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

Chapter 384 I want them all!

Toon hesitated for a moment on this choice, so Akurdona took advantage of this opportunity to speak:

"But you didn't actually mean to ask them to choose." He acted a little aggrieved when he said this, but he obviously didn't think there was anything wrong with interrupting the conversation or openly exposing Fujimaru Ritsuka's intentions in such an occasion. "You provided a false choice just to see their reaction."

In the Empire's judgment standard, this is undoubtedly an act of insubordination. Santo therefore once again directed his sharp "disapproving gaze" at Akuldona, and Captain Thun on the side also showed some nervousness and awkwardness. But as the "superior" who "insubordination", Fujimaru Ritsuka also did not show any feeling of "being offended" just like Akuldona who made a sabotaging speech as a matter of course.

"Why do you say that?" She simply turned to Akultona and asked back, even with a hint of curiosity in her tone.

"Because I've been there before," Akurdona said without hesitation. "Every time you give me two options to choose from, I end up being forced to try both."

"Will you be angry about this?"

"Not really. I think that's interesting, too. But... none of the choices you put forward for me were so... so... formal."

Akurdona racked his brains to choose the most appropriate description he could find, but he still felt that his words were not expressive enough. At this time, he seemed to finally realize that his actions were really offensive. He still ignored the aggressive Santo and the uneasy Phoenix Sons, but there was indeed a little more pleading in his eyes when he looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka.

Fujimaru Ritsuka sighed helplessly and said to Akurdona, "Has anyone ever told you that you are terrible at expressing yourself on some less specific issues?"

Akurdona thought about it nervously and was about to answer "no". But before he could really say the word, his precarious emotional intelligence successfully stopped him at the last second. The living room was filled with awkward silence for a few seconds, and then Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke again:

"You're afraid," she pointed out to Akultuna. "You're a little overly nervous about the Sons of the Phoenix. You're afraid they'll choose the 'wrong' answer. Am I right?"

After hearing this, Akurdona seemed to suddenly understand: "That's it!"

"But that's not the case." Fujimaru Ritsuka laughed, "Actually... well, you do understand it that way. Then I'd better say a few more words."

She turned her gaze away from Akurdona and turned to all the Phoenix Sons in front of her: "Perhaps you, like Akurdona, subconsciously think that this 'choice' is a test. This is not a problem. After all, in an environment with low error tolerance, you must make decisions quickly. The feedback from each choice will tell you whether it is 'right' or 'wrong' in an instant, and 'wrong' will bring very serious consequences. No one wants to bear this for no reason. This kind of living environment shapes your thoughts, which is normal. Correspondingly, the life I have experienced will also shape my thoughts, and I lived in an early life. In a highly tolerant environment, the choices I face every day are probably only at the level of "red meat or white meat for dinner" and "red or yellow ribbon headband", and I have plenty of time to hesitate. They do mean something, but that's all. So for me, choices are just choices, there is no right or wrong. I give you the options and ask you to choose, but no matter what your answer is, I will only think that you choose this one because you want to choose this one more than the other. That's all, there will be no deep meaning, no over-interpretation, Captain Thun. On this issue, you can do whatever you want. "

This argument made sense logically, but emotionally, Captain Thun couldn't believe it at all. It was hard for people to believe a conclusion that they had never actually seen and only heard from others, and it was the same for Astartes, or even more so. But considering that the person who was speaking was unknown but definitely of a very high status, he didn't dare to show his disbelief, and could only subconsciously observe the reactions of the people around him in trepidation for reference.

Before he realized what he was doing, he had already discovered that the Iron Hand, whose face was mostly devoured by mechanical enhancements, could clearly show the emotion of "doubt" just by expression. Thun was unable to figure out what the other party meant at that moment, but then he found that Akuldona obviously believed this theory, and turned to look at him, giving him an encouraging look.

The two completely different attitudes actually did not constitute any reference, but as Fujimaru Ritsuka just said, Toon was indeed tempered by the flames of war and was accustomed to making quick decisions. On this issue, he chose to trust Akuldona.

"...Can't I choose both?" Toon asked weakly.

According to the standards of common officials in the empire, this answer was really a bit arrogant. But Thun had already realized through various signs that the style of speaking and doing of the little girl in front of him obviously did not meet the standards of "common officials in the empire." The facts also coincided with his judgment. The other party did not show any negative feelings about this answer, and answered calmly: "Okay."

Akurdona next to him had a look of "I didn't know it was possible" and looked like a goose. Although this scene looked funny, no one in the room paid any attention to him. Fujimaru Ritsuka just continued to talk along the topic:

"Regarding the fact that your genes do not belong to the bloodline of Dorne, but the Chapter was named Daughter of Dorne when it was founded, there is actually a relatively reasonable explanation: During the Great Crusade, before the Legion was split into Chapters, the Seventh Legion 'Imperial Fists' was not entirely composed of the descendants of Dorne."

In the next twenty minutes, Fujimaru Ritsuka told a historical suspense story that can be roughly named "The Unsolved Mystery of the Empire: The Disappearance of the Two Primarchs" in a way that is hard to say how serious it is, but absolutely fascinating: the two Primarchs numbered two and eleven committed crimes that are now untraceable, bringing shame to the Emperor and the Empire, so they were punished with the curse of amnesia. However, the crimes committed by the Primarchs did not affect the entire legion. During the Great Crusade, the Astartes Legion, which was counted in tens of thousands, was still a force that could not be ignored. Therefore, after dealing with specific characters in the legion, the Astartes in the two disappeared legions had their corresponding memories modified and were incorporated into the Primarchs who were willing to accept them. This included Rogal Dorn and his Imperial Fists.

This story stunned everyone present, but Fujimaru Ritsuka's story did not end here. Two flowers bloom at both ends, each with its own branch: When Belisarius Cawl created the Primaris Space Marines, the genetic template he used was not based on the Space Marines that exist today, but came from the Blood Stack - whose history can be traced back to the Terra Unification War, and contains technology from the gene cult of the Moon (Luna) Selena, which is the genetic source of all Primarchs and Astartes, including the two legions that "disappeared" during the Great Crusade. The Phoenix Sons Chapter, unfortunately, inherited the genes of "Primarchs that do not exist in the Empire". When the Ultima Founding was held, the Imperial Regent, who fully understood the cause and effect, classified them as the Sons of Dorne in name only because Dorne had accepted the offspring of its disappeared brothers in the past.

After the two stories that were connected to each other ended, Thun was completely stunned by the endless secret history. He listened to Fujimaru Ritsuka's announcement in a daze: "Ten minutes of intermission, I think you need some time to digest this information." He obeyed this arrangement in a daze, and found that Akurdona's face also had a slightly different look of confusion from his own. Admittedly, such a long history is quite difficult to explore. Thun had never thought that the original body could be "disappeared" in this way before, and even having such an idea was a blasphemy to him. This story is logically smooth, and except for the content being too explosive, everything is in line with the operation of the imperial bureaucracy. In addition, if the whole story does contain some old facts that are not glorious to the empire, then it is not difficult to understand why Lord Dorne just said "You are not my descendants" and turned away without any further explanation...

But as he was thinking about these things, he heard Akurdona exclaim, "This sounds so real. If I wasn't so sure I knew what was going on, I would have been fooled."

"...What?" Toon, who had not reacted in the first place, was even more confused. "Is this the side of the 'lie'?"

"Really?" Fujimaru Ritsuka was also a little confused, and then turned to Santo beside him, "Didn't I say that at the beginning?"

"You didn't say it," Santo answered simply. Ritsuka Fujimaru, who was so happy telling the story that he forgot everything else, turned back awkwardly: "Well, that's what happened anyway. Although this is not the truth, if you tell it, it can reasonably deal with most scenarios, and even to a certain extent support the situation when the genetic sequence needs to be tested - you are not the sons of Dorne, so it is reasonable if your genes do not match those of the Imperial Fists; the reason why Lord Dorne did not immediately point you to a founding group and ask you to recognize your relatives is also very clear, because there is no founding group in your bloodline. In short, it is more than enough to use this as an official statement to ward off annoying inquisitors who are confused. Of course, it is up to you to decide whether to do so."

This sentence gave Toon a little hope: "So, the Empire doesn't actually have two missing primarchs...?"

"This part is true," Akuldona said with great conviction. "During the Great Crusade, the Empire did lose two legions, and several other legions did suddenly receive unreasonable reinforcements at a certain time. But no one knows the specific details because of the amnesia curse."

"If there are any Inquisitors who choose to question this angle, just chop him off." Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly interjected, "If you are an Inquisitor and still question this kind of history that is 'common sense in the eyes of those with authority', you are either too stupid to remember the basics, or you have evil intentions and want to shoot the arrow first and draw the target later. It doesn't matter which one it is, your death won't cause any loss to the Empire anyway."

According to Fujimaru Ritsuka's usual standards, this attitude is considered very aggressive. Even Akurdona, who didn't know the whole story, couldn't help but sigh here: "It seems that the Inquisition has really pissed you off."

"Let me clarify. I don't have any problem with the Inquisition as an institution. I just hate stupidity, and especially those who are stupid enough to be destructive." At this point, Fujimaru Ritsuka couldn't help but think of the Celestial Lions Regiment again, and then sighed very helplessly, "Why do I have to speak for such stupid people at the meeting..."

Chapter Master Thun did not follow the following content. The narrative in his mind, which was instilled by the pervasive ideology of the state religion after the 40th millennium of the Empire, that "the God-Emperor is supreme, and when He can walk the earth, the Empire is free of haze" was greatly challenged. If the Primarch, as the Son of God, can also make mistakes and be "disappeared" under the wrath of the Emperor, then...

He controlled his thoughts in time and began to recite the state religion prayers silently to prevent his thoughts from slipping into a more heretical direction. These overly rebellious histories made him feel very anxious - the kind of anxiety that made him want to take out the heavy flamethrower and use the consecrated promethium fuel to thoroughly purify the surroundings - his other two brothers in the chapter obviously thought the same. But the other three people in the room did not react unusually to this, as if Fujimaru Ritsuka was just repeating a fact that everyone knew clearly.

For a moment, Thun began to wonder if these three people were sent by the enemy to take advantage of the entire Phoenix Sons Chapter and shake their faith. But when he saw Akuldona who had unknowingly begun to debate with the Iron Hand, he felt that this conjecture that could make things simple was difficult to convince himself. In any case, as the Chapter Master, he saw very clearly during this period of time: Akuldona's concern and help for them were all from the heart. Chaos evil may be able to modify a person's appearance, but can it fake such a passionate and sincere soul?
He was unsure, and had to seek help from his brother in his hesitation. Kuven, the champion of the chapter, who followed him, also looked very worried after hearing the above statement, and the chief think tank Langdar looked even more restless. The three pairs of panicked eyes met each other, but it did not bring any sudden enlightenment to Thun, but instead made him realize another terrifying fact:

Lies are usually a cover-up of the truth, using an illusion that is more easily accepted or more beneficial to the parties involved to bury the real facts. But if, in this matter, the "lies" used by the other party to cover up are so terrible, then what will the truth be like?
Realizing this, Toon's mind was in a mess. He looked anxiously at the little girl who had no intention of mediating the quarrel between the two firstborns and was just watching from the side. The "half-time" time had not yet ended, but he already felt that the remaining time in the "ten minutes" was too long to bear: "If this is a 'lie', then what is the 'truth'?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka turned around and carefully examined his expression: "The truth is much simpler than a lie, but are you sure you have the ability to bear the truth now?"

Toon actually thought he was not very good, but the words had already come to this point, and the last bit of honor and persistence in his heart forced him to bite the bullet and face the challenge in desperation: "Who can say that he is prepared every time he is stabbed?"

"That's true, but you still have time to regret it and choose not to listen." Fujimaru Ritsuka said calmly, without any ridicule or sarcasm in his attitude. He just plainly put forward an optional suggestion, "In this universe where knowledge can also poison the mind, ignorance is sometimes a kind of blessing. This is also a very common choice. There is no right or wrong. It is just a reasonable difference in the strategy of the chapter leadership in dealing with problems. You don't need to be nervous, you can give any answer."

The sudden step forward by the other side made the situation seem more maneuverable, so it was not so hopeless, which made Toon's originally firm belief collapse a little. But this should not be considered as retreat, because after stripping off this layer of mentality that was somewhat fearless of death, Toon, as the commander of the regiment, could weigh the pros and cons in a more rational way.

He should have done so, but even though the other party had said so, a small part of his heart still believed that this kind of "deserting" was shameful and should be rebuked. The volume of this thought was not very loud, but it kept lingering in all his thoughts, interfering with all his possible judgments later. After a few seconds of thinking that was very long for the Primaris Space Marine, Thune finally realized that the answer to this question was when he "retreat" for the first time.

"Thinking rationally, I think my refusal here is a more conservative and prudent strategy. Perhaps this will be more beneficial to the survival of the chapter." The Chapter Master of the Sons of the Phoenix gave such a reply, "But I think that my brothers and I will know the truth."

"Even if it means a more cruel reality?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked back, "Even if it will bring more problems to your regiment?"

"The Chapter has many problems already," Thune replied with a wry smile, "just as you have reprimanded us. A few more difficulties are not too hard to bear as we try to regroup and establish order within the Chapter once again."

"Most people would not choose this. They generally hope that in troubled times, there will be as few unnecessary things as possible."

"But whether we listen to the truth or not, the truth is always there. It is the fate that the Chapter will face sooner or later. So why not let the problem break out while we build up some psychological preparations?"

At this point, Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly turned to look at Santo, raised one eyebrow, and made a questioning expression. The latter seemed unaffected, and while taking a step forward, his face was still unpleasant: "Are you so sure that you can overcome this problem?"

Toon turned around, looked at the other person carefully, and answered neither humbly nor arrogantly: "We are not sure. But we will not think we will lose before a battle begins."

The scowl on Santo's face became more obvious. He seemed to want to say something else, but Fujimaru Ritsuka's voice interrupted him: "I think they can do it."

Iron Hand paused for a moment, probably swallowing back all the words he wanted to say to Toon, then reluctantly moved back a little and turned to the little girl beside him: "It's just so-so. Empty promises are not evidence."

As he said this, he somehow pulled out a gun case from behind the reception room table and placed it on the table. The case itself was plain and nothing special to note, but when Santo opened the lid to everyone in the room, even Akuldona gasped at the contents.

"A finely crafted relic bolt pistol from the Great Crusade era, it's still in great condition. Its special feature is that its rate of fire in burst mode is much faster than similar devices, but it also requires the user to always pay attention to the number of bullets in the magazine. Its machine spirit is brave and aggressive, and will perform better in frontal assault tactics, and it hates betrayers." Fujimaru Ritsuka calmly introduced the contents of the box, "This can probably be said to be a 'object like its owner' type."

(End of this chapter)