Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 1 (section)

=== IV ===
It was a situation that only served to highlight the Creator’s irony—or rather, his malice. Although the soldiers and officers of Tytania understood the meaning behind the invasion of the Kingdom of Elbing, those in positions of command, such as Hyulick and his gang, were kept in the dark. The troops of Uraniborg had no obligation to kindly reveal the truth to the Blaze Flag Army. Had they attempted to do so, Idris would undoubtedly have noticed, and they would have been executed for violating military discipline.

''“I wonder if Count Elman might tell us,”'' thought Hyulick, but Count Elman had met with them only once and was not well-versed in the internal affairs of Uraniborg.

“I have no idea whether such military action is permissible or not. If Lord Idris were a slightly more approachable man, I would like to ask him. But as for this matter, I must ask that you do not rely on me. My apologies.”

That final remark seemed to demonstrate Count Elman’s cunning. While Hyulick and the others felt dissatisfied, it was an undeniable fact that Count Elman’s rank was lower than Idris’ and that he held no authority regarding military mobilisation, so there was no benefit in blaming him. Since his promise to “guarantee safety until we reach Uraniborg” was being upheld, they felt they had no right to demand more or to protest loudly.

“If you happen to learn anything, we would be grateful if you could inform us within the bounds of what your position as Count allows.”

“I shall keep that in mind.”

Count Elman parted ways with the group with great skill. By avoiding any firm commitments and ensuring no binding words were taken, he was effectively securing his own safety. The members of the Blaze Flag Army were well aware of this, and they saw no need to go out of their way to sever the thread of his life simply because they were dissatisfied.

“It seems we shall need to consider this a little further,” said Doctor Lee. “Lord Idris has made a grand announcement regarding the dispatch of troops to the Kingdom of Elbing. That is the problem.”

His “students” leaned in to listen.

“Since it has been announced so publicly, the matter now falls within the realm of political strategy. Had it been conducted in secret, it would be for the time being a purely military objective, but…”

The Doctor traced the trajectory of his own thoughts.

“Dukes Ariabert and Jouslain will come rushing to the rescue of the Kingdom of Elbing. It is because of that certainty that Duke Idris issued such orders to us. If that happens, well, what shall we do?”

“We could deploy even more troops to pincer the Ariabert-Jouslain army…”

“Now, should we perform a pincer movement, or merely use them as a decoy and discard them?”

As Doctor Lee interlaced his fingers behind his head, one of his “students” leaned forward:

“Let’s run away.”

At Alan Mahdi’s blunt suggestion, Miranda, the former princess, responded coldly:

“Where to?”

“Anywhere! Anywhere beyond the reach of Uraniborg.”

“I ask again. Where to?”

Mahdi could not answer Miranda’s follow-up question. Miranda gave Mahdi’s shoulder a firm pat before turning her gaze towards the Doctor.

“I doubt escaping would be that simple, Doctor, but you don’t intend to just leave things as they are, do you? I’ll tell you this much: I hold no grudge against Elf… no, was it Elbing? I hold no grudge against that nation.”

Even Miranda, who had traversed the fringes of the universe piloting the battle-hardened veteran ship, the ''Honest Old Man'', could not clearly recall the name of the Kingdom of Elbing. It was a fact that everyone struggled to grasp: how such a small nation could possibly serve as leverage for intimidating Duke Jouslain or Duke Ariabert.

“Even the smallest of nations has a million or two million people living in it. To attack them indiscriminately is to become a mass murderer. Hyulick, are you really alright with that?”

As the man obsessed by omelettes remained silent, the graduate of the Demon Academy answered in his stead:

“Miranda, as I have told you before, Fan Hyulick is a genius.”

“I am well aware of that.”

“Well, listen to me, Miranda. He is a genius, but unfortunately, he is not the type to shape the situation. He is, so to speak, the type to react to it. It is quite a problem.”

Doctor Lee scratched behind his left ear with a fingertip, making his lofty remarks in a self-important tone.

“This man cannot manifest his genius unless he is driven into a corner. He has defeated the Tytanian forces on three separate occasions, but that was only because his opponents were Duke Ariabert and Duke Zarlisch. If Hyulick were to suffer a defeat, I suspect it would be at the hands of an unexpectedly mediocre commander.”

When Doctor Lee fell silent, the stillness filled the room like heavy, damp sand. Miranda broke the silence with a hint of anxiety in her voice:

“I wish you would be a little more direct. I think your assessment is accurate, Doctor, but we are already in a desperate situation. Isn’t it about time Hyulick provided us with some wisdom?”

“No, we are not there yet. We are indeed surrounded, but as Mahdi said, the possibility of escape is not yet zero. Hyulick must be driven even further into a corner.”

“Just how much further do I have to be cornered!?” shouted Hyulick.

No matter how tight the security was, there was always a chance for scraps of conversation from the Tytania soldiers to slip into one’s ears. However, at the present moment, there was nothing to make the members of the Blaze Flag Army feel optimistic.

''… What are we fighting for?''

''It’s obvious: we are fighting for Tytania.''

''But our commander is Fan Hyulick!''

''And furthermore, our enemies are both Duke Ariabert and Duke Jouslain.''

''It doesn’t make sense.''

''It’s as if our enemies and allies have been inverted…''

The emotions overflowing within the hearts of the soldiers rained down upon Hyulick and Doctor Lee like silent stones. They had been prepared for this, but that did not make the impact any less painful. It was as though Hyulick and the others could sense even the pain that lay in the future.

“What would happen if Ariabert or Jouslain called for the Tytania soldiers to surrender on the battlefield? Wouldn’t the muzzles of their heatguns<ref name="ftn5">“Heat gun” (熱線銃) is pronounced “heatgun”.</ref> all turn to surround us at once?”

This time, Mahdi’s voice was more than merely gloomy.

Hyulick let out a sigh.

“There is no reason for the Tytania soldiers to risk their lives for us. I feel as though I, too, might die on the battlefield, struck down by artillery from behind.”

“There is no need to be quite so pessimistic.”

Doctor Lee replied coldly, though he fully intended to reassure his comrades.

“There is absolutely no reason for the Tytanian soldiers to stake their lives for us. Not a single milligram. Zero.”

“Thank you ever so much for that.”

“However, they will not hesitate to endure any hardship or difficult battle for the sake of Tytania’s Clanner. That is how they have been trained, and their families’ livelihoods are guaranteed after their deaths. They are not a mere rabble. The only major problem this time is that they are not being led by Lord Zarlisch or Lord Ariabert. Should the right catalyst occur, there is a possibility their muzzles could be turned towards us.”

“If that happens, shall we simply force them into hand-to-hand combat?”

“If these are your orders, Commander…”

“Phew. I’m counting on you, Doctor. I am well aware this is a terrible joke.”

The Doctor cast a pale gaze towards Hyulick.

“Our total strength stands at two hundred and twenty-nine, while the Tytania side has approximately fifty thousand. What does the calculation look like for hand-to-hand combat?”

“I understand, I know, sorry Doctor. I won’t say anything unnecessary again. Please, let me hear your thoughts.”

“That matters little, but I do not understand why this so-called Kingdom of Elbing has been targeted. That is what I find disagreeable.”

The Doctor’s finger moved across the screen of the handheld terminal.

“The Kingdom of Elbing possesses no significant military strength. At least not as far as I am aware. They have neither battleships nor aircraft carriers. They did purchase three medium cruisers from Tytania about ten years ago, but those represent the extent of their arsenal.”

“The latest models?”

“At that point, they are already second-hand. Furthermore, the loan<ref name="ftn6">“Loan” (分割) is pronounced “loan”.</ref> payments were made in instalments.”

“Haaa,” exhaled Hyulick. The universe was vast. There were nations far more dreary than his own.

“And there is one more ‘moreover’.”

“There’s still more?”

“The loan itself went temporarily delinquent.”

“How tragic.”

Mahdi’s voice held a note of genuine sincerity, but his expression suddenly shifted. As if something had suddenly occurred to him, his voice rose.

“Hey, don’t tell me the Kingdom of Elbing was targeted because of those missed loan payments. That would be going too far.”

Doctor Lee gave a slight shrug.

“It is not admirable to think only in terms of yourself. Tytania is not that unscrupulous. In fact, if such a reputation were to be spread, it would affect their prestige.”

“Prestige, eh? That is a concept I have no connection to.”

“Life is easier without it. Regardless, the reason the Kingdom of Elbing is being targeted is something else entirely. It is not as if Duke Idris just pulled a random card.”

“What kind of card?”

“A joker, of course.”

The Doctor’s reply was devoid of even a hint of a smile.