As the figure gradually moved into the lamplight, a middle-aged man with a towering stature, clad in high-grade Knight Armor, appeared before everyone's eyes.
Next to him stood a slightly shorter but sturdy man, holding a Kite Shield in one hand and a single-edged battle axe about a meter long in the other.
However, judging by the paint on the shield and axe handle, it seemed that the axe and shield shared the same color scheme as the towering middle-aged man's armor, which suggested that the weapons the shorter man carried probably belonged to the middle-aged man.
"It's a bit of a pity, it seems I've missed an interesting battle," said the towering middle-aged man with a somewhat mocking expression on his face.
"So, how did my little experiment surprise you?"
Baron Parix carefully examined the bright silver membranous steel armor on Rein, and after noticing several faint newly added claw marks, he shook his head slightly in disappointment and said:
"It seems your strength is not as formidable as the rumors suggest, after all, nobles of the Empire always like to sing each other's praises."
"Who are you?" Rein asked calmly in return.
Even though his Level 3 'danger perception' was giving him a strong warning, one that even surpassed the sea serpent, the scaled-bearded ironback turtle, and even Baron Norman, a newly promoted Great Knight,
it was not to the extent that it was completely overwhelming.
Therefore, Rein's heart was not filled with fear. Instead, he felt a surge of eagerness to try his hand.
It seemed that after fighting the Nightmare Dragonman, he could once again go all out in combat!
"I do not need to introduce myself! Otherwise, with so many people around, I would have to kill them all to keep them quiet," he said.
"By the way, the body of this little experiment is still of some use to me; I need to take it back."
"Also, there has always been someone who wanted me to get rid of you. Actually, we wouldn't have met so soon. The original plan was to wait until you took up your post in Fishing Port Town before sending you on your way."
"But now there's been a slight change, so, unfortunately, you may have to depart a bit earlier."
One reason Parix chose to act tonight was because of Magis.
Magis had also given him several hints, and considering that he would need Magis' help in the future, there was no point in delaying this matter further. It would be convenient to take Rein out while retrieving the body.
As these words were spoken, the guards from the surrounding mansion and the arriving Night Watchmen from the County Town became tense. Everyone drew their bows and aimed arrows at the towering middle-aged man wearing the Knight Armor.
Rein gestured with his hand, saying, "You all return to your posts, leave this to me."
"Oh wow, this is interesting!" The towering middle-aged man raised his eyebrows as he looked at Rein with a certain admiration.
"Smart move, this way my boots won't get dirty. Otherwise, you know, killing too many people tends to accidentally soil one's boots."
"Alright then, seeing as I find you quite pleasant to look at, I'll make sure you leave without pain," he went on.
"Let's not waste time, or there will be more and more people noticing this commotion."
After finishing his sentence, Parix tapped the tip of his foot, and the hard slate of the street suddenly exploded beneath him. The debris had barely started to fly when his entire figure shot forward like an arrow off its string.
The spectators around had not expected the towering figure in heavy Knight Armor to move with such speed.
There was still an afterimage left in his original spot when he had already reached Rein.
As an expert who had stepped into the Great Knight level for many years, Parix's evolution in his physical body had begun to touch deeper layers.
This process of evolution was continuous, akin to the growth and development of an adolescent.
Therefore, the quality of his strength was significantly different from that of newcomers like Baron Norman, who had just stepped into the Great Knight realm.
Not only would his strength, agility, and constitution continue to improve over time, but his Transcendent characteristics would also intensify and engrain into his bloodline as a natural talent. It would also impact and enhance his offspring's knightly talents to some extent.
But the most important aspect was the increase in the quantity of primal force after stepping into the Great Knight level, greatly enhancing both defense and combat capabilities.
With these two factors combined, a Great Knight facing a Knight, even a Peak Knight, would result in a crushing blow.
Furthermore, the disparity between Great Knights was vast.
Could a newly-promoted Great Knight possibly possess the same level of strength as him, having been a Great Knight for over five years? Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire
Another point was that upon seeing the claw marks on Rein's membranous steel armor, Parix was even more convinced of the embellished tales of Rein's strength, such as defeating the newly promoted Great Knight Baron Norman in a bloody duel.
In Parix's eyes, Rein was merely a Meister 'prodigy' with a slight gift for knighthood.
Hence, Parix's view of Rein and this battle was mostly one of mockery.
Because of this mindset, he didn't even bother to take the axe and shield from his subordinate just now; he simply flicked his forearm during his sprint, and 'click,' a claw-like arm blade resembling Wolverine's claws, cold and gleaming, appeared before Rein's eyes.
Parix, with his arm blade glowing faintly from the primal force, aimed viciously at Rein's forehead and thrust it forcefully.
If he were to be struck, it might be true what he said earlier – Rein would be sent off without pain...