"There! That's the signal!"

A soldier reported to a group of high-ranking people standing in front of the Weglana forces.

"Father Matthew!"

"Hm. Let's begin."

Princess Emilia looked at Father Matthew with anticipation. The thoughts of success after so many defeats have filled her mind. She will soon take the first step towards the end of her country's suffering. A brilliant yet shrewd smile crept on her face.

"Sound the horns!"

"Sound the horns!"

"Sound the horns!"

The instructions to sound the horns for the attack have drifted through the Weglana forces.

"Advance!"

As the Weglana forces advanced towards the encampment, lizardmen appeared on top of the walls and barraged the human soldiers and adventurers with arrows.

"Defenses!"

"Shields up!"

"Earth Wall!"

Countless cries for defensive means resounded from the humans as sharp, deadly arrows dropped towards them in the most brutal way.

"Don't falter! Keep advancing!"

Although many have fallen, the human forces advanced favorably, advancing step by step towards the wooden walls surrounding the encampment of lizardmen.

"Alright, everything seems going as intended so far."

"Yes, Father Matthew. Everything... is..."

"Princess?"

Just as Father Matthew was nodding in satisfaction, Princess Emilia's spirit got all drained away at once. Her face turned pale and her body was obviously trembling.

"What's the matter, Princess?"

Seeing Emilia in such weird state all of sudden, Father Matthew asked wonderingly.

"T, that... that... there!"

Emilia pointed her trembling finger while stuttering.

When Father Matthew and others looked where Princess Emilia was pointing, they saw a lizardman in black armor holding a human in a Weglana Knight armor by the nape of his neck and about twenty human Knights kneeling behind him.

"Knight Commander... and his Knights?"

"What is going on? Didn't the group release a signal of completing the mission and successfully retreating?"

"That idiot..."

Father Matthew muttered as others were wondering about Godfrey's capture.

Tears gathered in Emilia's eyes as she saw the lizardmen driving a fist into Godfrey's abdomen.

"Stop it..."

She whispered.

"Stop it... stop it..."

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she watched Godfrey getting beat up by the lizardman in black armor.

Finally, when the lizardmen seemingly ran out of patience, grabbed a large ax and decapitated one of Godfrey's Knights,

"Stop it! Stop the attack! Stop right now!"

Emilia's mind crumbled as she hysterically shrieked to stop the attack.

"Princess, we can't stop now! Victory is within our grasp!"

Father Matthew grabbed Emilia's shoulders and shouted. It was obvious that he didn't have any intentions of forsaking the battle for Godfrey.

"Father Matthew...? What are you saying! We have to save Knight Commander! We have to save Godfrey!"

"No! I won't allow it! I won't allow you to destroy our one and only chance of retaliation!"

Father Matthew shouted, unintentionally spitting saliva on Emilia's face.

Emilia was dumbfounded by Father Matthew's actions as she believed that he was her biggest ally and a father-figure she never had.

However, with the pressing matter of rescuing Godfrey at hand, she didn't have time to think about it.

"I'm the Princess! I'm the sovereign of the Weglana Republic! Listen to my command and cease the attack!"

She shouted at the top of her lungs.

"C, cease the attack!"

"... Cease the attack!"

"Withdraw!"

"Cease the attack!"

The soldiers who heard the orders reluctantly shouted one after another until every single soldier ceased the attack and withdrew back to the camp.

In fifteen minute or so, only human corpses, pools of blood and arrows were left at the path leading towards the encampment of lizardmen.

"Emilia Josephina Weglana, have your country surrender or..."

The lizardman in black armor turned around and mercilessly beheaded another human Knight.

"Knight Commander will meet the same fate. You have eighteen hours to decide. I will have one Knight decapitated every hour to remind you the severity of the situation."

The lizard in black armor said coldly and dragged Godfrey away, leaving the other Knights on the wall under the watch of other lizards.

"Preposterous!"

Father Matthew shouted at the lizardman's unbelievable demand.

"Father Matthew..."

"You can't listen to him, Princess! This is surely our one and only chance at victory! You-"

"Father Matthew! ... We have to save Knight Commander! Can't we send people to infiltrate the encampment and save him?"

"Princess, you surely understand that with the previous infiltration and Knight Commander in their hands, our people won't be able to get out of the encampment safely... no matter what, you must let go of Knight Commander and-"

"Report! The group under Miss Yuri's command has returned!"

Just when Father Matthew was about to lash out and make Emilia submit, a soldier came with a report of Yuri's return.

"Miss Yuri...!?"

Emilia looked at Yuri. The emotion which floated on her mind first was anger. Anger from letting Godfrey get captured. However, after seeing Yuri's appearances, Emilia's face turned pale and anger turned into fright.

Just how many lizards did she slay? She had to ask such question after seeing Yuri covered from toes to neck in a dark greenish blood.

"{Princess.}"

"They captured Godfrey and are demanding Weglana's surrender for his life! How did... how did he get captured?"

"{I see... Knight Commander was provoked by someone called Nakai and charged deep into the encampement with his Knights in pursuit.}"

"... Nakai? It was him after all. I thought he seemed familiar."

Father Matthew said after letting out a long sigh.

"Nakai? Father Matthew, do you know him? What is his relation with Godfrey?"

"Princess might not remember since you were still but a young child at that time, but Nakai is the of the sons of Khan Scalesia."

"So he is the lizard prince?"

"Yes and also the one Knight Commander lost his honor to."

"What! Then, the reason he charged in..."

"He must have gotten blinded by revenge the moment his eyes laid on Nakai."