Chapter 329: Dead and Buried Part III
Christoph and the count met outside the villa well within the courtyard’s grounds. Considering they were far enough away from the city within the Prussian countryside, and there was an actual shooting range built into Christoph’s estate, much like his fathers where he grew up during his early years. It would not be the least bit suspicious if a gunshot or two went off at this time of day.
The sun was bright, and the sky was clear, while the weather was warm, but not overly hot. It was a fine spring afternoon, and a most surely an ideal day for a duel. Tradition had been ignored, as it would normally be the Count’s right as the challenged to pick the method of the duel.
He would also normally have a second to vouch that this event had occurred. But such days were long past, and this little squabble of theirs was most certainly illegal. Thus, the honorable traditions of a bygone era were not granted at this time.
No, this was a way for two men with animosity towards one another to settle their grievances without resorting to bludgeoning each other with their fists like savages, nor petitioning the court to listen to their bickering like men who lacked a pair of testicles between their legs.
Each man was issued a pistol, a breechloading weapon designed by waffenwerke von Zehntner, and masterfully crafted with the most advanced steelmaking technique known to man. The barrels were button rifled to an ideal twist rate and were manufactured from modern 4150 chrome moly vanadium steel.
While the receiver was forged of sterner stuff, ideal for long-term abuse and rigidity. The breakaway action was quick, tactile, ambidextrous, and robust. Robust enough to handle the extensive power of the .45-70 hand loads that Christoph had personally crafted for his own use on the range.
The man fancied the extensively powerful rifle round that in a bit of comedic marketing would be officially rated to take down a tyrannosaurus rex in promotional material for a popular move franchise rebooted sometimes during the 2010s of Bruno’s past life.
It was, of course powerful enough to do so in its non-magnum format. The rounds loaded into these pistols were, of course hollow point ammunition.
After ensuring that their weapons were properly loaded, and were primed to fire Christoph briefly went over the rules with his opponent before they took their places on the courtyard in front of a solid gold statue dedicated to an obscure ancient Greek goddess that Christoph had personally commissioned as he fancied the mythology of the ancient world.
"The rules are simple. We take ten steps in opposing directions, turn around and fire our shot. If both of us are still standing at the end, we will consider it a draw, fair?"