Chapter 143: Chapter 108: The Situation in the Ash Soil Star Zone, Reinforcements Arrive
A wind carrying the smell of rust swept across the battlefield, stirring ripples in puddles of blood large and small.
The atmosphere was incredibly tense.
Whether it was Lady Aimo, the representative of the Merchant Family, or the envoy of Grandmaster Wizard Anatol.
These high and mighty figures, who held the fate of countless worlds in their hands, had never imagined that someone would dare to publicly refuse their invitations, much less have the audacity to so brazenly disrespect their Lords.
Before the Great Rebellion, they wouldn’t have dared to do anything to Reinhardt. At most, they would have submitted a diplomatic note in an attempt to save some face.
But the Empire had long since fallen apart, and the last time a decree from the Radiant Holy City had reached the Ash Soil Star Zone was twelve years ago.
Today, the Ash Soil Star Zone was a tangled web of local factions.
There were over a hundred well-known Wizard Lords and Knight Warlords, and among all these powers, the forces of five Lords were the strongest.
Anatol the Star Weaver.
Grand Cardinal Vibius of the Secret Order.
Governor Kles, Lord of a Hundred Worlds and Savior of Baze.
The Ash Soil Star Zone’s Watch Alliance, formed by the Oreno Merchant Family and over thirty Knight Warlords.
Sedon, a Sky Knight, leader of the Death Battle Group, a High Table Noble of the Radiant Holy City, and Grand Governor of an Old Empire Administrative Region.
In the present-day Ash Soil Star Zone, earning the admiration of both the Oreno Family and Wizard Lord Anatol was an incredible honor. Putting aside someone like Reinhardt—an Imperial Knight with no status or backing—even local warlords commanding Thousand-Man Battle Groups were not worthy of a personal audience with Lady Aimo.
In other words, even those warlords at the Earth Knight Level, who commanded Thousand-Man Battle Groups, had to bow their heads in submission and show their reverence when they met Lady Aimo or the renowned Master Level Tier Two Wizard, Florant.
Accustomed to the awe and adoration of others, Lady Aimo’s expression darkened. With her chin held high, she fixed her gaze on Reinhardt and said in a low voice, "Courage is a fine quality for a Knight, but recklessness is not.
If you are willing to take back what you just said, I can pretend I didn’t hear it."
The envoy of Wizard Lord Anatol, the Tier Two Mage Florant, suppressed the rage that made him want to crush Reinhardt with a single finger. He said with extreme impatience, "Lord Anatol admires your strength and talent, so I will give you one more chance to choose. Join me, or refuse?"
A Master Level Tier Two Wizard was a terrifying existence that even an Earth Knight of Six-star Military Rank would find difficult to oppose.
The only reason he was speaking to Reinhardt with any patience at all was because his master had instructed him that if the owner of a Radiant Holy Artifact was killed, they would only be able to retrieve a useless piece of scrap metal from the corpse.
If he weren’t on a mission, he could have destroyed Reinhardt’s soul with a single thought.
Faced with this blatant threat, Raphael’s body trembled slightly. Behind him stood the Caster Monastery, where the statue of the Divine Emperor watched over them, silent and unchanging.
’These heretics! They not only scorn the Divine Emperor’s majesty, but they even dare to openly make threats under His watchful gaze, attempting to steal a Radiant Holy Artifact from one of His Angels!’
As a Monastery Priest, a proclaimer of the Divine Emperor’s Gospel, he could only watch in humiliation as all of this unfolded before him... Raphael’s right hand clenched into a tight fist, the anger making his chest tighten.
Just as the atmosphere was growing increasingly tense, a slightly aged voice, mixed with the sound of hurried footsteps, suddenly came from the entrance of the Monastery.
"I am Ullrich, the Provincial Governor of the Desolate Wasteland Ruins. On behalf of the Seventeenth Military Port World, I welcome you both..."
Ullrich trotted over, his face covered in sweat, his expression nervous and out of breath.
Of course he was nervous.
Offending the powerful Lords of the Ash Soil Star Zone, even openly giving a response tantamount to a declaration of war—he had only overheard fragments from a distance, and it had nearly given him a heart attack!
The name Anatol was infamous throughout the entire Ash Soil Star Zone!
He’d destroy a world over a single disagreement.
Previously, this was a Star Zone ruled by the Empire, so Wizard Lord Anatol had shown some restraint. But now, with Void Storms blocking all channels of communication, the Empire had completely lost its grip on the Star Zone.
He couldn’t guarantee that the cold-blooded Wizard wouldn’t come personally to destroy the very planet beneath his feet.
He had heard rumors about the Oreno Family as well. It was said that their total wealth was enough to buy the exclusive mining and trade rights for the entire Ash Soil Star Zone for a thousand years.
Of course, that was just a rumor.
Ullrich hurried over to Reinhardt’s side and gave him a slight shake of the head, his eyes practically begging Reinhardt to keep quiet for the moment, lest he completely enrage the envoys from these two powerful factions.
Lady Aimo glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her expression flat. "Provincial Governor? Very well. I’m asking you now: are you willing to accept my invitation and join the Watch Alliance?"
"This..."
Ullrich felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
He didn’t dare offend the envoys of these powerful Lords, but he couldn’t afford to offend Reinhardt either.
The only good news was that reinforcements from the Imperial Legion would arrive in half an hour at most. As soon as the Empire’s support arrived, he could confidently tell them that this world was still under Imperial jurisdiction, and that Reinhardt was an Imperial Knight.
’If you have a problem, take it up with the high command of the Imperial Legion.’
But for now, all he could do was rack his brains to stall for time and prevent Reinhardt and that fanatical believer, Raphael, from escalating the conflict.
Even he could clearly feel the irrepressible rage burning within Raphael.
’After all, a pure-blood Wizard is still a heretic. And for a heretic to publicly threaten one of the Divine Emperor’s blessed Angels in a Monastery, a solemn Holy Land under the Divine Emperor’s very gaze... If the Empire still stood, and the National Church Court learned of this, even Anatol would be taught a harsh lesson, no matter where he hid in his home.’
Ullrich’s face was plastered with a smile.
Although he was a Provincial Governor of the Empire and a Governor in the Governor Federation, the same title meant entirely different things on different worlds.
If he were the Provincial Governor of a planet under the direct affiliation of the Radiant Holy City, it would be the envoys of these local Lords who would be currying favor with him. Unfortunately, he was just the Governor of a derelict planet in a remote star zone.
His status was lower than that of a dog belonging to the High Table Nobility.
He had intended to spout some nonsense to stall for time, but the other party was clearly unwilling to waste any on him.
"Answer my question, Governor."
Faced with Aimo’s aggressive demeanor, no matter how much Ullrich humbled himself, he couldn’t suppress his own anger. He might have a low status, but he was still a Provincial Governor directly authorized by the Radiant Empire’s Imperial Regency Council!
’Things have already come to this.’ Ullrich glanced at Reinhardt and steeled himself. ’The war has already reached this point. I choose Loyalty over betrayal!’
He dropped the act. His expression hardened, and with a cold snort, he straightened his back and replied, "Lady Aimo, as you can see, I am the Provincial Governor of Verne’s Stereoscopic City. I always have been, and I always will be."
’It was one thing for Reinhardt to have such a hardline stance, but for a mere Provincial Governor to dare adopt this kind of attitude?!’
But before Aimo could fly into a rage and order her men to kill Ullrich,
A Radiant Waymark drop pod broke through the barrier between the void and reality, appearing in the sky above the Desolate Wasteland Ruins and hurtling down with a scream!
