I Aggressively Stack Steel of the Heart in the Knight Order

Chapter 196: Chapter 161: The Great Cause of the Human World and the Unification of Ideals

In a single move, he had torn a Master Level Tier Two Wizard apart right on the spot.

Tafurin may not have been a top-tier powerhouse, but he was a notorious Interstellar Pirate in the Ash Soil Star Zone. He was responsible for a million deaths, had once plundered a Forging World, and had a bounty of two hundred thousand Radiant Gold Coins on his head.

When Reinhardt and his squad first arrived, no one had paid them any mind. They were dismissed as minor players sent by some insignificant faction.

But now, as Reinhardt demonstrated his Mighty Power with the blood of a Tier Two Mage and revealed his connection to the Imperial Administrative Region, everyone ceased their fighting. Over a hundred formidable Transcendents turned to stare at him.

Their expressions varied, but nearly all of them stared in utter shock.

’He’s actually from the Imperial Administrative Region...’

’And he killed Tafurin so easily with just a One-star Military Rank...’

Meanwhile, the Master Level Tier Two Wizard who had been trying to open the tomb’s main gate turned his head. He shot Reinhardt a cold glance, the hostility in his eyes practically unconcealed.

At his master’s signal, a subordinate Wizard shot Reinhardt a sinister glare from across the room and retorted, "So it’s a fool from the Imperial Administrative Region. Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me say this place now belongs to Grand Lord Kles?"

At this, he broke into a cruel grin, his gaze sweeping over the Vengeance Angel Squad as if they were already dead. He took a few steps forward and announced loudly, "Everyone, I am now issuing a contract in the name of the Great Lord! The head of a single Knight from the Imperial Administrative Region can be exchanged with me for fifty thousand Radiant Gold Coins.

And as for that Earth Knight, Reinhardt... whoever kills him, Grand Lord Kles will make you one of the Baze Nobility!"

To say nothing of the Wandering Mages, most of the Free Knights—those who had broken away from the Empire’s control—were unscrupulous individuals who would do anything for power and wealth.

And the Mages hiding in the crowd? They were in a league of their own.

Morality? Honor? Ideals? The future of the Human World?

Mages never cared for such things. They cared only for Mighty Power and money.

A bounty of fifty thousand Radiant Gold Coins per head was more than enough to make them risk it all. But the ultimate prize—joining the Baze Nobility—was an irresistible temptation.

Because every member of the Baze Nobility could rule their own independent planet. This meant absolute authority and an endless supply of resources!

And unlike the Provincial Governors, who were constrained at every turn and answered to the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs, the nobility of Baze were bound by no laws. They could do whatever they pleased!

Most importantly, by joining the Baze Nobility, fringe figures like these Interstellar Pirates could instantly leap to a new social stratum.

In a single bound, they would become part of the mid-tier elite in the Ash Soil Star Zone!

Once they climbed to such heights, what kind of Transcendent knowledge or Wizard’s Secret Treasure would be beyond their grasp?

To the Transcendents who had clawed their way through the Ash Soil Star Zone for years, this was a lethal temptation.

As the representatives of the Imperial Administrative Region’s will, the Vengeance Angel Squad had no authority to offer such an exorbitant contract. More importantly, they would never offer one to a group of traitors to the Human World.

Anyone could decry the corruption of the Imperial Administrative Region or curse the incompetence of the Grand Governor and the Knight Battle Groups.

But in this dark Cosmos, in this age of despair...

No matter how wretched it had become, the Imperial Administrative Region was still the last light illuminating the Human World.

The Old Empire, under the rule of the Regent Council, may have long been rotten to the core. But this Human Realm was ultimately founded upon the great cause for the Human World—a cause the Radiant Divine Emperor had pursued his entire life, yet failed to achieve.

To expand its borders and open new frontiers.

To defend against alien threats.

To allow even the humblest Mortal to live with dignity.

This was not only the great vision of the Radiant Divine Emperor, but also that of the countless Imperial Knights who, like moths to a flame, had sacrificed themselves on the eve of a new dawn.

Be it Sedon, Reinhardt, or even the Radiant Angels and the Emperor’s Shield.

They possessed Extraordinary Power that other Transcendents might never obtain in a lifetime. In the wake of the Empire’s fall, they could have lived lives of ultimate luxury and power in the Ash Soil Star Zone.

But this was never their path.

For the great cause of the Human World, they threw themselves into terrifying struggles and battles, facing death every day. But through this, their knightly ideals grew stronger, forging an indestructible Spiritual Power!

It was both a responsibility and a source of strength.

Raphael slowly climbed to his feet. He stood silently behind Reinhardt, and as he faced the torrent of greedy gazes, the youthful immaturity in his own eyes faded, replaced by steely resolve.

Agate and the other two frowned deeply.

If they were Free Knights or Interstellar Pirates, they could simply retreat in the face of such widespread hostility.

But they were Imperial Knights.

This was more than just a matter of duty. They were facing a direct provocation from Grand Lord Kles’s faction. If they chose to flee, the prestige of not only the Imperial Administrative Region but also the Emperor himself would be tarnished by their cowardice.

Furthermore, their own knightly ideals would not permit such an act of weakness.

’If they wanted their heads, they would have to come and take them!’

And in that moment, the ideals of the Vengeance Angel Squad members fell into perfect alignment with Reinhardt’s method for handling such situations.

Facing the barrage of malevolent stares, Reinhardt, their captain, gave a cold and merciless command.

"Slaughter all who resist."

The instant his voice fell, the battle erupted!

A Four-star Earth Knight, who had seemed reluctant to join the conflict, suddenly lunged forward with a cold snort. He gripped his Knight’s Broadsword with both hands, and the oppressive weight of his Destruction Force Field crashed down on Reinhardt like a heavy mountain!

"This place is outside the Imperial Administrative Region’s jurisdiction, little Knight."

The two Master Level Tier Two Mages who had tried to attack Raphael earlier saw the Earth Knight make his move, and their faces paled.

"Slaughterer Dane! What’s he doing here?!"

He was nothing like them—Wandering Mages with no background or status to speak of.

Slaughterer Dane: former Battle Group Commander of the Dark Star Battle Group, an Elite Formation within the Imperial Seventh Group Army. After betraying the Empire, he led his men to pledge allegiance to the Dark Abyss. He slaughtered a planet’s entire Defense Army—a million strong—and was finally gravely wounded by a Battle Group Tutor from the Emperor’s Shield, after which he escaped and has been a fugitive ever since.

He was infamous throughout the entire Ash Soil Star Zone!

There were even rumors that Slaughterer Dane had joined the Fear Knights of Avernus, making his power truly terrifying.

Matthias, who had also served in the Seventh Group, instantly recognized him. It was Slaughterer Dane—the former spiritual leader of the Dark Star Battle Group, a member of the early Imperial Arena champion project, and now, the great traitor!

Matthias drew in a sharp breath. His eyes then widened in fury as he roared, "You traitor! You’re still alive?!"