Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 94: Meeting Lady Vayne

Baron Charles led the group from the entrance hall into a comfortable meeting parlor. Lord Gregor was already there, and seeing RIku and the others arrive, he immediately got up.

"Mister Riku! It is good to see you again," Lord Gregor said, his voice stronger. He gestured towards Lila and Elara, who had entered with them. "And you have brought your charming companions. Welcome, young ladies."

Riku smiled. "Lord Gregor, may I introduce Lila, a dear friend from my village, and Elara, a young traveler we are assisting." Lila and Elara offered respectful curtsies, a little awed by the noble surroundings and the direct address from the old lord.

"A pleasure," Lord Gregor said, his gaze kind.

Riku then asked. "Baron Charles seemed troubled when I inquired on the traces of the stone. Has there been any difficulty?"

Lord Gregor sighed, his expression turning grim. "Difficulty is an understatement, Master Riku. The footman who was primarily responsible for tending my chambers, one of the very few servants permitted unrestricted access... he vanished the same evening you discovered the stone. Simply disappeared, without a word, without a trace."

"Vanished?" Riku frowned. "That is... convenient for whoever planted the stone."

"Indeed," Lord Gregor agreed. "Charles has put out an arrest warrant, alerted the City Guard, and offered a substantial reward for any information. But thus far... nothing. It is as if the man evaporated into thin air. It complicates matters greatly. Without him, tracing the stone’s origin becomes a far more arduous task."

Riku was perplexed. A servant vanishing in such a manner right after a discovery reeked of careful planning and conspiracy.

I need to find him, Riku decided mentally. His trail might still be warm enough for my skills.

"Lord Gregor, Baron Charles," Riku said aloud, "if this servant is key, perhaps I can assist in locating him. If you could provide me with an article of his clothing, something he wore recently, I have certain... tracking methods that might prove useful."

Baron Charles looked surprised, then hopeful. "Truly, Master Riku? We would be immensely grateful! I will have his room searched immediately for something suitable."

"Thank you," Riku said.

He then reached into his satchel and produced one of the newly enchanted talismans. "Lord Gregor, while my previous healing brought you significant relief, that is not a permanent solution. In fact, just like the Church’s Sunpetal Draught, the effect can wear off after some time, post which the creep would relapse."

"For that reason, I have made this new talisman. It is designed to provide a more constant, gentle soothing effect. It should help maintain your strength and ward off the Creep’s lingering influence."

He handed the glowing copper piece to the old lord. Gregor took it, his eyes widening slightly as he felt the immediate, pleasant warmth emanating from it. "Remarkable! Master Riku, your creations are truly wondrous." He fastened it around his neck.

"I feel... an uplift, a lightness I haven’t felt in so long. In fact, I am even feeling a tad younger!!"

He was about to ask more, his curiosity clearly piqued by the talisman’s immediate effect, when a servant hurried into the parlor, bowing deeply.

"My Lords, forgive the intrusion," the servant said, his voice slightly breathless.

"Lord Alaric and Lady Vayne have arrived. They are seeking an audience with the lords."

"Alaric and Vayne? I do not have time to entertain them. Send them away, I have important guests." Lord Gregor said, clearly displeased at this new development.

"Now, now, Gregor. Who is so important to you that you are refusing to meet your dearest sister?"

A chill seemed to enter the room. Baron Charles’s smile tightened. Lord Gregor’s expression became carefully neutral.

Slowly, Lady Vayne came into the room, Alaric trailing behind her like a sullen shadow. Her metallic prosthetic hand rested lightly on the head of her purring black cat, which she carried cradled in her other arm. Her smile was all polite inquiry, but her eyes, sharp and cold.

In an instant, her eyes went towards the talisman on Gregor’s neck. She carefully observed the strong healing effect it seemed to have.

"Don’t tell me, it is these commoner humans and one dwarf who are more important to you than your lovely sister?"

Gregor had a slight smile on his face, and finally addressed the newcomers.

"I must confess, sister, I am somewhat surprised to see you gracing our humble abode. What brings the esteemed wife of the Grand Luminar of Luxia, the very voice of the Church’s highest authority in this city, to the home of a mere Baron like myself?"

"Oh, don’t be like that, Gregor. You know how much Alaric and I care for you. He told you that you were feeling so much better, and we immediately came to offer our congratulations. It is truly a blessing from the Light." Vayne continued with her crafty voice.

"Eh? You were concerned about me? Then why did you not request the church to send me more assistance during my troubled times? Now that I am better, have you come here to plan your next step?" Gregor, who was tired of keeping up his false pretense, spoke harshly.

"My dear brother. How can you talk to your only sister like that? I am just a small, helpless woman with no influence over the church. The creep has such profound implications at multiple levels, so the church could not help you earlier. But believe me, the church was about to come soon," Vayne spoke with mock fear, though her eyes kept drifting back to the softly glowing talisman around his neck

"Yeah, they would have definitely come once father passed away." Baron Charles muttered to himself, though he dared not to say it openly.

"Whatever it is, I am in no mood to discuss it with you. You came here to offer your congratulations, and you have done so." Gregor said, finally losing his patience.

"Please leave, or I will have the guards escort you out."