How can a retired savior be considered retired if his price drops to 40,000?

Chapter 382 Who is still in the mood to eat?

In the end, things really developed just as Fujimaru Ritsuka said. I don’t know if it can be considered an “end”, but it was definitely very ugly.

After her words, Captain Toon was obviously furious. He rushed towards Fujimaru Ritsuka regardless of everything. Although no one told him the name of the girl in front of him, as a captain, Toon had already guessed from various clues that the person in question was not ordinary. But at that time, all this was not important to him. At that moment, the only thing he wanted to do was to seek justice for his self-esteem.

He didn't actually think about how he would achieve this goal, but as a war machine shaped by bio-alchemy, a skilled soldier who had been on the battlefield for more than a hundred years since the Indomitable Crusade, he attacked completely out of subconscious reaction. Also out of a similar instinct, all his attention was focused on his target, the seemingly fragile mortal girl who was standing not far away and speaking nonsense. He felt someone pulling on the wrist of his power armor, hindering his movement, but only for a moment. When he shook off the unsteady grip, he seemed to hear a sigh of regret, but that might be his illusion, his attention was not on these things. He rushed forward, stretched out his hand, and the target's thin neck was within his reach -

——Then he lost his balance while rushing forward, fell down, and fell flat on his face. His target accurately grabbed his outstretched hand with a reaction speed beyond the limits of mortals, and a traction force came from the contact point, which quickly shifted his center of gravity. Then, while Toon tried hard to maintain his balance, the mortal girl moved her feet and nimbly brushed past him, escaping from the range he could influence.

This obstacle did not stop Thun's next move. How to recover after falling and how to recover quickly had already been etched into his instinctive reactions by the Space Marine training and countless battlefields over the past hundred years. He climbed up again almost as soon as he touched the ground, unconsciously reaching for the weapon strap on his waist, and raised his head to try to confirm the target position again - but the next thing that occupied his sight was Akuldona's fist.

A heavy blow that made him feel dizzy forced Toon to fall back to the ground again. The severe pain that quickly spread throughout his head and face brought a tinnitus, and the center of the pain was probably near the bridge of his nose. He instinctively raised his hand to touch that place, and at the same time realized that his nasal cavity was bleeding, and the coagulated blood clots might block part of his respiratory tract. In the next moment, the Primaris Warrior's stronger recovery ability quickly relieved his discomfort, so he also heard Akuldona's voice:

"Forget it," said the firstborn. "The lady let you make a move, so just vent your emotions and stop here. Even if you continue to fight, what will happen? It's not good whether you win or lose."

Akuldona had more to say, and Thun should have realized it from his expression, but he refused to let himself realize it. After he stood up, he still reached for the plasma pistol on his waist. While holding the handle of the gun, Thun's other hand was trying to push Akuldona away from him. From a distance, the girl's further provocation came: "Let him come over, I can fight him until he is happy!" This further intensified the anger of the chapter leader, but then he found that Akuldona refused to leave.

The Primaris' enhanced reflexes allowed Toon to clearly capture every move of Akuldona, but his body, which should have been stronger and more agile than the Firstborn, was unable to keep up with these reactions. The training sword in Akuldona's hand struck both of his knees at the same time, almost in an instant - an old habit that was popular before the emergence of the Primaris and the MK10 armor. Many models of old power armor in the Empire were always unsatisfactory in terms of knee joint protection - each hit was very heavy, even if it was just a blunt sword, it was enough to smash the finely crafted and well-protected ceramic steel armor on the Chapter Master.

In this sudden situation, Thun immediately endured the pain weakened by the shattered armor, bent his knees and stepped forward against common sense, trying to pull out his power sword from the weapon strap, and first deal with Akuldona who was close at hand. Offense is the best defense, this is a strategy written into Thun's instinct after years of fighting, but when he implemented it again in the current situation, he suddenly noticed that this posture, which allowed him to stabilize his center of gravity despite the pain and prepare for attack, also lowered his height.

The next moment, the blunt sword in Akurdona's hand flashed with silver light like a fluttering butterfly, and with dazzling elegance and unexpected speed, it bypassed the armor plate on the neck guard and reached Thun's neck - as if the latter had bent down and stretched his neck over.

If this had happened on the battlefield, he would have been dead, Toon realized at that moment.

What actually happened was probably no better, for Akoldona's blow was more than a threat. Thune had no idea how, but just as the unsharpened edge of the training sword disappeared from his sight between his neck and eyes, Akoldona turned his wrist and made another move. The Chapter Master had been preparing for a blow from the blunt blade near his throat, and tried to use the rubber seal under his neck guard to absorb some of the damage, but somehow he ended up taking a blunt blow from below, accurately hitting his jaw. The force that had shattered the ceramic armor in an instant traveled from his chin to the top of his skull and finally attacked his brain, forcing him to fall in another irresistible dizziness.

It was different from the punch that hit him in the face before. When his vision cleared up again and he could see the dark sky of Macragge, Toon realized that if Akuldona had used a little more force this time, he would have really died. How on earth could the other party deliver such a heavy blow in such a small space? He couldn't figure it out.

The surging adrenaline subsided as the threat of death left, and the pain, dizziness, and the inevitable smell of blood returned to Thun's senses again. He heard the angry shouts and uneasy commotion of other members of the warband around him, and heard Akuldona's voice coming from a direction he could not see, but it was hazy because of the vibration of his inner ears, as if there was a thin wall between them:

"This whole thing is my fault, sir." The firstborn son lowered his sword, bowed his head, knelt on one knee, and changed his address to Fujimaru Ritsuka to be more formal. "It was my self-righteousness and assumptions that caused all these accidents. For this, I am willing to accept any punishment."

Just a minute ago, the Chapter Master's attack sent a signal to the other Sons of the Phoenix around him. But now, Akuldona's unhesitating obedience sent them another completely opposite signal. The Astartes continued to watch in confusion and anxiety, and soon discovered that the originally precarious atmosphere was different from the development they had predicted based on their life experience, and it quickly subsided.

"...Do you have to make things so formal, Akurdona?" Fujimaru Ritsuka complained, but his momentum immediately dropped drastically compared to before.

"The seriousness of this matter does require such formal treatment, my lord," Akuldona responded. "You know, all Astartes must die sooner or later, but I would rather Brother Thun die on the battlefield with his head held high and his chest held high in noble anger."

"It would be better if he could learn to calm down and not commit suicide." Fujimaru Ritsuka commented unhappily, "I have a good temper, but I am not completely without temper."

It seemed as if she had more to say after this, but she paused before she spoke, and finally replaced the sentences that were on the tip of her tongue with a conclusion: "Let's talk about your business behind closed doors later. Now, stop kneeling here and get up and do your work! This matter ends here today, and let it rot among those of us present, and don't expand its influence any further. Then, you should eat, keep your mouths shut, and have a heart-to-heart talk. Captain Toon should also use these hours to calm down. We can't talk any further now, so I'll go back to the ship first, Captain Santo is still waiting. Akurdona, we originally agreed to wait until midnight today, local time, to talk about what we were going to talk about. Captain Santo and I will come together then."

Akuldona got up from the ground at a decent speed, and glanced back at the fallen Captain Thun with some hesitation: "But what if Brother Thun...is still not in good condition by then..."

Considering that the person at the center of this hesitant question had already begun to slowly move on the ground, controlling his weak limbs to make some efforts to "get up", Fujimaru Ritsuka assumed that the "bad condition" in this sentence did not mean that he could not regain consciousness. So, she raised her eyes and asked Akuldona:

"Do you also want me to make things clear here?"

"That's not necessary." Akurdona readily agreed. "Shall I take you back? The journey is quite far."

Fujimaru Ritsuka rolled his eyes at him and commented in a clear negative tone: "You talk like Tarvitz."

"What's wrong with Tavitz?" Feeling that the alarm was lifted, Akurdona quickly discarded the formal attitude on his body. "Ma'am, I don't think there is anything wrong with the way Tavitz speaks, do I?"

"Tavitz is fine, the problem is you." Fujimaru Ritsuka said helplessly, "You are not Tavitz."
-
"You may not realize it, but you almost killed your entire regiment." In the tactical simulation room of the temporary base, Akuldona stuffed a glass of strong liquor under Toon's nose, which had just been bandaged. "You were really not calm enough just now."

"How do you want me to calm down!" Toon slammed the table and yelled, then realized that it was meaningless, so he grabbed the cup in frustration and drank it all, letting the burning touch of alcohol burn all the way from his mouth and throat to his stomach. He was indeed angry because Fujimaru Ritsuka scolded him for his dereliction of duty. But now calm down and think about it, even if Fujimaru Ritsuka did not appear in front of him in this way, his dereliction of duty as the commander of the regiment has still become an objective fact. The anger he had towards the person who pointed out this fact was just anger driven by irrational emotions, without a qualified reason and no meaning of existence - rationally, Toon can now figure this out, but emotionally, he still refuses to admit it.

So, he angrily smashed the empty cup back onto the table, letting this unconscious anger spread to Akurdona, and asked sharply: "Who is she?!"

"According to her, a person who happens to know some history." Akurdona did not take it as an offense, and advised earnestly, "But you really should control your emotions, Brother Toon."

Toon glared at Akurdona, "You called me brother. Akurdona. But should I believe you?"

This made Akurdona a little unhappy, but he still tried to be tolerant and said: "You are angry. I will just take it as your angry words."

"Then why are you still beating around the bush with me on this issue? Is there something you can't just say?"

Contrary to Captain Toon's expectations, Akuldona actually nodded: "Yes."

"Publicly, she shouldn't be here. This is a secret visit to Macragge, and the fewer people who know she's here or who she is, the better. There's no reason for this, and she shouldn't have known you in the first place." The Firstborn sighed and grabbed the bottle of Amazake wine beside him, and filled the Chapter Master's glass halfway. "Personally, I don't really want to see you again and find that you've cut off your tongue or tattooed your face or something."

Toon stared at Akurdona's expression as he spoke until the latter finished saying everything he should say, then put the bottle back in its place and looked back at him with innocent eyes.

"What?" the Chapter Master asked without thinking.

Akurdona frowned at the incomprehensible question: "What 'what'?"

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious." Akurdona was a little angry again. "Although this is not something to brag about, someone did say that I was 'the one who least likely to lie among all the people he had ever met in his life.' There's no need for me to lie to you about these things. Besides, if I really started to 'lie', you would definitely be able to tell."

As if he had finally convinced and accepted this fact, Toon's angry face gradually showed anxiety and irritability. He took a few seconds to accept the reality and think about the current situation, then picked up the cup and took a big sip. When he spoke again, his voice moistened by alcohol revealed frustration: "Okay. So, how bad is the situation now?"

"It can't be that bad." Akurdona fished out another cup from somewhere nearby and secretly poured himself a cup. "The worst-case scenario is that you can't calm down and argue with her again in the next conversation."

"What will happen?"

"You will most likely be removed from the position of Chapter Master by her, and have to start over as a sergeant." Akuldona took a sip from his cup and frowned slightly. "The new Chapter Master will either be selected and assessed from the Sons of Phoenix, or she will directly parachute someone else in. This is far from a bad ending, but I guess you still don't want to see it unfold. Just think of it as for your own chapter, you really should calm down later."

Toon shut up and held the cup tightly, his anxious expression becoming more obvious. Akurdona paused briefly, and seeing that the other party had no intention of speaking, he started a new conversation:
"Regarding the argument just now... I have to say that she is not usually like this." He stared at his cup, subtly revealing a "determined" expression, closed his eyes and drank the bottom of the cup in one gulp, and then said, "I don't mean to defend myself. I really took it for granted in this matter. But I really do think that she can solve your problem better than I can."

Although Akurdona had originally expected that Fujimaru Ritsuka would solve the problem in a more gentle and mild way, but looking at the development of the whole thing, it is difficult to say who is at fault.

"Think positively." Akurdona tried to comfort them, but it was obvious that not everyone was as open-minded as him. "At least this matter won't continue to revolve around in circles. You will have an explanation tonight no matter what."

Toon was so angry at this that he had to take a deep breath to calm himself. He took another sip of wine with a dark face, letting the hot taste slightly divert his attention, and finally decided to change the subject:
"Another thing, Akuldona, who are you anyway?"

This is a question that has troubled everyone in the Phoenix Sons Chapter for a long time. Akuldona, who was not found in any archives, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, beat them up for no reason, became the Chapter's swordsmanship teacher for no reason, and then called in an even more inexplicable little girl for no reason. It's not that Toon hadn't asked him about this question indirectly, but Akuldona just laughed it off. Originally, he didn't care much about the answer to this question, but now, he feels that he really has to be frank on this issue.

After such a straightforward question, Toon discovered an emotion on Akurdona's face that was very similar to "sadness".

"I don't know what to say," the Firstborn replied. "If I knew how to explain this to you, I wouldn't have dragged it out to this point. But I assure you, everything will be answered tonight."

This vague statement made Toon stare at Akuldona with a scrutinizing look again: "You confuse all of us. I should have kicked you out from the first day, but you have your charm, Akuldona. I don't deny that you have helped us a lot during this difficult time, and many of my soldiers have begun to love you. But no one still knows where you came from and why you helped us. If we don't figure these things out, it's hard for us to believe you can be trusted."

This made Akurdona silent for a while, but he finally answered:

"I understand, but I really don't know how to put it." The topic went around in circles, and Akurdona's answer inexplicably fell on the previous question raised by Toon. "One fact I can confirm that I said correctly is: I am your eldest brother."

(End of this chapter)