Toward the Holy Radiance expeditionary fleet's and the Warhammer coalition's dispositions and movements, Zhao Chen's side chose to watch quietly for what should come — to master motion by stillness.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair with his eyes shut, resting his spirit.
Beside him, Hu Xin'er, serving for the present as one of the secretaries, looked at this man in surprise. At a time like this, with a great war at hand—
and with the situation, upon the face of it, leaving the Owl Dragon Legion at a disadvantage, this man could still be so calm and unruffled. It truly passed understanding.
In fact Zhao Chen was not resting his spirit at all just now, but looking over something else.
It was already the middle of September, with only half a month left until the month's end.
Which meant this quarter was about to close.
And it must be understood that Zhao Chen had a quarterly task yet to complete.
Quarterly Task
Task content: Choose to annihilate or bring to submission twenty of the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's great tribes.
Complete ten to claim the base reward.
Complete thirteen to claim a Bronze Treasure Chest.
Complete sixteen to claim a Silver Treasure Chest.
Complete twenty to claim a Gold Treasure Chest.
Current progress: six
This quarterly task still wanted four to reach the minimum requirement.
But considering the campaign to come, completing four should be no hard matter.
Besides the quarterly task, there was an annual task as well.
Only three months remained until the year's end, which bore upon how the annual task would be completed.
And the annual task's reward far exceeded the quarterly's!
Annual Task
Task one: The death of Qin Ming (completed)
Task two: Control at least four star regions of the Starlight Empire (completed)
Task three: Control four star regions of the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth. Progress: the Black Tiger Star Region
This standard of judgment was somewhat vague. As of now the only region Zhao Chen thoroughly controlled was the Black Tiger Star Region; as for the other Warhammer star regions, he had penetrated one or two in greater or lesser degree, but nowhere so thoroughly as the Black Tiger.
It seemed that in the fighting to come he must take this step as fast as he might.
Having looked over these two System tasks, Zhao Chen did not forget the task that mattered most to him at present.
The T5 Mall Unlock Task.
T5 Mall Unlock Task (completion 40%)
Next, please make your selections by the task prompts; once the selections are made you will gain the corresponding completion rate, and when completion reaches 100%, the T5 System Mall is unlocked.
More than one of the following options may be completed. Time limit: six months.
Option one: Win over the Siren Queen of the Siren tribe — 10% completion. Not completed.
Option two: Win over the Harpy King of the Harpy tribe — 10% completion. Completed!
Option three: Win over the Spider Queen of the Spider Queen tribe — 10% completion. Completed!
Option four: Win over the Fox Clan Empress of the Fox-folk tribe — 20% completion. Not completed.
This refreshed T5 Mall task had four options, and could be completed severally besides.
As of now, Zhao Chen's completion had reached only 40%.
Though as for the remaining option one and option four — getting that 30% of completion into his hands was, as Zhao Chen saw it, merely a matter of time.
The Fox Empress Su Yaya had privately chosen to stand on Zhao Chen's side already; but Zhao Chen did not consider that one promise, or one compact, could make a person bring her whole family power in and join you obediently.
And with the situation upon the surface running against you, at that.
The last time Zhao Chen saw this Fox Empress Su Yaya, her win-over value stood at only 95%, and was very hard to raise further.
Zhao Chen guessed that to bring this Fox Empress's win-over value to 100% would presumably have to wait until the victor of the present campaign was decided.
Crafty little fox.
As for that mermaid chieftainess of the Siren tribe, she presumably held the same notion. Though she had been persuaded by her bosom friend the harpy Avina, she had not seen with her own eyes nor felt it in her own person, and so had some misgivings still.
But all of this — so long as the Owl Dragon Legion won a victory in this campaign.
Then no difficulty of any kind would exist.
Several hours later.
From the forward battlefield came the first battle report.
"Latest word from the front: several bodies of Holy Radiance expeditionary fleets and Warhammer coalition forces have appeared at the Black Tiger Star Region's frontier." Hu Xin'er looked toward Zhao Chen, seated in the captain's chair, and toward Charlotte, who stood before the interstellar holo-table watching the field's actual movements without cease.
Zhao Chen did not speak; he had handed the authority to Charlotte already.
This was Charlotte's campaign.
It was the campaign for a new order in this stretch of the Warhammer's starry heavens.
Charlotte looked at those several enemy fleet markers nearing the Black Tiger Star Region, and said mildly, "Have the Dragon-Tiger Legion and the Hundred Beasts Legion on forward patrol make only the slightest contact with the enemy. Conduct a local contact of arms while ensuring their own safety; and after contact they are not to cling to the fight, but to give up these forward positions by degrees."
Hearing the order Charlotte handed down.
Hu Xin'er looked at Charlotte in astonishment. "We are to give up the forward positions?"
Seeing earlier that Charlotte had moved the Dragon-Tiger Legion and the Hundred Beasts Legion up to the forward positions—
she had supposed the fight was to be opened there.
But she had never thought that Charlotte would order them to fire one shot and withdraw.
This would give up a great swath of advantageous positions in the Black Tiger Star Region.
"Carry out my order." Charlotte looked at Hu Xin'er with cold eyes.
That look made even Hu Xin'er shudder — the very opposite of the approachable, unassuming General Charlotte of ordinary times.
"Yes…" Hu Xin'er hurried off to convey the order.
At this point Chieftainess Hu Ya quietly drew her own daughter aside and said in her ear, "Mind what time this is. In ordinary times General Charlotte may be approachable with you, and treat with you as a friend. But now she is this campaign's supreme commander, and you are a secretary under her hand. Unless the case is exceptional, do not talk out of turn; to carry out the supreme commander's orders is your responsibility."
Hu Xin'er nodded, half understanding.
Chieftainess Hu Ya looked at her daughter. The girl had the gift, right enough; it was experience she still lacked.
She hoped that following General Charlotte might add to that experience.
She herself could only give her a reminder now and then.
Chieftainess Hu Ya then walked over to Commander-in-Chief Zhao Chen's side.
Because Secretary Lilith had gone to the Radiant Moon-class star gate, being chiefly responsible for ensuring the Owl Dragon Legion's logistical resupply and the transport tasks between the two places, she had asked leave to go to the position that mattered most.
As for the army's command, given over to General Charlotte, she could set her mind wholly at rest.
And as for the shortage of people at the Commander-in-Chief's side, Chieftainess Hu Ya would go on standing in as Commander-in-Chief Zhao Chen's secretary.
"Chieftainess Hu Ya, are you too puzzled as to why Charlotte should choose to avoid battle?" Zhao Chen looked at Chieftainess Hu Ya beside him with a smile, opening the topic of his own accord.
Seeing the Commander-in-Chief put the question himself, Chieftainess Hu Ya spoke her thought. "General Charlotte means to show the enemy weakness, and then seek a fitting opening for battle?"