I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 822

Chapter 35: Facing the Twilight

In the lord’s hall, high-ranking nobles gathered, respectfully reporting the current situation to the prince seated on the lord’s throne.

With hair that blazed like fire and a physique as sturdy as a castle wall, the First Prince’s figure seemed chiseled straight from the mold of the Lionheart King.

However, his face bore none of the king’s ruggedness; instead, it inherited the elegance and refinement of his mother, looking as beautiful as a work of art.

Nazz Reinhardt, the First Prince of the Lionheart Kingdom, was little known to the commoners due to his long-standing duty at the kingdom’s borders.

Yet, due to his contributions in defending the borders, he held great prestige within the military.

When the Dragon Clan attacked, Nazz swiftly led the border troops to defend, reorganizing a scattered bunch of southern nobles into a reliable defensive line, thus holding the southern stronghold, bringing the last hope to the kingdom’s south.

But as time passed, that last hope had come to an end.

“To sum it up, there’s a shortage of food, medicine, weapons, and troops. To be frank, Your Highness, our resources are running out. At this critical juncture, allowing more refugees into the city is just digging our own grave!” An elderly minister sighed heavily, filled with worry.

The once handsome face of the red-haired prince darkened as he fell into deep thought.

Or perhaps it was just a silence born of powerlessness.

A young noble, filled with anger, stood up and shouted, “If we don’t let the refugees in, are we just going to leave them outside as dragon fodder? The so-called noble vermin refers to folks like you!”

The old noble, known for his explosive temper, shed his previously humble demeanor before the prince and retorted with spittle flying, “Am I vermin? You little brat, nineteen years ago when I was fighting for the kingdom, you were still nursing at your mama’s breast! Letting them in won’t solve the food problem. Even if we chopped ourselves up, there’s no way to feed so many people. We won’t even need the Dragon Clan to finish us off—we’ll be done ourselves!”

A slightly more refined young noble smiled a tragic smile, not to mediate, but to mock, “Sounds like we haven’t been finished off yet.”

“Whether we let them in or not, we can’t hold out much longer.”

Retreating to the southern stronghold was the only option at the moment.

Without relying on the walls and barriers, the kingdom’s troops couldn’t possibly contend with the airborne Dragon Clan forces, except for the Griffon Knights.

Yet, the southern stronghold had already reached its limit; this was an undeniable truth.

These dragons were cunning, much more so than nineteen years ago. Instead of attacking recklessly, they encircled the area and forced refugees toward it, slowly consuming the stronghold’s supplies.

Ordinary military encirclements always have their gaps, but the Dragon Clan, leveraging their aerial advantage, maintained a flawless encirclement. Even sending people outside to forage for wild vegetables proved extremely difficult under the Dragons’ round-the-clock surveillance.

“Continuing like this isn’t a solution; let’s just charge at those beasts!”

“No, in my opinion, retreating first is the best strategy!”

“So in the end, you’re still going to abandon the civilians? Do you even deserve the title of Lionheart Knights?!”

“What’s your solution then? Rush out and die?!”

In the previous battles, the available Griffon Knights had been nearly exhausted.

With no aerial strength to counter the Dragon Clan, whether breaking through or retreating, once they left the walls, they would immediately face an aerial assault from the Dragons—having learned their bloody lessons well.

Amidst the heated debate, someone timidly raised their hand: “W-well, if we can just hold on a bit longer, if the capital can kill the lead dragon…”

The room froze, and everyone looked despondent, ignoring that voice; even the person themselves despaired and fell silent.

The Dragon Clan was intercepting carrier pigeons everywhere, severely hindering communications within the kingdom.

All they knew was that the capital was gathering troops for a decisive battle against the Dragon Clan’s main force, but none were clear on the actual situation of the battle.

However, if the lead dragon were killed, it would be immediately reflected across the entire Dragon Clan.

Currently, the Dragon Clan ran rampant still; the situation in the capital looked grim, otherwise they wouldn’t be pushed to such a point by the Dragons.

But just then, a somewhat magnetic voice broke the silence.

“We do indeed need reinforcements, but not from the north, rather from the south.”

To the south lay the boundaries of the Lionheart Kingdom, and Nazz’s meaning was clear.

“If the previous messenger completed their mission, then the first batch of reinforcements should be about to arrive.”

Carrier pigeons couldn’t escape the Dragon Clan’s pursuit, so Nazz had sent out the few surviving Griffon Knights to make a desperate attempt to break through to the south for reinforcements.

Yet, the prince’s words did not change anyone’s complexion.

In the chaos of war, how many factions would be willing to lend a full helping hand? It was feared that before they could discuss a solution, they might not even last any longer.

The princess could be relied upon; even without mentioning anything else, just having a few extra Griffon Knights could offer a slim chance of breaking through. Still, the young ones had never seen the brutal nature of war against dragons; who knew how many would have the courage to shoulder the burden of the Extraordinary Beings?

Moreover…

The elderly man sighed softly, uttering the harsh reality: “Your Highness, you can see it for yourself—on that day, in the end, only one Griffon Knight managed to break through.”

In other words, even hope for reinforcements was already dim.

No one spoke directly, but it was a reality understood by all.

The setting sun was blood-red as the twilight began to fall.

The red-haired prince’s gaze faded, losing the brilliance of former days.

The fate of the kingdom might still hold a chance for reversal, but they likely wouldn’t endure to see the moment of turning the tide.

Yet fate seemed intent on pushing them even further into despair, as a roar shook the air outside.

It was the trembling that had etched itself deep into the hearts of every Lionheart citizen over these past days.

The roar of the dragon.

Also a symbol of the Dragon Clan’s impending attack.

Fear and anxiety inevitably arose, much like sheep besieged by wild beasts.

However, at that moment, Nazz’s eyes reignited with determination, a defiant and unrestrained expression surfacing on his face.

“Gentlemen, perhaps our fate is nearing its end, but even so, we are lions, not a flock of sheep!”

“Before the dragon’s teeth pierce us, our fangs will first break through their scales; before their claws tear us apart, our talons will first rip off their wings!”

“Convey my orders! Engage the enemy with all we’ve got!”

With his battered body straightened, Nazz waved his cloak and raised his head forward.

Be it cautious or reckless, young or aged, at that moment, everyone’s eyes ignited with the same flame, filled with the stirring blood— the blood of Lionheart Extraordinary Beings, following the Lionheart Prince, facing the blood-red twilight.

Even as the dusk approached, they would not hesitate to burn their hearts; this was the true spirit of the kingdom’s knights.

————————

Meanwhile, the reinforcements entered the kingdom and saved a group of refugees.

Roy grabbed a young man who still had the strength to speak and asked curiously, “So, why aren’t you going to the towns and instead running into the mountains?”

“Sir Knight, the nearby towns have already fallen; only the southern stronghold still has knights stationed! That’s the only safe place!”

Roy exchanged a glance with Charlotte, silently confirming their next course of action.