「 Doctor Fraude? Never heard of him. 」

As soon as I began asking around about the doctor I was faced with this response. I also asked about the lord of Frosthill but no one really interacted with him much. They didn’t have any negative comments about his administrating, just commented that he didn’t go out often.

「 I heard the Doctor hails from the capital Verbeau. But I also heard he’s supposed to be an old man. Seems the rumor was false. 」

The doctor is seeming more and more suspicious from what I hear of him. I consult with my team on what action we should take.

Laura 「 It does seem a bit fishy that a doctor shows up to this small town in the onset of an epidemic. 」

Cheshyr 「 He seems like an okay sort of fellow to me. 」

Lina 「 I think he’s hiding something. Maybe he eats people. 」

Alice 「 He eats people?! 」

Envie 「 He didn’t seem like a man-eating demon to me. 」

Envie and Lina sooth a troubled Alice.

Laura 「 Either way, we need to investigate the doctor until we’re sure he’s clean. 」

Cheshyr 「 I can agree with that. 」

Becca 「 Then it’s settled. I’ll add a marker on the doctor so he can’t get away. 」

The Map shows that the doctor is currently not at the estate. He is around the Silver Ravine. What’s he doing there? I warp us to the same point where I rescued Will and Wendy.

The coordinates of Fraude show that he’s below ground. As we get closer in proximity, we see the opening of a dark cave.

Using holy magic, Lina casts a light sphere that acts like a bright torch. We descend the cave carefully. I notice signs that suggest the rats nest came from this cave. Things like rat droppings and such.

I spy the doctor near a small cave pool.

Becca 「 What’cha doing in this cave doctor? 」

The doctor turns back at us surprised and then shows relief seeing our familiar faces.

Fraude 「 It’s you girls. You gave me a fright. How did you find this place? 」

Becca 「 Just luck I guess. So you mind explaining what this is about? 」

Fraude 「 I won’t hide it. This is the so-called Spring of Bliss. 」

Becca 「 The spring? Will did mention he and Wendy were looking for it. 」

Fraude 「 I followed up on that and found this cave where the rats appeared from. Surprisingly, this spring here is the source of the White Death. 」

Becca 「 So that explains why the rats carried the disease. But what are you doing here? 」

Fraude 「 I’m collecting samples of the source. I’m sure the cure will show an effect on this spring. 」

Becca 「 But wait, if this is the Spring of Bliss, shouldn’t it be a source of healing? Why is it the source of the disease? 」

Fraude 「 I’m not sure. I can only conclude foul play. 」

Becca 「 Did you have something to do with it? 」

Fraude 「 What? What does that mean? 」

Laura 「 We know the truth. No one recognizes you and the real doctor Fraude is an old man in Verbeau. So who are you really? 」

Fraude looks shaken by this news. After a period of time he lowers his head and sighs. It looks like we hit the mark.

Fraude? 「 So you found out. Yes, it’s true. I am not the real Doctor Fraude. My name is Ricken. I’m an apprentice to the late Doctor Fraude. 」

Cheshyr 「 So you’re not a real doctor. 」

Ricken 「 Not yet. I was close to being certified but Doctor Fraude unfortunately passed before that could happen. 」

Ricken sits down on a flat rock and heaves his shoulders as another sigh escapes.

Ricken 「 I’ve been an apprentice for so long now. All my other colleagues have gone on to open up clinics and practices. They mocked me for being a failure. I thought that if I could act like my teacher and get some results, then maybe I could shut them up. That’s why I wanted to find a cure for the elusive White Death. 」

Lina 「 Is he telling the truth? 」

Envie 「 He doesn’t seem like he’s lying. 」

Laura 「 It would explain his behavior. 」

I silently read his mind and it seems he is telling the truth. Visions of an indignant Ricken with his colleagues over his shoulder tell me what I need to know.

Becca 「 So does the cure exist? 」

Ricken 「 Yes, I’ve come up with a formula that I’m sure will work. Still, it needs a human test subject. 」

Ricken has a coughing fit and struggles to voice his words. I use medical analysis on him and see that he’s contracted the White Death. This isn’t a new development, but something has taken hold in his system after some time.

Becca 「 The human test subject, you made yourself the test. You came here before and willingly got sick, didn’t you. 」

Ricken 「 ... Yes. I couldn’t in good conscience test an unproven formula on patients so I elected to test it on myself.

Maybe this is why I felt something off about the doctor. He did seem weak when I first met him.

Lina 「 We should get him the cure quickly. Do you have any? 」

Ricken 「 It’s at the estate’s lab. 」

Becca 「 Hang tight. I’ll open a gate there. 」

I don’t have time to explain the space magic or see Ricken’s expression. I open a portal gate to the estate’s entrance and take Ricken through. Coming out I see the guards are laying about lazily. Wait a minute, they aren’t just asleep, they were knocked out. I see signs of a scuffle. Lina and Envie try to wake them up to no avail.

We hurry through the busted open door and pass by some passed out servants. Ricken shows us to the lab’s door which is wide open. The lab looks like a mess and not just a normal mess.

Like a tornado came through, the place is ransacked. Papers are scattered and things overturned.

Ricken frantically rustles through the papers and looks over the lab.

Ricken 「 It’s not here… it’s gone! The cure and the formula for it are gone! 」