Chapter 56: Chapter 44: My Head is So Itchy

Baseness is the passport of the base.

Nobility is the epitaph of the noble.

—

「Baihe Town.」

The earthen and stone town walls were low and dilapidated.

Earth Knight Fei Ning’s shiny bald head was exceptionally dazzling under the harsh sun of the Northern Lands.

His right hand gripped the hilt of the longsword at his waist while his left shielded his eyes. His brow was tightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on Dietlinde and her party, never once wavering.

Even from four hundred meters away, he could clearly feel the aftershocks from the clash of Knight Power, a sign of the fierce battle taking place over there.

But he didn’t know what exactly had happened, or why the two sides were now locked in a standoff.

The sound of footsteps approached from behind.

"Lord Fei Ning, the Scaya Dragon Descendants’ main army is mustering. Small scout parties have already crossed the border and are heading our way."

Within Fei Ning’s line of sight, the banners of three Knight Orders from the Dragon Hunter Battle Group snapped in the wind.

For some unknown reason, the Iron Blood Battle Group’s blocking force was also following behind these three "rebel" units, advancing toward Baihe Town in a great, surging mass.

The complex situation made him reflexively rub his bald head, his brow furrowed so deeply it could have pinched a leaf.

’It’s almost the appointed time. Why haven’t the reinforcements from the Seventh Group Army arrived? Keep a close eye on the Dragon Descendants to the north. No one is to make contact with them without my order.’

Seeing the three "rebel" units about to reach Baihe Town, Fei Ning grit his teeth. ’Since Dietlinde didn’t get into a major conflict with them, she must have her reasons. After all these years, I trust her judgment in the field.’

"First Squad, with me."

When Heinrich reined in his horse before Fei Ning, the giant Sun Golden Ring on his back nearly blinded the bald Knight!

Fei Ning felt a surge of rage rise in his gut. He cursed inwardly, ’Have the higher-ups at the Blood Corps lost their minds?!’

’There’s an Imperial Arena champion among the rebels, and you didn’t mention a single word about it in the briefing! Are you trying to get me killed out here for nothing?!’

It was only their first meeting, but Fei Ning’s heart sank and a cold sweat broke out on his brow. He was secretly astounded. ’Thank god Dietlinde didn’t fight him. Otherwise, all of our men combined wouldn’t have been enough to take on this one Earth Knight.’

This was a genuine, bona fide Imperial Arena champion!

Never mind within the Empire—even Abyssal Great Demons and Pure-blood Dragonfolk would have to think twice before facing him!

Fei Ning was not like Dietlinde. He wouldn’t just roar and blindly follow the Corps’ orders, leading his men to charge to their deaths.

That was just suicide.

He raised a hand to halt the advance of the Dark Gold Blood Knights and cleared his throat.

"I am Fei Ning, commander of the Iron Blood Battle Group, subordinate to the Imperial Bloody Corps. I am under orders to garrison Baihe Town and stop the Imperial Rebel Army.

State your purpose, Knight."

Heinrich looked down on him, his gaze arrogant. "You’re the commander of this Battle Group?" he said coolly. "Good. Go back and tell the commander of the Blood Corps that no matter who gave him the order, I will report this to Model War Commander and demand a full investigation.

Now, clear the way."

Fei Ning knew perfectly well that this mission to quell the rebellion was likely the result of someone pulling strings behind the scenes. He was just the commander of a third-rate Battle Group stationed in Lanshi Province; it wasn’t worth his life to get caught in the conflicts of the great lords.

Besides,

the defection of a Knight at the level of an Imperial Arena champion was a major event. It wasn’t his place to handle it.

At worst, he’d have to argue his case before the Arbitration Court. He had Lord Sedon backing him, so the most severe punishment would be a charge of failing to supervise the battle effectively. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been a scapegoat; he was used to it.

The very reason Mercenary Corps existed in the Empire was to handle affairs and wars that Imperial officials couldn’t directly intervene in. Taking the fall was part of the job.

After letting the Knights of the Dragon Hunter Battle Group pass, he stopped Dietlinde and her party, who were following close behind. His brow furrowed at the sight of the blood-soaked Reinhardt. "What happened? How did he end up like this?"

"It’s complicated. I’ll write up a detailed report for you later."

As Maxim passed Fei Ning, the young, boastful Knight sighed helplessly and explained, "Reinhardt insisted on challenging the Earth Knight at the front to a duel. This is the result."

Fei Ning froze for a moment.

"With whom?"

"The Earth Knight leading the column. See that big ring on his back? That’s him.

Reinhardt really held his own, though. He actually managed to break one of that lord’s molars. If Captain Dietlinde hadn’t been quick enough to grab him and absorb most of the force, do you think he’d have come back on his feet?"

The Radiant Empire was a nation built upon Knight Power, but within this grand Human Empire, the total number of Knights was minuscule compared to a population that numbered in the tens of billions.

To say nothing of ordinary Imperial Citizens, many veterans who served for ten years in the Imperial Infantry Corps died in battle without ever having seen a single Knight in their entire lives.

Reinhardt had once appeared in the Flame and Furnace Capital, Infinitis, as a Knight with a Two-star Military Rank. Even the local Judge and Provincial Governor had been alarmed by his presence.

Because they were the Empire’s ultimate military force!

And an Arena champion was the strongest of the strong among that ultimate force!

Even the Steel Knight Order, whose strength was a shadow of its former self, possessed the terrifying power to level a small country, to say nothing of a main force from the Dragon Hunter Battle Group’s third echelon, a Knight Order led by an Imperial Arena champion.

The young Knight Maxim, and even Dietlinde, who had served in the Iron Blood Battle Group for twenty years—they were, in the end, just low-ranking Knights on the very fringes of the Empire’s Extraordinary Tier.

Their perspectives were limited by their Corps, so naturally, they had no concrete concept of the true power of the Earth Knight with the Sun Golden Ring on his back.

Fei Ning, however, had once served in the Seventh Corps Death Squad. He knew all too well how terrifying these Knights, who could suppress Abyssal Great Demons, truly were!

"Broke one of his molars?"

"Reinhardt?"

Fei Ning was skeptical.

’This young Knight came to me with a letter of recommendation from Lord Sedon, but... Hiss—could it be that the aftershocks of Mighty Power on the plains earlier were from the fight between Reinhardt and that lord?!’

His scalp itched.

Fei Ning raised his right hand and continued to vigorously rub his bald scalp. The tangled situation was starting to overload his brain, which wasn’t particularly suited for complex reasoning to begin with.

Although he wasn’t exactly sure what had transpired, one thing was clear: Reinhardt was definitely at the center of it.

Fei Ning felt helpless.

Thinking of his old superior, he lamented inwardly, ’Lord Sedon, you’ve really sent me a heap of trouble...’