Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 6 (section)

=== IV ===
Separated from the vortex of war by a dark abyss of some three hundred thousand kilometres, about one hundred unarmed ships drifted. They were the hospital ship fleets of both armies.

The hospital ships generally possessed white hulls, with a large red cross painted on both the port and starboard sides. There were various theories regarding the origin of this “×” symbol. The most prominent suggested that it had originally been a “+” sign, which had rotated forty-five degrees over many years. However, as for the reason it had rotated forty-five degrees, there was not even a strong hypothesis, let alone an established theory.

In any event, the hospital ships operated at full capacity, regardless of whether they belonged to friend or foe. Both sides were funded by Tytania, and as a result, it was impossible not to run into acquaintances among the crew<ref name="ftn34">“Crew” (乗組員) is pronounced “crew”.</ref>, doctors, nurses, and medics at every level.

“We are running low on analgesics. Could you spare a bit?”

“Alright. It is a poor trade, but I will give you enough skin cell culture medium for about five hundred people. No matter how much we have, we can never have enough.”

Such negotiations took place between doctors who were acquaintances, transcending enemy and ally lines. It was not just the doctors; even between adjacent beds, amidst the lingering scent of blood and medicine, the wounded exchanged words with one another.

“What, it’s you? Which ship were you on?”

“The heavy cruiser<ref name="ftn35">“Heavy cruiser” (重巡航艦) is pronounced “heavy cruiser”.</ref> ''Pythagoras''.”

“Ha! Amazing. Weren’t you the one my ship hit with four shots?”

“So, you were on the ''Zarafshon''! Look at what you did to my left arm…”

“Hey, hey, no grudges, alright? I’m covered in bandages myself.”

A mixture of relief and anxiety rose from the wounded soldiers as they raised their voices. One shout, “Shut up! Silence!” rang out particularly loud.

“I wonder what will happen with the prisoner exchange.”

“I never imagined things would end up like this.”

''Never imagined things would end up like this.'' That was the thought shared by the fleet as it moved restlessly around the group of hospital ships. These were media vessels, working desperately to report on and document this historic scene.

“Who could have ever imagined such a sight? Uraniborg, the very centre of the heavens, is being enveloped by the flames of war. Clouds of light in white, red, blue, and gold are swirling, scattering, congregating, expanding, contracting, and pulsating…”

“Stop the idle chatter and move closer to the combat zone!”

“We can’t go any further, Cap!”

“At least zero-point-five light-seconds—no, even half that is fine. Get closer and show them! The public demands authentic footage! Look, the sector to the front-left is clear.”

“That’s the direct route from the battlefield to the hospital fleet. If we interfere with the hospital ships’ operations, we’ll be attacked by both sides!”

“Navigating through that properly is what makes you a professional!”

“Don’t be unreasonable!”

“Do you not wish to leave your name in the annals of journalism!?”

“I want to leave my name and my life alone!”

An unidentified vessel had slipped among the media-affiliated ships.

It moved to the front and sat alongside the others, acting as if it were there to film and report on the battle, but this ship, disguised with decorative antennas, was the ''Honest Old Man Junior''.

“Since we went through the trouble of getting identification marks for both friend and foe from Uraniborg, we might as well make the most of it.”

The man speaking in the crew’s mess was Lee Shanchen, known by his comrades as “Doctor Lee”. He was a man possessed by dangerous ideologies, willing to gladly sacrifice his own life—and the lives of others—if it meant writing a thesis on the “Factors leading to the Fall of Tytania”.

“We’re finished if we’re discovered.”

“Quite likely, Mahdi. But it’s not as if we’re doing anything morally shameful.”

“If you are so intent on pursuing moral righteousness, then I believe those looted identification tags should be returned to Tytania.”

“True enough, but how? I suppose we could send them back anonymously, but even Tytania has far greater concerns at the moment.”

Fan Hyulick responded in place of Doctor Lee.

“We’re pirates. What belongs to others belongs to us.”

Alan Mahdi intoned, almost as if singing. He possessed absolutely no interest in the academic value of what were purported to be historical records, but he possessed more than enough interest in their monetary value.

At present, Mahdi’s greatest concern was Radmoth, the Tytanian scion, who was being held captive in a toilet. The youth was so unlovely that one felt compelled to retort, ‘What scion?’, but that was exactly why Mahdi wanted to sell him for as high a price as possible. Five hundred thousand—no, perhaps as much as one million dakar. Consequently, he hoped for the side that would offer a higher price to emerge victorious.

“Sometimes, unfounded intuition can lead to more accurate predictions than clear thinking and rational reasoning.”

Saying this, Doctor Lee looked towards Fan Hyulick. Hyulick found this particular gaze difficult to endure. He could never tell what was being said to him or what he might be asked to do. In truth, since becoming an acquaintance of Doctor Lee, he had no memory of experiencing anything particularly good, yet he found himself unable to distance himself from the man.

“And what exactly is this rational reasoning you speak of?”

“That’s right. If I were to put it in terms even little Mahdi could understand, it means you should consider who stands to gain the most.”

When Miranda offered her opinion, Doctor Lee shook his head slightly.

“No, it is not limited to Mahdi. It is simply the most logical definition. This time, Tytania has split and even gone so far as to engage in hostilities. It is a situation no one could have predicted a year ago. But who stands to benefit from it?”

“That is obvious. The Anti-Tytania Faction.”

“That is far too vague. Besides, Tytania itself is fractured. There is no such thing as a purely anti-Tytania or pro-Tytania side anymore.”

“You should listen a little more closely, Miranda. Tytania is divided and warring. Regardless of which side wins, Tytania as a whole will naturally be weakened.”

“Hmm, I see. It seems even little Mahdi is actually making sense for once.”

“When profit and loss are involved, the mind begins to work.”

“You’re quite the handful, I say so myself. Besides, if your mind is so sharp, why are you even here right now?”

Before Mahdi could respond, another voice spoke.

“If one considers everything to be coincidence, it is easy to fall into fatalism. If one considers everything to be inevitable, one falls into the trap of conspiracy theories. Now, I wonder which side of the line we stand upon.”

Doctor Lee was voicing his thoughts aloud.

“It is certain that the catalyst was not so much Hyulick’s victory as it was Duke Ariabert’s defeat. This was the beginning. The very foundations of Tytania, which had remained <span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">unshakeable </span>until then, began to tremble…”

Doctor Lee crossed his arms.

“Something has awakened. In truth, no power or regime can endure forever. Today’s victor is destined to be the defeated one a hundred years from now. It is precisely because the succession of hegemony repeats itself that human civilisation has endured to this day. Yet, behind the victor, the seeds of ruin always lie hidden in the shadows, awaiting their moment to awaken…”

“Come on, Doctor, don’t be so dramatic. You’re making me feel like I’m listening to a ghost story.”

“A ghost story, huh?… Perhaps it is. Tytania is a demon. It was true before Tytania, and it will be true after. For a sane person, the best course of action is to stay well away.”

“Just so we’re clear, I’ve never once had any desire to get involved with Tytania,” added Fan Hyulick, his tone thick with dissatisfaction. “If they ever go and do something incomprehensible, we can just blame it on madness.”

“Madness, is it?… Well, even that is difficult to judge. One who indiscriminately fires heat rays and kills dozens of innocent citizens, and one who systematically selects and massacres a specific ethnic group—which of them is truly possessed by madness?”

“Both.”

Having cut the matter down so decisively, Fan Hyulick turned his gaze toward the viewing port. Beyond the abyss, a cloud of light expanded and contracted in all directions. Flashes of red and blue tore through the luminous clouds in rapid succession. A leader who commanded with frenzy or a leader who commanded with calm composure—which of them was more possessed by madness? He had no memory of having thrown himself into battle out of any personal preference, but he knew for certain that he had accepted it.

As Fan Hyulick sighed and ran his hands through his carrot-coloured hair, Princess Miranda also shrugged her shoulders.

“The Idris faction might win. If that were to happen, we’d be relentlessly pursued for the rest of our lives.”

“Idris might win?”

When Doctor Lee posed the question, Mahdi answered in his stead.

“I wonder. Even taking the simplest view, it’s two against one, and when it comes to popularity, the gap is even wider than that.”

It was an entirely accurate assessment of the matter regarding popularity.