Gabrio found himself walking with a stinging head. Under the cool filtered sun of the Icean Spine. He looked blankly at the scenery before lugging his doctor’s bag to the place Robert told him to.

“I’m rather popular huh.”

Robert smirked, “Well, Doctor, you are one of the few who are willing to treat these natives. Besides, these are the few people who are willing to become part of the fleet.”

“Lord Seke’s people?”

Robert nodded. He followed Robert through the stone-paved road of this native city. The aesthetic of the city was rather strange. Although the city was made of stone, there was a yellow color to the buildings.

There are stone objects that are sticking out that are shaped like triangles. There was no person in the alleyways. He did however encounter Fleet Members who were eyeing the area with hardened gazes. They carried the single-shot rifles that had become a common carry of the Fleet Members now.

Gabrio himself carried the single-shot rifle on his back. He was also strapped with the single-shot pistol that was on his waist. Honestly, he would love to have what the Inquisitor was carrying, but those iron pistols were only meant for them.

He even has a bandolier around his waist filled with paper cartridges. He was physically fit fortunately and had the ability to carry the rounds. And ever since that horrifying time. Gabrio was sure that he needed to keep himself healthy.

Robert who escorted him had become his trusted subordinate lately. With Wiles and Millie out of the question. Robert, who would come and learn how to treat wounds, had become an important member of the clinic.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the inner city district where the ruling families were. Gabrio freely entered the inner districts and saw how many ruling families were still around. They gave the soldiers a stinky eye but only when they were not looking.

They entered a manor to the eastern side of the district. Entering this manor he saw that there were officers of the other Galleons. From the insignia they were wearing, he was sure that they were from the Grand-Galleon of Razbunare and Scut.

Seeing Gabrio and Robert arrive. The Officers turned towards them and gave a heart salute. Gabrio continued into this residence and was surprised that it was filled with people from the fleet.

“Why?”

“Cuz it’s one of the families who helped us retake the cities.”

Gabrio said nothing more. He even made sure that the word ‘traitors’ didn’t come out of his lips. After all, once he went inside this residence, he spotted the paintings of Aon Nobles. Even the old insignia of the dynasty was placed in the middle. Godric's Legion standar which meant that this was one of those blue-blooded nobles.

“Singers,” Gabrio thought.

The Artes was spread among the blood.

Those who decided to keep it in the family usually have deformities but after a thousand years of cultivation, there was a result that made him only lose their minds. It was said that they keep on hearing voices that could not be seen. It was said that those who didn’t have such powers of sight or have weakened eyes were driven mad because of the sprites around them.

The voices had made them mad. But those who knew better would teach them that they are the creatures that they sing for. There are those who are capable of manipulating the spirits to create a desired effect.

Gabrio thought that hopefully the blue-blooded people would be kinder. They went up the stairs and into this place where the patient was. The room was certainly luxurious. What surprised him was the long-skirted maids with a black and white outfit standing next to the patient who seemed to be what he’d expect to see in Aon.

“How nostalgic,” Gabrio thought. He carefully walked to the patient while asking permission from the old master who was looking down at his son.

The ball of light on his shoulder communicated the intention of the old master. There was some haughtiness in the old master’s tone. Robert, who understood it, snorted, but kept his rifle in his hands. The glare of the man could make someone squeal.

Gabrio was not interested in the old pride of the blue-blooded master. He took out his leather gloves, pulled on it, and then took out his magnifying monocle to inspect the wounds that the young man had. Three prolonged gashes from the clavicle to the waist. The wounds were two inches long and the worst part of it was the swelling and the pus.

“No wonder that even Elven-kin couldn’t treat this.”

How awful, Gabrio thought. It looks like this should have been caused by a pitchfork. The young master is rather toned and the callouses in his hands had that distinct shape. Gabrio eyed the rapiers that were displayed on the side. There were also old dueling pistols and from the looks of the smell of the gunpowder on the desk table. It seems like this young master had been trying to keep the refugees down.

Gabrio took his scalpel and tapped his left index finger on the tip of the scalpel. Gabrio started by carefully removing the bandage applied to the young master. He neatly cut the bandage and plucked it with his surgical forceps. The others already had kept their distance, but awfully, Gabrio was reciting an old mantra in his head.

“Boy, remember that you must have a quiet eye while dealing with wounds!” his teacher scolded. “Before you perform an action, focus your gaze on the salient aspects of your action!”

So with that in mind he placed his gaze on the malignant tissue. He held the wounds with his forceps while cutting the tissue with his lancet. He picked up the pus-infected tissue and placed it on the tin plate he carried that had a strong smell of alcohol on it.

He looked at the older master. “I shall be applying a salient solution.”

“Salient?”

“Salt water. I plan to rinse his wounds. Look at the wounds, master. It’s infected and we still have no appropriate medicine for this.”

The old master showed his dispassionate tone. He certainly cursed Gabrio for his inadequate knowledge, but since no one was willing to cure his wound and most of the healers were already taken. He had to rely on a foreign doctor.

“Go ahead,” said the older master.

Gabrio nodded dutifully. He turned his eyes back to the patient and whispered in a voice that the young master could hear. The young master, though seemingly asleep, nodded weekly. He rolled a small cloth and let the young master bite it.

He started cleaning the young master’s wounds diligently. But salt on wounds truly were painful that the young master teared up. After cleaning the wounds, he started draining the abscess on the wounds of this young master. The process of the surgery was careful, precise, and slow.

Gabrio made sure that one of the maids would wipe the sweat of the young master. The body of the young master was off-limits while he thoroughly cleaned the wounds. Redid the suture done to the young master. He held the needle holder while making sure that there was no imperfection on the suture.

Gabrio was somewhat anxious. When he was doing suture like this he would always remember his teacher holding a whip. Once he messed up his suture, Teacher would whip him on the back to show his mistake.

It was the most effective training lesson.

Lessons that Gabrio was so afraid of that the only choice was to become good at suture. Once he was done with the suture, he hovered his hands and started applying saline-soaked dressing before wrapping his bandage around the young master’s wounds.

Robert eyed the cloth they wasted cleaning the wounds of the young master. He placed it in this wooden bucket they provided and instructed the maid to dispose of it properly. Robert instructed the maid further on how to dispose of it and bid the maid farewell.

The wounds of the young master were rather serious. Gabrio guessed the reason. The man was a blue-blooded noble and the sprites gathering around the room looking at the man told him everything.

To make sure that he wasn’t feeling pain. Gabri plucked out his needle and injected a dose of the opium that would help the young master sleep. Once he was done, he told the maid to clean the area and wipe the area around the young master with water with rock salt in it. The older master saw the relief on his boy’s face and instructed the servants to do the same.

The older master crossed his arms and asked, “It seems that the foreign patriot is caring for my boy!”

“I am a healer,” Gabrio said. “That’s what I do and since the young master is not a monster so how could I refuse treatment?”

“A healer that truly heals,” the older master approved. “I am called Paul Greyhawk. I must know your name.”

“Gabrio from Fort Rava.”

“Ah, my ancestors had been told of said place,” there was a trace of wariness in the old man’s eyes before it vanished. “Nonetheless, Rudolf and I shall be part of the fleet’s quest to save thy world!”

There was no hesitation in the man’s voice. Gabrio nodded dutifully once more and gathered his attention back to the young master who he now knows as Rudolf. Although he could leave now, the chances that this young master and old master were going to be part of the Fleet made it clear that he needed them to leave. Even the Captain told him that he needed to do this.

Gabrio didn’t dare to ask but from the looks of it there was also some dealings happening in the background. It was a rather heinous tradition in Aon where these ruling families send their best surgeons to ‘make peace’ with another. Gabrio had experienced this twice so he was rather familiar with this. It felt exactly like this that he was rather dutiful.

After the treatment he washed his hands with salted water and took his gloves off. He excused himself from the room and started cleaning his surgical tools as if obsessed. Robert found him and waited on the side while watching the workings of the residence.

“Noble-blooded...and yet they act like those old-fashion foggies back home.”

Gabrio made sure that he was speaking his native tongue, “They probably find the culture of our homeland mythical. The old master tried to hide it, but he reminded me of the idealized character in Lodogo’s Book. Heard of it?”

“Knights of Carabo?”

“You know it?”

“I learned how to read, Doc. And other than having fun with ladies and wine. What’s there to do to pass the time than read?”

“Well, so, you notice it right?”

“I did. Well, it’s actually not bad. I hope he doesn’t do something stupid.”

“He’s actually the nicest one. Doc, the Elven-kin will be here soon.”

“Oh, that would help. It would be good if they help in closing the young master’s wounds. From the looks of it, they are going to be ‘allies’ in this journey. One of the many allies that we found. If you ask me, they are just afraid of what may come next. This place is going to be covered in swarms of monsters and with how we robbed them and left them so defenseless. It wouldn’t be long.”

Gabrio looked at the city and then to the direction of the Great Seas. Many days had passed and Gabrio guessed that by the last weeks of the sixth cycle of this year. They would start their preparation.

“Ready for another long trip, Robert?”

Robert groaned, “Good thing the Galleon doesn’t roll, Doc. I am going to miss solid ground once we start sailing again.”

“Then better enjoy it while we can. I doubt that we would see land again for months.”

Everything was nothing more than the prelude of their suffering.

The hulls of the Grand-Galleons and the ships of the Reconnoiter Company would be tested to its limits.