"And further, for this campaign, the war stores we put in from first to last come to a value above 30 trillion star coins.
"Had we not, from the raw materials got by those several military purchase orders we completed before, laid up rather more war stores.
"Our logistics in this campaign would have fallen short long since," Lilith warned him.
Zhao Chen sighed; it is never enough, it is never, never enough.
This is the soft rib that has always been in the Owl Dragon Legion's side.
But there is no help for it; whose fault is it that the Owl Dragon Legion's tactical style is what it is?
"But the fruits of this campaign are exceedingly rich besides.
"Of Machine Race and Demon Race warships, those we destroyed outright, taken together from first to last, come to above two million.
"And there are above two hundred thousand warships belonging to the Judgment Angel King besides.
"And though in this campaign we did not put the Judgment Angel King to the sword with our own hands, and that creature escaped her fate, yet we have worked exceedingly great losses upon the military strength in her hand.
"Which is as good as saying we brought off a loss ratio of twenty to one," Lilith said with some pride.
Zhao Chen nodded. "This is a great merit.
"Since the Demon Race will open no invasion upon the grand scale for a short time.
"We may arrange for part of the Owl Dragon Legion to return to the Owl Dragon Star System to rest, and hold a feast of triumph."
Toil and rest joined together — that is exceedingly important.
The pressure upon everyone this while has been very great, and they need a little time to loosen.
"By the way, how stands that star gate of ours within Angel Race territory that was destroyed?
"When can it be repaired?" Zhao Chen inquired.
That star gate bears upon the traffic between the Owl Dragon and the Angel Race here.
"From the time we took that star gate back, work upon the repair has been going on with extra hours and extra hands.
"By the survey we made then, though no few of the star gate's core modules were destroyed, the outer frame may be repaired and used for all that.
"So that we need only change out the parts of those core modules, and it may in the main go on being used.
"Some three to five days more, and the lane may be opened again," said Lilith.
Which is beyond doubt a very good piece of news.
"We must strengthen our links with the Angel Race.
"I advise that we build several more star gates hereafter.
"And not at that one place only, but at the several positions of the territory the Angel Race now governs — one at the front-line field, for instance.
"And then our warships may be thrown to the front-line field direct," said Zhao Chen.
"Will the two Angel Kings agree to it?" Lilith asked with some misgiving.
To build one star gate to begin with was one thing. And now more are to be built?
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth rose a little; then he said, "In former days they would not have agreed. But have they, as they now are, any right of choosing?"
Hearing the Commander's question back to her, Lilith was silent.
Indeed, the Angel Race as it now is is no longer the Angel Race of before.
"A few days more and the year is out; reckon up our capacity of production and the case of our industry.
"And then the plan of development for the year to come may be laid.
"This year to come will be exceedingly important for us, for the Angel Race, and for this universe besides." Zhao Chen's gaze was deep.
As though he had seen already the future of this universe.
Lilith nodded. "I shall complete the reckoning of it as soon as may be."
Thereafter the two of them discussed some further matters.
"Then take your rest, Commander; I take my leave." Lilith turned to go.
But the next second her body was dragged onto the bed by Zhao Chen.
"Commander… you…" Lilith looked at the Commander pressing upon her, her cheeks a little red.
"You have come a rare journey; let me give you a massage.
"You have labored hard this while too; take it as your Commander's particular reward for you." Zhao Chen looked down at Lilith lying upon the massage bed; by rights, being a succubus, she ought to be the bold one.
Yet when it truly comes to such a passage, Lilith is always shy at the outset and cannot let herself go.
Only when the thing has warmed a while does she let herself fly free.
Lilith would have refused; but Lilith, whose soft ribs the Commander long since had by heart, was in an instant without strength to speak, and lost the field.
Some minutes later, Lilith, breathing lightly, cast an eye at the mechanical maid standing all this while beside them, and could not keep from saying, "Have it taken away.
"Standing there the whole time, it feels as if someone were watching."
Zhao Chen turned his head aside toward that mechanical maid; and being made so very like a person, it does indeed feel so.
"Shut down," Zhao Chen ordered outright.
The mechanical maid's body checked, and thereafter lay slowly down.
A drawer-like interlayer appeared beneath the bed; the mechanical maid lay flat upon it, the light in her two eyes dimming as though she were shut down, and was drawn away into the bed.
Zhao Chen: ……
Lilith: ……
Zhao Chen: "What devil of a design is this — dock Annie's wages!"
…………
T5 Diamond-Eden-class starship, number one ship · the holiday district
A bright moon overhead, and a whole sky of stars besides, and a slow evening wind that gives one a feeling of ease and openness of heart.
And with a natural hot spring warming the body besides, it is as though the whole of this while's pressure might be let out.
"How comfortable~"
"How comfortable~"
"How comfortable~"
The three of them muttered it with one voice.
The three lay in the natural hot spring in their bathing dress, with nothing but their heads resting against the bank.
Xue Xiaoxiao, Zhao Wan'er and Annie, their eyes shut, enjoying this soothing of the body.
Set against the ease of these three.
In the pavilion upon the other side, Charlotte, Chitong, Baixue, Medusa and Pei Shengnan and the rest were drinking.
At the outset they all drank quietly and decorously enough.
But very soon — who called out first, none knows — it turned quickly from the tasting of wine into the drinking of each other down.
"You human folk are no good at drinking; watch me take off a bottle in one breath!" The snake-woman Qingman, her face a little red, shook the empty bottle in her hand.
Wei Shishi, being of royal guard origins, has of course her own pride; she took up the wine jar beside her outright and drank it off, and having done so looked at the other in challenge.
As if to say: no more than that, then.
Very soon the two of them were drunk as drunk.
"Hic… who is it you say is no good?
"I am but three parts gone yet!" Wei Shishi rocked her body and pointed at the snake-woman Qingman.
The snake-woman Qingman narrowed her eyes by half. "I… I have but this moment begun."
"Pah, what do you call that, the way you two drink.
"If you would drink, drink them mixed!" The wolf-girl Baixue beside them was fiercer yet; from somewhere or other she found a wine cask the height of a man, and poured every kind of wine into it, all boiled up in one pot.
Thereafter the wolf-girl Baixue took a header and plunged straight into the cask.
Half a minute…
A minute…
The wolf-girl Baiyue came over somewhat bashfully, and then hauled out of the cask the wolf-girl Baixue, long since asleep and red from head to foot.
"I beg your pardon… I beg your pardon; my sister cannot drink a drop.
"Do you go on." The wolf-girl Baiyue begged their pardon again and again, and then carried her own sister away.
The snake-woman Qingman and Wei Shishi went on matching each other at the wine.
"Qingman… hic… do you dare… drink what I give you!"
"There is no wine in this universe that this young lady Qingman dares not drink. Name it! What wine!"
"Realgar!"[1]
"……!"