It had been a month since the Owl Dragon Empire and the Sacred Elf Empire signed the covenant of alliance.
In that month, all five million elf warships had reached the temporary military bases the Owl Dragon Empire provided.
At the same time, the universe star gate built with the Sacred Elf Empire's 'Water Dragon Gate · Star-Gate Type' technology was now under construction, going up very fast.
There was hope of finishing this universe star gate within the time first set.
At the same time, the Owl Dragon Empire and the Sacred Elf Empire had both increased their dealings with and knowledge of each other.
And in this month, the cross-universe sailing technology that Zhao Chen of the Owl Dragon Empire and Dr. Camille were especially in charge of
had made a great breakthrough as well.
Thirteen short-term cross-universe sailing trials had now been carried out successfully,
something like the single-use technology the Sacred Elf Empire had used on its first visit to the Owl Dragon Empire.
"If there's no problem, we'll build the first production model on this test article, No. Y071." Dr. Camille looked at Zhao Chen, asking what he thought.
Zhao Chen nodded. "There's no more problem with our technology in this area. It can open a one-way cross-universe passage for a short time, and deliver ten thousand T5-grade warships at a time. To deliver one Owl Dragon Empire legion fleet group would take about three hundred of them. The technology isn't very advanced yet, true, and can't meet our needs. But this is the only technological device we can mass-produce and use right now. Build them in great numbers first, as a war reserve."
"Then please give this production model a name," Dr. Camille proposed excitedly.
Zhao Chen was taken aback.
A name.
Come to think of it, this seemed to be the first time he had given a technology a name himself, for the starship technologies and other technologies he had had before
had had names in the System already, and not wishing to trouble himself, Zhao Chen had in the main used the names the System gave.
"This is something you've worked hard to design this while. The honor should be yours." Zhao Chen handed the chance to Dr. Camille.
Joy showed in Dr. Camille's eyes.
To researchers, the birth of every technology was like watching a child newly conceived by themselves.
To be able to name one's own child was naturally the best of all.
"Then… let's name it 'White Jade,' because when it opens, it's as though a piece of flawless white jade has appeared," Dr. Camille said.
Zhao Chen had seen the scene of this 'White Jade' in its trials.
If, when the Sacred Elf Empire's Water Dragon Gate started, that stretch of cosmic space turned like the surface of water, with white vapor, and even the dim shape of a dragon,
then 'White Jade' was rather simple: it formed a mirror straight away, like a sheet of 'white jade,' flawless but for one thin layer on its face.
"Then as you say, name it 'White Jade.' Put 'White Jade' into production quickly at once, but this production task is top secret, and must not leak out. The transport of these devices must be done in secrecy too, carried without a sound to every Owl Dragon Empire legion fleet group," Zhao Chen instructed.
"Yes."
Beep beep beep beep
Zhao Chen's handheld terminal flashed.
Zhao Chen opened it, and a video window popped up.
Zhao Chen looked at Zhao Ruyue on the other side of the video window.
"The third high-level meeting of the two countries' allied military, which we set up before, is ready," Zhao Ruyue reported, looking at Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen nodded. "Understood. Most things are as before; your Military Department takes charge of discussing them with them. After that I'll have a meeting with the Flame Elf Queen."
"The Flame Elf Queen hopes to meet you once after this meeting too. She says she has something very important to discuss with you," Zhao Ruyue said.
Zhao Chen paused. "Understood; then I'll hurry over once your meeting is done. Arrange my meeting with the Flame Elf Queen."
"Yes."
The communication ended.
Zhao Chen looked at Dr. Camille. "I'll leave things here to you; I have other matters to take charge of. We've succeeded now in developing a one-way single-use cross-universe sailing device, but that's still far from enough; our goal is a large permanent cross-universe star gate!"
"I know; we'll keep up the research. We guarantee to catch up with the Sacred Elf Empire in the shortest time!" Dr. Camille said firmly.
Zhao Chen nodded in satisfaction.
Then Zhao Chen left.
……
Interstellar Chang'an City · a certain Military Department conference room
Zhao Chen went into a side room and watched the war of words between the two sides in the conference room.
"Is it like this every time?" Zhao Chen looked at Charlotte beside him.
This side room was divided from the conference room by a pane of glass; it had been set up specially for when Zhao Chen came.
"Yes. Both sides are commanders to begin with; the other side are elves, high-spirited, and ours are no less. Naturally neither will give way to the other, and each wants to get the better of it for their own side. So naturally every meeting is like a battle," Charlotte remarked.
Perhaps that too was why Charlotte did not take part directly.
"They won't come to blows, will they?" Zhao Chen said, somewhat worried, looking at Xue Xiaoxiao, who already had one foot up on the table.
"It's fine; they all know where to stop. The other side are a lot who prize courtesy; at most they fire off their mouths," Charlotte said, as though used to it.
"Then won't it affect relations between the two sides? After all, in future we may well fight shoulder to shoulder," Zhao Chen asked, somewhat worried.
Charlotte said with a smile, "I've thought of that. At the end of every meeting, the two who argued most will set up a simulated live battle then and there, and settle the winner in battle. So far each side has its wins and losses. It's become the show after every meeting, you might say. For us soldiers, there's nothing a battle can't settle; if one isn't enough, then two. If that still won't do, fight it out in person."
Hearing this, Zhao Chen nodded in satisfaction.
But he did not forget to say in a low voice, "Whoever loses too badly, remember to dock this month's pay."
Charlotte flung Zhao Chen a roll of the eyes.
"The Flame Elf Queen is waiting in another small meeting room. Her face is very grave; it's likely something important."
"No matter; let her wait a little. It may be important, but I'd guess it has to do with the Devourer Civilization; and since she hasn't contacted me directly, it means it hasn't come to fire singeing the eyebrows yet," Zhao Chen said calmly.
Then he asked, "About the five million warships the Sacred Elf Empire has sent this time: you'll have the details counted by now."
Charlotte nodded, then raised her hand.
A detailed panel appeared before Zhao Chen.
"The Sacred Elf Empire uses a fleet-building system much like ours, but differs somewhat in scale. A hundred warships make an elf small fleet; three thousand warships make an elf corps fleet. A hundred thousand warships make an elf legion fleet. And a million warships make an elf legion fleet group. In the main, from the corps fleet up, every commander is a high elf. Being a high elf is their mark of standing. Whatever elf race they were before, once granted the standing of high elf, they seem to become nobles," Charlotte said.
Zhao Chen nodded; he had long known this well.
High elf was not a racial standing but a noble one.
"This time they've sent five elf legion fleet groups. As far as we know, the Sacred Elf Empire has thirty elf legion fleet groups in all. That counts as a sixth of their fleet strength already. Each elf legion fleet group has one fleet group commander. And these five fleet group commanders are all under the Flame Elf Queen. And as far as we know, in the structure of the Sacred Elf Empire's fleets, besides these regular Imperial legion fleets there are two other military fleets. One is the High Council fleet group. The High Council fleet group, as the name says, is a fleet group built especially by the High Council, commonly built up by the great families among the elves. It has no fixed size. At present it has three million High Council fleet group warships. The other is the Elf Sovereign legion fleets. The Elf Sovereign legion fleets are, as the name says, each Elf Sovereign's own army, of differing sizes. The largest, naturally, is the Flame Elf Queen's; rumor has it the Flame legion fleet has near three hundred thousand ships, and it's the strongest military force in the Sacred Elf Empire. The other four Elf Sovereigns' own armies are no weaklings either, but not large, and they don't go out often."
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes; reckoned up like this,
the Sacred Elf Empire's standing warships certainly came to more than thirty million.
But that was understandable too; an empire's number of warships was never exactly as rumor had it.
"Then the Flame Elf Queen's own legion fleet didn't come this time?" Zhao Chen asked curiously.
Charlotte shook her head. "No; the Flame Elf Queen brought only an escort fleet of three thousand warships. Perhaps the High Council's side required it, so the Flame legion fleet took no part in this operation. But the Flame Elf Queen told me privately once that her Flame legion fleet stands ready to fight, and if needed can come in support to the Owl Dragon Empire's universe battlefield at any moment."
Zhao Chen nodded.
He trusted the Flame Elf Queen fairly well.
Only perhaps the Sacred Elf Empire's lot in the High Council were still hesitating over every step.
"To return to the matter. The five elf legion fleet groups now in our Owl Dragon Empire are the Sacred Elf Thirteenth Legion Fleet Group, the Seventeenth Legion Fleet Group, the Twenty-First Legion Fleet Group, the Twenty-Fifth Legion Fleet Group and the Thirtieth Legion Fleet Group," Charlotte explained in detail.
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, the further forward in number, the stronger among the Sacred Elf Empire's thirty fleet groups, I suppose?"
Charlotte nodded. "Not necessarily wholly so, but in the main, yes. The fleet groups further forward were founded earlier, have rich combat experience, and are commonly fitted with the most advanced warships. You've seen it too. In its cooperation with us, the Sacred Elf Empire has still kept something back; of its strongest ten fleet groups, it hasn't sent a single one."
Zhao Chen shrugged and laughed lightly. "But the agreement doesn't require it either. It only agreed five million warships of the Sacred Elf Empire's regular legion fleets. There's nothing to argue over in that."
These five million[1] elf warships: for the Owl Dragon Empire, something was better than nothing.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go and see the Flame Elf Queen first." Zhao Chen stood up and looked across the glass at those commanders, still arguing.
"Mm." Charlotte nodded.
Zhao Chen went out of the room.
In the corridor outside, a few turns brought him to another small room.
The Flame Elf Queen was already sitting here, tasting the special fruit made ready for her.
"You're here." The Flame Elf Queen, still chewing fruit, looked at Zhao Chen with a smile.
This elf woman was growing more and more relaxed with Zhao Chen in private these days.
Zhao Chen did not stand on ceremony either; he sat opposite the Flame Elf Queen, picked up a fork, and began spearing fruit and eating it.
"You're in the mood to eat? You should be able to guess what I've come to tell you this time." The Flame Elf Queen watched Zhao Chen spear away the fruit in front of her, and frowned slightly,
like a little animal guarding its food.
"It's no more than news from the Devourer Civilization's side. Since you didn't contact me directly in a hurry, it means it hasn't come to fire singeing the eyebrows. It's no more than that they've made some new move. Or, say, they're getting ready to start the war against us. That's something we'd foreseen all along; only the time wasn't certain. Since it's bound to happen sooner or later, and we've all made our preparations, what use is more worrying?" Zhao Chen chewed the fruit in his mouth calmly.
"For an Emperor, you're quite easygoing." The Flame Elf Queen saw the fruit on the plate growing fewer and fewer, and hurriedly speared the last few pieces herself.
When she had eaten them,
the Flame Elf Queen rubbed her flat belly and went on, "You've guessed near enough. The latest word we've had: the Devourer Civilization has begun building forward positions, preparing to deliver a vanguard force into the Owl Dragon Empire's universe. Some fifteen million warships in all. How many Soul Altars they'll use then isn't yet clear. The exact time the attack begins isn't certain yet either. But it should be within a week."
She paused, and the Flame Elf Queen went on, "As things look now, the situation is against us. The universe star gate linking the two interstellar empires still needs at least a month and a half to finish. Taking off the time the enemy needs to prepare, and the time of our building overtime, we still have to wait at least a month. In that time, though we have cross-universe delivery technology like the 'Water Dragon Gate,' it's a consumable after all, and can't be used forever. Once the war starts, its consumption will be enormous too. You need to be ready."