The Insect Race warships remained motionless, leaving Achilles bewildered. As he hesitated, one of their warships suddenly began moving slowly toward the defensive perimeter.
It was only a single warship, clearly not an attack force. Achilles had no intention of negotiating peace with the Insect Race, but the deputy adjutant beside him suggested, "We could sound out their intentions first. That would be better than staying locked in this stalemate."
Achilles nodded. "All right. Take three warships and have a look."
The deputy adjutant immediately replied, "There's no need. Since the Insect Race has come alone, we Aurorans can't let them outdo us in courage."
Achilles was greatly impressed. "Good. Once you've learned their intentions, if you can provoke them into attacking first, you'll earn the greatest credit for this battle."
The deputy adjutant hurriedly saluted and thanked him, then boarded a warship to meet the Insect Race.
A message arrived from the Insect Race warship, inviting him aboard. But the deputy adjutant took a precaution and asked their peace envoy to come aboard his ship instead.
The Insect Race's peace envoy, Charm Spider, readily agreed. Once inside the Auroran warship, she marveled at its spotless, splendid interior. "You Aurorans really do have excellent taste. Even your warships are decorated so lavishly."
As soon as she finished speaking, Charm Spider shook her spider abdomen, scattering countless tiny bugs onto the floor. The Auroran deputy adjutant was alarmed, but she said nonchalantly, "Sorry. We of the Insect Race have so many little bugs on our bodies. Sometimes they make us itch."
The Auroran deputy adjutant could hardly object, so he could only ask, "Then you wouldn't mind if we cleared these little things away, General?"
"Do as you please," Charm Spider said calmly.
The Auroran soldiers hurriedly began exterminating the bugs,