Ravé is mounted on his horse, right before the gates of Seigestein, the village he just destroyed in matter of minutes. He is used to destroying villages with ease, but this one was way easier than he thought it was going to be. The reason of his surprise is because of the reason of his arrival, he’s here to capture the descendant of the Royal Lineage, so he thought the place would be best guarded.

  The person who hired him to do this job didn’t know who was the descendant, after all, this royal lineage is a lost one, one who's been hiding under cover for a long time, that's the reason they were in such a small village, and not on the Royal Capital. In consideration of that, Ravé captured all of Seigestein’s young males, in hope to capture the right one.

  “Sir, the invasion is finished.” said Rufus, right arm of Ravé.

  Ravé coldly nods and slowly raises his hand in a command gesture “Bring the captured.” said him.

  Rufus nods with no hesitation and return to Seigestein. After some minutes, he returns with one third of their entire army of mercenaries and all the captured males. They place all of them before Ravé, kneeling on the floor and with their hands tied. Some of them are still knocked out, others are struggling against the invaders and because of that being spanked by them.

  “Hush!” said Ravé with an imposing voice “Wake up the knocked out ones.” commanded him.

  The mercenaries with the knocked out young males nodded with no hesitation and quickly woke them up with slaps on their faces or hard punches on the ribs.

  Ravé awaits patiently, he analyses all of the young males while some wake up and others calm down, he doesn’t see anything special on any of them, they all look either weak, or fat or too slim. Just one of them could be said remarkable.

  Ravé leaves his horse and walk towards this particular male who’s in the middle of them all “Name.” asked Ravé with a commanding tone.

  “N-Nathan, sir…” answered Nathan with a weak voice. He was the one who struggled the most, so he was the most beaten of them all: bruises all of his body, his blonde hair totally disheveled and recently marks of slaps and punches on his cheeks, right beside his striking blue eyes.

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  “Last name.” said Ravé coldly but not cruelly… not yet.

  “W-What?” replied Nathan confused by his request.

  Ravé hardly slaps his face and hold him by the collar, lifting him up slightly “I said, last name…” says Ravé already impatient with this situation.

  Nathan’s face contorts in pain and fear, the spot Ravé just hit him was the spot he was severely punched, so the pain is somehow even bigger “Astergeint…. Nathan Astergeint” answered him hesitantly.

  Ravé smiles slightly and releases him, making him fall on the floor in the process, but before he could fully reach the floor the invader behind him hold him tightly and force him to kneel down again.

  “Perfect! You’re the person we were searching for, kid.” said Ravé with relief and calmness, he was already reckoning the possibility of one of his soldiers having killed the kid they were looking for, but now, he has no doubts in his mind, just easiness.

  Ravé looks to Rufus “Let’s get him to Shadow. The rest of them all... sell on the black market.” he says dominantly and imposingly. “Train them would be a waste of time.”

  Rufus nods eagerly and quickly go towards the other mercenaries, giving orders to them.

  In the midst of all of this, Maximus just stares the situation silently as the blade of Jonathan is at his neck. He knows there is nothing he can do, but even knowing that, he internally promises to himself that if possible he will help Nathan, he just doesn’t knows how. He doesn’t even knows his fate, but he heard some of the invaders talking about black market, so he’s probably going to be sold.

  Maximus gather some courage and say lowly and weakly to Jonathan who is taking care of him “C-Could I make a question, sir?” asked Maximus hesitantly.

  Jonathan who wasn’t even paying attention on Maximus, but on the situation unfolding, quickly returns his attention to him when he hears his voice. He keeps silent for some moments and then answer “Be quick.”

  Maximus swallows hardly and say “I know you killed everyone, apart from us… but, what did you do in relation to the noblemen?” asked him thinking about Beatrice, because she makes part of a noble family, but he obviously is not going to talk specifically about her, he doesn’t knows their intentions yet.

  “Got some money and let them escape.” answered Jonathan “Kill them would give us some headaches.” complemented, justifying their actions.

  Maximus sighs deeply, more relieved this time, because Beatrice is probably alive, he hopes so. “Okay… thanks” replied Maximus weakly.

  Maximus has hope, even if it is just a little.