Tytania:Volume 5 Chapter 7

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Chapter 7 – Philosophical Confrontation

I

A band of rogue pirates known as the Blaze Flag Army had originally stayed at Uraniborg after receiving an invitation from Tytania. However, after being forced to depart for an attack on the Kingdom of Elbing, they did not return home upon their failure. Instead, they had secretly infiltrated the Clanner residence as uninvited guests.

“To put it kindly, it was an ungrateful act. To put it bluntly, it was a shameless one.”

“No matter how you look at it, that’s not a kind way to put it, Doctor. Besides, why did we even come trotting along in the first place after being summoned by Tytania?”

“Because, Miranda, we needed to scout the enemy’s base of operations for this very moment. We also had to uphold the honour of Count Elman.”

“Aren’t we currently trampling all over Count Elman’s honour?”

“Fate is a heartless thing.”

Pagès clicked his tongue.

“Damn it, there are guards everywhere we go.”

“Of course there are. This is the enemy’s headquarters.”

Mahdi braced himself and fired his auto-ray rifle indiscriminately.

Pagès was the most bellicose of them all. Undoubtedly, Walenkov’s death had had a profound effect on him. Every time an enemy figure entered his field of vision, flashes of blue and white erupted from his left and right hands, eliciting screams.

“Don’t shoot those who are fleeing, Pagès.”

Even Fan Hyulick could occasionally make a sensible remark. Doctor Lee also admonished him:

“You’ll run out of energy. Keep it in moderation.”

“I’ve got plenty of spares!”

Pagès reached into a pocket of his combat suit and pulled out a handful of energy capsules to show them. Doctor Lee shook his head, Miranda let out a sigh, and Hyulick merely shrugged his shoulders.

It was a time when those ungrateful and shameless pirates were displaying their true villainy, roaming even within the inviolable reaches of the Tytania Clanner Estate.

Two young men, who ought to have been noble beings of the heavens, proceeded deeper and deeper into the palace, each harbouring flames of a different colour within their hearts. Duke Idris Tytania held a crimson flame within, while Duke Jouslain Tytania radiated a blue one. Ambition and vengeance. Though the colours of their flames differed, their ultimate goal remained the same. End the life of Ajman Tytania, the eighth Landless Clanner. Unless that life was taken, Idris would face downfall, and Jouslain would fail to avenge his half-brother.

Accompanying Jouslain, Balamy alternated between running and walking, guarding Jouslain’s flanks and rear while keeping his eyes fixed on nothing else. Although only two or three days had passed since Ariabert’s death, Jouslain’s reason seemed to have been entirely overthrown by emotion, to a degree that even made Balamy feel concerned. Though, upon realising he was worrying, Balamy felt a sudden urge to click his tongue.

After a brief but intense firefight with a group of guards who had yet to abandon their loyalty to the Clanner, the two dukes called out to one another.

“Jouslain!”

“Idris…”

“Hmph. Calling out to each other like this, we almost sound like we’re friends.”

“There is no harm in being friends.”

“Don’t talk such nonsense before your death,” spat out Idris, and after confirming Balamy’s presence, he wore an even more displeased expression. “I wish you would say something a bit more clever. Especially if it were to be the final words of Duke Jouslain Tytania. They would, after all, be recorded in the biography of the next Clanner, Idris Tytania.”

Jouslain stared at Idris, unable to tell whether he was being serious or merely joking.

“Idris, surely you aren’t still seeking abdication from the Clanner?”

“More nonsense, then? Now that I know he’s such a madman, there is no way I would submit to him. However…”

Idris curled one corner of his lip.

“However, if he is intent on it, there would be no harm in playing along with him. He has used me quite extensively, after all. This time, it is my turn to use him. If a performance is required, then I shall provide one.”

“Are you saying you will inherit the Clanner—Ajman’s madness?”

“You truly have a poor grasp of vocabulary, Lord Jouslain. At the very least, I should hope you would call it “ambition”.”

Jouslain let out a sigh.

“Idris, it is your freedom to pursue the path of the hegemon. I shall tread a different path from yours. I have no intention of hindering you. It is as simple as us parting ways here.”

Idris curled the corner of his lip, on the opposite side to the one before.

“Regrettably, it is not that simple. Your very presence is an unbearable nuisance.”

“As I told you, I have no intention of hindering you.”

“Your intentions are irrelevant!”

Idris raised his voice, glaring at Jouslain and his companions on either side.

“As long as you draw breath, you will be an obstacle to me. For some reason—Ah, a reason I do not even care to know—people gravitate toward you. Not even counting that whelp Balamy’s, even the petty thieves who betrayed me and fled have gathered around you.”

The expression “petty thieves” wounded the pirates’ pride, but no one protested. They felt somewhat awkward about the use of the word “betrayal”. It was true that their actions could hardly be described as being purely loyal to Idris, and they were, in fact, somewhat impressed by Idris’ attitude—showing no sign of flinching even when faced alone against Jouslain and his eight companions.

“Shall we save that discussion for later, Idris?” suggested Jouslain quietly. “First, we must strike down the Clanner. That is our highest priority. There would be no joy for that man if we were to perish together.”

“Very well,” agreed Idris curtly.

Perhaps he remembered their true objective as they continued to speak.

The three nobles and six pirates, who had become true allies of convenience, arrived at the Clanner’s private study exactly two minutes later. For some reason, not a single guard was in sight.

The group made their way towards Ajman and finally reached their destination. It would have been strange for them to be shocked upon facing Ajman himself. However, none could suppress their sense of dread and tension, though in varying degrees.

Ajman welcomed the group from behind a desk larger than an ordinary bed. It was an antique piece, crafted from a pure black wood native to the tropics and intricately adorned with carvings of mythical flora and fauna. The Clanner calmly surveyed the nine intruders.

“To think you would arrive before me in such a manner.”

The Clanner’s voice was difficult to describe. It sounded like a computer programme, designed to emit a tone filled with both contempt and superiority. A youthful voice responded, sharp as a needle:

“We are profoundly humbled that we failed to arrive before your presence as corpses.”

“Do you intend to be sarcastic, Lord Idris? I do not possess the art of conversing with the dead. While I do not seek such dialogue by choice, this is a rare opportunity. It might be a pleasant diversion to have a heart-to-heart talk.”

“…”

“Even so, you have brought quite a peculiar group with you. Had it been the late Duke Ariabert, he would have appeared having brought the Tytania elites under orderly command.”

Before Jouslain could say anything, Doctor Lee suddenly began a “lecture”.

“Your Clanner Highness, you wanted to be a hero.”

The scalpel of Doctor Lee’s words began to coldly dissect the Clanner Highness.

“However, to be passed down through the ages as a demigod-like hero, one must rise from nothing and defeat enemies stronger than oneself. Yet, you have become the head of Tytania by mere chance. The leader of the most powerful organisation in the universe. At this rate, no matter how many victories you achieve, they will only be recorded as victories for Tytania.”

The Clanner remained silent but then directed his gaze toward Jouslain. As to ask, “Who’s that weirdo?”

“Do not trouble yourself. I am merely a philosopher, known as Lee Shanchen.”

Following that unconventional introduction, the “lecture” resumed.

“That was when Fan Hyulick appeared. It was the emergence of a source of light just when all hope seemed lost. Duke Ariabert’s single careless defeat was utterly insignificant. It was then that you had an idea. One condition for becoming an ideal hero is to cultivate strong enemies. And the other condition is to weaken one’s own allies.”

As Doctor Lee gazed at the Clanner, Ajman gave a small, silent nod. It was an expression of utter arrogance, as if to say, “I am listening,” but such an attitude suited him perfectly. To Hyulick, who was observing them, it appeared that even Doctor Lee was pushing his mind and body to their absolute limits just to stand his ground against the Clanner. It was already a known fact that Ajman was no mere villain, but even as a villain, he was on an entirely different level from anyone else.

“It is fundamentally impossible for a leader of an organisation to deliberately weaken it. Furthermore, there is no possible reason to do such a thing. And yet, you were different from that.”

Doctor Lee steadied his breathing and continued.

II

“You might have had the thought that if Fan Hyulick joined the four dukes, they could somehow oppose you alone. That’s why your attitude towards Hyulick was extremely lenient. He was a genius in tactics, but without an army to command, he was nothing more than a helpless civilian. If you had ordered all of Tytania to kill him, he would have been resting in a coffin long ago.”

The Clanner watched Doctor Lee, remaining perfectly still.

“Frankly, everything was filled with contradictions. Everyone struggled to discern the Clanner’s true intentions. That was the result of two hundred years of brainwashing.”

Doctor Lee wiped the sweat from his brow with his fingertips.

“We believed that one who holds the title of Clanner governs with the desire for the survival and further expansion of Tytania, regardless of the methods employed. Indeed, whether it was the Council of the Five Families, internal purges, or the expulsion of the incompetent, every system was designed to be constructed towards a single, certain direction.”

Within Tytania’s Clanner Estate, he was presenting the results of his research directly to the Clanner in person. For Doctor Lee, this might have been the realisation of a dream.

“However, you have walked that path in reverse. Yes, if one chooses the opposite of the necessary option with every timing and accident, one moves steadily towards a negative outcome. And now, you have almost reached your goal.”

Doctor Lee took a deep breath and fell silent. He looked like a student waiting for a supervisor’s grade after finishing an oral examination.

Clanner Ajman responded with an air of boredom.

“Clever opinions, when one listens to them, can serve as a decent way to pass the time. Very well, I shall concede one thing. This past year has been quite enjoyable. More so than the ten years preceding it. Now, Duke Jouslain, what is it you desire that has brought you all this way to see me?”

“I have but one wish.”

“Speak it.”

“To avenge Ariabert.”

Jouslain declared his intent, drawing a deliberate sigh from the Clanner’s lips.

“Such predictable answers produce nothing new. However… Ah, Duke Jouslain, you never cease to disappoint me. To be so obsessed with personal vengeance, what a small-minded person you are. If I grant you another twenty years, may I hope to see you mature even while still in the prime of your life?”

“Do not expect the latter, Clanner. I mean Ajman. I am well aware of my own limitations. The reason I have succeeded in politics and diplomacy until now is because the immense power of Tytania stood behind me.”

“What a cheap display of humility.”

“It is not humility. Had I been a commoner, I would likely be performing some mediocre job suited to my age at some corporation or public institution.”

“And you claim this happened simply because you were born in Tytania? That it is all due to the corrupt blood of Tytania? If so, then you are nothing more than a mere derivative of myself.”

“Who do you think you bastard are!?”

In his fury, Idris lost all sense of propriety. He realised it immediately, yet he felt neither the need nor the obligation to correct himself. As if half-shoving Jouslain aside, he stepped directly in front of the Clanner and rested his hands upon the edge of the desk.

“If you truly hated Tytania that much, you should never have set your sights on the position of Clanner from the very beginning. No—it is not too late yet. Abdicate this very instant. If you wish to live, that is.”

“Stop it, Idris,” reprimanded Jouslain, his voice heavy with fatigue and helplessness.

It was a strange thing, but as far as his memories went, it was the first time Jouslain had felt a sense of empathy and something akin to friendship towards Idris. In the end, it was likely Idris who had felt the greatest affection for Tytania. Had Jouslain known that, there would have been no need for him to oppose Idris.

Idris harboured hostility towards Jouslain because he viewed him as a rival and an obstacle. Had Jouslain taken a step or two back and accepted Idris’ superiority, Idris would have given Jouslain no second thought and would have instead charged straight towards the Clanner’s seat. There might have been no need for them to compete, and they could have coexisted.

“No, probably not.”

While it might have been possible if it were only Jouslain and Idris, had Ariabert and Zarlisch remained active, Idris would have ended up contending with them as well. Zarlisch, in particular, would never have yielded to Idris.

No matter the circumstances, thought Jouslain. With Ariabert gone and Zarlisch deceased, Jouslain was the only remaining obstacle for Idris. Even if Jouslain were to step down of his own accord, Idris would not be satisfied. Idris would find no meaning in being yielded that kind of victory. Both Ariabert and Zarlisch had vanished by hands other than his own. Unless he personally defeated the last of the Four Dukes, Idris would forever carry an emptiness within his heart.

“If you loathe the power of Tytania that much, why not try to dispose of us using your own strength alone?”

As Idris spoke those words and exhaled, Jouslain resumed the interrupted conversation.

“You merely sit in the safest place in the universe, pretending to suffer. You issue orders without dirtying your own hands, have reports brought to you, and incite competition between us. And then, you murmur that it is all so hollow, while in truth, you are mocking it all. To you, the Four Dukes were nothing more than toys to stave off your ennui.”

Ajman directed an unfathomable gaze toward Jouslain.

“A childish provocation. Furthermore, you have misperceived the facts. Look beyond the canopy. Look within. Can you truly say this is the safest place in the universe?”

“Do not attempt to divert the conversation. This is your own doing, a consequence of your excessive games.”

Light and shadow swayed greatly outside the window, casting dark stripes across the faces of those present. For a moment, the shadow caused Idris’ eyes to glint like those of a nocturnal beast.

“I see.”

The Clanner placed a hand against his strong jaw.

“In that case, let me make a proposal. Duke Jouslain, Duke Idris, why not indulge in a traditional duel before me? Naturally, the victor shall be granted the right to challenge me.”

Jouslain and Idris exchanged glances without thinking.

“It is not such an extravagant suggestion. There is always a semi-final before a final, after all. Or perhaps you lack the confidence to defeat your opponent?”

“That’s just a cheap provocation.”

“Do you think we would take such a bait?”

Jouslain and Idris both simultaneously rejected the Clanner’s proposal. That’s a passing grade, thought Doctor Lee to himself.

“Haven’t you become the Clanner and have, for all intents and purposes, come to rule the universe? What are you even dissatisfied with?”

“It’s insignificant,” dismissed Ajman coldly. “I merely inherit what others have ruled over and passed on. There is nothing creative about it. My emptiness is no pretence.”

Doctor Lee spoke, as if it had been a long time since they had last conversed.

“It appears that Your Clanner Highness dislikes relay races. However, if the intermediate runner drops the baton, the race itself cannot proceed. Well, I too believe there is no act more foolish than inheriting power through lineage, but that is merely the thought of a mere pirate. It would be unnatural for someone in your position to think so.”

“No, it is not entirely unnatural.”

Because it was Jouslain, rather than Clanner Ajman, who voiced his disagreement with Doctor Lee, the pirates turned their eyes toward him as if looking at a strange beast.

“I can understand the feeling of being dissatisfied with a life that consists of nothing more than passing on what was handed to you to the next generation.”

Idris yelled:

“Are you going to believe what that bastard says, Jouslain?”

No one noticed immediately, but Idris had referred to the Clanner as “that bastard”.

“That bastard is nothing more than a pervert who enjoys throwing the world into chaos and watching blood spill. Wasn’t that exactly why he killed Ariabert? If he had let Ariabert live, he could have been able to step down from that unwanted position before long. He is actually reluctant to let go of his position as Clanner. Even you should be able to understand that much, right!?”

“I understand. But there is a grain of truth in what he says. Setting aside good and evil, I too had grown weary of my lineage and status. Because I lacked the capacity to be a Clanner, I felt I had had enough the moment I became a Duke. That said, because I felt the responsibility of being a Tytanian noble, I tried to thrust that burden onto Ariabert… My methods and ultimate goal may differ from the Clanner’s, but I am certainly a coward.”

“Both of you, stop fooling around!”

Once again, a roar of anger exploded. Clad in an aura of fury, Idris slammed his hand against the desk. His eyes were blazing. He pointed his sharp fingers alternately at the Clanner and at Jouslain.

“You say your means and ultimate goals are different? They are the same. Both of you are seeking the destruction of Tytania. No matter what logic you spin, the result is the same!”

At that moment, it seemed as though the Clanner, Jouslain, and even the pirates were all overwhelmed by Idris alone.

“I am different. I will make Tytania stronger. I will make it wealthier and more prosperous. So that not a single person will dare to rebel… I am the only one who truly loves Tytania.”

Idris’ voice rang out with great clarity, drowning out the noise from outside the window.

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.”

“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.”

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 the vice-admiral might just get a two-rank promotion 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.”

V

Idris pressed the firing button in rapid succession. On the other side of the secret door, the heat rays flew wildly and vainly.

During that futile burst of fire, the merciless door was slowly compressing Idris’ right arm from both sides. Cold sweat welled from Idris’ forehead, trickling down his cheek, past his well-formed jaw, and down towards his throat. With every passing moment, pain gripped him. An eerie sound announced that his right arm was being crushed.

“Stop it, Ajman!” shouted Jouslain, unable to bear it any longer. “Killing Idris may be the work of a hegemon, but causing him such agony is the deed of a mere torturer!”

“You maintain such righteousness even at this stage, Duke Jouslain? I had held you in higher regard than others, but perhaps it was that self-satisfied look of yours that I truly despised.”

The gap in the door had narrowed to a mere three centimetres.

“You needn’t worry about Duke Idris. I have prepared something else entirely for you. This is my private domain. Therefore, the punishment of intruders shall be carried out according to my own whims.”

Idris let out a scream. The pride that had allowed him to endure the agony had finally reached its limit. His right arm’s skin was torn, the muscles crushed, and the nerves severed, until, at last, the bone shattered. A fire of agony scorched Idris’ entire body, and he writhed unconsciously.

His right arm was torn away.

Idris’ body writhed from the recoil, blood and bodily fluids spraying from the wound where his arm had been torn away. He was slammed against the floor. The torn skin swayed like tattered rags, revealing white bone and bundles of nerves.

With a pale face, Idris attempted to pull himself up. He clawed at the closed door with his left hand, attempting to plant his knee while letting out groans of pain and curses.

“Stop, Idris, don’t push yourself.”

Jouslain grabbed Idris’ left shoulder from behind and pulled him away from the door.

“Someone, call a doctor. Or rather, is there anyone here with medical knowledge?”

Miranda replied:

“I don’t have much expertise, but I can manage at least some first aid.”

“Then I am counting on you. Please, tend to him.”

Doctor Lee spoke:

“Just to be clear, Lord Idris is a man who was attempting to kill you. Even so, are you still telling us to treat him, Lord Jouslain?”

“I, too, was seeking to overthrow Idris. However, I never imagined it would be in such a manner. This is far too cruel. For now, I simply wish to save his life.”

“I see. It certainly appears that you are not suited to become the supreme commander of Tytania,” nodded Doctor Lee as if convinced. “But your objective is definitely to kill the Clanner. You should prioritise chasing after him. Leave this to us and be on your way.”

Jouslain hesitated, but the younger Balamy persuaded him:

“We cannot allow the Clanner to escape. Leave this to them, and let’s go after the Clanner ourselves.”

Jouslain nodded, gave a light bow to the pirates, and then galloped away alongside Balamy.

“Now then, although I am called ‘Doctor’, I am a philosopher and not a physician, but I shall do all that is within my power. Give me a hand.”

“You are unexpectedly soft-hearted for a ‘Doctor’. This noble lord intends to kill us next, right after the Clanner.”

“No time for sarcasm, Mahdi. Are you content to simply stay here?”

“What do you mean?”

“Lord Jouslain has gone to pursue his objective. The person who could obstruct us is no longer here. So you, in your turn, should be pursuing your own objectives.”

Mahdi’s face lit up. He remembered his original purpose. To plunder the vast treasures held within this magnificent palace.

“Right, I’m off.”

“Avoid artworks. They are bulky, and the more expensive they are, the harder it is to get rid of them.”

“I know that very well. I’ll only take cash and jewels. Just wait for me, my darling treasures.”

Mahdi ran off with an admirable lightness of step, intent on filling his empty sack to the brim.

“Good grief, we’ve wasted so much time. How is Duke Idris faring, Miranda?”

“He hasn’t fully regained consciousness yet. It’s quite dreadful… even for me, and I’ve seen plenty of casualties.”

Crushed and torn wounds generally looked far more gruesome than clean amputations. Idris was no exception. The cross-sections of his injuries lacked any semblance of order; bone and nerve were entwined with muscle, and blood continued to spurt from ruptured vessels, staining the pirates’ clothes.

Idris, lying on the floor, trembled violently, his unharmed left arm and both legs convulsing. His closed eyelids drifted slightly open, and his mouth parted just enough to force out the voice of the dying youth.

“Do not touch me so familiarly, you pirates…”

The vibration in the air left the impression of a voice that barely remained within the audible range. Nevertheless, it carried no sense of weakness. He attempted to prop himself up with his right hand, but his facial muscles stiffened when he realised his right arm was gone.

“Stay still. We are trying to treat you.”

“Are you bastards even capable of treating me?”

“First, we must disinfect the wound, and then…”

“Useless!”

Idris’ voice possessed a strange strength despite its low volume, and a light flickered in both his eyes. Moving his eyes from side to side, Idris questioned them.

“Where is Jouslain?”

“He went after the Clanner.”

“Is Balamy with him?”

Doctor Lee responded with a nod rather than words, prompting a groan from Idris. It was a sound that Miranda would later describe as “like a person cast into hell, clawing their way up a cliff leading to purgatory.”

“I will be the one to kill Ajman. Do you think I would yield just because I lost an arm?”

“I don’t. You are, after all, the renowned Duke Idris.”

While Hyulick’s voice held sincerity, it lacked the strength to restrain Idris’ passion.

“Stay still! You’re going to die from blood loss and shock. Miranda!”

Doctor Lee’s voice was sharp, more of a command than a mere reprimand.

Miranda, who valued practicality in all things, pulled a small spray canister from one of the many pockets of her field uniform. She sprayed a fine, freezing mist minus thirty degrees Celsius onto Idris’ bleeding wound.

The effect appeared in short order, freezing both the blood and the wound. It was a horrifying sight. The lower half of Idris’ arm looked as though several icicles of crimson, frozen blood were growing from it. In contrast to the fact that Idris was a handsome young man, the sight was nothing short of gruesome.

“I have stopped the bleeding for now, at least…”

“Sorry for being a burden.”

The first words of gratitude escaped from Idris’ earth-coloured lips. At the same time, he stood up, though he staggered. He had managed to stand on his own strength despite having likely lost nearly twenty per cent of his total blood volume. The second pistol gripped in his left hand was aimed at the pirates, who were both his sworn enemies and his saviours.

“But if you try to restrain me any further, I will kill you.”

“… Understood. Go.”

Thinking about it, it was an impolite way to speak, but Idris made no reprimand. Without even a reply, he began to walk, his steps unsteady. His heart and lungs must have been under considerable strain. He moved forward with the sluggish pace of a drunkard, letting out agonised wheezes.

“Where is he going?”

“He likely knows another passage. He probably went to follow Duke Jouslain.”

“What about us?”

Doctor Lee responded to Hyulick’s utterly bewildered voice with a wry smile:

“We have interfered in other people’s family affairs quite enough already. Shall we follow Mahdi’s lead and return to our own business?”

Idris continued to walk. Or rather, he was swimming through the air. He knew the depths of the palace as well as Jouslain did. Jouslain, chase down that demon Ajman. I am the one who will kill him. And then, shall we have one final duel between the two of us?…

Having suddenly lost his right arm, Idris lost his balance many times, crashing into walls and nearly toppling over. His vision grew blurred from the blood loss and intense pain. As he tried to shake his head to clear the haze before his eyes, a figure appeared before him.

“Is that you, Jouslain? Where is Ajman?”

“I am here.”

An emotionless voice struck Idris from the front.

Idris instinctively raised his left arm, but he had almost no vitality left to carry out his thoughts. His upper body swayed, and the gun gripped in his unfamiliar left hand trembled violently, defying his will. Even so, Idris’ sheer tenacity would not let him remain silent.

“Die, Ajman!”

The gunshot rang out.

Idris’ second gun was a ray gun, so it was incapable of making a gunshot. In the centre of Idris’ already bloodstained chest, a new blossom of blood bloomed. Clanner Ajman gripped a gunpowder-based pistol in his right hand, the scent of death wafting from its muzzle.

Even so, Idris did not fall immediately, merely lowering his left hand. However, when Ajman silently and expressionlessly fired a second shot into his left knee, he finally collapsed. He fell into a pool of his own blood.

“All talk, aren’t you?”

Muttering this coldly, Ajman turned on his heel. As he strode into the next room,

“Clanner…!”

Jouslain’s voice was trembling with passion. He and Balamy had been beset by minor misfortunes, causing their arrival to be delayed. They had encountered groups of guards twice and had been forced to evade them.

“At last, you’ve arrived. Since you were late, it’s a one-on-one again. Childish games like duelling are not to my liking, though.”

“I have had quite enough of catering to your whims. Prepare yourself to pay for what you did to Ariabert.”

Ajman let the corners of his mouth curl upward slightly.

“What an unexpected touch of humour. Do you truly believe you can defeat me, Your Ducal Grace?”

“You homicidal maniac. How many masks have you worn to survive this long?”

“Masks, you say? How immature of you. Everything I have told you thus far has been the truth. Today is merely the day one of those truths revealed itself. It is impossible for me to be slain by a human inferior to myself.”

“Nothing is impossible!”

Jouslain levelled the heat ray gun with both hands, preparing to press the firing button. This was, of course, exactly what Ajman had anticipated. A black serpent streaked through the air, followed by the sound of a heavy impact, and Jouslain recoiled.

A lash of the electromagnetic whip had struck Jouslain square in the face with brutal force.

A searing sensation swept across the upper half of Jouslain’s face, from left to right. Along with an intense, excruciating pain, his vision vanished. He could no longer see the blood spraying through the air, falling to the floor like scattered rubies. For Jouslain, the entire universe had been plunged into darkness.

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