Zhao Chen looked at the succubus standing before him — under a meter and a half in height…
"Lilith, this is surely not one under age?" Zhao Chen looked doubtfully at Lilith beside him.
"Commander, I am of age already! I am 27 years old!" This succubus lifted her head to say it.
27…
That face — look at it how one might, it did not seem so much as 17.
Lilith made her introductions beside him. "Lutie is one of the scattered succubi I found later on. She had hidden herself away within the Warhammer's star regions, disguising her identity and earning money as an interstellar trader. And an interstellar trader was only her surface identity; in truth she made her money by gathering intelligence. It was I who had her work with President Guiji earlier to drive into the Holy Radiance Empire, and she has built an underground intelligence network within the Holy Radiance Empire's borders."
"I remember now — this is the one you spoke of before, who is good at gathering intelligence." Zhao Chen looked at this succubus of so exceedingly deceptive an appearance.
It had to be said, to look only at that guileless face of hers, it was truly hard to believe she was an old and crafty dealer in intelligence.
"Hee hee hee, what else could I do? I was separated from the rest of my people at the time; and to keep myself whole and go on living in a world of that sort, where the strong eat the weak, I could only disguise myself, and grow good at reading faces, and good at finding any scrap of intelligence or opportunity about me." The succubus Lutie put out her tongue.
The look of her seemed all play; but Zhao Chen understood very well that behind it lay the hardship of this succubus surviving alone.
"Very well. I give you 30 interstellar warships; and as for how many people you take along with the party. You may choose them as you please. My requirement is very simple. It is to gather every piece of intelligence upon the Angel Race," said Zhao Chen.
The succubus Lutie drew herself up straight and gave a military salute. "Set your mind at rest, Commander. I warrant the task will be completed."
The choice of person settled.
Zhao Chen then exchanged delegation lists with Tilia, and fixed the time of the meeting to come.
One month from now.
At which time it would be Zhao Chen who paid a visit to the Angel Race.
This was Zhao Chen's own proposal, and Tilia did not refuse it either.
From this point, contact between the Owl Dragon and the Angel Race began to be established by degrees.
And Zhao Chen might be reckoned to have finished the great bulk of his business in the Holy Radiance Empire; since there was nothing over on the Warhammer side urgently needing handling either, Zhao Chen decided to return first to the Owl Dragon Star System.
——————
The Demon Race
"What? The Twenty-Third Fleet we sent has been annihilated to the last ship?" A demon with two horns upon his head, his flesh like so much rock and his skin blood-red, rose in a fury, glaring at the three video windows before him.
Opposite those three video windows were three demon fleet commanders kneeling upon the ground.
Precisely the three Demon Race fleets left over from the earlier expedition against the Warhammer.
"My lord Marshal, we never looked for it that the enemy should possess a T5-grade interstellar warship. And that they should be fitted out besides with a very great number of first-rate interstellar warships. All of them T3-grade and T4-grade interstellar warships without exception. And the combat power of a single interstellar warship far surpasses that of our own interstellar warships of the same grade and type — much like… much like the Angel Race's interstellar warships, very much like…" the fleet commander said, trembling.
Among the Demon Race there is a most severe distance of standing.
For one above to kill one below in a fit of rage is a most common thing.
And this red-horned, muscled demon before them was one of their Demon Race's Twelve Demon Marshals.
Marshal Red Demon.
Marshal Red Demon clenched his fist. "Our Red Demon Legion made a poor enough showing upon the front against the Angel Race to begin with. The other demon legions win victory after victory, while we halt and go no further, which has left His Majesty the Demon King much displeased with us. I had thought, by way of this Warhammer, to open new territory for our Demon Race, and win back our Red Demon Legion's face. And the upshot is that you have now gone and lost me a whole fleet outright!"
Hearing Marshal Red Demon's roar, not one of the three fleet commanders dared speak.
"This matter must be smoothed over as soon as may be. It must not be let out for others to hear! Our Red Demon Legion's standing was precarious enough already; and if this matter break out on top of it. Then our Red Demon Legion's military-procurement budget hereafter, and our prestige, will both fall away sharply." Marshal Red Demon felt his own standing tottering.
He looked viciously at the three demon commanders opposite. "I ask you this: this Owl Dragon Legion you speak of — how many demon fleets must be sent to sweep it flat?"
The three demon commanders were all blank a moment.
One of them said, with great care, "Send three more…"
"No — four more would be enough!"
"I think five would be surest. If only five more demon legion fleets were sent… and it would be best if a few more T5-grade interstellar warships came besides…"
The last demon commander said it with still greater care; the terrible combat power of that T5 super interstellar warship was still vivid before his eyes.
To pile T4-grade interstellar warships against it would cost far too much in the losing.
To use a T5-grade interstellar warship against a T5 interstellar warship — that was the best instrument!
"Hmph." Marshal Red Demon gave a cold snort, which set the three demon commanders shivering on the instant. "I shall send 10 more demon legion fleets across. Among them will be the Fourth Fleet and the Fifth Fleet. I hope that this time you will not disappoint me!"
At hearing of the Fourth Fleet and the Fifth Fleet, the three demon commanders were overjoyed past all expectation.
For these two fleets were among the few demon legion fleets under the Red Demon Legion fitted with T5-grade interstellar warships.
With two T5 interstellar warships in hand, then should they meet that Owl Dragon Legion's T5 interstellar warship again, they would fear it not at all!
"Set your mind at rest, my lord Marshal. This time we shall assuredly sweep this Owl Dragon Legion flat. And take the whole Warhammer, and more interstellar territory besides. By that time His Majesty the Demon King will assuredly hold you in still higher regard!"
"With two T5 interstellar warships sent out, what is a Warhammer? So many ants!"
"Three months! No! Within two months. You shall have our report of victory!"
The three demon commanders swore it with the utmost assurance.
Marshal Red Demon looked coldly at the three of them. "I hope only that this time you will not disappoint me again."
With that, the video windows closed as well.
Marshal Red Demon let out a sigh, and rubbed at his own temples.
Whether it was because the Demon Race had mastered those evil technologies or not, there was a very heavy air of savagery within the Demon Race now.
Rumor had it the Demon King meant to reduce the number of the Demon Marshals.
The Twelve Demon Marshals would be cut in part, which meant the twelve demon legions would be reduced as well.
And at such a time, who had ability and who had none — that was of the first importance!
Which was why he, Marshal Red Demon, urgently needed to display his own capacity; he had no wish to be the one cut away.
The Owl Dragon Legion; a T5 interstellar warship.
These two phrases flashed through Marshal Red Demon's mind, but he did not dwell upon them.
At any rate, these ants would very soon be annihilated by his own demon legions!