1. The Cost of Strategy
The heavy door of the fortified warehouse slammed shut behind Kevin, Even, and Elias. Inside, the dim light glinted off the stacks of converted gold and gems—the war chest. Even was still nursing a mild headache from Elias's concussive strike, his temper simmering beneath a thick layer of respect. He had been defeated, and he hated it.
"He fights like a phantom," Even grumbled, polishing the steel of his Hook with unnecessary force. "I couldn't land a single blow."
"He fights like a Master Tactician," Kevin corrected, setting up a makeshift map table. "Even, you fought a drunkard with discipline. Discipline is rarer than strength. His price is fair: a small war for his mind and loyalty. We pay it."
Elias was no longer the swaying drunkard of the bar. Now completely sober, he radiated a quiet intensity. He moved to the map table and, using chalk, began outlining the small coastal kingdom of Veridia—the target.
"The usurper is King Volkan," Elias stated, his voice stripped of all poetry, purely factual. "He killed his elder brother, my King, in his sleep and framed it as a political assassination by a rival state. He sits on a stolen throne, secure in his small military might and his distance from any major power."
"The plan?" Kevin asked, watching Elias's every movement.
"The death must be undeniable, but the attack must be surgical," Elias explained, drawing a line to a discreet side wall of Volkan's citadel. "We are here to send a message, not wage a siege. We need to be in and out before his guard can react. The main challenge is the information."
2. The Need for Transactional Loyalty
Elias's plan required precise details: guard rotas, hidden tunnels, supply entrances, and the exact location of King Volkan's private chambers. This kind of intel was impossible for outsiders to obtain.
"The intelligence must come from the inside," Kevin realized. "Veridia's capital is clean. They would spot a Gold Coast mercenary a mile away."
Elias nodded. "We need ghosts who can move in a King's court and report back without fail. They need to be untouchable by greed."
"There is only one type of loyalty that works on the Gold Coast, Sentinel," Kevin said, tapping the table. "Transactional loyalty. The type that holds a contract above life itself. I know two."
Kevin reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a small, rolled-up scroll of vellum, tied with a heavy silver cord.
"They are known only as The Twins: Lyra and Kael," Kevin explained. "They are the best intelligence gatherers and infiltrators alive. They are fast, silent, and entirely amoral. They will spy for anyone who pays, but their rule is absolute: once a contract is accepted, no amount of counter-offer can buy their silence or their betrayal until the contract is fulfilled."
Even raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So they are honest thieves."
"They are predictable thieves," Kevin countered. "And predictability, in a chaotic war, is worth more than gold."
3. Recruiting the Twins
Kevin used Silas, the nervous banker, to send a coded message. An hour later, two figures materialized silently in the warehouse, as if they had been there all along.
They were identical twins, a young man and woman, both slight of build, with eyes that seemed to constantly scan their surroundings. They wore simple, dark, and perfectly maintained leather clothing, blending into the shadows. Lyra and Kael were terrifyingly efficient and showed zero emotion.
"The Hook and the Edge," Lyra said, her voice smooth and neutral.
"The Sentinel," Kael added, acknowledging Elias.
Kevin placed the vellum scroll on the table. "We have a highly valued, time-sensitive contract. It requires deep infiltration into the Veridia Kingdom—locating King Volkan's secret movements, supply routes, and the weaknesses in the citadel's defense. The mission must be completed in seventy-two hours."
The Twins didn't ask about the risk or the moral implications. They only looked at the scroll.
"Show us the contract," Kael demanded.
Kevin unrolled the vellum. It was not a contract for gold coins. It was a single, long paragraph detailing every facet of their task, followed by a guarantee:
THE GUARANTEE: Upon the successful delivery of verifiable intelligence that leads to the elimination of the primary target, Lyra and Kael will receive not gold, but a deed securing them ownership of a private, fortified shipping route between the Gold Coast and the Northern Isle for a period of five years. This route is worth twenty million in future revenue. This guarantee is legally recorded in five separate banking houses and cannot be broken.
The Twins read the guarantee carefully. This wasn't a payout; it was a business empire secured for five years. It was an offer no amount of quick gold could beat.
"The value is acceptable," Lyra stated finally.
"The terms are clear," Kael confirmed. "The time is tight, but we accept the contract."
They signed the bottom of the vellum with a quick, practiced hand. The deed was done. They were now fully committed to Kevin's cause, not out of loyalty, but because of a piece of paper.
4. The Intelligence Briefing
With the Twins secured, the planning shifted into high gear. Elias was a ruthless teacher, demanding the same level of discipline from Kevin and Even that he demanded from himself.
"Veridia is a minor player, but Volkan is protected by a small, but loyal, elite guard," Elias explained, pointing to the map. "We will use the supply tunnels beneath the city. The assault must happen during the 'Hour of Silent Prayer,' when the guard changes are least alert."
Elias turned to the Twins. "Lyra, you will scout the primary tunnel entrance—the old sewage line beneath the Royal Armoury. Kael, you will infiltrate the kitchens and verify the King's dinner schedule and his precise bedchamber location. No mistakes. No fights."
"If we encounter resistance, do we engage?" Kael asked, his eyes sharp.
"Only if necessary to complete the intel," Elias answered, his gaze cold.
Even finally spoke, his mind catching up to the speed of the strategy. "So, we are walking into a palace, through the sewer, just to kill one man? Why not just start a riot at the gate and use the chaos?"
Elias looked at Even, his patience thin, but necessary. He answered him with a serious lesson, no poetry this time.
"Because chaos is Jaran's weapon, Hook," Elias instructed. "Surat is watching for a brute force attack. They expect fire and blood. We will give them silence and precision. We strike at Volkan to prove two things: first, that we are capable of surgical assassination, and second, that no King is safe from the Gold Coast. Our message must be tailored for the Surat Crown."
Kevin, watching the interaction, felt a surge of grim satisfaction. With Elias's mind and the Twins' precision, they finally had the foundation of a true war machine.
"The contract is set," Kevin concluded. "The target is clear. We attack Veridia in two days.