Quest: Find Vladimir Konovalov And Making Him his subordinate
“Did I read that right?!” Huey Long gasped, his eyes wide in disbelief.
The man in the black suit shook his head.
There was no mistake in what he had just heard.
He had introduced himself as Huey Long—a senator who once served as the governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932.
Yet, Huey stood before them as a young man, barely out of his twenties from two decades past.
With his curly hair, he had easily charmed the women of his era.
However, that charm meant nothing in this alternate world.
His charisma failed to captivate any women here; only men were stirred by Huey Long’s burning ambition.
Fortunately, they could be utilized as shields and tools for his grand designs.
Huey let out a long, contemplative murmur, his expression shifting as he listened to the reports of three figures standing before him.
They wore the confiscated military uniforms of the Ars Kingdom, though they were actually members of the Semke tribe whom Huey had rescued.
Initially, the politician had shown zero interest in them, deeming them utterly unprofitable.
Over time, however, Huey grew deeply impressed by their relentless grit in eradicating enemies.
Proof of their prowess lay in the monsters surrounding the Semke forest, which they had slaughtered with absolute ease.
That was when Huey decided to recruit them as his personal bodyguards—though certainly not for free.
In return, Huey provided them with valuable knowledge and ample funds for their daily livelihood.
The four of them marched toward the exit after wiping out a relentless swarm of monsters blocking their path.
Huey gripped his Remington Model 51 pistol tightly.
A single shot meant instant death for the enemy, but the toll was heavy: the weapon cracked and fractured entirely under the strain, forcing Huey to discard it.
Meanwhile, the three Semke guards were utterly awestruck by his capability.
He was acknowledged as a warrior nearing the level of the Elves, even matching their archery techniques.
The only difference was that almost all descendants of the Semke tribe were half-elves or humans brimming with elf-like magical energy.
Suddenly, Huey sidestepped a surprise monster ambush.
His eyes flared wide as the attack lunged straight at him.
Snapping his upper body backward, his right hand whipped up.
The Remington Model 51—or what was left of it—flashed.
A gunshot rang out, piercing dead-center through the monster’s forehead, hitting its ultimate weak spot.
The beast collapsed instantly, drenched in a pool of blood.
“Incredible… Lord Huey’s power is truly extraordinary.
And to think he’s just a master of smooth talk.”
“Hush!
You can’t say things like that!
He’ll hear you, you know?”
“But am I wrong?
He’s great with words, yet his martial arts are flawless.
Even our tribal chief struggled against those monsters.
While we have the chance, this is our moment to shine.
Right, Uotu?”
The speaker was a man named Uotu.
He pulled down his mask, revealing piercing blonde hair and eyes as cold as ice—a gaze so freezing it felt capable of melting the very air around him, though that was merely an illusion.
In truth, Uotu steadfastly refused to reveal his real, unfiltered face; the mask was the only thing guarding his true identity. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Just as Uotu lowered his mask, he caught sight of Huey strapping toward them.
The three Semke warriors exchanged nods, then swiftly headed off toward a Soviet L-3 submarine.
High expectations filled their minds: Huey and his three warriors anticipated a warm welcome from Vladimir.
Tragically, the old man instead shot his own guards down in the blink of an eye, leaving Huey utterly cornered and helpless during their very first encounter.
“You must be Vladimir Konovalov, aren’t you?” Those exact words slipped effortlessly from Huey’s lips.
~o0o~
“But how do you know who I am?
Have we met before?”
“No.
But someone told me all about you.”
“About me?” Vladimir narrowed his eyes, frowning deeply.
Huey pulled out a thick file from his bag.
He began reading its contents aloud, while Vladimir listened with sharp, unblinking focus.
Rear Admiral Vladimir Konstantinovich Konovalov (5 December 1911 – 29 November 1967) was a prominent Soviet Navy submarine commander during World War II.
Born Vulf Kalmanovich Konovalov in the village of Nadiyne (Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in modern-day Ukraine), his family moved to Donetsk when he was a child.
He studied at the Donetsk National Technical University, joined the Soviet Navy in 1932, and graduated from the M.
V.
Frunze Higher Naval School in 1936.
Upon graduation, he served on submarines in the Black Sea Fleet.
In October 1940, he transferred to the Baltic Fleet, appointed as the executive officer of the Soviet submarine L-3, before taking command in March 1943.
The L-3 was a minelaying submarine, but it also partook in aggressive offensive operations against German shipping lines throughout WWII, racking up a staggering 11 torpedo attacks under Konovalov’s command.
On April 16, 1945, Konovalov sank the German vessel Goya, which was packed with fleeing civilians and military personnel escaping the Eastern Front.
At least 6,000 people perished, with only 165 survivors—marking one of the worst maritime disasters in history.
According to some accounts, the L-3 may also have sunk a smaller 1411 GRT vessel on January 31, 1945, though it remains unconfirmed.
Konovalov’s submarine also laid five massive minefields totaling 52 naval mines during the war, one of which obliterated the 1141 GRT ship Henry Lütgens on January 29, 1945.
A T34 torpedo boat was also likely claimed by a mine laid by the L-3 on November 20, 1944.
For his exemplary wartime record, he was awarded the honorary title Hero of the Soviet Union on July 8, 1945.
From May 1946 to November 1947, he commanded the N-27 (formerly the German Type XXI U-Boat U-3515).
In 1950, he graduated from the Voroshilov Staff College and, starting in 1958, commanded a Baltic Fleet submarine brigade.
Promoted to rear admiral on May 7, 1966, he tragically passed away from a stroke in Leningrad the following year.
Throughout his legendary career, Konovalov was decorated with the Order of Lenin (three times), the Order of Ushakov 2nd Class, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (twice), and the Order of the Red Star (twice).
In the famous techno-thriller The Hunt for Red October, the Soviet nuclear-powered attack submarine is named the V.K.
Konovalov in his honor.
With a swift snap, Huey Long closed the file on Vladimir Konovalov.
The elderly officer in uniform offered a faint, knowing smirk as he digested the explanation.
“Looks like you did your homework on me, huh?
Not bad at all.”
Yet, the praise did little to bring a smile to Huey’s face.
Instead, a chilling premonition whispered that Vladimir had already gathered equal intelligence on him.
Suddenly, an A.I.
robot slid open the inner door.
Its optic sensors glared sharply at Huey, who had materialized seemingly out of nowhere.
Though he carried the composed air of a veteran politician, Huey’s true forte was his lethal lip service.
Right on cue, Vladimir was handed a crisp piece of paper, scanning the text silently.
Huey Pierce Long Jr.
(August 30, 1893 – September 10, 1935), nicknamed “Kingfish,” was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination in 1935.
A populist member of the Democratic Party, he rocketed to national fame during the Great Depression through his ferocious, vocal criticisms of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and the New Deal, which Long deemed far too conservative.
As the supreme political boss of Louisiana, he orchestrated a massive network of loyalists and enacted sweeping, aggressive reforms.
A deeply polarizing figure, Long was hailed as a populist champion of the downtrodden masses—or conversely, condemned as a dangerous fascist demagogue.
Born into rural poverty in northern Louisiana in 1893, Long worked as a traveling salesman, attended three different universities, and fast-tracked his way into the Louisiana bar.
Following a brief legal career representing impoverished plaintiffs, Long won a seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
As Commissioner, he waged relentless legal and rhetorical war against corporate giants like Standard Oil.
After successfully arguing a landmark case before the U.S.
Supreme Court, Chief Justice and former president William Howard Taft praised him as “the most brilliant lawyer who ever practiced before the Supreme Court of the United States.”
After a failed 1924 campaign, Long weaponized deep-seated economic and class divisions in Louisiana to sweep the 1928 gubernatorial race.
Once in office, he massively expanded social safety nets; spearheaded colossal public works projects—such as a state-of-the-art highway system and the tallest capitol building in the nation; and pushed for cotton holiday laws.
Through masterclass political maneuvering, Long seized absolute control as Louisiana’s political boss.
Impeached in 1929 on charges of abuse of power, he miraculously beat the rap when the State Senate acquitted him.
Outraged opponents slammed his policies as unconstitutional and dictatorial, eventually sparking an armed political rebellion at the boiling point.
Elected to the U.S.
Senate in 1930, he delayed taking his seat until 1932.
He quickly established himself as a fierce isolationist, arguing that Standard Oil and Wall Street dictated American foreign policy.
Instrumental in securing Roosevelt’s 1932 nomination, Long dramatically broke ties with him by 1933, morphing into the New Deal’s most dangerous critic.
As an alternative, he launched the “Share Our Wealth” program in 1934, advocating for massive federal spending, crushing wealth taxes, and economic redistribution to jolt the crippled nation.
The proposals went viral, with millions flocking to local Share Our Wealth clubs.
Poised for a 1936 presidential run, Long was gunned down by a lone assassin in 1935.
Though his physical movement fractured, Roosevelt ultimately adopted many of his core policies for the Second New Deal, and Louisiana politics remained bitterly split into anti- and pro-Long factions well into the 1960s.
He left behind a formidable political dynasty that included his wife, Senator Rose McConnell Long, his son, Senator Russell B.
Long, and his brother, Governor Earl Long.
Before Vladimir could finish reading, he abruptly whipped up an M1907 Carbine sniper rifle, locking it straight onto Huey’s chest.
The veteran officer viewed him as a grave threat.
Yet, Huey didn’t flinch; he simply stood his ground with a calm, unyielding smile, his fingers tightening firmly around his briefcase.
“If you shoot me here, you’ll never stand a chance against your true enemy.”
Unbeknownst to Vladimir, the three Semke warriors materialized silently from his blind spot, instantly raising their weapons to aim directly at Vladimir’s back.
The old man’s smile faded as he slowly lowered the M1907 Carbine sniper rifle.
“Not bad… looks like you still hold the winning card.”
Huey’s grin widened triumphantly.
Vladimir knew all too well that advanced age eroded stamina and focus under pressure.
The result?
Vladimir found himself outmaneuvered and held at gunpoint by his own targets.
Left with no other choice, the commander had no option but to invite them aboard the submarine.