Peaceful Life System: I only need to live peacefully

Riku held Aurelia's hand. His words hung in the air between them. "There is no way I am letting you go now."

Aurelia stared at him, her face a bright, beautiful crimson. She was completely speechless.

The moment was broken by a sharp, disapproving voice.

"Riku."

He turned. Lila was standing there, her arms crossed, her expression a mixture of annoyance and concern.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her voice sharp. "Let go of her hand."

Riku blinked. He looked down and realized he was still holding Aurelia's hand tightly. He let go instantly, as if he had been burned. A wave of embarrassment washed over him.

"I didn't mean..." he stammered. "I was just trying to reassure her."

"You have a strange way of reassuring people," Sherry muttered from behind Lila.

Aurelia, however, just smiled. It was a small, gentle smile, but it was the first genuine one they had seen from her. The blush on her cheeks was still there, but the fear in her eyes was gone.

"It's alright," she said, her voice quiet. "I... I understand what he meant."

Riku cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Lady Aurelia," he began, his tone more formal now. "My apologies if I was too forward. What I meant to say is... we can help you. And perhaps, you can help us."

Aurelia looked at him, her expression curious. "Help you? How?"

"My friends and I are on a quest," Riku explained. "We come from a small, peaceful village far to the south. We are trying to build an academy there, to empower our people. We are searching for skilled individuals. Teachers. Mages, strategists, scholars... people who are tired of the endless politics and conflict of the great cities."

He met her gaze. "We are looking for people who want to build something new. Something better."

Aurelia listened, her expression thoughtful. "An academy," she mused. "In a remote village. That is a very ambitious goal."

"We are an ambitious group," Lila said proudly.

Aurelia was silent for a long moment. She seemed to be considering his words carefully.

"The people you are looking for," she finally said, "the discontented scholars, the mages who value knowledge over power... they are rare in Eldoria. But they do exist."

She looked up, a new, thoughtful light in her eyes. "You will not find them in the military cities or the merchant ports. But there is one place where they gather."

"Where?" Riku asked, leaning forward.

"The place I was taken from," Aurelia replied. "The Silverwood Academy."

Sherry scoffed. "An academy for nobles, I assume? How do you expect us to just walk in and ask for an application?"

"It is not just for nobles," Aurelia corrected gently. "That is a common misconception. The Academy's charter is ancient. It predates the kingdom itself. It accepts any student who can pass the entrance examinations, regardless of their bloodline."

"Exams?" Lila asked, her brow furrowed. "What kind of exams?"

"They are notoriously difficult," Aurelia admitted. "Tests of logic, magical aptitude, and historical knowledge. Many nobles fail. Many commoners are accepted. It is a true meritocracy. That is one of the reasons the High Priest dislikes it so."

Lysaria's interest was piqued. "What do they teach there? Is it only the storm magic favored by the Church of Thunder?"

"No," Aurelia said, a note of pride in her voice. "That is what makes it unique. The Storm Spire in the capital teaches only the state-sanctioned arts. But Silverwood... we teach everything. True history, not the revised versions from the High Priest. Alchemy. The old ways of elemental magic. Even theoretical spellcraft."

She looked at Riku. "The Academy's motto is 'Knowledge is a light that no shadow can extinguish'. They believe in preserving all knowledge, not just the parts that are politically convenient."

"So," Riku mused, "it is a haven for free thinkers. A direct challenge to the High Priest's authority."

"Exactly," Aurelia confirmed. "Many of the instructors there are brilliant, but they are out of favor with the current regime. They are the kind of people you are looking for."

A new path had opened up before them. A clear, direct destination.

"The Silverwood Academy," Riku repeated. "Can you lead us there?"

"I can," Aurelia said with a nod. "But it will not be easy. It is in the heart of the kingdom. And we now know that I have powerful enemies who do not want me to return."

The Silverwood Academy. It was a clear destination. A single point of light that seemed to be at the end of the tunnel. But it was a light surrounded by shadows.

"So we have a destination," Riku said, breaking the silence. "But we also have a problem."

He looked at Aurelia. Her fine, though now torn, noble's dress was a beacon in the dim forest. "We cannot simply walk into the heart of the kingdom with a high-profile noble lady who has powerful enemies. We might as well paint a target on our backs."

"He's right," Sherry agreed, her hand resting on her dagger. "The moment someone recognizes you, Lady Aurelia, your enemies will know you are still alive. And they will send more than four incompetent bandits next time."

Lila frowned. "So what do we do? Travel only at night? Hide in the woods?"

"That would take months," Sherry retorted. "And we would likely starve or be eaten by a shadow-drake before we got halfway there."

"There must be a way," Lysaria said, her expression thoughtful. "A way to hide in plain sight."

They were all quiet for a moment. They were thinking.

Then, a slow, calculating smile spread across Riku's face. "You're right, Lysaria. And I think I have an idea."

Everyone turned to him.

"We will not hide," Riku announced. "We will do the opposite. We will travel openly. We will stay at inns. We will walk the main roads."

"Are you insane?" Sherry asked, her eyes wide. "That's suicide."

"Not if we have a good reason to be there," Riku countered. He looked at Aurelia. "Lady Aurelia, what is the first thing a noble would do after being attacked by bandits and rescued by strangers?"

Aurelia thought for a moment. "They would... hire bodyguards for protection on the journey home."

Riku's smile widened. "Exactly."

He explained his plan. It was simple. It was elegant. And it used the truth to create the perfect lie.

"We will be your new bodyguards," he said. "The story is simple. You were attacked. You were rescued by a traveling mercenary group." He gestured to himself and the girls. "That's us. Fearing for your safety, you hired us to escort you back to the Silverwood Academy."

Lila's eyes lit up. "It's perfect! It explains why we're with her. It gives us a legitimate reason to be on the road."

"And it makes us look like common sell-swords," Sherry added, a grudging respect in her voice. "No one pays attention to sell-swords."

"Even if we are questioned," Riku concluded, "our story is based on the truth. The best lies always are."

Aurelia looked at him. She saw the quiet confidence in his eyes. She pondered over Riku's suggestion deeply and could see it working.

"It could work," she said, a small, determined smile on her face. "I think it is our best shot."

"Good," Riku said. "Then that's our plan. But first, we need to look the part. And we need supplies."

He looked at Aurelia. "Where is the nearest city we can do that without drawing too much attention?"

Aurelia thought for a moment, picturing the map of the region in her mind. "Two days' walk east from here is the city of Oakhaven," she said. "It's a major trade hub on the edge of the Ironwood. It's always full of travelers and mercenaries. A group like ours wouldn't be out of place there."

Riku nodded. "Then that's where we're going."

"Let's go," he said. "It's time to become mercenaries."

They set off at once. The forest was dense and the path was rough. But with a clear destination in mind, a new sense of purpose filled the group.

They traveled for two days. The journey was quiet. Aurelia, still processing the events of her rescue, walked silently among them. The girls, sensing her fragility, gave her space. They offered her food and water, their gestures small acts of kindness in a world that had just shown her its cruelty.

On the afternoon of the second day, they saw their destination in the horizon. The trees thinned, opening up to a wide, dusty road. In the distance, they could see the stone walls of a bustling city.

"Penitit," Aurelia said with a low murmur. "It is a major trade hub. We should be able to find everything we need here for the long journey ahead."

They approached the city gates. A pair of bored-looking guards in the livery of the Tempest Legion watched them come. Their eyes swept over the group, lingering for a moment on Aurelia's torn but still fine dress.

"State your business," one of the guards grunted, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Riku stepped forward. He was no longer the calm caretaker of Elowen. He was a mercenary captain of Eldoria. His posture was different and he spoke with a rough voice..

"We're sell-swords," he said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. "Hired on by the lady here." He jerked a thumb towards Aurelia. "She had some trouble with bandits a few days back. We're escorting her to Silverwood."

The guard looked at Aurelia. He saw her pale face and torn clothes. The story was plausible. He looked back at Riku and the four women behind him. They looked tough enough.

He shrugged. "Fine. Five silver for the entry tax."

Aurelia paid the toll without a word. The guards waved them through.

"Well, that was surprisingly easy..."