"The wound on my leg isn't serious, but I can't let it fester."
"I need to get to the hospital and find some antiseptics to clean it up."
Merlin had entered the sewers from the outskirts, while the hospital was located near the city center, slightly to the right.
The streets above were unsafe, so Merlin trudged on silently through the sewers.
Every so often, he poked his head out of a manhole to check his bearings.
It took quite a while. Around 8:00 PM, Merlin reached a sewer entrance near the city center.
He lifted the cover above his head and slowly peeked out at the surrounding streets.
The area was desolate. Pedestrians were scarce, and those who were out moved with hurried, panicked steps.
However, this area hadn't been blanketed by the artillery fire from the neighboring countries yet. Unlike the chaotic outskirts, it was relatively calm.
But the first signs of chaos were beginning to show.
"The calm before the storm..."
The phrase echoed in his mind, unbidden.
Merlin climbed out of the sewer and got his bearings. Just as he was about to head out, he paused, looking down at the filth covering his entire body.
"I should go home and wash up first!"
Thanks to his family's status as fallen nobility, even without a title in this generation, their house was still located in a quiet section of the city center.
Merlin, familiar with every shortcut, ran through the alleys toward his home.
"Laplace?"
As he passed the fence behind a large, sprawling building, a clear, gentle voice suddenly called out.
Merlin froze. After hesitating for two seconds, he looked over.
A nun wearing a black and white habit stood about ten meters behind the fence. Only her exquisite face and short, warm grapefruit-pink bangs were visible.
On the right side of her fair face was a patch of even paler white scarring.
She, too, had Amber Lead Syndrome.
Standing beside her were several boys and girls around ten years old. Merlin fell silent, looking at her before slowly speaking:
"Sister... Yol..."
Sister Yol's confused gaze lingered on Merlin. Seeing the boy covered in filth, almost unrecognizable, she hurried forward, her eyes full of concern.
"Are you alright? What happened? are you hurt anywhere? Come into the church quickly, I have medical supplies."
At that moment, the children ran up. One boy with a buzz cut pinched his nose, looking at Merlin with disgust and mockery.
"Laplace, did you fall into a cesspit?"
Merlin's gaze hardened. He lunged forward, grabbed the boy by the collar, and rubbed his arm all over the boy's face, smearing the filth onto him. He even hooked his fingers into the boy's mouth.
The boy screamed, tears springing to his eyes. "Laplace, you bastard! I'm telling my dad to beat you up!"
Merlin let go and shoved him away. The boy fell backward, landing on his butt, retching and crying loudly.
Between sobs, he kept cursing.
But Merlin had no time for him. He looked quietly at Yol.
"The church isn't safe. You can't trust any of the foreign soldiers out there.
"They're slaughtering everyone in Flevance at the outskirts. They think Amber Lead Syndrome is a contagious terminal illness. You have to run.
"If you stay in the church, you're dead."
Merlin took a deep breath, staring at her intently. Yol was stunned. She pursed her lips and forced a smile.
"Haha~ How could that be? I heard the evacuation ships are already prepared.
"They told us to wait here at the church. Kind soldiers will come later to take us to other countries to treat our illness."
Merlin stared at her unblinkingly. This woman, only six years older than him, had taken great care of him in the church.
Under Merlin's unwavering gaze, Yol's forced smile couldn't hold. She lowered her head, her face hidden in shadow, and asked in a low voice:
"Where did you get this information?"
Merlin's tone was calm. "I ran back from the sewers at the city outskirts. Soldiers were hunting people down there. I killed one of them.
"I learned from them that the country is completely quarantined. Anyone trying to escape will be killed.
"People in Flevance have started armed resistance, and the soldiers from neighboring countries have begun massacring everyone in the country.
"Men, women, children, the elderly—everyone.
"I know you're strong, Yol, but you can't beat men with guns."
As Merlin finished speaking, her body trembled slightly. Yol covered her mouth with her hand. A few seconds later, she looked up at Merlin, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Will you run with us? I'm super strong, I can protect you."
Silence.
Merlin lowered his eyes and spoke softly.
"There are too many people here. The target is too big. You can't protect everyone, Yol.
"The only chance of survival is to break up into small groups or play dead to cross the border."
Yol's eyes lit up, looking at Merlin expectantly. She reached out to pat Merlin's head out of habit, but Merlin took a step back, avoiding her hand. He said softly:
"I'm dirty. Yol, you must survive. No salvation is coming for this country. The unknown gods have abandoned this place. We can only save ourselves."
Yol's outstretched hand froze in mid-air. A bitter look flashed in her eyes, then she nodded heavily, a bright smile appearing on her face.
"Don't worry, Laplace. I'll definitely keep the children alive. We'll meet up at the port town of Casla in the Kingdom of Fulton beyond the border.
"I'll leave cross marks in some places. You must come find us."
Merlin backed away step by step, looking at her steadily. "I'm sorry, Yol. I'm too weak. I can't help you."
With that, he turned and ran quickly into the distance.
Yol clasped her hands in prayer against her chest, watching Merlin's retreating figure, murmuring:
"I won't blame you. You must survive, Laplace. Even if you're the only one..."
Until Merlin disappeared around a corner, Yol took a deep breath, her expression turning serious. She looked at the children behind her.
"Go get Girard and the others. I have something to say."
---
In a secluded neighborhood, an old courtyard house stood out among the surrounding buildings. It was a two-story structure in the center of the lot.
Merlin's rapid footsteps slowed to a halt. He caught his breath, took out his key, unlocked the steel gate, and walked in.
He locked the gate from the inside.
This was his home.
Crossing the small yard, Merlin went into the bathroom on the first floor. He stripped off his clothes and turned on the shower, letting the clear water cascade down.
He used soap to scrub the filth from his body vigorously. Cold water drenched him from head to toe. Merlin closed his eyes, his jaw muscles bunching as he squeezed out a whisper:
"I'm sorry... Yol..."
Merlin didn't have many friends in this city. In fact, hardly any.
Apart from Yol, only Dr. Trafalgar's family was somewhat familiar.
After all, he had frequently visited the hospital or their home since he was a child.
As for his colleagues at the newspaper, they were just familiar strangers.
As the dirt washed away, Merlin looked at a three-centimeter-long cut on the side of his left thigh. It wasn't deep, but blood was constantly oozing out.
Gritting his teeth, he used his fingers to scrub the dirt out of the wound.
A moment later, although a lingering smell remained, he was clean enough.
He put away the dagger and pocket watch, which he had washed as well.
After cleaning up, Merlin went to his room on the second floor. He took out a bottle of strong liquor to rinse the wound, then wrapped it tightly with medical bandages.
Gritting his teeth, he finished the simple treatment.
He took a sip of the liquor to dull the pain.
Merlin changed into a set of brownish-black casual clothes that allowed for easy movement and took a greyish-black backpack from the rack.
He pulled out the bottom drawer of his wardrobe completely, reached into a hidden compartment on the side, and took out ten gold bars and three million Berries.
This was his entire life savings. He stuffed it all into the hidden layer of the backpack.
He then packed a few changes of clothes.
Once packed, he put on a pair of deerskin boots. Merlin looked around his home with a calm expression.
Moments later, the sound of smashing liquor bottles echoed through the house. Amidst the rising flames, Merlin left his home.
Gripping his dagger, his eyes cold, Merlin could feel the heat wave from the fire behind him without looking back.
"My home is gone. I'll remember this grudge. As long as I don't die..."
Shortly after,
He disappeared into a dark alley.