Cooperate with the Holy Radiance Empire?
And let the Holy Radiance Empire's legion fleets enter Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth territory besides.
This would beyond doubt touch upon the interests of no few tribes.
"This is hardly suitable. The Holy Radiance Empire's ambition is no small thing; with the Machine Race's threat gone, they even meant before to lay a hand upon the Starlight Empire. And it was only owing to a Sacred War Duel that it was put off three years. Might they not fix their target upon us instead?"
"Just so, just so. This is leading the wolf into the room. And when the time comes, if the Owl Dragon Legion is destroyed and they cling on and will not go, what then?"
"I hold that this proposal needs longer consideration. Or… would it not simply be better to have the Holy Radiance Empire attack the Starlight Empire?"
The tribal leaders said their pieces one after another.
"Silence." The Dragon Emperor spoke the word coldly.
The conference room fell quiet at once, and every gaze went to the Dragon Emperor.
He was, after all, still the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's sovereign in name; the more so as beneath his hand lay the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's strongest tribe, the Dragon-folk.
"You mentioned the Sacred War Duel just now. The wager of that Sacred War Duel was that the Holy Radiance Empire's legion fleets must not appear in the Starlight Empire for three years. That crew will not break their own compact, and so will not attack Starlight Empire territory directly. And one reason they are willing to help us this time is precisely the wish to wash away that old shame upon a field of ours! By which they may both cripple the Owl Dragon Legion and keep from breaking their earlier promise. Those risks each of you has named — I acknowledge that they all exist. But is there anything in this world without risk? If you gentlemen consider all these things risks. Very well — then take your own tribal fleets and go attack the Owl Dragon Legion, and go settle the crisis before us!" the Dragon Emperor roared.
At this, no one took up the thread.
None was willing to rush out in front now; they all understood clearly.
Given the Owl Dragon Legion's terrible way of fighting, even if it could be destroyed in the end, the enemy could bite off a few pieces of flesh before dying — and whoever attacked first, whoever took on the vanguard's task—
would pay a grievous price.
"None of you is willing to bear the price required to lead the main attack upon the Owl Dragon Legion. So I have invited the Holy Radiance Empire, whose joining can at the least halve our casualties. As for what comes after, we shall speak of it after. The Holy Radiance Empire is unlike the rebel army; they are outsiders when all is said, and we shall have chances enough to drive them out. The first problem at present is to settle matters within! I ask you once more. Cooperation with the Holy Radiance Empire, letting them dispatch legion fleets to attack the Owl Dragon Legion together with us — this proposal. Who has any objection?"
Reaching this point, the Dragon Emperor paused, and said in a chill voice, "Anyone with an objection may produce me an operational plan of his own, here and now."
With those words set out before them.
The tribal leaders did not one of them dare make a sound.
Those small and middling tribes, lacking strength themselves, dared not touch the Dragon-folk tribe's ill temper.
And with great tribes like the Giant Lion and the Minotaur saying nothing, the proposal naturally passed.
"Since no one has any objection. Then this matter is settled so. I shall confirm the detailed operational timing and cooperation scheme with the Holy Radiance Empire. Before that, we are to engage the Owl Dragon Legion head-on as little as possible. Preserve our strength. I promise you. At the most! Two months! Within two months I shall destroy the Owl Dragon Legion within our Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth." The Dragon Emperor said it gravely.
In the end this conference closed upon the Dragon Emperor's forceful declaration.
The conference scene before the Dragon Emperor vanished, and he was back within his own office.
The conference just held had been an online network conference; otherwise it would have been impossible to assemble every tribal leader.
"Father, did they all consent?" The half-human dragon-maiden Blanche, seeing her father open his eyes, got her question in first.
"Hmph. Would they dare not consent?" The Dragon Emperor laughed coldly. "I had supposed that old fellow of the Giant Lion tribe would stand out and oppose it, and I might take the chance to damp down his arrogance. I never thought that old thing would this once keep silent altogether. It seems he too has seen through the larger situation, and wishes to seek some chance for himself amid this chaos."
"The Giant Lion tribe have always wished to overturn us Dragon-folk and make themselves the strongest existence in the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth," the half-human dragon-maiden Blanche said gravely.
"Them? Are they fit for it? Our Dragon-folk tribe, high and low, has near 500,000 interstellar warships. And how many has the Giant Lion tribe? Presumably not even 300,000 — not even 200,000. Even dragging in that follower of his, the Minotaur tribe, they are no match for our Dragon-folk tribe!" The pure-blooded dragon-maiden Leona folded her arms across her chest and said it with pride.
"In matters of this kind now, we cannot make light of any power's combat strength. It is precisely because our judgment of the Owl Dragon Legion's strength was inaccurate before that we are in this passive position now," the half-human dragon-maiden Blanche cautioned.
Though Leona would not concede to Blanche, she did not speak out to retort either.
The Owl Dragon Legion's combat power, after all, everyone had seen with their own eyes.
Even the most elite legion fleet among their Dragon-folk tribe was not certainly a match for an Owl Dragon Legion fleet of equal numbers.
Which made them reflect that it was fortunate the Owl Dragon Legion had at present only five legion fleets, under 20,000 combat-type interstellar warships.
Were that figure to increase tenfold.
They could presumably overturn the whole Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth outright.
And this was why the Dragon Emperor had consented to the matter of cooperating with the Holy Radiance Empire that Blanche had proposed earlier.
It was not that they did not know the harm within it; it was simply that the Owl Dragon Legion's threat was greater.
Of two evils, take the lighter.
They could only choose to cooperate with the Holy Radiance Empire, and destroy this threat of the Owl Dragon Legion first before speaking of anything else.
"Blanche, you will take charge of negotiating the cooperation to come with the Holy Radiance Empire. You may give them some suitable benefits; the one requirement is that they dispatch their legion fleets to join the fighting as fast as may be. The number is to be no fewer than 300,000 interstellar warships, and of those Sacred-Light Legions or whatever they are, send me at least two! And above that figure, of course, the more the better!" the Dragon Emperor said, looking to Blanche.
"Set your mind at rest, Father; I can guarantee the Holy Radiance Empire's legion fleets will set out within a week. And can reach our Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth within 20 days. Within a month at the latest we can launch a general offensive against the Owl Dragon Legion. The Owl Dragon Legion has under 20,000 interstellar warships; however strong they may be— they cannot possibly be a match for fleets several dozen times their number!" Blanche pledged in earnest.
Leona beside her gave a cold snort and said nothing.
She knew her own ability along these lines fell short of Blanche's; she hoped only that the fighting against the Owl Dragon Legion might begin as soon as possible.
The battlefield was where she belonged.
Only no one had imagined that this campaign's course would run past anything anyone anticipated.