join him at the table. When one spent his time in a world of political manoeuvring and stratagems, a world that was neither pure nor humane, a mental respite was absolutely essential.

The ten-year-old princess seemed to bring a breath of fresh air, filled with the scent of chlorophyll and ozone, into the stifled atmosphere of Uraniborg, and Jouslain openly favoured her. Lydia was now regarded as “Duke Jouslain Tytania’s ''protégée''”, and was treated with far greater importance within Uraniborg than she was by her grandfather, the king, back in her homeland.

However, the girl herself seemed not to care in the least about the adults’ attitudes. She was neither haughty nor pretentious, but behaved naturally and freely. On this day too, delighted to be free from her fussy tutor, she was eating her meal cheerfully and happily. It was her guardian who was moved by a peculiar feeling, and Jouslain found himself asking the young girl a question in the form of a general observation. What would she do if someone tried to make someone else fail? Her reply was as follows:

“I don’t really understand that question, but if there are people who take pleasure in seeing others fail, they might as well make them fail with their own hands.”

It struck Jouslain that Princess Lydia’s remark contained a not insignificant hint of insight. Once Princess Lydia had finished her yoghurt milkshake for dessert and retired to her room, Jouslain turned to Balamy and asked what he thought of her opinion. The young viscount’s reply was decidedly curt:

“It’s just child’s talk. Hardly worth taking seriously, isn’t it?”

“But she hit the nail on the head.”

Jouslain sipped his coffee and lost himself in thought amidst the lingering traces of the aroma as it cooled and began to fade.

Jouslain now looked forward with anticipation to seeing just how much mental growth and intellectual maturity that young princess would achieve in ten years’ time. Whether she would become a beauty was a matter of debate, but she would surely become a person rich in vitality and charm, one who would make mere physical beauty seem meaningless. A person—yes, for the distinction between men and women was of no consequence.

Meanwhile, Balamy’s musings took the form of words:

“So, Duke Jouslain, is this your view? That someone envious of Duke Zarlisch’s achievements might dare to help Fan Hyulick escape?”

Although he did not mention any names, Balamy was implicitly referring to Duke Idris, whose prickly nature was all too evident. Of course, Jouslain understood this.

“No, there is surely no one in Tytania so foolish as to resort to such petty schemes. However, there is a very real danger that someone might emerge who seeks to harm Tytania while claiming to act in her name.”

What Jouslain had in mind was the possibility that Idris’ name might be exploited by anti-Tytania conspirators. Just as, the other day, the name of Marquis Estrade Tytania, the half-brother of Clanner Ajman, had nearly been exploited by them.

Marquis Estrade was also Balamy’s father, but in any case, from the perspective of the anti-Tytania faction, it was only natural that they would seek to sow division and conflict within the Tytania clan. They probe the extremely robust walls of Tytania, seeking to discover a vulnerable spot into which to drive a battering ram. The Marquis of Estrade met an untimely death before he could bring his far-reaching plan to seize power from his half-brother to fruition. Had that plan come to pass, it would have been the Marquis’ son who would have played the crucial role.

Sensing Jouslain’s gaze, or, more accurately, the direction of his thoughts, Balamy stiffened his expression and a part of his neural network. He had almost fully recovered mentally from the blow of his father’s sudden death. He had thrown himself into the purge of the anti-Tytania faction stirring within the Vardana court, forgetting to eat and sleep.

After wiping away his blood and tears, he had devoured thirty hours of deep sleep; by the time he rose from his bed, an entire season had passed in his mind. His father’s death had become a thing of the past. Had he become a cold-hearted man, no longer tormented by grief and regret? He had wondered as much, but it was surely far better than being trapped in fruitless remorse.

Intense work could sometimes have the effect of compressing time and making it pass more quickly in a person’s mind. Jouslain knew this. Therefore, he relayed Clanner Ajman’s instructions to Balamy ''verbatim'', thereby imposing upon him a task that would normally have been an unpleasant duty.

To Balamy, Jouslain was a figure to be overthrown or to overcome. If Balamy wished to claim the throne of the Landless Clanner, he would have to surpass this elder cousin, who was nine years his senior.

Of course, there was also Ariabert, and figures such as Zarlisch and Idris who stood between Balamy and the Clanner’s throne. Yet even the late Marquis Estrade had regarded Jouslain as his primary concern. Although Jouslain had not yet reached the age of thirty, his words and actions gave the impression of a strangely profound insight. This was likely because he alone, situated at the very heart of Tytania, was able to relativise Tytania’s ''raison d’être'' in terms of both time and space. From a tactical standpoint, too, Balamy was keen to understand this.

That day, Jouslain’s first visitor of the afternoon was a woman. Judging by the stereoscopic photograph, she was a woman in her early twenties with platinum-blonde hair tinged with a faint bluish hue and aqua-blue eyes; although she had a strong jawline, she was clearly of above-average beauty. Her name was Countess Theodora Tytania. Or so she claimed. In truth, her use of this surname had not yet been officially recognised.