"Hurry! If you dawdle, the bombardment will start!"
"It's no use. This disease is incurable anyway. There's no point in running."
"Waaaaah!! Daddy! Mommy! Where are you!?"
I dispatched two squads to search the royal palace and one squad to secure the gold-laden carriages. As I stepped into the streets with the remaining men, the scene was harrowing.
People were scrambling with whatever luggage they could carry, while others sat slumped against walls with hollow, defeated eyes. Children stood crying, having lost their parents in the surge.
Gunshots echoed faintly from the distance, and though still far off, plumes of black smoke choked the horizon.
Some citizens had armed themselves, shouting, "If I'm going to die, I'm taking as many of them with me as I can!" or "How ironic! We've got mountains of lead bullets to give 'em!" They were hysterical, charging toward the borders.
Every person—adult and child alike—bore the telltale white patches on their skin and hair. Every one of them was being eaten alive by Amber Lead.
I considered stopping those rushing to their deaths, but I decided against it. If they were determined to die, I would let them.
It might seem cold, but with limited space on the ships, I had to prioritize those who actually wanted to survive.
I grabbed a man nearby who was frantically clutching a bundle of belongings.
"You! Where is the largest hospital in this area?!"
"Th-The Trafalgar Memorial Hospital! It's in the center of town! That's the biggest one!"
Following his directions, I headed for the heart of the city. There, I found Captain Ryudo and the leader of my "recruited" pirate doctors, a man known simply as Dokutol.
"Captain Ryudo! Dokutol!"
The two looked up from their discussion as I approached.
"Rear Admiral Krieg! Good to see you, sir. Is the royal matter settled?" Ryudo asked.
"Yeah, and it's a mess. The King left a parting 'gift' that's going to turn this place into a war zone if we don't move fast."
"What happened...?"
"The King sold out the country. The hyenas from the neighboring nations are going to swarm in with guns any second to fight over the land and loot. Dokutol! What's the verdict on Amber Lead Syndrome!?"
"Heh, it's just like you suspected, boss. It ain't no plague. It's chronic lead poisoning from accumulating mineral toxins over generations."
Dokutol, whom I'd tasked with verifying the nature of the disease, confirmed my knowledge of the original timeline.
"Is there a cure?" Captain Ryudo asked urgently.
"The fastest way would be to flush the toxin out of the body," Dokutol grunted, "but we don't have the means for that right now.
There's no effective treatment on hand... I talked to the local docs; the white spots spread with intense pain until the patient dies.
Trying to slowly leach out the poison over years is damn near impossible in this state."
As I thought—no immediate cure. As the three of us stood there, heads in our hands, a voice called out.
"Excuse me! You're with the Navy, aren't you? Please, can you save the children!?"
It was a nun. Part of her face was already marred by white patches.
"Please! I beg of you! Even if it's just the children, can you get them to safety!?"
She was desperate, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Forgive me, but who are you?" Ryudo asked gently.
"S-Sorry, I teach the children at the church over there. A few weeks ago, these symptoms appeared on everyone... we were doing our best to cope, but then we heard the neighboring countries were invading! I couldn't just sit there!!"
"Calm down, Sister. How many children are we talking about?"
"I'd have to gather them to be sure, but fewer than fifty. Some might want to stay with their families, but..."
"Captain Ryudo, have several of the large carriages from the palace sent over here," I commanded. "Sister, we plan to leave this island by the end of the day. We'll provide the transport. Go and gather the children."
"Thank you!! I'll go call them right now!!"
As she ran off, I turned back to the hospital. I needed to speak with the doctors here.
"I'm going to talk to the medical staff. Captain, handle the evacuation prep. Medical team, stay with the Captain and assist the patients. Dokutol, you're with me."
After asking around, I was finally granted a meeting with the man in charge.
"Hello, Officer. I am Trafalgar Luke, the director of this hospital. And this is my wife, Lemo. She serves as my assistant."
The director was a weary-looking man. Both he and his wife had the white patches, and the dark circles under their eyes told of sleepless nights spent fighting a losing battle.
"I am Rear Admiral Krieg of the Navy Headquarters. This isn't my official mission, but I couldn't ignore the plight of the citizens. We're here to support your evacuation."
"Thank you," Luke said with a faint glimmer of hope. "If the Government would just announce to the neighboring countries that this is poisoning and not a plague, the fighting would stop.
And if they send doctors and blood samples for research, it might take time, but we will find a way to remove the Amber Lead."
...He still believed in the World Government.
"Dr. Trafalgar," I said, my voice heavy. "The fighting won't stop. Your King sold this country to the neighbors. And the Government? They made a fortune off Amber Lead.
They're terrified that admitting the truth would ruin the market for Amber Lead products worldwide. They will never announce that this isn't a plague. To the world, you are already a walking contagion."
I leaned in closer. "You said you lack doctors and blood? I brought a medical team, but they're just a drop in the bucket. If you stay here, you're just waiting for a bullet or the poison to finish you. It's a dead end!!"
Luke looked down, his fists trembling with frustration.
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