The Resolve to Protect Piltover

"Because if we fail, morale will shatter. How many people truly care if Zaun belongs to Piltover? Jayce, we need to ask ourselves, do we genuinely want to solve Zaun's problems? Wouldn't compromise, peace, and mutual aid be better solutions?" Mel said with a smile.

Having spent so many years in Piltover, she understood the people here perfectly.

As major nobles, both Medarda and Ferros only cared about their families' benefits.

And the lesser nobles, while dependent on them, also had their own agendas and interests. If Zaun could be easily destroyed, they would absolutely be the best catalysts. But conversely, if the other side was too strong, strong enough to threaten their lives, then saving face wouldn't be as important, and they would be the most likely to defect.

The middle-class citizens simply went with the flow; they did whatever they were told from above. However, because Piltover's profits were mostly divided among the nobles, who knew how many of these people had ties to Zaun? They all relied on the profits from that side to survive and absolutely did not want war between the two.

Among those willing to fight, most were likely people who had already defected and hoped to use the conflict to reshuffle the deck.

The thoughts of ordinary citizens were even simpler: war meant going to the battlefield or endless work in weapons factories. They had enjoyed comfort for too long and had long lost their courage.

Not to mention, they were masters at weighing pros and cons. If Piltover being defeated by Zaun wasn't worse than participating in a war, why would they be willing to fight to the death for it?

Jayce had also thought of these things and was speechless for a moment.

Forget about others, was he himself truly the cause of the Twin Cities' division? Did he care that much about Zaun?

Seriously, why did he propose strengthening defenses and confronting Zaun?

Jayce looked up, his gaze fixed on Zaun in the distance.

It was probably the night Viktor left.

It was probably when he saw Viktor again, when he couldn't even defeat the two robots the other man had built.

So... in the end, he wasn't any better than the other councilors. It wasn't for Piltover's Zaun; it was just to prove to his former partner that he wasn't weaker than him.

"Mel... what should I do?"

Jayce's words were filled with hesitation; he didn't know what the right thing to do was.

Zaun might become stronger than Piltover in the future and attack, but that was a future Zaun.

Should they, now, really risk the people's unwillingness and pour all their effort into conquering Zaun? Just to eliminate a threat?

When did Piltover, a symbol of advancement and progress, become afraid of others surpassing it?

"Jayce, Medarda is always willing to prepare funds for you to recruit workers. But I need to know what you truly want so I can help you."

Mel stood beside Jayce, took his hand, and looked with him at Zaun across the river.

Her eyes held a hidden worry, but more than that, encouragement for Jayce.

Ryan's intervention meant she didn't have much time for Jayce to grow. She had to break his unrealistic stubbornness and get him to do things that truly benefited Piltover.

He was her chosen future for Piltover; she believed now was the best time for him to grow.

Jayce closed his eyes for a long time, and finally, all his thoughts coalesced into a sigh. He shook his head and abruptly opened his eyes.

At this moment, the confusion in his eyes was gone.

"Piltover..."

"I was a bit caught in my own head. Piltover has never feared war, but it also won't actively instigate it. The best way to prove ourselves is to protect our current peace. We can't let our citizens become bloodthirsty war machines, otherwise, what's the difference from the foolish things Piltover did to Zaun in the past?"

"Do you have a goal now?"

Mel looked at Jayce's face, understanding that the man had broken free from his stubborn rut.

"Piltover owes Zaun a lot. Their independence is understandable, but we belong to Piltover, and we can't let them cause us trouble. So, developing military capabilities to counter threats is still necessary. But we need to find a new way, to leverage Piltover's advantage as a city of progress."

As he spoke, Jayce's eyes suddenly lit up:

"I have a new idea. I originally thought of following Viktor's path of manufacturing machinery, but this new idea of mine might be better than his mechanical approach."

"Tell me about it? It must be a great idea."

Mel said with a smile, preemptively praising him.

"Re-equip all the Enforcers."

Jayce regained his confidence and spoke eloquently:

"Forging weapons that can accommodate Hex Gemstones, which can be used for both ranged attacks and close combat. Enforcers fighting with new weapons will greatly enhance their combat effectiveness, and this won't require more manpower. Just the current artisans and academy students will be enough."

"That's a good idea. Medarda is willing to cover all expenses for your experiments and forge you the best weapon," Mel promised.

"I already have my own hammer, but as Viktor said before, it's still only a half-finished product. The true finished product should also enhance my close-combat abilities and even my physique. Oh, right, that idea Viktor had for his robots was good: loading current onto the hammer, making it difficult for others to get close."

"But if you choose this path, Medarda can only provide financial and material assistance," Mel said, smiling as she looked at him.

"That's enough. I remember there's a specific material... What was it called?"

Jayce rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment.

Suddenly, he smacked his fist into his palm, his face filled with excitement:

"I've got it! There's a material called Mercurial Stone. If I can integrate it with the Hex Gemstone and my hammer, then my vision can be realized!"

"Mercurial Stone, a very good name. I'll have them look into it," Mel teased. "Perhaps your hammer can be called the Mercurial Hammer in the future. It will be the exclusive weapon of Jayce, Piltover's guardian, just like Heimerdinger's Turret."

"I hadn't thought that far, but I need to speed up my progress. I don't want Viktor to leave me too far behind. Oh, and besides weapons, research into armor-type Hextech Armor also needs to be put on the agenda. Imagine if every Enforcer wore a Hextech Suit—how safe would they be?"

"Then the Enforcers would all look like big clumsy bears," Mel said, seeing Jayce brighten up, and couldn't help but tease him.

"Hahaha." Jayce put his hand behind his head, imagining the scene, and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Then I'll have to design it carefully, so I don't end up being the big clumsy bear leading the team in the future."

"You're more like a baby bear; you need to learn to walk before you can run," Mel reminded, a smile on her face.

"I know, that's why time is of the essence! We have to start now!"

With that, Jayce pulled Mel along, practically jogging towards his lab.

His eyes were filled with the excitement of competing with his former partner, and the determination to protect Piltover as it was now!