Chapter Six Each and Every Star
I
The Iserlohn Fortress fell.
This tragic news shook the Galactic Empire.
“Wasn't Iserlohn impregnable?”
The minister of war (軍務尚書), Fleet Admiral Ehrenberg (エーレンベルク), muttered as he stood completely stunned in front of his desk, blood drained from his face.
“I do not believe this. Is this a false alarm?”
The Imperial military grand commander (帝国軍統帥本部長), Fleet Admiral Steinhof (シュタインホフ) quietly groaned with a hoarse voice. After verifying the facts, he barricaded himself in the fort of silence.
Even Kaiser Friedrich IV, who normally treated state affairs with lethargic indifference, had the minister of court affairs summon the minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, to explain the situation.
“The Imperial territory must be sacrosanct to the foreign enemies. This remains a fact. Nevertheless, an unfortunate situation was brought about today, and it disturbed Your Majesty’s peace of mind. This was caused by your subjects’ carelessness, and for that we feel extremely ashamed.”
The terrified marquis’s response to the throne was leaked.
“What a strange way to word things, Kircheis.”
Within the office of the fleet admiral’s mansion (元帥府), Count Reinhard von Lohengramm said to his confidant.
“Every square centimeter of the Imperial territory must not be invaded by the foreign enemies. Since when did the rebel fleet become a foreign power of equal footing? He did not face reality, and that is why he is having this contradiction.”
Since the opening of the fleet admiral’s mansion, Reinhard, who took half of the Imperial Space Fleet under his command, had been struggling with personnel issues every day.
As a fundamental policy, he wanted to promote young officers who came from a commoner or low-ranking aristocrat background. The average age of the top level commanders drastically fell. The young and energetic officers: Wolfgang Mittermeyer (ウォルフガング・ミッターマイヤー), Oskar von Reuenthal (オスカー・フォン・ロイエンタール), Karl Gustav Kempff (カール・グスタフ・ケンプ), and Fritz Joseph Bittenfeld (フリッツ・ヨーゼフ・ビッテンフェルト), all newly acquired their titles as admirals. The fleet admiral’s mansion was filled with youthful vigor and ambition.
However, over the past few days, Reinhard could not help but feel dissatisfied. Although he was able to line his frontline commanders with people who were brave and well versed in strategies, he had not been able to find a strategist.
Reinhard felt he could not expect much from those strategists with aristocratic backgrounds and graduated with honors from the officer’s academy. He knew that military capability was not something that could be developed in an educational environment. He was an example that an innate serviceman could become honors student in school, but the reverse was impossible.
Kircheis could not act as his strategist. At times, it would be necessary for Kircheis to act as Reinhard’s other-self and command several fleets in Reinhard’s stead. Additionally, he must also assist Reinhard in gaining a broader perspective when making decisions. Those were the responsibilities of a confidant.
In the past, during the rebellion in the Castrop Starzone (カストロプ星系), Reinhard had sent Kircheis to the frontline as his representative. It was done to allow Kircheis to earn achievements of his own, so the public would accept Kircheis as the vice-commander of the Reinhard Fleet (ラインハルト軍団).
Reinhard had to request that the minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, issue an imperial command to Kircheis.
At the beginning, Marquis Lichtenrade was not amenable to the idea. However, his political advisor (政務補佐官) by the name of Weitz (ワイツ) submitted this opinion to the marquis:
“It might be a good thing. Rear Admiral Kircheis is the confidant of confidants for Count Lohengramm. If he successfully suppresses the rebellion, you can sell them a favor by rewarding him. In the future, that might become beneficial in many ways. Furthermore, if he fails, that becomes the responsibility of Count Lohengramm who nominated him. We will again order the count to suppress the rebellion, but since his subordinate would have already failed once, the count would not be able to claim that as a meritorious service.”
“Indeed. You are right.”
The marquis was convinced, and he processed the imperial command to order Kircheis to suppress Castrop. Reinhard had secretly sent bribes to Weitz to request that he make this type of recommendation, but that was not known to the marquis.
In this manner, Kircheis received the imperial command. For an Imperial service member, this meant that they were given a certain prestige. In Reinhard’s fleet admiral’s mansion, among his colleagues of the same rank, he now stood out, and could be officially recognized as holding the number two position in the command. However, this was only a matter of formality. To substantiate it, it was necessary for Kircheis to earn actual acts-of-valor.
The cause of the Castrop Starzone Rebellion (カストロプ星系の動乱) was as following ――
This year, Duke Eugen von Castrop (カストロプ公オイゲン) died during a private spacecraft accident.
As a noble, he had the ability to levy taxes in his own territory, so he obviously was able to boast abundant wealth. Furthermore, he was a senior statesman in the Imperial court. For fifteen years, he served as the minister of finance. During his tenure, utilizing his official authority, he strived to accumulate as much wealth as possible. Often, he was linked to disgraceful scandals, but the law was fairly relaxed when it came to dealing with crimes committed by aristocrats, and even in cases where he could not be spared the guilt, he still cleverly utilized his power and financial resources to escape punishments.
The minister of justice at the time, Count Ruge (ルーゲ), had described the feat tongue-in-cheekly as “dazzling magic.” Even the duke’s aristocratic peers felt his abuse of his privileges was excess. As a pillar of the Empire, it would become troublesome if he did not observe at least some of the laws and regulations as a public official. The public’s discontent towards just one senior statesman could easily be amplified into a distrust of the entire system.
That Duke Castrop died. For both the Empire’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice, it was a welcomed chance to daringly whip the dead. Even a grand noble could not escape the rule of law. The people would know this, and the innumerable small Castrops within the ranks of the aristocrats would be restrained. This must be used to demonstrate the laws and the authority of the Empire. Besides, the amount of public funds that Duke Castrop embezzled, and the amount of bribes he received, must have amounted to an enormous sum. If that money could be brought back to the national treasury, then it would temporarily relieve the financial strain caused by military spending.
Within the ranks of the financial bureaucrats, some had suggested taxing the aristocrats. However, it would change the national policy since Rudolf the Great, which could lead to a rebellion or a court revolution. Yet, if the target was limited to only Duke Castrop, then only a handful of aristocrats would oppose.
The Ministry of Finance dispatched investigators to Castrop; and there, trouble arose.
Duke Castrop had a son named Maximilian (マクシミリアン). As soon as the minister of state communicated the kaiser’s authorization, he would inherit the title and the assets from his late father. However, because of the circumstances, the minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, had postponed the inheritance procedures. When the Ministry of Finance completed its investigation, it was decided that the assets the predecessor Eugen unjustly acquired would be omitted from the authorization of the inheritance.
Maximilian resisted. As the son of a senior statesman and a high noble, he was a selfish youth who had been coveting the wealth and privilege of his late father; but he did not have his late father’s political power, not even in a negative way. Still, he drove off the investigators from the Minister of Finance with his hounds. These hounds were the “horn head hounds” that had been genetically engineered to have cone-shaped horns on their heads. They were vicious beasts that symbolized the violent side of the aristocratic power.
The youth who lacked imagination did not notice that his behavior was a slap to the face for the Imperial government that valued its authority. However, the side that was slapped was not planning on meekly accepting the humiliation.
Investigators were once again dispatched, and once again, outrageously, they were driven off. At this point, the minister of finance, Viscount Gerlach (ゲルラッハ), requested that the minister of state summon Maximilian to court.
When he received the harshly worded writ-of-summons, for the first time, Maximilian realized that his behavior had become a problem. Then, his lack of judgment caused him to be driven by extreme fear. He thought if he went to the Imperial capital Odin, he shall not be able to return again.
Duke Castrop’s family, of course, had a great number of relatives and in-laws. They became concerned, and attempted to mediate the situation, but it only heightened Maximilian’s suspicion.
Within his relatives, there was a Count Franz von Mariendorf (マリーンドルフ伯フランツ) who was known for his gentle personality. This count went to persuade him, but was instead imprisoned. Peaceful resolution became hopeless. The completely maniacal Maximilian started to recruit private militia to build upon his duchy’s garrison, and the Imperial government decided to dispatch a subjugation force.
The fleet commanded by Admiral Schmude ( シュムーデ) was deployed from Odin. This happened around the same time as the Astarte Starzone conflict between the Imperial Fleet and the Alliance Fleet. –– This first subjugation force was defeated.
Maximilian was a failure as a member of society, but he possessed a certain degree of talent in warfare. Additionally, the subjugation force underestimated the enemy and attacked before they determined a strategy. There were many reasons that led to this result. In any case, the subjugation force was subjected to a surprise attack upon landing, and Admiral Schmude was killed-in-action.
The second subjugation force also failed. Maximilian took the opportunity to attempt to annex the adjacent County of Mariendorf, hoping to build a semi-independent kingdom in a corner of the empire. Although the head of the household, Franz, was still imprisoned by Maximilian, Count Mariendorf’s garrison fought hard against the invading Maximilian fleet, and requested assistance from Odin.
Under these circumstances, Kircheis was ordered to subdue the rebellion. Then, within ten days, he successfully ended the rebellion that lasted half a year.
At first, Kircheis acted as if he was heading to rescue the County of Mariendorf, but instead he made a sharp turn and attacked the Duchy of Castrop. This surprised Maximilian, who found the idea of being robbed of his home to be unbearable; therefore, he terminated the siege on the County of Mariendorf, and rushed his entire fleet back to the Duchy of Castrop. The crisis in the County of Mariendorf was thus resolved. However, Kircheis’s move to attack the Duchy of Castrop was just a diversion.
Worried about the crisis at home, Maximilian neglected to guard his back. Kircheis hid his fleet in a dangerous part of the asteroid belt, and gave a crushing blow to Maximilian’s defenseless rear.
Although Maximilian successfully fled from the battlefield, he was killed by his subordinates who were hoping to have their crimes reduced. The remainder surrendered.
In this manner, the Castrop Rebellion abruptly ended.
The subjugation was said to have taken ten days. However, the journey from the Imperial capital Odin required six days, and two days were spent in Castrop processing post-war affairs, so the actual battle took only two days.
During this rebellion, Kircheis showcased his extraordinary talent in warfare. Reinhard was satisfied, the admirals within his fleet admiral’s mansion recognized Kircheis’s abilities, and the aristocrats were astonished. Not only did Reinhard possess such brilliant abilities, his confidant did as well. This fact was not pleasant for them.
However, an act-of-valor was an act-of-valor. Kircheis was promoted to the rank of vice admiral, and he was awarded a brilliant, golden Double-Headed-Eagle Medal of Valor. The minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, in his capacity as the interim Imperial prime minister, bestowed the medal upon Kircheis to honor his meritorious feat. He counseled Kircheis to be ever more grateful for the grace of His Imperial Majesty, and to further his loyalty.
Kircheis knew of the circumstances behind the scene, so he found the “ingratiation” of Lichtenrade, who was instigated by Weitz, to be particularly ridiculous. Of course, he did not express such feelings.
Besides, for Kircheis, to declare his loyalty to the kaiser was out of the question. The subject of his loyalty was kidnapped from right in front of him, and was Kaiser Friedrich IV not the current captor of said person? The reason he fought was not because of the empire, the royal family, or the kaiser.
The tall, red-headed young man, Siegfried Kircheis, actually had considerable popularity among the women in the Imperial court, ranging from daughters of dukes to maids. He was not aware of it, however. If he had noticed, he might have thought it a nuisance.
Now, during the time when Reinhard and Kircheis’s positions had been established respectively, a grey-haired Captain Oberstein appeared in front of them.
II
I want a strategist. –– This desire of Reinhard’s intensified recently.
He wanted a strategist, but not necessarily for military matters only. If that was the case, then just Reinhard and Kircheis would be enough. He needed someone well versed in political maneuvers and stratagems. From now on, they would be up against the aristocrats nested within the court. Reinhard expected that those kinds of conflicts would increasingly be filled with conspiracies and mutual deceits. Assuming that, Kircheis would not be a good candidate to consult with in that area. This was not due to his capabilities, but due to his personality and thought process.
After entrusting his blaster to the guards, a man entered the office unarmed. Reinhard confirmed his personnel file mentally. So far, reasons why Reinhard should view him favorably had not been noted.
“Captain Oberstein, correct? Why are you here to see me?”
“First of all, please clear the room.”
With an attitude that was almost arrogant, the uninvited guest requested.
“There are only three people here.”
“Yes, Vice Admiral Kircheis is present, which is why I requested that you clear the room.”
Kircheis remained silent. With a keen look, Reinhard stared at his guest.
“Vice Admiral Kircheis is the same as myself. Did you not know that?”
“I know that.”
“So, you do not want him to hear the things you wish to say? Well, if I tell him later, the result will be the same.”
“Of course, Your Excellency is free to do so. However, Your Excellency, to achieve supremacy, a variety of different types of talents will be needed. You say to A things that are appropriate to say to A, and give B the missions that are appropriate to give to B. I believe some have said that in the past.”
Kircheis looked at Reinhard and hesitantly asked:
“Your Excellency, is it alright if I retreat to the adjacent room?”
“I see.”
Reinhard nodded thoughtfully. Kircheis left, and Oberstein finally got down to business.
“The truth is, Your Excellency, at the moment, I am in somewhat of a difficult position. I think you might already know that.”
“A fugitive from Iserlohn. Of course you would be condemned. After all, Admiral Seeckt had died a heroic and honorable death.”
Reinhard coldly replied. However, Oberstein did not seem perturbed.
“To the hundreds of commanders, I may just be a despicable fugitive. However, Your Excellency, I have my reasons, and I hope you will let me explain.”
“That is pointless. You should share your assertions with the court-martial, not me.”
Oberstein was the only survivor of the Iserlohn Garrison Fleet’s flagship. Because he survived, he was in the position to be judged for that incident. He did not carry out his duty to assist and correct the commander, and he sought safety for himself. That was reason enough for people to roll their eyes and impeach him. Additionally, an appropriate scapegoat who was present when Iserlohn was lost must also be made to accept some kind of responsibility.
Upon hearing Reinhard’s apathetic response, Oberstein unexpectedly covered his right eye with his hand. Soon, he pulled down his hand, and a portion of his face was left with a small, odd cavity. In his right palm, he held a small, spherical, crystal-like object, and the grey-haired man presented it to the young fleet admiral.
“Your Excellency, please take a look at this.”
“……”
“I believe you have already heard this from Vice Admiral Kircheis, but both my eyes are ocular prostheses. If we were still under the reign of Kaiser Rudolf, then I would have been killed as an infant due to the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act.”
After fitting the removed prosthesis back into its socket, Oberstein took a deep look at Reinhard.
“Do you understand? I hate them. Rudolf the Great, his descendants, and everything he created, including the Goldenbaum Dynasty of the Galactic Empire itself!”
“That is a bold statement.”
For a moment, the young fleet admiral was overcome by the choking sensation of a claustrophobic patient. This man’s ocular prostheses had the function to overwhelm people, or maybe they contained compression elements. Even this type of irrational suspicion was triggered.
In the room fully equipped with soundproofing equipment, the volume of Oberstein’s voice was low, but it roared like an untimely spring thunder.
“The Galactic Empire, no, the Goldenbaum Dynasty should perish. If possible, I want to destroy it with my own hands, but I do not have that ability. What I can do is to assist in the emergence of a new champion, but that is it. In other words, that champion is you, Your Excellency, fleet admiral, Count Reinhard von Lohengramm.”
Reinhard heard the cracking sound in the charged atmosphere.
“Kircheis!”
As he rose from his chair, Reinhard called out to his confidant. The wall silently opened, and a young, redheaded, tall figure appeared. Reinhard’s pointed his finger at Oberstein.
“Kircheis, arrest Captain Oberstein. He made a rebellious remark that was treasonous against the Empire. I cannot overlook it as an officer of the Empire.”
Oberstein’s ocular prostheses were shining vigorously. The young, redheaded officer drew out his blaster with his right hand at a masterful speed, and aimed it right at the center of Oberstein’s chest. Ever since military school, few were able to surpass him in shooting. Even if Oberstein was in possession of his gun, it still would be futile to try and resist.
“At the end, you are a man of this caliber...”
Oberstein muttered. The bitter darkness of self-derision and disappointment crept onto his already sickly face.
“Fine, just rely on your only confidant Vice Admiral Kircheis and go travel down your little narrow path.”
Half of that statement was acting; the other half was his true feelings. He silently looked at Reinhard, and then turned around to face Kircheis.
“Vice Admiral Kircheis, are you able to shoot me? I am completely unarmed. Are you still able to shoot?”
Reinhard did not issue further commands. Although Kircheis continued to aim, he hesitated to put pressure on the trigger.
“You cannot, right? You are this type of man. While admirable, it is insufficient to achieve supremacy. The shadow will follow the light… but young Count Lohengramm has yet to understand this.”
Reinhard stared at Oberstein while signaling Kircheis to put away his blaster. Reinhard’s expression had changed subtly.
“You are a man who speaks your mind.”
“Excuse me.”
“Admiral Seeckt no doubt hated you. Am I right?”
“The admiral was not a person who inspired loyalty in his subordinates.”
Oberstein replied calmly, knowing he won the bet.
Reinhard nodded.
“Very well, I will buy you from the aristocrats.”
III
The minister of war, the military grand commander, and the chief space fleet commander were the three positions that were often referred to as the “three Imperial Fleet chiefs.” The only example of one person serving all three positions concurrently happened nearly a century ago. The person was the crown prince at the time, Otfried (オトフリート).
He also served as the Imperial prime minister. Ever since, the position of the Imperial prime minister was no longer formally appointed. Instead, the minister of state acted as a proxy for the position. This was to prevent the subjects from following the precedent of a kaiser.
Otfried was popular and competent as a crown prince, but since coronation and becoming Kaiser Otfried III, his suspiciousness hypertrophied in the midst of repeated court conspiracies. Four times he replaced his kaiserin, and five times he changed his successor. At the end, terrified of being poisoned, he refrained from eating, and died an emaciated death in his mid-forties.
Now, the “three Imperial Fleet chiefs”: the minister of war, Ehrenberg, the military grand commander, Steinhof, and the chief space fleet commander, Mückenberger, all submitted their letters of resignation to the minister of state acting as the Imperial prime minister, Marquis Lichtenrade. They intended to take responsibility for the loss of Iserlohn.
“You are not avoiding your responsibilities or clinging to your positions. I think that graciousness is worthy of praise. However, if all three chiefs’ positions open up at the same time, then Count Lohengramm would likely receive at least one of those positions. You probably do not wish to aid his advancement, so, since none of you have any financial difficulties, what about you relinquish about a year’s pay?”
After the minister of state said that, Fleet Admiral Steinhof replied with an anguished expression.
“We considered that, but we are military men. If people incorrectly criticize us and say we are taking this course-of-action because we want to cling to our positions, then that will be regrettable. Please accept our resignation.”
Out of necessity, Marquis Lichtenrade went to court to present the three chiefs’ resignation letters to Kaiser Friedrich IV.
The kaiser was as lethargic as ever as he listened to the minister of state, then he ordered his palace staff to summon Reinhard from the fleet admiral’s mansion. This was a task that could have been accomplished using the videophone, but Reinhard was expressly summoned in. This was a necessary formality to demonstrate the kaiser’s authority.
When Reinhard visited the palace, the kaiser showed the young Imperial fleet admiral all three resignation-letters, and asked him which position he wanted. The tone was as if he was asking a child to pick a toy. After glancing at the disappointed minister of state, Reinhard replied:
“I did not earn any merits, so I cannot deprive another of his position. The loss of Iserlohn was the result of Admiral Seeckt and Admiral Stockhausen’s mistakes. Admiral Seeckt has paid for his sins with his death, and the other is currently imprisoned by the enemy. I do not feel anyone else should be blamed for this incident. I humbly request Your Majesty to not place any blame on the three chiefs.”
“Well, this one’s generous.”
The kaiser looked at the minister of state who was surprised by this unexpected development.
“What the count requested, what do you think about it?”
“……The count possesses insights beyond his age. Your subject feels deeply impressed. Your subject also wishes for leniency where it concerns the three chiefs who have contributed greatly to the country.”
“Since both of you requested so, I will not hand them any harsh punishments. However, it will not go well if I do not pursue their guilt at all…”
“In that case, Your Majesty, for a period of one year, they can be allowed to relinquish their salaries. The funds will be given to the relief fund for the families of the fallen. Does Your Majesty find that to be acceptable?”
“That is a good idea. Very well, Minister of State, please hash out the details. Is that all you wanted to talk about?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then, the two of you may leave. I am going to go care for the roses in my greenhouse now.”
Both of them exited.
However, not even five minutes later, one of them secretly returned. Because he partially ran back, the seventy-five years old Marquis Lichtenrade needed time to adjust his breathing. However, when he entered the kaiser’s rose garden, he already restored his equilibrium.
Surrounded by wildly colorful and aromatic roses, the kaiser stood there like a dead tree. The elderly noble walked up, and very carefully, kneeled down.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty…”
“What is it?”
“The matter I wish to discuss may bring Your Majesty displeasure, but…”
“Is this concerning Count Lohengramm?”
The voice of the kaiser contained no sharpness, intensity, or anger. It resembled the sound of sand being blown by the wind. It was the lifeless, enigmatic voice of an old man.
“I am giving Annerose’s brother too much power and prestige.”
“Your Majesty already knew?”
The minister of state was surprised. The kaiser’s message was surprisingly clear.
“He is fearless, therefore, he will not limit himself to wielding his power as a senior statesman; he is likely to usurp the throne. That is what you were thinking?”
“I hesitated to bring it up because it seems to be a bit much…”
“What is wrong with that?”
“Huh?”
“The Goldenbaum Dynasty was not in existence when mankind was created. Just like how we cannot expect humans to be immortal, states also cannot be immortal. It would not be unreasonable for the Goldenbaum Dynasty to become extinct during my generation.”
His low, dry laugh made the minister of state shiver. It was as if he fell into an abyss of nothingness. He felt cold from the bottom of his soul.
“If we will perish anyway…”
The kaiser’s voice trailed on like the ominous tail of a comet.
“Then it would be good to perish magnificently…”
IV
Reluctantly and unpleasantly, “the three chiefs” accepted Reinhard’s favor. Consequently, the next day, when Reinhard requested immunity for Captain Paul von Oberstein in the case concerning the loss of Iserlohn, and asked that Oberstein be permanently reassigned to his fleet admiral’s mansion, they were not able to reject his request. Since they benefitted from “His Imperial Majesty’s clemency,” they felt they could not punish others harshly. Furthermore, it was just an unimportant matter concerning the placement of a captain. In any case, Oberstein received a satisfactory result.
Reinhard passed up an opportunity to be promoted to one of the three chiefs, and much was said concerning that his motives.
“He was unexpectedly generous.”
There were favorable reviews as such.
“What? It was just done for appearances.”
And there were negative reviews. They were about evenly split.
Whatever their opinions, Reinhard remained unconcerned. The positions of the three chiefs could be obtained at any time. For now, the positions could be lent to the old admirals. The positions were simply considered a transitional point for him.
When Reinhard ascended to the ultimate position, one person would be serving as all three chiefs concurrently, and that person had been feeling a little uneasy these days.
“What is it? Kircheis? You seem to have something you want to say?”
“You know, so why ask? You are being malicious.”
“Do not be angry. It is about Oberstein, right? For a while, I also wondered if he is an agent for the aristocrats, but he is not a man the aristocrats can manage. Very smart, but too peculiar.”
“Sir Reinhard, can you manage him?”
Reinhard lightly tilted his head. When he did that, all of his brilliant blond hair flowed to one side.
“Yeah… I do not expect friendship or loyalty from that man. That man is just trying to use me to fulfill his own purposes.”
His long, supple fingers extended, and he gently pulled on his friend’s hair that was seemingly dyed with liquefied ruby. Where there was no one else around, Reinhard liked to do this from time to time. When he was a young boy, once in a while he would break up with Kircheis, though such occasions never lasted long. Whenever that happened, he would resort to name-calling, “Your red hair looks like blood!” When they made up, he would praise them and say, “They are beautiful like dancing flames.” Reinhard was immature.
“…So, I want to make use of his brain. It does not really matter what his motivation is. If I could not control one man, then my hopes for universal hegemony would be impossible. Don’t you think?”
Politics is not about the process or the system. It is about the result. Reinhard thought.
The reason Reinhard could hardly forgive Rudolf the Great was not because he took over the Galactic Federation, nor because he became the kaiser. It was because he went through that much trouble to acquire this great power, but instead it was used on the stupidest acts of self-sanctification. That was the true nature of the self-proclaimed hero, Rudolf. If he had used his mighty power for good, then he could have benefited the construction and progress of civilization immeasurably. Perhaps if mankind had not needed to waste energy on struggles concerning differences in political ideologies, we could have marked our footprints all over the Milky Way by now. The reality now was even after combining the Empire and the rebel’s territories, humans dominated nothing except for a fifth of this enormous stellar world.
Therefore, the responsibilities for obstructing the advancement of human history would also lay with Rudolf’s stubbornness. What kind of living god was he? If anything he was the god of misfortune and disease.
To destroy an old regime and to set up a new order required great power and a strong military, but he was not going to repeat Rudolf’s mistakes. He would become the kaiser, but he would not do things like only passing his throne unto his descendants.
Rudolf placed blind faith in genetics and lineage, but genetics was not trustworthy. Reinhard’s father was not a great man, nor was he a genius. He had not even the ability to make a living on his own. He was a bastard who sold his beautiful daughter to those in power, then drowned the rest of his life in decadence and debauchery. Seven years ago, he died suddenly from lechery and excessive drinking, but Reinhard had no tears to be shed. When Reinhard saw the clear streams flow down his older sister’s cheeks like water running along the highest quality white porcelain, his heart ached, but it was only because of his sympathy for his older sister.
To illustrate the untrustworthiness of genetics, one could observe the current state of the Goldenbaum royal family. Who could possibly imagine that within the deteriorating body of Friedrich IV flowed even one milliliter of the blood of the giant, Rudolf the Great? The blood of the Goldenbaum family had already been completely contaminated.
Friedrich IV had nine brothers and sisters; all of them died. Including the kaiserin, Friedrich IV had impregnated sixteen women twenty-eight times. Six pregnancies ended in miscarriages; nine ended as stillbirths. Of the thirteen children born, four died within one year of birth, five died before coming of age, and two died as adults. Only two daughters remained: Duchess Amarie von Braunschweig (ブラウンシュヴァイク公爵夫人アマーリエ) and Marquise Christine von Littenheim (リッテンハイム侯爵夫人クリスティーネ). Although both of them married into powerful noble families, when it came to children, each only gave birth to one daughter. Except for the daughters, the only other descendent was the orphan of Crown Prince Ludwig (皇太子ルードヴィヒ) who died in adulthood. Currently, the orphan, Erwin Josef (エルウィン・ヨーゼフ), was only male heir to the royal family. He just turned five, and had not been designated as the crown prince.
Friedrich IV, who was the embodiment of all decadence in the palace, was only a subject of bitter hatred and contempt for Reinhard, but Reinhard found two things to be tolerable.
Firstly, the kaiser lost several concubines to dystocia in the past. In fear of losing Annerose, the kaiser did not impregnate her. Additionally, if Annerose were to give birth to a child, then the aristocrats who worry about the start of another struggle for the throne would pressure the monarch. As far as Reinhard was concerned, his sister giving birth to a child of that kaiser, the thought alone was too horrid to be imagined.
Secondly, the number of qualified successors to the throne was extremely small. The kaiser had only three grandchildren. Reinhard only needed to eliminate them. Or, he could plot to marry one of the two granddaughters. –– It would just be formality anyway.
In any case, Oberstein would be useful. If it was that man, he would use his dark passion and his relentless will to ponder schemes against the imperial household and the aristocrats. If necessary, he would probably not hesitate to murder women and children either. Perhaps Kircheis noticed this subconsciously, so he disliked Oberstein, but for Reinhard, Oberstein was necessary.
Reinhard wondered: It was necessary for him to utilize talents like Oberstein, but would Kircheis and his sister, Annerose, still find him likable? …Still, it was something that had to be done.
V
Fezzan’s landesherr, Rubinsky, was listening to his assistant’s presentation on economic strategies in his official residence.
“The Universal Finance Corporation, which is our dominion government’s shell corporation in the Free Planets Alliance, has won the solid natural gas mining rights on the seventh and eighth planets of the Bharatpur System. The mineable reserve totals forty-eight-million cubic kilometers, and we estimate that we will be able to operate on a profitable basis in two years.”
The assistant saw that Rubinsky gave a nod, so he continued to report.
“Then, regarding one of the Alliance’s largest interstellar shipping company, Santa Cruz Line, we have acquired 41.9% of its shares. However, since we have split the ownership of the shares into more than twenty entities, they have yet to discover it. In actuality, we have replaced the state-owned investment company as the largest shareholder.”
“That is fine, but keep at it until we have over 50% of the shares.”
“Of course. Meanwhile, on the Empire side, we have decided to invest in the agricultural development plans for the seventh frontier starzone. Its second planet, Eisenherz, has 200 quadrillion tons of water. The plan is to ship that water to the eight dry planets to increase food production to produce food for five billion people.”
“What is the equity participation ratio?”
“Combining our government’s three shell companies, we have 84%. It is a de facto monopoly. Next is the radium factory on Ingolstadt…”
After Rubinsky heard the reports, he dismissed his assistant, and looked out to the beautiful, barren view outside his walls.
So far, things were going well. Be it the Empire or the Alliance, when it came to war, the governments in both countries seemed to think that it was limited to warships exchanging sub-light-speed missiles in the outer-space. While the obtuse and stubborn dogmatists dedicated themselves to killing each other, Fezzan focused elsewhere; and Fezzan would soon clench the roots and trunks of the two countries’ socioeconomic systems. Even now, nearly half of the war bonds issued by the two countries were directly or indirectly purchased by Fezzan.
Wherever humans set foot in the universe, Fezzan ruled it economically. Both the Imperial government and the Alliance government were just there to divert economic benefits to Fezzan. Soon they would become puppet governments that merely implement policies on behalf of Fezzan, although, that would take a little more time. If that were to happen, there would not even be a half-step distance to the final stages of the objective……
But, of course, that does not mean the political or military situations could be downplayed. In short, if the Empire and the Alliance were unified politically via a powerful hegemony, then Fezzan’s privileged position would cease to be meaningful. In ancient times, when a new unifying dynasty emerged, the surrounding trade cities would all succumb to its political strength and military power. Perhaps history would again repeat itself.
Assuming that, then the road to achieve the objective would be closed permanently. Therefore, the birth of a new Galactic Empire absolutely must be prevented.
A new Galactic Empire……?
This idea gave Rubinsky a fresh sense of curiosity.
The current Goldenbaum Dynasty of the Galactic Empire had become decrepit. It would be nearly impossible to reinvigorate it. Even if it was divided into a number of small kingdoms, and a new order was born among them, it would still take centuries.
On the other hand, the Free Planets Alliance had lost its founding ideals, and had sunk into stagnation. Economic and social development had stalled, which raised the level of dissatisfaction within the people. Among the various planets that made up the alliance, there were unending feuds over economic inequality. Unless if a charismatic leader emerged and rebuilt a centralized regime, the situation would not improve.
Five centuries ago, young Rudolf von Goldenbaum filled his giant-like body with power-oriented energy, hijacked the political system of the Galactic Federation, and became the holy and inviolable kaiser. The dictator emerged through legal means. The day this reoccurs would come. Assuming one was to take control of the existing power structure, then rapid changes would be possible, even if it was not lawful…
Coup d’état by someone close to the center of the administrative and military power would be a classic and effective method that never lost its charm.
Rubinsky pressed a button on his console and called in his assistant.
“What is the possibility of a coup in either of the countries?”
The landesherr’s question startled him.
“If you require it, I will investigate it immediately. Is there urgent news that would suggest something like that?”
“Not really. It was just a thought that came to mind just now. However, it is best to closely examine every possibility.”
It was unpleasant to allow the owners of the rotten minds and spirits to indulge in the ascendancy they were unqualified for, but for the time being, it was necessary for the existing structures of the Alliance and the Empire to persist. – thought Fezzan’s ruler. At least until the day Fezzan achieved its real objective: an objective unimaginable for both the Empire and the Alliance……
VI
The Free Planets Alliance’s High Council (最高評議会) was comprised of eleven council members: Supreme Chairman (議長), Deputy Chairman serving as the Secretary of State (副議長兼国務委員長), Chief Clerk (書記), Secretary of Defense (国防委員長), Secretary of the Treasury (財政委員長), Secretary of Justice (法秩序委員長), Secretary of Natural Resources (天然資源委員長), Secretary of Human Resources (人的資源委員長), Secretary of Economic Development (経済開発委員長), Secretary of Land and Social Development (地域社会開発委員長), and Secretary of Information and Transportation (情報交通委員長). Currently, they were gathered in a room within a magnificent pearl-colored building.
The windowless Decision Room (会議室《デシジョン・ルーム》) was a meeting room with thick walls on all sides and surrounded by many rooms. The Communications Room (対外連絡室), the Document Preparation Room (資料作成室), the Intelligence Room (情報加工室), the Machinery Control Room (機器操作室), and the Guards Anteroom (警備兵の控室) further to the outside, all encircled the Decision Room in a donut-like shape.
Can this still be called an open government? The secretary of the treasury, João Rebelo (ジョアン・レベロ), wondered, as he sat in one of the seats around the seven-meters-in-diameter round table. This question did not surface today. It was a question he could not help but wondered each time he passed through the infrared-scanner-filled hallways to enter the Decision Room.
On this day, August 6, 796 UC, there was only one item on the agenda. It was to decide whether to approve or deny the fleet deployment plan proposed by the military. The proposal was to use the occupied Iserlohn Fortress as a bridgehead to invade the Empire. It had been submitted to the council directly by a young, high-ranking military officer. Rebelo felt the proposal was too radical.
As soon as the meeting started, Rebelo spoke against expanding the war.
“You may find this to be strange, but to date, the Galactic Empire and the Alliance had been continuing this war to the extent that was barely affordable financially. However…”
The survivor’s pension for the families of the officers and men who were killed in the Battle of Astarte alone required ten billion dinars a year in expenditures. In addition to that, if the war was expanded, the economy supporting the national treasury would unavoidably collapse. In fact, the government had already been running on a deficit.
Ironically, Yang also played a part in this financial distress. He imprisoned 500,000 people in Iserlohn. The task of feeding them alone was a serious problem.
“As for balancing the budget, we can either issue more government bonds, or increase taxes. We have only these two traditional methods to choose from. There is no other way.”
“What about increasing the amount of paper bills in circulation?”
The deputy chairman asked.
“Without any actual revenue sources? Then, in a few years, products will be sold by the weight, rather than the face value, of the paper bills. As far as I am concerned, I am sorry, but I do not want to go down in history as the incompetent economic policy-maker who caused the era of hyperinflation.”
“But if we do not win the war, then we may not have tomorrow, let alone a few years.”
“Then we should try to stop the war!”
Rebelo said bluntly, and the room fell silent.
“Through Rear Admiral Yang’s ingenuity, we obtained Iserlohn. The Imperial Fleet lost its base for their aggression towards us. Is this not a good opportunity to enter into a peace treaty on favorable terms?”
“But, this is a war of justice against the absolute monarchy. We and they are sworn enemies. How can we quit just because it is uneconomical?”
A few people argued.
A war of justice? The Free Planets Alliance’s secretary of the treasury, João Rebelo, folded his arms in silence.
Immense bloodshed. A bankrupted country. Destitution of the people. If these sacrifices were imperative to the realization of justice, then the god of justice bore a stunning resemblance to the god of greed. They both had an insatiable need for one sacrifice after another.
“Let’s take a break…”
The chairman said dully.
VII
After lunch, the meeting resumed.
Now, the person putting forth his argument was Huang Rui (ホワン・ルイ), the secretary of human resources in charge of education, employment, labor, and social security. He was also against the deployment.
“As far as the Human Resources Committee is concerned…”
Huang was short, but he had a loud voice. He had short, ruddy, and agile limbs, giving people an impression that he was rich with vitality.
“Currently, the human resources that should be utilized for economic or social development are being devoted to the military. That is disconcerting. What is also troubling is that investments in education and vocational training are being reduced. To evidence the current decreased skill levels among the workers, the workplace accidents that occurred during the last six months were a 30% increase when compared to the accident rate in the previous six-month-period. During the shipping fleet accident that happened in the Lumbini Star System (ルンビーニ星系), over four-hundred lives and fifty tons of radium were lost. I believe a big factor in the accident was the reduced training period for civilian astronauts. Additionally, due to the lack of astronauts, many are being forced to overwork.”
His message was crisp and clear.
“Here I also have a proposal. Out of the technicians, logistics specialists, and communications specialists that the military recruited, four million should return to the private sector. That is the minimum necessary.”
Huang scanned over all of the council members who attended, and stopped when he got to the Secretary of Defense Trunicht. With a frown, Trunicht responded.
“Do not be unreasonable. If that many people were removed from support duty, the military would collapse.”
“The Secretary of Defense can say that, but as it is, the society and the economy will fall apart before the military does. Do you know the average age of the employees currently working at the capital’s Commodity Distribution and Control Center?”
“……No.”
“Forty-two.”
“I do not feel that is an unusual number…”
Huang forcefully pounded on the table.
“That is a numerical illusion! Nearly 80% of the people are either under 20-years-old or over 70-years-old. The average certainly is 42-years-old, but in reality, there are no mid-level-technicians in their 30’s or 40’s. The entire social fabric is gradually being weakened. As far as how terrible that is, I believe, you, being the wise council members that you are, can understand……”
Huang stopped speaking, and scanned over all of them again. Except for Rebelo, everyone else averted their eyes. Some looked down, some casually looked away, and some looked up at the high ceiling.
Rebelo took over for Huang.
“In other words, now is the time to let national resources recuperate. The Iserlohn Fortress is now in our hands. Our country should be able to prevent an invasion from the Empire now and for a considerable amount of time in the future too. Assuming that, it is then not necessary for us to launch an attack.”
Rebelo exhorted.
“If we take this war any further, then we would be imposing sacrifices on our citizens and departing from the democratic principles. It would be a burden they cannot withstand.”
A rebuttal was voiced. Among the council members, there was only one woman, and she was the secretary of information and transportation, Cornelia Windsor (コーネリア・ウィンザー). She was newly appointed merely a week ago.
“We do not need to pander to the selfish citizens who did not try to understand the cause. Besides, are there any examples of greatness being accomplished without sacrifices?”
“The citizens are beginning to think that the sacrifices are too great, Mrs. Windsor.”
Rebelo chided her formalism, but there was no effect.
“It does not matter how great the sacrifice is. For example, even if all the citizens were to die, there are still things we must do.”
“That, that is beyond politics.”
Casually ignoring Rebelo’s unintentionally loud voice, Mrs. Windsor faced the other attendees, and began to loudly express her opinions.
“We have a noble obligation. We have an obligation to overthrow the Galactic Empire and save all mankind from tyranny and threats. To intoxicate ourselves with this cheap humanism and forget our great cause, is that really the attitude we should take when upholding moral principles?”
She was a beautiful, intelligent, and elegant woman in her early forties. There was also a musical quality to her voice. Her reasoning, however, made Rebelo feel that the situation was significantly more dangerous. Were her ankles not also gripped by cheap heroism?
When Rebelo attempted to rebut again, Supreme Chairman Sanford who had been silent until now spoke for the first time.
“Well, I have some materials here, so can everyone please turn our attention to the screen?”
Everyone was somewhat surprised, so they all turned their attention to the chairman, then, as he asked, to the screen.
“This is the approval ratings for our council. It is not good at all.”
The number was 31.9%, which was not very different from what the attendees expected. Only a few days earlier, Mrs. Windsor’s predecessor was disgracefully ousted due to a bribery case. Additionally, as Rebelo and Huang pointed out, there was tremendous socioeconomic stagnation.
“Now, this is the disapproval rating.”
It was 56.2%. They let out a collective sigh. Although it was not unexpected, they could not help but feel discouraged.
The chairman continued as he watched their reactions.
“At this rate, it would be difficult for us to win the election early next year. With the joint attacks from the pacifists and the hardliners, we can project that we will lose the majority. However…”
The chairman lowered his voice. It was difficult to determine whether he did that consciously, but it was very effective in capturing the listeners’ attention.
“We ran a computer simulation, and if we can bring back a breakthrough military victory against the Empire in the next one-hundred days, then our approval rating will rise by at least 15%. It is almost a certainty.”
Quiet murmur occurred.
“Let’s put the military’s proposal to a vote.”
Mrs. Windsor said. For a few seconds, several people voiced their supports. All of them then weighed the possibility of maintaining power and being defeated in an election, and during that time, they were silent.
“Please hold on a minute.”
Rebelo stood up from his seat. In spite of being under artificial lights, the colors of his cheeks faded like that of an old man.
“We do not have that kind of power. We were not given the right to unnecessarily deploy troops to maintain political power……”
His voice trembled, and it was somewhat shrill.
“Oh, just get off your high horse.”
Mrs. Windsor sneered, and she sounded even more glamorous. Rebelo was at a loss for words. He was stunned by the scene of the spirit of democracy being defiled by the policymakers’ own hands.
Huang saw Rebelo’s anguish from a few seats away.
“For goodness’ sake, please do not be hasty.”
He murmured as his finger reached for the voting button.
Six in favor, three opposed, and two abstained. Two-thirds of the valid votes were in favor of the proposal. The invasion of the Imperial territory had been approved.
The voting results stunned the council members. The part that was surprising was not that the invasion was approved, but that among the three dissenting votes, one of them belonged to the secretary of defense, Trunicht.
The other two votes came from the secretary of the treasury, Rebelo, and the secretary of human resources, Huang. Those were expected. However, Trunicht was well known for his hardline pro-war position.
“I am a patriot, but that does not mean I am always pro-war. I would hope that everyone remembers that this time I voted against the invasion.”
To those who voiced doubts, he gave the above reply.
On the same day, the Joint Operations Headquarters officially denied Rear Admiral Yang’s resignation request, and issued him a formal appointment promoting him to the rank of vice admiral.
VIII
“You said you want to resign?”
When Yang submitted his resignation letter, Fleet Admiral Sithole’s reaction could hardly be called creative. Since Yang did not think it was going to go as smoothly as an acrobatic show, where he could just hand in his resignation letter with one hand, and obtain his severance and his pension with the other, he nodded as pleasantly as possible.
“But you are only thirty years old, right?”
“Twenty-nine.”
Still in his twenties, Yang stressed.
“In any case, you have not even lived a-third of the average lifespan. Do you not think it is a little too early to step down from the stage of life?”
“Chief, that is not true.”
The young admiral disagreed. He was not stepping down from the stage of life; he was returning to the right path of his life. Up until this point, he had been forced onto an involuntary detour, but he would rather be an observer of history instead of a creator of history.
Fleet Admiral Sithole interlaced his fingers, and rested his sturdy-looking jaw on it.
“What our Fleet needs is not your knowledge as a historian, but your tolerance and competence as a military strategist. That is also an important consideration for us.”
But I already rode in on your flatter once. – Yang countered silently. In terms of the debtor-creditor relationship he had with the military, no matter how he looked at it, he felt he had repaid his loan many times over.
“Just the task of occupying Iserlohn alone should be more than enough. Keep the change.”
Yang thought. However, Chief Sithole’s attack was not singular.
“What about the 13th Fleet?”
Those were casual, yet powerful words. Yang’s jaws dropped slightly.
“It was a new fleet established just for you. If you were to quit, what would become of them?”
“That…”
That he had forgotten about. All he could say was he was careless. He had to admit the failure of this strategy. This bondage he was entangled in was not meant to be undone easily.
Ultimately, Yang left the chief’s office after turning in his resignation letter, fully aware that it was not going to be accepted. He felt disappointed, and went downstairs via the gravitational elevator.
On the sofa in the waiting area, Julian Mintz sat idly, watching the uniformed people come and go. He recognized Yang’s figure from afar, and quickly stood up. Yang had told him to stop by the Headquarters on the way home from school. Yang said it would be nice to dine out once in a while, and that he had something he wanted to discuss. – He only shared that much with Julian. He originally wanted to give Julian a surprise, tell Julian that he had already left the military, and in the future, he would just live a comfortable life as a pensioner.
The plan was not confirmed, and his sweet dream was blown away by the breaths of the bitter reality. So, what would he say? – Yang walked unconsciously as he considered, then, a voice interrupted him.
Captain Walter von Schönkopf was saluting him. It had already been decided that Schönkopf would be promoted to the rank of commodore due to his meritorious service in the recent battle.
“So, Sir, did you by any chance submit your resignation already?”
“I did, but I am certain it will be declined.”
“I see… There is no chance that the military will let you go, Sir.”
The captain who was formerly an Imperial citizen looked at Yang happily.
“Seriously though, I also wish that people like you will remain in the military. You are able to accurately assess the situation, and you have good luck. Under your command, even if we could not earn distinguished services, we at least will have a higher chance of survival.”
Schönkopf matter-of-factly critiqued his superior in front of him.
“I have decided that my life will end with death by natural causes. I will live to be about 150 years old, become weak from old age, have a bunch of grand-children and great-grand-children, and as I listen to their cries of joy from being able to rid themselves of a nuisance, I intend to then kick the bucket… I have no interest in dying a heroic death on the battlefield. By all means, please keep me alive until then.”
After he said what he came to say, the captain saluted again, and smiled at Yang. Yang was pulled out of his original miasma of despair, and returned the salute.
“Sorry for taking up so much of your time. Look, the boy is impatiently waiting for me to finish.”
Both Cazerne and Schönkopf were very sarcastic people, but Julian may possess some quality that caused both of them to be simply friendly towards him.
Occasionally, when Yang looked at Julian walking besides him, he would feel somewhat confused. It was a strange feeling. Although he had not even married, he already had a taste of the mysterious fatherly emotions……
“March Rabbit (三月兎亭)” was a restaurant that had a more casual atmosphere than one would have pictured from its name. All of its furniture was uniformly vintage. Yang particularly liked the candles that were placed upon the tables draped with handmade tablecloths. Sadly, one had to go through the hassle of making a reservation. It could not really be called a hassle, since it was something that could be accomplished with just one video call, but Yang forgot to do it. Evidently the little lucky fairy was not going to reward him for his failure tonight.
“We are sorry, but we are fully booked.”
The old waiter blessed with dignity, physiques, and a beautiful beard said seriously. It was not a lie to extract tips. One could easily look over the not-so-roomy restaurant and understand that it was full. Under the dim lights, all the tables had candle flames rhythmically swaying. Tables without patrons would not have lit candles.
“It cannot be helped. We will have to try another place…”
As Yang scratched his head, the person sitting at a table against the wall gracefully stood up. She was a woman. The candle flames shined on her pearl-colored dress, causing a dream-like visual effect.
“Sir…”
Someone called out to him, and Yang unintentionally stood petrified in place. His adjutant, Sub-Lieutenant Frederica Greenhill, was smiling at him.
“Even I own plain clothes… My father said if you do not mind, you can join us.”
A moment later, her father was standing behind her.
“Ah, Vice Admiral Yang.”
The deputy chief of Joint Operations, Admiral Dwight Greenhill, cordially called out to him. Yang felt it would be awkward to sit with his superior, but he could not decline the offer after being invited like this.
“It is rear admiral, Sir.”
After saluting, Yang corrected him, but the admiral was unconcerned.
“You will be vice admiral by next week at the latest. You might as well get used to your new title now.”
“That is great! Is that what you wanted to tell me?”
Julian’s eyes lit up.
“I was expecting something like that, but it is still awesome.”
“Ha, ha, ha……”
After covering his extremely complex feelings with that simple laughter, Yang pulled himself together and introduced his guardianee to the Greenhills.
“I see, so you are Julian: the honor student, the flying ball gold medalist, and the top scorer for the junior class. You do quite well at both academics and sports.”
Flying ball was a ball game played inside a dome with a controlled gravity of 0.5 ɡ. Although it was a simple game of placing the ball into a basket that was moving at a high speed in an irregular pattern along the wall, the moves of stealing a ball in midair, or the act of slowly rotating while controlling the ball, all seemed to be akin to a tasteful dance. The personalities of the players could also be expressed dynamically and gracefully, so it was a popular sport.
“Really? Julian?”
The irresponsible guardian asked the teenager in astonishment, and the teenager nodded with slightly flushed cheeks.
“The only one who does not know is probably you, Sir. Julian is a bit of a celebrity in this city.”
Frederica mocked him playfully, and Yang blushed.
They ordered their meals, and toasted with three glasses of Year 760 red wine and a glass of ginger ale to Julian Mintz being the top scorer. Then, their meals arrived.
As the plates were being placed on the table, Admiral Greenhill brought up an unexpected topic.
“By the way, Yang, you do not have any plans to get married yet, do you?”
Yang and Frederica’s knives simultaneously clinked on their plates. The old waiter who was a traditional pottery hobbyist crossed his eyebrows involuntarily.
“Yeah, I will consider it when we have peace.”
Frederica did not say anything, and she faced down to focus on using her knife and fork, but her hand movements were a bit rough. Julian was watching his guardian with great interest.
“A friend of mine passed away and left his fiancée behind. Every time I think about that I feel very…”
The one who was killed-in-action at Astarte was Lieutenant Commander Lapp. Admiral Greenhill nodded, and then changed the subject.
“Do you know Jessica Edwards? She was elected as the representative during last week’s by-election. She was elected from planet Thernusen (テルヌーゼン).”
The multi-directional surprise-attacks seemed to be the forte of both Fleet Admiral Sithole and Admiral Greenhill.
“Oh, she was probably supported by the anti-war faction.”
“Yes. Of course, she was also attacked by the pro-war faction……”
“For example, the Patriotic Knight Corps?”
“The Patriotic Knight Corps? They are just clowns not worthy of discussion, are they not? …… Hmm, this gelatin salad is great.”
“I agree.”
Yang was talking about the gelatin salad.
Although he agreed that the unpleasant Patriotic Knight Corps were a bunch of clowns, he could not rule out the possibility that their exaggerated theatrical behavior were the result of clever calculations. After all, the intellectuals in the Galactic Federation also greeted the younger generation who fervently supported Rudolf von Goldenbaum early on with pitiful and bitter smiles.
Behind the thick curtains where it was invisible to the audience, a certain someone might just be smiling with satisfaction.
IX
On the way home, riding in the computer-controlled, driverless taxi, Yang thought of Jessica Edwards.
“To the people in power, I have just one question I wish to ask. Where were you? When you sent the service members to their deaths, where were you? What were you doing?”
That was the climax of Jessica’s speech. Yang could not help but be reminded of the scene at the memorial service held after the defeat in Astarte. Secretary of Defense Trunicht, who regarded himself as an eloquent man, was not able to withstand her accusations. For that reason alone, she was probably going to have all the hatred and hostility of the pro-war faction concentrated on her. The path she chose may be more difficult to traverse on than the Iserlohn Corridor.
The driverless taxi suddenly stopped. This was something that should not have happened. If the automated cars’ control systems were functioning properly, then the vehicles should not have motions that would cause unwanted inertia upon the human body. Perhaps something malfunctioned?
He opened his door manually, and got off the car. A police officer in a blue uniform ran over to Yang while straining and shaking his overweight body. He recognized Yang’s face. He first expressed his gratefulness for being able to meet a national hero face to face, then, he explained the situation.
According to him, the control system in the Urban Traffic Control Center malfunctioned.
“What part malfunctioned?”
“I do not know the details of the situation, but it seems to be a simple human error that was made when the information was entered. Well, recently the workforce has a shortage of experienced workers, so it is not unusual for this to happen.”
The police laughed, but after Julian looked at him antagonistically, he forcefully put up a serious expression.
“Ah, ahem, it is not the place for laugher. With that said, the transportation system in this area will be out of service for the next four hours. Same with the walkway and the magnetic repulsion path. Basically everything will be out of service.”
“Everything?”
“Yes, everything.”
For some reason, that was said with a boastful attitude. Yang thought it was peculiar, but the truth was it was no laughing matter. The facts could be calculated from this accident and the police’s remarks, and what it suggested was chilling. The system that managed and operated the society had been significantly weakened. The adverse effects of war may be stealthier than the footsteps of the devil, but they were substantively eroding the society.
Julian looked up at him.
“Sir, what should we do?”
“We have no choice. We are walking.”
Yang quickly decided.
“It is good to do this once in a while. It is about a one-hour-walk. It will be good exercise.”
“Yup.”
The police officer narrowed his eyes at this conclusion.
“No way! The hero of Iserlohn is not going to walk. We can prepare a ground vehicle or a hovercraft for you. Please use that instead.”
“I will feel troubled if that was only done for me.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, I will definitely worry about it.”
He had to put in a bit of effort to not have his displeasure shown through his voice or his expression.
“Let’s walk, Julian.”
“Aye aye, Sir.”
The teenager responded energetically. He nimbly skipped away, and suddenly he stopped in his track. Confused, Yang turned around.
“What? Julian? You don’t like walking?”
Displeasure trailed in his voice, and his tone might have been a little bit curt.
“No, that is not it.”
“Then, why are you not coming?”
“That… is the wrong direction.”
“……”
Yang turned around, but he did not say anything immature like, “A space fleet commander only needs to make sure his fleet is not heading towards the wrong direction.” The reality was once in a while he would lose confidence in that too, which was why Yang so greatly appreciated second-in-command Fisher’s ability to maneuver fleets extremely accurately.
Columns of magnetic repulsion vehicles sat motionlessly along the road, forming a long wall. The lost folks wandered about. Through the gaps between them, the two of them calmly passed through.
“Sir, the stars are really beautiful.”
Julian said as he looked up at the starry sky. The lights from the countless stars tangled with each other. As if they were trying to prove that this planet had an atmosphere, they twinkled continuously.
Yang was not completely open-minded.
Everyone would want to reach out to the night sky and grab the stars that were given to them. However, it was rare for people to know the exact positions of their stars. What about him himself, Yang Wen-li? Could he correctly ascertain his star? Would he lose sight of it through the various situations? Would he be mistaken?
“Hey, Sir.”
Julian called out to him.
“What is it?”
“Now, you and me, we are looking at the same star. Look, that big blue one……”
“Hmm, that star is…”
“What is the name of it?”
“Yeah, what is it called…”
If he went through the threads of his memory, he might be able to find the answer, but Yang could not bring himself to do so. What Yang was thinking about, was that it was not necessary for the boy besides him to look at the same star.
People should just grab onto the star that belonged them, even if it was a malevolent star.
Chapter Six Each and Every Star
I
The Iserlohn Fortress fell.
This tragic news shook the Galactic Empire.
“Wasn't Iserlohn impregnable?”
The minister of war (軍務尚書), Fleet Admiral Ehrenberg (エーレンベルク), muttered as he stood completely stunned in front of his desk, blood drained from his face.
“I do not believe this. Is this a false alarm?”
The Imperial military grand commander (帝国軍統帥本部長), Fleet Admiral Steinhof (シュタインホフ) quietly groaned with a hoarse voice. After verifying the facts, he barricaded himself in the fort of silence.
Even Kaiser Friedrich IV, who normally treated state affairs with lethargic indifference, had the minister of court affairs summon the minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, to explain the situation.
“The Imperial territory must be sacrosanct to the foreign enemies. This remains a fact. Nevertheless, an unfortunate situation was brought about today, and it disturbed Your Majesty’s peace of mind. This was caused by your subjects’ carelessness, and for that we feel extremely ashamed.”
The terrified marquis’s response to the throne was leaked.
“What a strange way to word things, Kircheis.”
Within the office of the fleet admiral’s mansion (元帥府), Count Reinhard von Lohengramm said to his confidant.
“Every square centimeter of the Imperial territory must not be invaded by the foreign enemies. Since when did the rebel fleet become a foreign power of equal footing? He did not face reality, and that is why he is having this contradiction.”
Since the opening of the fleet admiral’s mansion, Reinhard, who took half of the Imperial Space Fleet under his command, had been struggling with personnel issues every day.
As a fundamental policy, he wanted to promote young officers who came from a commoner or low-ranking aristocrat background. The average age of the top level commanders drastically fell. The young and energetic officers: Wolfgang Mittermeyer (ウォルフガング・ミッターマイヤー), Oskar von Reuenthal (オスカー・フォン・ロイエンタール), Karl Gustav Kempff (カール・グスタフ・ケンプ), and Fritz Joseph Bittenfeld (フリッツ・ヨーゼフ・ビッテンフェルト), all newly acquired their titles as admirals. The fleet admiral’s mansion was filled with youthful vigor and ambition.
However, over the past few days, Reinhard could not help but feel dissatisfied. Although he was able to line his frontline commanders with people who were brave and well versed in strategies, he had not been able to find a strategist.
Reinhard felt he could not expect much from those strategists with aristocratic backgrounds and graduated with honors from the officer’s academy. He knew that military capability was not something that could be developed in an educational environment. He was an example that an innate serviceman could become honors student in school, but the reverse was impossible.
Kircheis could not act as his strategist. At times, it would be necessary for Kircheis to act as Reinhard’s other-self and command several fleets in Reinhard’s stead. Additionally, he must also assist Reinhard in gaining a broader perspective when making decisions. Those were the responsibilities of a confidant.
In the past, during the rebellion in the Castrop Starzone (カストロプ星系), Reinhard had sent Kircheis to the frontline as his representative. It was done to allow Kircheis to earn achievements of his own, so the public would accept Kircheis as the vice-commander of the Reinhard Fleet (ラインハルト軍団).
Reinhard had to request that the minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, issue an imperial command to Kircheis.
At the beginning, Marquis Lichtenrade was not amenable to the idea. However, his political advisor (政務補佐官) by the name of Weitz (ワイツ) submitted this opinion to the marquis:
“It might be a good thing. Rear Admiral Kircheis is the confidant of confidants for Count Lohengramm. If he successfully suppresses the rebellion, you can sell them a favor by rewarding him. In the future, that might become beneficial in many ways. Furthermore, if he fails, that becomes the responsibility of Count Lohengramm who nominated him. We will again order the count to suppress the rebellion, but since his subordinate would have already failed once, the count would not be able to claim that as a meritorious service.”
“Indeed. You are right.”
The marquis was convinced, and he processed the imperial command to order Kircheis to suppress Castrop. Reinhard had secretly sent bribes to Weitz to request that he make this type of recommendation, but that was not known to the marquis.
In this manner, Kircheis received the imperial command. For an Imperial service member, this meant that they were given a certain prestige. In Reinhard’s fleet admiral’s mansion, among his colleagues of the same rank, he now stood out, and could be officially recognized as holding the number two position in the command. However, this was only a matter of formality. To substantiate it, it was necessary for Kircheis to earn actual acts-of-valor.
The cause of the Castrop Starzone Rebellion (カストロプ星系の動乱) was as following ――
This year, Duke Eugen von Castrop (カストロプ公オイゲン) died during a private spacecraft accident.
As a noble, he had the ability to levy taxes in his own territory, so he obviously was able to boast abundant wealth. Furthermore, he was a senior statesman in the Imperial court. For fifteen years, he served as the minister of finance. During his tenure, utilizing his official authority, he strived to accumulate as much wealth as possible. Often, he was linked to disgraceful scandals, but the law was fairly relaxed when it came to dealing with crimes committed by aristocrats, and even in cases where he could not be spared the guilt, he still cleverly utilized his power and financial resources to escape punishments.
The minister of justice at the time, Count Ruge (ルーゲ), had described the feat tongue-in-cheekly as “dazzling magic.” Even the duke’s aristocratic peers felt his abuse of his privileges was excess. As a pillar of the Empire, it would become troublesome if he did not observe at least some of the laws and regulations as a public official. The public’s discontent towards just one senior statesman could easily be amplified into a distrust of the entire system.
That Duke Castrop died. For both the Empire’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Justice, it was a welcomed chance to daringly whip the dead. Even a grand noble could not escape the rule of law. The people would know this, and the innumerable small Castrops within the ranks of the aristocrats would be restrained. This must be used to demonstrate the laws and the authority of the Empire. Besides, the amount of public funds that Duke Castrop embezzled, and the amount of bribes he received, must have amounted to an enormous sum. If that money could be brought back to the national treasury, then it would temporarily relieve the financial strain caused by military spending.
Within the ranks of the financial bureaucrats, some had suggested taxing the aristocrats. However, it would change the national policy since Rudolf the Great, which could lead to a rebellion or a court revolution. Yet, if the target was limited to only Duke Castrop, then only a handful of aristocrats would oppose.
The Ministry of Finance dispatched investigators to Castrop; and there, trouble arose.
Duke Castrop had a son named Maximilian (マクシミリアン). As soon as the minister of state communicated the kaiser’s authorization, he would inherit the title and the assets from his late father. However, because of the circumstances, the minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, had postponed the inheritance procedures. When the Ministry of Finance completed its investigation, it was decided that the assets the predecessor Eugen unjustly acquired would be omitted from the authorization of the inheritance.
Maximilian resisted. As the son of a senior statesman and a high noble, he was a selfish youth who had been coveting the wealth and privilege of his late father; but he did not have his late father’s political power, not even in a negative way. Still, he drove off the investigators from the Minister of Finance with his hounds. These hounds were the “horn head hounds” that had been genetically engineered to have cone-shaped horns on their heads. They were vicious beasts that symbolized the violent side of the aristocratic power.
The youth who lacked imagination did not notice that his behavior was a slap to the face for the Imperial government that valued its authority. However, the side that was slapped was not planning on meekly accepting the humiliation.
Investigators were once again dispatched, and once again, outrageously, they were driven off. At this point, the minister of finance, Viscount Gerlach (ゲルラッハ), requested that the minister of state summon Maximilian to court.
When he received the harshly worded writ-of-summons, for the first time, Maximilian realized that his behavior had become a problem. Then, his lack of judgment caused him to be driven by extreme fear. He thought if he went to the Imperial capital Odin, he shall not be able to return again.
Duke Castrop’s family, of course, had a great number of relatives and in-laws. They became concerned, and attempted to mediate the situation, but it only heightened Maximilian’s suspicion.
Within his relatives, there was a Count Franz von Mariendorf (マリーンドルフ伯フランツ) who was known for his gentle personality. This count went to persuade him, but was instead imprisoned. Peaceful resolution became hopeless. The completely maniacal Maximilian started to recruit private militia to build upon his duchy’s garrison, and the Imperial government decided to dispatch a subjugation force.
The fleet commanded by Admiral Schmude ( シュムーデ) was deployed from Odin. This happened around the same time as the Astarte Starzone conflict between the Imperial Fleet and the Alliance Fleet. –– This first subjugation force was defeated.
Maximilian was a failure as a member of society, but he possessed a certain degree of talent in warfare. Additionally, the subjugation force underestimated the enemy and attacked before they determined a strategy. There were many reasons that led to this result. In any case, the subjugation force was subjected to a surprise attack upon landing, and Admiral Schmude was killed-in-action.
The second subjugation force also failed. Maximilian took the opportunity to attempt to annex the adjacent County of Mariendorf, hoping to build a semi-independent kingdom in a corner of the empire. Although the head of the household, Franz, was still imprisoned by Maximilian, Count Mariendorf’s garrison fought hard against the invading Maximilian fleet, and requested assistance from Odin.
Under these circumstances, Kircheis was ordered to subdue the rebellion. Then, within ten days, he successfully ended the rebellion that lasted half a year.
At first, Kircheis acted as if he was heading to rescue the County of Mariendorf, but instead he made a sharp turn and attacked the Duchy of Castrop. This surprised Maximilian, who found the idea of being robbed of his home to be unbearable; therefore, he terminated the siege on the County of Mariendorf, and rushed his entire fleet back to the Duchy of Castrop. The crisis in the County of Mariendorf was thus resolved. However, Kircheis’s move to attack the Duchy of Castrop was just a diversion.
Worried about the crisis at home, Maximilian neglected to guard his back. Kircheis hid his fleet in a dangerous part of the asteroid belt, and gave a crushing blow to Maximilian’s defenseless rear.
Although Maximilian successfully fled from the battlefield, he was killed by his subordinates who were hoping to have their crimes reduced. The remainder surrendered.
In this manner, the Castrop Rebellion abruptly ended.
The subjugation was said to have taken ten days. However, the journey from the Imperial capital Odin required six days, and two days were spent in Castrop processing post-war affairs, so the actual battle took only two days.
During this rebellion, Kircheis showcased his extraordinary talent in warfare. Reinhard was satisfied, the admirals within his fleet admiral’s mansion recognized Kircheis’s abilities, and the aristocrats were astonished. Not only did Reinhard possess such brilliant abilities, his confidant did as well. This fact was not pleasant for them.
However, an act-of-valor was an act-of-valor. Kircheis was promoted to the rank of vice admiral, and he was awarded a brilliant, golden Double-Headed-Eagle Medal of Valor. The minister of state, Marquis Lichtenrade, in his capacity as the interim Imperial prime minister, bestowed the medal upon Kircheis to honor his meritorious feat. He counseled Kircheis to be ever more grateful for the grace of His Imperial Majesty, and to further his loyalty.
Kircheis knew of the circumstances behind the scene, so he found the “ingratiation” of Lichtenrade, who was instigated by Weitz, to be particularly ridiculous. Of course, he did not express such feelings.
Besides, for Kircheis, to declare his loyalty to the kaiser was out of the question. The subject of his loyalty was kidnapped from right in front of him, and was Kaiser Friedrich IV not the current captor of said person? The reason he fought was not because of the empire, the royal family, or the kaiser.
The tall, red-headed young man, Siegfried Kircheis, actually had considerable popularity among the women in the Imperial court, ranging from daughters of dukes to maids. He was not aware of it, however. If he had noticed, he might have thought it a nuisance.
Now, during the time when Reinhard and Kircheis’s positions had been established respectively, a grey-haired Captain Oberstein appeared in front of them.
II
I want a strategist. –– This desire of Reinhard’s intensified recently.
He wanted a strategist, but not necessarily for military matters only. If that was the case, then just Reinhard and Kircheis would be enough. He needed someone well versed in political maneuvers and stratagems. From now on, they would be up against the aristocrats nested within the court. Reinhard expected that those kinds of conflicts would increasingly be filled with conspiracies and mutual deceits. Assuming that, Kircheis would not be a good candidate to consult with in that area. This was not due to his capabilities, but due to his personality and thought process.
After entrusting his blaster to the guards, a man entered the office unarmed. Reinhard confirmed his personnel file mentally. So far, reasons why Reinhard should view him favorably had not been noted.
“Captain Oberstein, correct? Why are you here to see me?”
“First of all, please clear the room.”
With an attitude that was almost arrogant, the uninvited guest requested.
“There are only three people here.”
“Yes, Vice Admiral Kircheis is present, which is why I requested that you clear the room.”
Kircheis remained silent. With a keen look, Reinhard stared at his guest.
“Vice Admiral Kircheis is the same as myself. Did you not know that?”
“I know that.”
“So, you do not want him to hear the things you wish to say? Well, if I tell him later, the result will be the same.”
“Of course, Your Excellency is free to do so. However, Your Excellency, to achieve supremacy, a variety of different types of talents will be needed. You say to A things that are appropriate to say to A, and give B the missions that are appropriate to give to B. I believe some have said that in the past.”
Kircheis looked at Reinhard and hesitantly asked:
“Your Excellency, is it alright if I retreat to the adjacent room?”
“I see.”
Reinhard nodded thoughtfully. Kircheis left, and Oberstein finally got down to business.
“The truth is, Your Excellency, at the moment, I am in somewhat of a difficult position. I think you might already know that.”
“A fugitive from Iserlohn. Of course you would be condemned. After all, Admiral Seeckt had died a heroic and honorable death.”
Reinhard coldly replied. However, Oberstein did not seem perturbed.
“To the hundreds of commanders, I may just be a despicable fugitive. However, Your Excellency, I have my reasons, and I hope you will let me explain.”
“That is pointless. You should share your assertions with the court-martial, not me.”
Oberstein was the only survivor of the Iserlohn Garrison Fleet’s flagship. Because he survived, he was in the position to be judged for that incident. He did not carry out his duty to assist and correct the commander, and he sought safety for himself. That was reason enough for people to roll their eyes and impeach him. Additionally, an appropriate scapegoat who was present when Iserlohn was lost must also be made to accept some kind of responsibility.
Upon hearing Reinhard’s apathetic response, Oberstein unexpectedly covered his right eye with his hand. Soon, he pulled down his hand, and a portion of his face was left with a small, odd cavity. In his right palm, he held a small, spherical, crystal-like object, and the grey-haired man presented it to the young fleet admiral.
“Your Excellency, please take a look at this.”
“……”
“I believe you have already heard this from Vice Admiral Kircheis, but both my eyes are ocular prostheses. If we were still under the reign of Kaiser Rudolf, then I would have been killed as an infant due to the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act.”
After fitting the removed prosthesis back into its socket, Oberstein took a deep look at Reinhard.
“Do you understand? I hate them. Rudolf the Great, his descendants, and everything he created, including the Goldenbaum Dynasty of the Galactic Empire itself!”
“That is a bold statement.”
For a moment, the young fleet admiral was overcome by the choking sensation of a claustrophobic patient. This man’s ocular prostheses had the function to overwhelm people, or maybe they contained compression elements. Even this type of irrational suspicion was triggered.
In the room fully equipped with soundproofing equipment, the volume of Oberstein’s voice was low, but it roared like an untimely spring thunder.
“The Galactic Empire, no, the Goldenbaum Dynasty should perish. If possible, I want to destroy it with my own hands, but I do not have that ability. What I can do is to assist in the emergence of a new champion, but that is it. In other words, that champion is you, Your Excellency, fleet admiral, Count Reinhard von Lohengramm.”
Reinhard heard the cracking sound in the charged atmosphere.
“Kircheis!”
As he rose from his chair, Reinhard called out to his confidant. The wall silently opened, and a young, redheaded, tall figure appeared. Reinhard’s pointed his finger at Oberstein.
“Kircheis, arrest Captain Oberstein. He made a rebellious remark that was treasonous against the Empire. I cannot overlook it as an officer of the Empire.”
Oberstein’s ocular prostheses were shining vigorously. The young, redheaded officer drew out his blaster with his right hand at a masterful speed, and aimed it right at the center of Oberstein’s chest. Ever since military school, few were able to surpass him in shooting. Even if Oberstein was in possession of his gun, it still would be futile to try and resist.
“At the end, you are a man of this caliber...”
Oberstein muttered. The bitter darkness of self-derision and disappointment crept onto his already sickly face.
“Fine, just rely on your only confidant Vice Admiral Kircheis and go travel down your little narrow path.”
Half of that statement was acting; the other half was his true feelings. He silently looked at Reinhard, and then turned around to face Kircheis.
“Vice Admiral Kircheis, are you able to shoot me? I am completely unarmed. Are you still able to shoot?”
Reinhard did not issue further commands. Although Kircheis continued to aim, he hesitated to put pressure on the trigger.
“You cannot, right? You are this type of man. While admirable, it is insufficient to achieve supremacy. The shadow will follow the light… but young Count Lohengramm has yet to understand this.”
Reinhard stared at Oberstein while signaling Kircheis to put away his blaster. Reinhard’s expression had changed subtly.
“You are a man who speaks your mind.”
“Excuse me.”
“Admiral Seeckt no doubt hated you. Am I right?”
“The admiral was not a person who inspired loyalty in his subordinates.”
Oberstein replied calmly, knowing he won the bet.
Reinhard nodded.
“Very well, I will buy you from the aristocrats.”
III
The minister of war, the military grand commander, and the chief space fleet commander were the three positions that were often referred to as the “three Imperial Fleet chiefs.” The only example of one person serving all three positions concurrently happened nearly a century ago. The person was the crown prince at the time, Otfried (オトフリート).
He also served as the Imperial prime minister. Ever since, the position of the Imperial prime minister was no longer formally appointed. Instead, the minister of state acted as a proxy for the position. This was to prevent the subjects from following the precedent of a kaiser.
Otfried was popular and competent as a crown prince, but since coronation and becoming Kaiser Otfried III, his suspiciousness hypertrophied in the midst of repeated court conspiracies. Four times he replaced his kaiserin, and five times he changed his successor. At the end, terrified of being poisoned, he refrained from eating, and died an emaciated death in his mid-forties.
Now, the “three Imperial Fleet chiefs”: the minister of war, Ehrenberg, the military grand commander, Steinhof, and the chief space fleet commander, Mückenberger, all submitted their letters of resignation to the minister of state acting as the Imperial prime minister, Marquis Lichtenrade. They intended to take responsibility for the loss of Iserlohn.
“You are not avoiding your responsibilities or clinging to your positions. I think that graciousness is worthy of praise. However, if all three chiefs’ positions open up at the same time, then Count Lohengramm would likely receive at least one of those positions. You probably do not wish to aid his advancement, so, since none of you have any financial difficulties, what about you relinquish about a year’s pay?”
After the minister of state said that, Fleet Admiral Steinhof replied with an anguished expression.
“We considered that, but we are military men. If people incorrectly criticize us and say we are taking this course-of-action because we want to cling to our positions, then that will be regrettable. Please accept our resignation.”
Out of necessity, Marquis Lichtenrade went to court to present the three chiefs’ resignation letters to Kaiser Friedrich IV.
The kaiser was as lethargic as ever as he listened to the minister of state, then he ordered his palace staff to summon Reinhard from the fleet admiral’s mansion. This was a task that could have been accomplished using the videophone, but Reinhard was expressly summoned in. This was a necessary formality to demonstrate the kaiser’s authority.
When Reinhard visited the palace, the kaiser showed the young Imperial fleet admiral all three resignation-letters, and asked him which position he wanted. The tone was as if he was asking a child to pick a toy. After glancing at the disappointed minister of state, Reinhard replied:
“I did not earn any merits, so I cannot deprive another of his position. The loss of Iserlohn was the result of Admiral Seeckt and Admiral Stockhausen’s mistakes. Admiral Seeckt has paid for his sins with his death, and the other is currently imprisoned by the enemy. I do not feel anyone else should be blamed for this incident. I humbly request Your Majesty to not place any blame on the three chiefs.”
“Well, this one’s generous.”
The kaiser looked at the minister of state who was surprised by this unexpected development.
“What the count requested, what do you think about it?”
“……The count possesses insights beyond his age. Your subject feels deeply impressed. Your subject also wishes for leniency where it concerns the three chiefs who have contributed greatly to the country.”
“Since both of you requested so, I will not hand them any harsh punishments. However, it will not go well if I do not pursue their guilt at all…”
“In that case, Your Majesty, for a period of one year, they can be allowed to relinquish their salaries. The funds will be given to the relief fund for the families of the fallen. Does Your Majesty find that to be acceptable?”
“That is a good idea. Very well, Minister of State, please hash out the details. Is that all you wanted to talk about?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then, the two of you may leave. I am going to go care for the roses in my greenhouse now.”
Both of them exited.
However, not even five minutes later, one of them secretly returned. Because he partially ran back, the seventy-five years old Marquis Lichtenrade needed time to adjust his breathing. However, when he entered the kaiser’s rose garden, he already restored his equilibrium.
Surrounded by wildly colorful and aromatic roses, the kaiser stood there like a dead tree. The elderly noble walked up, and very carefully, kneeled down.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty…”
“What is it?”
“The matter I wish to discuss may bring Your Majesty displeasure, but…”
“Is this concerning Count Lohengramm?”
The voice of the kaiser contained no sharpness, intensity, or anger. It resembled the sound of sand being blown by the wind. It was the lifeless, enigmatic voice of an old man.
“I am giving Annerose’s brother too much power and prestige.”
“Your Majesty already knew?”
The minister of state was surprised. The kaiser’s message was surprisingly clear.
“He is fearless, therefore, he will not limit himself to wielding his power as a senior statesman; he is likely to usurp the throne. That is what you were thinking?”
“I hesitated to bring it up because it seems to be a bit much…”
“What is wrong with that?”
“Huh?”
“The Goldenbaum Dynasty was not in existence when mankind was created. Just like how we cannot expect humans to be immortal, states also cannot be immortal. It would not be unreasonable for the Goldenbaum Dynasty to become extinct during my generation.”
His low, dry laugh made the minister of state shiver. It was as if he fell into an abyss of nothingness. He felt cold from the bottom of his soul.
“If we will perish anyway…”
The kaiser’s voice trailed on like the ominous tail of a comet.
“Then it would be good to perish magnificently…”
IV
Reluctantly and unpleasantly, “the three chiefs” accepted Reinhard’s favor. Consequently, the next day, when Reinhard requested immunity for Captain Paul von Oberstein in the case concerning the loss of Iserlohn, and asked that Oberstein be permanently reassigned to his fleet admiral’s mansion, they were not able to reject his request. Since they benefitted from “His Imperial Majesty’s clemency,” they felt they could not punish others harshly. Furthermore, it was just an unimportant matter concerning the placement of a captain. In any case, Oberstein received a satisfactory result.
Reinhard passed up an opportunity to be promoted to one of the three chiefs, and much was said concerning that his motives.
“He was unexpectedly generous.”
There were favorable reviews as such.
“What? It was just done for appearances.”
And there were negative reviews. They were about evenly split.
Whatever their opinions, Reinhard remained unconcerned. The positions of the three chiefs could be obtained at any time. For now, the positions could be lent to the old admirals. The positions were simply considered a transitional point for him.
When Reinhard ascended to the ultimate position, one person would be serving as all three chiefs concurrently, and that person had been feeling a little uneasy these days.
“What is it? Kircheis? You seem to have something you want to say?”
“You know, so why ask? You are being malicious.”
“Do not be angry. It is about Oberstein, right? For a while, I also wondered if he is an agent for the aristocrats, but he is not a man the aristocrats can manage. Very smart, but too peculiar.”
“Sir Reinhard, can you manage him?”
Reinhard lightly tilted his head. When he did that, all of his brilliant blond hair flowed to one side.
“Yeah… I do not expect friendship or loyalty from that man. That man is just trying to use me to fulfill his own purposes.”
His long, supple fingers extended, and he gently pulled on his friend’s hair that was seemingly dyed with liquefied ruby. Where there was no one else around, Reinhard liked to do this from time to time. When he was a young boy, once in a while he would break up with Kircheis, though such occasions never lasted long. Whenever that happened, he would resort to name-calling, “Your red hair looks like blood!” When they made up, he would praise them and say, “They are beautiful like dancing flames.” Reinhard was immature.
“…So, I want to make use of his brain. It does not really matter what his motivation is. If I could not control one man, then my hopes for universal hegemony would be impossible. Don’t you think?”
Politics is not about the process or the system. It is about the result. Reinhard thought.
The reason Reinhard could hardly forgive Rudolf the Great was not because he took over the Galactic Federation, nor because he became the kaiser. It was because he went through that much trouble to acquire this great power, but instead it was used on the stupidest acts of self-sanctification. That was the true nature of the self-proclaimed hero, Rudolf. If he had used his mighty power for good, then he could have benefited the construction and progress of civilization immeasurably. Perhaps if mankind had not needed to waste energy on struggles concerning differences in political ideologies, we could have marked our footprints all over the Milky Way by now. The reality now was even after combining the Empire and the rebel’s territories, humans dominated nothing except for a fifth of this enormous stellar world.
Therefore, the responsibilities for obstructing the advancement of human history would also lay with Rudolf’s stubbornness. What kind of living god was he? If anything he was the god of misfortune and disease.
To destroy an old regime and to set up a new order required great power and a strong military, but he was not going to repeat Rudolf’s mistakes. He would become the kaiser, but he would not do things like only passing his throne unto his descendants.
Rudolf placed blind faith in genetics and lineage, but genetics was not trustworthy. Reinhard’s father was not a great man, nor was he a genius. He had not even the ability to make a living on his own. He was a bastard who sold his beautiful daughter to those in power, then drowned the rest of his life in decadence and debauchery. Seven years ago, he died suddenly from lechery and excessive drinking, but Reinhard had no tears to be shed. When Reinhard saw the clear streams flow down his older sister’s cheeks like water running along the highest quality white porcelain, his heart ached, but it was only because of his sympathy for his older sister.
To illustrate the untrustworthiness of genetics, one could observe the current state of the Goldenbaum royal family. Who could possibly imagine that within the deteriorating body of Friedrich IV flowed even one milliliter of the blood of the giant, Rudolf the Great? The blood of the Goldenbaum family had already been completely contaminated.
Friedrich IV had nine brothers and sisters; all of them died. Including the kaiserin, Friedrich IV had impregnated sixteen women twenty-eight times. Six pregnancies ended in miscarriages; nine ended as stillbirths. Of the thirteen children born, four died within one year of birth, five died before coming of age, and two died as adults. Only two daughters remained: Duchess Amarie von Braunschweig (ブラウンシュヴァイク公爵夫人アマーリエ) and Marquise Christine von Littenheim (リッテンハイム侯爵夫人クリスティーネ). Although both of them married into powerful noble families, when it came to children, each only gave birth to one daughter. Except for the daughters, the only other descendent was the orphan of Crown Prince Ludwig (皇太子ルードヴィヒ) who died in adulthood. Currently, the orphan, Erwin Josef (エルウィン・ヨーゼフ), was only male heir to the royal family. He just turned five, and had not been designated as the crown prince.
Friedrich IV, who was the embodiment of all decadence in the palace, was only a subject of bitter hatred and contempt for Reinhard, but Reinhard found two things to be tolerable.
Firstly, the kaiser lost several concubines to dystocia in the past. In fear of losing Annerose, the kaiser did not impregnate her. Additionally, if Annerose were to give birth to a child, then the aristocrats who worry about the start of another struggle for the throne would pressure the monarch. As far as Reinhard was concerned, his sister giving birth to a child of that kaiser, the thought alone was too horrid to be imagined.
Secondly, the number of qualified successors to the throne was extremely small. The kaiser had only three grandchildren. Reinhard only needed to eliminate them. Or, he could plot to marry one of the two granddaughters. –– It would just be formality anyway.
In any case, Oberstein would be useful. If it was that man, he would use his dark passion and his relentless will to ponder schemes against the imperial household and the aristocrats. If necessary, he would probably not hesitate to murder women and children either. Perhaps Kircheis noticed this subconsciously, so he disliked Oberstein, but for Reinhard, Oberstein was necessary.
Reinhard wondered: It was necessary for him to utilize talents like Oberstein, but would Kircheis and his sister, Annerose, still find him likable? …Still, it was something that had to be done.
V
Fezzan’s landesherr, Rubinsky, was listening to his assistant’s presentation on economic strategies in his official residence.
“The Universal Finance Corporation, which is our dominion government’s shell corporation in the Free Planets Alliance, has won the solid natural gas mining rights on the seventh and eighth planets of the Bharatpur System. The mineable reserve totals forty-eight-million cubic kilometers, and we estimate that we will be able to operate on a profitable basis in two years.”
The assistant saw that Rubinsky gave a nod, so he continued to report.
“Then, regarding one of the Alliance’s largest interstellar shipping company, Santa Cruz Line, we have acquired 41.9% of its shares. However, since we have split the ownership of the shares into more than twenty entities, they have yet to discover it. In actuality, we have replaced the state-owned investment company as the largest shareholder.”
“That is fine, but keep at it until we have over 50% of the shares.”
“Of course. Meanwhile, on the Empire side, we have decided to invest in the agricultural development plans for the seventh frontier starzone. Its second planet, Eisenherz, has 200 quadrillion tons of water. The plan is to ship that water to the eight dry planets to increase food production to produce food for five billion people.”
“What is the equity participation ratio?”
“Combining our government’s three shell companies, we have 84%. It is a de facto monopoly. Next is the radium factory on Ingolstadt…”
After Rubinsky heard the reports, he dismissed his assistant, and looked out to the beautiful, barren view outside his walls.
So far, things were going well. Be it the Empire or the Alliance, when it came to war, the governments in both countries seemed to think that it was limited to warships exchanging sub-light-speed missiles in the outer-space. While the obtuse and stubborn dogmatists dedicated themselves to killing each other, Fezzan focused elsewhere; and Fezzan would soon clench the roots and trunks of the two countries’ socioeconomic systems. Even now, nearly half of the war bonds issued by the two countries were directly or indirectly purchased by Fezzan.
Wherever humans set foot in the universe, Fezzan ruled it economically. Both the Imperial government and the Alliance government were just there to divert economic benefits to Fezzan. Soon they would become puppet governments that merely implement policies on behalf of Fezzan, although, that would take a little more time. If that were to happen, there would not even be a half-step distance to the final stages of the objective……
But, of course, that does not mean the political or military situations could be downplayed. In short, if the Empire and the Alliance were unified politically via a powerful hegemony, then Fezzan’s privileged position would cease to be meaningful. In ancient times, when a new unifying dynasty emerged, the surrounding trade cities would all succumb to its political strength and military power. Perhaps history would again repeat itself.
Assuming that, then the road to achieve the objective would be closed permanently. Therefore, the birth of a new Galactic Empire absolutely must be prevented.
A new Galactic Empire……?
This idea gave Rubinsky a fresh sense of curiosity.
The current Goldenbaum Dynasty of the Galactic Empire had become decrepit. It would be nearly impossible to reinvigorate it. Even if it was divided into a number of small kingdoms, and a new order was born among them, it would still take centuries.
On the other hand, the Free Planets Alliance had lost its founding ideals, and had sunk into stagnation. Economic and social development had stalled, which raised the level of dissatisfaction within the people. Among the various planets that made up the alliance, there were unending feuds over economic inequality. Unless if a charismatic leader emerged and rebuilt a centralized regime, the situation would not improve.
Five centuries ago, young Rudolf von Goldenbaum filled his giant-like body with power-oriented energy, hijacked the political system of the Galactic Federation, and became the holy and inviolable kaiser. The dictator emerged through legal means. The day this reoccurs would come. Assuming one was to take control of the existing power structure, then rapid changes would be possible, even if it was not lawful…
Coup d’état by someone close to the center of the administrative and military power would be a classic and effective method that never lost its charm.
Rubinsky pressed a button on his console and called in his assistant.
“What is the possibility of a coup in either of the countries?”
The landesherr’s question startled him.
“If you require it, I will investigate it immediately. Is there urgent news that would suggest something like that?”
“Not really. It was just a thought that came to mind just now. However, it is best to closely examine every possibility.”
It was unpleasant to allow the owners of the rotten minds and spirits to indulge in the ascendancy they were unqualified for, but for the time being, it was necessary for the existing structures of the Alliance and the Empire to persist. – thought Fezzan’s ruler. At least until the day Fezzan achieved its real objective: an objective unimaginable for both the Empire and the Alliance……
VI
The Free Planets Alliance’s High Council (最高評議会) was comprised of eleven council members: Supreme Chairman (議長), Deputy Chairman serving as the Secretary of State (副議長兼国務委員長), Chief Clerk (書記), Secretary of Defense (国防委員長), Secretary of the Treasury (財政委員長), Secretary of Justice (法秩序委員長), Secretary of Natural Resources (天然資源委員長), Secretary of Human Resources (人的資源委員長), Secretary of Economic Development (経済開発委員長), Secretary of Land and Social Development (地域社会開発委員長), and Secretary of Information and Transportation (情報交通委員長). Currently, they were gathered in a room within a magnificent pearl-colored building.
The windowless Decision Room (会議室《デシジョン・ルーム》) was a meeting room with thick walls on all sides and surrounded by many rooms. The Communications Room (対外連絡室), the Document Preparation Room (資料作成室), the Intelligence Room (情報加工室), the Machinery Control Room (機器操作室), and the Guards Anteroom (警備兵の控室) further to the outside, all encircled the Decision Room in a donut-like shape.
Can this still be called an open government? The secretary of the treasury, João Rebelo (ジョアン・レベロ), wondered, as he sat in one of the seats around the seven-meters-in-diameter round table. This question did not surface today. It was a question he could not help but wondered each time he passed through the infrared-scanner-filled hallways to enter the Decision Room.
On this day, August 6, 796 UC, there was only one item on the agenda. It was to decide whether to approve or deny the fleet deployment plan proposed by the military. The proposal was to use the occupied Iserlohn Fortress as a bridgehead to invade the Empire. It had been submitted to the council directly by a young, high-ranking military officer. Rebelo felt the proposal was too radical.
As soon as the meeting started, Rebelo spoke against expanding the war.
“You may find this to be strange, but to date, the Galactic Empire and the Alliance had been continuing this war to the extent that was barely affordable financially. However…”
The survivor’s pension for the families of the officers and men who were killed in the Battle of Astarte alone required ten billion dinars a year in expenditures. In addition to that, if the war was expanded, the economy supporting the national treasury would unavoidably collapse. In fact, the government had already been running on a deficit.
Ironically, Yang also played a part in this financial distress. He imprisoned 500,000 people in Iserlohn. The task of feeding them alone was a serious problem.
“As for balancing the budget, we can either issue more government bonds, or increase taxes. We have only these two traditional methods to choose from. There is no other way.”
“What about increasing the amount of paper bills in circulation?”
The deputy chairman asked.
“Without any actual revenue sources? Then, in a few years, products will be sold by the weight, rather than the face value, of the paper bills. As far as I am concerned, I am sorry, but I do not want to go down in history as the incompetent economic policy-maker who caused the era of hyperinflation.”
“But if we do not win the war, then we may not have tomorrow, let alone a few years.”
“Then we should try to stop the war!”
Rebelo said bluntly, and the room fell silent.
“Through Rear Admiral Yang’s ingenuity, we obtained Iserlohn. The Imperial Fleet lost its base for their aggression towards us. Is this not a good opportunity to enter into a peace treaty on favorable terms?”
“But, this is a war of justice against the absolute monarchy. We and they are sworn enemies. How can we quit just because it is uneconomical?”
A few people argued.
A war of justice? The Free Planets Alliance’s secretary of the treasury, João Rebelo, folded his arms in silence.
Immense bloodshed. A bankrupted country. Destitution of the people. If these sacrifices were imperative to the realization of justice, then the god of justice bore a stunning resemblance to the god of greed. They both had an insatiable need for one sacrifice after another.
“Let’s take a break…”
The chairman said dully.
VII
After lunch, the meeting resumed.
Now, the person putting forth his argument was Huang Rui (ホワン・ルイ), the secretary of human resources in charge of education, employment, labor, and social security. He was also against the deployment.
“As far as the Human Resources Committee is concerned…”
Huang was short, but he had a loud voice. He had short, ruddy, and agile limbs, giving people an impression that he was rich with vitality.
“Currently, the human resources that should be utilized for economic or social development are being devoted to the military. That is disconcerting. What is also troubling is that investments in education and vocational training are being reduced. To evidence the current decreased skill levels among the workers, the workplace accidents that occurred during the last six months were a 30% increase when compared to the accident rate in the previous six-month-period. During the shipping fleet accident that happened in the Lumbini Star System (ルンビーニ星系), over four-hundred lives and fifty tons of radium were lost. I believe a big factor in the accident was the reduced training period for civilian astronauts. Additionally, due to the lack of astronauts, many are being forced to overwork.”
His message was crisp and clear.
“Here I also have a proposal. Out of the technicians, logistics specialists, and communications specialists that the military recruited, four million should return to the private sector. That is the minimum necessary.”
Huang scanned over all of the council members who attended, and stopped when he got to the Secretary of Defense Trunicht. With a frown, Trunicht responded.
“Do not be unreasonable. If that many people were removed from support duty, the military would collapse.”
“The Secretary of Defense can say that, but as it is, the society and the economy will fall apart before the military does. Do you know the average age of the employees currently working at the capital’s Commodity Distribution and Control Center?”
“……No.”
“Forty-two.”
“I do not feel that is an unusual number…”
Huang forcefully pounded on the table.
“That is a numerical illusion! Nearly 80% of the people are either under 20-years-old or over 70-years-old. The average certainly is 42-years-old, but in reality, there are no mid-level-technicians in their 30’s or 40’s. The entire social fabric is gradually being weakened. As far as how terrible that is, I believe, you, being the wise council members that you are, can understand……”
Huang stopped speaking, and scanned over all of them again. Except for Rebelo, everyone else averted their eyes. Some looked down, some casually looked away, and some looked up at the high ceiling.
Rebelo took over for Huang.
“In other words, now is the time to let national resources recuperate. The Iserlohn Fortress is now in our hands. Our country should be able to prevent an invasion from the Empire now and for a considerable amount of time in the future too. Assuming that, it is then not necessary for us to launch an attack.”
Rebelo exhorted.
“If we take this war any further, then we would be imposing sacrifices on our citizens and departing from the democratic principles. It would be a burden they cannot withstand.”
A rebuttal was voiced. Among the council members, there was only one woman, and she was the secretary of information and transportation, Cornelia Windsor (コーネリア・ウィンザー). She was newly appointed merely a week ago.
“We do not need to pander to the selfish citizens who did not try to understand the cause. Besides, are there any examples of greatness being accomplished without sacrifices?”
“The citizens are beginning to think that the sacrifices are too great, Mrs. Windsor.”
Rebelo chided her formalism, but there was no effect.
“It does not matter how great the sacrifice is. For example, even if all the citizens were to die, there are still things we must do.”
“That, that is beyond politics.”
Casually ignoring Rebelo’s unintentionally loud voice, Mrs. Windsor faced the other attendees, and began to loudly express her opinions.
“We have a noble obligation. We have an obligation to overthrow the Galactic Empire and save all mankind from tyranny and threats. To intoxicate ourselves with this cheap humanism and forget our great cause, is that really the attitude we should take when upholding moral principles?”
She was a beautiful, intelligent, and elegant woman in her early forties. There was also a musical quality to her voice. Her reasoning, however, made Rebelo feel that the situation was significantly more dangerous. Were her ankles not also gripped by cheap heroism?
When Rebelo attempted to rebut again, Supreme Chairman Sanford who had been silent until now spoke for the first time.
“Well, I have some materials here, so can everyone please turn our attention to the screen?”
Everyone was somewhat surprised, so they all turned their attention to the chairman, then, as he asked, to the screen.
“This is the approval ratings for our council. It is not good at all.”
The number was 31.9%, which was not very different from what the attendees expected. Only a few days earlier, Mrs. Windsor’s predecessor was disgracefully ousted due to a bribery case. Additionally, as Rebelo and Huang pointed out, there was tremendous socioeconomic stagnation.
“Now, this is the disapproval rating.”
It was 56.2%. They let out a collective sigh. Although it was not unexpected, they could not help but feel discouraged.
The chairman continued as he watched their reactions.
“At this rate, it would be difficult for us to win the election early next year. With the joint attacks from the pacifists and the hardliners, we can project that we will lose the majority. However…”
The chairman lowered his voice. It was difficult to determine whether he did that consciously, but it was very effective in capturing the listeners’ attention.
“We ran a computer simulation, and if we can bring back a breakthrough military victory against the Empire in the next one-hundred days, then our approval rating will rise by at least 15%. It is almost a certainty.”
Quiet murmur occurred.
“Let’s put the military’s proposal to a vote.”
Mrs. Windsor said. For a few seconds, several people voiced their supports. All of them then weighed the possibility of maintaining power and being defeated in an election, and during that time, they were silent.
“Please hold on a minute.”
Rebelo stood up from his seat. In spite of being under artificial lights, the colors of his cheeks faded like that of an old man.
“We do not have that kind of power. We were not given the right to unnecessarily deploy troops to maintain political power……”
His voice trembled, and it was somewhat shrill.
“Oh, just get off your high horse.”
Mrs. Windsor sneered, and she sounded even more glamorous. Rebelo was at a loss for words. He was stunned by the scene of the spirit of democracy being defiled by the policymakers’ own hands.
Huang saw Rebelo’s anguish from a few seats away.
“For goodness’ sake, please do not be hasty.”
He murmured as his finger reached for the voting button.
Six in favor, three opposed, and two abstained. Two-thirds of the valid votes were in favor of the proposal. The invasion of the Imperial territory had been approved.
The voting results stunned the council members. The part that was surprising was not that the invasion was approved, but that among the three dissenting votes, one of them belonged to the secretary of defense, Trunicht.
The other two votes came from the secretary of the treasury, Rebelo, and the secretary of human resources, Huang. Those were expected. However, Trunicht was well known for his hardline pro-war position.
“I am a patriot, but that does not mean I am always pro-war. I would hope that everyone remembers that this time I voted against the invasion.”
To those who voiced doubts, he gave the above reply.
On the same day, the Joint Operations Headquarters officially denied Rear Admiral Yang’s resignation request, and issued him a formal appointment promoting him to the rank of vice admiral.
VIII
“You said you want to resign?”
When Yang submitted his resignation letter, Fleet Admiral Sithole’s reaction could hardly be called creative. Since Yang did not think it was going to go as smoothly as an acrobatic show, where he could just hand in his resignation letter with one hand, and obtain his severance and his pension with the other, he nodded as pleasantly as possible.
“But you are only thirty years old, right?”
“Twenty-nine.”
Still in his twenties, Yang stressed.
“In any case, you have not even lived a-third of the average lifespan. Do you not think it is a little too early to step down from the stage of life?”
“Chief, that is not true.”
The young admiral disagreed. He was not stepping down from the stage of life; he was returning to the right path of his life. Up until this point, he had been forced onto an involuntary detour, but he would rather be an observer of history instead of a creator of history.
Fleet Admiral Sithole interlaced his fingers, and rested his sturdy-looking jaw on it.
“What our Fleet needs is not your knowledge as a historian, but your tolerance and competence as a military strategist. That is also an important consideration for us.”
But I already rode in on your flatter once. – Yang countered silently. In terms of the debtor-creditor relationship he had with the military, no matter how he looked at it, he felt he had repaid his loan many times over.
“Just the task of occupying Iserlohn alone should be more than enough. Keep the change.”
Yang thought. However, Chief Sithole’s attack was not singular.
“What about the 13th Fleet?”
Those were casual, yet powerful words. Yang’s jaws dropped slightly.
“It was a new fleet established just for you. If you were to quit, what would become of them?”
“That…”
That he had forgotten about. All he could say was he was careless. He had to admit the failure of this strategy. This bondage he was entangled in was not meant to be undone easily.
Ultimately, Yang left the chief’s office after turning in his resignation letter, fully aware that it was not going to be accepted. He felt disappointed, and went downstairs via the gravitational elevator.
On the sofa in the waiting area, Julian Mintz sat idly, watching the uniformed people come and go. He recognized Yang’s figure from afar, and quickly stood up. Yang had told him to stop by the Headquarters on the way home from school. Yang said it would be nice to dine out once in a while, and that he had something he wanted to discuss. – He only shared that much with Julian. He originally wanted to give Julian a surprise, tell Julian that he had already left the military, and in the future, he would just live a comfortable life as a pensioner.
The plan was not confirmed, and his sweet dream was blown away by the breaths of the bitter reality. So, what would he say? – Yang walked unconsciously as he considered, then, a voice interrupted him.
Captain Walter von Schönkopf was saluting him. It had already been decided that Schönkopf would be promoted to the rank of commodore due to his meritorious service in the recent battle.
“So, Sir, did you by any chance submit your resignation already?”
“I did, but I am certain it will be declined.”
“I see… There is no chance that the military will let you go, Sir.”
The captain who was formerly an Imperial citizen looked at Yang happily.
“Seriously though, I also wish that people like you will remain in the military. You are able to accurately assess the situation, and you have good luck. Under your command, even if we could not earn distinguished services, we at least will have a higher chance of survival.”
Schönkopf matter-of-factly critiqued his superior in front of him.
“I have decided that my life will end with death by natural causes. I will live to be about 150 years old, become weak from old age, have a bunch of grand-children and great-grand-children, and as I listen to their cries of joy from being able to rid themselves of a nuisance, I intend to then kick the bucket… I have no interest in dying a heroic death on the battlefield. By all means, please keep me alive until then.”
After he said what he came to say, the captain saluted again, and smiled at Yang. Yang was pulled out of his original miasma of despair, and returned the salute.
“Sorry for taking up so much of your time. Look, the boy is impatiently waiting for me to finish.”
Both Cazerne and Schönkopf were very sarcastic people, but Julian may possess some quality that caused both of them to be simply friendly towards him.
Occasionally, when Yang looked at Julian walking besides him, he would feel somewhat confused. It was a strange feeling. Although he had not even married, he already had a taste of the mysterious fatherly emotions……
“March Rabbit (三月兎亭)” was a restaurant that had a more casual atmosphere than one would have pictured from its name. All of its furniture was uniformly vintage. Yang particularly liked the candles that were placed upon the tables draped with handmade tablecloths. Sadly, one had to go through the hassle of making a reservation. It could not really be called a hassle, since it was something that could be accomplished with just one video call, but Yang forgot to do it. Evidently the little lucky fairy was not going to reward him for his failure tonight.
“We are sorry, but we are fully booked.”
The old waiter blessed with dignity, physiques, and a beautiful beard said seriously. It was not a lie to extract tips. One could easily look over the not-so-roomy restaurant and understand that it was full. Under the dim lights, all the tables had candle flames rhythmically swaying. Tables without patrons would not have lit candles.
“It cannot be helped. We will have to try another place…”
As Yang scratched his head, the person sitting at a table against the wall gracefully stood up. She was a woman. The candle flames shined on her pearl-colored dress, causing a dream-like visual effect.
“Sir…”
Someone called out to him, and Yang unintentionally stood petrified in place. His adjutant, Sub-Lieutenant Frederica Greenhill, was smiling at him.
“Even I own plain clothes… My father said if you do not mind, you can join us.”
A moment later, her father was standing behind her.
“Ah, Vice Admiral Yang.”
The deputy chief of Joint Operations, Admiral Dwight Greenhill, cordially called out to him. Yang felt it would be awkward to sit with his superior, but he could not decline the offer after being invited like this.
“It is rear admiral, Sir.”
After saluting, Yang corrected him, but the admiral was unconcerned.
“You will be vice admiral by next week at the latest. You might as well get used to your new title now.”
“That is great! Is that what you wanted to tell me?”
Julian’s eyes lit up.
“I was expecting something like that, but it is still awesome.”
“Ha, ha, ha……”
After covering his extremely complex feelings with that simple laughter, Yang pulled himself together and introduced his guardianee to the Greenhills.
“I see, so you are Julian: the honor student, the flying ball gold medalist, and the top scorer for the junior class. You do quite well at both academics and sports.”
Flying ball was a ball game played inside a dome with a controlled gravity of 0.5 ɡ. Although it was a simple game of placing the ball into a basket that was moving at a high speed in an irregular pattern along the wall, the moves of stealing a ball in midair, or the act of slowly rotating while controlling the ball, all seemed to be akin to a tasteful dance. The personalities of the players could also be expressed dynamically and gracefully, so it was a popular sport.
“Really? Julian?”
The irresponsible guardian asked the teenager in astonishment, and the teenager nodded with slightly flushed cheeks.
“The only one who does not know is probably you, Sir. Julian is a bit of a celebrity in this city.”
Frederica mocked him playfully, and Yang blushed.
They ordered their meals, and toasted with three glasses of Year 760 red wine and a glass of ginger ale to Julian Mintz being the top scorer. Then, their meals arrived.
As the plates were being placed on the table, Admiral Greenhill brought up an unexpected topic.
“By the way, Yang, you do not have any plans to get married yet, do you?”
Yang and Frederica’s knives simultaneously clinked on their plates. The old waiter who was a traditional pottery hobbyist crossed his eyebrows involuntarily.
“Yeah, I will consider it when we have peace.”
Frederica did not say anything, and she faced down to focus on using her knife and fork, but her hand movements were a bit rough. Julian was watching his guardian with great interest.
“A friend of mine passed away and left his fiancée behind. Every time I think about that I feel very…”
The one who was killed-in-action at Astarte was Lieutenant Commander Lapp. Admiral Greenhill nodded, and then changed the subject.
“Do you know Jessica Edwards? She was elected as the representative during last week’s by-election. She was elected from planet Thernusen (テルヌーゼン).”
The multi-directional surprise-attacks seemed to be the forte of both Fleet Admiral Sithole and Admiral Greenhill.
“Oh, she was probably supported by the anti-war faction.”
“Yes. Of course, she was also attacked by the pro-war faction……”
“For example, the Patriotic Knight Corps?”
“The Patriotic Knight Corps? They are just clowns not worthy of discussion, are they not? …… Hmm, this gelatin salad is great.”
“I agree.”
Yang was talking about the gelatin salad.
Although he agreed that the unpleasant Patriotic Knight Corps were a bunch of clowns, he could not rule out the possibility that their exaggerated theatrical behavior were the result of clever calculations. After all, the intellectuals in the Galactic Federation also greeted the younger generation who fervently supported Rudolf von Goldenbaum early on with pitiful and bitter smiles.
Behind the thick curtains where it was invisible to the audience, a certain someone might just be smiling with satisfaction.
IX
On the way home, riding in the computer-controlled, driverless taxi, Yang thought of Jessica Edwards.
“To the people in power, I have just one question I wish to ask. Where were you? When you sent the service members to their deaths, where were you? What were you doing?”
That was the climax of Jessica’s speech. Yang could not help but be reminded of the scene at the memorial service held after the defeat in Astarte. Secretary of Defense Trunicht, who regarded himself as an eloquent man, was not able to withstand her accusations. For that reason alone, she was probably going to have all the hatred and hostility of the pro-war faction concentrated on her. The path she chose may be more difficult to traverse on than the Iserlohn Corridor.
The driverless taxi suddenly stopped. This was something that should not have happened. If the automated cars’ control systems were functioning properly, then the vehicles should not have motions that would cause unwanted inertia upon the human body. Perhaps something malfunctioned?
He opened his door manually, and got off the car. A police officer in a blue uniform ran over to Yang while straining and shaking his overweight body. He recognized Yang’s face. He first expressed his gratefulness for being able to meet a national hero face to face, then, he explained the situation.
According to him, the control system in the Urban Traffic Control Center malfunctioned.
“What part malfunctioned?”
“I do not know the details of the situation, but it seems to be a simple human error that was made when the information was entered. Well, recently the workforce has a shortage of experienced workers, so it is not unusual for this to happen.”
The police laughed, but after Julian looked at him antagonistically, he forcefully put up a serious expression.
“Ah, ahem, it is not the place for laugher. With that said, the transportation system in this area will be out of service for the next four hours. Same with the walkway and the magnetic repulsion path. Basically everything will be out of service.”
“Everything?”
“Yes, everything.”
For some reason, that was said with a boastful attitude. Yang thought it was peculiar, but the truth was it was no laughing matter. The facts could be calculated from this accident and the police’s remarks, and what it suggested was chilling. The system that managed and operated the society had been significantly weakened. The adverse effects of war may be stealthier than the footsteps of the devil, but they were substantively eroding the society.
Julian looked up at him.
“Sir, what should we do?”
“We have no choice. We are walking.”
Yang quickly decided.
“It is good to do this once in a while. It is about a one-hour-walk. It will be good exercise.”
“Yup.”
The police officer narrowed his eyes at this conclusion.
“No way! The hero of Iserlohn is not going to walk. We can prepare a ground vehicle or a hovercraft for you. Please use that instead.”
“I will feel troubled if that was only done for me.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, I will definitely worry about it.”
He had to put in a bit of effort to not have his displeasure shown through his voice or his expression.
“Let’s walk, Julian.”
“Aye aye, Sir.”
The teenager responded energetically. He nimbly skipped away, and suddenly he stopped in his track. Confused, Yang turned around.
“What? Julian? You don’t like walking?”
Displeasure trailed in his voice, and his tone might have been a little bit curt.
“No, that is not it.”
“Then, why are you not coming?”
“That… is the wrong direction.”
“……”
Yang turned around, but he did not say anything immature like, “A space fleet commander only needs to make sure his fleet is not heading towards the wrong direction.” The reality was once in a while he would lose confidence in that too, which was why Yang so greatly appreciated second-in-command Fisher’s ability to maneuver fleets extremely accurately.
Columns of magnetic repulsion vehicles sat motionlessly along the road, forming a long wall. The lost folks wandered about. Through the gaps between them, the two of them calmly passed through.
“Sir, the stars are really beautiful.”
Julian said as he looked up at the starry sky. The lights from the countless stars tangled with each other. As if they were trying to prove that this planet had an atmosphere, they twinkled continuously.
Yang was not completely open-minded.
Everyone would want to reach out to the night sky and grab the stars that were given to them. However, it was rare for people to know the exact positions of their stars. What about him himself, Yang Wen-li? Could he correctly ascertain his star? Would he lose sight of it through the various situations? Would he be mistaken?
“Hey, Sir.”
Julian called out to him.
“What is it?”
“Now, you and me, we are looking at the same star. Look, that big blue one……”
“Hmm, that star is…”
“What is the name of it?”
“Yeah, what is it called…”
If he went through the threads of his memory, he might be able to find the answer, but Yang could not bring himself to do so. What Yang was thinking about, was that it was not necessary for the boy besides him to look at the same star.
People should just grab onto the star that belonged them, even if it was a malevolent star.
