"Reporting to the lord Angel King — the Holy Dragon Angel Legion's first task of battle is ended. They have now returned to a starport in the rear for supply and maintenance, and stand ready to carry out the next task!" An angel petty officer stood respectfully within the great hall.
Before her stood the Holy Angel King and the Angel Guard Susan; the war sand table of the whole field floated before them, and it seemed the two had been discussing this campaign.
"How did it turn out?" The angel Susan could not help asking first.
"In this action the Holy Dragon Angel Legion, from entering the field to quitting it, was three hours upon it.
"They annihilated above 50,000 Demon Race interstellar warships in all!
"And accomplished the task in concert with the Virtue Angel Legion's Seventh legion fleet.
"When the Holy Dragon Angel Legion withdrew, the field held by estimate under 5,000 remnant demon hulls, though 10,000 hulls of reinforcement arrived after. So the Holy Dragon Angel Legion applied to quit the field, and having leave, withdrew and returned to the starport to refit," the angel petty officer reported.
"What? Above 50,000 warships annihilated?" The angel Susan was dumbfounded in an instant.
If she remembered rightly, had this Holy Dragon Angel Legion not 10,000 hulls only?
How had that creature Tilia contrived to annihilate 50,000 with 10,000!
"Has the field report been confirmed?" the Holy Angel King inquired levelly.
"It has been confirmed several times over. And before coming, I spoke besides with those upon the War Angel King's side; they had received a field report sent up by the commander of the Virtue Angel Legion's Seventh legion fleet from that local field. In the main it agrees," said the angel petty officer.
"How can that be! And the Holy Dragon Angel Legion's own losses?" the angel Susan questioned.
"In the fighting the Holy Dragon Angel Legion had 635 warships destroyed outright, and 337 gravely damaged," said the angel petty officer.
"How can that be! Under a thousand hulls lost, and a record of 50,000 enemy hulls annihilated!" There was every disbelief in the angel Susan's face.
Had the Angel King not been beside her, she would likely have demanded outright whether the news were true at all.
"Is there a detailed field report?" The Holy Angel King was relatively the steadier in feeling.
"There is — some field image data sent back by the commander of the Virtue Angel Legion's Seventh legion fleet, and some remarks of his own." The angel petty officer showed this material to the two ladies.
Within it were several rounds of interstellar missiles fired.
From T2 missile ships to T3 missile ships to a T4 missile ship.
"So it is the Owl Dragon Legion's interstellar missiles. It was heard before that the Owl Dragon Legion is exceedingly skilled in the use of missile ships, and that the proportion of missile ships in their legion fleets is very high," the Holy Angel King said levelly.
The angel Susan's expression was complicated.
"Though…" The angel petty officer who had reported said, with an expression more complicated still, "There is here besides a report of Commander Tilia's upon the field consumption. In this campaign the Holy Dragon Angel Legion consumed near 800 billion star coins in all, not counting the warships lost nor the cost of repairing them."
"How much did you say?" The angel Susan's voice rose sharply in that moment.
Her echo could be heard through the whole hall.
"Eight hundred billion star coins…" said the angel petty officer.
"Are her warships made of Holy Angel Radiance Diamond!" (an exceedingly costly material native to the Angel Race's territory) "Ten thousand warships, and in five hours they have consumed 800 billion! A legion fleet at full establishment of 30,000 hulls, fighting a month, would likely not reach that figure!" Black lines rose upon the angel Susan's brow; it was as though her tenderest scale had been touched.
For under the Holy Angel King the angel Susan holds another office besides.
Namely the management of the Holy Angel King's finances.
She knows very well how much is left in hand.
And Tilia, in a campaign of five hours, had fired away 800 billion star coins!
This was truly the burning of money!
"Commander Tilia's explanation is that this is… the cost of procuring these interstellar missiles. And Commander Tilia has put in an application besides, requesting approval of further military orders to the Owl Dragon Legion for more of these missiles," said the angel petty officer.
The angel Susan set her teeth.
Eight hundred billion fired away and not enough — and she wants more?
"Tell Tilia that we know of this business, but that it wants discussion. Let her go on carrying out her own actions; as before, she may do what she thinks fit, and we shall not interfere," the Holy Angel King said levelly.
"Yes."
"Susan.
"Go and make a further arrangement: watch every battle of the Holy Dragon Angel Legion's closely hereafter; I want the newest and most detailed field reports.
"And have all those Owl Dragon-line warships analyzed in detail — best of all, draw one of every class to our starship research institute.
"Above all the missile ships, and the missiles aboard them.
"Best of all, that in the shortest time we may build for ourselves missiles that can be carried upon those ships' launching platforms." The Holy Angel King charged her with it all.
The angel Susan nodded, her eyes alight.
She would like to see for herself what great secret these Owl Dragon-line warships hold!
Thereafter, in a bare twenty days, the Holy Dragon Angel Legion fought seven battles and won seven!
Upon a fleet establishment of under 10,000 hulls, it annihilated above 300,000 interstellar warships first and last.
And took besides two T5 Terror-Blade-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruisers!
Which made this T4 Hell-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship the great star of the Angel Race's front-line fields.
Upon very nearly every line they knew of the Holy Dragon Angel Legion, that existence like a company of firefighters.
But however strong a legion fleet, without supply there comes an hour when its shot and its stores run out.
Twenty days of fighting without cease had left the Holy Dragon Angel Legion's chief fighting class — the missile ships — with their store of missiles very nearly at the bottom.
And of the 10,000 warships they began with, under 5,000 remained with any capacity to fight.
And there were simply no warships to be had to fill the gap.
Even should the Angel Race wish to fill it, there are no Owl Dragon-line warships to fill it with.
For which Commander Tilia sent application after application to the Holy Angel King, hoping to procure a great batch of Owl Dragon-line warships for the Holy Dragon Angel Legion.
And this question very soon drew the notice of the other two Angel Kings besides.
It could not fail to.
For the Holy Dragon Angel Legion's showing upon the front-line fields was far too dazzling; even that fellow the War Angel King had sought the Holy Angel King out several times.
And while Commander Tilia fretted privately.
A small council was under way.
"So — it is settled thus." The Holy Angel King looked at the two Angel Kings across from her.
The two Angel Kings nodded.