"Since you've proposed the Sacred War Duel, then I take it you know the particulars of what a Sacred War Duel entails." Saint Cana looked at Zhao Chen.
"More or less clear on it." Zhao Chen nodded.
The Sacred War Duel was the most exalted form of duel in the Holy Radiance Empire.
Because the Holy Radiance Empire, on the surface, held itself up as a body of 'pacifists' — reckoning themselves saints of no desire and no want — it was, all the same, inevitable that some frictions and collisions should arise; and at such times, large-scale conflict was bound to strike a blow at their civilization's faith.
And so, at some point unknown, this institution of the Sacred War Duel had appeared.
In the form of a Sacred War Duel, one settled some matter, or some wager, and the like.
The Sacred War Duel was the Holy Radiance Empire's supreme rite; and the outcome of a Sacred War Duel not even the Imperial Senate could alter.
To do so would be reckoned a betrayal of the Sacred Light!
"Then let's settle the time and place of the Sacred War Duel," Saint Cana said mildly.
"A month from now — sometime between early and mid-December. The place, you set," Zhao Chen said.
Saint Cana knit her brows: "A month from now? That drags it out too long."
"By the tacit rules of the Sacred War Duel, a postponement of one month is wholly acceptable. This does, after all, need to give both sides a little time to make ready, does it not? I have to dispatch interstellar warships over from my own interstellar territory, and prepare the relevant logistical resupply and strategic materials besides. I'm not like Miss Saint Cana, with the Imperial Senate's backing behind you, commanding a power as mighty as one of the Ten Great Sacred-Light Legions. I'm but a small marquis-lord," Zhao Chen said, wearing a look of helplessness.
The demand Zhao Chen put forward was, in fact, not at all excessive.
"Very well. But if, when the time comes, you break our compact, then the Sacred Light shall destroy all that is yours!" Saint Cana said gravely.
"I too am a man of great contractual spirit." Zhao Chen shrugged, and said in an upright manner.
"Then the place is set at coordinates [redacted]." Saint Cana spoke out a set of coordinates.
Zhao Chen took a look at the coordinate position — it lay, as it happened, right at the boundary where the Holy Radiance Empire's zone of actual control met the Starlight Empire's zone of actual control.
"Good — settled there, then." Zhao Chen assented gladly.
"I look forward to seeing what surprises Sir Zhao Chen's fabled Owl Dragon Legion will bring me." Saint Cana, at this point, let show — rarely — a trace of a smile as she looked at Zhao Chen.
The Sacred-Spirit companions beside her, seeing Saint Cana's smile, knew that this was an expression Lady Saint Cana wore only when she'd caught sight of some toy that interested her.
"I'll be sure to leave Miss Saint Cana satisfied," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
With this, the video conference came to an end, and both sides withdrew from the network room.
Saint Cana opened her eyes; behind her appeared a bright, spacious, enormous bridge.
Everywhere the eye fell was, very nearly, in a keynote of white.
Even the crews' garments were mostly white, set off with other bright hues.
The whole of the bridge's interior appointments truly gave one a feeling of the holy and pure.
And were one to cast one's gaze beyond the interstellar warship, one would find that this warship Saint Cana rode was likewise pure white all over, exceedingly fine to look upon.
In this respect — save for those Owl Dragon-series interstellar warships in Zhao Chen's hand — it left the Starlight Empire's and the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's ships several streets behind.
It might be called an art.
And this class of interstellar warship ran a full several kilometers in length.
Within the Galactic Alliance there was, one might say, not a soul who did not know this warship's name.
The Galactic Alliance's mightiest interstellar battleship!
The T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship!
Hull length 8.68 kilometers.
Fitted with the most advanced T4-grade hull armor and weapon systems the Holy Radiance Empire had developed.
One might put it this way: this interstellar battleship was the very symbol of the Holy Radiance Empire's strength!
But rumor had it its build cost was exceedingly high — just what the figure was, no one knew, for this was a top-level secret of the Holy Radiance Empire.
And up to now, the Holy Radiance Empire's count of this T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship in service had never once exceeded 100 — held only by the Ten Great Sacred-Light Legions, the Imperial Consuls, and a few top-tier families of the Imperial Senate.
Perhaps many have no clear notion of this figure.
Take the T4 Boreas-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship for comparison: by intelligence from certain channels, the total count of this T4 Boreas built — counting the Chu family's and the royal house's procurements — has already passed 300!
A gap of near threefold.
And most crucial of all: the T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship has, to this day, never once been destroyed in any battle whatsoever!
One must understand, the T4 Retribution Angel is nothing like that T4 Starlight Emperor-class Medium Carrier Starship the Starlight royal house developed, which rarely appears in a true large-scale campaign and is rather more a royal-house mascot.
From the moment it entered service, the T4 Retribution-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship has appeared time and again in the interstellar campaigns against the Mechanical Race, and time and again performed extraordinary feats!
Its name resounds in glory.
Even Governor Chu of Chu River admits that the T4 Boreas they developed is no match for the other side's T4 Retribution Angel.
"Lady Saint Cana, why did you agree to that Zhao Chen's Sacred War Duel? He deliberately set the duel a month out — he means only to stall for time!" an adjutant beside her said.
Saint Cana said mildly: "Whether he's stalling for time or not, he cannot change our strategic aim of annexing these five resource star regions the Starlight Empire controls. And besides — supposing that in the future we truly do mean to become masters within the Starlight Empire, then we'll need to establish our prestige. This Owl Dragon Legion's name rings very loud within the Starlight Empire just now; add to that that fellow Zhao Chen's standing as Governor Chu's grandson-in-law. If we defeat the Owl Dragon Legion in the duel, then that's establishing our authority within the Starlight Empire! It lets the various powers of the Starlight Empire, and every interstellar race, clearly know our mighty strength. It lets them know wherein the Holy Radiance Empire's greatness lies. This will spare us no small measure of unnecessary trouble in the military actions we may unfold in the future."
The adjutant came to sudden understanding, and said: "You mean to use the Owl Dragon Legion to establish our prestige!"
"And besides — if the other side truly honors the Sacred War Duel, then so much the better; we'll have gotten these five resource star systems without the least effort, and the Chu River and North Wind Star Regions will be marked into our Holy Radiance Empire's territory too. On this matter, we're assured of gain and beyond all loss," Saint Cana said with confidence.
The adjutant nodded in agreement.
This was indeed a deal assured of gain and beyond all loss.
Someone might ask: could they not lose?
Lose?
What Sacred-Light joke is that.
The Sacred Angel Legion under Lady Saint Cana ranked among the foremost of the Ten Great Sacred-Light Legions.
How could it possibly lose?
They didn't even know how the word "lose" was written!