At this notion of Zhao Chen's of enlarging his forces upon the grand scale, Charlotte and Lilith had in truth guessed long since.
"Then by our case as it now stands, where there is no fighting.
"We can be certain of a speed of one legion fleet built up every two months." Lilith gave out a figure, but she put forward a difficulty besides. "The interstellar warships are only a matter of building time, and the source of crews is no difficulty either.
"But as to the high officers — and above all who is to serve as legion commander of a newly built legion fleet — that is no small difficulty."
Hearing this question, Zhao Chen looked toward Charlotte.
In the matter of military appointments, Zhao Chen has always set Charlotte to have the oversight, and the whole is at last gathered up to Zhao Chen in a table of materials.
Charlotte raised a hand, and two tables of data showed forth.
Upon which were written, severally, "Owl Dragon third-generation cultivated commanders" and "Owl Dragon fourth-generation cultivated commanders."
And within the column of Owl Dragon third-generation cultivated commanders, the greater part hold already important posts within the forces, and can hardly be moved again.
While the few that may yet be placed have their names standing out.
Such as: Zhao Ruyue, Leona, Midai'er, Huang Xiaoting, Zhong Xiaoxia.
And among the Owl Dragon fourth-generation cultivated commanders, some names have already made something of themselves in the campaigns before this.
Such as the captain of the T5 Crimson-Reaper-class Heavy Interstellar Strategic Missile Ship, the wolf-girl Baiyue, the wolf-girl Baixue's younger sister.
Though the greater part have no very great merit yet, and want more chances of real fighting.
"In the near term, the several Owl Dragon legions to be built up will present no great difficulty.
"Zhao Ruyue and Leona, for instance, have of themselves many years' experience of real fighting, and the ability and experience besides to command legion fleets upon the grand scale.
"And they have been near a year in service with our Owl Dragon Legion, so that they may perfectly well be set to serve as legion commanders of the Owl Dragon Eleventh and Twelfth.
"Midai'er is a little young, but she was tempered a stretch of time before this in Warhammer's Dragon-Tiger Legion; in ability and talent she falls short of Zhao Ruyue and Leona, but I believe she has the ability, and a few months' more tempering will serve.
"Huang Xiaoting and Zhong Xiaoxia are both old hands of our Owl Dragon; they are wanting in talent, but in their training after the fact they have worked exceedingly hard, and having been long in the Owl Dragon Legion there is no question whatever of their loyalty.
"They are all of them very fair choices.
"And once the first five Owl Dragon legions are fitted out, further new choices will naturally appear," Charlotte said slowly.
Zhao Chen looked at these choices and nodded, well satisfied. "So is it best of all.
"We may accept men waiting upon ships, but we cannot let ships wait upon men!
"Every interstellar warship that comes finished off the line must within the shortest time become fighting strength in our hands!"
"Set your mind at rest, Commander!" Charlotte vowed and pledged it.
Lilith, watching from beside them, sighed within herself: in truth the pressure upon Charlotte's shoulders is no small one. With any other interstellar power, commanders of the rank of a legion commander commonly want some ten years of training.
But what help is there when the Owl Dragon Legion's speed of expansion is so swift — in a bare five years from a small fleet to a super interstellar power whose reach now spreads over half the known universe?
There is an exceedingly great gap in the cultivating of talent, and above all of topmost talent!
Which has made for the Owl Dragon Legion a wonder besides: that a crew member newly joined to the Owl Dragon Legion may within a bare year become a commander of the Owl Dragon Legion!
Though of course the condition of it is that this crew member hold talent or ability of the highest order.
And the intensity of the Owl Dragon Legion's real fighting is beyond that of other interstellar fleets; only those who have lived it know that clearly.
"And there is another piece of news besides," Lilith put in of a sudden.
"Say it." Zhao Chen took up the drink beside him and drank a mouthful.
"For this stretch of truce between the Angel Race and the Demon Race, both sides have begun to put their forces in order.
"Upon the Demon Race's side, for the campaign before this, six demon legions were lost at a stroke, and there are but six demon legions preserved, and the one Demon King's legion.
"And the Demon King has ordered that the original six demon legions be not rebuilt.
"He keeps only the six demon legions that now are; and as for the six demon legions whose numbers are lost, saving the Red Demon race-line, the rest go to the local lords' powers — but they have no right to raise forces any longer, and may keep only a certain number of lord's ships," said Lilith.
Zhao Chen laughed lightly. "So the Demon King takes this chance to gather in his own military power? But if so, what will he do without so many legion fleets?"
Lilith went on. "And so the Demon King has ordered a new establishment of legion to be set up, called the demon group-fleet corps.
"And has made over the Demon Race's present forces into a system of four ranks.
"The first rank is the Demon King's legion.
"The second rank is the six demon legions yet standing, to be used hereafter as picked legions.
"The third rank is the newly founded demon group-fleet corps, to be used as conventional legion fleets; hereafter their number will be the greatest among the Demon Race's legion fleets, and may come to some five parts in ten to seven parts in ten.
"The fourth rank is the lords' fleets within the several Demon Race territories, which may be left out of the reckoning — treat them as star-system escort fleets and no more.
"There is word that the Demon King is at present building demon warships upon the grand scale.
"He should be making ready for the next campaign.
"And at the same time the whole of the Demon Race's territory has entered upon a state of total war.
"The Demon King has ordered that above 90 percent of all production capacity for the year to come be used as military budget!"
Ninety percent of the annual output to be used as military budget?
Hearing it, Zhao Chen drew his brows together.
"The Demon King is truly going mad this time.
"By the records before this, in the thousand years' war of the Angel Race and the Demon Race, the highest military budget of any one time never went above 50 percent!" Charlotte said, her voice low.
Zhao Chen thought upon it: his own Owl Dragon, in a certain sense, puts above seven or eight parts in ten of its annual output into military matters every year, and what remains goes upon enlarging its interstellar industrial ships, making ready for military building besides.
But the Owl Dragon can do so because Zhao Chen beforehand stripped the part of the people's livelihood out of the Owl Dragon's system.
The three great empires all have their own budgets for the developing of the people's livelihood, and even the Owl Dragon Star System has its own separate budget for it.
For the steadiness of those at the bottom, in every region Zhao Chen, in his squeezing, leaves 30 percent of the local output for development; and with the Owl Dragon's building star gates for every region and setting them to interstellar trade and the like, he feeds those star systems and star regions back besides.
Which has given every territory under the Owl Dragon's system a wholesome development.
And at this terrible military budget of the Demon Race's now, Zhao Chen can imagine what the case within Demon Race territory will be in the year to come.
"The Demon King is digging his own grave.
"And since it is so, we may as well help him dig it a little deeper.
"Have Chitong get word to her own people; I would have every one of them come and see me!" Zhao Chen said, his voice low.
A plan had already come to him within.
And just at this moment.
All at once there appeared in the sky fireworks one after another, glittering, showing a prospect of five colors and every hue.
Aboard every Eden-type starship, upon every habitable planet, aboard every Owl Dragon warship, in the Owl Dragon Star System, and within the three great empires.
At this moment one might search out a certain video broadcast.
It was Zhao Chen in Owl Dragon uniform, giving the New Year address, a wine-cup in his hand; and having spoken, he smiled and raised the cup to the lens, wishing them well in the new year.
Very nearly at the same moment, the eyes of everyone within the little courtyard came to rest upon Zhao Chen.
"A happy new year."