The Fox Empress Su Yaya's question, and the misgiving behind it—
Zhao Chen could naturally understand; and he spoke frankly to the Fox Empress Su Yaya of his plans for this land of the Warhammer in time to come.
"… …that, near enough, is how it stands. When the time comes, Charlotte's White-Tiger tribe will go on being responsible for administering this land of the Warhammer. And apart from myself, no other party — the Starlight Empire included — will have any right to interfere in the Warhammer's development." Zhao Chen made the promise.
With Zhao Chen's answer the Fox Empress Su Yaya was much satisfied.
"I believe you," the Fox Empress Su Yaya said. "My fox race can join your camp. But because the state of the war is not yet clear— like the Spider Queen tribe and the Harpy tribe, I shall for the present make no public declaration. But I can guarantee that our Fox-folk tribe's interstellar warships will not appear on any field where the Owl Dragon Legion is engaged."
Of the Fox Empress's little calculations, how should Zhao Chen not be aware?
But none of it mattered.
Zhao Chen did not care whether these tribes joining him would furnish him any substantive help; even if they wished to help, Zhao Chen had no faith in the combat power of those tribal fleets under their hands.
That combat power was presumably not even the equal of Charlotte's Dragon-Tiger Legion.
All Zhao Chen wanted was their willingness to stand on his side.
And then, at the fitting moment, to deal the Dragon-folk tribe and the Giant Lion tribe a heavy blow full in the face.
"This is enough. Set your minds at rest; that time will not be long in coming." Zhao Chen said it with confidence.
Thereafter Zhao Chen looked at the Fox Empress Su Yaya. "Since you are already willing to join us, then there can surely be no harm in my assigning you a task now."
The Fox Empress Su Yaya was somewhat startled: she had only just declared her position, and here was a task being set already.
For all the world as though he had been waiting for her.
"In fact it is no very difficult task. Chiefly, my lord wishes to hold private meetings with those neutral powers within the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth. Though I have some channels on my side. They cannot possibly compare with the fox race's channels. And so I recommended to my lord that you take charge of this business." Chieftainess Hu Ya unveiled the riddle from beside them.
The Fox Empress Su Yaya was helpless inwardly: so she had been sold by her.
But this was indeed no very difficult matter.
If one asked which power was strongest within the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth, presumably none would concede to any other; though the common view held it to be the Dragon-folk tribe.
But ask the Giant Lion tribe, and the Giant Lion tribe would certainly not acknowledge it.
Yet if you asked which tribe had the best web of connections within the Warhammer—
there was only one answer.
The fox race!
The fox race possessed the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's largest network of relations and of intelligence.
Because this was one of the fox race's chosen positions: they understood clearly that on their own strength alone it would be hard to guarantee their tribe's continued existence.
And so they would commonly use the resources in their hands to draw one tribe after another closer.
Though the fox race now stood with the Giant Lion tribe, they were at the same time on good terms with the Dragon-folk tribe in private.
Nor had the tribes under the Dragon-folk tribe's hand received few small kindnesses and favors from the fox race.
And it was the same with the neutral tribes.
So whenever some conflict or dispute arose among the several great tribes and negotiation was needed, the fox race would commonly be asked to serve as the go-between.
"There is no difficulty in this business. I can make the contacts for you," the Fox Empress Su Yaya agreed.
"We may also need some material on them. Best of all would be if you could help us think of a way to bring them in with us — or at the least keep them from taking the other side in our contest with the Warhammer's old order." Chieftainess Hu Ya raised a further requirement.
The Fox Empress Su Yaya looked at this compatriot of hers: she had truly and thoroughly seated herself on the Owl Dragon Legion's side, and begun devising plans and stratagems for the Owl Dragon Legion.
"The five strongest great tribes among the neutrals — that is, those that are among the twenty great tribes. The Frost-Wolf tribe, the Fury Bear tribe, the Golden Leopard tribe, the Hound tribe, the Siren tribe. Upon these tribes I can supply you the material you want. But the Fury Bear tribe and the Golden Leopard tribe, these two, are not easy to deal with. They will likely not readily take your side. With the other three the possibility is rather greater." The Fox Empress Su Yaya set out her analysis.
"To do this much is enough; the rest we shall handle," Zhao Chen said.
Twenty great tribes.
In Zhao Chen's eyes, 20 pieces upon this chessboard that was the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth.
Those willing to submit to him he was naturally willing to let go on existing.
And those unwilling to submit, Zhao Chen would crush one by one.
Upon Zhao Chen's board he would permit no disobedient piece to appear.
...
"I hold that we cannot act rashly now; the Owl Dragon Legion's combat power all of us have seen with our own eyes — it is truly far too strong."
"Just so! Their interstellar missile ships above all — those interstellar missiles are fired as though they cost nothing. I hear they have besides a special fleet composed entirely of interstellar missile ships, whose single salvo runs to a full several million interstellar missiles. Which can destroy above 10,000 interstellar warships with the greatest ease!"
"And it is not only the interstellar missile ships; they possess besides an exceedingly complete range of ship classes. By the T4 classes that have appeared upon the field so far alone, they have near enough assembled every type there is! Put together all the T4 classes of the Galactic Alliance's three great empires, and it is not certain they would come to as many as the Owl Dragon holds."
"If we launch an attack now, it will certainly cause us enormous casualties. This will not do, it will not do."
"Let us think it over further."
"The fleets of us small tribes have no great combat power at all — we have not even a few T4-grade interstellar warships. We simply cannot stand against the Owl Dragon Legion. This… it is not that we do not wish to fight, but this… how is it to be fought?"
Within the conference room, the chieftains or representatives of the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's several tribes were all talking without end.
Some asked leave to give battle, but those voices were near enough drowned out by the voices of complaint.
Even the chieftain of the Giant Lion tribe, whom the Black Tiger tribe had followed, sat there with his arms folded and said not one word.
The chieftains present had supposed the ones most eager to give battle would be the Giant Lion tribe and the Minotaur tribe; they had not thought that these two would on the contrary be the quietest.
Most abnormal.
The Giant Lion chieftain felt the gazes of those about him, and laughed coldly within.
That double-dealer of a Black Tiger chieftain had at the last gone over to the Dragon-folk tribe of all things, in exchange for Dragon-folk support.
He had supposed no one would know of it; but as ill luck would have it, this news had been dug out by their people.
He deserved to be wiped out.
And it served nicely to spend their Black Tiger ships wearing down the Owl Dragon Legion's warships.
As for the Black Tiger Star Region — it was there in any case; let the Owl Dragon Legion hold it if they would hold it. It could hardly go missing.
The more so as the ones who ought to be anxious now were the Dragon-folk tribe.
The Dragon-folk tribe had a whole fleet group which, on account of racing to the Black Tiger tribe's relief, was now trapped in the Black Tiger Star Region's First Star System.
What notion that dragon fellow held in his heart, how should he not know?
Nothing but the wish to have their legion fleets and the Owl Dragon Legion wear each other down, so that the Dragon-folk tribe might then sit still and take the fisherman's profit.
Did he truly take them all for fools?
Whoever cared to go might go; they, at any rate, were in no hurry.
Looking upon the din within the conference ground, the Dragon Emperor, seated at the head table, swept a cold gaze round about him.
And gave a cold snort.
"Since none of you gentlemen is willing to attack the Owl Dragon Legion now and recover the lost ground. Then I have here a plan, and I wonder whether you gentlemen may be willing. I have already been in contact with the Holy Radiance Empire, and that side declares itself willing to cooperate with us and campaign against the Owl Dragon Legion together. Gentlemen — any objections?"