Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 8 (section)

=== II ===
“Are you Lord Idris’ youngest brother?”

“Y-yes.”

“No need to fear.”

“He is so overwhelmed by your presence that he can scarcely find my voice. As he is still but a child, I beg for your indulgence.”

The Clanner showed no interest in Idris’ words.

“And what did you say your name was?”

“Z-Zelpha.”

“Zelpha, is it? I have high hopes for you. One day, you shall become a fine right hand to Lord Idris.”

“That is my greatest wish, no, my greatest desire.”

Sincerity filled Zelpha’s voice.

“It seems you have a good brother, Lord Idris.”

“I am honoured by your words.”

Idris tasted the height of bitterness, thinking that this was a conversation he truly wished Radmoth could have heard. Even so, the Clanner’s true intentions in summoning Idris to this place remained as obscure as ever. From what he could see, although the Clanner appeared somewhat pale, his posture was not in the slightest disarray. Idris simply could not believe he was a man recovering from illness.

“What do you intend to do from here, Lord Idris?”

“I deserve ten thousand deaths for the sin of causing you distress. At present, while the progress of the battle has been sluggish, our army has not yet exerted its full strength. The annihilation of the rebel forces shall be achieved within a day or two.”

“Lord Idris, that is rather vague.”

“Yes, I am most sorry.”

“Was two-to-one too much to handle, after all?”

That murmur set Idris’ younger brother ablaze with shame.

“With all due respect, Your Clanner Highness…”

“Remain silent, Zelpha.”

“But, Brother…”

“Do not speak without His Highness’ permission! Have you forgotten the etiquette of Tytania nobility?”

At Idris’ reprimand, Zelpha fell silent.

“It is quite alright, Zelpha. If you have something to say, then speak.”

“Yes, with Your Highness’ permission, I shall speak. My brother possesses talents far superior to both Ariabert and Jouslain, and his loyalty to Your Highness is unparalleled. I humbly pray that you will continue to place your trust in him.”

It was an extraordinary thing for a boy of twelve or thirteen years to say. Ajman stared intently at Zelpha, taking a moment of silence before breaking it:

“In that case, Baronet Zelpha Tytania, for the sake of your beloved brother, why not attempt to fulfil a mission even if it means staking your life?”

At this sudden command, both elder and younger brother held their breaths, but the younger brother’s reaction speed surpassed that of his elder.

“I am deeply honoured. I await your command.”

“Words are easy enough to speak.”

“Your Highness, I beg you to believe me. For my brother’s sake and my own, I, Zelpha, wish to be of service to you.”

With flushed cheeks and a brilliance like falling stars in his eyes, Zelpha raised his voice fervently. It was an appearance sufficient to make one believe he was a man of great potential.

“Very well, then. I shall place my trust in you and bestow upon you a mission.”

“I… I am deeply grateful. Though I am still inexperienced, I shall never under any circumstances fail to meet your expectations, Your Highness.”

The Clanner and Idris gazed at the boy with their respective expressions. After a moment, Ajman nodded with a sense of satisfaction and resolve, his voice resonating with a heavy depth.

“I intend to meet with Lord Ariabert and Lord Jouslain.”

Idris felt as though his suspicions had, in fact, been confirmed.

“Do you intend to invite them to Uraniborg?”

“Do you truly think they would come here?”

The Clanner tilted his head slightly. To Idris, the gesture seemed somewhat affected.

“No…”

“I shall send an envoy to act on my behalf. There are matters that are difficult to discuss properly through a communication screen.”

“…”

“While it remains to be seen how they will react as a result, I have, for my part, been able to confirm something important this time.”

“And what might that be?”

“To be honest, I had my concerns regarding Lord Ariabert’s competence, but those have been dispelled. To face forty thousand ships with only twenty thousand and achieve this level of combat. To put it simply, Lord Ariabert’s prowess as a commander is equal to twenty thousand vessels on his own. There shall be no one left who can oppose him militarily.”

Only Zelpha stared directly at him, as if in protest of the Clanner’s words. Having been judged as lacking Ariabert’s strategic genius, Idris could not bring himself to raise his eyes.

Idris bowed his head deeply toward the retreating figure of Ajman as he turned on his heel. It was not out of awe, nor was it out of reverence. It was because if he were to raise his face and look directly, others would see his eyes, scorched with hatred.

By the time he finally raised his head, the Clanner, who had been holding Zelpha’s shoulder like a father, was just disappearing around the corner of the room.

Idris remained standing there, motionless. He had a vision and heard a voice in his head, as if the very throne of Clanner was receding from before him, echoing with the sound of derisive laughter.

Through the transparent walls, swirling eddies of light and shadow enveloped Idris. He appeared like a living corpse.

Was it over? Had it truly ended? Had the Clanner given up on Idris and decided to hand the future of Tytania over to Ariabert and Jouslain?

However, Idris was mistaken.



“Cease fire!”

An authoritative command surged through the communication networks of both armies.

“Cease fire immediately. This is the will of His Clanner Highness. Seal all weapons at once and stand down from combat status. Furthermore, both armies are to maintain a distance of fifty thousand kilometres and remain stationary. I repeat, this is the will of His Clanner Highness.”

Ariabert and Jouslain exchanged glances from their respective positions. When they turned their eyes back to the screens, the forces of “Uraniborg” were in a state of slight confusion, yet they were silencing their artillery and retreating, as if to demonstrate their loyalty and obedience to the Clanner.

As Ariabert and Jouslain followed suit, a mysterious sight appeared ahead of the media fleet.

“The clouds of light appear to be rapidly separating and converging. What could have happened? Military commentator Mr&nbsp;Peterhead, please give us your thoughts.”

“It appears to be a temporary ceasefire. Both sides have ceased their attacks simultaneously and are retreating to increase the distance between them.”

“This is sudden. And quite unexpected. What on earth happened, Mr&nbsp;Peterhead?”

“Something of extreme gravity must have occurred.”

“Something very significant, then.”

“We have no choice but to keep a close watch for a while.”

The conversation they exchanged was by no means meaningless. It served only to intensify the anxiety and suspicion shared by everyone. As for the media, they continued their observations relentlessly, while letting their imaginations run wild with the thought that ''“such a situation would be unthinkable without a direct order from the Clanner.”''

Aboard the battleship ''Austra'', Ariabert and Jouslain were away from the bridge. Tytania-style dreadnoughts always featured an “Audience Chamber”, prepared for instances when the Clanner himself might board. It was a room of approximately fifteen square metres, adorned with classical decorations, with one wall covered by a screen. Upon seeing Ajman dressed in ceremonial attire on the screen, the two dukes knelt.

''“I am glad to see you both are well. I would like to meet and speak with you; will you grant me this?”''

It was Jouslain’s turn to speak:

“Do you order that we both appear before you in person?”

''“That was indeed my intention.”''

“As we are but humble members of the Tytania Clan, suspending combat is one thing, but we cannot simply abandon our forces and move recklessly. We humbly request that you issue further instructions.”

''“I see. That is a valid point.”''

Ajman nodded magnanimously.

''“If you were to believe my words without question and rush in without caution, you would not be worthy of being entrusted with the future of Tytania. Moreover, the advantage lies with your side—overwhelmingly so.”''

Jouslain felt as though the waves of Idris’ fury were palpable. The combat, which had lasted half a day, had merely exhausted both armies, and Idris still held Uraniborg.

''“However, it would be unimaginative to allow us to descend into fratricide without even a final round of negotiations or debate. I shall dispatch an envoy to you. If it is at all possible, I wish to prevent this bloodshed.”''

“…”

''“It goes without saying that the reason you two raised your banners was due to the belief that Lord Idris had detained me. However, since I am standing here before you, it has become clear that this was a misunderstanding. Therefore, there should no longer be any reason to continue this conflict, is there?”''