Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 189: Sunburst of Krauss (2)

"I took your new favorite attendant," Riku said. "The man who brought a few wonders for you. The man who made your house the envy of your peers."

He paused. "To make up for that loss, and as an apology for the methods I used, I will give you something far more valuable."

Riku looked at Rennan. "The blueprints. For the cooling chest. And all the recipes for the drinks that you had enjoyed. Everything."

Lord Falco sneered. He spat on the ground beside him. "You brat. That coolbox was a thing of a miracle. You expect me to believe you can simply create the plans for such a thing?"

"I can," Riku answered calmly. "And I already proved I can offer items of far greater value."

He glanced at Rudolf. Rudolf understood and immediately nodded.

"He speaks the truth, my Lord. The artifact he traded was... beyond measure."

Lord Falco stared at Rudolf. Then his gaze snapped back to Riku. His mind began to race. The coolbox. The sparkling potions. The Soul-Drinker. All these impossible things, all connected to this one, unassuming man from the south.

Could it be? Falco thought, his anger finally giving way to a dawning, greedy curiosity. Did Rennan not invent those things at all? Did they all come from... him?

Riku turned back to Falco. "I will give you the knowledge to create these marvels for yourself. All of them. In exchange for peace between us."

Lord Falco stared. His anger, his humiliation, his fear—it all melted away. It was replaced by the pure, unadulterated greed of a collector who had just been offered the ultimate prize. He could own not just the trinkets, but the secret to making them.

He looked at Riku, no longer as an enemy, but as a peer. A grandmaster craftsman.

"You would do that?" Falco asked, his voice a disbelieving whisper.

"I would," Riku confirmed.

Falco let out a short, sharp laugh. He got to his feet, brushing the dust from his robes. The Lord of House Falco was back. He had not been defeated. He had just negotiated a brilliant trade.

"A most generous offer," Falco said, his voice smooth again. "I accept."

He looked at his daughter. Marci was staring at Riku, her expression a whirlwind of conflict. Her vow of cruelty was being challenged by an act of generosity. Her world was complicated again.

Rudolf and the Violet Emissary exchanged a look of profound respect. This was a masterclass in diplomacy.

"We will take our leave," Falco announced. He gave Riku a stiff, formal bow. "I will await the blueprints."

He turned and gestured to Mistress Vexia. "Prepare the portal. We are returning to Dreadspire."

Just as Vexia began her chant, a new sound filled the air. It was not the sound of dark magic. It was a high, clear, chiming sound that seemed to come from the heavens itself.

Everyone froze. Lord Falco’s retinue, Riku’s friends, all looked up at the sky.

The sky above them, which had just returned to its normal blue, began to blaze with a pure, golden radiance.

A shimmering, golden portal, its edges crackling with holy energy, tore open in the middle of the sky.

From it descended a dozen figures. They were not knights in steel armor. They were paladins, clad in radiant, golden plate that seemed to glow with an inner light. They had wings of pure energy, and they held spears that hummed with sacred power.

They landed silently in the center of the village square, forming a perfect, disciplined circle between Riku’s group and Lord Falco’s. A three-way standoff.

Lord Falco stared, his jaw slack. "What is this? More of your tricks?" he hissed at Riku.

Riku didn’t answer. His own face was a mask of grim confusion.

The leader of the paladins, a tall woman with a stern, beautiful face and a golden helmet, stepped forward.

Her eyes, glowing with the light of the sun, scanned the scene. She took in the northern nobles and their dark mages. She took in the villagers and their strange protectors. Her gaze finally settled on Riku.

"By order of the High Luminar of the Solari Empire," she declared, her voice ringing with absolute, divine authority. "This valley is now under sacred quarantine."

She raised her spear, its tip blazing with golden fire.

"No one enters. No one leaves."

A silence fell over the field. Both Riku’s group and Falco’s stared at the newcomers.

"What is the meaning of this?" Barou muttered, looking at Lord Gregor. "Do you recognize that crest on their armor?"

Lord Gregor squinted. "No. It is not of any noble house in the Korvan Kingdom. Nor is it the crest of our Royal Guard."

On the other side, Rudolf leaned towards the Violet Emissary. "This is not the magic of this kingdom," he whispered. "Their power feels... older. More pure."

The paladins were clearly followers of the Light. But their authority, their very presence, felt alien to everyone present.

Then, Lysaria gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth. Her face was pale with shock.

"That crest," she whispered to Lila, her voice trembling. "On their armor. The golden sunburst. That is...."

She stared at the paladin leader. "That is the Sunburst of Krass. The Imperial Capital."

"The Solari Empire?" Barou muttered, his eyes wide. He had heard the name in stories. It was a distant, almost mythical power. "What business does the core empire have with a small village like Elowen?"

The paladin leader’s gaze was fixed on Riku. It was cold and unyielding.

Riku stepped forward. He ignored the spears aimed in his direction. He met her glowing eyes without fear.

"I am Riku, the caretaker of this village," he said, his voice calm and clear. "Who are you? And by what authority do you quarantine my home?"

The paladin leader did not answer his question directly. Her expression did not change.

"Our authority is absolute," she stated flatly. "It comes from the highest echelons of the Light. We are here to investigate a divine disturbance of the highest order."