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Hector was stepping a bit closer now, Loren noticed. Using the nattering reapers as a distraction, perhaps? To do what, exactly?

Probably nothing, honestly. But Loren still intended to keep a close eye on this armored oddity. A fully armored medieval knight that had descended from the sky was the not the type of person you just stopped paying attention to.

‘Do you think your boss will be difficult to find on our own?’ said Garovel.

‘Oh, I don’t know. Tough to say.’

‘So he’s not the type to make a big splash and draw attention to himself then, huh?’

‘Well, he’s had his moments. I truly cannot predict him at all.’

‘Might it then be in our best interest to simply wait here with you until he shows up?’

Rezolo hesitated on that one.

Damn. Loren wanted to help, but he wasn’t sure how.

‘...It could be quite a while,’ said Rezolo. ‘Days, perhaps.’

‘He’ll leave you out here by yourselves for days?’ said Garovel. ‘And without any idea of why you’re watching over this ship?’

‘It is what it is,’ said Rezolo. ‘Our role is not to question why.’

Loren wondered if the other reaper was actually buying that. He had a feeling not.

‘Well,’ said Garovel, ‘alright, then. Sucks to be you, I guess. Can you at least tell us where the passengers of the ship were taken?’

That information, Loren saw no reason not to part with, and indeed, Rezolo arrived at the same conclusion.

‘Westrock Hospital and Medical Center in Gargrand,’ said Rezolo.

‘Gargrand, eh?’ said Garovel. ‘Pretty far from here.’

‘What hospitals remain all along the coast are already at capacity or over it,’ said Rezolo. ‘Better to take them to a big city further inland.’

‘Wise. Bit inconvenient for you, though? Carrying so many people all that way? Ship’s pretty big. How many were aboard?’

‘We didn’t stop to do a headcount.’

‘Fair enough, but I’d have to imagine that a ship that size would’ve had at least a couple thousand people on it. That’s quite a lot to move and take care of, even for someone very powerful. Impressive work, I must say.’

‘That’s our boss. Eccentric but impressive.’

‘Do you mind if we take a closer look at the ship?’

‘Ooh, I don’t know about that,’ said Rezolo. ‘On that point our orders are a little murkier.’

‘Sounds like wiggle room to me. We promise not to touch anything.’