"Based on the death records over the past 20 years, approximately one-third of the plagues in Nevis originated near ports, inns, and other such areas."
"And referencing the Black Crow Swamp's national epidemic records, similar epidemics occurred in regions near Nevis or the harbors before these plagues broke out. The timing and location of these outbreaks show a certain degree of correlation."
"Therefore, it is speculated that so of the plagues in Nevis over the past 20 years are related to external sources. This spread could be controlled by early identification and managent of migrating populations."
The fragrance of tea, coupled with the sweet aroma of cakes and cookies, filled the air as Garrett's paper was laid out before each review committee mber. It was evident that the reviewers intended to use this paper as a light entertainnt to accompany their afternoon tea.
The reason for reviewing the paper over tea was the dynamic diagram created by the Tower Spirit MOSS, which was projected onto the screen, playing fra by fra continuously.
The dynamic diagram showed red dots spreading across the map, with annotations indicating outbreaks outside Nevis. The combination made the presentation particularly vivid and alarming.
"So... our Plague Lord's request this ti is to control the population entering Nevis by land and sea?"
As per tradition, the head speaker from the Protection Departnt made a small joke. He simultaneously received a nod and a smile from the Necromancy Departnt mber and an angry glare from the Enchantnt Departnt mber...
The dical Branch mber who submitted the paper rubbed his forehead helplessly. Every ti they joked about this topic, those two would always react strongly...
"No." He tried to steer the topic back on track:
"His idea is to achieve a balance between controlling the flow of people and promoting economic vitality, aiming to achieve the maximum results with the least consumption. Therefore, Mage Nordmark applied for the next stage of empirical testing—"
"Sigh."
"Figured it would be like this."
"A common thod to get funding."
"Another good kid gone bad."
Sighs echoed around the room. Starting with a small project that required a relatively small amount of funding—say, 500 contribution points—was easier to get approved and secure the funds.
Then, through initial research, they could illustrate the necessity and urgency of the project, applying for a larger grant later...
This cyclical process allowed the project to grow, making it easier to secure funds compared to applying for a large project with high funding requirents right from the start.
Mid-level and upper-mid-level mages, who didn't have the qualification to secure large projects confidently, often used this tactic. The review committee mbers spent at least a third of their work ti each year dealing with these cunning tactics.
"Uh... that's not the case." The dical Branch mber submitting the proposal felt a bit awkward:
"Mage Nordmark's empirical test design isn't large in scale, nor does it consu much. He even indicated that as long as the experintal procedures were followed, he wouldn't mind if the council appointed people to conduct the test, as long as he could supervise—"
"Huh?"
"That generous?"
"How did he design it?"
Garrett's experintal design divided all high-risk, susceptible populations entering Nevis into three groups. Two experintal groups would use on-site inspection and quarantine inspection thods respectively:
The on-site inspection thod involved sending a healer—preferably one who could perform the Life Observation spell, for speed—to inspect each transported refugee on-site and isolate any suspected of being infected.
The rest would be taken by the workshop owners who ca to pick them up. The council would then send special personnel to track disease spread over the next eight to ten days;
The quarantine inspection thod involved isolating the refugees on-site, providing accommodation, food, water, and bathing. Healers would take over after three to five days and hand them over to the workshop owners, then track any disease spread;
The control group would be taken directly, with observers going to the workshops, factories, and mines...
"This doesn't require much."
"Indeed, it doesn't take much ti, nor does it need many people. A Level 1 priest could do this job, even hiring one for a month wouldn't cost much."
"They don't even need to be professionals... herbalists could do it, couldn't they? They don't need to cast healing spells, just record who gets sick, anyone could do that, right?"
"This Mage Nordmark really is trying to save money... he really doesn't want to do it himself? He'd leave it to the council?"
"Correct. His application stated that the experint could be controlled by the council, as long as it adhered to the design." The dical Branch mber sighed lightly:
"Using the recently transported Aeolan refugees as experintal subjects, the council would evaluate the costs and benefits. This is to prepare for future foreign epidemics or large-scale refugee transfers, activating ergency plans as needed."
And that was it... Garrett's only wish was to help these refugees and explore effective related chanisms.
"Is this enough? He doesn't even want to do it himself?—Well, he's already an 8th-level mage, maybe he doesn't care about such a small project, but it could be good practice for his disciples and students!"
But everyone under Garrett was busy. At the Mage Tower, hospital, everyone had their tasks. In the Year of No Sumr, food prices skyrocketed, large swaths of the populace fell into hunger, and health conditions continued to deteriorate.
At this ti, Oak Grove Clinic, which was willing to allocate so resources to undertake public health work, beca the last hope for many poor people.
And Garrett had to lead daily treatnt work, perform surgeries, research scoliosis treatnts, guide necromancers in cholera vaccine research, and oversee Anivya's group in new antibiotic research, making him extrely busy.
Not to ntion the urgent project of transporting refugees from Aeolan Island (and possibly the mainland) to the New World—
"Ah... where do I find the information..."
Garrett held his head. In his previous life, he would have undoubtedly looked for records on the slave trade—uniform subjects, confined in the hold, relatively isolated from the crew.
Mainly, the volu was large, the records were many, and the data was comprehensive and detailed. He seed to rember seeing sowhere that the death rate from African slaves transported to the New World was at least ten percent?
But where did previous researchers get their raw data?
Garrett wandered around. Asking MOSS to search the council's paper library yielded nothing; searching through the Enchantnt Departnt, dical Departnt, and Necromancy Departnt libraries also yielded nothing.
How many people could fit on those ships transporting refugees to the New World? What were their food, water, and sanitation conditions like?
How much was the average transportation cost?
How many people died on the way, and what were the causes of death?
"Who can tell where to find the original docunts..."
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