Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 196: Falco’s offer

Lord Falco stared at the two temples. His mouth was slightly agape. He had seen many impossible things today. A man who could create forbidden artifacts at will. A mage who could erase high-tier magic with a gesture. But this... this was, in its own way, the most impossible sight of all.

"Coexistence," he repeated Riku’s word, his voice a disbelieving whisper. "Between Light and Shadow? It is a fundamental law of nature that they are in opposition. This is heresy."

"Not here," Riku said simply. "Here, they are just neighbors."

Marci said nothing. She just stared. Her mind, already reeling from the day’s events, struggled to process the sight. In her world, the followers of Light were enemies to be crushed. The idea of them sharing a plot of land was unthinkable. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Barou, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. His chest was still bruised, but his voice was full of its usual booming pride. "Come," he said, gesturing for the guests to follow. "If you are to be our guests for the day, you should see all of Elowen."

He led them on a tour. It was not a tour of grand monuments or ancient relics. It was a tour of a living, breathing community.

Their first stop was the new, expanded forge. The air was hot and filled with the rhythmic clang of hammers. Lord Falco watched, his collector’s eye immediately drawn to the craftsmanship. He saw Dwarven smiths with braided beards working side-by-side with human blacksmiths.

"Incredible," Falco muttered, watching Elder Thrain and Gnord argue over the precise quenching temperature for a new batch of rune-stones. "To see a master of the old Dwarven school working with human techniques... the fusion of styles is... remarkable."

Next, they were shown the fields. Rennan proudly demonstrated a Water Rune. He placed it on a patch of dry earth, and the stone began to weep pure, clean water, slowly turning the dust into dark, fertile mud.

Falco knelt, just as the King had done. He touched the water, his eyes wide with a greedy, covetous light. "So this is the source," he whispered. "Not an enchanted well. A reproducible artifact." He looked at Riku with a new, profound understanding. This was not just a village. It was a factory of miracles.

As they walked, Marci remained silent. She saw things that made no sense to her. In Dreadspire, and in all of the Northern Empire, there was a strict hierarchy. Humans ruled. Dwarves were respected for their craft, but they were kept to their own quarters. Half-Orcs were treated as little more than beasts of burden.

But here... it was different.

She saw a group of children playing in the square, overseen by a smiling Sister Alia. There were human children from Vintross. There were Dwarven children from the Underbelly. They were not playing in separate groups. They were laughing and chasing each other as one. A young dwarf boy with a braided beard was on the same team as a human girl. No one seemed to think it was strange.

Her vow of cruelty, her promise to be strong and ruthless, felt... foolish here. It felt out of place. This village was not strong because it was cruel. It was strong because it was unified. The thought was so foreign, so contrary to everything she had ever been taught, that it made her head spin.

The tour ended at the longhouse. The sun was beginning to set. Inside, the long table had been cleared.

Barou stood at the head of the table. He gestured to the open seats. "You are our guests," he said, his voice simple and sincere. "Please. Eat with us."

Lord Falco hesitated. He, a Lord of the Northern Empire, was being asked to sit and break bread with commoners. With dwarves. With disgraced southern nobles.

Slowly, he took a seat. Marci, her expression still a whirlwind of conflict, sat beside him.

Riku and Lila came out from the kitchen. They carried large, circular wooden platters. On the platters were the very pizzas they had all made together in Riku’s private world. The scent of baked bread, savory herbs, and melted cheese filled the longhouse.

"What is this?" Falco asked, his curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar dish.

"Pizza," Riku said with a smile. He placed a slice on a plate and set it in front of the lord.

Falco eyed it suspiciously. Then, cautiously, he took a bite.

His eyes went wide. The combination of flavors—the savory sauce, the sharp cheese, the crispy crust, the fresh vegetables—was unlike anything he had ever tasted. He took another, much larger bite.

Marci watched her father, then tentatively took a bite of her own slice. Her reaction was the same. A look of pure, unadulterated delight spread across her face, chasing away the last of her cold resolve.

For the first time all day, she looked... happy.

The meal was a lively affair. Lord Falco, his earlier arrogance forgotten, eagerly asked Riku about the dish. He wanted to know about the strange, stretchy cheese. He was fascinated by the savory red sauce.

Rudolf and Lord Gregor, finding a shared passion for ancient history, began a deep discussion about the architectural styles of pre-Imperial ruins.

Lila and Sherry began a playful argument over who got the last piece of the pizza with the spicy peppers. Lila claimed it by right of being a villager. Sherry claimed it by right of being a guest who had been threatened with holy fire earlier in the day.

For dessert, Riku brought out one final surprise. He placed a small plate of dark, glossy squares in the center of the table.

"Chocolates," he announced.

Falco and Marci tried a piece. Their reaction was immediate and profound, mirroring Zella’s perfectly. It was a taste of pure, blissful sweetness, a luxury they had never known.

"Incredible," Falco breathed, savoring the flavor. "Truly incredible."

He looked at Riku. He was no longer looking at an enemy. He was looking at the source of a hundred new treasures. He was looking at a man who commanded not just power, but a level of culture and innovation that the entire Northern Empire lacked.

He cleared his throat, a new, calculating glint in his eye. "Riku," he began, his voice smooth and formal. "This village... it is an impressive achievement. But it is small. Unprotected. Surrounded by weak and unstable kingdoms."

He leaned forward. "How about you come to my lands. I will grant you a title. A keep. A workshop a hundred times the size of this longhouse. You and your... people... will have the full protection of House Falco. You will want for nothing."