Editing Tytania:Volume 5 Chapter 7 (section)

=== III ===
Theodora glared in every direction with an expression resembling that of a witch. She had lost sight of Francia. While Theodora also possessed a well-toned physique and youthful stamina, Francia was even younger, her movements more supple, and to Theodora’s eyes, she resembled a cunning little animal.

Where was she hiding?

Francia felt as though she were being pursued by a wild beast, yet her anger outweighed her fear.

What she feared was losing Jouslain. There was nothing else she truly dreaded. Was there no chance to strike back?

“Come out, little girl!” screamed Theodora. “You are a disgrace to Tytania. You think it doesn’t matter what happens to Tytania, so long as your own petty desires are met. You might believe yourself to be pure, intoxicated by your own delusions, but you are nothing more than a selfish person who thinks you can do anything as long as you use affection as an excuse.”

''That might be true'', thought Francia. Now that it was pointed out, she did indeed feel that she didn’t care what happened to Tytania. However, that was no reason to be subject to a moral lecture, especially from Theodora.

Francia slowly raised the vase she held in her hands. It was said to have been crafted one hundred and fifty years ago in a famous pottery workshop on the planet Baftegam. It pained Francia’s heart to destroy such a masterpiece, the fruit of an expert’s painstaking labour, but she felt there was no other way.

“Forgive me.”

After offering an apology to the vase, Francia threw it with a supple motion towards the back of Countess Theodora’s head. At the same time, she gripped the charged particle gun tightly in her right hand.

She had intended to take Theodora down in two stages. However, the Countess’ movements caught Francia completely off guard. In a single fluid motion, she used the gunpowder pistol in her right hand to shatter the vase mid-air, and without a moment’s delay, she fired the heat ray gun in her left hand directly at Francia, who had leapt from her hiding place. Francia narrowly avoided the lethal ultra-high temperature, but in doing so, she left her entire body exposed to Theodora.

“You shouldn’t underestimate me, little girl.”

It was extremely useful advice, though whether Francia would be able to make use of it in the future remained to be seen.

“Why are you pursuing me so relentlessly?”

“I actually began to feel pity for you. That is why I thought I would tell you.”

“Tell me what, exactly?”

“… Duke Jouslain is dead,” announced Theodora with solemnity.

“That is a lie,” declared Francia without a hint of agitation, causing Lady Theodora’s expression to darken.

“To call me a liar after I went through the trouble of telling you. You seem strangely confident, but do you have any proof he isn’t? Do not think that an insult to a countess can be forgiven, especially coming from a mere lady-in-waiting.”

“I can tell just by looking at your face. You have the face of a liar.”

Theodora flew into a rage, but after taking a deep breath, she readjusted the aim of her heat gun back at Francia.

“So it was a lie after all. Your actions just now have confirmed it.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Lord Jouslain is alive. The reason you seek to kill me is because you do not want me to meet with him. If Lord Jouslain had truly passed away, you would have simply laughed and left me be.”

Theodora realised that she had been seen through by a young girl. She bared her white teeth, but to gnash them rather than smile.

“At first, I had no intention of killing you. I only intended to laugh while watching you mourn. But I have changed my mind. For the sake of the honour of the Tytania nobility, I will kill you.”

''Everyone is a patient, a victim of the infectious disease known as Tytania,'' thought Francia. How many things would one have to lose simply because they had taken the Tytania surname?

“I have no intention of being killed for the sake of your honour.”

“Your will is irrelevant!”

Unintentionally, Theodora’s reaction towards Francia bore a striking resemblance to Idris’ reaction towards Jouslain. While such a fact was of no concern to Francia herself, her feelings were swelling with a sense of panic that transcended mere anger. How much time had she wasted simply because she had been trusted by such a formidable noblewoman? What if something were to happen to Jouslain while she stood here in this futile confrontation with Theodora? As the thought crossed her mind, an expression resembling pure dread surfaced on Francia’s face.

“There is no need to be so frightened.”

Theodora’s smile served only to make her beauty appear hideous.

“Your beloved Duke Jouslain will be dead by the end of the day regardless. If you are lucky, perhaps you shall meet him again in some parallel world<ref name="ftn24">“Parallel world” (並行世界) is pronounced “parallel world”.</ref>.”

“I take it you have no one you wish to meet again.”

“Silence, you insolent brat! How dare a mere little girl…”

Theodora was incensed. She had fallen into a vicious cycle. In her attempts to psychologically corner Francia, she would provoke her spitefully, only to face unexpected counterattacks that left her losing her own composure.

Originally, Theodora’s true objective had lain elsewhere, but before she knew it, she had become obsessed with utterly defeating this “glib-tongued brat”. For Francia, it was an immense nuisance. She was risking her life solely to meet Jouslain, yet now she found herself being hunted by a frenzied Theodora, on the very brink of being killed.

She could not afford to lose to such an absurdity.

Francia devised a plan. Though it was a plan that bordered on a gamble. She held a charged particle gun in her right hand, but her arm remained hanging at her side. Keeping her arm down, she moved only her wrist and fired.

The lethal charged particle passed vainly through the space just one metre beside Theodora.

“Did you really think you’d hit me with a posture like that!?”

Mocking her, Theodora attempted to thrust her muzzle towards Francia, who had her back turned. However, only three steps into her run, Theodora tripped as the hem of her dress flared up. Fragments of a shattered vase, flowers, and water had caused her feet to slip.



Clanner Ajman waited for Idris’ passion to subside, then rested both elbows on the desk and spoke with composure.

“By the way, surely you don’t believe you managed to make it this far through your own strength alone.”

“I do,” declared Miranda, slowly readjusting the hand cannon resting on her shoulder. “You want to say that you deliberately let us get this far, don’t you? Even a low-born pirate like me can see right through that. You have guards lurking somewhere nearby, don’t you?”

“Ho. You are a clever woman, despite your appearance.”

With an air of supreme arrogance, Clanner Ajman removed his elbows from the desk.

That was the signal. Armed figures burst through the study doors. In an instant, Jouslain and the others found their retreat severed. There were eight guards with automatic charged-particle rifles levelled to the left and eight to the right. In the centre stood an officer, medals pinned to his chest.

''What a pointless life.''

Jouslain gave a gloomy laugh. Self-loathing and self-pity held hands, performing a dance of mockery. The one playing the flute was the demon Ajman. Tytania, holy Tytania. Tytania, cursed Tytania. A wretched clan that had accumulated sins, possessed by the fever of cosmic dominion.

He should have shot the Clanner dead the moment their eyes met. His failure lay in allowing himself to be distracted by debate. Yet, he had been unable to resist the temptation to learn the Clanner’s true intentions.

“I, Vice-admiral Jalandal, have arrived. Your Highness, how are we to deal with these insolent intruders?”

Unexpectedly, it was Idris who responded in a sardonic voice:

“What a small number of men for a force led by a vice-admiral. If you bastards believe you have the advantage, you are sorely mistaken.”