Editing Tytania:Volume 3 Chapter 7 (section)

=== III ===
Jouslain found and rented out an entire mid-sized hotel located a three-minute walk from the hospital where Ariabert was receiving treatment, using it as both his headquarters and quarters.

The hotel, named “Hotel Avion”, stood ten storeys high. The headquarters functions were situated on the first through sixth floors, with a guard post on the seventh, the quarters for the staff officers on the eighth, and Jouslain’s own residence occupying the ninth and tenth floors. Balamy’s private room was located on the ninth floor, while the private rooms for Lydia and Francia were on the tenth. Jouslain’s office was on the sixth floor, his salon on the ninth, and his bedroom on the tenth.

Having been entrusted with them by Jouslain, Balamy had carried out these specific arrangements. Reappointed as senior ''aide-de-camp'' by Jouslain, he was regarded by outsiders as Jouslain’s confidant, and he was proving himself through his actions worthy of that title.

There was one other person who believed Balamy to be a confidant, and he had to fulfil a role for that person as well. Upon seeing that individual, Princess Lydia of the Kingdom of Elbing, looking somewhat lost, he spoke to her:

“Do you wish to see your grandfather, Princess?”

Princess Lydia did not answer immediately. She gazed through the window at the landscape on the ground, which she was seeing for the first time in nearly a year, and replied while still looking down at the ordinary courtyard with its fountain.

“It would be difficult to return without some sort of souvenir. One who belongs to royalty must bring benefit to the nation. Since I am not yet capable of that, I cannot return just yet.”

She must have been longing for her homeland. That Balamy had surmised the Princess’ true feelings in such a way might have been an indication that his powers of intuition were maturing.

Princess Lydia turned to face Balamy and asked him another question, her expression tinged with worry:

“Will it come to a point where the Tytania army attacks the Kingdom of Elbing, Bal?”

“No, I believe you need not worry about that.”

Balamy stated it with certainty. He felt for Princess Lydia, but the Kingdom of Elbing was simply not within Tytania’s concerns. Whether they remained neutral or sided with either the Clanner’s faction or the anti-Clanner’s faction, it would be like a weakened mosquito landing on the surface of one’s skin; it would cause no real irritation or pain.

As he pondered upon this, Balamy realised yet one possibility. The matter belonged more to the realm of political manoeuvring than strategy. To show those who sided with the anti-Clanner faction what consequences awaited them, “Uraniborg” might attack the Kingdom of Elbing, potentially destroying entirely this impoverished and powerless stellar nation. That Balamy felt Lord Idris was capable of such an act could not be called a fair assessment; rather, it was a malicious prejudice.

That prejudice had a significant influence on the course Balamy chose to set. With Jouslain departing Uraniborg and Idris set to wield power as the Clanner’s deputy, Balamy found himself in a precarious position. At the very least, staying under Jouslain’s command should have ensured a brighter future for him. Furthermore, he felt needed here, and it allowed him to remain far removed from the sense of alienation and isolation he had experienced during his time on the planet Tyron. In many respects, it should have been the right choice.

''“The next time I return to Uraniborg, I shall do so as one of the victors,”'' he resolved in his heart, yet he was far from possessing perfect confidence.

It struck him with a fresh shiver that, should matters continue to unfold in this manner, he would find himself fighting Clanner Ajman. The Clanner was the very symbol of Tytania’s power and an object of infinite awe. Even with the alliance of Ariabert and Jouslain, he wondered if they could truly hope to defeat him.

Nevertheless, he set aside his inner anxieties for the moment. As a knight, he had to hold his head high in the presence of the princess.

“Princess, let us go to the tea lounge. I hear this hotel has forty different kinds of fruit pie. We shall certainly not lack for treats for the time being.”

He had become quite fond of pastries.

Now, although Jouslain had been suspended from his authority as Commander-in-Chief, he had not been formally dismissed. Had he been dismissed, under whose command would the Tytania forces stationed in Bargash have operated? Would Ariabert return to his post? However, Ariabert had already welcomed Jouslain, ignoring the notification from Uraniborg. If Ariabert were to join Jouslain in refusing to submit to Uraniborg, both would be branded as rebels and sought for destruction by the Tytania heartland.

A civil war between Tytania and Tytania.

It was a situation powerful enough to shock the entire universe. Until then, human history had been recorded in terms of “Tytania versus non-Tytania”. Struggles and conflicts had always been depicted through the framework of “Tytania versus anti-Tytania”. That traditional pattern had now been shattered. Many people found themselves unable to decide or judge how to deal with this new paradigm, which was unfolding beyond the bounds of their imagination.

Planet Bargash remained under the occupation of the Tytanian military. Or should it be said that it had instead passed under the control of the anti-Tytania forces? The people of Bargash were forced into an unexpected state of confusion when trying to describe the situation.

“If Lord Ariabert has indeed defected from the service of the Clanner, then there is no legal basis to continue the garrisoning of Bargash. We ought to demand their withdrawal.”

That was an opinion shared by some, but it lacked sufficient realism and failed to garner widespread support.

“This has become quite a bizarre situation. Which side should our government side with? Or shall we remain neutral?”

“Regardless, if things continue as they are, Bargash may face a full-scale assault from the Tytania forces, effectively turning it into a stronghold for the rebels.”

“Good heavens, how did it ever come to this?”

The councillors and officials of Bargash gathered to deliberate. Though they intended to speak in whispers, their voices grew loud in the heat of excitement.

“Might we take this opportunity to side with the AJ Alliance and strike a blow against the long-standing Tytania regime…?”

While the “AJ Alliance” certainly took its name from the initials of Ariabert and Jouslain, they had also been unilaterally bestowed with other names that were hardly poetic, such as the “Two Dukes’ Compact” or the “Anti-Clanner Faction”. Perhaps the name “Anti-Idris Faction” would have been the most apt, yet strangely, no one ever uttered it.

“Clanner Ajman remains in full health. Even if the AJ Alliance rebels, their chances of victory are slim. Wouldn’t it be better to establish ties with the Clanner and exclude the AJ Alliance, thereby coexisting with a new Tytania administration?”

“Do you truly think it would be that simple? If the AJ Alliance were eliminated, the Clanner’s power would grow even more formidable, and his attitude towards Bargash would become even more overbearing.”

“Indeed, why should we lend our cooperation to the Clanner? Regardless of whether Tytania’s Clanner faction or the AJ Alliance emerges victorious, the best course of action would be to maintain a position of neutral non-interference.”

“Mere observation is too timid. We ought to intervene skilfully and aim to bring about the mutual destruction of both sides. This would be the perfect opportunity to collapse the Tytania ruling system.”

“Preposterous. We must avoid intervening as if this were some mere game. Do not forget that Tytania is, by nature, a clan with strong unity. If we meddle carelessly and cause them to be reminded of their blood ties, it will only lead to trouble. Serious trouble.”

It seemed as though almost every inhabitant of Bargash had become a critic regarding Tytania’s political and military strategies. An unusual excitement had taken hold of them.

The rule of the Tytania Clan had appeared as powerful, stable, and unmoving as a mature star. Now, however, it was trembling violently, and any error might lead to its total collapse. Such turning points in history were more intoxicating to people than any drug.

“After all, Lord Ariabert and Lord Jouslain possess a great fleet of twenty thousand vessels. They are the strongest armed force in the universe. Does Uraniborg possess the talent capable of countering them?”

“But that is the Tytania military, not Lord Ariabert’s private army. If the Clanner were to clearly declare them public enemies, how many of those twenty thousand ships would actually follow Lord Ariabert?”

“And the rest would turn their spears against him? Yet, Lord Ariabert commands the deep devotion of his officers and men.”

“The awe felt toward the Clanner is likely much deeper.”

“The Clanner, huh? He truly is a monster.”

“What on earth was that man thinking?”

At this point, people fell silent. They were exhausted, and whenever the sculpted features of Clanner Ajman drifted into their minds, they felt an indescribable sense of intimidation.