Chapter 43: Chapter 36: Imperial Technology, Lord Knight Reinhardt

Lanshi Province was immense, with a massive population exceeding one hundred million.

For a thousand years, it had been one of the major provinces in Grillers World paying Tithing to the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was rich in ore and gold, bordering the Hearn Territory and the Scaya Land of the Dragon Descendants.

Even so, it was just another unremarkable part of the Empire’s vast territory.

Since birth, Reinhardt had endured years as a refugee. Even after joining the Steel Knight Order stationed at Frostfire Fortress, his life had been confined to a very small region.

Sea Eagle City was the most prosperous major city he had ever visited in this world.

But now, holding Sedon’s letter of recommendation, he had shed his former identity as a refugee struggling at the bottom of society. As a revered Lord Knight, he stepped through the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate and arrived in Infinitis, the provincial capital of Lanshi Province—the Flame and Furnace Capital.

The broad streets and the city center, which soared into the clouds, were as magnificent as an epic.

The steel-forged airship docks bustled with cargo as billowing smoke obscured the sky. Imperial laborers in ragged clothes either struggled forward carrying heavy goods or formed long lines outside the foreman’s office to collect their day’s wages.

The Radiant Empire, this great empire ruled by the nobility and the Extraordinary Tier of Knights, was built upon the blood and sweat of countless laborers and commoners, hidden beneath its dazzling splendor and formidable military might.

Reinhardt was born in the most remote rural town in Lanshi Province; this was both his misfortune and his greatest blessing.

He could join the Raiders without becoming a wanted man.

He could assault the daughter of a local, minor noble and not draw the attention of an Imperial Arbitrator.

For an ordinary person born in a major city like Infinitis, the dream of becoming a Knight would only fade away under the crushing weight of endless menial tasks and heavy manual labor.

Steam, steel, and Magic—this trifecta perfectly defined Imperial Technology.

However, the remote countryside where Reinhardt lived didn’t reap the benefits of this technological progress, but then again, its people didn’t have to endure endless toil either.

The Dao Mark Teleportation Gate was a massive, ten-meter-tall steel tower. Sacred, pure white energy, reminiscent of a planetary engine, erupted from its peak to form a dazzling curtain of energy.

The very Governor’s Guards Reinhardt once avoided like the plague now stood post outside the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate. Clad in heavy, Solid full-body armor painted black and red, they stood ramrod straight, guarding against any unlawful acts.

Imperial Arbitrators in uniforms of a matching color scheme meticulously inspected every Imperial Citizen and allied merchant who passed through the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate.

It was the epitome of bureaucracy: arrogant, condescending, and barking orders.

But when it was Reinhardt’s turn, the slender Arbitrator had to tilt his head back to look up at the youth before him—a towering, brawny figure as broad and solid as a great door.

He frowned.

First, he verified that Reinhardt was a local resident of Lanshi Province with no prior record of passing through the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate. Then, he broke the seal on the letter of recommendation personally penned by Sedon.

When he saw the seal and personal signature of the Vice-Commander of the Steel Knight Order of the Imperial Seventh Group Army, the Arbitrator’s expression changed instantly. He hastily folded the letter, presented it back to Reinhardt with both hands, and shed the arrogant demeanor he used with commoners. Snapping to attention, he saluted and declared, "On behalf of City Hall, I welcome Lord Knight Reinhardt to Infinitis!"

The Arbitrator had assumed the boy was a cast-off follower from some Knight Order. He never imagined that this ragged youth, who at first glance looked like a common refugee, was a genuine Imperial Knight!

A Three-star Military Rank, no less!

It was an undeniable symbol of power and status, but it also meant this young-looking boy was a veteran who had fought on the battlefield for years!

Although he was an Imperial Arbitrator, he was merely a contracted agent of the Imperial Arbitration Court, stationed at the Governor’s Mansion of Lanshi Province. He had the authority to inspect any being entering the Empire’s borders, but he possessed no true enforcement power.

He might lord his authority over the commoners, laborers, and even the nobles of Infinitis, but that didn’t mean he could afford to offend a true Imperial Knight.

Back in the Knight Order, the other Knights might have called Reinhardt "the small one," but here in the city, his physique was far too powerful and conspicuous.

The force of his Power, the grim, cold aura of a man who had clawed his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, was like the stare and heavy breath of a Giant Dragon.

Just standing before Reinhardt, the Arbitrator felt an overwhelming pressure that made it hard for him to breathe.

The Governor’s Guard, standing in formation on either side of the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate, all saluted to show Reinhardt their reverence.

After the Arbitrator announced Reinhardt’s identity, the Imperial Citizens passing through the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate also stopped to bow, the worship and fear in their eyes almost palpable.

This was the noble treatment a powerful Knight deserved in the Radiant Empire!

They possessed towering physiques that forced ordinary people to crane their necks just to take them in, they suppressed rebellions and Alien Races, and they slaughtered the Abyssal Demons that invaded the Empire.

In the eyes of the common people, Knights were the gods and spiritual pillars of the nation!

Just as the magnificent statue of the Founding Emperor—history’s first Radiant Knight—in the Imperial Palace of the Capital City gave the Empire unparalleled unity and faith!

Especially since, in the Arbitrator’s eyes, Reinhardt looked like a veteran who had just stepped off the battlefield, the blood on his clothes not yet fully dried.

However, Reinhardt’s pockets were completely empty. He didn’t have a single locally minted copper coin, let alone any Radiant Gold Coins.

According to Imperial law, any Free Knight sworn to the Empire could go to the local Governor’s Mansion in any jurisdiction and demand their monthly stipend be paid in Radiant Gold Coins. The local Governor had no right to refuse.

Afterward, this expense would be entered into the local government’s budget. Once audited by the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs, the amount could be deducted from the province’s annual Tithing.

Reinhardt needed money. He had to buy a set of clothes that actually fit, and if there was anything left over, he might be able to find a local Swordsmith to forge him a proper weapon.

After awakening his Knight’s Mighty Power, his speed and defense had increased dramatically. However, he still lacked effective offensive options. Developing Combat Techniques was a good choice, but that would take time. The fastest way to boost his power and compensate for his offensive shortcomings was to buy a weapon forged by a Swordsmith and infused with Imperial Technology.

Reinhardt stood before the Arbitrator, looking down at him with the cold cruelty only a veteran who had waded through mountains of corpses and seas of blood could possess.

"Tell me where the Governor’s Mansion is."

The Arbitrator, drenched in sweat, pointed toward the highest point in the city center.

"You can take a sightseeing airship from nearby, transfer to an official government airship at Dock Seventy-Two, and get off at Dock One. From there, just cross the Lanshi Corridor and you’ll arrive."