Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully-Chapter 79: Formation Master

"That...would probably be the most lucrative business you could run in the city today. But how do you plan to do that?"

"I have a plan in my mind," Riku said mysteriously

"And what might that be, Master Riku?" Borin asked, his eyes twinkling

"Talismans," Riku said. "Small objects, easily carried, enchanted with a minor but persistent healing aura. Something that can continuously soothe the symptoms, reduce the pain, and perhaps even slow the Creep’s progression. It would be a constant, low-level version of the healing I provided, far more effective than the Church’s draught."

"Talismans... yes. That could work." Borin fell into a deep thought.

"However, there would be a small problem. Talismans, especially those that hold special magic, such as healing. require complex engravings to hold the magic within them. That is where you and the other Dwarves come in."

"Us?" Borin blinked questioningly, pointing at himself.

"These talismans," Riku continued to Borin, "would require craftsmanship. The Dwarves of the Underbelly... you have forges, do you not? Smiths who still remember the old ways?"

Borin’s eyes lit up. "Our forges have been cold for too long, Master Riku, used only for mending tools and scrap. But the skills... aye, some of us still remember. We are Dwarves, after all. Metal sings in our blood." freewebnoveℓ.com

Riku nooded. That was exactly what he had thought. "I am sure that within your archives of weapon formation techniques, you have diagrams that, when engraved onto a talisman, could help it retain magic."

"I have the knowledge of healing magic; however, I lack the tools to quickly produce the talismans. If I tried to make all of them on my own, it would take a lot of time. But with yu helping me, we can do it much faster."

Borin’s face, already alight with a spark of his old smithing pride, now shone with determination.

"Master Riku, if you trust us with such a task... we will not fail you. Our archives are dusty, and many of the younger generation have not learned the deeper arts, but the knowledge is there. We will find the best patterns and the most suitable metals. We will bring our forges back to life!"

He paused, then a thought struck him. "I will go back immediately. I will consult with Tharin– he was one of our finest smiths before... before times got hard. We will look through the old scrolls. I will be back by tomorrow evening, Master Riku, with whatever we can craft, and perhaps some of our best formation theories on parchment!"

Soon, Borin left as Riku waved goodbye. He wanted to send a few pieces of chocolates to Kogrin and the others, but due to his low goodwill points, he held back.

Sigh. Even in this world, I have to work hard to spread happiness. System, when can I go back to my peaceful life?

Ding!

[You can go back right away, host. However, you won’t be able to travel out of Elowen after that. It is for your own and the safety of others.]

Humph. No need. Thank you.

[However, once you are able to solve the entire issue of the Crimson Creep, it would be a huge thing for the people of this world. At that point, the system can.. think of a good reward.]

You really are a tsundere, aren’t you?

[The system detects that the host has nothing more to do for today. The system is shutting down for now.]

Hey, wait. System. SYSTEM..

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The next day passed in a quiet, almost lazy haze in the Respite.

There were no unwelcome visitors, no alarms from the city. For a brief period, it felt like a pocket of peace in the otherwise tense city of Luxia.

As evening approached, true to his word, a knock came at their back door. It was Elder Borin, looking tired but with an excited glint in his eyes. Beside him stood another Dwarf, older than Borin, with hands like gnarled roots and eyes that seemed to hold timeless wisdom.

"Master Riku," Borin said, ushering his fellow dwarf in. "We have brought what we could. Elder Thrain himself oversaw the crafting."

Thrain, with a respectful nod to Riku, unrolled a piece of cured leather on the table. On it lay two freshly forged copper talismans, roughly palm-sized, and several pieces of parchment covered in intricate Dwarven runes and diagrams.

"The metal is not of the finest quality, young master," Thrain rumbled, his voice like stones grinding together, "but the forms are true. And these," he tapped the parchments, "are some of our most robust designs for holding and channeling ambient energies."

Riku picked up one of the talismans. The craftsmanship was solid, and the copper was smooth. He then examined the parchments. The Dwarven formations were indeed complex, designed to draw in and stabilize magical energies. The overall design looked sound, yet... something felt slightly off to him, a subtle disharmony in the flow.

"This is excellent work, Elders," Riku said respectfully. "The foundation is strong." He picked up a piece of charcoal from the inn’s hearth and a spare scrap of parchment. "May I... suggest a slight alteration?"

Borin and Thrain exchanged glances, then nodded. Riku began to sketch, not copying, but intuitively modifying Thrain’s designs.

His hand moved with a fluid grace, charcoal lines flowing across the parchment, reorienting certain runes, adding subtle curves to energy channels, creating small, almost invisible nexus points within the formation. He wasn’t consciously applying a known theory; it was more like he could feel the magic, sense its preferred pathways, and was merely tracing them out.

Borin and Thrain leaned closer, their eyes widening as they watched Riku’s doodles. What started as simple curiosity quickly turned into astonishment, then outright awe. Riku’s modifications were not just minor tweaks; they were transforming the very nature of the formation, making it more fluid, more receptive, yet also more potent.

Soon, Riku was done. He looked up, slightly embarrassed by their intense stares. "Just a few thoughts... it felt like the magic could flow a bit more freely this way..."

Elder Thrain stared at the new diagram, his jaw slack. He then looked at Riku, his ancient eyes filled with a reverence that bordered on worship. Suddenly, he dropped to one knee, his forehead nearly touching the dusty floorboards.

"Master... Formation Master!" Thrain’s voice trembled. "Such insight... such intuitive understanding of the sacred geometry of power... I have not seen its like in all my long years! These are not mere doodles; this is the work of a true master!"