Piltover Mobilizes

Around the same time, in the open plaza in Piltover's South District.

"Piltover has prospered for 200 years, facing countless crises, but we've overcome them every single time. And..."

Jayce, dressed in a suit, passionately expressed his feelings from the tall podium.

"For that, we truly need everyone's dedicated assistance. We hope you can all contribute your part."

Half an hour later, the crowd that had filled the entire plaza dispersed.

Mel, composed and smiling, handed Jayce a glass of water.

"How does it feel to serve the public like this?"

Jayce took a large gulp of water, a troubled expression on his face.

"I really miss the old days. I'd rather spend all day in the lab. By the way, how effective have these speeches been?"

"Don't be too impatient. It takes time for the public to step out of their comfort zone."

Mel took the glass back, handed it to her butler, and walked with Jayce around the plaza.

"Time... time is what we lack most. I can feel the heavy burden on my shoulders."

Jayce's face was etched with worry.

Every day, he walked along the coastline. Zaun, across the way, changed by the day. He could see the smog hovering over Zaun's sky gradually dissipating. He could see robots standing guard along the opposite bank, and many dilapidated, dangerous buildings being torn down, replaced by exquisite small attics.

Zaun was transforming from a dilapidated, abandoned city into something brand new.

Everyone else had moved on for half a month, but what was Piltover doing?

Nothing!

Without Zaun's factories, they had no place to monetize their technology.

They had finally managed to set up factories with great effort, but the public was unwilling to work.

Piltover couldn't promise a future like Zaun, and its citizens didn't want to live hard lives. Nor could it drive slaves like Noxus; they had no war captives, let alone...

The councilors, citing lack of funds, were unwilling to increase wages, making his job as a councilor incredibly difficult.

"Mel..."

Jayce's mouth opened, wanting to ask her to provide funds to improve the workers' wages, but the thought that the factories were primarily funded by the Medarda Family suddenly filled him with guilt, and he closed his mouth.

"Jayce."

Mel's expression grew serious as she reached out to straighten Jayce's tie.

"Piltover isn't just your city. You need to learn how to reach a consensus with others."

"Consensus? Like that time at the grand theater?"

Jayce recalled the night Viktor broke ties with Piltover, when he was entertaining other councilors at the grand theater.

Following Mel's guidance, he understood that to solidify his position as a councilor, he needed to build good relationships with the others. He had to tolerate some things to achieve his true goals.

For a moment, Jayce thought of many things. He remembered Viktor's departure, and Camille staying out of affairs at the Enforcement Office. Caitlyn, on the other hand, continued to uphold justice every day, but after becoming a councilor, her expression grew more strained day by day.

For Piltover's betterment, perhaps...

His gaze swept across the surroundings. Piltover gleamed golden under the sunlight, every exquisite building seemingly overlaid with a layer of gold.

This was where he grew up: councilors driven by profit, professors dedicated to science, artisans brimming with skill, Enforcers serving the public, apprentices full of aspirations...

His gaze fell upon the airship overhead, his image etched onto it.

He didn't know when, but he had also transformed from an apprentice into a councilor. Yet, his ambition had never changed. This city had nurtured him, and he wanted to protect it, no matter the cost.

However, he seemed to rarely consider what others truly wanted...

Profit? Knowledge? Wealth? Happiness? Life?

Perhaps understanding them was the key to uniting the hearts of all Piltover's people.

Jayce took a deep breath, placing his hands on Mel's shoulders, his expression utterly serious.

"I understand. Even if I don't understand why they value profit more than Piltover's safety, to protect this place, I will learn what they want."

Mel's lips curved slightly upward, her gaze meeting Jayce's sincere eyes. She said casually, "To understand all this, you first need to clarify the entire structure of Piltover. How many classes do you think there are here?"

Jayce instinctively frowned, pondering for a moment, then guessed uncertainly, "Two? Councilors and the public?"

"No, four: the High Nobility, Minor Nobility, Middle Class, and Common Folk."

Hearing Mel's words, Jayce subconsciously followed her train of thought, murmuring, "The High Nobility are Ferros and Medarda, perhaps even Professor Heimerdinger. Representatives of the Minor Nobility are Kiramman, and maybe Talis, whom I represent; most councilors are from this class. And below that, the Middle Class, Marcus?"

Mel nodded slightly. "He's one, and there are many administrators who manage city affairs. They don't have family backgrounds; they've reached their current level through knowledge and ability. The Common Folk at the very bottom are the group we need to mobilize."

"Piltover's Middle Class and Common Folk have enjoyed peace for too long. They have no concept of crisis, let alone that the source of the crisis is Zaun..."

Mel didn't finish her sentence, but Jayce already had a clear understanding in his mind:

"Piltover has oppressed Zaun for centuries. They truly don't believe Zaun poses a threat to them. Crises happen, but none have ever harmed them."

"But... a councilor died, and the Kiramman home was bombed," Jayce said, a puzzled look on his face.

This time was different from before. It wasn't just a single building destroyed like when his own home was bombed; a councilor had died, and another councilor's home had been leveled.

"That's what you saw, but it's not what the public heard," Mel said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Jayce looked slightly stunned, his eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

He'd never felt the answer was so close, within reach, separated only by a thin veil.

"Sir..."

Instead of answering Jayce, Mel suddenly called out to a middle-aged gentleman in a suit who was passing by.

The gentleman looked unwell, and his clothes were a bit worn, but when Mel called him, he meticulously straightened his attire before turning around, leaning on his cane, trembling slightly.

"Good afternoon, Councilor Medarda. How may I help you?"

After a few heavy breaths, the gentleman bowed respectfully to Mel.

"You're Colin Levic? Are you alright?" Jayce looked surprised, recognizing the gentleman.

He was the owner of a workshop in the South Ward and also a great inventor. His most impressive skill was making prosthetics; almost every Piltover noble's prosthetic was crafted by his own hands.

When Jayce was still studying at the Academy, he had worked in this gentleman's workshop. The man was also a doting father to a daughter who excelled at making dolls. Perhaps from constantly being around dolls, or perhaps because Colin spoiled her too much, Jayce always felt there was something strange about the girl's personality and body.

Moreover, due to years of research at home and laboratory accidents, Colin had developed chronic chest pain a few years ago and didn't have much time left.

"Councilor Talis, it's truly good to see you again. Even when you were working for me, I knew you were destined for a bright future."

Though Colin's smile was strained due to his chest pain, his eyes and demeanor conveyed genuine blessings.

"Mr. Colin, you know our Councilor Talis has been busy with recruitment lately, so we wanted to ask for your opinion on the matter."

Mel's lips curved into a polite smile. Knowing he wasn't well, she specifically had her butler help him to a stone bench to sit down.

"Opinion?" Colin coughed twice, then, without suspicion, offered his thoughts. "Councilor Talis's idea is quite good. I also think Piltover needs to be more vibrant, it's just..."

At this point, Colin looked troubled and hesitated for a long time without speaking.

"Can you elaborate? If it's my fault, I need you to correct me. Remember when I was just an apprentice and fumbled everything? You and Orianna were always straightforward about pointing out my mistakes."

Jayce felt a subtle unease and looked at Colin expectantly.

"A lot has happened in Piltover recently. First, Zaun's independence. Ordinary people don't feel this deeply, but our workshop district has been affected. After all, our suppliers are all from Zaun."

Colin still seemed hesitant, but seeing Jayce's earnest expression, he sighed and continued, "Then later, we heard a councilor died. The higher-ups said it was a terrorist attack from Zaun, but honestly, we don't really believe it."

"Why? Zaunites really did that," Jayce's expression changed slightly.

Tonight, this book welcomed its first Alliance Leader! So excited! A huge thank you to the great "Moral and Cultivated" for the Alliance Leader reward! My first Alliance Leader reward since I started writing! Immense gratitude!

It's not advisable to add chapters during the new book period, but for this Alliance Leader reward, I'll add one chapter tonight! When it goes on sale later, I'll make up for it with ten chapters for the first subscription!

In addition, I'd like to thank "Cute Yu Ye" for the 5000 reward, "Mechanical Stray Cat" for the 1500 reward, "Twilight's Distant Road" for the 504 reward, and "Lonely Wandering Cow" for the 300 reward. I will remember every reward you give! Thank you all so much for your support! I will work hard to write and present the best story for you!