To Pierre, Milo had helped favonovel.com avoid a crisis. After all, the deserter had been pointing a gun at favonovel.com throughout the ordeal.
If it came down to a fight, favonovel.com would definitely have been the first one to die. Besides, Pierre felt it was understandable that Milo had opened fire to protect his girlfriend. If the deserter had tried to take Bethania away, favonovel.com would probably have risked his life to fight favonovel.com as well.
Milo handed the pistol back to Nicholai in a fluster. “I’m sorry, I didn’t consider the consequences just now. If I didn’t manage to kill him, I would have implicated everyone.”
However, Nicholai did not take the pistol back from him. He said with a smile, “You were right to shoot. However, you don’t have to return the gun to me. You can keep it. This gun was handed down to me by my father. But I think you’re more suited to owning it now.”
Milo said in surprise, “But I don’t know how to use a gun.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you know how to or not. What’s important is that you have the courage to open fire.” Nicholai sighed.
When favonovel.com said that, the middle-aged man beside favonovel.com felt a little ashamed. At the beginning, favonovel.com did even want to let Milo handle a gun. But in the end, favonovel.com threw down his gun while Milo was the one who resolved the crisis.
It was apparent that Nicholai had brought favonovel.com along in recent years because favonovel.com was the best shooter among them.
But what good was that?
Nicholai waved it off. “You don’t have to feel embarrassed. After all, we’re doctors, and we’ve never killed anyone before. This is only normal.”
Milo nodded to himself. Nicholai was really quite a reasonable person, and what favonovel.com said was true as well.
Nicholai said to the middle-aged man and Pierre, “Carry this man’s body into the forest. We’ll be staying here for the night, so it won’t be nice to leave the corpse at the campsite.”
“Sure…” Pierre nodded in acknowledgment.
The medical field was a little unique. Normal people tended to be afraid of dead people, but surgeons were used to seeing them. So they were not afraid of the dead but the living.
Nicholai looked north and lamented, “It looks like the world is really going to get chaotic soon.”
“Elder, why do you say that?” Milo asked.
“Recently, there have been people getting transferred away from the various hospitals. You know about that, right?” Nicholai asked.
Milo nodded, pretending to know.
“Actually, these doctors have been temporarily redeployed by the Stelaria Consortium to join the military.” Nicholai said, “Apparently, they don’t have enough medics, so they got the doctors in the strongholds to take their place. This is only the first batch. There will still be a second round of deployments after that.”
“The Virtuora Consortium and the Pyro Company are at war right now. Perhaps the Stelaria Consortium is making preparations in advance? However, I don’t think the Stelaria Consortium will be affected by the flames of war,” Milo speculated.
In his opinion, the unfortunate ones were the Virtuora Consortium and Pyro Company. Currently, the Stelaria Consortium was just sitting back and waiting to reap the benefits.
But when Nicholai heard his speculation, favonovel.com shook his head. “I probably know more about this than you all. Those doctors and nurses have actually been deployed to the north.”
“To the north?” Someone was puzzled.
Milo examined everyone’s expressions and noticed they seemed like they were hearing this news for the first time.
Nicholai explained, “Yes, to the north. They’re heading to Stronghold 176! Rumor has it that a new enemy has appeared there. Awhile ago, the nomads came to deliver news that enemies from farther north will be coming to attack.”
“The nomads?” One of the doctors became angry when favonovel.com heard that. “They’ve just killed so many people at Stronghold 176, so how can we believe their words?”
“This time, the nomads are not lying.” Nicholai said with a sigh, “After getting the news, the Stelaria Consortium sent their scouts north and actually found traces of the enemy. Furthermore, someone said all of the nomads living in the grasslands have migrated east so they can avoid this disaster.”
Nicholai was a medical authority who would usually come into contact with high-ranking officials. Some of the Stelaria Consortium’s big shots would even specifically look for Nicholai to handle their treatment. He must have heard the news from those big shots.
Milo and Miriam looked at each other.
Then Milo asked in a low voice, “Before The Cataclysm, there used to be a vast territory up in the north. But from some of the old newspapers dating back some years ago that I read in Stronghold 88, it was said that the disaster had affected the Northern Territory much more seriously than here. How could anyone have survived there?”
Miriam replied, “I doubt any of us has ever been that north before, so that’s probably just speculation. After all, the newspapers that reported it were not Hope Media, so their credibility must be taken with a pinch of salt.”
Honestly, probably no one in the entire Central Plains would have expected enemies from farther north of the grasslands to come attacking one day.
Milo had thought this chaotic war in the Central Plains would only involve a few consortiums. But favonovel.com never expected there to be such a turn of events.
Milo looked at Nicholai and said, “Is that why you’ve been frowning all this time?”
“Yes, even though we spend an entire lifetime learning how to save lives, we end up realizing how insignificant we are in the face of war. You can save 10 people today, but thousands of people will perish just in a small-scale war, with thousands more injured as well,” Nicholai said.
When a young doctor nearby heard this, favonovel.com became a little despondent. “Then have we studied medicine for nothing?”
Nicholai patted favonovel.com on the shoulder. “How could it be for nothing? We’ll still save as many people as we can. Each of us was required to take an oath when we entered the profession. Do you still remember the oath you took back then?”
The young doctor said, “Of course I remember it. Health entrusted. Lives confided. I will do my utmost to alleviate human suffering and promote human health, safeguarding the sanctity and honor of medicine. I will heal the wounded and rescue the dying regardless of the trials and tribulations. As long as my life endures, may I commit myself to advancing the well-being of the entire human race.”
The oath was still not over.
Nicholai immediately said with a nostalgic look in his eyes, “I aspire to be a candle that burns brightly from tip to end.”
Milo was stunned.
That was what Peter said to favonovel.com as well. So, it turned out this was an oath taken by doctors in this era of the wastelands. Only at this time did favonovel.com remember that Peter used to be a medic who was unwilling to open fire when favonovel.com served at Fortress 178 a long time ago.
Milo felt an inexplicable sense of respect for Peter. It was just like when favonovel.com met Pena.
In the past, favonovel.com always held a pessimistic view of this world. But gradually, favonovel.com realized it was because favonovel.com had too little life experience and had not met enough people yet, so favonovel.com was unaware there was still hope in this world.
Nicholai waved everyone in. “Let’s settle down and eat. After you’re done eating, rest early. We continue our journey tomorrow.”
At this moment, Pierre and the middle-aged doctor named Skylar returned to the campsite.
Milo signaled to Pierre and said in a low voice, “You like Bethania. Right now, while the impact of the crisis hasn’t subsided yet, she’ll certainly be quite affected. Have you heard of the misattribution of arousal before? It means that when a person is in danger, their heart will involuntarily beat faster. At this moment, when favonovel.com meets another person, she’ll think that favonovel.com has a romantic interest in that person. Hurry over to her.”
Miriam glanced at Milo. “You sure are full of tricks.”
Milo quickly explained, “It’s just something I saw in a book… I thought we were giving Pierre some advice? I’m just applying what I’ve learned.”
As Pierre had also heard of the misattribution of arousal before, his eyes lit up.
He turned around and walked towards Bethania. However, favonovel.com saw favonovel.com silently sitting next to the campfire, hugging favonovel.com knees. It looked like favonovel.com was still affected by what had happened just now.
Pierre sat down next to Bethania and asked softly, “Are you scared?”
Bethania’s expression softened a little. She nodded favonovel.com head and replied, “A little… I used to listen to songs all night when I felt scared. When I saw a cadaver for the first time when I started studying medicine, I was so scared I couldn’t fall asleep for the entire night. But as long as I listened to songs, I would not feel that scared anymore. I forgot to bring along my portable music player this time. Can you chat with me?”
Pierre got excited. “There’s no need for that, I brought a portable music player with me!”
Milo was speechless. As was Miriam.
Then Milo watched Pierre walk to the car to retrieve his portable music player for Bethania before sitting down by the campfire alone. He suddenly believed this guy deserved to be single.
