Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 4 (section)

=== I ===
Uraniborg and the Ariabert-Jouslain alliance entered into active combat, facing a common enemy. That enemy was known as “time”.

Avoiding a protracted war of attrition, Ariabert and his forces charged forward to strike at Uraniborg, while Idris held a firm position to repel them. As time passed, it seemed that the Ariabert-Jouslain alliance would either collapse due to a lack of supplies or succeed in capturing Uraniborg by bringing the armies of the various planets to their side. The former appeared more likely. Therefore, Idris decided upon a strategy of siege defence.

“At this distance, why not mobilise the full extent of Uraniborg’s mobile forces and wipe them out in a single stroke with more than twice their strength?”

Such opinions were voiced, but as Idris had anticipated that the final battle would take place around Uraniborg, he could not bring himself to thrust such a massive force of forty thousand ships forward.

Jouslain Tytania had only recently made a public declaration to the entire universe.

“We are not accusing Duke Idris without cause. If he wishes to deny our accusations, there are many ways to do so. Above all, why not present His Clanner Highness in person? Any doubt would vanish in an instant.”

The irony of this logic lay in the fact that Idris, the very person being accused, was in complete agreement with it. He didn’t need someone like Jouslain to point this out. If Clanner Ajman himself had merely stood upon the balcony of the Clanner’s Manor and declared his support for Idris to the entire universe via the communications screen, everything would have been resolved. The battles against Ariabert and Jouslain would have amounted to nothing more than a “hiking trip armed to the teeth”, as Ariabert himself had once remarked.

But that didn’t come to pass.

The 2<sup>nd</sup> of June, SY&nbsp;447. The combined fleet of Ariabert and Jouslain, consisting of twenty thousand ships passing through the outer edges of the Hashtbal System, discovered a fleet of considerable size across a fifty-light-second expanse of dark space. The screen showed them heading straight towards them.

“Assume Semi-A Class battle formation!”

Ariabert issued the order. He had added the prefix “Semi-” to “Class A” because he was not yet at a stage where he could fully read the enemy’s intentions. It wasn’t certain whether they would launch an attack suddenly without any prior sign.

Ariabert directed a question to the reconnaissance officer:

“How many enemies are there?”

“They have not reached ten thousand. I estimate around eight thousand five hundred vessels.”

“That is tricky.”

If there were fewer than one thousand, it was reconnaissance; fewer than three thousand, a probe; ten thousand or more, an all-out attack. There was no official rule, but such basic inferences could be made. Was this eight thousand five hundred just the first wave of a successive attack? If they fought, twenty thousand ships would win. However, if they pursued them while they retreated, perhaps thirty or forty thousand ships were lying in wait. What could their tactic be?

Ariabert and Jouslain consulted one another, and they reached an immediate consensus. They did not believe that Idris still possessed the resolve to decide the outcome of the conflict in a single stroke with his current forces.

“Goodness, one truly never knows what the world holds. It is ''cliché'' to say so, but a year ago I never imagined things would come to this.”

“I agree.”

Looking back, until the time of the Battle of Cerberus a year ago, Jouslain had not held Ariabert in such high regard. He had thought of him as a more approachable man than Zarlisch or Idris, and someone with whom common sense prevailed, but that was all.

Perhaps Ariabert had changed since tasting the unexpected humiliation of defeat at the hands of the unknown admiral Fan Hyulick. He had, perhaps, changed himself. Not everything had changed, but at the very least, the illusion of the “Forever Invincible Tytania” had vanished. Many people were likely still immersed in that illusion. Those on the inside were always the first to notice. And sometimes, one had to pretend not to notice.

“Is Idris in the battle command room?” asked Ariabert, as if in passing.

“If he is, he would be watching the progress of the battle with perhaps a ten-second time lag<ref name="ftn17">“Delay” (時差) is pronounced “time lag”.</ref>. The battle command room… When I was a child, I wanted to sit in that seat in the centre of that room. It looked quite important.”

“In the future, you can sit there as much as you like.”

Ariabert had intended it as a casual suggestion regarding his own status.

“Childhood dreams, once realised, prove to be quite trivial. Besides, well, the only time one sits in that seat is when being attacked by the enemy.”

“Ah, quite right.”

“In fact, His Clanner Highness has never sat there himself.”

“However, I believe Idris is sitting there.”

“Was he also one who harboured such aspirations?”

At present, both parties still avoided the subject, but the day would surely come when they would speak candidly about their “common father”. There had been no active desire to do so, yet they had already become companions sharing a common fate. Or rather, they had finally grown accustomed to it. It would be only natural that they would eventually speak without taboo.

Jouslain paid almost no mind to the imminent combat. As for the command of the actual fighting, he had entrusted everything to Ariabert. There was an old saying that “one mediocre general can surpass two great ones.” If they won, obviously, it was good; if they lost, it was also fine. This was an expression of his absolute trust in Ariabert’s ability to deploy and command troops, but at the same time, it might have been a form of nihilism<ref name="ftn18">“Nihilism” (虚無主義) is pronounced “nihilism”.</ref>.

Whether it was Ariabert or Idris, neither of them would have ever thought that losing was “fine”. Ariabert, and Idris in his own way, were certainly attempting to do their utmost; and if that quality was the virtue of Tytania, then Jouslain clearly lacked it. He lacked the very qualification required to be the supreme leader of Tytania.

Captain Edna Fredericks’ resolute voice called out to him:

“Your Grace, may I submit an opinion?”

“Of course.”

“Then, if I may… Regarding Princess Lydia and Lady Francia, it is my humble opinion that there is no need for them to leave this ship.”

“Ah, are you talking about that matter we’ve previously discussed? Are you suggesting that rather than evacuating them to some planet, it would be better to keep them aboard?”

“Yes. The reason being is that I believe this ship is the safest possible place.”

At that moment, Francia glanced at Captain Fredericks’ face before shifting her gaze to Jouslain. Since she said nothing aloud, Jouslain failed to notice her movement, instead weighing the female captain’s suggestion. The ''Austra'' occupied a position near the very centre of the fleet, surrounded by twenty thousand allied ships. There could be no place safer than this.

“Very well, Captain Fredericks, I shall follow your advice. The Princess and Francia shall remain as they are.”

“I am grateful. I have overstepped my bounds. Please, forgive my presumptions.”

“That is of no consequence, but you must be a little disappointed, aren’t you, Captain?”

“What do you mean by that, Your Grace?”

“Nothing. I merely wondered if, as a soldier, you found it regrettable that your chances of participating in combat are slim.”

Captain Fredericks responded with utmost gravity:

“I am honoured by your concern. However, a soldier’s duty is to see the requirements of his superiors through to completion. I shall await your further orders, just as Your Grace wills.”

Once the Captain had departed, Jouslain called for Francia in his stead:

“That is the situation, Francia. There is no need to move elsewhere. I ask that you continue to look after Princess Lydia.”

“Very well. Truth be told, I am relieved that I may remain by your side.”

Francia offered a soft smile and bowed. Though this was likely the first time she had faced such circumstances, her daily life at Uraniborg remained entirely unchanged.

“However, Francia, once this battle is over, I shall transfer to another ship. A much smaller one.”

“Yes, very well.”

“Will you not ask why?”

“I am not a soldier, so I cannot say with certainty, but considering the combat strength of the ''Austra'' and Captain Fredericks’ abilities as a soldier, would it not be a loss to our allies to exclude her from the fighting?”

Jouslain stared at Francia in involuntary surprise. He felt a double shock, both at her precise insight into his feelings and her ability to express them so aptly. He felt as though he had previously overlooked the inner strength within this pure and delicate flower. As if having received a kiss from the ''Austra'', a faint flush crept across her pale cheeks.

Meanwhile, on another starship located about five light-seconds away, a thoroughly desolate atmosphere occupied the bridge<ref name="ftn19">“Bridge” (艦橋) is pronounced “bridge”.</ref>. At its centre stood Baron Radmoth Tytania, who, being young, was radiating palpable negative energy in all directions.

“Why have you not attacked?”

Radmoth’s voice overflowed with dissatisfaction and suspicion, and was, needless to say, high-handed. He made no attempt to hide any of it, interrogating them with his pale, glowing eyes. Hyulick merely shrugged his shoulders.

“The timing<ref name="ftn20">“Timing” (時機) is pronounced “timing”.</ref> was not yet right.”

“The timing? The enemy’s hull is exposed right before our eyes. If we do not attack now, when exactly do you intend to?”

“I cannot say for certain. When the moment arrives, we shall open the gun ports then.”

“And what if the enemy attacks us first? I assume, of course, that you will return fire.”

“Not necessarily.”

Hyulick did not voice the fact that there was a high probability they might flee. From the very beginning, Hyulick had taken a dislike to this arrogant young nobleman, but it appeared the feeling was mutual, as Radmoth did not even bother to pretend to observe the minimum level of courtesy.

“I presume you have considered what might become of your position within Tytania should you oppose me.”

“Do not spout such nonsense!”

Hyulick was incensed. Whether Tytania’s existence was large or small, good or evil, as long as they left him alone, he would let them do as they pleased. He would let them be, quite frankly. However, if they intended to interfere with his command on the battlefield after having forced him into combat against an enemy twice his size, it was only natural that his rebellious spirit would be provoked.