Not the Owl Dragon Star System alone.
In nearly every place within this universe: every planet, every star port, every moon, every space station, and upon every starship besides,
at this moment the greater part of all of them were watching this one man.
Angels… mechanical life… demons… beast-folk… the Human Race…
Living things beyond number waited upon this moment, watching that man who stood before the imperial throne.
The passing of time in that moment seemed to have stopped altogether.
Zhao Chen closed his eyes, and a train of memories played back through his mind, as figures upon a revolving lantern.
And at the last!
There rose before Zhao Chen's eyes that Pitch-Black Legion fleet.
And behind that vast Pitch-Black Legion fleet there seemed to be a great black shadow, as of a god, hanging over his head.
Those terrible vast hands, to Zhao Chen in his smallness, seemed able to crush him with ease.
At this Zhao Chen opened both his eyes.
And within them was a resolve past all measuring.
He turned about, and cast an eye over the warships of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Legion before him.
And cast an eye over those planets of the Owl Dragon Star System far off.
To guard!
The reasons for sitting upon an imperial throne are many.
Power! Standing! Beautiful women!…
And Zhao Chen's purpose in sitting upon this throne was one only.
And that was to guard.
To guard it all!
Zhao Chen slowly lowered himself and sat, and at the last, under the gaze of the whole universe.
He became the man upon the imperial throne.
At almost the same moment, fireworks past counting bloomed across the Owl Dragon Star System.
And a voice sounded in every place where that picture could be seen.
"I, Zhao Chen, declare that from this moment the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire is established. I am the present Emperor of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. From this day, every planet within the known universe belongs to the Owl Dragon Empire. All resources belong to the Owl Dragon Empire. All races swear fealty to the Owl Dragon Empire without condition. Any power that goes against the rules set out above shall be held to have declared war upon the Owl Dragon Empire. And the Owl Dragon Empire will send forth its interstellar legions upon an expedition against it."
"Long live the Emperor!"
Upon every warship of the Owl Dragon Legion, every Owl Dragon officer and soldier set a hand upon his breast and shouted it aloud.
The workers of every unit under the Owl Dragon Group made their salute and shouted it aloud one after another: "Long live the Emperor!"
Every space, every place, rang with that voice at this moment.
Long live the Emperor!
Long live the Emperor!
Long live the Emperor!
Hard after, a video window appeared at the lower right of the Emperor's own.
The one within it was Qin Xiaolei, Empress of the Starlight Empire.
The Empress Qin Xiaolei bowed slightly, and said slowly: "I, Empress of the Starlight Empire, declare that from this time forward the Starlight Empire is renamed the Starlight Kingdom, and belongs to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Owl Dragon Empire!"
Thereafter another video window appeared, and the one within it was Saint Cana, Empress of the Holy Radiance Empire.
The Empress Saint Cana too, with the most exalted of ceremonies, said slowly: "I am Saint Cana, Empress of the Holy Radiance Empire. I declare that from this day the Holy Radiance Empire is renamed the Holy Radiance Kingdom. The Holy Radiance Kingdom swears perpetual fealty to the Owl Dragon Empire. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Owl Dragon Empire!"
Then another figure appeared in the picture; and unlike those before, this one wore an Owl Dragon uniform.
"I am Charlotte, highest leader of the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom. I declare that from this day the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom swears fealty to the Owl Dragon Empire and to the Owl Dragon Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Owl Dragon Empire!"
The standing of these three all knew: the three empires.
The three interstellar empires that had come earliest under the Owl Dragon Galactic Interstellar Group's control, only that until now the Group's hold upon them had been in the shadows.
This time it was set wholly out in the open.
Hard after came a picture in which above a hundred demons stood.
These demons were all of them lords within the Demon Race's present territory.
All of them set there by the Owl Dragon.
"We, upon behalf of the Demon Race, declare our fealty to the great Owl Dragon Emperor. We shall be the Emperor's sharp sword, obey the Emperor's will, and destroy any enemy that dares defy him. Long live the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire! Long live the Emperor!" Above a hundred demon lords went down outright upon one knee, and cried it with one voice.
Hard after, two Angel Sovereigns appeared in the picture.
The Holy Angel Queen and the War Angel King.
Neither wore any of the pride of other days; they set their hands before their breasts, folded the wings upon their backs, and said with a slight bow: "I, the Holy Angel Queen" — "the War Angel King" — "upon behalf of the Angel Race, declare fealty to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire and to the Owl Dragon Emperor. Long live the Emperor!"
At this moment the several interstellar giants of the known universe had all bowed at the feet of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
Which settled the reach of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's power, and its standing.
But this was far from the end of it.
In one picture, three figures appeared.
Two of them the upper ranks of not a few powers had seen before.
The Machine Race's chiefs, Ah-Jin and Ah-Yin.
But today these two stood only upon either side.
A tall woman officer in uniform stood in the middle.
The tall woman officer bowed and made her salute, then said: "The Machine Race is willing to declare its fealty to the Owl Dragon Emperor. From this day, all interstellar territory within the Machine Race belongs to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live the Emperor!" Ah-Jin and Ah-Yin behind her said with one voice.
At this moment the whole universe was in an uproar.
If the three empires' declaration of fealty stood within reason,
then the fealty of the Angel Race and the Demon Race might be called astonishing.
But the Machine Race's fealty overturned everything, for everyone.
Not a few wore the look of those who dream.
Zhao Chen, seated upon the imperial throne, said slowly: "I accept your fealty."
At this moment the whole known universe might be reckoned to have bowed utterly at his feet.
There was no interstellar race and no interstellar power that dared refuse to join the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
For when even those giants had declared fealty, what right of refusal had the rest, whose interstellar kingdoms might hold no more than a few star systems?
Upon this very day, the newly founded foreign department of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire had already received messages of fealty from above a hundred small interstellar kingdoms.
In dread that a moment's delay would bring Owl Dragon-line warships to their own doorstep.
For the week that followed.
The Dragon Emperor began a progress through the whole Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, appearing in turn at the several great royal capitals and star systems of the three empires, of the Angel Race and of the Demon Race.
And so the Galactic Star Calendar year 3037 may be said to have raised its curtain upon an event that astonished the whole universe.
Zhao Chen threw himself down upon the sofa on the bridge.
"I am truly tired." Zhao Chen held his head in his hands.
Lilith thoughtfully handed him a cup of hot tea.
"You have three engagements yet to come," Lilith said.
This time Zhao Chen made no word of complaint; he only sighed long.
Then he sat up straight, and drank the cup of hot tea at a draught.
He looked at those arrangements, every one of them a place he must attend.
Lilith had most thoughtfully struck out every engagement that could be struck out.
"When can we go back to the Owl Dragon Star System?" Zhao Chen asked.
"In one day," Lilith answered.
"How goes the reckoning of the Owl Dragon Star System's industrial survey?" Zhao Chen asked again.
"It is nearly finished; after that comes the drawing up of the building plan for the coming year," Lilith said.
Zhao Chen nodded, and then said: "Arrange five days for me. I mean to settle the coming year's building plan together with Annie and the other two chief engineers. It is of the greatest importance."
"Very well." Lilith took the arrangement in hand at once.
Perhaps it was that his standing was now another thing, and Zhao Chen would take more responsibility and more business upon himself of his own accord.
Or perhaps it was that Zhao Chen felt the possibility of some threat about to come.
He must set more things in order, and quickly.
"And how goes the internal survey and reckoning for our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire?" Zhao Chen asked after another matter of importance.
Every power within the known universe had now submitted to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire had the right to inquire into their internal affairs.
And the most important of these was industrial capacity, and the yield of resources.
To get this clear, Zhao Chen had arranged a great survey at once,
so that the coming year's building plan might go forward smoothly.
"The survey is nearly done; some 70% of it has been carried through," Lilith said, and there was gladness in her eyes at the mention of it.
For by this the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire would have vast resources it could move.
Though the system the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire keeps for the present is something like a system of feudal lords.
Zhao Chen raised his hand and opened the whole interstellar map of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
A vast dotted line enclosed the whole known universe; this was the boundary of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's map.
But within it there were still different colors marking the divisions.
At present it divided chiefly into these.
Three kingdoms, two races, the demon settlements, the Fifteen Owl Dragon Star Regions, and a number of scattered interstellar territories.
These interstellar powers still work for the present under their own former polities; only that the rights of diplomacy and of war are given over wholly to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
And at the same time the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire may draw upon the resources within each of these powers.
Not without payment, of course.
The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire may work a fitting turnover of it by various means.
Though if a general war were to break out, that would be another matter.
One cannot well say that, being master of an interstellar empire now, the Owl Dragon may sweep another's whole estate bare without condition and without reason.
The lesson of killing the hen to get the egg Zhao Chen understood well enough.
"Have those below any objection to the several imperial decrees we have promulgated?" Zhao Chen asked in his concern.
"The most of them have none," said Lilith.
"And none to each power handing over 30% of its own yield each month?" Zhao Chen asked in his curiosity.
"None." Lilith shook her head.
At which Zhao Chen was easy.
Of those imperial decrees the most overbearing was that every interstellar power submitting to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire must hand over 30% of its territory's yield each month.
Which amounts to a fee for protection.
Happily, no one objected.
For it was known to all that the Machine Race now stood upon the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's side.
"Has the Machine Race truly begun to withdraw?" Something suddenly came into Zhao Chen's mind.
"It has. From the day the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire was founded, certain industrial facilities within the Machine Race's territory began to withdraw. And our people have begun to take over the important resource districts." As Lilith spoke, she raised her hand and set out certain video images.
Zhao Chen looked at a resource star system within the picture.
Here there had formerly been a great mass of Machine Race industrial facilities, but at this moment not a few of them had begun to withdraw.
They were breaking away from the places they had held, and their bodies were changing besides.
A planetary mining ground, for instance, began to use the power of its own engines to lift itself from the planet's surface and pass slowly out into space,
and then to drift slowly toward the Star Gate far off.
All this was the Machine Race's estate.
The Machine Race would take every important industrial facility away with it, through the Gate of Gaia, away!
Besides which, the Machine Race took a great many resources as well.
By what Zhao Chen had learned from that little girl of the Machine Race, the resources the Machine Race was taking.
Were enough at the least for the Machine Race to live ten years in that space!
And enough and to spare to keep up ten years of fighting besides.
And within that was the whole of the Machine Race's accumulation of ten thousand years in this world.
Watching these Machine Race installations withdraw, Zhao Chen was moved within himself.
Not that he was loath to part with them.
But that he seemed to be watching rank upon rank of soldiers pressing on one after another toward a battlefield far away.
Though they were only mechanical life.
Forsaking the homeland that had been theirs, and going without a backward look to the battlefield of a strange world.
The sight of it left Zhao Chen's mind ill at ease.
"The Machine Race has sent us all the resource particulars within its territory. This is to our advantage in taking over and digesting the resources of the Machine Race's territory hereafter. By the plan we now hold. We shall spend three months producing interstellar mining ships, interstellar transports and interstellar factories in great quantity. So that the resource output within the Machine Race's territory may be restored, and even surpass what it was in the Machine Race's own time. And the figure then will be a very vast one," Lilith said in her excitement.
The Machine Race had truly left the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire a vast treasury!
Zhao Chen said nothing, and only watched it all in silence.
"Is there anything more arranged?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Within the next half hour, no engagement whatever," Lilith answered.
"Good. Then I shall rest a while." Zhao Chen walked silently out of the bridge.
…
"When do you go?" Zhao Chen stood before a great porthole, looking at the starry sky outside.
And at his side was an innocent and artless little girl.
"Set your mind at rest. An estate as large as mine cannot be moved in a moment. It needs three months at the least. And that is the time I am leaving you. In truth there are not a few who may be unwilling in their hearts to be ruled by you. But out of regard for our Machine Race's strength, they make a show of obedience. So in these three months your Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire must prove that it holds the power to rule this universe. These three months are the term of passage I leave you. Do good work. My lord Emperor." The little girl floated up, with all the air of an elder patting a junior upon the shoulder.
"Will you… will you ever come back?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Ten years. We shall fight over there ten years, and look for our chance meanwhile. In ten years, I believe. You will come to fetch us. Isn't that so? My lord Emperor." The little girl looked at Zhao Chen with great limpid eyes.
Zhao Chen clenched his fists, and opened his mouth.
The little girl laughed, and her laugh was very radiant.