Chapter 245: The Vitrium Throne Drop
The Provost Major had privately concluded that his friend was remarkably tight-fisted. Three bags of grain per vehicle — on a hauler carrying over a hundred bags — and the man had chosen to route his convoys through uncleared territory rather than pay it. The fuel costs alone probably exceeded the toll value.
These rear-area soldiers couldn't reach the front. They were growing their own food out of necessity. And his friend couldn't spare three bags per vehicle to keep the road open. Small wonder the relationship had deteriorated.
The Major had developed considerable sympathy for the man pointing a weapon at him.
He patted the 81st's commander on the shoulder.
"I think we've established this is all a misunderstanding. Friendly forces, minor confusion, these things happen. Why don't we all step back and—"
"Shut up about misunderstandings!"
The 81st's commander had reached his limit. Several humiliations in this location, a friend who had turned cooperative on him, and the man responsible for all of it standing there looking cheerful. He turned on Kian.
"Stop with the runarounds! My people are dead and you did it! If you won't answer for it through channels, then answer for it in person! I'm challenging you to a duel!"
Kian's expression brightened noticeably. He looked at the Major.
"If he dies in a properly witnessed duel — no military code violation?"
"Mutually agreed combat with witnesses present is within established legal convention. Yes."
"Excellent. You'll serve as the witness, then."
Ash brought the Power Sword. Kian drew it, activated the disruption field — blue-white energy crackling along the blade — and turned it once in his hand.
Both the Major and the 81st's commander went quiet.
A Power Sword. On a battalion commander in a rear-area PDF unit. The cognitive dissonance was significant.
Kian smiled at their expressions.
"Neither of you looked into my background before coming here, did you? Allow me.
Baron Kian Voss. First Battalion Commander, 109th Regiment. Peer of the Realm. Lord of Whitepaper City. Saviour of Hive Tenebris. Daemon Executioner. Pious Crusader, commended by the Planetary Confessor."
The Major blinked. He had the strange sensation of having heard something important that he hadn't quite processed.
The 81st's commander's sword hand was trembling. Pointing it at Kian seemed wrong. Lowering it seemed like surrender. He was stuck.
A Baron. He's a Baron. Why didn't anyone mention he was a Baron.
Kian looked at the man's expression — the retreat impulse was clearly winning — and made a decision. This individual had ordered his soldiers to burn a farm and kill farmers. The lesson needed to be emphatic.
He deactivated the Power Sword and handed it back to Ash.
"Your equipment against mine would just be embarrassing for you. Tell you what — no weapons. Let's settle this properly."
The 81st's commander, who had been dreading the Power Sword considerably, felt something approaching relief. He tossed his own blade aside and adopted a fighting stance.
"Fine. Man to man. Let's see who walks away."
Kian tore off his field jacket.
The 81st's commander looked at what was underneath and experienced a moment of profound re-evaluation.
He was still formulating a response to this when Kian was already across the distance between them.
The punch landed before any defensive reflex could initiate. The 81st's commander's cognition briefly presented him with an image of a deceased elderly relative beckoning warmly from a distance. Then the back of his skull introduced itself to the ground.
Kian sat down on him.
Specifically, he positioned himself across the man's upper back and applied his considerably developed posterior musculature to the back of his neck.
The 81st's commander's arms flailed. His voice produced sounds.
Kian looked back at the assembled audience with a mild, satisfied expression and increased the pressure.
A sound.
The 81st's commander stopped moving.
[End of Chapter 245]
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you