Editing Tytania:Volume 1 Chapter 6 (section)

=== II ===
From the perspective of future cosmic history, this would be the first meeting between two young men who would become the brains behind the anti-Tytania forces. However, no one aboard the ''Honest Old Man'', not even the lip-service fatalist Lieutenant Mahdi, considered this day to be of any particular historical significance.

Doctor Lee came aboard the ''Honest Old Man'' in a shuttle accompanied by five men. He wore a beige coat over his silver-white crew suit. He was shorter than Fan Hyulick but still above average height.

When he shook hands with Captain Casimir, his scholar-like expression softened, and it softened yet further to a student-like appearance when he shared a light and friendly embrace with Miranda. But as soon as he sat down at the tea table, he reverted to his scholar-like air, his tone consistently as if he were giving a lecture. After the initial exchange of greetings, Fan Hyulick casually asked, “Do you hate Tytania?” and the answer was:

“Tytania is the strongest force in the universe. So I don’t like it. That’s all there is to it; it’s not Tytania’s fault.”

''An unappealing over-logical person, huh?'' thought Fan Hyulick while sizing his character. Still gauging him, he asked one more question:

“I wonder about that. Do you think that the anti-Tytanian forces could unite to destroy Tytania?”

“That would be difficult,” answered Doctor Lee whithout explaining why, before sipping his herbal tea.

Fan Hyulick also sipped his herbal tea without pressing further. Miranda looked at the two of them as if to ask what they meant, so Fan Hyulick spoke up:

Even if Tytania were to experience internal division and an external force tried to exploit it, it would inevitably unite Tytania against the external force. Provoking it needlessly would only serve to strengthen Tytania’s unity, which would ultimately work to the detriment of the external force. And it would be that external force that would end up breaking, splitting, and being destroyed.

“Is that what you meant, Doctor?”

“More or less, Ms Miranda.”

With a nod, Doctor Lee put back his white cup of herbal tea into its saucer. The way he looked at Fan Hyulick was reminiscent of a teacher examining a poorly performing student, but maybe it was Fan Hyulick who was being bitter about it.

“However, things might change in the future. A few things have recently happened that were unprecedented in history.”

“For example?” asked Miranda, her eyes lighting in curiosity.

“For example, it would have been unthinkable for a fleet commanded by one of Tytania’s Four Dukes to be defeated by a single City Fleet. And the one who accomplished this was this gentleman here.”

The doctor shifted his gaze, making the young carrot-top shrug.

“Am I to take this as a compliment, Doctor?”

“No, it was merely a criticism of Tytania.”

Miranda laughed heartedly, and her husband also smiled. The other two didn’t even crack a smile.

“Let’s think about it more seriously. Earlier, I stated that a period of change might be approaching the history of Tytania and the universe. But my main point is that this change might also be temporary. That’s what I mean.”

The doctor explained the following:

The Battle of Cerberus could have been the trigger of a major upheaval if it had been planned from the beginning as part of a strategy to bring about change. The defeat of Ariabert Tytania was an unprecedented shock in 200 years, and had the Interstellar City League and anti-Tytania nations risen in conjunction with that event, even Tytania would have been obligated to disperse its forces. But that didn’t come to pass. The victory of the Battle of Cerberus was buried as an isolated tactical miracle.

More frighteningly, it was Tytania who incorporated and systematised that miracle as a battle strategy of their own. As long as this difference in mental energy persisted, Tytania’s hegemony would remain unshaken. Tytania had prevented the change from affecting the whole and instead fragmented it and assimilated it themselves.

“Admiral Fan Hyulick is a genius. I’ll recognise that much.”

This assertion left Fan Hyulick confused. ''Should I simply accept the compliment or retort with some clever sarcasm?'' he wondered.

“But while geniuses can bring about change, it is upon the anonymous masses to ensure that the change persists. If we cannot form this majority in society, the idea of changing history is just a pie in the sky.”

While not as sarcastic as before, his tone was still undeniably lecture-like. No wonder the members of the “Blaze Flag” fleet were angry at him. They weren’t the kind of bunch that would quietly let themselves be lectured at.

Surprisingly, Miranda happened to be that kind of person and nodded as she intently listened to the lecture.

“Were I Tytania’s Clanner, I would turn over every asteroid in the entire Cosmos to find Admiral Fan Hyulick. I would offer him a position and authority comparable to one of the Four Dukes, and if I had a daughter, I’d marry her off to him.”

“Amazing. Is Fan Hyulick really worth that much?”

Miranda’s eyes literally widened as she looked at the young carrot-top.

“I’ve just found out that myself,” muttered Fan Hyulick without any sarcasm.

Just as he was thinking about thanking Doctor Lee for the compliment, the latter spoke again:

“It’s not that Admiral Fan Hyulick is worth anything himself. What is valuable is the potential for change that he symbolises,” he said as casually as smashing an egg. “Unfortunately, ordinary eyes can’t see that. If the city of Euria had even a shred of historical awareness, they wouldn’t have banished him so willingly.”

“If they had this historical awareness, what would they have done?”

“Kill him,” stated Doctor Lee calmly as Miranda crushed her syrup contained in her hand.

The golden clear liquid formed a sticky puddle on the table, and Captain Casimir shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. Miranda wiped the table in a hurry. Watching that scene unfold in a corner of his eye, Doctor Lee continued his “lecture”:

“It might seem odd, but they would have had to kill him. Euria City is unable to use him, and handing him over to Tytania would be a disaster for Euria City. There is no way he would have any favour for Euria City.”

“Hum, so what about the possibility of Fan becoming the leader of the anti-Tytania movement then, Doctor?”

“It would depend on what Admiral Fan Hyulick thinks about it. So I’d like to ask you, Admiral, do you harbour any anger towards Tytania?”

When asked that question, Fan Hyulick found himself at a loss for words. While he certainly had no affection for Tytania, he wasn’t driven to the point of genuine hatred against it. He wasn’t anti-Tytania, but rather non-Tytania. He found no compelling reason to willingly engage in a conflict with Tytania.

“Where there is no anger, there can be no change. Even if it’s only at an individual level, if there is intense anger or hatred, it can be a catalyst for change. But even that can only occur when the time is ripe.”

Doctor Lee lightly waived his hand. The lecture was apparently over. Miranda stood up with a thud on the floor and invited him to stay for dinner, and the Doctor smiled and thanked her:

“I gladly accept your offer. But alas, whenever I taste Ms Miranda’s cooking, it makes me lose any appetite for my ship’s food for a while, which is a bit of a problem.”

“You’re such a sweet talker. I love you only second to my husband. You should find and marry a good woman like me soon.”

Maybe Miranda was laughing aloud to laugh for her husband, whose vocal cords had been destroyed. Captain Casimir kept smiling gently. Though he had lost his voice, had his life been compensated by this cheerful and boisterous wife? If there were such a thing as equilibrium in life, would Fan Hyulick’s life be in the black or in the red at the moment of his death?

She was undeniably the princess of a nation, small as it may be, while he was but the captain of a modest interstellar cargo ship. One could say that it was Tytania that brought them together. Through an accumulation of countless wills, actions, and coincidences. Even though it swallowed them all, the universe still had space to spare.

Fan Hyulick recalled the dazzling colours and brilliance of the starbow he saw as a boy from the rear window of a passenger ship. He had then resolved to sail a ship by himself to navigate the sea of stars, and twenty years have passed since then. Suddenly, Fan Hyulick sighed. Surely, he couldn’t be so old that he’d let himself drift along with the crowd?