Editing Tytania:Volume 3 Chapter 8 (section)

=== IV ===
Doctor Lee and Fan Hyulick continued their brainstorming on the second-floor balcony, amidst the humid sea breeze. Seraphine, who had brought over some iced tea, placed the glasses on the slightly tilted surface of the table and spoke with a hint of hesitation:

“Do you really intend to go to Uraniborg, Fan?”

“Well, I suppose so. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be able to visit a place like Uraniborg in my entire lifetime. There is, of course, the option of going merely for sightseeing.”

“Do you not think you might be killed?”

“That is a difficult question. If I were to be killed, my name would live on in posterity as the ultimate fool. It is possible that the opinions of Admiral Amzekar and Pagès are correct.”

Alternatively, an even more bitter trap might have been waiting in ambush. Lady Theresa, driven mad by revenge, could lead her private militia to raid the brigands, resulting in the total annihilation of both sides after a fierce battle. The incident would then be treated as a mere private feud, allowing Tytania to resolve both internal and external grievances in one fell swoop. Indeed, it would be quite characteristic of Tytania to execute something of that nature.

“Lord Idris’ psychological state is a key factor here,” pointed out Doctor Lee.

If Idris felt confident in defeating Ariabert through a direct confrontation between the fleets, he would have no need for Fan Hyulick. He would simply have him captured and executed immediately. Conversely, if Idris lacked confidence in victory, he might temporarily set aside his pride and agree to delegate command to Fan Hyulick to face Ariabert.

“What do you intend to do if Fan betrays us after being given command?”

Seraphine raised a doubt, but Doctor Lee dismissed it with a light wave of his hand.

“There is no such worry whatsoever. Even if Fan Hyulick were to suddenly turn his blade against us, the Tytania troops would not follow him. They are bound to the authority of Clanner Ajman.”

Fan Hyulick possessed no authority of his own. He merely possessed the capability of a military engineer; his leadership relied one hundred percent upon the authority of the Clanner. That was precisely why Clanner Ajman could remain at ease, even when granting Fan Hyulick military force as a mercenary captain.

In response to Doctor Lee’s explanation, Seraphine raised her objection once more.

“Of course the Tytania troops wouldn’t follow Fan. But the opponents they would be fighting are both Duke Ariabert and Duke Jouslain. If, on top of an already difficult fighting position, Fan were to instigate them to fight on behalf of both Dukes, the troops might become unsettled.”

“Hmm, I hadn’t considered that.”

Even Doctor Lee fell into thought, looking somewhat caught off guard. Eventually, he nodded, as if praising a bright student.

“Indeed, there are countless theoretical possibilities. Sera, your line of thinking is quite interesting. So, in such a scenario, what would be Fan Hyulick’s motive?”

“His motive?”

“The motive for Fan Hyulick to carry out such instigation. What profit would Hyulick gain from allowing both Dukes to emerge victorious?”

“It would mean the collapse of Clanner Ajman’s dictatorial rule.”

“And then, both dukes would establish a new regime. A reborn, fresh Tytania would take the place of the old Tytania to rule the cosmos. Goodness me…”

Doctor Lee spread his arms wide with deliberate flourish. Hyulick merely shrugged his shoulders.

“Tytania shall endure, indeed. In truth, Doctor, this is no laughing matter,” replied Doctor Lee, noting that he, of course, did not believe this was merely a struggle for power. “Furthermore, there is only one Clanner’s throne. It cannot be asserted that the friendly relations between the two dukes will last forever. If that is the case, will Tytania eventually find itself at war once more over that single seat?”

Doctor Lee and Fan Hyulick locked eyes. No clear conclusion emerged in either of their gazes.



Around this time, it appeared that Lord Idris had established absolute dominion within Uraniborg.

Above all, Clanner Ajman had not shown himself in public at all since the attempted assassination. Only Lord Idris conveyed “His Clanner Highness will” to those outside.

The medical team, consisting of eight doctors, fifteen nurses, six male orderlies, and two pharmacists, stayed within the Clanner’s residential quarters, and the Clanner’s wife and children also remained secluded within the estate, avoiding all public appearances. At the Council of Five Families, four seats remained empty, leaving Idris to sit there entirely alone. No one could fathom what he was thinking or what occupied his mind during the time he spent in that seat.

To the outside world, Idris had become almost the Clanner himself. Although he acted with the authority of Clanner Ajman behind him, his practical administrative ability in managing the massive machinery and vast personnel of Uraniborg showed no signs of collapse, and in that regard, he had earned surprisingly high praise. Consequently, opinions were split: some whispered, “Is His Clanner Highness truly well? Is it possible that Lord Idris is fabricating His Highness’ orders on his own?” while others contended, “Lord Idris is nothing more than a puppet of the Clanner; everything is done according to His Highness’ instructions, which is itself proof that His Highness remains well.” In either case, such voices remained small.

It was on the 1<sup>st</sup> of May in that year that Idris made a broadcast to the entire universe. Clad in a grey military uniform, Idris read aloud the proclamation in the name of the Clanner, maintaining a composed manner even as his youthful cheeks were slightly flushed:

“This is a proclamation to Ariabert and Jouslain, currently on planet Bargash. Both individuals have already been stripped of the Tytania family name, their titles, and all other ranks and public offices. They have lost all rights of citizenship. Their current actions on the planet Bargash—claiming the name of the Tytania clan and exercising arbitrary military command—were unjust and illegal, and were such that His Clanner Highness Clanner Ajman and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Harsha&nbsp;VI of Vardana shall absolutely not grant any pardon. Both must immediately surrender themselves to the Tytania regular army and present themselves at Uraniborg to face trial by His Clanner Highness in person. Their safety shall be guaranteed until a verdict is rendered, and the charges levied against them are finalised. The deadline for their surrender is the 20<sup>th</sup> of May at noon. Should they fail to present themselves by this deadline, they shall be declared guilty of treason, and every means necessary shall be employed to inflict a punishment befitting their crimes. If they possess any conscience or courage, let them surrender at once.”

The pronouncement continued, concluding with the threat that anyone who aided Ariabert and Jouslain would be deemed an enemy of Tytania, be they nation, organisation, or individual.

When the two dukes heard that declaration while in Bargash, they had already prepared their own proclamation.

“To strike down the conspirator at his side.”

That was the declaration of both dukes. The “conspirator at his side” referred specifically to Duke Idris Tytania. For the sake of their own peace of mind, as well as the morale of the Tytania troops, Ariabert and Jouslain narrowed their military target down to Idris alone.

According to the declaration of the two dukes, Idris had taken advantage of Ariabert’s absence to attempt to seize absolute authority over Uraniborg. He had plotted the assassination of Clanner Ajman, and when the attempt failed, he had cast the blame upon Jouslain. Furthermore, he had imprisoned the wounded Clanner and abused his authority to the utmost, acting with unparalleled tyranny, and was ultimately attempting to become a despot by massacring his own kin. The declaration stated that they must decisively strike him down and restore the honour of Tytania.

“Idris must be furious. We’ve painted him as such a villain.”

The content was so bellicose that Ariabert could only manage a wry smile.

“He is just as desperate to cast us as the villains. It is wretched, but such is the nature of war. Without the pretext of striking down evil, men cannot kill one another.”

“A battle between good and evil, then?”

“No, evil against evil, probably.”

With a bitter smile, Jouslain took the manifesto in his hand.

“I should like to be the lesser evil, at the very least, but we’ll have to see how it turns out…”

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