Ignoring the 'suggestive' conduct of that great burly blind bear opposite.
Zhao Chen said to Blanche, coming straight to the point, "Princess Blanche, speak. What manner of terms?"
Seeing Zhao Chen so direct, Blanche wasted no words either, and set out at once the train of conditions she had thought out long before.
Blanche declared that they would acknowledge the Hundred Beasts Alliance's control over the Black Tiger Star Region, the Moon-God Star Region, the Sacred Plume Star Region and the Fang Star Region as they now stood.
And that as for those tribal powers that had taken the Hundred Beasts Alliance's side, no responsibility whatever would be pursued against them.
At the same time, a new Warhammer polity would be raised, in which the Hundred Beasts Alliance that Charlotte represented would be permitted a certain number of seats.
But she stressed at the same time that the first problem at present was the Demon Race threat beyond the Dragon-folk tribe's northern territory.
She laid emphasis upon the Demon Race threat and the degree of its terror, and required that after terms were made, the Hundred Beasts Alliance and the Owl Dragon Legion must support the Dragon-folk tribe's campaign against the Demon Race.
Having heard all this, Zhao Chen looked at Princess Blanche opposite with a smile.
Princess Blanche perceived the mockery in Zhao Chen's eyes.
"Your Excellency the Owl Dragon lord, have you any objection?" Princess Blanche asked.
Zhao Chen stretched himself lazily, raised a hand as serene as a light cloud in a calm wind, and a thing prepared long since was projected holographically before them all.
That was a train of conditions for terms.
And Zhao Chen said mildly at the same time, "The Demon Race threat we know of too; out of humanitarian consideration we are willing to furnish the Dragon-folk tribe military aid without charge, and to send our Owl Dragon Legion to fight for the protection of Dragon-folk territory!"
Blanche listened to this man opposite speak so nobly and with such an air, and was much puzzled inwardly.
She had supposed that upon the matter of furnishing military aid the Owl Dragon Legion would raise great difficulties, or exact no small price.
She had never thought it would on the contrary be the first item the other party agreed to.
Only that the train of conditions that followed gave no cause for optimism.
"What? You actually want control of the Blood Ring Star Region!" The Giant Lion tribe's chieftain, seeing one of the conditions, grew heated outright.
Zhao Chen shrugged. "Not the Blood Ring Star Region alone; besides that we want the Mogenda Star Region controlled by the Black Wolf tribe; the Battle Song Star Region controlled by the Centaur tribe; and the Beast Horn Star Region controlled by the War-Ram tribe."
At this it was not only the Giant Lion chieftain's face that turned ill; Princess Blanche's darkened as well.
The Mogenda Star Region was administered jointly by the Black Wolf tribe and the Black Tiger tribe — though control of the Mogenda Star Region had in fact been lost long since; the Black Tiger tribe existed in name only, and the Black Wolf tribe was a cripple. Gone was gone.
The Blood Ring Star Region was administered jointly by the Fox-folk tribe and the Giant Lion tribe.
The Fox-folk tribe's betrayal had already left the Giant Lion tribe furious past bearing.
And now to have the Giant Lion tribe cede territory outright to make peace — that he naturally could not accept at once.
Besides which, the Battle Song Star Region controlled by the Centaur tribe and the Beast Horn Star Region controlled by the War-Ram tribe were each administered jointly by those two tribes and the Dragon-folk tribe.
The Centaur tribe and the War-Ram tribe had all along been supporters of the Dragon-folk faction.
To lose two star regions at a stroke was, for the Dragon-folk tribe in their present position, beyond doubt a great hemorrhage.
"Your Excellency the Owl Dragon lord, I hope you may consider the actual circumstances. Even were I willing to cede these star regions to you, I cannot make the decision for these tribes. Would you see these tribes driven from hearth and home?" Princess Blanche said.
Zhao Chen smiled faintly and folded his arms across his chest. "Upon this the two of you need have no anxiety. So long as you consent, and withdraw your garrisons from these star regions, that will suffice. As for the rest, let it take its natural course. These tribes will develop better under the Hundred Beasts Alliance's system, and their chieftains will make the choices they ought to make."
Blanche knit her brows slightly; she seemed to hear something implied in these words.
And just at this moment, three messages came in on Zhao Chen's side; he glanced at his handheld terminal.
He smiled faintly. They had come at exactly the right time.
"As it happens — I believe that once you have seen with your own eyes, you should be able to accept it. Let these tribes' chieftains tell you their choices from their own mouths." Zhao Chen raised a hand, and three video windows appeared before Princess Blanche and the Giant Lion chieftain.
Princess Blanche and the Giant Lion chieftain looked at those three video windows.
The first to appear in a window was a Black Wolf tribesman, one of the Black Wolf tribe's elders.
The Black Wolf elder looked at those opposite, gulped, and said with great care, "My lords, our Black Wolf tribe has reflected deeply upon our former errors; for the sake of the wolf race's revival, we shall now join the Hundred Beasts Alliance."
With that, the Black Wolf elder cut the communication outright.
The Black Wolf elder looked timidly at a White Wolf woman general seated upon the Black Wolf tribe's throne beside him. "Is… is that… does that satisfy you?"
"I am well satisfied. Mind you behave obediently hereafter. We are all of us the wolf race; do not play the double-dealer." The wolf-girl Baixue rose and glanced at the Black Wolf throne behind her. "Uncomfortable to sit in. Not half so easy as my captain's chair."
With that, the wolf-girl Baixue walked toward the outside; and coming out of the great hall—
one would find that above this planet there hung no few Owl Dragon Legion interstellar drones and interstellar fighters, and combat mecha besides.
And looking further out beyond the sky, one could see an Owl Dragon Legion fleet!
"Ah, right — go on investigating for me where that Black Wolf Princess of yours has run off to. I said before that I would seize her to warm my Commander-in-Chief's bed. I, Baixue, do what I say." The wolf-girl Baixue turned her head and glared at that Black Wolf elder.
"Yes, yes, yes. The moment there is word I shall inform you." The Black Wolf elder said it again and again, watching this White Wolf general out of the Owl Dragon Legion board her shuttle and depart slowly.
He let out a breath of relief, and grumbled at the same time that that Black Wolf Princess had behaved shabbily indeed — vanishing without a soul the wiser, and taking away besides what little remained of the Black Wolf tribe's fleets.
Though even had those Black Wolf fleets still been here, they would have been no match for the Owl Dragon Legion.
But that feeling of having been betrayed was hard to bear all the same.
Happily, that White Wolf general had no notion of killing the Black Wolf tribe to the last.
With the Owl Dragon Legion's present strength, and that rumored interstellar warship besides, joining the Hundred Beasts Alliance was perhaps the best choice to be had.
At this same time.
Upon the home stars of the other two tribes.
"Running with the Hundred Beasts Alliance, one does not lose by it." Shen Bing regarded the Centaur tribe's chieftain opposite mildly.
"Well? Have you considered it clearly? My patience is limited." The pairs of serpent eyes upon Medusa's hair fixed upon the War-Ram chieftain opposite, and his blood ran cold.
And at this same time, two Owl Dragon Legion fleets had 'most amiably' paid a visit to their territories, and hung at anchor beyond their home stars.
"We… wish to join the Hundred Beasts Alliance."
"We voluntarily join the Hundred Beasts Alliance."
Within the video windows, both tribal chieftains announced their decisions.
Zhao Chen spread his arms and said with a smile, "You have both seen it. These are all of them the views and thoughts of these tribal chieftains and leaders themselves. Now I wonder — will you go on talking with me here? Or would you talk with the Owl Dragon Legion under my hand? Or perhaps have a good talk with that legendary interstellar warship."
Within the mild words there lay, at every turn, an air of threat.
Princess Blanche and the Giant Lion chieftain felt themselves at this moment like playthings in this man's palm, and he was regarding them with mocking eyes.