The news shocked all the people on the palace's balcony.

"Messenger, you know the consequences if you made an error in your report," coldly stated the Royal Knight-Captain.

"I-I'm telling the truth, sir!" Stuttered the messenger.

The Royal Knight-Captain twitched his brow and glanced at the emperor.

The emperor could not help but feel something was amiss. He suspected that there must be behind-the-scenes movements involved in this matter.

This news had brought too much pressure onto him. And it will worsen at a later date. He had a bad feeling about it.

This loss of thousands of royal armies will weaken the royal family's power and disturb the balance.

The emperor secretly clenched his fists as he grabbed the hem of his white and gold sleeves.

"Your Majesty…" the Royal Knight-Captain called worriedly.

The emperor raised his hand to signal that he was okay. Though, in truth, he was barely managing to stay on his feet.

"Not even the General Manglaive was able to survive?" Though he was at a loss, the emperor was able to summon a last-ditch attempt to ask if at least one of his men was able to survive.

General Manglaive was an honorable soldier. He survived countless wars and brought back the heads of many enemy leaders.

He was an experienced soldier and one of the loyal soldiers to the royal family.

But the response of the messenger further depressed the emperor.

"Sorry, Your Majesty. Even the great general wasn't able to survive…"

Silence descended once again.

There's nothing the emperor could do at this point. "Anything else?" He asked once again, sounding dejected.

"That's all the extent of my report, Your Majesty," said the messenger, ending his report, while looking down to hide his face.

His Majesty the emperor stared at him for a couple of seconds before he looked at the next messenger. His eyes were all but miserable. Even the others could feel it.

Beside him, the Royal Knight-Captain was standing vigilantly, always ready to support the Emperor if ever he lost the strength to remain on his feet. The news was just too unbearable. Even the Royal Knight-Captain himself could not help but frown.

The other people, the ministers, were whispering among themselves. But the emperor was not in the mood to listen to their conversations.

The result of the mission 'Defense of the Frontline' was both a success and also a failure.

It was a big failure for the royal family who lost their royal armies.

The emperor stared at the second messenger. But it was apparent on his face that he was appalled. He wasn't expecting good news at this point. Especially that the Reclamation Mission had the lowest rate of success. 

Unfortunately, the surge of emotion dictated his decision at that time and decided to let the young man command his 100 experienced soldiers.

Now the emperor started to regret his decision. He shouldn't have let his emotion dictate his decision as he was the emperor. The emperor thought inwardly.

Noticing the emperor's gaze towards him, the messenger from the Reclamation Mission cleared his throat first then began his report.

"Your Majesty, I am the messenger sent from the Reclamation Mission," reported the second messenger.

"Your Majesty, the Reclamation Mission was a success!" The messenger Proudly announced.

The first messenger raised his brow upon hearing it. It must be an easy mission. He guessed. So, it wasn't a big achievement compared to their success in defending the frontline. The first messenger thought so.

However,

"Reclamation Mission?"

"The unplanned mission that is composed of hundred soldiers."

"What kind of mission is that?"

"It is a reclamation of the old mining village."

"What? That village that was overrun by bandits?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Wait, doesn't it have about a thousand bandits that are occupying that place?"

"Exactly."

"The messenger said they succeeded?!"

"You heard it, right?"

"Unbelievable!"

The ministers were whispering loudly.

The first messenger widened his eyes upon hearing the minister's conversation.

100 soldiers versus 1000 enemies? How is that possible?! He exclaimed in mind.

Even the emperor was surprised at it. Looks like that young man was truly a capable person. The emperor's honest thoughts.

At that time, he had a strong feeling that the mission would succeed. He could not explain the feeling he felt that time as it was only based on his intuition. Who would have thought that it truly was a success!

But the emperor could not rejoice. He already lost too many soldiers. Perhaps there were only a few left in the Reclamation Mission.

"How about the casualties?" The emperor asked listlessly. He had no more expectations that there would be only a few of them.

Probably, only a few managed to survive.

"Hehe," the messenger chuckled. "Your Majesty, there are no casualties!" Declared the messenger.

"I see. As expected, no one sur-- wait! What?!" The emperor snapped.

Not just the emperor but all the people present on the palace's balcony were wide-mouth open.

"Yes, Your Majesty, no casualties!" the messenger repeated as he puffed his chest.

The other messenger beside him gawked with wide eyes looking at him.

"A 100:1000 ratio?! How come the result was no casualties?!" Exclaimed the messenger from the frontline, who failed to control his surprise. "Your Majesty, this person was stating a false report! He must be punished!"

"What the--! No, Your Majesty, I'm telling the truth."

"That's impossible, Your Majesty!" He could not believe it.

Honestly, even the ministers found it hard to believe.

"Silence!" The emperor yelled which silenced the two right away. "Everything will be revealed once everyone returns," said the emperor.

"If he was telling the truth, then it was a big success. It was a better accomplishment," added the emperor.

The messenger from the frontline didn't like how the emperor said it. It seemed like he was saying that the soldiers in the Reclamation Mission achieved better than the frontline.

Still, the frontliners were dealing with the demons, which are far stronger compared to mere bandits. Thought the frontline messenger. But, the next words of the messenger from the Reclamation Mission stunned them for good.

"Actually, Your Majesty, some of those thousand of enemies, there were demons among them…"

Demons among them…

Demons among them…

Demons among them…

The last three words reverberated in their ears.