Markus walked out to the courtyard. He looked around and saw all the mercenaries preparing their gear and doing maintenance work. They were sharpening swords and preparing meals that they would share all together.

He looked outside the gatehouse where the young girl was commanded to stay. She prepared her own small little camp by building her own small lean-on from sticks and leaves. She built a fire but had only dried meats and all in all small food rations compared to the other mercenaries.

"So, what did you do to receive this punishment?" Markus asked the girl.

"Nothing," the girl said in a non-interested voice.

Markus looked at the girl's face. She had a large scar on her face and had eyes that seemed to look like she had lost the will to live.

"But you are being punished?"

"Yes."

"So who did wrong so you had to be punished?"

"...My father,"

Markus looked confused.

"And what did your father do. Sleep with the commander's mother," Markus said trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes."

Markus was first surprised but then seemed to understand what was going on.

"So. Tankred is your half-brother."

"Yes. He fucked my mother who gave birth to me. Story common and old as the people of this world. He is the person who has made me suffer this accursed life"

"So, you are Mona De Louperouge."

"Just Mona. I am not De Louperouge," Mona said with a depressing voice.

"So, Mona. Why are you still fighting for your half-brother if he insists on making your life hell for his own father's mistake?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why do you care yourself that why I car."

Markus just smiled at the irritated and depressing Mona.

"I have no choice. I am not allowed to refuse my brother by our laws, but he can not harm me or kill me. The law of the Guiscards is that a family member is not allowed to be killed, but neither is a family member allowed to refuse the head of the family's call to war," an unwilling Mona said.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"So, he must make sure you must die on a battlefield. Make sure to everyone that he has not killed you personally but can make you fight in any fight he wants."

August came to look for Markus.

"My prince. I believe we should get going back to your room," August said to the prince.

"Well. I had a pleasant talk time with you, but I need to get going," Markus said with a smile and started to walk away into the keep of the citadel.

Mona seemed completely uninterested in Markus. She got back to making her supper and getting ready for sleep.

Before he got inside the citadel's walls Markus turned around and looked at Mona.

"You say you should not be alive, but you have fought until this point seems to prove otherwise. You should also think carefully about what you want. It might surprise you," Markus said to Mona.

Mona didn't seem to care what he said.

"What were you talking about with her?" August asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just gave some advice one big fish once gave me," Markus said with a smile.

~ ~

The prince was with August in his own personal bedroom.

"So, did you get any good info with talking with the Guiscard mercenaries?" Markus asked.

"They are very well motivated. They are well prepared and a few with them have divine powers as well. They also have high hopes that their commander is able to kill Rufus and believe in his abilities," August explained.

Markus had sent August to ask and small talk with the mercenaries to gather intel. He had to make sure that a war would last as long as possible and see the possibilities and chances of it happening.

"Hmmm. They seem very confident, but I really don't see a chance for this Tankred to defeat Rufus. He was able to kill my father. He is not a weakling anymore and rivals almost all the other kings of this world."

"Well, they have confidence in their commander, but apparently the real beast of the army is the girl you talked to."

Markus's expression looked like he had hit a jackpot.

"Well tell me more about Mona. I am all ears," Markus asked.

"Well, they told me about this one time when commander De Louperouge had commanded her to stay as a rearguard. They were being chased, by the enemy vanguard of about three hundred men but apparently had no reason to leave a rearguard since the enemy was too far, but the commander still commanded her to stay behind.

"They were able to retreat easily back to a safe area with no sighting of this girl. After a week and no word from the girl, everyone believed she was dead. On the eight-day, she returned full of wounds and scars with the head of the vanguard commander. She had destroyed the entire enemy vanguard by herself. She is apparently the monster of the mercenaries to be unleashed on their enemies," August explained.

Markus was very pleased to hear that.

"Tell me. Can you sense or see other people's divine aura and power?" Markus asked.

"I mean, I can sense if it really is a powerful aura," August answered being a bit confused.

"So were you able to sense any from Mona?"

August first hesitated a bit.

"She seemed like a real monster."

"Bingo," Thought Markus to himself.

"Tell me. Why are you interested in her? Usually, you are not interested in anyone. Did just her strong aura interest you," August asked.

"Well no. I think her being powerful is an important aspect, but what really caught my attention was her eyes."

"Eyes?"

"Yes. Same kind of eyes I have. Eyes that want to see everything destroyed?" Markus said and smiled menacingly.