Editing Tytania:Volume 5 Chapter 7 (section)

=== IV ===
Vice-admiral Jalandal faltered. If it had been merely pirates, it might have been one thing, but those standing at the forefront of the muzzles were Duke Jouslain, Duke Idris, and Viscount Balamy.

“Go ahead, shoot. We shall shoot in return.”

“B-but you are outnumbered, Duke Idris!”

“There is no need to worry about such trivialities. The first to die shall be the Clanner and his retinue.”

To be fair, Vice-admiral Jalandal was by no means a coward, but he recoiled when he looked directly into Idris’ bloodthirsty grin. Should a lethal beam or a bullet strike Clanner Ajman amidst the ensuing melee, all would be lost, regardless of what might happen to the three young nobles.

The flaws of a management style built solely on following orders were laid bare, leaving Vice-admiral Jalandal with no way out. He was supposed to have been in a position of absolute superiority. ''If only His Clanner Highness would issue an order''… He had only hesitated for two or three seconds, but in those moments, he failed to notice the villains approaching silently from behind.

“Don’t move!”

Both of Vice-admiral Jalandal’s ears were occupied. His left ear was pressed against the muzzle of Fan Hyulick’s protruding ray gun, and his right ear against the muzzle of the percussion pistol Seraphine Coopers. Jouslain had not even noticed when they had slipped behind the guards.

“Y-you bitches…”

Ignoring the vice-admiral’s wheezing, Hyulick glanced at his rank insignia.

“Soldiers, drop your guns. Otherwise… well, His Excellency<ref name="ftn25">In Japanese, the equivalent of “His Excellency” (閣下) isn't just reserved to nobility, but also to high officials, diplomats, or high-ranking officers like admirals.</ref> the vice-admiral might just get a two-rank promotion<ref name="ftn26">In Japan, two-rank promotions are often given posthumously to soldiers fallen in the line of duty. It typically serves to increase the survivor pension for their families.</ref> to become a high-admiral. The pension for his bereaved family might even increase.”

“You’re finally starting to act like a pirate, Fan.”

“I’ve always wanted to try something like this.”

While the conversation sounded rather irreverent, the vice-admiral’s subordinate soldiers remained frozen, unable to move. Observing this, Doctor Lee spoke up:

“It is an unnecessary detail, Hyulick, but there is no high-admiral rank in the Vardana Empire’s military. Between vice-admiral and fleet admiral, there is a rank known as full admiral.”

“So, he shall become a full admiral, then. Well, no doubt, that’s a promotion.”

“I, too, shall teach you one more unnecessary detail,” declared a stern voice. “As long as Tytania holds dominion over the Vardana Empire’s military, a commander who met their death due to their own blunder shall not be eligible for a two-rank promotion.”

The Clanner looked across at everyone.

“This is ridiculous. Have you gone through the trouble of coming all this way just to speak of such things?”

“You aren’t dead as long as we keep talking.”

When Idris responded with a sneer, the floor shuddered. The crystal glass of the windows vibrated, and the chandelier on the ceiling performed a clumsy dance. From beyond the windows, the dull thud of an explosion and the shrill scream of sirens reached them faintly. Grey shadows flickered past the glass.

“Another district has collapsed, it appears,” muttered Doctor Lee, addressed the hesitating guards with a brand of coldness that differed from that of the Clanner. “Loyal soldiers of Tytania, despite all our tradition and authority, Uraniborg is quite literally falling apart. Surely you have families. Perhaps lovers. Do you not feel the need to go and ensure they are safe?”

A ripple of agitation stirred among the guards. However, it was not the guards who responded aloud.

“Do not concern yourself with me. Lend not any ear to the sophistry of bandits. Act like a soldier of Tytania should, and follow your sacred duty. Fire! Fire!”

Vice-admiral Jalandal’s voice was steeped in tragedy, and Doctor Lee appeared impressed, lightly rubbing the tip of his nose.

“It is a most admirable loyalty. However, it is also a futile virtue. Consider this: when either Duke Idris or Duke Jouslain, who stand before you, will ascend as the new Clanner, how will your words and actions be judged?”

Idris barked an order, perhaps because his name had been mentioned before Jouslain’s.

“Jalandal, take the guards and get out of here at once. This is a matter between the supreme leadership of Tytania, the Five Families. It is not for someone of your station to concern himself with. Begone!”

The Vice-admiral snapped to attention. In the words of Doctor Lee, it was the result of “two hundred years of brainwashing”.

“If, by chance, a peaceful resolution can be achieved, it is not the duty of a subject to obstruct it.”

Stuttering out that meagre excuse, the vice-admiral moved his hands with great caution and ordered his subordinates to withdraw. The guards had no choice but to obey their superior’s command and fled out of the study. Finally, Jalandal, the vice-admiral, left the room, his expression still stiff, having only just regained the safety of his ears and his mind. He must have been deeply anxious about how he would be treated from that moment forward.

Once again, Clanner Ajman was alone.

“Useless lot.”

He muttered the words without much apparent disappointment, then rose from his chair with an air of composure. Everyone’s gaze converged upon the Clanner’s right hand. In his right hand, he held a thick-handled black whip, its rich lustre and suppleness were reminiscent of a snake that had only just shed its skin.

In such a situation, it was Mahdi who spoke the obvious:

“My, is that what you use with your concubines in bed, your Clanner Highness?”

The remark was so utterly vulgar that, rather than becoming angry, the Clanner merely gave the whip a light flick to test its feel, without even sparing the speaker a glance.

Had someone suddenly opened fire at that moment, the situation would have changed drastically, but that was not what happened. Jouslain and Idris each had dozens of questions they wished to press upon the Clanner. Hyulick believed that Jouslain and the others were the ones qualified to kill the Clanner, and Doctor Lee was thinking,'' “Observe before shooting”''.

“Do you truly believe that the two of you, working together, could strike me down?”

The Clanner’s sneer cut heavily and coldly into the very hearts of the young dukes.

“Had the Four Dukes come at me together from the very beginning, at least the terms of our engagement would have been settled. To fight amongst yourselves, to splinter and weaken your own strength was a foolish way to behave.”

“Wasn’t it you who orchestrated it?” retorted Jouslain, pouring all his strength into his words. “Furthermore, you were clearly afraid of Ariabert. That is exactly why you used such despicable means to dispose of him. Had Ariabert remained, we could have brought down Uraniborg without having to fear anyone pointing a finger at us in condemnation!”

“Now, I wonder about that.”

The front of the Clanner’s desk split apart without a sound. It happened as if lift doors were opening, but much faster. What emerged was a number of large-bore muzzles, far too many to count in a single instant.

“Scatter!”

Simultaneously with someone’s shout, lines of fire and flashes of light flooded the area in front of the desk. Both the nobles and the pirates scrambled away, escaping the swarm of lethal, flickering strikes.

“You spoke with such arrogance, and yet you resort to a sneak attack. Truly, how cowardly of you.”

Miranda’s voice overlapped with Hyulick’s.

“Don’t act so high and mighty when you’re the one who’s afraid to die!”

The hand cannon perched upon her shoulder let out a ferocious roar. The shell struck the Clanner’s desk from a rightward angle, erupting in a burst of fire, smoke, and thunder.

Amidst the swirling smoke and debris, everyone watched. The wall behind the desk split further left and right, and the Clanner, his cloak billowing, attempted to vanish through a secret door.

The fissure began to close slowly. Just as Idris, letting out a furious shout, tried to leap into the gap to pursue the Clanner—

Idris’ right arm, still clutching his heat raygun, was caught within the thickening door.

“……!?”

“The speed at which the door opens or closes depends entirely upon my will.”

Through a narrow gap, Ajman’s face became visible. It was a face like a steel statue, towering over the ice plains of a freezing planet.

“You coward!”

Idris struggled to pull his trapped arm free. It was a futile effort. The door began to squeeze his arm with intense pressure.

“Idris!”

Jouslain rushed over and grabbed Idris’ right arm, attempting to pull it out.

“Mind your own business!”

Even then, Idris tried to reject the assistance of his sworn enemy.

“Oh ho, so the two Dukes are working together now. I suppose I failed to program respect for nobility into that door. I shall have it updated at a later date. However, for today, you should simply accept the loss of that right arm.”

The Clanner’s derisive laughter drifted through the gap in the secret door.

“Lord Idris, both my right hand and my gun are thrust towards you. Why not try shooting me? If Heaven’s will is with you, you might just hit your mark.”