Editing Tytania:Volume 2 Chapter 5 (section)

=== I ===
Although Duke Zarlisch Tytania had at one point captured Fan Hyulick, the latter managed to escape. News of this reached Uraniborg a day later, causing a subtle tremor in the eardrums of the three young dukes who remained there. Ariabert, Jouslain and Idris exchanged views on the matter in their private lounge. As they would inevitably be called upon by Clanner Ajman for their opinions, it was necessary to organise their thoughts.

“Hupf! If he’s going to go out of his way to lower his own standing, that’s his problem. Lord Zarlisch really ought to assess his own capabilities more accurately,” sneered Idris.

On this occasion, Zarlisch would have no choice but to accept derision. Having reported his achievement to Uraniborg the moment he first captured Hyulick, he had made it impossible to conceal the prisoner’s escape. Having highlighted that point, Idris went on to point out Zarlisch’s weakness.

“This incident has laid it bare. Should Lord Zarlisch ascend to the throne as the next Clanner, the supreme authority over the universe will fall into the hands of that hysterical mother of his. Isn’t that quite a delightful prospect?”

“I find it hard to imagine Lord Zarlisch being such a weak-willed man, though…”

Ariabert tilted his head slightly, but Jouslain’s opinion was actually closer to that of Idris’. While Zarlisch was unrivalled in his resolve when facing direct enemies, he clearly prioritised emotion over reason when dealing with allies or family. That might be acceptable, but the real problem was probably that his approach lacked tenacity.

If his mother was in a fit of rage, Zarlisch ought to have reined her in, yet he had simply let the situation persist. Fed up with his mother’s words and behaviour, he attempted to throw Fan Hyulick to her like bait before a wild beast. By doing so, Zarlisch ultimately insulted several people. His mother was deemed someone beyond the reach of rational persuasion, and Zarlisch himself undermined his reputation for valour in both fleet battles and single combat.

Idris’ criticism of Zarlisch, though motivated by malice, was, in the end, remarkably accurate. Zarlisch had shown a tendency to back down in the face of his mother; and if the Clanner could not respond to her demands with integrity, the authority of Tytania’s Clanner would be called into question. Though it might seem minor, Zarlisch’s misstep was, in fact, significant.

It was reported that Zarlisch himself was furious. He had believed that the Blaze Flag Army would launch their operation to recapture Fan Hyulick in outer space. The fact that he had not anticipated an ambush on the planet beforehand was certainly a lapse in judgement on his part. However, if one were to trace the root cause, it lay in the single fact that he harboured preconceived notions about his mother. The implication was that he believed her to be “the kind of woman who would go so far as to poison her son’s killer”.

Ariabert asked the intelligence officer:

“Still, are we certain that it was the Blaze Flag Army who seized Fan Hyulick?”

“There are certain aspects that make it difficult to conclude with certainty that this was the work of the Blaze Flag Army…”

Upon learning that Hyulick had been seized, Zarlisch immediately decided to resort to force and put his decision into action. Every spaceport on planet Bargash was shut down, and the Blaze Flag Army’s hideouts and the homes of its senior officers were raided by groups of armed soldiers. Gunfights broke out in various locations, and more than twenty senior officers of the Blaze Flag Army were shot dead. Hideouts were blown up or set ablaze, and although on a small scale, the situation took on the appearance of all-out war.

The government of planet Bargash, however shaken it may have been internally, was compelled as the administrative authority to protest against Tytania’s outrageous actions. As Zarlisch ignored their protest initially, the Bargash government changed its strategy and lodged a protest with Donald Farah, a Tytanian executive who was staying in the area.

Farah was even more embittered than the Bargash government. Zarlisch had allowed Hyulick he had captured to escape, and was now attempting to exert force to adversely influence the outcome of the delegate elections. He rushed to Zarlisch’s side and pleaded with him to cease using force.

For his part, Zarlisch would have liked nothing more than to deal a heavy blow to the presumptuous Donald Farah, but Farah was a counsellor to the Clanner’s court, not Zarlisch’s personal vassal. He could not simply mete out punishment as he saw fit, and for that very reason, Zarlisch’s anger was simmering within him. Then, a complaint was brought to his attention, and at last he exploded.

“What kind of arrogant nonsense are you spouting! It is only because you ran your mouth so much about the Blaze Flag Army that I held back and that things have turned out this way. I will eventually hold you formally accountable for your crimes!”

The sheer force of his voice sent Farah flying, but it did not completely strike fear into him. Though he was frightened, his personal and public indignation outweighed his fear, and he found himself compelled to seek outside help to restrain Zarlisch. Ultimately, of course, Farah had no choice but to appeal to the authority of Clanner Ajman, but in the meantime, he needed an influential figure within the clan who would speak on his behalf and defend his position.

Thus, Count Elman Tytania made his dignified appearance. Having travelled at great haste from planet Bargash to Uraniborg, the count, after undergoing somewhat cumbersome formalities and ceremonies, was granted an audience with the Clanner.

Within the limited time available to him, the count explained the situation in a methodical manner. His focus was not on reproaching Duke Zarlisch for his blunder, but on offering to act as a liaison with the anti-Tytania faction.

“Spending one’s life in idleness is not a bad thing, but it seems my blood, surprisingly, sometimes stirs with a fervent desire for turmoil.”

“That is indeed surprising.”

Clanner Ajman’s gaze sliced like a blade through the face of the count, who, though of the same generation, was slightly older. The count appeared flustered, yet his demeanour seemed as though a core of iron were encased within cotton. After a few moments of silence, the Clanner continued with a questioning tone.

“But there is always the risk of being devoured by the very beasts one has raised. Whether it be the Blaze Flag Army or any other faction claiming that name, I cannot imagine they will accept sustenance from your hand forever. What are your thoughts on that, Count?”

“With all due respect, Your Clanner Highness, the human world would lack interest if it were nothing but predetermined harmony. I, for one, am well aware that I exist only because of Tytania. Should those ferocious beasts ever snap their chains, it will be my own body that shall first fill their stomachs.”

He was, in other words, prepared for that outcome. Clanner Ajman fell into deep thought, though not for long.

“Very well. We have never once closed diplomatic channels with the Interstellar City League. There is no harm in establishing a new one. I shall accept your proposal, Count.”

Count Elman was to become the head of the diplomatic channel to be established between the anti-Tytania group known as the Blaze Flag Army and the Principality of Tytania. That single decision had been officially sanctioned by the Clanner. The count’s days of inactivity were thus brought to an end.