Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 52: Rescue mission

"Today, we have identified the source."

Thorin pointed his thick finger dramatically at the bound girl. "Dear villagers of Oakwood, this is the source. This cursed being....!" he spat the word. "was found collapsed near the Whisperwood two days ago, bearing these unholy marks! The Crimson Creep lives in her! She is the vessel of the curse that plagues us!"

A murmur of fear and anger rippled through the crowd. Some pointed, others recoiled.

"The Whisperwood! That place has always been ill-omened!" an old woman cried out.

"Her father’s missing, isn’t he?" another man shouted. "Probably dabbled in dark things and brought this upon us, then fled, leaving her to carry the taint!"

A third elder, his face wizened and stern, stepped forward slightly. "I saw her father, Thorin. He looked shifty. Always heading into those woods. He’s the one who brought this evil, and she is his seed!"

The accusations flew, each one adding to the girl’s terror. She shook her head, tears streaming. "No! Papa wouldn’t... we were just looking for herbs to eat! And then, a wave of red mist came onto us, and I fainted. My father has been missing since. Boo hoo.... papa"

Chief Thorin silenced the crowd with another raised hand. "The council of elders has convened! We have consulted the old ways, the sacred texts passed down from our forefathers!" His voice grew louder, more fervent. "They speak of such blights, of concentrated evil that takes root in the weak or the tainted! And the texts are clear on the remedy!"

He looked around at the assembled elders, who stood near the podium, their faces grim and resolved. "Elders of Oakhaven! We have discussed. We have prayed. What say you? What is the will of Oakhaven to protect itself?"

One by one, the elders spoke, their voices heavy with conviction.

"The blight spreads too fast! We must act decisively!"

"Our traditions demand purification! The safety of the many outweighs the one!" "

Her father’s disappearance is too convenient! She is the focus of this evil!"

"There is no other way! The texts are clear!"

Chief Thorin nodded solemnly at each pronouncement. "The consensus is clear. The vote is cast."

He turned back to the crowd, his voice hard as stone. "For the survival of Oakhaven, to purge this vile curse from our lands, the vessel must be cleansed! Tomorrow, at dawn," he declared, his gaze sweeping over the horrified girl, "she will be cleansed in the purifying flame! It is the only way!"

"Orin, take this girl away, and do not let her escape."

The burly man who was standing next to the girl acknowledged the chief as he instructed his men to carry the girl to the prison.

The girl sobbed, shaking her head frantically. "No! Please! I didn’t do anything! Papa was a good man!"

"Someone, please help!"

Riku felt a cold fury rise within him. This was Vintross all over again, but cruder, more desperate, fueled by fear and misguided tradition. He glanced at Lila, saw the horror and outrage mirrored in her eyes. He wanted to intervene, to shout, to use his power to stop this madness.

Ding!

It is recommended that the host does not try to alter the fate of every person.

Direct intervention in external affairs carries significant risk

Riku hesitated, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Riku..." Lila whispered, her voice tight with anguish, tugging at his sleeve. "We have to do something! They can’t just... burn her!"

He looked at the terrified girl, then at the grim faces in the crowd, then at Lila’s pleading eyes. The system’s caution warred with the injustice in front of him.

Eventually, as the crowd began to disperse, muttering amongst themselves, Riku let out a slow breath. He turned to Lila, his expression unreadable.

"The system might want me to stay peaceful," Riku muttered, more to himself. "But there are different kinds of peace."

"Go back to the inn. Wait for me."

"What are you going to do?" she asked, hope and fear mingling in her voice.

He gave her a quick, reassuring nod. "Just wait."

That night, back in their dimly lit inn room, Riku paced while Lila watched him, her anxiety clearly written on her face.

"Riku, do you also think that burning the girl from earlier would help contain the plague.. or whatever that is?"

"Burning her won’t solve anything, Lila. It’s just fear talking," Riku said, his voice low. "If this ’Crimson Creep’ is what I think it is, it’s not something you can burn away."

"The villagers mentioned that she caught it from somewhere. If we can get a chance to speak with her, then we might find the first clue to this mess."

"So what’s your plan?" Lila asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can’t just fight the whole village."

Riku stopped pacing and looked at her. "No. We can’t. But I can’t let them kill her either."

He ran a hand through his hair. "We need to get her out. But we need to do it without revealing too much. The guards who were near the ... I saw them earlier. Their captain, Orin, I think I can disguise myself as him."

"Orin? That burly man? How will you disguise yourself as him? Even if we both combined our mass, we still would not reach half of him..."

"Just watch."

Riku focused, and a faint shimmer enveloped him.

His height, build, even his facial features subtly shifted. The green and brown of his robes darkened, coalescing into the rough leather and dull metal of an Oakhaven guard’s uniform. When the shimmer faded, he was a near-perfect double of the pacing guard, Orin.

"Whaaat"

Lila gasped. "Riku! You look just like him! How...?"

"A skill," Riku said, his voice now a gruff imitation of Orin’s. "Disguise. Useful for... peaceful negotiations." He gave a wry smile that didn’t quite fit Orin’s face.

"The plan is simple. I go in as Orin. Convince the other guard I’m taking the girl for... let’s say, ’special questioning’ ordered by the Chief. This will allow me some peace and quiet as I get her out of the cell. Then, we get her out of Oakhaven before anyone’s the wiser."

"Special questioning?" Lila raised an eyebrow, a hint of disgust in her tone. "Humph, of course, everyone will believe that. All men are pigs."