Editing Tytania:Volume 5 Chapter 6 (section)

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The voice was not loud. It lacked strength, carried no sense of authority, and was not beautiful. Nevertheless, Count Elman Tytania received the polite voice of the Duchess Theresa.

“Is someone there?”

The voice seemed to carry the scent of alcohol and gastric acid.

“Are you awake, Duchess?”

A man’s respectful voice drifted through the haze of consciousness and reached her ears. She could not recall whose voice it was, but she knew it held no hostility.

“I wonder what on earth has happened to me.”

“It appears that you had indulged a bit too much in drink.”

“… Was that so?”

Who was it? Who could it be? She could not remember.

“It seems there is some sort of commotion outside.”

The place where Duchess Theresa Tytania awoke was far removed from the area destroyed by the ''Black Prince'', but because almost the entire residential district of Uraniborg was gripped by unprecedented panic, the distant commotion drifted all the way into the depths of the palace.

The unpleasant, unmusical din caused Lady Theresa to knit her brows. She could not comprehend why desperation had taken the place of melody.

“It seems Baron Radmoth has caused some sort of incident, and the citizens are in an uproar. Even with the windows closed, it is quite like this.”

“Radmoth… Radmoth? Err…”

“He is the younger brother of His Grace Duke Idris.”

“Ah, Idris’ brother.”

A murky light flickered in Lady Theresa’s drunken eyes. Yes, Radmoth was indeed Idris’ younger brother. And who, she wondered, was Idris himself? She attempted to ask, but finding it too much effort, Lady Theresa let out a small yawn and drifted back into a cloud of heavy slumber.

Count Elman had steeled himself. Or rather, he had realised that the situation was beyond his control and understood there was no room left to forge his own future. He had lost his very reason for clinging to life. Both Tytania and the space pirates had abandoned him. The will to defy fate had vanished, leaving him with nothing but the modest hope of meeting his end without too much ugliness.

A heavy sigh escaped him. What meaning had his life truly held? As a Tytanian of noble rank, he had lived a life of abundance, acquiring both education and social grace and earning the respect of others. There were surely plenty who would have envied him. Yet, he had been nothing more than an existence merely drifting into the present upon the currents of the past, only to continue drifting toward the future.

If he were foolish, he could perhaps find satisfaction in that and live out his days in peace and safety. At the same time, the education and social skills he had acquired would vanish, leaving nothing behind, and others of his kind would simply lead the same sort of life.



As Idris ran towards the Clanner’s private chambers, he encountered a single chamberlain. Clad in a black tailcoat, the man held a tray bearing a scroll with great reverence.

“What is that?”

“An imperial decree has descended from His Majesty Harsha&nbsp;VI, Emperor of Vardana.”

It seemed this chamberlain was unaware of the circumstances behind Idris racing through the corridor.

“What does it say?”

“May I proceed with the reading?”

“Just do it, quickly!”

The chamberlain cleared his throat.

“Then, let us see… ‘I, Harsha Vardana, eighteenth Emperor and Sovereign of the Great, Mighty, and Beautiful Vardana Empire, do hereby’…”

“You needn’t read all that!”

“As you will. Err, ‘I hereby strip the individual known as Idris Tytania of all imperial offices and titles, and declare him a public enemy of the Empire’…”

The moment the chamberlain ceased his reading in astonishment, Idris reached out and snatched the decree. His hand, trembling with passion, tore the document apart. He then brought his foot down hard upon the decree as it lay slammed against the floor.

The chamberlain, who had already been on the verge of collapsing, lost all strength to stand simply from looking directly into Idris’ bloodshot eyes. He slumped to the floor and pressed his hands together before his face, as if pleading for his life.

“If I survive, the first thing I shall do is depose that unprincipled ruler and bring an end to the history of the Vardana Empire. You had better be prepared.”

Idris exhaled a breath like flame.

“Transmit this to the Emperor! It is a matter of only two or three hours. For now, he may cling to his throne all he likes. That throne is worth ten thousand times his own life. After all, it is crafted from diamonds and platinum.”

A fresh surge of rage lent him a new burst of speed, and Idris began to run once more. The chamberlain was not even worth killing; he was merely a waste of time.

At this moment, it seemed that nothing remained to obstruct the actions of Duke Idris Tytania.



Jouslain Tytania trotted ahead, accompanied by Balamy and Hyulick.

''“How ironic,”'' he couldn’t help but think.

The ten million men and women residing in Uraniborg aside from the Tytania family, were subject to rigorous screening, even if they were considered commoners or ordinary citizens. Whether it was the owner of a street-side crêpe stall, a bartender in training, or a C-class operator on a cleaning robot team, they all ought to have enjoyed highly satisfying lives, harbouring an innocent sense of privilege. After all, they were inhabitants that were on the “very lap of His Clanner Highness” and the “centre of the universe”.

And now, they were rampaging, having cast aside all etiquette, manners, and morals, leaving nothing but their raw, primitive survival instincts. Jouslain could not bring himself to blame them. Two hundred years of peace and prosperity had weakened the human capacity to control one’s instincts. It was only natural.

Rough voices and the heavy thud of footsteps approached, prompting Jouslain and the others to crouch behind the holly hedge. They were guards belonging directly to the Clanner. It soon became clear, however, that they were not pursuing Jouslain’s group.

“Has Duke Idris still not been found?”

“Not yet, regrettably.”

“Keep searching. If he somehow manages to escape from Uraniborg, they’ll cut off our heads.”

The voices and footsteps hurried away into the distance.

Balamy tilted his head slightly.

“Why is Duke Idris being pursued by the guards?”

“Oh my, have the guards revolted, or has an order been issued to detain Idris…?”

“Only the Clanner could issue such an order.”

Excitement tinged Balamy’s voice.

“Is it possible that the Clanner and Duke Idris have had a falling out? Perhaps Duke Idris attempted to imprison the Clanner and failed…”

“It is possible. However, let us not jump to conclusions. Lord Balamy, the truth is, I do not have a grasp on the overall situation.”

Jouslain spoke his true feelings. Through Princess Lydia, he held trust in Balamy. Yet, he still felt a subtle psychological distance towards a youth nine years his junior. Could Balamy truly serve as a replacement for Ariabert?

Meanwhile, Balamy could not hide his astonishment. Although it had become very slight, given the various circumstances and emotions leading up to this moment, it could not be said that his estrangement from Jouslain had completely vanished. The thought that a confrontation might ultimately be unavoidable remained constantly stuck in the back of his mind.

“I see.”

Responding with extreme brevity, Balamy pressed his lips firmly together.

There was no time for idle daydreams. Having laboured so hard to successfully infiltrate Uraniborg, there was nothing to do but act. The three of them walked through the absurdly vast gardens of the Clanner’s estate without hesitation. That said, Hyulick was merely following behind the other two. Near a pavilion surrounded by roses, they encountered about ten guards.

“Y-Your Grace, Duke Jouslain!”

The captain of the guard’s voice trembled heavily. He appeared utterly exhausted, as if he were barely managing to maintain his professional composure amidst the limits of his physical and mental fatigue.

“You are Captain Slatina, if I recall correctly.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

A Tytanian noble could not serve their position if they failed to at least remember the name of the Clanner’s captain of the guard. Balamy suddenly launched into an interrogation.

“Where is His Clanner Highness? I must have an audience with him. Tell me.”

“His Highness is at the Clanner’s Manor—”

The captain trailed off, falling into an aghast silence. It seemed he had suddenly remembered that Jouslain and Balamy could not possibly be at Uraniborg. Pretending not to notice his change in demeanour, Jouslain questioned him.

“It seems you are searching for Idris. What has he done?”

“That’s…”

The captain of the guard hesitated, his expression turning to stone.

“I cannot answer that. It is top secret.”

“In other words, he has done something to displease the Clanner.”

“…”

“No, come to think of it, I had no right to ask such a question. I was stripped of my own title long ago. Now then, if you will excuse me.”

Jouslain deliberately turned his back on the captain and began to walk away, and Balamy followed suit.

“P-please, wait.”

Only Jouslain looked back over his shoulder; Balamy ignored him coldly.

“Why are you both here? And what is it you intend to do? Please, let us know.”

Jouslain suppressed a wry smile. He could tell the captain was utterly bewildered. He decided not to reply that it was “top secret”.

“It is none of your concern. Do not trouble yourself with it.”

“I-I cannot do that.”

“Is that so? Should you not return to your original mission? Why not focus your search on Idris?”

The captain opened his mouth but closed it without uttering a word.

“If you do that, it would be a great help to us. Well, I suppose Idris is likely trying to do something similar to me, though…”

Jouslain did not speak the latter half of his thought aloud.