Once everyone who needed to meet had met, and every introduction that needed to be made was finished, Luke finally had a little time to rest. He had to admit, handling this sort of thing was pretty exhausting.
But since he was away from home, he was not only representing himself. The surface-level formalities that had to be followed still had to be followed.
The banquet hall was filled with conversation from every direction, making the atmosphere lively and bustling.
At the very front was a stage with a red curtain drawn across it.
Suddenly, with a click, the lights in the hall dimmed all at once, and the curtain on the stage slowly rose.
An orchestra appeared onstage, already prepared. There were around twenty or thirty people, holding all kinds of instruments. The variety was quite impressive.
On the far left stood a piano.
The lights gathered on the stage, and the banquet hall quieted down without anyone consciously meaning to.
A councilor walked onto the stage and said, "To welcome our honored guests from afar, we have prepared this unique performance. Please enjoy the performance of Piltover's premier orchestra."
After speaking, he slowly stepped down from the stage and left it to the orchestra.
As the conductor's baton waved, a series of resonant notes rang out, and in an instant, the performance began.
The instruments echoed one another, producing an even more beautiful resonance. The ensemble was grand and magnificent, and every musician performed at their absolute best, pouring themselves into the piece.
Amid the flawless performance, many of Piltover's nobles and elites could not help showing pride on their faces as they lifted their heads and enjoyed it.
Even though some of them had heard similar performances countless times, each time they listened, they still found it stunning.
Technology was not the only area where Piltover stood at the forefront of Runeterra.
It also had considerable accomplishments in the arts, especially music.
When it came to instruments alone, Piltover's inventors had devised quite a few types, with the most famous being the piano.
Every Piltovan with a decent family background mastered at least one instrument.
This was something they took great pride in, and it was also something they wanted to show Demacia.
It had to be said that the performance was indeed very good. At the very least, its standard was far above that of most Demacian orchestras.
After all, the sheer variety of instruments alone was enough to put them ahead.
Luke listened with a smile on his face, waiting as the performance gradually drew to its end and the passionate sparks slowly died down. Once it fell quiet, he was the first to start applauding.
Then came a wave of applause. The nobles and elites exchanged glances, and all of them saw satisfaction in one another's eyes.
"Your Highness, did you enjoy the performance?" Councilor Mel asked as she came to Luke's side.
"I enjoyed it very much. I've always liked listening to music. As expected of Piltover's finest orchestra."
Luke praised them with a smile, then glanced in Sona's direction and noticed that the girl was starting to look eager, her eyes fixed on the stage.
Clearly, she had been stirred by the orchestra's performance, and her hands were itching to play.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "In that case, as a return gift, allow me to present everyone in Piltover with Demacia's highest-level performance."
As soon as his words fell, many people looked over, their eyes filled with curiosity.
However, they soon realized that the person who would be performing was not Luke, but Sona, the seemingly voiceless young woman.
Many people had already noticed that Sona was mute, so they were all rather curious about the performance she was about to offer.
She came from Demacia's House Buvelle, which was said to be the richest noble house in Demacia. Her appearance was indeed exceptionally outstanding, and she carried the refined air of a proper noble lady down to her bones.
At this moment, Sona really could not hold back anymore. Holding her etwahl, she slowly walked onto the stage.
Seeing that it seemed to be only her, Caitlyn, who was standing beside Lux, could not help asking, "Just Miss Sona alone?"
Lux nodded and smiled confidently. "Don't worry. I guarantee you'll love it."
Hearing the confidence in her tone, some of the surrounding nobles became even more curious.
One person alone could only be called a solo performance. A piano piece was quite suitable for a solo, but with other instruments, it was usually somewhat lacking.
Mainly, they were also very curious about what Luke had called Demacia's highest-level performance.
No matter how they thought about it, one person could not compare to an entire orchestra, could she?
They had already prepared themselves to applaud enthusiastically even if it was not as good as expected.
After all, they could not let Demacia's honored guests lose face.
While they were all thinking this, Sona slowly sat down on the stage and gently raised her fair hand, brushing it lightly across the strings.
In an instant, an ethereal and gentle melody drifted out, and the entire hall fell quiet without realizing it.
How strange.
It was clearly only a single melody, yet their hearts seemed to be drawn toward the figure on the stage.
She sat beneath the lights, her long aqua-blue hair spilling slightly onto the floor like a waterfall. Her breathtakingly beautiful face carried a serene, almost goddess-like grace, making her truly seem like a beautiful painting.
The melody just now had only been a sound check. The true solo performance was only just beginning.
The corners of Sona's lips curved faintly, and her delicate hands once again played upon the etwahl. A moving melody immediately spread outward, each note seeming to dance gracefully through the air.
Her solo did not have the same overwhelming force as an ensemble of dozens.
And yet, precisely because of that, every person found it much easier to become immersed in it.
The performance had only just begun, but everyone present had already devoted their entire mind and body to the music.
Sona's music could reach straight into every person's heart. Though she was playing a single piece, different people could hear different versions of it.
Soon, some people wore intoxicated expressions, setting down the wine glasses in their hands as they listened with complete focus.
Some wanted to dance, their bodies swaying unconsciously along with the music.
Some closed their eyes, and what appeared before them seemed to be another scene entirely, the beautiful place deep within their own hearts.
Caitlyn's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the figure onstage, feeling almost entranced. She could only think that it was so beautiful, so very beautiful.
Her heart welcomed a peace it had never felt before, as if all the exhaustion and hardships of these past days had been stripped away, leaving her whole body relaxed.
This, this, this was incredible.
Jayce sat in a corner with his eyes closed, quietly listening, feeling as though many of his worries had suddenly been forgotten.
Heimerdinger, who was sitting beside him, listened while bobbing his head from side to side, looking especially fond of it.
Mel stood not far away, looking at Sona on the stage, unable to imagine that a single person could radiate such charm.
The nobles and elites present were all inwardly astonished.
Although it was only a solo performance, in many people's hearts, she had already surpassed the orchestra's ensemble.
Before long, the piece ended, awakening everyone present from their intoxication.
Immediately, applause rang out like a storm, even more enthusiastic than the applause for the orchestra earlier, and it did not stop for a long time.
All of it came from the heart. Everyone's gaze gathered on the stage, and every face was filled with admiration.
Sona stood up, bowed slightly, and then walked down from the stage.
"It seems everyone was quite satisfied. I'm glad you liked it."
At this moment, Luke also spoke with a smile.
Mel came back to herself and said sincerely, "As expected of Demacia's highest-level performance. After listening to it, I feel as though my entire being has been cleansed."
She truly wanted to hear another piece, but it was not appropriate to ask.
Many of the other nobles and elites had the same thought, so all they could do was gather around and continuously praise her.
They all came from high society, and music was a hobby in their daily lives, so naturally, they understood the level of Sona's solo performance just now.
At this moment, some of them could not help feeling ashamed.
Just moments ago, they had still been thinking of showing off Piltover's refined music.
Now, Sona alone had outshone everyone. Her solo was not merely refined, it had reached a realm no one else could attain.
That dreamlike sense of immersion from earlier was something they had never experienced before. It was simply too wonderful.
With Sona alone present, they felt that in terms of music, even if Piltover were given another ten or twenty years, it still would not catch up to Demacia.
Sona's solo performance pushed the banquet's atmosphere to its peak, and time passed just like that.
The Undercity.
It was also known as Zaun. In truth, the Undercity's history was older than Topside's, and Piltover had only been built later.
This place seemed to have been abandoned by the sun, shrouded year-round in a hazy darkness. Its streets and buildings intersected in a complex tangle like an ant nest, layer connected to layer.
The farther down one went, the darker it became, and who knew how many secrets were buried within.
Inside a building in the Undercity, a strong woman with a fierce expression angrily pushed open the office door and walked in.
Then she slammed a wanted poster in her hand onto the desk and shouted at the chair back, "I knew it! Silco, that troublemaker was going to bring us a huge mess sooner or later!"
"Calm down, Sevika. The last time you called me by my name, it also seemed to be because of her."
Silco turned his chair around. He was not tall, and his build was somewhat thin. Around his left eye was a mark that could have been either a scar or a burn, and one of his eyes was covered in black, revealing only a calm orange iris.
"Boss." Sevika took a deep breath and changed the way she addressed him, though her expression still did not look good.
"Tell me. What happened?"
Silco's gaze landed on the wanted poster. On it was a girl with two braided pigtails. Although the face was not very accurate, it still immediately made one think of who it was.
"Jinx caused trouble again."
Sevika sneered. "She could have gone anywhere, but she just had to run to Topside today. And of all places, she had to go to the Demacian prince's welcome ceremony and throw something at him."
Hearing this, Silco's brow twitched. He picked up the wanted poster and asked, "What did she throw?"
"Supposedly a paper airplane. Who knows what she was thinking? Does what she threw even matter?"
Sevika withdrew the hand she had pressed against the desk and said, "Now those Topside councilors and enforcers are furious. At least fifty enforcers have already come down to the Undercity to arrest people, and members of several gangs have been taken away. And her, Jinx! Now the people above want us to give them an explanation."
"An explanation? What explanation?"
Silco lifted a hand to his forehead and rubbed it, his brows also furrowing slightly.
It did seem that this matter was not small.
What she threw really did not matter.
What mattered was that the girl had thrown something at Demacia's prince, and she had done it in front of countless people.
Some time ago, he had indeed received news that Demacia's second prince was coming, along with a warning to keep the people of the Undercity in line and not cause trouble.
Although those people from Topside could not really manage things here, that prince was indeed someone Silco did not want to provoke.
Mainly because his background was too great.
In the end, the man had only arrived on his first day, and they seemed to have already provoked him.
"Either hand her over, or give them an answer they're satisfied with."
Sevika said irritably, "Those Topside bastards are obviously getting ready to use this chance to fleece us again."
Silco automatically ignored the first part. After thinking for a moment, he said, "See what they want. If it's money, that isn't a problem."
Sevika said, "Don't you think this is the same as giving Topside a reason to pressure us?"
"Pressure us? Topside has never hoped for us to do well. Have they done any less to pressure us over the years?"
Silco smiled without concern. "And yet haven't we still risen anyway?"
"But you…"
Before Sevika could finish speaking, a light series of footsteps came from outside.
Immediately afterward, a slender figure pushed the door open and barged in, spun around with flair, then stood in place. Sensing that the atmosphere in the office seemed a little off, she blinked and said, "Keep going. Just pretend I'm not here."
Silco looked at Sevika and said, "Go do as I said. See what they want."
Sevika nodded, looked at Jinx, gave a cold snort, and then walked out the door.
Jinx did not care about her attitude at all. She casually flopped onto the sofa in front of her and exhaled. "I ran all over the place today. I'm exhausted."
Silco took a cigar from a box, then pulled out a lighter. With a click, he slowly lit it. "Tell me. Where did you go?"
"I'm telling you, so many fun things happened today!"
Jinx bounced up from the sofa and first said, "Someone incredible came to Topside today, and those councilors' faces were so hilarious I nearly died laughing. Guess what they looked like?"
Silco exhaled a cloud of smoke and asked with a smile, "What?"
"Lapdogs."
Jinx laughed until she clutched her stomach. "They were all scampering after that prince like a bunch of bootlickers. Usually, when they face us, they hold their heads up high, but now that someone they can't afford to mess with came along, they practically wanted to bury their heads in the ground."
Silco only smiled as he listened.
Then Jinx said, "But that prince did look pretty good. Also, I found out that guy might not be simple."
Only then did Silco ask, "So you threw something at him?"
"I just wanted to test his reaction. He dodged it instantly. And then something even cooler happened. Have you ever seen a falcon with blue feathers?"
"What you're talking about should be Demacia's Azurite Eagle, a high-level magical beast species."
"It almost caught me, but I still got away."
Jinx spoke with some pride, and at that point, she finally intended to catch her breath.
After listening to her finish, Silco put away his smile, exhaled another breath of smoke, and said seriously, "Jinx, for the next while, don't show yourself in Topside."
"Why?"
"Topside sent your wanted poster to me. The trouble you caused today isn't small."
Silco spoke directly. "To clean this up for you, we'll have to pay a large sum of money."
"We can just steal that money back later."
Jinx's face was full of indifference.
"I know it wouldn't be hard for someone with your abilities to steal it back." Silco looked at her and continued, "But there's one thing I still need to make clear to you. That prince, don't provoke him again."
Jinx looked at him. "Are you really that scared of him too?"
"It's not fear. It's that we need to understand our own position clearly. You only need to know that he isn't someone from our circle, but he can forcibly interfere in matters within our circle."
Silco's expression was calm. He took a drag from his cigar, exhaled again, and his gaze sharpened slightly. "When gangs have conflicts with one another, even if things reach the worst possible result, it only means one gang is wiped out and a few hundred people die. Even if the gangs are a little bigger, the result is still the same."
"But they are different. If people like them have a conflict, what gets wiped out will be dozens of cities like Piltover and Zaun. The twin cities are too small. The reason you think those councilors look like dogs is because they know that prince is someone they absolutely cannot afford to offend. And we have no need to go up against someone like that. If you see him, take a look from afar and leave. That's all."
Jinx lay sprawled on the sofa, her eyes flickering slightly as she listened, seemingly deep in thought.
Silco looked at her. "Did you hear what I said?"
"I heard you, I heard you."
Jinx waved her hand impatiently. Seeing Silco's serious expression, she still gave in a step and said, "Since you put it that way, I won't provoke him. I didn't sleep well yesterday, so I'm out."
With that, she stood up and headed outside.
Silco only watched her leave and did not stop her.
With a bang, the office door closed. He turned his chair back toward the window and looked at the scene outside, watching it in silence.
After a long while, a soft sigh rang out.
At the same time.
After leaving the office, Jinx hummed an unknown song in a carefree mood, though her mind was replaying Silco's words and that prince's face.
The more he said that, the more curious she became.
Was that guy really that impressive?
A few days earlier, when she had snuck into Topside, she had accidentally learned that Demacia's prince was going to visit Piltover.
The news had spread all over Piltover, and everyone knew about it.
That was why she had grown a little curious and gone to take a look today.
But she knew next to nothing about Demacia or that prince.
Because she had never cared about these things. She had seen Demacians before. There was a Demacian selling fruit in the big-bearded Zaunite's fruit shop, and her impression of him was that he was very simple-minded. She often went there to swipe fruit and had never been caught.
In comparison, Demacia's second prince looked anything but simple.
Soon, Jinx made a decision. After she woke up, she would go learn a few things about him.
She wanted to see just what kind of background this prince had.
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