Another problem fixed, to a degree, was the brainwashing one. Harold, Jun, and the others for a while believed in what they were saying to a terrifying degree.

Harold was even crying so hard that he was hyperventilating. He was utterly confused why they hadn’t looked for the children yet. They didn’t dare take out the children either, afraid that a bomb would go off while they were going to the hospital, especially back when they were still figuring out its detection.

These people were quite intelligent in their own right, and to be persuaded so deeply was truly imbalancing. They could only administer some sleeping potions, the kind that would make them enter REM sleep. Otherwise, their bodies might get damaged due to emotional distress.

A few hours before the war, they finally woke up with clear heads, with recollection of everything that had happened. There was now a very real need to bury themselves.

From here, they found out that one cure for this condition was a long reboot. To get them unconscious for a while, as if letting the brain restart and rest on its own.

They decided to reinforce this with some mind-clearing tea. The effectiveness was debatable, but the psychological effects might help out.

Speaking of those, they were ’convincing’, the enemies must’ve chosen people who couldn’t be easily taken down, either due to strength or position. So they had to be careful of even their own teammates, especially.

Everyone’s faces were troubled, their hearts a bit scared.

Doubting someone you trust was truly one of the worst things to experience.

...

The first distribution of the flare was towards the guards escorting the people heading to the main bunkers. These were the children, for the most part, and they all lined up like well-behaved little chicks.

In Xeno, old people didn’t necessarily have the same treatment as ’helpless’ children. It wasn’t because old people were ’inefficient and dying’ while children still had ’potential’ to protect.

Rather, it was because old people were still useful outside and could help. This was led by Mathilda herself, who never went into hiding during wars.

Old people also found it embarrassing to ask for slots in the main bunker.

Unlike children, who really didn’t know much about the world, the old people had already seen the world.

It was too embarrassing for them to hide away helplessly, especially since most of them had lost their comorbidities during upgrades and many youngins had accompanied them, so how could they leave them behind?

Anyway, in Alterra, there really were things they could do, even the genuinely weak old people.

For the most part, if the bunkers were full, they’d be in the evacuation centers. They were given tasks to prepare some raw materials and the like, mostly for things like arrowheads and the like.

Anyway, now that the war was starting, people’s guards were higher, and everyone was heading to their respective positions. The weak were settling in evacuation centers and bunkers, all of which were also equipped with flares, though belatedly modified so they’d only light up and make some noise rather than have an outright small explosion.

Because the places were enclosed, the flares were also designed to be more sensitive, giving more time for people to run away.

The flares weren’t perfect. If the enemies figured it out during the war, then they could even become distractions. After all, if the enemies could simply mimic similar conditions for the flares to activate without an actual bomb involved.

It was a scary thought, and also why they had to determine how to properly detect or diffuse such bombs soon. Even if they won against Valov, Hassen City was a city with the most subsidiaries and allies. Similar tools might appear in other wars.

Rather, the bombs had likely come from the City, guaranteeing the problem could indeed happen.

...

In the Hope Orphanage, the headmistress Helena looked at the rows of children neatly lined up, according to height, and all with colourful flags and backpacks on their bodies.

It was Samantha leading the orientation like a mother duck. There was a storybook they often read as a class where the mother duck would lead the children to safety. There was a little obnoxious duck there who almost died because he left the line.

Other than her, the staff and guards were positioned parallel to the kids, like a defensive line on both sides.

The children ranged from toddlers to small kids. Mothers/guardians with babies were also there.

The tweens and above were already joining the war, though mostly in the evacuation centers and guarding, along with many others.

"We are now three hours away from the start of the war, and we are now heading to the bunkers.

"Are the babies A-ok?!" She asked, leaning down and cooing at the adorable children.

Even the Ministers’ kids were here. Even if they weren’t, there were still dedicated guard teams to escort them to safety.

Some walked with the crowd, some in parallel. Having too many might scare the children and pretty much announce to the enemies where the best hostages were.

"We are expected to stay there for more than a day. Do we all have our things ready?"

"Uh, huh!" Little voices echoed.

Other than one set of clothing and underwear, the rest of the items could be bought from inside. There was a small store there with a store room. This way, the people wouldn’t have to bring anything except their extremely personal belongings.

It was so that people didn’t have to bring much, which also made it easier to ensure their safety there.

"Be sure to show the guards your items well!"

Their bags would be checked upon entry, in case someone snuck in something unsavoury. This was why they had to go in three hours before the war. There would be no new entry to the bunker within an hour of the war.

There was also the issue of the space, but everyone who went there was asked to do a temporary oath not to bring anything dangerous and causing harm as well. So those who wanted to hide but kept weapons in, like adult staff members, their space either had to make the oath or surrender the weapons temporarily.

If they did not make the oath but insisted on heading in, they were either tagged as suspicious or were placed in one of the houses around.

On the way there, on one of the few pathways heading to the bunkers, something changed.

It was something changed in the air, like a pressure and a temperature. And immediately, a colored smoke sprang out, and it was different from the usual flares.

"The flare activated!" Samantha and the staff gasped, carrying all the children they could bring up, rushing to the opposite side of where the flare leaned towards.

They were naturally oriented about the flares and what to do when they activated, including approximately how big the explosion could get.

As such, the staff as well as the guards around them snapped into work, grabbing the children and rushing as far away as they could.

Those with elements immediately used them to push people away or to create covers.

"RUN!!" they yelled, and within a few seconds—

BOOM!!!