The Angel Race.
"Through this stretch of time the Demon Race's offensive against us has grown a good deal stronger again. Two important strategic points have been lost. In these near two months we have lost near 300,000 interstellar warships outright. The loss is far too great. And in these two months our military industry can barely make up 100,000 interstellar warships." The angel Tilia stood before the Holy Angel King upon her throne, reporting the news from the fields.
"Though by the field data we have destroyed near 500,000 Demon Race interstellar warships. Yet the Demon Race's rate of turning out hulls now far surpasses ours; upon every line their holding of interstellar warships is kept at the highest standard. And the most important thing of all is that the fighting power of the Demon Race's interstellar warships, ever since they came by that evil technology, has plainly risen a very great deal. In former days, fighting our angel legions, the loss ratio would as often as not be five to one, or higher! But through this recent stretch of time the loss ratio has been drawing in without cease — it is now not even two to one!" said another female angel, standing at the other side with her brows drawn together.
The Angel Tilia agreed with her colleague's words.
This was Susan, the other Angel Guard under the Holy Angel King.
"The case grows worse and worse, and yet we have no means whatever." The Holy Angel King too was helpless at this moment.
The angel Tilia paused, then said, "No — at present… we have yet one thread of hope."
The Angel Guard Susan was blank a moment; then she recalled that business at the end of January.
"You mean that Owl Dragon?"
Then she shook her head coldly. "Do you truly place our Angel Race's hope upon this Owl Dragon Legion? Even if this Owl Dragon's strength is truly great. Even if they have the industrial strength to produce the T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer. Yet they need time as well to digest our technology and to build the production lines. We gave them a month of production time, and reckon in the extra time of the journey there and back besides. There is simply no possibility whatever of their producing 10,000 T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyers in so short a time." The Angel Guard Susan said it in a tone that cut like a knife.
The angel Tilia frowned, and answered her. "You should have read the materials on the Owl Dragon; they rose in a very short time, and possess several T5 interstellar warships besides. Since that Commander Zhao Chen had the confidence to take this military order. I believe he assuredly can do it!"
The Angel Guard Susan would have answered again.
But the Holy Angel King broke in. "There now; come what may. Though this Owl Dragon should fail to deliver 10,000 T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyers as agreed. If they complete but half of them, that in fact already reaches the mark we had in our own minds. Only that the Judgment Angel King advised us at the time to set the terms a little high. Should the other side prove unable to complete it, we could then put forward terms of cooperation more favorable to us."
Hearing the Holy Angel King put it so, the Angel Guard Susan said nothing further.
For the Angel Race as it now stood, if an ally could truly appear who could help them, it was indeed a good thing.
But… could such a thing truly be born within this stretch of the universe?
Beep, beep, beep.
Just at this time the communication equipment on the angel Tilia's side received a message.
"Forgive me." The angel Tilia first looked to her Angel King in apology, and then, with the Angel King's leave, read the message.
Seeing the message's content, the angel Tilia said in glad surprise, "It is a message from that Owl Dragon lord. He says that he has done as required, and is about to reach our starport with the goods of the military order; he asks that we take delivery as soon as may be."
At these words.
The Angel Guard Susan changed from her cold expression of before, and said in astonishment, "They have truly completed the military order we required? Ten thousand T3 Radiance-class Medium Interstellar Destroyers?"
So saying, the Angel Guard Susan frowned and added a word besides. "If they have not been produced to our requirements of quality, that does not count as completing our military order."
At the first moment this Angel Guard Susan did not believe the thing.
For it must be understood that at this present time there were even some days yet before the time they had agreed upon.
The Owl Dragon had not only completed the military order, but delivered ahead of time?
The one possibility that could be made to fit was that the goods the Owl Dragon had produced might not have reached the Angel Race's requirements in quality.
The angel Tilia looked at Susan with her brows drawn together. "Susan, will you not stop carrying this prejudice against the Owl Dragon? Speak to the facts. You have not so much as seen the starships they have delivered, and yet stand here saying such a thing — do you think it fitting!"
Seeing these two of hers about to fall to quarreling again, the Holy Angel King rose. "Enough. Whether the Owl Dragon has completed this military order to quality and to quantity. Shall we not know it by going to see with our own eyes? Tilia, make ready; we shall go and take delivery ourselves. And at the same time send this news to the two Angel Kings."
"Yes." The angel Tilia said respectfully, "Yes."
"You will go yourself? For a matter of this kind, it is enough that we two go. For you to go yourself…" The Angel Guard Susan looked at her Angel King in surprise.
The Holy Angel King looked at this Angel Guard of hers. "Susan, an excess of self-conceit is at times no good thing. This matter is exceedingly important for the Angel Race as we now stand. If the Owl Dragon can truly complete this military order within the time we required, it is enough to show the Owl Dragon's industrial strength. And if we can gain the Owl Dragon's support, and have interstellar warships produced for us in an unbroken stream to make up the losses upon our front-line fields. It may perhaps change this dangerous situation of our Angel Race's! For a matter of such importance, what is unfitting in my going myself?"
So saying, the Holy Angel King walked slowly out of this temple.
The Angel Guard Susan, having had her dressing-down, followed meekly behind, and put away that somewhat conceited frame of mind of hers.
Conceit of this kind was very common among the Angel Race's high command.
Since being held down by the Demon Race it had grown a little better.
Before that time, the Angel Race, the Machine Race excepted, had not so much as looked at any interstellar race at all.
————
That Angel Race border starport the Owl Dragon fleet had visited the first time.
This time it received the Owl Dragon fleet's second visit.
Only that this time the scale and the array of it far surpassed the last.
A great quantity of interstellar transports came toward this starport in mighty procession.
Their number was a full several thousand.
This was a terrible number such as this starport had never received before.