Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 56: Reaching the Source

"Papa..."

Elara looked from Lila’s kind face to Riku’s steady gaze. She took a deep breath, and the fear in her eyes was slowly replaced by rising determination.

"No," she said, her voice surprisingly firm for someone who had endured so much. "I... I have to go."

"Are you sure, Elara?" Riku asked. "It could be dangerous."

She straightened her small shoulders. "That place... it took my papa. And it made me like this." She gestured to her marked skin.

"If there’s any chance of finding out what happened to him, or what these marks mean... I have to know." Her eyes, though still shadowed with trauma, held new resolve. "And... you both saved me. You’re going into that awful place because of me. I can’t just... I can’t let you go alone. I know the way to the clearing. I can guide you."

Lila looked at Riku, a silent question in her eyes. Riku met Elara’s determined gaze. He saw fear, yes, but also a courage that belied her age and recent ordeal.

"Alright, Elara," Riku said softly. "If you’re sure. We’ll go together. But you stay close to us, understand? No running off, no matter what."

Elara nodded, a small, grateful smile finally touching her lips. "I understand. Thank you."

Lila gave her a supportive squeeze on the shoulder. "Then it’s settled. Whisperwood, or whatever it is. Let’s hope we find more answers than trouble."

Riku nodded. "It is settled, then. We will set off at dawn, before anyone notices the prison break. Let us get some rest for now."

Early the next morning, the trio moved quickly.

Riku had already retrieved their modest carriage from where he’d hidden it just outside the village under an invisibility spell the previous day. Elara, though still pale and weak, insisted on sitting up front with Lila, her eyes scanning the familiar yet menacing path toward the so-called Whisperwood.

"Are you sure you know the way, Elara?" Lila asked gently, noticing the girl’s slight tremble.

"Yes," Elara said, her voice small but firm. "Being travelers, we always have a keen sense of direction. It’s not far off the main path, but it’s hidden by dense trees and wildlife."

They traveled for an hour in silence, the only sounds the creak of the carriage wheels and the distant calls of morning birds. The air grew heavier, the light dimmer, as they turned off the main road onto a barely discernible track that took them deeper into tangled trees.

"It’s this way," Elara whispered, pointing toward a narrow game trail. "The clearing isn’t much farther."

Riku brought the carriage to a halt and concealed it with invisibility magic. "We walk from here. Stay alert."

Elara led them, her small hand occasionally reaching out to feel familiar trees. The forest was unnervingly quiet—no squirrels chattered, no birds sang their usual chorus. The only sound was the crunch of their boots on damp leaf litter.

As the trio moved through the forest, they came across multiple dead animals, all marked with the same crimson manifestation. The only difference was that the manifestations appeared much stronger and had spread almost across each entire body.

"Elara, is your infection slowly spreading as well?" Riku asked.

"Yes. The reddish marks appear to be spreading. The painful outbursts had also increased, but since you tried to treat me last night, they haven’t returned," Elara said, looking at the marks on her hands.

"Hmm, it might be a case where humans can resist the infection better than animals. Also, the earlier treatment might have boosted her immune system, making it more able to fight the infection. Is it a specific bacteria or virus on which magic has no effect, but the human body can fight naturally?" Riku muttered, falling into deep thought.

"Did you say something, Riku? What is this bacteria and virus?" Lila asked, catching some of his musings.

"Nothing. I have a working hypothesis on this ’Crimson Creep,’ but we need to do some more testing. Let us continue for now."

Riku and Lila proceeded along the path Elara led them on. Soon, a faint, coppery scent could be distinguished in the air, growing stronger as they progressed.

"What is this weird smell?" Lila asked.

"I don’t know. It was there before, but not as strong. Looks like it’s coming from the same place," Elara replied.

"There," Elara breathed, stopping at the edge of a small, circular clearing. "This is the place."

The clearing was bathed in an eerie dim light, the sun struggling to penetrate the thick canopy above. At its center lay a scattering of dark, almost black stones, just as Elara had described.

They were smooth, unnatural-looking, and seemed to absorb the light around them. From them, a faint reddish mist curled into the still air.

"That’s it," Elara whispered, her voice tight with fear, instinctively stepping behind Lila. "That’s the mist that attacked us earlier."

Riku felt a familiar prickle on his skin, the faint metallic taste intensifying. "Lila, Elara, stay back. Don’t breathe it in if you can help it."

He took a cautious step forward. As he did, the red mist around the nearest stones seemed to coalesce and thicken. Then, with silent, unnerving speed, a tendril of the mist lashed out toward him.

"Riku!" Lila cried, her hand flying to her dagger.

Riku didn’t flinch. "Winds be my blade!" Sharp, almost invisible blades of compressed air shot from his outstretched hand, slicing cleanly through the ethereal red tendril. The mist recoiled with a faint sighing sound, like air escaping a punctured bladder, then dispersed slightly, though the overall haze remained.

"It attacked you!" Lila exclaimed, stepping forward despite Riku’s warning.

"It seems reactive," Riku observed, eyes narrowed on the dark stones, "and definitely not friendly."

He approached one of the larger stones cautiously. It was about the size of a loaf of bread, its surface strangely smooth and cold despite the humid forest air. The reddish mist seemed to seep directly from its porous surface.

"These stones," he murmured, "they’re the source of the mist, aren’t they?"