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~~Valentine's Day Special - (page 4 of 8)~~

The Marauder was here?

Truth be told, there were very few Abolishers whom Loren harbored any kind of actual respect or admiration for. That was just the nature of things when working under so many violent lunatics. But Caster Egmond might have been an exception. Possibly. Loren had never actually met the guy, but there was one particular tale that had piqued Loren's interest.

It was a story from the Vaelish Civil War. He'd only heard about it secondhand from other Abolishers, but supposedly, the Marauder of Calthos had conducted himself differently from his peers during that conflict. When tasked with the annihilation of an entire city, Egmond had first gathered up all of the children therein, intending to have them join Abolish.

That alone was already enough to set him apart from his contemporaries, but when word came down from Vanderberk that they had no use for so many children, that they should simply be executed instead, Egmond had purportedly gone against orders and allowed the kids to escape.

At the time, Loren had never heard of anyone daring to go against Vanderberk's orders. That vile bastard always made sure that everyone did as he said, no matter how far out of his way he had to go. And he didn't take insubordination well.

The rest of the story was more well-known. Everybody heard about it when Vanderberk arrived at the city of Loya, looking to make an example of Caster Egmond. Whether that example was to humiliate him or to outright kill him, no one had been entirely sure, but either way, the resultant duel leveled the already-ruined city into dust.

And the Marauder barely came away with his life. If not for the sudden appearance of Jercash, Caster Egmond would have most certainly died. Or so the story went.