The gangway creaked as Captain Sharlok stepped down with firm strides, Commander Surez following close behind.

On the pier, a patrol from Hellington stood in formation, their faces drawn tight as bowstrings.

The local selected officer stepped forward, hand to chest in formal salute.

“Captain Sharlok! Welcome to Hellington, sir. We are at your complete disposal.”

Sharlok regarded him without expression, eyes cold as polished steel.

“How did you know I would be arriving?”

The man swallowed, struggling to maintain attention.

“Sir, some patrols stopped your men for inspection. They informed us of the… training mission you are conducting in the city.

Our base had not been notified. We therefore deemed it appropriate to wait here in order to understand the nature of the operation and coordinate any possible reinforcements.”

Sharlok stepped forward, closing the distance like a blade nearing flesh.

A shiver ran down the soldier’s spine, but he did not move.

“A secret… training mission.”

Sharlok’s voice was low and razor-sharp.

“And by secret, I mean it must not exist for anyone outside of me and my men. I do not want interference from your unit, nor do I want the base informed of anything. Is that clear?”

The guard hesitated.

“Sir… the central base expects to be updated on every operation within its territory. Should we not at least—”

Sharlok cut him off with a burst of anger that echoed across the pier like cannon fire.

“Listen carefully! If I decide to conduct training in this city or anywhere else in the Empire, I do not require permission from anyone. I am a Captain of the Empire. My duty is to forge elite soldiers. The only arrangement you need to understand is this: you obey, and I command.”

Silence fell heavy.

The soldiers held their breath; their comrade’s face went pale.

Sharlok leaned in, his face inches away, and spoke in a glacial whisper.

“Now… have you finished wasting my time with your questions?”

“Y-yes, sir! My apologies for the insistence. We will not interfere further.”

The soldier bowed and retreated almost at a run.

Sharlok turned his gaze toward the city: industrial towers belching smoke, streets alive with restless machinery and human movement.

There was no hesitation in his eyes.

Under his breath, he murmured,

“Sky, Shark… the den you have chosen will become your tomb.”

Surez stepped forward, voice measured.

“Captain, how do we proceed? Aside from the two fugitives, we have no trace of the one responsible for the castle attack.”

Sharlok exhaled softly, assembling the pieces in his mind like a general over a chessboard.

“First: prepare a written plan. An official training program in Hellington that includes a simulated search for deserter recruits. If the high captain questions our presence, I will present this document and everything will appear legitimate.”

Surez nodded, already envisioning the paperwork, though concern flickered in his eyes.

“I understand. Even if we attempt to bury the pirate attack, word may spread. And there is the damage to the castle—towers and walls compromised. If the Empire sends a supervisor…”

Sharlok cut him off sharply.

“I am well aware. That is precisely why the plan is simple: we capture those two idiots and force the third to reveal himself. Once they are secured, we will draft the official report—only when the job is finished and the risk of exposure is eliminated.”

His tone allowed no rebuttal. It sounded like a sentence already passed.

Surez studied him briefly.

“As you wish, Captain. I will draft the plan and coordinate the reconnaissance teams. If they move, we will find them.”

Sharlok stopped him with a final glance, sharp as steel.

“One more thing, Commander. No one acts on their own. No personal initiatives.”

He stepped closer, voice low but heavy with authority.

“If anyone spots Sky or Shark… I want to know first. Before any report. Before any engagement.”

“Those two brats may look like inexperienced recruits… but at Castel Rock they have already proven how determined they are. Do not underestimate them.”

Surez nodded without hesitation.

“Understood, Captain. Every report will pass through you first.”

They exchanged a curt nod and parted.

Surez returned toward the ships, already buried in procedures and reports.

Sharlok remained motionless on the pier as the sun began to sink behind Grey Wall’s industrial towers.

Orange light slid across steel and dark water, tinting everything with an unnatural hush.

Since setting foot in Hellington, one sensation had refused to leave him.

It was not fear.

It was the certainty of being watched.

His eyes lifted slightly toward distant rooftops, as if searching for an invisible presence among the shadows.

“Someone is pulling the strings in the dark… and you are nothing but pawns.”

A fleeting memory crossed his mind: the attack on Castel Rock, too precise, too calculated to be the work of simple recruits.

Someone had guided them.

Or perhaps protected them.

His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

“Whoever you are…” he whispered to an unseen enemy, “this city is not large enough to hide you from me.”

Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the industrial streets as the last light of day faded.

The hunt had just begun.

—

Next Episode — Pawns