Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 162: Refugees 2

TL: Etude

“Take off your clothes and stand still!” Doctor Wade ordered Sam as he walked into the tent.

“What… What?” Sam stuttered in confusion.

“I said take off your clothes,” Doctor Wade reiterated.

Upon receiving confirmation from the doctor, Sam’s eyes widened. His dirty face flushed red with embarrassment. The man in front of him, dressed so decently, appeared kind, but why did his words sound so sinister?

Could it be… he harbored ill intentions towards me? But we’re both grown men!josei

Observing Sam’s expression, Doctor Wade explained with a pleasant demeanor, “Don’t worry, I’m a doctor. I’m just going to give you a physical examination.”

“Really? Well then… thank you, Doctor.”

Although Sam’s embarrassment didn’t fade, he obediently began to undress. The tent was warm, heated by a blazing fire basin, so there was no worry about catching cold.

Why does he need to examine me? Sam wondered with concern. “Doctor, if you find any illness, will I be sent away?”

“Don’t worry! If it’s a minor issue, we won’t bother with it. We’ll only take quarantine measures if we detect any contagious diseases.”

“Quarantine?” Sam asked fearfully. “Does that mean I’ll be locked up?”

Doctor Wade, while examining every part of Sam’s body, answered, “It’s something like that, but it’s certainly not like being treated as a prisoner. We’ll provide medical treatment, and once you’re cured, we’ll arrange your work and living situation. So don’t overthink it.”

“Oh, thank you, Doctor.”

Sam’s anxiety eased, and he gratefully thanked the doctor.

Doctor Wade guessed that these refugees probably didn’t have any serious problems. After all, having trekked from the south to the northwest bay, anyone with serious health issues would have succumbed along the way.

“All done!” Doctor Wade patted Sam’s shoulder after the examination. “You’re in good health, young man. I wish you a good life in the northwest bay.”

Sam bowed repeatedly in gratitude. “Thank you, Doctor! Thank you, Doctor!”

Finally, he had a place to settle. His life of constant upheaval was coming to an end.

“Go to the porridge tent outside and get something to eat!”

Food? The mention of it energized Sam. He had been smelling the delicious aroma and his stomach had been growling, eager for a meal.

He quickly picked up his clothes from the ground, eager to dress and get his food.

However, another person in the tent, wrapped up just like the doctor, beat him to it, picking up the clothes first.

“My clothes, sir?”

“Oh? I almost forgot.”

The gloved person immediately took a bundle from a nearby bag and tossed it to Sam.

“Wear this for now.”

Upon opening the bundle, Sam found a set of cotton clothes, both a top and bottom. The sewing wasn’t particularly meticulous, but it was sturdy.

So, the gentleman didn’t like my shabby appearance, fearing it might tarnish the city’s image. Indeed, my old clothes could hardly be called clothes anymore; calling them rags would be more apt.

“Heh, the gentlemen are so thoughtful, even providing a set of clothes.”

Sam chuckled sheepishly and quickly dressed in the new clothes.

To be honest, the clothes didn’t fit perfectly, but they were warmer and more comfortable than Sam’s own.

The refugees, coming from the south, were unfamiliar with the northern climate. Now, at the transition between autumn and winter, they had been bitterly cold throughout their journey.

Sam reached out to the gloved person, intending to retrieve his original clothes. After all, they were part of the few possessions he had.

However, the person didn’t seem inclined to return them, explaining to Sam, “Your clothes will be washed and boiled in hot water before being returned to you.”

Boiled in hot water? Why? Sam wondered in confusion.

“It’s because they have… never mind, it’s complicated to explain! Anyway, we’ll return them to you eventually. Your name?”

“Sam, sir, my name is Sam.”

“Alright, I’ve noted it. Now, go and get your food. Don’t delay the others.”

“Yes, yes, I’m going.”

Sam, still puzzled and reluctant to part with his old clothes, feared they might simply be thrown away. He would be heartbroken.

But then, new beginnings often require letting go of the old. And didn’t he just receive a new set of clothes?

Soup! Bread! Here I come!

With his mind full of thoughts about food, Sam rushed out of the tent.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! Look at this, Doctor Wade,” the sanitary worker complained while handling Sam’s old clothes. “I really want to burn this pile of rags. It’s full of bedbugs, lice, fleas, you name it. See these white spots? Those are all eggs.”

Doctor Wade shrugged helplessly, “Don’t mock the outsiders. The hygiene situation among our own people isn’t much better.”

The worker’s eyes shone with hope, “I eagerly await the ‘New Life Movement’ Lord Grayman spoke of. Ever since I learned about microbiology at Weiss Academy and became a sanitary worker, I’ve been in a state of constant anxiety.”

“Be patient, be patient,” the doctor comforted. “We’ve survived like this for centuries, haven’t we? Besides, changing someone’s hygiene habits and perceptions isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes time.”

…

Not everyone was as accepting as Sam, like in Susan’s tent…

“You won’t take my clothes! It’s all I have left!”

A female refugee clung desperately to her old clothes, refusing to let anyone touch them.

Susan tried to reassure her, “We’ll return your clothes after washing them. Please, don’t worry.”

“No! I don’t want to part with them for a moment. They’re the only thing left from my parents… wuwuwu…”

The woman collapsed to the ground, crying uncontrollably, perhaps recalling painful memories.

Susan was at a loss.

“Militia!” The sanitary worker beside her shouted outside the tent.

Two men rushed in. After a brief explanation, they snatched the woman’s old clothes and dragged her out of the tent, despite her cries and protests.

Susan asked the female sanitary worker in shock, “Is… is this really okay?”

The worker looked at her indifferently, “There’s nothing wrong with it, Doctor Susan. The lord’s sheltering of these refugees is already a great kindness. If they still refuse to cooperate, they’re being ungrateful.”

Susan couldn’t find the words to argue. She always felt immense sympathy for the unfortunate, be it the refugees or the girl in front of her.

During her training at Weiss Academy, she learned about a special group of women in her class, who had lived unspeakable lives imprisoned by pirates for years, some even since childhood.

They were rescued by Alda’s navy and were arranged by the lord to study nursing at Weiss Academy, with the goal of becoming ‘sanitary workers’ or ‘nurses.’ As Miss Dias said, these two new professions proposed by the Count were related to saving lives and helping the injured.

This was like giving them a second chance at life, and because of this, they had a blind, almost superstitious worship for the lord.

And this girl was one of them.

Susan sighed internally. “Ah, they’re all such pitiful people.”

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