Warhammer 40: Saviors Emerging from the Bottom

Holding a banquet at this time serves two purposes: firstly, to provide a platform for the captains to get to know each other and avoid any problems in future joint operations.

Xiao Yi also wanted to take this opportunity to announce his identity as the battlefield commander to everyone.

If someone lacks experience in large-scale operations, they can be entrusted with command by experienced individuals.

No matter what, he's determined to be the boss.

Besides not wanting to be someone else's underling and take their orders, there was another important reason that motivated Xiao Yi to fight for that position.

He can't stay in Bakda forever. If he wants to leave, the first people he'll encounter will definitely be his neighbors.

If we can take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build good relationships with the captains sent by other imperial worlds, many things will become much easier later on.

Every man who can serve as a warship captain has undergone rigorous training.

They begin learning a series of courses from a very young age; only nobles had so much free time.

It is no exaggeration to say that those who can attend this banquet are all members of influential families in that imperial world, because minor nobles would never be able to rise to the position of captain.

Xiao Yi didn't expect the other party to bow down and submit as soon as he released his domineering aura. He just wanted to become acquainted with the other party so that they could discuss cooperation in the future.

Under normal circumstances, acting as the battlefield commander-in-chief in the capacity of a governor would be considered a demotion. If Xiao Yi wanted to, no one could surpass him. At most, they would be dissatisfied and outwardly disobey during battle.

The temporary maidservants served each of the captains present a glass of fine wine produced in Vornheim.

In this situation, having a group of grown men pour the drinks seems rather abnormal no matter how you look at it.

So Xiao Yi temporarily found a few dozen decent-looking women from Shangchao to serve as the temporary face of the event. After the banquet, they could take the governor's subsidies and go home.

When a real war breaks out, there's simply no time to enjoy yourself.

After the banquet began, captains from the same imperial world gathered together to talk about their experiences over the past few days.

Their behavior was within Xiao Yi's expectations. When a person arrives in an unfamiliar place, they will always subconsciously stick together with familiar people.

However, this scene did not last long; Xiao Yi was not there to watch them chat with their companions.

When his gaze fell on Redmond, the Third Army commander, who was finishing his steak, immediately sped up and finished the rest of the steak in two bites.

He then coughed loudly twice, drawing everyone's attention to himself.

Taking the opportunity, Xiao Yi stood up, raised his glass, and said, "Thank you all for attending this banquet. I am truly honored by your presence."

After saying that, he downed his drink in one gulp and continued, "But this is not the time to be happy. The Empire is facing an unprecedented crisis. A group of evil aliens is trying to take over our planet and kill our people."

"The main reason I've gathered you all here is to discuss who should command the fleet anchored in Bakhta—only by driving them out can we celebrate without any worries."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd that had been discussing heatedly fell silent. They were waiting, waiting for someone who wanted to step forward.

"Since no one else is willing, then let me do it!" A guy with a waist as thick as a wine barrel stepped forward and said arrogantly.

Judging from his behavior, he must be the kind of person who is usually flattered by everyone.

However, jumping out at this time would make one look somewhat clownish.

Prior to this, Xiao Yi had already expressed his wishes to representatives of several imperial worlds, and if there were no unforeseen circumstances, they should have already conveyed them to the various captains.

Therefore, those who stepped forward at this point could only be one of two things: either they were unaware of the situation and thought they were in a higher position than the owners of Starport, or they were isolated and no one had told them the contents of the previous meeting.

Judging from the fact that the other person was all alone and the disdainful looks from the others, this guy should belong to the latter category. Xiao Yi didn't say anything to refute it. He didn't need to deal with an opponent of this level personally.

Sure enough, Redmond, who had just picked up the steak and was about to take another bite, immediately got up.

"I disagree. Who do you think you are? How dare you claim to command all the warships docked in Bakhda? Lord Valerian Krogon's noble bloodline—are you even qualified to command him?"

"That's right."

A young officer standing next to Captain Barrel stood up and nodded, saying, "You are merely the Governor's illegitimate son. In terms of status and prestige, you cannot compare to Lord Valerian Krogon. Therefore, I propose that Lord Valerian serve as the commander-in-chief of this operation."

"You..." The arrogant expression on Captain Barrel's face disappeared when his sore spot was hit, leaving only anger.

He desperately wanted to draw the sword from his waist and teach this reckless fellow a lesson about what it means to have trouble with one's words, but the dangerous aura emanating from Xiao Yi made him subconsciously stop.

This banquet must not turn into a large-scale brawl.

"Lord Valerian Krogon is indeed capable of serving as the commander-in-chief of this operation, but I believe there is a more suitable candidate, namely the governor standing before everyone."

Upon hearing this, Valerian, who was watching the show from the sidelines, glanced at Xiao Yi and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

Valuing honor does not mean he is unaware of the rules of the game among nobles.

Xiao Yi's excessive enthusiasm made Valerian think that the other party had ulterior motives. Now it seems that the young governor wanted to shut him up by showing goodwill so that he could obtain the position of commander-in-chief.

As for why we did this?

Because he needed a greater victory to gain the recognition of all the nearby imperial races.

However, this plan comes with potential risks. If this inexperienced young man gives bad orders, the fleet cobbled together by several imperial worlds could very well be wiped out.

Just as Valerian was pondering the likelihood of such a thing happening, a Solaris representative standing behind him stepped forward and addressed the crowd:

"As we all know, Lord Valerian is a powerful warrior who once single-handedly stormed into the alien camp and beheaded a psionicist who attempted to summon evil creatures."

"And Lord Xiao Yi's strength is not weak either. In that case, why don't we use a simpler method to decide who will ultimately get this position?"

The captain, a former Solaris officer, widened his eyes and scanned the room, hoping someone would step forward and finish his sentence.

Just when he thought no one would understand what he was trying to say, and that he had revealed the answer himself, a deep voice sounded behind him: "You mean a knightly duel?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to say!"

It's easy to guess that this guy is a shill sent by the previous representative. His goal is to do everything possible to bring about a duel between Xiao Yi and Valerian.

To be honest, though, this technique is rather clumsy.