Editing Tytania:Volume 3 Chapter 5 (section)

=== III ===
On the 17<sup>th</sup> of March, Jouslain, after much self-reflection, had finished laying out the initial measures to prepare for the impending situation.

Once he had confirmed that his measures had been carried out without being known to others, he was finally able to catch his breath and enjoy tea with Princess Lydia, who too had found relief from her tutor.

“What are your thoughts on your own country, Princess?”

“It is poor and lacks grandeur, but I think it is a good country.”

“I see. Tytania is quite the opposite. It is wealthy, prosperous, and powerful, but it is not a good country.”

Princess Lydia looked up at her guardian, her fork still piercing a strawberry tart.

“Then does that mean you are not a good person either, Lord Jouslain?”

“Indeed, I am not a good person, Princess.”

“I dislike that kind of thinking. I think it is quite unhealthy. I make it a point to believe that I am the best girl in the entire universe. A pity that my country is poor,” added the Princess, as she finished the strawberry tart and took a sip of honey tea. “If Lord Idris were to become the Clanner, I wonder if he might lend our country some money.”

Jouslain found himself smiling at the look of grave seriousness that had crossed Princess Lydia’s face.

“Shall we try asking Lord Idris, Princess?”

“This is no laughing matter. Even a small sum to Tytania is a fortune to the Kingdom of Elbing. ‘If only we had the funds,’ was my grandfather the King’s constant refrain.”

It was true that the Kingdom of Elbing was a poor and stagnant nation. The state treasury was at the mercy of the whims of Tytania, or more accurately, the whims of Jouslain himself. Jouslain could not help but think that power was indeed the ability to command the destinies of others.

To be a part of Tytania and to remain a part of Tytania. Jouslain contemplated his own state, acutely aware of the weight of that existence as a shackle from which he had yet to break free. In the first place, was departure even possible? Having resigned from his position as Commander-in-Chief, was Ariabert attempting to leave?

''“I wish I could speak with Ariabert,”'' thought Jouslain from his very heart. Until just over a year ago, around the end of the year before last, he had not held Ariabert in particularly high regard. However, as Tytania shifted from a state of unshakeable peace towards confusion and stagnation, Jouslain’s estimation of Ariabert had been steadily rising.

Of course, by the standards of traditional Tytanian values, Ariabert was a defeated remnant who had abandoned his post after losing to the enemy. Yet, one had to wonder just how much meaning those Tytanian values truly held. By freeing oneself from them and distancing oneself from that palace built on thin ice, would the world truly unfold before Jouslain with greater brilliance?

“I wonder if Bal is doing well. Did my last letter reach him?”

Princess Lydia gazed at the empty cake plate with a certain sense of lingering regret.

Balamy must have felt a deep sense of frustration at being unable to be present at Uraniborg during this critical time. However, there was absolutely no need for him to be impatient. On the contrary, it would be better for him to keep his distance from this quagmire of chaos and corruption, and to exercise restraint as he prepared for the future. While thinking this, Jouslain also couldn’t help but feel that, if Balamy had been at Uraniborg right now, he could have entrusted Princess Lydia to his care.

One thing was certain. When this palace of vanity will finally break through the thin ice and sink, Princess Lydia must not be taken down with it. For this spirited and intelligent young girl was the one who deserved to claim a brilliant, unchained world as her own.

''Even so, Tytania is gradually becoming nothing more than a den of monsters'', Jouslain thought to himself.

For instance, was it conceivable that the Clanner himself might devise a plan to assassinate the dukes? As for his motive, it would be to ensure his still-young son inherits the Clanner’s throne. Ajman’s eldest son would reach the age to succeed him in twenty years, at which point Ajman himself would only be in his sixties, not yet declining from old age. It was only human nature to think that if one were to abdicate the supreme seat, it should go to one’s own flesh and blood. Yet, the question remained whether Ajman possessed such human sentiment.

Above all, Tytania existed within a massive inertia that stretched back into the past. By operating the organisation “as it always had” and “in accordance with precedent,” it had maintained its prosperity and power without significant incident. Ajman himself had not engaged in any particularly original actions since ascending to the position of Clanner. His resolute capacity for execution, his acerbic political manoeuvring, his fairness towards the subordinates, his diplomacy that balanced carrot and stick<ref name="ftn19">The expression “strength and favour” (力と恩) has here an unusual pronunciation, ''muchi to ame'', (“whip and candy”) which is the Japanese equivalent of the expression “carrot and stick”.</ref>, and his equidistant stance toward the four dukes—all of these served to uphold the traditions of Tytania’s lineage.

Had time passed without further incident, Ajman would have eventually retired, and the supreme seat would have been abdicated to one of the four dukes. Or at least, that was how it should have been, but…

“Ah,” Princess Lydia exclaimed, leaning her face towards the transparent wall facing the corridor. Beyond that wall lay a vast ''atrium''<ref name="ftn20">“Courtyard” (屋根つき中庭) is pronounced “atrium”.</ref> where Jouslain could see a single noblewoman passing along the beltway, accompanied by a lady-in-waiting. With his own eyes, he confirmed it was Countess Theodora Tytania.

Princess Lydia tilted her head slightly.

“That woman, no, that Lady…”

“Is something the matter with Countess Theodora, Princess?”

“I have seen that lady with a man before.”

At that time, Countess Theodora had been standing in a corner of the corridor, appearing quite wary of the gaze of others, exchanging low-voiced conversation with a man. As for that man…

“The most unpleasant person in all of Uraniborg.”

Princess Lydia effortlessly overturned Jouslain’s momentary assumption that it might be Lord Idris.

“It’s that big, unpleasant fellow. The one who fought with Bal. Errr…”

“Radmoth!?”

“Yes, Radmoth. The two of them were standing side by side, engaged in some conversation. I wasn’t eavesdropping, mind you. I simply happened to see them.”

Jouslain’s shock bypassed the middle ground of bewilderment and transformed directly into utter confusion. Even if Theodora was elegantly running wild in her efforts to gain allies, Radmoth was an unexpected name.

Regardless of what the future might hold, Radmoth possessed no political influence at present. He was immature, boorish, and thoughtless—in short, nothing more than a typical example of a spoiled child of the privileged class. What possible benefit could Theodora gain by making such a young man her ally? Furthermore, the fact that Princess Lydia had seen them together sat ill with Jouslain. Had they not displayed themselves intentionally? Had it been a truly important conversation, they would have conducted it in a bedroom or a drawing room, somewhere absolutely hidden from the eyes of others.

Suddenly, Jouslain felt a sense of loathing for Uraniborg itself. This was a wretched place. The anti-Tytania faction was not at all wrong to liken this to the Demon King’s fortress. And Jouslain himself was a kin of that very Demon King.

“Princess, shall we leave Uraniborg and go somewhere else?”

When Jouslain spoke, Princess Lydia nodded deeply.

“That would be nice. But where exactly would we be going?”

“Well, for the time being, how about somewhere like Bargash?”

“Is it an interesting place?”

“It might become interesting.”

Jouslain thought that it might even be an opportunity to take over the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force in place of Ariabert. Regardless, he simply wanted to leave Uraniborg and breathe some fresh, pure air.

However, leaving Uraniborg would not bring an end to everything. In recommending Jouslain as Ariabert’s successor, Idris’ true intentions could not have been entirely transparent. He had made such a proposal precisely because there were circumstances that would work to his advantage. He wondered what kind of monster lurked behind that surface, breathing out its poisonous breath.

''“Idris did not propose summoning Ariabert back to Uraniborg. Why was that? Was it because Ariabert’s return would mess with his schemes?”''

Zarlisch was already dead, and Ariabert was recovering in the frontier. Thus, if Jouslain were to leave Uraniborg now, only Idris would remain by the Clanner’s side. He wondered if that was his intention, yet surely the Clanner was not a man to be manipulated by someone like Idris. Even if Jouslain were to alert the Clanner to this point, he would likely only be met with derisive laughter.

''“As long as the Clanner remains well. But what if something were to happen to him…?”''

A cold chill swept through Jouslain’s inner universe like a gust of wind. He had arrived at the worst possible conclusion.

Was it not possible that Idris intended to drive all his rivals from Uraniborg, assassinate Clanner Ajman, and ascend to the supreme position himself? Radmoth would be the one to carry out the assassination. And then Radmoth would then be killed on the spot without trial or even an inquiry, and the truth would be buried in darkness. Finally, Idris and Theodora would share power over Tytania. It was a plausible scheme. But…

''“But would Idris really go that far? First, even if Idris were to harm the Clanner and usurp the throne, who would follow him?”''

While Idris received appropriate respect as one of the four dukes, he lacked personal popularity. Furthermore, if he were to commit an act as heinous as regicide or usurpation, who would follow him? Moreover, if Ariabert and Jouslain were alive at that time, the people’s support would gather around them instead. If that were the case, then wherein lay Idris’ true intentions…? Jouslain fell into deep thought, failing to notice Princess Lydia’s gaze and leaving his tart untouched.