The dawn of a new day quickly arrived, and with it, was their meal of tough stale bread that was simply too hard to swallow.
As per usual, countless torrents of people began to fight and clash, the faster ones being able to grab their share before retreating, and the small few stuck in a brawl for what was left. Just as expected, there were those who had simply given up, as well as those who grouped together to horde whatever they could.
Following his usual routine, Hugo quietly approached the center of the chaos, watching as everyone quickly ran back to the feeble corner that they had claimed just at the sight of him.
Looking around, he could see the nervousness in their eyes. Despite his best attempts to not stand out, the unwilling disclosure of their plan to escape had put their attention on him.
Seeing their pathetic gazes made him sigh, but rather than settling for his usual target, his eyes landed on a large brute of a man, hoarding onto nearly 10 pieces of bread.
It wasn't just him either, he was completely surrounded by a small group of men, each holding onto more bread then they really needed.
Seeing such greed, it filled him with disgust.
**
"So we're accepting her offer right!?"
Azdins eyes were practically shinning now. Whatever exhaustion he felt earlier was now completely forgotten.
"Then what are we waiting for!?? Let's go meet up with this person, and then kick some ass!!"
Lotte let out a soft hum, almost amused.
"Your friend here isn't as bright as he looks."
"Yeah, he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed."
"Hey!"
Ignoring him, Hugo's expression darkened as he focused on the real problem. Although they had made a great amount of progress, there were still a few problems left that would prove detrimental to their plans.
"Even if we get that Awakened on our side, there's still the problem of numbers. I don't know how you're planning on making it a little more fair, but they still out number us with all those mundane."
The gap between an awakened and a mundane was often likened to that between a pebble and a huge boulder. Despite that though, even a mighty bear was helpless against a pack of wolfs.
With enough numbers, they would be overwhelmed. If all 100 put their lives on the line, their victory would come at a devastating cost, assuming it came at all.
Lotte clasped her hands together thoughtfully.
"So in other words, we need atleast one hundred like minded individuals with a smoldering desire for freedom?"
She tilted her head.
"Hmm... I wonder where we'll find those."
The sarcasm didn't go over Hugo's head. Understanding struck almost immediately, although, he was not pleased at all by the solution.
"No. Absolutely not."
She wanted to use the countless other captives to spark an uprising, and use them as their own force of soldiers against the privateers.
The number of war empire captives present numbered at around 200, almost double the number of the mundane crew up above. But the numbers alone meant nothing as not all of them even knew how to fight. While some may have led more violent lives, most were but ordinary fishermen, tailors and regular people, all of various ages.
If you were to separate the actual capable ones away from the starved and dying...
There was barely even 50.
Worst of all, they weren't even armed.
They'd be forced to fight with just their bare hands, or with whatever random junk they could pick up on the way. Even if they all rallied up together to fight, there would be many.. many deaths.
Hugo gestured sharply towards the surrounding prisoners.
"Will they even listen? Just look at them, they're all hopeless."
Just then, a small spark in Azdins eyes flicked.
He muttered,
"The answer is hope.
Hugo turned towards him, startled by the certainty in his voice. It was the same certainty and clarity he spoke with, when he decided that he wanted to save these people.
"If all they need is hope, then we just need to give it to them."
Azdin leaned closer, lowering his voice as footsteps echoed faintly from above.
"Hugo, when that man comes down to bring us food, I need you to do something else for me."
After this decision, there would truly be no turning back.
**
A cold stillness hardened his face, and his empty green eyes stared ahead like lifeless glass, offering no hint of thought or feeling.
He asked, in a simple but ruthless voice.
"Put those down."
The man barked out a laugh, looking down on Hugo with humorous disdain.
He sneered, shifting his grip on the bread.
"I know you're new.. but don't you think your getting a bit too arrogant?"
Still, Hugo didn't budge.
"I won't give you another warning."
The smile slipped from the man's face as Hugo took another step closer.
"Put. Those. Down."
Something flicked in his eyes, hesitation maybe, but pride won in the end. He let the loaves slip from his arms, bread thudding against the floor.
The moment Hugo lowered himself to retrieve them, the mans body twisted sharply, with a massive fist swinging upwards in a brutal arc.
Before he even threw the punch, Hugo had already moved, no with a look of pure annoyance.
'I won't bother hiding my strength anymore.'
He sidestepped effortlessly, the punch cutting through the empty air. Before the man could even register the miss, Hugo struck him once in the side, clean and precise.
The impact was dull and final, as the giant collapsed like a felled tree, his body slamming into the floor as the room fell deathly silent.
Straightening himself slowly, his gaze swept across the crowd, men and women alike frozen mid motion, hands clutching their food and eyes wide with all kinds of emotions.
While some felt fear, others had felt something else..
They felt hope.
Hugo announced,
"All of you, drop everything your holding."
They listened.
Bread slipped from trembling hands, clattering softly against the floor. A few captives stepped back, eyes fixed on Hugo with a mixture of awe and fear.
But not everyone was a white sheep, others still remained disobedient.
A handful clutched onto their food even tighter, with some even growing desperate enough to start devouring it on the spot, and others taking a step back as if preparing to run, while most stayed to fight.
Hugo didn't argue.
In an instant he was among them, faster than anyone expected. A sharp strike to the first man's throat dropped him gasping to his knees. Hugo pivoted, elbow slamming into another's jaw with a sickening crack, sending him sprawling. A third barely had time to raise his arm before he drove a fist right into his stomach, folding him over before finishing it with a clean blow to the back of his head.
Seeing the frightening display, all the foolish ones who thought of fighting back, quickly turned to run.
That didn't help them though.
Hugo wasted no effort, and moved swiftly with zero hesitation.
Bodies hit the ground one after another, the sound echoing through the hold. The remaining captives froze, horror washing over their faces as they realized the truth.
This wasn't a bluf, but it wasn't anger either.
Once more, Hugo straightened, breathing steady with his knuckles clenched. The cold stillness never left his face, his green eyes scanning the room like a predator assessing prey.
Except only silence followed.
This time, every remaining loaf was dropped.
No one resisted again.
And with it, a quiet hope began to sprout in the remaining people's hearts.