Chapter 44: Chapter 37: Reinhardt is Itching for a Fight

"Thank you."

Reinhardt’s voice was exceptionally low and hoarse, filled with a world-weariness and exhaustion that didn’t match his appearance.

But when it reached the Arbitrator’s ears, it sent a cold sweat down his back!

"It is my honor to serve you, Lord Knight!"

Reinhardt’s tattered figure receded into the distance on the bustling streets of Infinitis, and the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate returned to its previous order.

But the Arbitrator was still shaken!

Imperial Knights rarely appeared at the Dao Mark Teleportation Gate alone and as free individuals. Their presence usually signified the arrival of one of the Four Great Forces: the Royal Battle Groups, the Imperial Legions, the Directly Affiliated Knight Orders, or the Mercenary Corps.

If he were a true Arbitrator from the Imperial Arbitration Court, he wouldn’t fear these Imperial armed forces, nor would he have bowed his head to Reinhardt. Unfortunately, he was merely an outsourced contractor from the local Governor’s Mansion, holding the title in name only.

However, he couldn’t help but wonder. ’A Knight, fresh off the battlefield, coming alone to Infinitis to report to the Blood Corps...’ He had heard some news about an Abyssal Demon invasion.

The situation was most severe in the area where the Northeast Region of Lanshi Province bordered the Hearn Territory.

’Could a Knight Order’s formation have been shattered?’

The Arbitrator only dared to speculate silently. He didn’t dare say it out loud, let alone discuss it with others.

Because beyond the Arbitration Court, there were the ubiquitous Judges of the Imperial State Church Knight Order, monitoring the every word and deed of Imperial Citizens.

The crime of spreading rumors and stirring up chaos among the populace was, at most, death by hanging.

But if one were suspected of being a Mage hiding within the Empire, or of being influenced by the Abyss, that would be far, far worse.

The Arbitrator didn’t dare to think about it any further. His expression changed, and he switched back to his previous arrogant demeanor, shoving the commoners passing by and demanding they line up properly for inspection.

The city of Infinitis was massive, perhaps even ten times the size of Sea Eagle City. As Reinhardt walked down the street, his physique constantly declared one fact to all passersby—Knight.

Even the most powerful nobles in the city had to make way or pull their carriages to the side of the road upon seeing the tattered Reinhardt.

After all, they were merely local, ordinary nobles, a far cry from true great nobles of the Extraordinary Tier from the Imperial City, like Sedon or Robbie Hiling.

Reinhardt had no money for the airship, but after he boarded, the young, pretty ticket seller merely glanced at him from a distance, not daring to approach and ask him to buy a ticket.

The other passengers would rather huddle together off to one side than dare to get too close to Reinhardt.

It wasn’t just out of reverence for his status as a Knight.

The terrifying aura of his Extraordinary Power was so potent that just getting too close to Reinhardt made their chests tighten, making it difficult to breathe.

Arriving at the Governor’s Mansion unimpeded, Reinhardt met the Governor of Lanshi Province.

He was a bald, corpulent fat man, his hands laden with jeweled rings. His desk was piled high with documents, but he himself was lounging on an expensive sofa with a beautiful woman in his arms, eating, drinking, and making merry.

The Lord Governor was quite displeased to be disturbed at such a time, which soured his mood. But when he heard that his visitor was an Official Knight, possibly from the Northeast Region and holding a Three-star Military Rank, his greedy, resentful gaze instantly cleared.

Reinhardt came from another world, one where people were relatively equal—at least, the treatment there was far more equal than what the Empire’s laborers and lower-class commoners enjoyed.

But he also understood that the course of history could not be swayed by individual will. The immense external pressures from Dragon Descendants, Beastmen, Elves, Demons, and Mages had forced the Human World to become a gigantic war machine, united by faith at the feet of His Majesty the Emperor.

Even though the lives of the Empire’s common people were filled with blood and tears, they only had to think of the merciless slaughter that would follow a foreign invasion and recall the Great Unity Scripture tirelessly propagated by the Priests of the Imperial State Church, and suddenly, even the murky, hot water in their cups would taste sweet.

According to Imperial law, although Reinhardt was not a Knight registered with the Empire, he was entitled to withdraw ten Radiant Gold Coins from the Lanshi Province Governor’s Mansion.

This amount was enough to support an ordinary family in Infinitis for a full year.

However, it was far from enough to find a famous swordsmith to custom-make a weapon infused with Imperial Technology for him.

Every Knight in the Steel Knight Order possessed their own private weapon, like the Mechanical Crossbow belonging to Karamor, the captain of the third team.

After a Knight’s death, these weapons would be reclaimed by the Empire. Unless one was willing to pay a hefty price in gold, taking these weapons without authorization was a serious crime against Imperial law.

Illegally hiding armor or privately possessing unregistered Knight-Level weapons were both considered high treason.

Although this money was nowhere near enough to commission a weapon, after some careful consideration, Reinhardt already had a plan for developing his Combat Techniques.

Morphic Armor increased his speed and defensive capabilities.

Steel of the Heart increased his base constitution—in other words, the length of his invisible health bar.

His second attribute, Destructive Field·Bloodthirsty Madness, would increase his bone and muscle density based on his stamina loss and the severity of his injuries.

These three abilities were complementary. The more Steel of the Heart stacked, the longer his health bar—meaning the stronger his physique. This enhanced physique, in turn, allowed Morphic Armor to last longer and increased the magnitude of the boost from Bloodthirsty Madness.

In other words, if an enemy couldn’t break through his defense, he would need a suitable weapon to compensate for his lack of offensive options.

But if he activated Bloodthirsty Madness, his body itself would be the best weapon.

Regarding his Combat Techniques, Reinhardt planned to focus on developing his second attribute, the Destruction Force Field. The upper limit for a Body Technique Powerhouse was higher than that of an Extraordinary Armament’s Special Abilities, a point proven to him conclusively during his fight with Fear Knight Dortmund. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Every Knight’s Destruction Force Field had two fundamental characteristics: it greatly enhanced all physical strengths, and the aura of their Power would transform into a tangible Force Field.

This Force Field could be thought of as something akin to a magnetic field. It could block ordinary arrows and thrown projectiles, and it could also be concentrated onto a weapon to drastically increase the destructive force of slashing and cutting attacks.

Bloodthirsty Madness, on top of this foundation, had the characteristic of continuously increasing the intensity of his Power.

Therefore, he now had two paths for development.

First, Reinhardt’s hands were itching for a fight! Once the amplification from Bloodthirsty Madness reached 100%, the situation would naturally become very unfavorable for him, so he had to end things quickly.

’Gather all my strength and end the fight with two serious punches!’

Alternatively, he could enter a second phase: Haymaker! Bloodthirsty Madness increased the intensity of his Power based on his injuries and the rate at which his health bar depleted, making it a perfect match for this Combat Technique.

The more severe his injuries, the stronger the Destruction Force Field, and the greater its destructive capability.

But if he wanted to realize these two Combat Techniques he had envisioned, he would need to learn how to control his Destruction Force Field with much greater finesse.