Matthew arrived in the Six-Ring Western District, where a new quarantine zone had been built to house the refugees who had migrated from the Emerald Kingdom.
A man covered from head to toe in a white gown led Matthew into a large, hastily built wooden hut.
Dozens of plank beds stood inside, each occupied by a pale-faced patient. There were another thirty or forty huts like this one.
"Lord Gellman, these people have all contracted the plague," the man in the gown said.
An invisible layer of magical power enveloped Matthew's entire body to prevent him from coming into contact with the source of infection.
After following the man into the hut, he paused in surprise. He had spotted someone he knew: Link Watson, whom he had met in Whitestone Town.
However, he was currently posing as Gellman, so Link did not recognize him.
Link was talking to a little girl lying on a plank bed, seemingly making a clumsy attempt to comfort her.
Hearing the gowned man's voice, Link turned around. When he saw Matthew, he asked, "Were you sent by the Apothecaries' Association? I'm Link Watson, the investigator assigned to look into the plague."
Matthew nodded. "Yes, the Apothecaries' Association sent me to deal with the plague. You can call me Gellman."
"We've finished our investigation," Link said. "My companion has the report. Come with me. It should be of some help to you."
Matthew followed Link to a place billowing thick smoke. Anna and two wizards Matthew did not recognize were repeatedly casting fire magic there, burning corpses.
"Were these all patients who died of the plague?" Matthew asked.
"Yes. This is only some of them. We've already burned one batch." Link turned to Anna. "Anna, give Lord Gellman a copy of the plague investigation report."
"Thank