Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 172: Falco Family (2)

"Clover!" Riku called out mentally.

The donkey’s head snapped up. Its ears twitched. It saw Riku. With a loud, joyful bray, it abandoned the grass and trotted directly towards him. It stopped just before him and began to nudge its head insistently against his hand.

Riku froze, his hand hovering in the air. He kept his disguised face a mask of mild surprise, but inside, his mind was reeling.

The young miss laughed, a sound like small silver bells. "Well, isn’t that odd! He’s never done that before."

She smiled at Riku. "You must have a way with animals. Clover never lets any of the staff near him. Only his new master is allowed to touch him."

Riku forced himself to remain calm. He gave the donkey a tentative pat, his mind racing. "A beautiful animal," he said, his voice even. "Where did you find it?"

"Oh, we didn’t find him!" the young miss replied cheerfully, stroking Clover’s mane. "He belongs to one of Father’s new attendants."

Riku and Sherry exchanged a brief, almost imperceptible glance. The look held a universe of meaning. Wasn’t Rennan supposed to be a prisoner? How did he end up as an attendant?

"He’s a fascinating man," the young miss continued, oblivious to the sudden, icy tension. "My father is quite taken with him. Come, I’ll introduce you. They should be in the main hall."

She turned and began walking towards the grand entrance of the manor, leaving Riku and Sherry to follow.

Marci led them down a wide, silent hallway. The walls were hung with dark, imposing portraits of her ancestors, their painted eyes seeming to follow their every move.

She opened a set of ornate doors at the end of the corridor. "Please, make yourselves comfortable in here."

The guest suite was lavish. Silk hangings adorned the walls, and plush chairs were arranged around a low, polished obsidian table. But the room felt cold, unused, like a museum display.

"I have a few duties to attend to," Marci said with a bright, innocent smile. "But I’ll have our new attendant bring you some of his special chilled drinks. You simply must try them! He’s a marvel."

She gave a small curtsy and left, the heavy doors closing silently behind her.

Sherry immediately began to pace the length of the room. "An attendant? She means Rennan."

"I know," Riku said. He sat in one of the chairs, perfectly still, a stark contrast to Sherry’s restless energy.

"What’s the plan?" Sherry demanded, stopping in front of him. "Do we fight our way out? Take the girl hostage?"

"Now, now. Let us not take such drastic steps. We wait," Riku said, his voice calm. "There will be opportunities."

"This house feels wrong, Riku," Clara’s voice echoed in his mind. "The girl is innocent, but the air here is thick with secrets and old cruelties."

A few minutes later, they heard footsteps. They were soft, shuffling, the sound of someone weary and defeated.

The door opened. A man entered, balancing a silver tray with two frosted goblets.

He wore the plain, high-collared uniform of a house attendant. His shoulders were slumped. His eyes were downcast, fixed on the floor, filled with a weary resignation that seemed to have settled deep into his bones.

It was Rennan.

The name escaped Riku’s lips before he could stop it. A sharp, involuntary whisper that cut through the silence of the room.

"Rennan."

The attendant’s head snapped up. His eyes widened in shock. He recognized Riku’s voice.

He looked at the person in front of him closely and was able to see something familiar even through the battle-mage disguise. His mouth fell open.

"Master... Master Riku?" Rennan stammered. "Is that really you?"

Rennan simply could not believe that Master Riku would come all the way across the borders to this side of the world.

"It’s me," Riku confirmed, his own voice tight with urgency. "What happened to you, Rennan?"

"It’s a long story, Master," Rennan began, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and astonishment. "I was travelling along the outskirts of the Kovran Kingdom..."

Just then, Riku’s head snapped towards the hallway. He heard the distinct sound of heavy, armored footsteps approaching, and a sharp, commanding voice giving orders.

"No time," Riku hissed. "We’re leaving. Now."

Riku crossed the room in a single, silent blur. He grabbed Rennan’s arm, ignoring the clatter of the silver tray and frosted goblets as they crashed to the floor. he caught Sherry’s arm as well, and cast a quick spell.

Teleport (Short Range). [-10 Goodwill Points]

The world twisted. They were no longer in the cold guest suite. They stood on the silent, manicured lawn of the garden.

Clover brayed, startled by their sudden appearance.

Riku didn’t waste a second. He put Rennan on the donkey, grabbed the donkey’s harness with his free hand, pulling Sherry, and the confused animal together.

He raised his other hand, pouring his will into a quick spell.

Mass Teleport. Very Long Distance. [-5,000 Goodwill Points]

Target: Elowen.

A brilliant, blinding flash of white light erupted in the silent garden, then vanished.

The lawn was empty. The only evidence they had ever been there was a single, startled bray from a very confused donkey, which disappeared in a flash.

--------------

The guards in the hallway heard the crash of the silver tray. "What was that?" the captain barked.

They rushed to the guest suite, their weapons drawn. "In the name of Lord Falco, come out, whoever it is!" the captain yelled, kicking the door open.

However, the room was empty.

A shattered silver tray and two broken goblets lay on the floor. A dark, sweet-smelling liquid pooled on the expensive rug. There was no sign of the strange guests.

"They’re gone!" one of the guards exclaimed.

The captain’s eyes narrowed. He noticed the open balcony doors leading to the garden. "Check the grounds! Now!"

They scrambled out onto the lawn. It was empty. The garden was silent.

"Captain!" another guard called from the edge of the lawn. "The new attendant is also gone. The donkey... his donkey... it’s gone too!"

The captain’s face turned pale. This was not a simple escape. This was a staged and planned abduction right in broad daylight.

He turned and ran back into the manor, his heavy boots thudding on the marble floors. He didn’t stop until he reached the main hall, where Lord Falco was entertaining a minor noble.

"My Lord!" the captain gasped, dropping to one knee.

Lord Falco looked up, his face a mask of annoyance. "What is it, Captain? I am in the middle of a discussion."

"The guests, my Lord," the captain stammered. "The two mages the Young Miss brought in... they have vanished with the attendant Rennan."

"What??"

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