"Come catch me!"
The blue-haired girl saw countless people chasing after her and let out a shout that sounded nothing like fear. Excitement flashed in her eyes as she broke into a rapid run through the streets.
Her speed and movements were incredibly agile, and she grinned happily.
Part of her mind was still replaying what had just happened.
He dodged it.
Was it just a coincidence?
It did not look like it!
In any case, that prince was definitely not simple. He looked pretty fun!
Just as she thought this, she looked back and discovered that someone had actually caught up. It seemed to be one of the prince's guards. Her face was stern, her movements were nimble, and she invisibly radiated no small amount of pressure as she continued closing the distance between them.
"Now this is getting interesting!"
It seemed she had provoked someone incredible, but the blue-haired girl instead found it even more fun. She immediately stopped holding back and ran at full speed.
Several figures then sped through the streets, constantly disrupting the street's order and even throwing off the Enforcers riding ring-cycles.
Caitlyn looked at Quinn's racing figure ahead of her and was somewhat surprised. "Her reaction and speed are so fast. She's already left me far behind…"
She had thought she was the first to react, but Quinn had rushed out even earlier than her.
At this point, even she could only follow behind Quinn as they chased that criminal.
"Caitlyn, I'll go that way!"
Jayce shouted from the distance and circled around to another street.
Caitlyn looked toward him, nodded, then pushed herself into a hard sprint.
She discovered that no matter how hard she tried, she could not catch up to Quinn's speed. There was clearly quite a gap between them.
Soon, they reached a busy market district. There were many streets, and the crowd was dense, with people coming and going. The blue-haired girl slipped into the crowd and, with the advantage of her smaller height, quickly hid her tracks.
Quinn stopped and swept her gaze around.
Caitlyn caught up with great effort, breathing somewhat hard. "I'll help."
Finding people and chasing people were both things she excelled at. No matter how many people there were, she believed she could quickly find a clue.
However, just as her gaze entered the crowd, Quinn had already moved.
"Found her. She's at nine o'clock. Please go right and cut her off."
After Quinn finished speaking, she rushed out at once.
"Huh? Oh!"
Caitlyn had not reacted yet, but her legs had already moved to the right. Her gaze flicked aside, and sure enough, she spotted a blue-haired figure at nine o'clock.
That was her!
The one who threw the hidden weapon!
In the crowd, the blue-haired girl suddenly realized that she seemed to be surrounded from three directions. She glanced left and right, then directly ducked into a fruit shop, leaping over the shelves and scattering fruit all over the floor.
The owner cried out in surprise, but the bold intruder who had charged into his shop was already gone.
He heard the thudding sound of someone going upstairs and hurriedly chased after her.
But when he reached the second floor, he found that the girl seemed to have only borrowed the window there. The window was open, and she was already gone.
Soon, a female warrior in light armor rushed up first. After her came two more people, an Enforcer and an outstanding young man.
Instead of using the perfectly good road, these people insisted on using the window.
Seeing this scene, the fruit shop owner did not dare make a sound. He stood off to the side, a little dumbfounded.
Buildings clustered tightly across this district. Usually, one building stood right beside another, and there were always connections between them.
When Quinn chased out, she found that the blue-haired figure had already climbed onto a rooftop and was racing quickly across the roofs. In the blink of an eye, she had already run a long distance.
Even Quinn could not help inwardly sighing that this girl was truly agile.
With that thought, she began climbing as well and blew a bright, piercing whistle.
The next second, the blue-haired girl heard an eagle cry from the sky. She tilted her head up and saw a blue eagle diving straight toward her from high above under the sunlight.
"So cool!"
Her eyes lit up, and she felt that this scene was incredibly cool.
But very quickly, she realized that now did not seem to be the time for admiration.
At that moment, the blue-haired girl unleashed the fastest speed of her life and leaped with all her strength toward the rooftop ahead, which was at least five or six meters away.
In midair, she twisted her body and dodged the eagle's pounce, then landed on the opposite rooftop and rolled several times, sliding all the way down.
Bricks and tiles kept falling. She stepped onto a large roof tile, steadied herself, controlled her direction, then grabbed a water pipe and returned smoothly to the ground.
That falcon swooped toward her again, carrying a bold, majestic momentum. This time, it seemed it would not miss again.
And she had no way out.
At that critical moment, the girl saw a waste-recycling chute leading to the undercity.
Immediately, scenes from her memories flashed past. Without hesitation, her body moved on instinct. She flipped open the cover and dove inside.
She narrowly avoided the eagle's pounce in the final second. The Azurite Eagle landed on the ground, unable to do anything about opening a cover.
"Valor, have you been living too comfortably lately?"
Quinn leaped down from the rooftop and gave the guilty-looking Valor a somewhat dissatisfied glance.
Ever since this guy had followed His Highness with her, he had eaten and drunk well every day. When he was not doing that, he was freely soaring through blue skies and white clouds. Now he could not even catch a petty thief.
Although that petty thief really did have some skill.
Very soon, Caitlyn and Jayce also rushed over. They were both panting slightly.
Quinn turned to them and asked, "Where does this lead?"
"The lower city. We usually call it Zaun," Caitlyn answered. She moved closer and opened the waste-recycling cover. "This leads to one of Zaun's waste-recycling stations. That person just now was obviously from the lower city. I'm afraid she's already slipped away by now."
Quinn nodded slightly. "So the chances of catching up aren't high anymore."
"You were already very impressive. If you were familiar with the terrain, she wouldn't have escaped."
Caitlyn stood up and spoke sincerely. She was not trying to flatter her. She simply felt that Quinn was impressive.
She had followed along the whole way, so it was not hard for her to realize that if Quinn had understood Piltover's terrain, that blue-haired figure absolutely would not have gotten away.
The woman before her looked to be around the same age as her, yet she was far more capable.
"You two were impressive as well. But we still lost her. Let's go back first."
After Quinn said this, she walked in the direction they had come from.
Caitlyn and Jayce exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
Great. On the very first day Demacia's guests had arrived, Piltover had already made a fool of itself in front of them.
All these dignified Piltover Enforcers had failed to catch a lower-city thief playing a prank.
Like riding a slide, the blue-haired girl shifted left and right through the pipe, and finally shot out of the exit.
Below was a small mountain of scrap. She landed on top of it and looked out. There were already several small mountains inside the scrapyard, and many raggedly dressed Zaunites were picking through the industrial waste the people of the upper city no longer wanted.
The "scrap" in the eyes of those arrogant upper-city people actually still held a lot of value waiting to be squeezed out.
Over time, this had even given birth to a profession that supported countless people.
They were called scavengers.
Scavengers gathered the waste the people of the upper city no longer wanted, then either sold it to people who needed it, modified it themselves, or found ways to refurbish it.
Then they sold it back to the upper city, using the lower-city people's special cleverness to make another profit from the "idiots" above.
Seeing something else drop from the pipe, many lower-city people immediately gathered around. Once they realized it was a blue-haired girl, they instantly lost interest and scattered.
She ran all the way down to the ground. The smell in the air had changed. This place was still somewhat better, since it was close to the upper city. She could only faintly smell something like disinfectant.
"That was really close."
She patted herself down. Thinking of that Azurite Eagle, she silently decided that sooner or later, she would catch one just like it.
Thinking of that dangerous moment from earlier, her heart was still beating faster, pounding hard.
She loved that feeling of blood rushing and her heart racing far too much.
"Hmm… where should I go play next?"
She began wandering aimlessly, wanting to find something fun again.
What she did not know was that the upper city was already about to go crazy because of what she had done.
The group made it all the way to the banquet venue prepared for Luke. Fortunately, nothing else went wrong along the way.
The banquet officially began. Piltover had prepared an extremely lavish spread for Luke, and a gramophone played classical music.
The famous nobles of the upper district had basically all gathered here, lining up in order to greet Luke, Lux, and the others.
The harmonious atmosphere lasted until Quinn and the others returned. The hall could not help falling into a brief silence.
"Your Highness, the person who threw the paper airplane appears to be a young girl. It was probably some kind of prank."
Quinn walked to Luke's side and reported softly.
Many people around them observed Luke's expression and found that his face remained as gentle as ever.
"Since it was a prank, there's no need to pursue it any further. Let this matter pass. No one should mention it again."
Quinn's answer confirmed Luke's guess. He smiled and lifted a glass of fine Piltover wine, then lightly took a sip after speaking.
It tasted pretty good.
He had not planned to pursue the matter in the first place. After he said this, the entire room could not help breathing a sigh of relief.
With one sentence, the atmosphere immediately returned to how it had been before. The people around him gathered around with smiling faces again, offering every kind of compliment and polite remark.
Luke was courteous to everyone. No matter who came to toast him, he drank a small sip.
Lux, Sona, and the others were not idle either. After all, they were also from Demacia's top noble families.
One was from the Crownguard family, and the other from the Buvelle family. With a little inquiry, the people of Piltover understood their backgrounds.
There was no need to even mention Luke. These two nobles alone would be figures of great importance if placed in Piltover.
Their weight in the room was second only to Luke.
Poppy was not suited to this kind of occasion, so she sat in a quiet corner where no one disturbed her and enjoyed the food. Many people noticed her, but none of them went over to bother her.
Annie sat at a dessert table not far from Luke, her eyes sparkling as she ate dessert.
Yurna stood to the right of the banquet hall entrance, wearing an exquisite maid outfit with an aloof expression. She looked stunning and naturally attracted quite a few gazes.
Many people believed that a maid with such bearing could probably only be worthy of serving that prince.
After Quinn finished her report, she withdrew to the side and went to find Poppy.
Luke had also brought Navis with him this time. In truth, she had been following the logistical team from the very beginning. At this moment, she had probably gone wandering around nearby.
She had always longed for Piltover. Now that she had arrived, she simply could not stay still.
As for Briar, having just grasped blood magic, she needed some time to adapt and had not come with them. Instead, she stayed in Qualthala.
She could now control blood magic on her own, so there was not as much reason to worry about her.
At this time, behind the scenes of the banquet, several councilors stood together with ugly expressions.
Beside them were Chief Enforcer Slap, Jayce, Caitlyn, and a group of others.
"Slap, you failed the trust we placed in you. Since His Highness does not intend to pursue the matter, go back and write a self-review report to submit."
Councilor Costin looked coldly at Slap, who had lowered his head, and spoke indifferently.
"I understand."
Slap sighed inwardly. For now, he could only admit his bad luck.
Councilor Vaido's expression did not look very good as he said, "I knew it. This was definitely done by someone from the lower city. Recently, they have become more and more lawless, with no respect for order or law! The prince does not intend to pursue it, but we cannot let this matter simply pass. What she did is no different from slapping us in the face!"
The councilors were still angry. If the prince had truly insisted on pursuing the matter, they would have had no choice but to turn the lower city upside down.
Cassandra asked Caitlyn, "Did you see what she looked like?"
Caitlyn shook her head. "Only a vague glimpse. She should be around sixteen or seventeen, with a thin build and two very noticeable blue-green braids. Her movements were very agile, so she should have some background. I'm sure someone in the lower city knows her."
"Then there's no problem." Cassandra nodded slightly and ordered Slap, "Quickly make a simplified portrait of this girl, then hand it to whoever is in charge in the lower city. Tell him to give us an explanation."
"Yes!"
Slap accepted the order and turned to leave.
"There's no need to make things so tense." Heimerdinger, who had been watching silently from the side, spoke up. "The relationship between the upper and lower cities has grown increasingly unfriendly lately. Perhaps it truly was only a child's prank. If she had really meant harm, what she threw might not have been a paper airplane."
"Professor, your nerves are too relaxed." Councilor Vaido looked at him and said, "It is precisely because the relationship between the upper and lower cities has grown worse that we absolutely cannot underestimate this matter. Perhaps this was a test from the lower city."
"Exactly." Councilor Harken nodded in agreement. "The people of the lower city have been testing our bottom line lately. Perhaps we should use this matter to inform them that our patience also has limits."
Councilor Arianna thought for a moment, then looked at an Enforcer and said, "Go tell Slap that many unruly lower-city people have been coming to the upper city to commit crimes lately. Within one day, arrest a few typical examples."
"Yes."
The Enforcer accepted the order and left.
Seeing their arrangements, Heimerdinger sighed softly. "Sigh."
Mel looked at him and said softly, "Professor, leave this matter to us. You don't need to trouble yourself over it so much."
"I trust your ability to handle matters. I only hope it can be done a little more gently."
Heimerdinger did not want to say more and added, "We should go back. If we leave our guests waiting there any longer, it will seem impolite."
In the banquet hall.
Several councilors walked toward Luke.
Heimerdinger asked, "Your Highness, may I ask whether you are satisfied with the banquet?"
"I'm very satisfied. I can feel everyone's care."
Luke answered with a smile.
Heimerdinger smiled as well. "As long as you are satisfied. In a little while, Piltover's top orchestra will perform for you. I hope you will enjoy it."
Luke nodded slightly. "I look forward to it."
At this moment, Cassandra walked forward and moved aside, revealing Caitlyn behind her as she introduced her. "Your Highness, this is my daughter, Caitlyn. She is also a mid-level Enforcer of Piltover. I hope she can fulfill her duties next and serve as your guard."
Piltover's police ranks were divided into ordinary Enforcers, mid-level Enforcers, senior Enforcers, and other different positions. Caitlyn was in the middle, though of course, that was still thanks to Cassandra's recommendation.
It was not that she lacked ability. Rather, Cassandra had simply never given her the chance to display it.
Now that Caitlyn had suddenly been introduced, when she looked at Luke's face, she seemed somewhat flustered for a moment. She hurriedly remembered to straighten her clothes, adjust her Enforcer hat, and in any case suddenly looked much busier.
Luke looked at her with a smile. The beautiful girl before him did not look old, about the same age as Lux.
From beneath her Enforcer hat fell neat blue-purple hair. Her bright eyes did not seem to know where to look at this moment. She had an oval face and delicate, pretty features. She wore no makeup at all, yet still looked very refined.
He extended his hand and spoke first. "Hello, Caitlyn. Your reaction just now was very fast. I saw it."
"Not at all. Compared to Miss Quinn, I'm still far behind."
Only then did Caitlyn know what she should do. She quickly reached out and shook Luke's hand, speaking without any sense of flattery.
Cassandra added from the side, "I know this child's ability is still far inferior to that of your guards. But she is extremely familiar with Piltover. For the next period of time, she can act as Your Highness's guide."
Being described as so inadequate in front of so many people, Caitlyn looked at her mother with some dissatisfaction.
At that moment, she felt a force from her hand. It seemed he wanted to pull his hand back, and only then did she suddenly realize that she was still holding Luke's hand. She hurriedly let go.
In that brief instant, the temperature of her cheeks rose all at once. Caitlyn only felt that she had embarrassed herself terribly today, completely losing her composure.
Fortunately, no one noticed her awkwardness.
At this time, Heimerdinger stepped forward and introduced the outstanding-looking young man behind him. "Your Highness, his name is Jayce. He is the foremost outstanding individual Piltover has recognized in recent years and has made many contributions to the city."
Compared to the flustered Caitlyn, Jayce appeared very calm. After being introduced, he took the initiative to step forward, bowed slightly, and extended his hand with just the right timing. "Hello, Your Highness."
"Hello, Jayce."
Luke also shook his hand.
Jayce was definitely the most famous person in Piltover right now. After all, he had invented Hextech and was also the creator of the soon-to-be-born Hexgates.
He was a well-deserved rising star of Piltover, someone who drew attention wherever he went.
However, his seniority was still a little low, so for now, he could only appear as someone being introduced.
In truth, to Luke, there were many familiar faces present.
It was just that he had known them long ago, while they were only just meeting him now.
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