Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 152: Searching for Rennan (1)

"Master Riku," Lord Arnold said, his voice filled with a newfound purpose. "It seems my retirement will be more interesting than I planned."

Riku smiled. "I was hoping you’d say that, Lord Arnold." He paused, a look of genuine curiosity on his face. "But won’t you be missed in the court? The King seemed eager to have you back."

Arnold chuckled, a dry, weary sound. "The court is a viper’s nest, Master Riku. I spent a lifetime navigating it. After what happened to my family... my desire to play that game is gone, and I only seek retirement. The King understands."

He then leaned in slightly, his voice dropping so only Riku could hear.

"Besides, there are... other matters that require a steady hand. A young man who holds the fate of the world in his grasp, but who also wages a war within himself. Someone needs to be here to offer counsel, should a... less predictable personality decide to make an appearance."

Riku gazed back at Arnold and then gave a light smile.

"Well, then. Welcome to Elowen. We hope that you have a pleasant stay here.

Lila and the others guided the former Lord Chamberlain past the gates and into the village properly.

Arnold’s composure, forged over decades in the royal court, finally cracked.

He stared, his mouth slightly agape.

He saw fields bursting with golden wheat and lush, green vegetables. He saw sturdy new homes made of stone and dark wood. He saw dwarven children laughing as they chased human children through a village square that was clean and vibrant.

The air smelled of fresh bread and damp, rich earth.

"This... this is impossible," Arnold whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "The kingdom starves... but here..."

"Here, we have been blessed," Riku said simply. "But a blessing that isn’t shared is a curse in disguise. Please, come. We have much to discuss."

A short while later, a new council was gathered in Chief Barou’s longhouse.

It was an unlikely assembly of power. Riku sat at the head of the table. To his side was Lord Arnold, the seasoned statesman. Across from him sat the retired Marquis Gregor, his mind still sharp as ever. Chief Barou represented the village, and Elder Borin, the industrial might of the dwarves.

"My Lord Arnold," Riku began. "You came from Luxia. Tell us the situation."

Arnold’s expression turned grim.

"It is worse than you can imagine, Master Riku," he said, his voice low. "The Creep is gone, but the famine remains. The royal granaries are empty. The harvest from the surrounding territories failed catastrophically."

He leaned forward. "Worse, opportunistic nobles and merchant guilds have hoarded what little grain is left. They are selling it at monstrous prices. There are food riots in the capital’s outer districts. People are dying of starvation every day."

Gregor sighed, shaking his head. "The old vultures. Some things never change."

"The King is powerless," Arnold continued. "He cannot simply seize the grain without proof of illegal hoarding, and their paperwork is all immaculate. He is trapped."

A heavy silence fell over the longhouse.

Riku looked out the window, his gaze falling upon the village well, the first miracle he had brought to this world. An idea sparked in his mind.

"The famine isn’t just about food," Riku said slowly. "It’s about water. The drought was the start of it all. Without water, new crops can’t be grown."

"Precisely," Arnold nodded. "The royal mages can purify water, but they cannot create it from nothing."

"But I can," Riku stated simply.

All eyes in the room turned to him.

"The well out there," Riku explained, "it provides endless clean water because I placed a powerful enchantment rune at its source. It draws and purifies water from the very air and earth."

"An artifact of immense power," Borin grumbled, stroking his beard. "Impossible to make another."

"Not another well," Riku said, a clever smile on his face. "Something smaller. Something... portable."

He leaned forward, his voice filled with a new excitement. "What if we could create small, enchanted stones? ’Water Runes.’ When you place one on the ground, it would slowly draw forth and purify enough clean water for a small family. Or a small plot of farmland."

The council stared at him, stunned.

Elder Borin was the first to break the silence, his eyes blazing with a craftsman’s fire. "The runes... could you teach us to engrave them?"

"I can design a template," Riku said. "We could use the runic press we made for the talismans. Your boys could carve the stone casings, and I would provide the final enchantment."

Marquis Gregor slammed his hand on the table, his eyes wide with understanding. "This is it! This isn’t just a solution, it’s a revolution! We have the funds from the talisman sales to finance the entire operation!"

"We will call it... The Lifewell Project," Arnold declared, his voice ringing with a statesman’s vision. "We will create our own trade network. We will bypass the corrupt guilds and greedy nobles. We will sell these runes at a fair price to every corner of the kingdom."

"We can do it," Chief Barou said, a rare, wide grin on his face. "Elowen will not stand by while the kingdom suffers." freeweɓnøvel~com

The plan was perfect. Except for one missing piece.

"This is a formidable plan," Arnold said, his tone turning serious again. "But distribution is everything. We need a merchant network. A man with the courage to move this much product and the loyalty to not betray us. The guilds will see this as a declaration of war. They will use bandits, mercenaries, anything to stop us."

Riku’s smile faded slightly. His expression grew troubled.

"I have the perfect man," he said quietly. "A merchant named Rennan. He’s honest, brave, and owes me a favor."

"Then we must summon him at once!" Gregor urged.

"That’s the problem," Riku said, his voice low. "I haven’t heard from him in a long time. I fear that he might have fallen into some trouble."

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