Chapter 196: Falco’s offer
Lord Falco stared at the two temples. His mouth was slightly agape. He had seen many impossible things today. A man who could create forbidden artifacts at will. A mage who could erase high-tier magic with a gesture. But this... this was, in its own way, the most impossible sight of all.
"Coexistence," he repeated Riku’s word, his voice a disbelieving whisper. "Between Light and Shadow? It is a fundamental law of nature that they are in opposition. This is heresy."
"Not here," Riku said simply. "Here, they are just neighbors."
Marci said nothing. She just stared. Her mind, already reeling from the day’s events, struggled to process the sight. In her world, the followers of Light were enemies to be crushed. The idea of them sharing a plot of land was unthinkable.
Barou, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. His chest was still bruised, but his voice was full of its usual booming pride. "Come," he said, gesturing for the guests to follow. "If you are to be our guests for the day, you should see all of Elowen."
He led them on a tour. It was not a tour of grand monuments or ancient relics. It was a tour of a living, breathing community.
Their first stop was the new, expanded forge. The air was hot and filled with the rhythmic clang of hammers. Lord Falco watched, his collector’s eye immediately drawn to the craftsmanship. He saw Dwarven smiths with braided beards working side-by-side with human blacksmiths.
"Incredible," Falco muttered, watching Elder Thrain and Gnord argue over the precise quenching temperature for a new batch of rune-stones. "To see a master of the old Dwarven school working with human techniques... the fusion of styles is... remarkable."
Next, they were shown the fields. Rennan proudly demonstrated a Water Rune. He placed it on a patch of dry earth, and the stone began to weep pure, clean water, slowly turning the dust into dark, fertile mud.
Falco knelt, just as the King had done. He touched the water, his eyes wide with a greedy, covetous light. "So this is the source," he whispered. "Not an enchanted well. A reproducible artifact." He looked at Riku with a new, profound understanding. This was not just a village. It was a factory of miracles.