After the frightening display of power and skill, no one dared to disobey him again. Quickly, he had brought the entire dock under his control, as well as it's daily supply of food.
In other words, whoever went hungry, was now for him to decide, and whoever would be fed was also for him to decide. He got to choose who lived, and who died, and so in this small space alone, his word had become law.
'Why should I care. All these people can do is leech off others for help. Why the hell is he so keen on saving them?'
It wasn't this job anyway. All that mattered was what came next.
Shaking those thoughts out of his head, his eyes quickly fell upon one of the beaten down men. Ever so slightly, he was limping and breathing, until eventually his consciousness fully returned.
As he tried to drag himself back up with his entire body stinging with pain, the first thing he saw was his assailant, staring down upon him with those dull eyes filled with nothing but discontent.
"You."
The man jerked up, already stricken by fear.
He commanded him while pointing towards Azdin, and Lotte who silently observed nearby.
"Gather everything up, and bring it over there."
The man staggered to his feet, eyes flicking nervously to the scattered loaves. As he bent to pick one up however, a faint glimmer of greed flash across his face. It was quick, instinctive, but unmistakable.
Hugo noticed, and he didn't let it slide.
Stepping closer, his shadow fell over him. Despite them being around the same size, Hugo felt unfathomably tall.
"And if you try to pull anything."
He added coldy, giving him a mean glare.
"I will break your arms in two."
**
A few moments later, a mound of bread that stacked up high, sat right in front of the small group of three. Holding back his hunger, Azdins mouth watered as he looked towards Hugo.
"I didn't know you could fight like that?"
Even on the island, he had never seen Hugo fight even once.
"I told you, we were forced to fight eachother, everyone was able to things like this."
'And besides that, you were much better than me.'
Right then Lotte folded her arms, as her eyes flicked between the two of them.
"Azdin, what do you suggest we do now?"
This idea had been bothering him ever since he first saw this place, and now it was finally time that he could act on it.
"We will hand it all out."
**
A little while later, a narrow line of disheveled people stood before Hugo and Lotte, all holding the same desperate look in their eyes.
'Seriously, what is up with these people.'
The distribution of food was simple, not just anyone could take and go. To the people that had done nothing but salvage for themselves, or had already eaten, they received nothing. And to the people that had no choice but to starve all this time, we're finally fed.
Handing out a loaf to a frail looking young man, he watched as he greedily devoured it on the spot, before sticking his hands out for seconds. Just giving him a serious look, he got scared and ran off elsewhere.
'Seriously, the nerve of these people. You give them an inch, and then they'll try and take a mile.'
Moving on, the next person came up the line. Hugo handed them a loaf, and they swiped it without hesitation.
He was just about to scoff, but then he heard them whisper those unexpected words filled with such pure sincerity.
"Thank you."
It was something so simple, and yet, he felt a strange warmth.
When was the last time he'd ever heard someone say that to him? He couldn't quite remember.
'No.. I'm pretty sure... Someone did. Someone definitely did.. but who?'
He just knew that it was someone important.
After a long while, they'd finished handing it all out. As for the response of the people, there were mixed reactions. The ones who had been beaten and stolen from could only look at them with disdain before Hugo scared them away, while the others who seemed gloomy, weren't as miserable as before.
Resting next to Azdin slightly, was a small pile of loafs that Hugo had separated earlier. Although there wasn't a lot, the amount was a bit unnerving.
He asked,
"What are we keeping this share for here?"
Hugo followed his gaze, and then answered without hesitation.
"Once it's time to fight, you'll need to recover your essence quickly. Eating a lot will help with that."
Azdin blinked, momentarily caught off guard. He looked back at Hugo, then at the neatly separated bread.
'Wow, he really does think ahead for everything.'
Even if he took his chains off right this instant, he wouldn't be ready to fight. Without these chains absorbing his Soul Essence, he would be able to recover in time, but not nearly fast enough for what came next.
Nodding that thought off, he turned to Lotte
"Anyhow, What's next?"
It was time for them to resume with their plans for escape.
"Hugo. You'll visit our friend first. Tell them that we'll strike the next time food rounds are made. We will steal their key to unlock Azdins cuffs, and then free them immediately after."
Agreeing, he crouched on the floor before extending out his open palm, feeling the texture of the wood.
He had been slightly suspicious of it for a while now, but it was just as he thought.
'Cheap bastards.'
Just as much as land was rare in the twilight sea, even more so was wood. But ordinary wood wasn't up to the task of acting as the building material for ships that could withstand these seas. They needed to both be able to withstand the waves, but also the blows of stray nightmare creatures, and even the hungry noble creatures that it may encounter.
Which was why wood was often imported from other realms to this one at an especially high price, and in conjunction, the cost of ships was especially high too.
That was why when building a cheap ship like this, shortcuts were often made to create them en Mass.
"The shell, and most likely the supports of the ship are mystical. But the decking and flooring are all mundane."
Which meant that he could simply punch right through it with ease, and make it to the lower dock where the awakened was waiting for them.
Raising his fist just an inch above the floor, Hugo struck it with just a bit of his strength. The wood flexed and bent around his fist, unable to withstand the blunt of the blow before cracking and breaking open. Just like that, a small sized hole had been made.
He didn't stop there, as he repeated the motion again and again and again. Soon enough, a hole large enough to fit a human was opened.
Turning back to Azdin and Lotte, he relaxed,
"I'll be seeing you guys soon."
Looking back at him, Azdin lightly smiled. Unnerved, he flinched a little before jumping down into the dark hole.
"Now that he's gone, I guess it's time for us to work?"
Lotte turned towards the people.
"Look at them. The people here knew nothing but suffering and struggle, but now that Hugo and you have brought change, they're finally starting to see promise in their lives."
"But at this rate, it won't be long until the reality of their situation pushes them back down."
Although a spark of hope had ignited, it was not powerful enough yet to burn this whole place down.
There was still something that needed to be done.
"All you have to do, is give them purpose."
Realising what he had to do, Azdin steeled himself. Forcing himself on his two feet, he slowly rose as the chains around his neck and wrists clinked softly.