Caleb walked out the door with a foolish grin still hanging on his face.
"Has the Governor lost his mind? Or did he just win the lottery on his way out?"
"Shh, quit badmouthing the Governor. You want to get strung up and dunked in hot sauce?"
"I think he ran into something good. Maybe Seraphine invited the Governor to dinner or something?"
"Ah… then I really wouldn't know who to envy."
Amid the people's chatter, Caleb somehow walked all the way from the Undercity to Topside. He planned to head to the docks and ask whether any ships had come from Noxus. With some luck, maybe he could run into news of Swain's arrival.
After breaking free from his joy, Caleb shook his head slightly and finally sobered up.
Right… today, the great Governor had taken another giant step toward dying of embarrassment in public…
"No. I really need to skip town as soon as possible."
Thinking back to how he had just walked down the street with a dumb grin on his face, that crushing sense of public humiliation surged in and swallowed Caleb whole.
"System, hurry up and give me the next mission."
Caleb silently muttered in his heart.
He might as well live somewhere else for a few months first, then come back once everyone had pretty much forgotten about it.
Yes, just as Caleb silently made up his mind to put Swain on hold for now and discuss the Twin Cities' independence a few months later, a figure suddenly entered his view, making Caleb frown.
"Noxus's Grand General… Swain…"
Looking at the man before him, and then at Talon bowing behind him, Caleb immediately understood.
In Noxus, strength was respected above all. That ideology gave many commoners a path upward, letting them fight against royal and noble families that inherited wealth by blood. But it was also this ideology that left people's courage and ferocity with nowhere to go, forcing them to constantly invade other countries.
"That is him, Grand General."
Talon silently stepped forward and spoke to Swain.
"Mm."
Swain answered in a low voice.
Even if Swain had never seen Caleb before, and even if Talon had not reminded him, he could still pick out a thing or two at a glance. The long blade hanging at the man's waist clearly was no ordinary object. Someone who could carry such a heavy weapon through the streets so openly in this place, while it could not be compared to Bilgewater, was still clearly confident enough in his own strength.
"Hello there, Governor of Zaun."
Swain stepped forward, extending his right hand from beneath his broad robe.
"I have long heard of you, Grand General Swain."
Although Caleb said the polite words, his tone carried absolutely none of the meaning behind "long heard of you."
"The Du Couteau family did go a little too far this time."
Swain's next sentence made Talon break out in cold sweat again.
He really could not help being afraid. This madman could even crush the king on the throne. What was there that he could not do?
"No matter. Since it brought you here, I no longer hold any resentment in my heart."
Caleb extended a hand toward the Council Hall, the tallest building in Piltover.
"Talking in the street is hardly proper. Shall we go to the Council and talk there?"
"Let us walk, then."
Swain was straightforward too, immediately stepping forward and accompanying Caleb toward the hall.
"Come here."
Caleb waved and called over an Enforcer.
"Notify the councilors. Tell them to prepare for a meeting."
Caleb gave the instruction in a low voice, then patted the man on the shoulder. Seeing that the Enforcer was somewhat unsteady because his heart was pounding wildly, Caleb soothed him a little.
"No rush. We still have some distance to walk."
"Compared to Noxus, Piltover's things are rather soft."
Swain's steps were still fairly relaxed as he spoke coldly.
"The stiffest tree snaps. The willow survives."
Of course, Caleb did not swallow that irritation either.
When facing a beast, you could not attack rashly, nor could you turn around and leave. The best method was to look it directly in the eyes. Of course, you could also try a flying tackle and hope it choked on you.
"Hehehe. As expected of a man who managed to become Governor in just a few days."
Swain did not seem angry at all. Instead, he laughed loudly.
Did Noxus have internal problems right now? Yes. But in the face of the looming threats ahead, did they really still have time to slowly recuperate?
"So you called me here this time not simply to have me apologize on behalf of the Du Couteau family, did you?"
Swain's voice was majestic and magnetic, carrying the weight of judgment, as if it allowed no denial.
"Of course. I came to discuss the Twin Cities' independence with you."
Caleb's voice remained calm, still as an ancient well.
"Interesting."
Swain nodded and did not continue.
The street was obviously not the place to discuss matters. Once they reached the Council, he would give his opinion on this interesting topic.
Before they knew it, the three of them had already reached the elevator. Caleb pressed the button for the highest floor and waited for the elevator to rise to the designated level.
"Young people's ideas are interesting."
Only after reaching this point did Swain speak his second sentence.
"They're fine, I suppose…"
Caleb answered somewhat perfunctorily.
How could he not hear the implied meaning in Swain's words? Since Piltover's founding, it still could not compare with Noxus, that ancient city-state that had existed since distant times. Noxus naturally kept this "City of Progress" because there was profit to be gained from it. And now you are telling me you want to take those benefits back?
Was that not a little too naive?
The elevator doors slowly opened, and all the councilors were present.
Caleb silently breathed a sigh of relief.
What he had feared was some blind fool liking the idea of slighting him. If that had happened, they would have been completely cooked.
Unlike the usual round table, this time basically all the councilors were seated on one side.
Mel was the first to rise and bow to Swain. Her mother was Noxian, so naturally she had also been touched by that admiration for strength. Then came Morey, Heimerdinger, Cassandra…
The round table was used for internal discussion, so it was naturally not suitable for today's occasion.
Especially the noble gentleman Salo. At this moment, he looked somewhat dumbfounded.
So this was the "surprise" Caleb had mentioned a few days ago?
Wasn't he playing things a bit too big?
Noxus's legions might mostly be made up of rough brutes, but they were also first-rate fighters.
Caleb silently sat down in the front-row seat directly in the middle, facing Swain from across the room.
Within the silence, faint traces of gunpowder hung in the air.
"Before we begin, I have a question I would like to ask Governor Caleb."
Swain slowly raised that right hand and asked in a deep voice.
"Please."
Caleb put away his usual carefree expression and answered with only one word.
"After Ambessa returned, she specifically requested permission from me to march east toward Ionia."
"Was that Governor Caleb's clever plan?"
When Mel heard this, her face turned pale in an instant.
The reason her mother had not continued staying in the Twin Cities, and instead returned to Noxus, was also tied to Mel rejecting the weaponization of Hextech. And from Ambessa's change, Swain had actually seen Caleb's shadow?
"Yes."
Caleb's voice was still the same as ever, calm and unruffled.
"A brilliant move."
Swain nodded slightly and praised him.
So far, this young man suited his tastes very well.
He did not know why Caleb had not come to Noxus, where powerful people gathered, to make a name for himself. Instead, he had chosen to stay tucked away in this twin city-state as a mere Governor.
Judging by the battle Talon had described, if Caleb were given a few more years, he could sit firmly in the position of the Hand of Noxus. By then, he would also be able to stand as an equal to Swain on the Trifarix.
"Then let us begin discussing the matter of the Twin Cities' independence."
Amid the grave atmosphere that had left the councilors' guts clenched, Caleb was the first to speak, throwing out the topic.
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