"So that's all? I think they'll agree. Piltover can no longer manage Zaun's affairs. I never thought Piltover would need to be forced to acknowledge Zaun's independence. Its terminal state is truly pitiful."
A self-mocking expression hung on Camille's face.
"Meredith, I don't understand what you're hesitating over. You could destroy it in an instant with your strength. I can't stop you."
As she spoke, her face even showed a hint of relief.
"Ms. Camille, why use force for something that can be settled with reason? Force is merely the guarantee that keeps us from flipping the table." Ryan smiled and shook his head. "Three months is neither long nor short. I think you'll come to see the Twin Cities differently."
"Arrogance is the most fatal weakness of the strong." Camille's words were sharp. "Peace negotiations are always founded on equal strength. You cannot remain exceptional forever, Meredith."
"If I cannot remain exceptional forever, then I look forward to the day I am surpassed."
Ryan wore an expression of utter confidence, as though he feared no challenger at all and even regarded every challenge as a source of enjoyment.
"Oh, Ms. Camille, I nearly forgot. I received a letter not long ago."
He clapped his hands, then smilingly pulled a parchment document from his coat. Pinching it between two fingers, he waved it before her so Camille could clearly see the elegant family magic seal upon it.
In Runeterra, every great family outside Demacia possessed its own magic seal, the equivalent of a symbol for the family. A magic seal on a document or contract was tantamount to the personal signature of the family head.
He had no family behind him, yet he held three seals. One belonged to Kha'zix, which he managed on Katarina's behalf; another belonged to Swain; and the last had arrived together with this letter.
"Ah, he was always like that. He thought I did not understand him, thought I was some heartless machine." Camille raised a brow, a trace of sorrow in her eyes.
She knew that seal better than anyone. It was the magic crest of the Ferros Clan, personally handed by her to her younger brother, Stevan.
This letter meant the Ferros Clan's submission to Ryan and Noxus. It also meant that she had been abandoned by her family.
She did not even need to read it to know that the first condition demonstrating the family's sincerity in joining Noxus would be offering her to Ryan or the Trifarix.
She had no intention of refusing. She had been born for the prosperity of her family. She did not agree with Stevan's ideas, but neither would she gamble on angering Noxus.
"You truly will not read it?" Seeing the resolve in her eyes, Ryan regretfully withdrew the letter. "I used to think he was the one who did not understand you. But now I can be certain that he is the one who understands you best."
Camille's face went slightly blank, a rare look of surprise appearing upon it.
Viktor stood behind Ryan and cast a pitying glance at Camille.
"When I was still a teaching assistant at the academy, my first teacher once took me to the Ferros family library. There, I found an experimental report written by Mr. Stevan."
"How did I not know my younger brother conducted experiments?" Camille arched a brow, amusement on her face.
Viktor wore a nostalgic expression as he murmured, "The three hundred and twelfth human mechanization experiment. Sufficient data supported the previous conclusion: human emotions are stored deep within the brain; the heart has nothing to do with thought. To control thoughts, one must lock down the hormones secreted by the brain. Every finished product of Augmentation Technology underwent consciousness-control surgery. Only one case was an exception."
"What does that prove?" Camille looked at Viktor with great interest.
"You are not absolutely rational. Everyone knows that. Ms. Camille, machines will eventually be retired, let alone a machine like you that was never precise from the beginning. You were abandoned by your family. Or rather, Mr. Stevan wanted you to abandon your family." Viktor spoke calmly.
"The latter deduction is exceptionally interesting, but I am more inclined to believe the former."
Camille smiled happily, though there was a trace of something strange in her tone.
She had not returned to the family since last night. From the moment she had been bombed in Zaun yesterday, she had already understood the family's intentions.
She had not returned for years. The family now was no longer what it had once been.
She did not know when it had begun, but she was no longer needed.
Camille let out a soft sigh. There was not the slightest sorrow on her face; instead, it carried boundless relief.
"Meredith, perhaps I truly should ask a question."
"Swain once said you and he were the same kind of person, except you were not thorough enough. You always spoke of making clean breaks, yet you were the truly indecisive one. You understood long ago that Stevan could not be the one to restore the family, but you still put him in power and let him become addicted to authority. You even personally killed Hakim, the man you once had feelings for, for his sake." Ryan mercilessly exposed what she had done.
"There is no denying that my remaining emotions are my greatest weakness. But that is not the answer I wanted, Meredith." Camille's gaze locked onto Ryan's face.
She had not killed Hakim, but he had died because of her. She had no desire to explain herself further.
"Is that answer truly important? Before time and the ending, initial motives are merely excuses." Ryan spoke flatly.
"Yes. Perhaps it is not so important."
The corners of Camille's lips lifted slightly. She let out a leisurely sigh, her eyes filled with acceptance.
Whether her younger brother had acted for his own selfish desires or for her, the ending had already been decided. What meaning was there in dwelling on it?
Just as he had once staged an attack on himself to sever her plans to elope with Hakim, forcing her to finally make up her mind and undergo the surgery.
Everything... had only been for the family.
But she was somewhat tired.
She took out the scroll Ryan had given her when they parted yesterday and opened it before him.
It was a sheet of paper covered in runes, every rune written in blood, alluring and mysterious.
"The Trifarix may perhaps offer a glimpse of unforgettable sights."
With a smile on her lips, Camille cut her slender finger. Drops of blood fell onto the scroll and blossomed into a scarlet radiance.
The light enveloped the scroll before finally transforming into two runes. One floated into Camille's heart, while the other sank into Ryan's forehead.
The contract had been signed.
From that moment onward, the Trifarix had gained a member named Camille.
"Ms. Camille, the Trifarix welcomes your joining. You are the fourth member, and your rank is likewise Fourth Seat. We welcome any internal challenges. Noxus—strength above all!"
"That sounds good. There are at least three people stronger than me. Council President Meredith, do I have any specific duties?"
Camille raised a brow. That contract did not merely bind her; it had also conveyed considerable information about the Trifarix to her.
She had thought Swain would be the leader of the Trifarix. She had not expected it to be Ryan, standing before her.
What concerned her even more was that the third member was actually the frontline commander who had fought in Freljord.
Noxus was likely not far from a change in the winds.
"There is no rush for that. First, we must bring the opening movement of the Twin Cities to a close. Discuss the specifics of the peace talks with Viktor. I will not take part."
Having received the answer he wanted, Ryan rose and headed outside.
When he reached the doorway, his figure suddenly paused, and he spoke.
"The first sentence in that letter reads: Ferros shall forever follow the will of Camille Ferros. She is the executor upon whom the family shall forever rely."
After saying that, he ignored the reaction of the person behind him and strode out of the reception room.
Inside the room, Camille's blue-lit eyes twitched sharply. A silent smile appeared on her face, but it quickly settled. She then looked apologetically at Viktor.
"Mr. Viktor, Zaun's recognition as an independent state will still require some payment. Because of what you did last night, Ferros must receive compensation."
"I do not refuse that, but your actions in coming to Zaun last night—"
"Failure means paying for one's actions. That is the price fugitives in flight must pay."
"..."
Thanks to "Memory | Red Leaf" for the 500 reward!
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