Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 107: Going after Thomas (1)

The next five days passed uneventfully.

Due to Riku’s lack of goodwill points, he was unwilling to go out and look for Thomas or Marden. Instead, he spent a quiet few days with Lila and Elara.

On the fifth day, Elder Borin came to Riku and invited him to inspect the new batch of goods at the Underbelly. On their way to the Underbelly, he gave Riku an update.

"Master Riku. From what I have heard, the results from the first batch were fantastic. The Hummer family had put the 500 pieces up for sale for noble families yesterday. While there were some people who did not believe in the talisman, there were a few of them who trusted the Hummer family name and bought a couple."

"The results were so good that the same people purchased all the stock for 1,000 gold each, giving no chance for the others to understand what had happened. We made a whopping 500,000 gold coins in total!"

"As expected," Riku smiled. "Are you making a new batch now, Elder Borin?"

"Yes. This time, we have made another batch of 2000 talismans, the most we could make with the high-quality copper available. However..."

"What happened? Are there any troubles?" Riku asked.

"Well, if we want to help the poor, all the Hummer family can truly do is ensure that the person getting the talisman is needy. However, if the poor are coerced to give up their talismans by the rich and the powerful, then it would defeat the purpose."

"You are right, Elder Borin. Don’t worry, I happen to have a solution for that."

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Back at the Underbelly, the dwarves were hard at work, organizing the new batch. Baron Charles was discussing supply issues with Elder Tharin. Riku met them briefly, exchanging a quick greeting. Then Riku turned his attention towards the huge stockpile of engraved talismans.

System. Show me my current goodwill points.

[Current goodwill: 2530 (Source: From the creep inflicted people of Luxia)]

That was enough. RIku raised his hands and released his spell..

Mass Minor Heal [-500 Goodwill Points]

A wave of green light enveloped the talismans for a brief second before settling into each individual talisman.

Baron Charles, who saw Riku in action for the first time, was completely spellbound, not knowing what to say. He had never seen such a high level healing spell.

Then, Riku cast another spell.

Bind of the blood [-500 Goodwill Points]

A similar wave enveloped all the talismans once more; however, this time, it had a faint reddish hue.

"Lord Charles, this time, when you sell out the talismans, please ensure that the recipient drips a drop of his blood onto the talisman. This would permanently bind the artifact to the person, making it impossible for others to take or use it."

"What? A bounded artifact?" The Baron was stunned.

His shock was understandable. Such artifacts were even more priceless than normal ones, as no one else could steal or use them. However, this magic required an extensive understanding of the human blood or soul, both highly grey areas for magic development and research.

"Do not worry. If you face any troubles, just say that you are helped by a mysterious enchanter, who does not want to be named. In case you still have problems, let me know and I will try to solve it for you."

"Ah.. no no. You misunderstand." Baron Charles immediately shook his hands vigorously. "It should not be a trouble, though I am surprised that you also know blood magic. I thought that you were a healer."

"It is not that impressive. Later, I will write a manual for you, and then you can use it on your own artifacts. It is a simple spell." Riku said with a small smile.

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The operation was a success, and Riku had gotten a lot of goodwill points. But Riku knew he couldn’t delay any longer. The mystery of the footman, Thomas, still hung in the air.

On the sixth morning, he unfurled the rough, worn tunic belonging to the missing servant and used Tracker’s scent on it once again. This time, he did not take Lila and Elara with him. He left them at the inn with communication stones. But he did take Clara’s charm with him for safeguarding, and just in case he found some clues on Marden’s soul.

Three silvery trails, visible only to him, shimmered into existence. Riku had already taken two of the paths, so he chose the third one this time.

"Where are we going?" Clara asked, sensing movement. "Did you find any clues on where my husband is?"

"Not yet. However, I am chasing another person, who might have something to do with the Creep."

As Riku followed the trail, he gave Clara a short summary of what had happened earlier at the Hummer mansion, and about the footman he was chasing.

"I see. This Thomas guy might know a thing or two about this whole mess. It might be worth it to find him." Lady Clara spoke mentally.

"You are right. However, something seems off. Last time, the path was leading towards the inner city. This time, the path seems to be leading us outside the city. I wonder where he went."

Following the trail, the duo left the capital behind, venturing into a scrubby, untamed woodlands on its outskirts. The path led them to a desolate, rocky clearing, the air heavy with the stench of decay.

Eventually, after walking deep into the wilderness, they reached a clearing where they saw a pack of wild dogs sleeping. Near them, rotten body parts and a tattered, blood-stained remains of a footman’s uniform lay on the ground.

"Stay back," Riku ordered, his voice grim. He cast a simple Fear spell. The dogs yelped as if struck by an unseen whip, scattering into the undergrowth with their tails between their legs.

Is this our guy?

Riku spoke to himself as he approached the bloody mess.

"Riku!!" Lady Clara’s voice rang in his mind.

"What happened?" Riku asked.

"Quick," Clara urged, "Use your special sight. Someone is here!"

"What?"

Wraith Sight [-5 Goodwill Points]

Riku immediately cast his spell once again and looked at the bloody mess. He immediately noticed a soul floating over it.

"Is that... Is that Thomas?"