Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 114: Meeting

Two more days passed uneventfully.

Riku used his teleportation spells to occasionally come back to the Hummer mansion to check on Lila and Elara, and to imprint some more talismans for the dwarves. The demand for the talismans was very high, but it seemed like the Baron’s family was managing it well. However, most of the time, he was in the Vayne manor to avoid raising any suspicion.

As midnight approached two nights later, Riku-as-Alaric accompanied his mother, and together they headed off for the mysterious meeting.

They travelled for a bit in a carriage, but then Lady Vayne dismissed the carriage, insisting that they walk. Soon, they reached a narrow, oppressive lane wedged between two crumbling warehouses. At its end was a large, sealed sewer grate, its iron surface marked with a faint, dark sigil that seemed to absorb the surrounding light.

As they approached, two heavily cloaked figures materialized from the deepest shadows. They moved without a sound, their presence cold and menacing. Before Riku could speak, Lady Vayne stepped forward.

She gave a curt nod to the silent guards, who immediately bowed their heads in deference. Without a word, they heaved the heavy iron grate open, revealing a dark, spiraling staircase descending into the depths.

As Riku descended, a weird feeling started to take over him. It was not of fear, but of something which did not feel right.

The things seemed too simple. The place, though hidden, was not something no one could find, especially given the might of Capital Wardens and the imperial squads. A single command from Harius would have led to the guards flipping the entire city upside down.

Then how come such things were happening so openly?

While Riku was lost in his thoughts, he and Lady Vayne soon reached the bottom of the stairs. It led to another doorway, guarded by two masked guards. On seeing Lady Vayne approach, they nodded at her, though they did not seem as respectful as the guards at the doorway.

"Lady Vayne, we need to check this person you have brought with you." One of them said politely.

Lady Vayne’s eyes narrowed. "Check him? This is my son, Alaric. Do you question my judgment?"

"Apologies, my lady," the guard said, his tone unyielding. "But Lord Malakor’s orders are absolute. All who are not core members must be verified."

Riku, playing his part, stepped forward with a sneer. "How dare you! Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?"

"That is quite enough."

A new voice, calm and dripping with authority, echoed from the tunnel behind them. A tall man in the pristine white-and-gold robes of the Church’s highest office stepped into the light.

The two masked guards immediately dropped to one knee. "Grand Luminar!"

"Husband," Lady Vayne welcomed the newcomer.

Lady Vayne’s husband looked at the scene, his gaze first falling on the guards, then shifting to Riku-as-Alaric and settling on him for a brief second. Riku met his eyes with a slightly wronged look.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the Lips of the Grand Luminar.

"Are you suggesting," the Grand Luminar asked the guards, his voice soft but carrying immense weight, "that I am incapable of recognizing my own son? Let him pass."

"Forgive us, Grand Luminar! At once!" The guards scrambled to their feet and pushed open the heavy stone door, their heads bowed low.

"You are late, husband," Lady Vayne commented, her tone even.

"Sorry, dear. There has been a new complication which has been tricky to solve," the Grand Luminar replied smoothly. "Nevertheless, let us not keep Lord Malakor waiting." He gestured for them to proceed.

The stone door opened into a vast, circular cavern—the Sunken Cistern. It was an ancient, forgotten piece of Luxia’s underpinnings. Murky, still water filled most of the chamber, and in the center rose a wide, stone platform, connected to the stairs by a single, narrow bridge. Magical torches cast long, flickering shadows, making the space feel both immense and claustrophobic.

On the platform, many participants of the meeting had already gathered.

A figure sat upon a crudely carved stone throne, his features completely obscured by a deep hood and the oppressive shadows that seemed to cling to him.

This had to be Lord Malakor.

"Riku.." Clara sent Riku a mental message with uncertainty.

"This Malakor... he does not appear to have a soul."

"What? Are you sure, Clara?"

Riku wanted to use his own spells to confirm, but there was no way to do so secretly. So he held off.

"Well, he could be hiding his soul. Nevertheless, he is not ordinary. I will stay put inside the charm. Please take care." Clara warned Riku.

"Don’t worry, I will."

To Malakor’s left sat two hooded figures. One was an old man, his hood pulled low. But Riku could see the faint, tell-tale crimson marks of the Creep on his wrinkled hands. A faint, metallic smell, the same one from the Whisperwood and Marden’s storage, seemed to cling to his robes.

Next to him was someone whom Riku recognized as well. It was the New Chamberlain, the man Riku had seen outside Elowen. He was gauging the surroundings silently and gave a slight nod towards the Grand Luminar as he entered with Alaric and Lady Vayne.

There was yet another hooded person standing behind Malakor, who appeared to be a personal guard. Seeing the Grand Luminar enter with Lady Vayne and Alaric, he got up and said in a deep voice.

’Good. You are all here. Let us begin."

"My Lords, as I had reported earlier in my report, we had a breach." The old man started first.

"One of our researchers, the one assigned to ’Marden’, was compromised. An unknown entity of considerable power bypassed the workshop’s wards, neutralized the specimen, and accessed the researcher’s mind directly. Due to security reasons, we evacuated the workshop in haste, and a significant number of research materials were lost" freewebnσvel.cѳm

Huh? Riku’s mind worked furiously as he took in the new information.

The researcher... the specimen... is he talking about the puppet master and Elara’s father!? So this must be the head researcher of the society that man mentioned!!

His eyes sparkled. It looked like a lot of linchpins of this entire conspiracy were present in this meeting.

Time to learn as much as I can.