"Independence?"
The moment he said it, nearly every councilor fell into silence and thought.
"No offense, Councilor Mel."
Caleb rose to his feet and raised his voice so the entire chamber could hear him.
"If Piltover is the Throat of the World, then why didn't Noxus send war masons here?"
"Why did they press their army against us before we had even mastered Hextech?"
The councilors kept thinking. Only Heimerdinger let out a soundless sigh.
Keeping far away from the Rune Wars had been the very reason Piltover was founded in the first place.
But compared to Noxus, which possessed vast territory to the north and had even seized parts of Ionia and Shurima, how could Piltover not feel uneasy?
The Throat of the World referred to Piltover's unique environment, a place that gathered the strengths of every land. In Piltover's harbor, goods from all over the world could be sold at the right price.
Bilgewater, by contrast, was full of desperate criminals, and anyone passing through still had to pay taxes to the Serpent Mother.
For all these years, especially since Mel had arrived, Noxus and Piltover had remained at peace.
The Medarda family was not one of the greatest powers in Noxus, but it was still strong enough to provide protection.
The previous campaigns had all been led by minor warlords with limited forces and primitive technology.
The peace Piltover had enjoyed for decades might come to an abrupt end after today's meeting.
"What are they even talking about...?"
Jinx nudged Ekko with her elbow and blinked her wide eyes at him.
The way this group talked was hard to follow, and it left her completely lost.
"It means a country in the south is about to rise, and the twin cities might end up falling out with Noxus."
"Then let them," Ekko said. His explanation was simple enough.
Jinx blew at the bangs hanging over her forehead, clearly annoyed.
What was there to discuss about something like that?
"Shh."
Yuumi licked her paw and cut off their whispering.
Even in a meeting like this, they still shouldn't make too much noise.
"So what, we're adding some kind of declaration or something?"
Salo did not fully understand what Caleb meant, but seeing the look on Mel's face, he knew this was no small matter.
"As twin city-states, we need to establish our independence first, instead of continuing to remain attached to Noxus."
What Caleb said sounded extremely harsh, but everyone present knew he was right.
If they had not already given Noxus so many trade benefits, could a single Medarda family really have sheltered these cities on its own?
"But what about Noxus?" Mel asked.
That question was exactly what the other councilors were all thinking.
If relations with Noxus turned hostile, war would almost certainly follow.
When that happened, business would not simply become harder, people would die.
Piltover's security forces could be expanded, but against the armies of Noxus?
They were nothing like the undercity gangs, where a leader with a pair of iron gauntlets could gather a following.
Decisive killing. Absolute discipline.
That was what the Noxian military stood for.
"They're busy with Ionia lately. And even if they do come, I'll be here."
A powerful mage could match many soldiers.
If the conditions were right, a mage could reap lives more easily than cutting grass.
Caleb sounded completely full of himself, but with Janna backing him, that promise carried some real weight.
On the night of the Harrowing, Caleb's performance had been nothing short of stunning.
Even without relying on Janna, the number of undead he had driven back had been astonishing.
"This requires a full vote."
After saying that, Caleb fell silent.
He gave Yuumi a small nod, and she floated on the Book of Thresholds to the center of the gear-shaped round table.
"Caleb really did help me a lot in Shurima. The Void is terrifying. Even Norra never made it back."
Heimerdinger's expression changed slightly. He had witnessed the world-shattering devastation of the Rune Wars with his own eyes.
As one of the witches of that era, Norra's magical skill had naturally been immense.
"She went into the Void?"
Heimerdinger asked hesitantly.
He recognized that book. Before the city had even been built, Norra had once visited him with Yuumi.
"And she tore the portal out of the Book of Thresholds apart," Yuumi said solemnly, nodding.
When the Void appeared in Icathia, who had suppressed it?
The answer was Shurima's god-warriors.
That alone was enough to imagine how glorious Shurima had once been.
Yordles, as beings of the spirit realm, were generally very difficult to kill in the material realm.
That was especially true for yordle mages.
"So are you saying that Shurima will become stronger than Noxus in a short amount of time?"
Cassandra raised a hand, her expression grave.
This matter could become either minor or enormous. Whether they should establish diplomatic ties with Shurima now and draw a clear line between themselves and Noxus...
That decision would shape the future path and final fate of the twin cities.
"I can't say for certain, but if it's true, then Ixtal will also exist as a vassal state under Shurima."
Caleb added that last part.
Sivir had bragged about that before, using it to save face over the fact that her stamina was worse than Caleb's and Kai'Sa's.
Kai'Sa glanced at Caleb in surprise. She had not expected him to remember that casual conversation.
"Ixtal has quite a few top-tier fighters too."
The reason Noxus had never truly pushed south and instead kept fighting on both its eastern and western fronts at the same time was simple.
The cities of Shurima offered too little profit once conquered, and the twin cities themselves had no talent for governing them.
The City of Progress had been built bit by bit by craftsmen and merchants, along with Piltover's own spirit of welcoming all things.
"Then after declaring independence, what measures are we going to take toward Noxus in the north?"
Morey raised his own question.
"The same treatment as everyone else," Caleb said, his voice ringing through the hall.
"No more special tariffs for them. And our people won't need to bow and scrape before them anymore."
"More importantly, the Enforcers will uphold the law impartially. No more favors. No more exceptions."
The moment Caleb finished, the entire hall filled with the sound of people sucking in cold breaths.
Even Ekko stared at Caleb's back in shock.
But right after that, he broke into a bold grin.
That was more like it. That was the Governor of Zaun.
Viktor suited Ekko's taste well enough, but Ekko believed that he and Viktor were alike in one way, neither of them was fit for that position.
Just look at this. If it were him, could he stand in front of so many councilors and talk this forcefully about how to deal with Noxus?
"And if they invade?" Caroline asked, flexing the fingers of her golden fingertip guards. The very first thing Caleb had said after returning was already shocking enough to shake the room.
"I'll handle it," Caleb replied without hesitation.
"This matter needs more discussion," Mel concluded at last. "We need to properly assess the strength we have on hand, and you'll need to prove it to us."
Mel's mother was Noxian, so she naturally leaned toward Noxus at times.
But if what Caleb said was true, if Shurima in the south truly rose again, then a major war would become unavoidable.
"You'll get your chance."
Caleb thought for a moment, then answered.
"In a few days, I'll give everyone here a surprise."
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