Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 5 (section)

=== III ===
An hour after Princess Lydia had drifted into the land of sleep, a frantic report arrived. A fleet of vessels was approaching at ten o’clock.

“How many vessels?”

“They appear to be approximately three thousand to three thousand five hundred.”

“Keep the communication channels open. They may attempt to propose negotiations.”

However, ten seconds later, Ariabert was forced to issue a new order. The appearing fleet had opened their gun ports without any prior warning.

Hundreds of spears of light caused slight fissures in the hulls of the great ships, but they were unable to pierce through or shatter them. Naturally, the forces of Ariabert and Jouslain returned fire simultaneously, and the surrounding space was instantly filled with fireballs and flashes of light.

“Lord Jouslain, do you have any thoughts?”

“As I said, I shall leave everything to you, Lord Ariabert.”

“You insolent man.”

Ariabert gave a wry smile but immediately hardened his expression and cast his gaze toward the tactical screen. He extended one wing of the fleet to the front left, instantly assuming a semi-encirclement formation.

“Their strategy is nothing unusual. In fact, it is so orthodox it could be pulled straight from a tactical textbook.”

“Then what shall we do?”

“We shall respond in kind.”

Ariabert gave a light laugh, but rather than taking his seat at the command station, he remained standing and began issuing orders one after another. Light and shadow drifted alternately across his face.

Jouslain, who had moved to a seat further back to yield the command station to Ariabert, smiled as he noticed a certain sight. He could see a female officer standing close by Ariabert’s left side. It was the captain, Edna Fredericks.

As his gaze drifted, he noticed a white hand resting against the back of his own seat. Jouslain moved his hand, lightly overlapping it with the white back of hers. He did not need to look to know that Francia, the owner of the hand, had flushed crimson.

“Idris is holding back his strength.”

Ariabert tilted his head slightly.

“If forty thousand ships were to set out simultaneously from multiple ports, we would be hard-pressed to respond. However, even if they launched an offensive in units of one thousand from a single location, it should only result in attrition. What do you think, Lord Jouslain?”

Ariabert kept his eyes fixed on the screen. Consequently, Jouslain was able to leave his hand resting upon Francia’s.

“I do not believe Idris is foolish enough to commit his forces in such piecemeal fashion…”

Jouslain’s suspicions grew. Ariabert frowned faintly.

“It is less a matter of Idris’ character and more that the situation necessitates it. Holding an impregnable castle and a force double our size, he cannot afford to lose. Perhaps he intends to sacrifice just enough to the very limit, to observe our tactics and fleet movements for his future benefit.”

The battle continued. Even if they were few in number, more than three thousand vessels were deployed.

It seemed as though the Battle of Hashtbal was being reenacted.

Ariabert opened the gate of his formation, adopting a stance intended to lure the enemy ships inside. In response, the fleet from Uraniborg approached the gate but did not charge through; instead, they rained fire into the formation from the outside. It appeared as though they might fall for the stratagem, but after an exchange of gunfire had lasted for some time, another gate opened, and light cruisers and destroyers surged forward.

From that point on, the battle became a one-sided affair. Under the brunt of the shrewd flanking manoeuvres, the Uraniborg fleet attempted to distance itself from the enemy’s fire, creating numerous fireballs and flashes in the process. It was a natural fleet movement, yet it resulted in exposing their entire flank directly to the open gate. Large-calibre spears of light thrust out from within the gate in quick succession, engulfing two or three ships in flames with a single flash.

In less than ten minutes, the number of Uraniborg vessels had fallen to less than half.

Within the various ships of the Uraniborg fleet, which found themselves in a desperate situation, heated arguments broke out amidst the rising steam of blood.

“To die in a battle like this is ridiculous. We’ll be sent back at the very gates of Hell. Our ship is withdrawing from the battle line immediately!”

While some screamed such things, others, with red-stained bandages wrapped around their heads, offered rebuttals.

“Dukes Ariabert and Jouslain are now public enemies of Tytania. Are you truly intending to surrender to such men!?”

“I did not say surrender. I said withdraw.”

“If you withdraw from the battle line here, what then? You will be charged with mutiny or desertion! You will spend the rest of your life running, and if you are caught, it will be death.”

“And who exactly would such charges?”

“That would be Duke Idris…”

The conversation ceased, and the soldiers exchanged glances. If this had been Clanner Ajman, no one would have even dared to utter the words ‘withdraw from the battlefield’. Idris’ very position relied upon the Clanner’s authority. He had yet to prove just how much he could achieve without the Clanner’s presence.

“Once things have come to this, we should simply surrender to Duke Ariabert and Duke Jouslain together. They would have no reason to punish us, and our forces would be strengthened. There is no point in swearing loyalty to Duke Idris at a time like this.”

“But if we surrender, will Duke Ariabert’s faction accept us? Besides, if in the end Duke Idris happens to emerge victorious…”

“There is no need to worry about such future possibilities!”

“Calm down. If we do that, it will be considered treason. We will be haunted by the disgrace.”

The fireballs blooming across the screen belonged almost entirely to the forces of Uraniborg.

“Why would it be treason? We are merely subordinates of Tytania. The ones we are surrendering to are the pillars of Tytania, Duke Ariabert and Duke Jouslain. There is no need to feel inferior!”

At that moment, Idris was watching the course of the battle from the combat command room. Ariabert’s insight had been almost entirely correct. The reason Idris had deployed an awkward number of three thousand ships was to uncover the true nature of Ariabert’s strategy. However, he was now being overcome by a regret that came far too late.

“Damn it, I should have taken hostages from Hyulick’s faction…!”

Looking back, he had been far too generous when the Blaze Flag Army first arrived at Uraniborg. From Idris’ position, he would not have faced any criticism had he treated them not as guests but as surrendering foes.

It was naive of him, to be sure. However, given his upbringing, Idris possessed a certain obsession with following proper form. If he had acted with intent, he could have been both cold and ruthless; yet, perhaps somewhere deep within his consciousness, there remained a single point of himself that could never truly commit to being a conspirator. At the very least, in his dealings with the Blaze Flag Army, Idris had failed magnificently.

“Whether it was the Blaze Flag Army or Fan Hyulick, trusting an outsider was a mistake regardless.”

Idris knew that such whispers were circulating through parts of Uraniborg. Maintaining an air of composure was the only remaining shred of his pride.

Idris was still unable to make a final decision on how to deploy and manoeuvre his more than forty thousand vessels.

“Surely neither Ariabert nor Jouslain would launch a direct assault on Uraniborg. To kill or wound ten million civilians would only leave them with the infamy of being mass murderers.”

If that were the case, deploying a massive fleet in front of Uraniborg, or having the vessels encircle the entirety of the stronghold, seemed like the simplest and most effective course of action. A gargantuan spherical formation with Uraniborg at its core.

This was one proposal put forward during the repeated strategy meetings.

However, this spherical formation possessed a fatal flaw. As long as Uraniborg served as the nucleus, the formation could not move freely. Furthermore, while it was not a purely military concept, depending on one’s perspective, it could be interpreted as Idris holding ten million civilians of Uraniborg hostage.

As Idris stared at the screen with a gaze that was more severe than sharp, the scenes from that day’s strategy meeting flashed through his mind.

“We can also employ the tactic of deliberately refraining from deploying the resident fleet, allowing ourselves to be surrounded by the enemy.”

“And the advantages of such a plan?”

“Sir, it is calculated that approximately sixty thousand vessels would be required to completely encircle Uraniborg from all six directions. The enemy possesses only twenty thousand. Should they attempt a siege, their net will be incredibly thin.”

“So?”

“Our forces possess forty thousand undamaged vessels. We could take advantage of the situation to strike out from various positions, inflict damage upon the enemy, and then withdraw. By repeating this process of steady attrition of their military strength, victory shall surely be ours.”

“And when would that be?”

“Err…”

“A year from now? Ten years?”

To possess mobile forces double that of the enemy, yet to remain entrenched behind thick walls and simply endure… For Idris, it was something he could not bear. He would surely end up being mocked as a coward.

“Whether it be forty thousand or fifty thousand ships, it is a waste of precious resources. Where is the need for these rebels to completely encircle Uraniborg? If we concentrated our forces at each harbour gate and struck them on the nose every time our fleet set out, would we not achieve an easy victory?”

There was no reply. Another officer suggested, looking quite apologetic:

“How about we deploy twenty thousand ships to face the enemy head-on, and in the meantime, send another twenty thousand out through the opposite gate?”

“So, that detachment would bypass Uraniborg, circle around to the enemy’s rear, and catch them in a pincer movement from both sides?”

“Yes sir.”

It was not a bad plan. However, it seemed unlikely that Ariabert had not already anticipated such a thing. Ironically, Idris’ greatest weakness lay in the fact that he possessed a force far superior to that of the enemy. If he were to lose under these circumstances, it was certain he would be judged by posterity as an incompetent commander.

From the very beginning, the participants of the strategy meeting had displeased Idris. No matter whose face he looked upon, he felt no boost in morale. Ranging from their thirties to their sixties, every one of them was older than Idris. Naturally, their combat experience also surpassed his. While Idris ought to have respected their experience and track records, he could not help but find them utterly unreliable.

With Idris’ permission, the twenty-four officers took their seats with mechanical precision. For a moment, an invisible hand of silence held the assembly in its grip.

If it had been Zarlisch, he would have been the first to speak with a voice like thunder. If it had been Ariabert, he would have called upon someone else to speak. Just as Idris could no longer conceal his irritation, an older general hesitantly opened his mouth:

“… With all due respect, Your Grace.”

“Spare me the formalities. State your opinion at once.”

“Understood. Then… if I may, I shall speak humbly.”

The reason he scanned his fellow generals was likely because he had hoped someone else would speak. However, no one met his expectations. Idris felt almost suffocated by his own frustration. To be forced to acknowledge the sheer military excellence of men like Ariabert and Zarlisch!

“The fate of our army rests solely upon the judgement of Your Grace Idris. We all await your orders for tactical action as soon as possible.”

In the end, it was all up to him. Idris ground his teeth in silence. This was the result of seeking the capabilities of a supreme commander only within the Tytania Clan.

“Regarding actions at the tactical level, I expect you all to act as experts. You are all veterans of many battles. I want you to devise the best course of action.”

With a wave of his hand, Idris dismissed the war council…

“Gather the remnants of the defeated forces.”

Issuing an utterly unpleasant command, Idris rose from his seat. He ordered that no one follow him and stepped into the lift. His destination was the Clanner’s sickroom.