Zhao Chen looked at the angel Tilia before him, and at her side two angels besides.
"Let me make the introductions. These two are, severally, the highest commander of the Rose Angel Legion, the high-order angel Jessie, with 200,000 interstellar warships under her rule. And this is the highest commander of the Tempest Angel Legion, the high-order angel Berkeley, with 200,000 interstellar warships under his rule. Together with the 30,000 of the Principality Angel Legion I have brought this time. We are come by order to aid the Owl Dragon's lord in the fighting against the Demon Race." The angel Tilia made a slight salute, and introduced these comrades of hers.
"The Owl Dragon's lord, Zhao Chen. You are welcome here." Zhao Chen returned the courtesy.
The two high-order angels returned it in silence; one could see they still carried a little of their airs.
That, he reckoned, was a habit of the Angel Race's.
"In meeting this time we are chiefly to discuss the plan of battle to come," the angel Tilia said.
Zhao Chen nodded, to say he understood.
At this point that angel Berkeley spoke coldly. "My lord, though we come by order this time to assist your side in fighting the Demon Race. Yet we must have regard to our own casualties. So as to any military action in which we take part, we hold the right to know of it and to judge whether we shall carry it out."
The meaning within this was plain enough already.
Though I come to fight for you, I shall have no part in anything that leaves me the loser.
How should Zhao Chen not know so small a scheme.
Zhao Chen smiled slightly, and said it frankly. "Set your minds at rest, all of you. We are all intelligent people, and there is no need of twists and turns. I shall tell the three of you outright. This plan of battle we have indeed already drawn up. We shall fight the invading Demon Race fleets at the position of the Owl Dragon Military Base. And there my Owl Dragon Legion will take the head-on main attack upon itself. As for your 400,000 angel interstellar warships, you need only stand in support upon the flank; should the enemy break and scatter, I shall trouble your angel legions to wipe them out."
At Zhao Chen's words, all three high-order angels were struck blank at the first moment.
The angel Jessie looked at Zhao Chen in surprise. "Does the lord mean that our 400,000 angel interstellar warships need not engage the demon legion fleets head-on?"
Zhao Chen nodded.
"But by the news we have at present, the invading demon legion fleets are a full million. Whereas the Owl Dragon Legion at present possesses only some 60,000-odd combat-type interstellar warships. Is not the gap in interstellar warship numbers far too great?" The angel Berkeley fixed his eyes upon Zhao Chen.
The words were full of doubt.
"Our Owl Dragon Legion does not make a joke of itself. As for how we shall fight when the time comes, and how we shall win, you gentlefolk need only watch. And if some mischance truly arises then, I believe you will make your own choice — will you not?" Zhao Chen looked at them with something of a meaning in it.
Though the Angel Kings over on the Angel Race's side had agreed to help Zhao Chen hold off these million demon interstellar warships.
Yet as the old saying has it, husband and wife are birds of one wood, and when the great trouble comes each flies his own way.
Still less in a cooperation of this kind: if the state of the battle truly went all one way toward the Demon Race, these angel interstellar warships would beyond doubt choose retreat without a moment's hesitation.
"My lord, is it truly so decided?" The angel Tilia looked at Zhao Chen in concern.
Of the three, she alone perhaps had some thought for Zhao Chen.
"Set your mind at rest. I do not fight a battle I have not prepared," Zhao Chen said with confidence.
Thereafter, a few matters being briefly settled, this meeting ended.
Coming out of the holographic image.
What Zhao Chen saw was three sets of materials Lilith had long since made ready — upon the Angel Race's Principality Angel, Rose Angel and Tempest Angel legion fleets.
The Principality Angels were the legion fleet in the charge of the two Angel Guards under the Holy Angel King; never mind that their number was small, a bare 30,000, far below the other legion fleets.
Their fighting power was exceedingly strong, and upon a field they generally served as the spearhead against the strong point.
While the other two, Rose Angel and Tempest Angel, belonged to the more regular sort of legion fleet among the Angel Race.
"These three angel legions come to 430,000 interstellar warships in all. Within them are nine T5 interstellar warships, 50,000 T4 interstellar warships, and the rest all T3," Lilith set out.
"Fifty thousand T4 interstellar warships…" Zhao Chen said with some envy. "Worthy of an old-established interstellar power; the depth of it is truly terrible. Pull out any three legion fleets at random, and there are 50,000 T4 interstellar warships among them. Had the Machine Race not stood between as a natural moat before, would not the Galactic Alliance's ground here have been swept up by the interstellar powers across the way at their leisure?"
It must be said that in this the many powers of the Galactic Alliance had truly to thank the Machine Race's existence.
Though it had led besides to a terrible technological fault between the two stretches of the universe.
Had it not been for Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Legion, with its exceedingly strong starship technology, they might well not have had the standing to speak at the same table with these people at all.
"This time we must not only win this battle. We must have these honored guests from afar admire our interstellar warships properly. And carry back what they have seen. Lilith, you take my meaning?" Zhao Chen looked at Lilith with a faint smile.
Lilith nodded.
This Commander of hers truly walked one step and looked three ahead.
Other people at this hour were still anxious over the business of a million demon interstellar warships.
Whereas his eyes were already set upon the long future — how to drive the Owl Dragon-line interstellar warship into the Angel Race's military system.
And set against the finest flowers of speech, the best means was to have the Angel Race's high command see with their own eyes.
And seeing with one's own eyes wants a fitting opponent, does it not.
The Demon Race.
As the supporting player upon this stage, they were beyond doubt the fittest of all.
None knows the Demon Race's fighting power better than the Angel Race; and to use Demon Race interstellar warships to show forth the fighting power of Owl Dragon interstellar warships.
That was simply the best choice there was.
This was the thing Zhao Chen had taken into account.
"How stand our war-readiness resources?" Zhao Chen inquired.
"For this war we have made ready near 5 trillion star coins in war-readiness resources. A very great part of that was provided by the Warhammer and the Starlight sides besides. And above all the Warhammer, who may be said to have brought out no small part of their family stock. Should the fighting want it hereafter, we can move a further portion of war-readiness resources in an emergency," said Lilith.
The Warhammer were showing themselves off — and knew well besides what their own end would be beneath the demon legion fleets' iron hooves if this Owl Dragon umbrella were gone.
"Since all is ready. Then let us give that Marshal Red Demon a proper welcome." Zhao Chen sat upon the sofa as lightly as a passing cloud, as though what was coming were no hard battle.
But merely a performance.