Editing Tytania:Volume 1 Chapter 4 (section)

=== IV ===
The figure of someone referred to as a princess, be she royal or imperial, ought to be of delicate and ethereal beauty and radiate a dainty grace. Though this was merely his delusion as a man and a belief held without any basis whatsoever, Fan Hyulick felt compelled to revise the dictionary definition of the word in his mind. As he continued to walk as if pulled by an invisible rope, he delved into a single memory. His voice grew somewhat tighter.

“So, you’re the one who instructed Lira to sleep with me, aren’t you? What were you intending to do by making this girl do such a thing?”

“Oh? If I had been the one to offer my chastity instead of Lira, would you have eagerly agreed to a night of passion?”

Fan Hyulick tried to shake his head with the speed of a slow-motion film but stopped himself midway. Though she wasn’t his type, it was no reason to hurt her feelings. Her Highness Princess Miranda of the Principality of Casabianca showed no sign of being offended and simply laughed once more with a hearty “Ha ha ha ha!”.

“Don’t fret it. I know very well that I’m no beauty. And yet, there is still a man who told me I was fine, and I’ve been living with him in Ementhal for the last three years.”

“What about this principality restoration nonsense?”

As Fan Hyulick finally seized an opportunity to ask a question, Her Highness Princess Miranda sighed. It was a tremendous sigh that rippled through the night air.

“De Boer isn’t a bad guy by any means, but he’s like a legendary creature who lives off eating dreams. Meaningless dreams like the restoration of the principality.”

“So it’s just some delusion of his, then?”

“While I feel sorry for him, to me, it is misplaced kindness. I’m perfectly satisfied with my husband, my work, and my life. There is no point in excessively trying to restore my principality.”

Her Highness, who was a woman of remarkable strength, paused for a moment and then shook Lieutenant Mahdi, who was slung over her shoulder.

“So, should we head for the spaceport?”

“The spaceport?”

“You want to leave Ementhal, right? I’ll get you on a spaceship.”

Princess Miranda told him that she and her husband owned an interstellar merchant vessel and that her husband was currently making preparations for departure while waiting for them.

“I’m thankful for that, but wait a bit. I don’t quite understand your intentions.”

“You’re talking about Lira? Sorry about that; I was testing you. If you were the kind of man who’d throw himself on Lira, I would have really sold you off to Tytania. You got a sharp tongue, but at least you look like you’re a decent man.”

Hung over the princess’ shoulder, Lieutenant Mahdi let out a groan. Mahdi struck the prisoner’s temple with her large right fist with a thud, and Lieutenant Mahdi let out a soft sigh before passing out once more.

Feeling a touch of sympathy for Lieutenant Mahdi’s “destiny”, Fan Hyulick became conscious of his financial situation.

“Just to be clear: I’m completely penniless right now. I can’t pay transportation costs.”

“We have a vacancy for the position of vice-chief clerk on our spaceship. I’d like you to take the job.”

“Don’t you already have a chief clerk?”

“Sure, but give it nine years and he would have lived a century, so he needs an assistant.”

Miranda’s powerful yet supple stride came to a halt as they stood before an egg-shaped cargo ship that glimmered with a dull silver-grey sheen.

Miranda’s voice echoed.

“I’ve brought a man called Fan Hyulick. As well as a little extra, too.”

Fan Hyulick waited to meet Her Highness’ husband with undisguised curiosity. Could he be someone as imposing, large, and square-built as Miranda? Or conversely, a small man who could fit in the palm of a hand? Fan Hyulick had anticipated both extremes, but the man who appeared as the door opened was of average height.

It was a middle-aged man with semi-grey hair, gentle brown eyes, and a smile on his face. As he met Miranda’s gaze, his smile broadened, and he gave Fan Hyulick a slight bow. Since he didn’t introduce himself and merely smiled, Fan Hyulick had no idea how to respond.

“He’d like to greet you, but he cannot speak. Please bear with it,” said Miranda on her husband’s behalf.

She told him his name: Captain Compton Casimir.

“It’s not something he was born with, nor a disease. He was arrested for criticising Tytania, and they destroyed his vocal cords.”

Fan Hyulick fell silent as if his own vocal cords had been destroyed. The captain’s smile seemed deep.

“Was it that perverted count who did it?”

“He’s the one who gave the order, all right.”

Miranda gave a precise account. While she was consumed by a desire for revenge and pursued the man who had destroyed her husband’s vocal chords, he went into hiding. Naturally, to this day, Miranda was still looking for the one who harmed her husband. She also intended to one day claim vengeance on Count Arses.

He felt a cold sweat running down the nape of his neck. Had he been captured by Count Arses Tytania, Fan Hyulick might have suffered a similar fate. He extended a hand towards Captain Casimir and clasped his hand firmly.

“Thanks, I owe you.”

He could say nothing more.

At that moment, burdened by his ill-fated destiny, Lieutenant Mahdi stirred on the floor. His black eyes opened and focused while his body, clad in a grey military uniform, sprang up like a grain of popcorn bursting.

“Mi, Miranda! Captain Casimir!”

“Long time no see, Lieutenant Mahdi.”

While Miranda gave the impression of a mountain, Mahdi looked like a reed swaying in the wind.

“Well then, Lieutenant, shall we depart?”

“Depart? What do you mean?”

“I’ve already obtained permission to set sail by using your name. There’s no problem with you coming along with us. Come now, let’s leave this dreadful planet and set out in the vastness of space.”

Captain Casimir met Miranda’s gaze and nodded with his usual gentle smile. Mahdi let out something that sounded like a shriek.

“I, I can’t! Tytania will hunt me down as a traitor too!”

“Really? I don’t think so, although Count Arses Tytania might not see it that way.”

“Are you trying to blackmail me!?”

“Absolutely not; I’m just looking out for you as a friend. They say that the perverted count adores torturing handsome sickly men. You aren’t sickly, but you’re still quite a handsome chap, and you certainly look healthy enough to handle the torture.”

Mahdi was about to shout something but stopped at the last second as he quickly glanced around. But when he noticed the short-barrelled gun casually held in Captain Casimir’s hand, his expression turned truly pitiful.

“It’s your destiny. Just give up,” roared Miranda with a laughter befitting her massive frame, shaking the air in the ship.

However, Lieutenant Mahdi seemed utterly unable to join in and laugh about his own destiny. Pulling out his black hair, he sank to the floor as he rued his destiny and that of mankind. As Fan Hyulick gazed at the black-haired, copper-skinned, and green-eyed young officer, he felt both a sense of sympathy and superiority, and purely subjective words of consolation came out of his lips.

“As you like saying, this is destiny. What a lucky guy you are to have such friends, huh?”

“You know nothing!”

Furious, Mahdi leaped to his feet with a booming voice. He glared at the captain and his wife and stumped his military boots on the floor.

“These guys are notorious smugglers. They are vicious blokes, and their criminal record could fill 200 pages. If there is evidence of their crimes, they’d be lucky to just get off with their vocal cords destroyed.”

“Now don’t be ungrateful, Mahdi boy.”

Her Highness Princess Miranda suppressed her laughter as she narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. Startled, Mahdi stiffened.

“Don’t tell me you forgot how many times we’ve filled that thin wallet of yours. By Tytanian private laws, by now you should have been sentenced to a firing squad five or six times, right? If we face the death penalty, you’ll be joining us for the ride.”

““What are you talking about?””

These words were pronounced by two people, Mahdi and Fan Hyulick, each with a different tone. Ignoring the one who was playing dumb, Miranda replied to the one who was asking with keen interest:

“Well, you see, Admiral Hyulick, this lieutenant here is a habitual offender when it comes to misappropriating goods. While the fact that Count Arses is a poor administrator probably played a role, for the last two years, he funnelled straight to us enough supplies to equip an entire regiment. Having him in the army is such a waste; he was born to be a black marketeer.”

“What are you yapping about? It’s you guys who pocketed most of the profits!”

“If we had divided the profits fairly, you would have received far less. You were paid three times the standard rate, right? So, what are you going to do? Maybe you could try that excuse on Count Arses and see if it convinces him.”

While Miranda was making a fine suggestion, it was unlikely to come to fruition any time soon. Lieutenant Mahdi sat down on the floor once more, and after a long tirade about his destiny, finally accepted defeat as he slumped his shoulders.

Thus, with a cargo of various ores and a diverse crew, the interstellar freighter ''Honest Old Man''<ref>“Honest gandpa” (正直じいさん) is pronounced “Honest Old Man”.</ref> left the surface of planet Ementhal, leaving behind the exasperated clicks of the tongue of Count Arses who had left his prey slip away.