Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 5 (section)

=== II ===
“Now hold on, we were just discussing the authority of the Clanner. There is no doubt that his authority is immense. However, I have never heard that the man himself was a master of military affairs. He has always left those matters entirely to Ariabert and Zarlisch, has he not?”

“It may simply be that the opportunity never arose. A situation where the Clanner himself would need to step forward to face a formidable foe. That is why he remained ensconced within Uraniborg. However, now that both Ariabert and Zarlisch are gone…”

Hyulick ran his hands through his hair with great agitation.

“Uh… what, I mean, Doctor, are you actually serious?”

“It is an expected question. Yes… I believe it is, at the very least, a hypothesis worthy of consideration. It is just that the thought only occurred to me very recently.”

Doctor Lee folded his arms in his seat.

“Since his enthronement as Clanner, Ajman has reigned over Tytania without incident, maintaining stability. If that stability were to suddenly collapse into division and instability, and if we were to remain absent during such a moment, even the smallest cracks would expand rapidly…”

Rough footsteps echoed, and Mahdi burst into the room with such momentum that the automatic door could barely keep up. It was said that when Mahdi went to check on Baron Radmoth, who was being held confined in the restroom, the Baron had shouted at him:

“I am a noble of Tytania! I demand treatment befitting my station. Otherwise, you ill-mannered thieves will regret this in due time!”

“Treatment, he says. Honestly, these nobles…”

It seemed as though Mahdi had adjusted his vocal cords so that when he pronounced “treatment”, it sounded more like “mistreatment”.

“Well, I’m technically a noble too, you know.”

Miranda gave a sardonic laugh.

“Good grief, what on earth do you intend to do with that worthless scion? He’s nothing but a walking waste of space, grandly squandering oxygen and food.”

“I believe the plan was to stuff him into a capsule and toss him out once we reached the vicinity of a suitable planet.”

“Without even caching in the cost of his upkeep? There’s always the option of just getting rid of him for good.”

“That might be exactly what Duke Idris has in mind, though.”

“You mean to say we’re meant to trouble ourselves just to rid him of a useless younger brother?”

“Something like that.”

As Doctor Lee replied half-heartedly, Seraphine shrugged her shoulders.

“But he is his own flesh and blood. Would he truly go that far?”

“Similar things have happened many times throughout Tytania’s history. However, once someone is taken prisoner alive, killing them when they are unable to resist is a poor way to start one’s day.”

“Why not just let things go according to Duke Idris’ plans for once? Regardless, while the Duke was a disagreeable fellow, he did feed us quite delicious meals back at Uraniborg.”

“Well, that is true, I suppose.”

“You agree, don’t you, Miranda? In that case…”

“In that case, Mahdi, why don’t you just put Baron Radmoth out of his misery with a single shot?”

“You want me to do it!?”

“Whosoever argues most forcefully shall carry out the deed.”

As Doctor Lee spoke in a light, almost sing-song voice, Mahdi puffed out his cheeks.

“I’ll pass on that.”

“I have no desire to shoot an unarmed man.”

“That is one thing, but… no, let’s skip the sanctimonious talk. I simply do not want that rich kid standing by my bedside every single night!”

A burst of raucous laughter broke the momentary silence. Mahdi was just as terrified of ghosts as he was of losing money.

“Well, there is no need to change the original plan abruptly. If we happen to encounter a Tytania vessel, he should be useful as a hostage.”

One after another, those who agreed with Doctor Lee’s conclusion nodded in unison, and the ''Honest Old Man Junior'' sped through the abyss of space, carrying roughly one individual demanding improved treatment.



Ariabert and Jouslain gave Idris no time.

Regardless of Idris’ qualities as a leader, he possessed the trump card of being a Clanner, which could turn the tide entirely. They could not afford to give him the time required to play it. At a speed that might be described as “reckless haste”, Ariabert advanced the fleet, closing in on Uraniborg.

This took almost everyone, both within and without Tytania, by complete surprise. It had been assumed that after achieving victory in the Hasdrubal System, Ariabert and his allies would temporarily cease hostilities for the sake of rest and negotiations. Those few who had already taken a stance and the majority who were preoccupied with their own calculations while watching the situation unfold could do nothing but stand by, utterly helpless.

Thus, forty-eight hours after the Battle of the Hashtbal System had ended, the allied forces of Ariabert and Jouslain closed within a mere two and a half light-seconds of Uraniborg, and the sight of artificial celestial bodies shimmering on the screens was projected in great detail.

“Uraniborg.”

“To think we would be returning in such a manner.”

The soldiers whispered amongst themselves.

The artificial celestial bodies floating in the void appeared like massive, iridescent jewels resting upon black silk.

The clusters of stars shimmering in the background appeared as nothing more than grains of silver sand, accentuating its majestic beauty. The soldiers, having departed from these artificial celestial bodies as part of the Bargash expeditionary force, had now returned to lay siege to it. Their emotions were nothing short of complex.

Because they held Ariabert and Jouslain in such high esteem, they had followed the command of the two dukes, returning from their occupied position in Bargash to this place. Uraniborg stood before their eyes. Even upon seeing it, what welled up within their hearts was not hostility but awe.

Ariabert and Jouslain spoke vaguely about the future, their eyes shifting between the screen and the soldiers.

“I am no politician. Lord Jouslain, if we survive this war, I shall leave everything else to you.”

“I don’t think this is right. Lord Ariabert, I am certain you are capable of making just judgements in politics as well.”

“The same could be said of you, Lord Jouslain. Military matters are but a small fraction of politics, surely.”

“I have no desire to stand at the summit. If anyone were to stand there, it would suit you much better, Lord Ariabert.”

The two of them shared a wry smile, realising they were merely praising one another.

“We certainly lack what one might call Tytanian ambition.”

“Only Idris possesses it. And he carries the weight of us both.”

“I do not think him as incompetent, but if he intends to shoulder it all alone, he shall need another arm.”

They both imagined Idris, ensconced within the heart of Uraniborg, being forced into solitary thought and decision.

How might the situation have changed if Ariabert and Jouslain had turned the planet Bargash, which they occupied, into their base for a long-term war? Tytania would have been geographically divided, with each side gathering its own allies; Ariabert and Jouslain might have abandoned their masquerade as “supranational mega-corporations” to establish new, separate states.

That was not what happened. The Bargash military, implicated in the death of Duke Zarlisch Tytania, did not join Ariabert’s forces; instead, they remained within their own territory, merely observing the “domestic strife” within Tytania.

Once it was determined that Tytania’s power had waned, every force in the universe would swarm to tear away its interests. Much like the fierce carnivores that gathered around the dying carcass of a massive herbivorous dinosaur in the ancient past.

The current situation had changed drastically from just one year ago. The two young dukes felt no sense of the fact that it was their own hands that had brought this about.

“Had Zarlisch been alive, things would have been entirely different. If that man had charged head-on with thirty thousand ships, we would have had no choice but to flee.”

They were now using the ''Austra'' as their joint flagship. In preparation for the next tactical deployment, they had reached an agreement to maintain close communication and to employ further stratagems.

Ariabert and Jouslain expressed their condolences to the bereaved families of the soldiers who had died in the previous battle, and visited the beds of the wounded one by one, squeezing their hands to convey their gratitude. To put it somewhat ironically, it was only possible because their numbers were so few, yet it was enough to move the troops; their cheeks flushed and their hands trembled as they swore even greater loyalty.

Furthermore, the presence of Princess Lydia played a significant role. This little princess shed tears for the deceased and, for the wounded, she threw herself into her efforts like an apprentice angel, embracing them with smiles, kissing their cheeks, and stroking their wounds over their bandages.

At the bedside of one soldier, she looked upon the photograph of his family held up by his pillow, asked for the names of each person, and promised that she would pray for his safe return. The soldier was moved to tears, appearing almost ready to swear his allegiance to Princess Lydia rather than to Ariabert or Jouslain.

Francia also assisted the Princess. Following her lead, she spoke to the soldiers and distributed water; when the Princess grew exhausted and fell asleep, Francia carried her to a bed before continuing on her own to move amongst the soldiers to offer them comfort. She did not stop with the wounded in their beds but went around delivering provisions to the soldiers who were resting as well.

Francia’s pure beauty and modest manner encouraged the soldiers, much like Princess Lydia’s enthusiasm. In some cases, it was even more so; there were soldiers who grasped her extended hand with both of their hands, lost in a trance, and one even leaned so far forward to watch her graceful figure depart that he tumbled right out of his bed. He became the casualty in this battle who received the least sympathy from his comrades.

Thus, the morale<ref name="ftn29">“Morale” (士気) is pronounced “morale”.</ref> of the allied forces of Ariabert and Jouslain showed no signs of waning, appearing ready to engage in the next battle without delay.