Zhao Chen shut the information box before him.
He looked toward Lilith beside him. "You said just now that the Holy Dragon Angel Legion is going to fight the three hundred thousand Demon Race warships the Demon Race has sent to the Angel Race's field.
"And will face a quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship besides?"
"Yes; this is the latest word to reach us.
"Upon the Angel Race and Demon Race's field the Angel Race has already the advantage; and to keep the case from growing worse, the Demon Race could not but send reinforcements.
"Among which is one quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship," Lilith answered.
"Have we any interstellar stealth scout near that field?" Zhao Chen inquired at once.
"There is one; I have already ordered her to draw near the field, to record the case of the fighting there and relay it across." Lilith of course guessed what her Commander wanted, and spoke out her own arrangement.
"Put it up, then," Zhao Chen said with interest.
Of combat data upon the quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship, no little has in fact been gathered already upon that field about the Machine Race's royal court.
But to the present there is no data of an Owl Dragon-line warship's crossing hands with a quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship.
This Holy Dragon Angel Legion that the angel Tilia leads, being an angel legion fleet fitted out throughout with Owl Dragon warships, and with the forty T5 warships newly added.
May beyond doubt be reckoned a little Owl Dragon legion fleet.
To watch this battle is of great use for the Owl Dragon Legion's standing hereafter against this quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship of the Demon Race's.
Very soon a picture showed before Zhao Chen's eyes.
That was a field where fighting had already broken out.
The two sides being an Angel Race fleet and a Demon Race fleet.
Lilith began to set it out for Zhao Chen beside him. "This is a local field.
"Before this, there were here two hundred thousand Angel Race warships and one hundred thousand Demon Race warships; in the case of it the Angel Race fleet held the advantage, and had a chance of turning that advantage into a winning position.
"And just at that time the Demon Race sent a further body of three hundred thousand Demon Race warships.
"And so the military strength of the two sides underwent a vast change.
"And the Angel Race made its answer accordingly.
"Sending the Holy Dragon Angel Legion's thirty thousand warships to hasten to this field, and an angel legion of a hundred thousand starships besides going in support.
"And so, comparing the two sides' forces — if one look at number alone.
"It is the Angel Race's three hundred and thirty thousand warships against the Demon Race's four hundred thousand.
"In number the Demon Race holds the advantage anew, and has a quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship besides.
"But the Angel Race has the Holy Dragon Angel Legion, and so no one can be certain of this campaign's end," said Lilith.
At this time another voice came from beside Zhao Chen.
"This local campaign will work upon the whole course this field of the Angel Race and Demon Race takes hereafter.
"There are no ends to it but three: win, draw, or lose."
A white tail stretched out before Zhao Chen and swept across Zhao Chen's neck.
"If the Angel Race wins, then a great part of the Demon Race's forces will be drawn in, and the Demon Race must make a choice: either go on sending legion fleets, and by that lessen the strength put into the Machine Race's field.
"And besides, should anything befall that quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship in this fighting, the price the Demon Race must bear will be very great.
"A draw.
"That is, the two sides enter upon a war of sawing back and forth and wearing each other down, and a great deal of time will likely have to be put into this place.
"As for what follows, that depends on whether the two sides have strength to spare to put in, and whether any trouble arise in their logistics.
"If the Angel Race loses.
"Then the whole plan of counter-attack and recovery upon the Angel Race's side is bankrupt, and even those star systems recovered before will be spat back up.
"And should the Holy Dragon Angel Legion in the course of it be too heavily hurt, or even annihilated to the last ship.
"Then within half a year the Angel Race cannot possibly have the power to strike back again."
Zhao Chen turned his eyes upon Charlotte, who had come to his side.
Charlotte was staring at him with an aggrieved gaze.
"How is it you are come?" Zhao Chen asked it as one who asks what he knows already.
"I ask you: when will you let our Owl Dragon Legion take part in the fighting?
"The Angel Race's field or the Machine Race's — anywhere will do.
"I am all but stifled to death!" Charlotte said it like one whose want is unanswered.
"Stifled to death? Did you not say a few days since that you could bear no more?" Zhao Chen wore a look of perplexity.
Charlotte's cheeks went red, and she glared at Zhao Chen in vexation.
Lilith covered her mouth and laughed lightly beside them.
Ever since the standing among the three of them was made open, Zhao Chen has been a good deal bolder when the three of them talk in private, and likes above all to tease Charlotte before Lilith's face.
And Charlotte, fierce as she is at such times, can in such a case never do anything with Zhao Chen at all.
Zhao Chen put out a hand to touch Charlotte's tail, and Charlotte's tail, as though it had a mind of its own, dodged and flinched away from Zhao Chen there.
"For the present our Owl Dragon will not send out troops.
"In this while we must put our own legion fleets in order, make up the warships lost after last year's campaign, and raise the Owl Dragon Legion's whole fighting strength.
"As for when we put out a hand.
"I shall tell you at the time," Zhao Chen explained.
He could hardly say outright that it was for the sake of a mission's reward.
He could only give off an air of mystery, and let Charlotte and Lilith guess at it.
Lilith of course has no opinion against it; to her thinking as secretary officer, the present case is the best there is.
They may watch the tigers fight from across the water, and go on furnishing the Angel Race with military purchase orders besides, fleecing that old interstellar power without cease.
Nor has Charlotte gone against Zhao Chen's order; only she is very warlike, and every time she meets Zhao Chen in private she will put the question.
"Hmph." Charlotte drew her tail back out of Zhao Chen's hand.
Let the creature stroke her tail if he must — but he needs must slide a finger lightly along it besides, and blow upon it a few times; does he not know that is where she is most sensitive of all?
Zhao Chen, seeing his plaything gone, could only turn his eyes back to the picture before him.
"Then tell me: in this fighting.
"How great are the Holy Dragon Angel Legion's chances of winning?
"And that quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship — can the angel Tilia settle it?" Zhao Chen inquired.
Any with eyes can see that the key to this campaign lies in the Holy Dragon Angel Legion and that quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship.