Hearing Zhao Chen's righteous and solemn declaration.
Princess Blanche's train of thought shut down for several seconds.
She assumed without thinking that she must have misheard.
And having established that she had not misheard, she looked at the smile brimming upon the Owl Dragon lord's face opposite.
However… however she looked at it, it made her blood run cold.
There is something wrong with this man! Very wrong indeed!
Had Zhao Chen known that this crowd were disparaging him so within their hearts, he would assuredly have cried out at the injustice.
This declaration of his was in earnest!
At the very least, until he claimed that annual task reward at year's end, the Demon Race fleet could forget about violating Dragon-folk territory!
"Of course, I have conditions on my side as well," Zhao Chen said thereafter.
Hearing that there were conditions.
The Giant Lion chieftain narrowed his eyes, wearing the look of one who had known there would be a second act.
Princess Blanche, hearing this, was on the contrary a good deal easier in her heart.
That is more like it. Those words a moment ago had truly left her at a loss.
"What conditions?" Princess Blanche asked.
She had already resolved that so long as the conditions were not too outrageous, she would agree.
Because the Demon Race threat at present was truly too grave; she had seen that last precious battlefield data report her father left behind.
And knew the terror of the Demon Race threat.
Which was why she had agreed a moment ago to things that damaged the Dragon-folk tribe's interests.
"We have looked: at the boundary of your Dragon-folk tribe's northern territory there are five star systems standing upon the frontier. We want to take over two of them directly; the star gates and star ports of those two systems will be taken over by us, for the convenience of transporting our strategic materiel and of garrisoning our legion fleets. At the same time, from now on these two systems enter a first-grade state of war; and during this period the polities within these two systems will obey my orders. Against any who defy my orders, I hold supreme executive authority! Besides which, should our Owl Dragon Legion need to use any star gate within Dragon-folk territory, we must have priority of use, and all costs arising shall be borne by the Dragon-folk tribe. That is all." Zhao Chen finished.
He waited a while, and found that neither Blanche nor the Giant Lion chieftain opposite had spoken.
"Well? Is there a problem?" Zhao Chen asked.
"That is all?" Blanche asked in surprise.
"Yes. That is all." Zhao Chen nodded.
Blanche looked at this Owl Dragon lord in astonishment. The conditions he had put forward — though they involved taking over those two systems, if it was for garrisoning against and resisting the Demon Race fleet, then these conditions could not be called outrageous.
And even if she did not trust the Owl Dragon Legion.
At worst she need only dispose some legion fleets in the systems behind them when the time came.
So these conditions Zhao Chen had put forward amounted to nothing at all.
"Very well. I agree to these." Princess Blanche, bearing an uneasy misgiving about these proposals of Zhao Chen's, agreed to them in the end.
At this point there were still three who had not declared themselves.
Charlotte spoke up. "Our Hundred Beasts Alliance's legion fleets will act together with the Owl Dragon Legion. It is estimated we shall commit a strength of at least 100,000 interstellar warships."
Princess Blanche raised no objection.
The Hundred Beasts Alliance's military strength Princess Blanche did not greatly value; what mattered most was the Owl Dragon Legion.
That the Owl Dragon Legion was willing to dispatch five legion fleets, 15,000 interstellar warships, to garrison was already enough.
Princess Blanche looked to the remaining two, the Giant Lion chieftain and the Fury Bear chieftain.
"I can take responsibility for the defense of one star system; I shall send 30 legion fleets, 90,000 interstellar warships, over when the time comes," the Fury Bear chieftain said with enthusiasm.
The Fury Bear tribe was in fact a warlike race by nature, but they had their principles besides.
Their love of war was not fighting for the sake of slaughter, but a character that fought for the sake of the fighting itself.
So they had not liked fighting the Revolutionary Army, nor the civil war that followed.
But with an enemy at hand in the character of an invader — the Demon Race — how should the Fury Bear chieftain let slip so fine a chance!
The whole tribe had 100,000 interstellar warships in all, and he had dragged out 90,000 of them outright.
Though this now left the other party riding a tiger with no way down.
The Hundred Beasts Alliance and the Fury Bear tribe had committed so much.
The Giant Lion chieftain could hardly send too few; he could only agree to dispatch 100,000 interstellar warships, and to garrison one star system together with the Fury Bear tribe.
By this reckoning, the five frontier systems of the Dragon-folk tribe's northern territory were arranged for.
Two frontier systems garrisoned by the Owl Dragon Legion and the Hundred Beasts Alliance;
two frontier systems garrisoned by the Dragon-folk tribe themselves;
one frontier system garrisoned by the Giant Lion tribe and the Fury Bear tribe.
By a rough reckoning, there would by then be at least 500,000 interstellar warships garrisoning the frontier of the Dragon-folk tribe's northern territory.
And that without counting the legion fleets other tribal fleets would send in support.
Thereafter certain other lesser matters were discussed.
And as the conference was drawing toward its close.
Princess Blanche produced a body of data, her expression somewhat heavy. "Gentlemen, my father, in his last battle. Led 150,000 Dragon-folk interstellar warships in person against the Demon fleet in fierce fighting; and though he was at the last grievously defeated— the relevant combat data was obtained. Here I share these combat data reports with you all. Though before this we may have been opponents standing upon differing grounds of interest. Still, facing the Demon Race, this common enemy, I hope all of you may set aside your prejudices and destroy this demon first. Or else, after our Dragon-folk tribe is destroyed, not one of you seated here can hope to escape. This is a battle that belongs to us all!"
Zhao Chen looked at that body of data in the course of transmission, and gave this Princess Blanche a second look.
This body of data was exceedingly important to the fighting to come.
And she had, at this juncture, brought it out of her own will.
Which was proof enough of her grasp of the larger situation, and of her ability.
Had she hidden it out of private interest and not produced it, it might well have led them, in the fighting against the Demon Race, to heavier losses through knowing too little of the enemy.
Far better than that half-sister of hers, Leona.
"The Dragon-folk tribe's people will count themselves fortunate to have such a princess," Zhao Chen said sincerely.
Thereafter, once these combat data had been received.
This conference too came to its end.
Zhao Chen opened his eyes; he had returned to his own flagship.
And near enough at the same moment, two video communication windows sprang open.
Though one of them connected directly, while the other showed as a request.
The former was Charlotte, to whom Zhao Chen had given that privilege.
The latter Zhao Chen glanced at, and paid no further mind.
A blind bear.
"Charlotte, study that combat data report thoroughly in the least possible time; you may call in Su Lan, Shen Bing and Lilith to help. I need, in the least possible time, a detailed body of material upon the Demon Race fleet! I do not wish my fleets, when they engage the Demon Race fleet, to pay a grievous price in casualties through knowing nothing whatever of the enemy!" Zhao Chen instructed gravely.
"Yes. Give me 24 hours, and I shall lay before you a body of Demon Race material to your satisfaction," Charlotte pledged.