Editing Tytania:Volume 1 Chapter 4 (section)

=== II ===
A kind of turning point occurred in the monotonous life of the young unemployed Mr Fan Hyulick on the 16th of June.

He couldn’t remain trapped forever in the low district of Ementhal. He decided to approach small- and medium-size shipping companies that weren’t under the influence of Tytania to ask them to take him somewhere.

For now he thought about going to Bargash, the transport hub start system of the frontier, and then decided what to do next.

Fan Hyulick had told de Boer that Ementhal was a comfortable planet to live on, but it was only true when one’s freedom of movement was guaranteed. When confined to a room, there was little difference between Ementhal and the hold of a cargo ship.

“Thanks for all. I’m leaving,” declared Fan Hyulick to the young landlady in a matter-of-fact tone, seeing no point in pretending to be a poet at that point.

He handed over 2,000 dakars to Lira as payment for accommodation for the last sixteen nights, including three meals a day and a shower. He wondered whether it wasn’t too much, but decided it would be alright if it went towards the young girl’s make-up. Lira started intently at the carrot-top young man without even attempting to take the four large banknotes.

“What do you intend to do from now on? Do you have some place you need to go?”

“There has to be some room in this universe for an extra unemployed person. Anyway, there is nothing left for me to do on Ementhal.”

Since Fan Hyulick was originally from the Interstellar City League, he might be able to reach a kontor and sort things out. Assuming he paid a proper fare, he was likely to find a ship willing to take him aboard.

Even if he didn’t travel as a passenger, he could, for instance, be hired as a clerk on a cargo ship. Although he was the commander of the Euria City for about three months, he hadn’t exactly been basking in glory and splendour, so going back to being a mere clerk didn’t bother him the slightest. Anyway, he couldn’t have endured a long period of court service, and once he reached a suitable planet, he would simply jump ship.

It looked like the number of people who were chasing the dream of his 100,000 dakar bounty was swindling. It was time to attempt running away. He would stay the night and slip away the next morning, blending in with a crowd of commuters. That was what Fan Hyulick declared.

“I won’t forget the taste of your omelettes. You’re a very good cook, so you should give up on that backwards dream about rebuilding that Principality of yours and find yourself a decent man to marry, ok?”

“Decent” was an embarrassing word to use, but since he had no intention of elaborating, it should suffice.

Thus, Fan Hyulick intended to spend his last night in Ementhal in peace. It was his intention, but events wouldn’t unfold according only to his wishes.

That night Fan Hyulick arranged his entire set of travelling gear at the foot of the sofa bed, displaying every part of his nature as a miser, and wrapped himself in a blanket and lay down in a peaceful garden of dreams. His consciousness drifted along the boundary between dream and reality and eventually sank and swayed beneath the surface of his dreams. It should have continued to sink but instead rose rapidly as warm, elastic, and plentiful organic matter leant against him.

Fan Hyulick blinked as he placed his palm on the form next to him and hastily withdrew it. It was a young woman’s breast, wrapped in the thin fabric of a négligé. In the dim light, the unemployed youth recognised Lira’s features. In contrast to the softness of her body, he was met with her stern expression and firm voice.

“Fan, do with me as you please.”

“Hey, wait a minute. Calm down. What’s going on?”

Though Fan Hyulick was no saint, as he previously mentioned, he didn’t trust blindly in luck or beautiful women. And when both occurred simultaneously, his suspicions clad in vivid colours began to dance as he wondered what was lying beneath the surface.

“I like you. That’s all.”

“That’s the kind of line that makes one drown in tears of gratitude. You’re a lovely girl, but you have no talent as an actress. Your grandma put that idea in your head, didn’t she?”

“…”

“Go on, tell me. What comes next depends on this. I don’t want to be poisoned just because I’m hungry.”

With a sigh, Lira stepped back and muttered:

“It’s the princess’ orders.”

That alone didn’t make much sense. As Fan Hyulick frowned, Lira began to give a quick explanation.

The sole heir to the Principality of Casabianca was Her Highness Princess Miranda, and a few days ago, de Boer paid her a visit to report on the current state of the Principality’s restoration movement. That being said, he could only report on his unconvincing attempts at trying to persuade Fan Hyulick to join their side. Upon hearing that Fan Hyulick remained completely unmoved by their plight and would leave Ementhal the next day, Her Highness Princess Miranda instructed Lira to attempt a last resort to win him over.

“So, in order to win over the perverted bastard Fan Hyulick, that princess of yours told you to sacrifice your virginity?”

“She didn’t call you perverted, though.”

“All the same. She thinks I’m an idiot.”

Fan Hyulick was infuriated in many ways. It annoyed him to be seen as a man whose resolve could be shaken by feminine charms, though it was half-true. And there was another reason that was more important.

“You know, Lira, loyalty is all fine and dandy, but you need to discern the principle of the thing. If your princess wants to win me over with charm, she should sacrifice her own chastity. She’s offering you as a human sacrifice in her stead.”

“That’s…”

“I like women. And money too, and alcohol even more. And if some bad guy suffers some misfortune, even better.”

Realising he was getting off track, he steered the conversation back on course.

“Anyway, I’m not so boorish that I’d mess with other people’s love affairs.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re seeing de Boer, aren’t you? I can’t say I’m fond of that guy, but I’m not trying to actively harm him either. You don’t need to do this for him; just look after yourself for your own sake, ok?”

Under the dim light, Lira was visibly blushing. After a few seconds of silence, as the two were about to speak at the same time, a sound came from outside the room. The floor creaked, and then the door creaked, and light and shadow burst into their view.

Just as Lira leapt back and Fan Hyulick sprang to his feet, a sharp command echoed through the room. What froze the unemployed youth in his tracks wasn’t as much the voice itself as the metallic clang of what looked like firearms. In the orange glow of the lighting, shadows of men from Tytania who should have been here were cast across the room.

“Good, they are here as the old woman said.”

As the men in grey military uniforms nodded to one another, another figure, that of a former lady-in-waiting of the Principality of Casabianca, spoke with a voice hoarse with greed.

“Dear soldiers of Tytania, I can expect my reward, right?”

“Come tomorrow to the residence of His Grace the Count Arses Tytania. You shall be paid 100,000 dakars in full.”

Having spoken these words with an expression of irritation, the eyes of the man who appeared to be the leader glimmered with sarcasm.

“So, would you want to know the circumstances behind the current situation, Admiral Fan Hyulick?”

“No, I understand well enough. I’m not interested in what’s going on behind the scenes,” replied Fan Hyulick with a sour expression on his face, changing his clothes after getting permission to do so.

The old woman spoke to him with condescension:

“Sorry. Youngster. I know this is a bitter pill to swallow, but take some comfort in knowing that you made the happiness of an old woman.”

“Go get eaten by a stegosaurus, you heartless old woman who can’t understand your granddaughter’s feelings.”

“Nice offer, but it’s not going to happen.”

“Why is that?”

“Stegosaurus are herbivores, youngster. Your tongue is sharp, but you’re no scholar, are you?”

“Your tongue and personality are the worst!”

A Tytanian officer gave a theatrical pat on the shoulder of the fuming Fan Hyulick.

“Well, just leave it at that. Admiral Fan Hyulick. I’d like you to quietly follow us. This commotion is disturbing the neighbourhood.”

Fan Hyulick glanced quickly left and right but, noticing half a dozen figures in grey military uniforms, abandoned any thought of making a run for it. With an expression of disgust, he brought his hands together and held them out in front of him.

“You aren’t going to put me in handcuffs?”

“Nah, you’re not a prisoner. We’ll do our best to maintain a semblance of courtesy. As much as we can.”

Just as the men in grey uniforms began surrounding Fan Hyulick and moving towards the entrance, Lira broke the long silence.

“Fan…!”

“Lira, bake him some good omelette, will you? I don’t think his palate is as refined as mine, but he should be able to taste the love in it.”

Despite the inappropriateness of the situation, Fan Hyulick uttered that pretentious line and began to walk away when Lira rushed towards him. The Tytanian soldiers tensed for a moment, but Lira, who was only dressed in a ''négligé'' wrapped an arm around Fan Hyulick’s neck and pressed her lips against his.

Her ''négligé'' fluttered dramatically, and the soldiers’ gazes were attracted to her shapely and bare legs.

“Goodbye, Fan.”

As Lira was separating herself from him after bidding him farewell, Fan Hyulick silently nodded and turned his back.

He was shoved in the back seat of a vehicle. Three soldiers remained at Lira’s house to deal with the aftermath. A soldier sat on his right, another on his left, while the third took the driver’s seat.

The vehicle began to move. After barely three minutes, the soldier who was sitting on Fan Hyulick’s left suddenly groaned. All strength drained from his body, and he slumped into his seat.

“You bastard…”

The soldier on his right was speechless, and his head dropped forward. He had been shot in his side by a needle gun. Earlier, while embracing and kissing him, Lira had slipped the needle gun in his pocket.

The soldier in the driver’s seat had also been shot in the nape of his neck when he tried to turn around, his expression blank. Stretching his tall frame, Fan Hyulick pushed the driver’s body sideways. He tossed onto the floor of the vehicle the empty needle gun.

“Lira, you’re way too fine of a girl for someone like de Boer. If he ever forgets his place and cheats on you, you can come running into my arms any time.”

Managing somehow to move from the back seat to the driver’s seat, Fan Hyulick tapped the key of the inertial navigation system and set a course for the spaceport. The vehicle carried the hijacking youth at a comfy speed, and about 1001 seconds later, the pale and hyper-modern silhouette of the nightless city came into Fan Hyulick’s view.

The area surrounding the spaceport was a jumble of dilapidated warehouses and canals that served as city walls separating the residential area from the spaceport. Abandoning the vehicle in a corner, the young carrot-top set off along the nightly road.

Mr Fan Hyulick, who should have been successful in his escape, walked for some five minutes before stopping, let out a sigh to empty his lungs, and ran his fingers through his ginger hair. He had forgotten his wallet at Lira’s house.