Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 3 (section)

=== I ===
It was common knowledge that Fan Hyulick was no saint, and he was thoroughly dissatisfied with the situation he found himself in. Neither the flavour of the omelette nor the fates of those involved with Tytania seemed to be going according to his wishes. To make matters worse, Doctor Lee added fuel to the fire while gazing at his disgruntled expression:

“It seems you have become quite popular in Bargash.”

“Stop teasing me.”

Hyulick groaned, yet what Doctor Lee said was true. He felt he was being mocked because the tone of the media on the planet Bargash had become excessively celebratory.

“… If both Reformist dukes emerge victorious, there is a possibility that the highest leadership of the Tytania Clan will relocate to Bargash. As a command centre on the front lines of frontier sector development, they would likely plan a dramatic expansion of the human habitable zone. The future of humanity always lies in the frontier. Bargash, as the ‘Neo Uraniborg<ref name="ftn12">“New Celestial Castle” (新・天の城), pronounced "Neo Uraniborg".</ref>’, holds an extremely bright future…”

Hyulick let out a gloomy laugh.

“I had no idea there were people thinking even that far ahead. Quite a grand vision, isn’t it? Though I felt that, until just a few days ago, we were being treated like a plague that had brought nothing but misfortune to the Tytania.”

Doctor Lee gave a shrug, with a movement that could almost be described as elegant.

“Since Bargash managed to avoid becoming the target of the entire Tytania military, those people there must be dancing with joy. As for the media being irresponsibly running wild, that is a thousand-year-old tradition. One cannot live if they fret over every little thing.”

Doctor Lee was in high spirits. It was because he had discovered a new research theme: “The Evolution of Media Discourse Leading to the Destruction of Tytania”. Nothing in all creation escaped his academic curiosity—or, as Miranda would put it, his cat-like curiosity. Even regarding the recent orders to attack Elbing, Doctor Lee appeared to maintain a thoroughly positive stance:

“I have seen enough of Uraniborg. It holds no use for us. Since they say they will let us leave, I shall depart with my head held high. Otherwise, if a single mistake were made…”

Doctor Lee curled the right corner of his lip into a smirk.

“Detention or imprisonment—such treatments are in the realm of possibilities. The situation changes not just by the day, but by the hour. And accordingly, Duke Idris’ intentions will change as well.”

“So you’re saying we should escape before he changes his mind.”

“Precisely. Once we have left Uraniborg, we can manage the rest.”

“Do you have any specific plans?”

“Tactics and strategies are your responsibility. I shall, of course, provide assistance.”

In this context, “assistance” meant “observation”.

“I can’t just whip up a strategy on a whim like that.”

“Well, you are rather skilled at devising ingenious schemes to exploit an opponent’s openings or carelessness.”

“That makes me sound like nothing more than a petty crook.”

“Petty crooks cannot defeat the likes of Duke Zarlisch or Duke Ariabert. Your emergence is a significant factor in the shifting tides of history, so you may remain confident.”

Even so, he did not feel as though he were being praised. The reason Fan Hyulick cursed what he might call his destiny was due to the bizarre fact that, having been forced into battles he did not even want to fight, the more he won, the more he found himself cornered.

While he possessed a rebellious spirit that refused to let himself be swept away by fate, he was nonetheless gripped by a sense of resignation, for he could not help but think of the hundreds of thousands of people who had met an untimely, unwanted death because of him. Though he had no awareness of having committed a single murder as a crime, Hyulick did not possess the personality of a “hero of chaos” who could simply cast everything aside and enjoy life with complete abandon.

“How half-hearted.”

It was a ''cliché'' expression, but ultimately, Hyulick himself—or perhaps the person who understood him best—was the one who knew this to be true. Even if it was far from perfect.

That day, at breakfast, Hyulick burst into the dining room with a distinctly unheroic air. While he was not quite in his pyjamas, his carrot-coloured hair remained as dishevelled as when he had first woken, and his shirt buttons remained undone.

“What is the matter, Hyulick?”

“D-Doctor, the entire surroundings are covered in Tytania vessels!”

“They are our allies.”

“?… Ah, right. That’s correct.”

Hyulick slumped into one of the chairs and ran a hand vigorously through his hair. From the seat beside him, Seraphine Coopers frowned, yet she poured hot coffee into his cup.

Walenkov and Pagès entered the room together, their shoulders standing about ten centimetres apart in height.

“I must say, it feels wonderful. No matter if I look front, back, left, right, up, or down, all I see are Tytania vessels.”

Hyulick took the cup in his hands.

“If push comes to shove, it will be a storm of heat rays and titanium rounds from six directions.”

“Let us all become stars together in that event, then.”

Walenkov gripped a fork in his large hand and swept two fried eggs and three slices of thick-cut ham from his plate in a single mouthful. Hyulick drank half of his coffee before stabbing and stirring his egg with a fork, displaying a complete lack of appetite. Seraphine watched him, her eyes seemingly saying, “Are those not the same eggs?”

It was not merely the Tytania military that was “besieging” the ''Honest Old Man Junior''. It was also the remnants of Zarlisch’s former fleet.

For Fan Hyulick, it was impossible to remain composed. To the soldiers and officers of the former Zarlisch fleet, Hyulick was the enemy who had taken their late master’s life. It would not have been surprising if they had turned their guns upon him in an act of vengeance. Even if it did not come to that…

“Will they even obey my orders?”

Hyulick’s suspicion was not entirely unfounded. Even before his death, Zarlisch had been a legendary ruthless general, one who had led his subordinates from the very front of the entire army.

“There are two types of soldiers. Those who submit to Duke Ariabert and those who are devoted to Duke Zarlisch.”

Such was their reputation. The type of soldier who was utterly devoted to Zarlisch was typically brave, refused to retreat even when the tide of battle turned against them, and preferred head-on clashes. They were a mirror of the supreme commander’s own character. Would such men simply obey Hyulick’s orders without question?

“Well, it is rare for everything to go exactly according to plan,” remarked Doctor Lee. “Even so, a plan must be drawn. If only to confirm the fact that things are not going as intended.”

While assigning Zarlisch’s former subordinates to Hyulick’s fleet was one thing, it was the presence of Baron Radmoth Tytania that caused his cheeks to puff out even further with indignation. Regarding this appointment, Miranda, Mahdi, and the others were in complete agreement:

“This it is pure harassment.”

By making such a definitive statement, Hyulick felt as though he had been forced to eat the second-worst omelette in the world.

From the looks of him, Radmoth, who appeared to be a miniature reproduction of the late Zarlisch, did not seem at all like an eighteen-year-old. Not only was his physique larger than Hyulick’s, but his manner lacked any trace of youthful innocence. When he boarded the ship, Doctor Lee had asked:

“Military Supervisor, shall we prepare a seat for on the bridge for you?”

“Naturally.”

Radmoth replied curtly and arrogantly, scanning the bridge as if looking at something filthy.

“What a stingy ship.”

Miranda, having had her beloved spacecraft insulted, took a large, indignant step forward, but her left arm was restrained by her husband, Captain Casimir, and her right arm by Doctor Lee. Doctor Lee quickly whispered in a low voice:

“Let it go. It won’t be for long.”

“I wish we could just sail straight past this ship. Even so, Doctor…”

“What is it?”

“Do you intend to use that young master who’s all brawn and no brains as a hostage, should the need arise?”

“Ho, so that was the plan?”

Speaking with feigned indifference, Doctor Lee had arranged a seat unnecessarily luxurious for the “young master who’s all brawn and no brains”.

“Now then, Hyulick, what will you do if our allies, as you fear, fail to move according to plan?”

“We would have no choice but to demand they obey our orders.”

“By the time such an order is issued, it will have already turned into a catastrophe<ref name="ftn13">“Disaster” (破局) is pronounced “catastrophe”.</ref>.”

After handing his “student” a failing grade, Doctor Lee shared his thoughts in a voice low enough so that Radmoth could not overhear:

“I believe it was Duke Jouslain’s scheme, and I suspect he chose haste deliberately. He likely abandoned the idea of making thorough preparations altogether.”

“Why would he do such a thing?”

“To sow confusion.”

Doctor Lee explained to everyone present.

“The more time he allows, the more the various parties, both within and outside Tytania, will deliberate and attempt to reach decisions that favour themselves. Duke Jouslain does not intend to let that happen. He intends to conclude this matter before everyone has fallen into disarray and become unable to act.”

Doctor Lee flicked his gaze briefly. Seated in a position of honour beyond his line of sight, Baron Radmoth Tytania sat slumped in his seat.

Ariabert asked Jouslain:

“Lord Jouslain, if you were to offer advice to Idris as a friend, what would you say?”

“Well, I would first suggest dealing with those closest at hand: exiling or imprisoning his brother, Radmoth, and Countess Theodora.”

While such an ironic exchange was being traded in a sea of stars dozens of light-years away, the actual person of interest they were talking about was sitting with his arms folded, looking every bit the pariah; however, he only changed his expression and posture when Seraphine Coopers brought him coffee. To put it romantically, it was as if his primal instincts had been stirred, as he cast a gaze upon Seraphine reminiscent of an ancient slave trader appraising his wares.

When his large hand reached out indiscreetly, Seraphine deftly evaded the predatory touch with a casual movement and promptly stepped back. For the first time since Radmoth’s ship had arrived, Hyulick felt a sense of amusement.

Doctor Lee lightly patted Hyulick on the shoulder and delivered a dull piece of news to his underachieving pupil:

“There is no way to know for certain what the situation is with Clanner Ajman, but it is possible that the Clanner may soon find himself with no part to play.”