Banquet Observations

When Ryan entered the banquet hall with Katarina, every noble present turned their eyes toward him. Their conversations stopped in unison as they raised their glasses in greeting.

This banquet had originally gathered everyone for Progress Day, intending to raise funds for the Medarda Family at war.

But with Ryan's arrival, that purpose no longer mattered. They had gathered here solely to welcome the Noxian envoy.

"Good afternoon, Your Excellency. You may call me Porpok, Noxus's loyal business partner."

"Good afternoon. On behalf of the Kiramman Family, I offer my sincere apologies, Your Excellency. My daughter was rash this morning."

"Good day. I am Stevan, Housemaster Ferros. I heard of Your Excellency's exploits in the Battle of the Presidium and admire you greatly."

The Piltover nobles swarmed around Ryan like bees, their gazes fixed on him as though he were sweet honey. Their faces brimmed with enthusiasm as they offered their greetings without losing their manners.

Ryan was not as distant as usual. Instead, he smiled and returned their greetings one by one, committing each of their names to memory.

It took him roughly half an hour to shake off the nobles. Holding a glass of wine and leading the somewhat numb Katarina, he headed toward Mel.

"I hope I haven't disrupted your plans today, Councilor Medarda." Ryan raised his glass slightly.

"The fundraising went smoothly. My mother taught me from childhood that one should keep every variable under control." Mel smiled, clinked glasses with Ryan, and drained her wine.

"You think you can control everything?" Katarina could not help asking.

For an assassin, attending a banquet was torture. The people around her were too warm, yet she could see through their falsehood. She found that such an occasion was utterly beyond her control, nowhere near as simple and direct as driving a blade into someone's body and killing them.

Mel looked Katarina up and down, a faint smile curling her lips. "Miss Du Couteau, I neither need nor can control everything. I only need to understand today's main character."

"Lord Meredith?"

Katarina was even more confused. Ryan did not seem like someone Mel could possibly have calculated into her plans.

"Being able to enter the banquet hall means we are not enemies. I am not Noxian, but my mother is. I heard that Your Excellency has a good relationship with her."

"Madam Medarda and I have only met a few times, though my former superior was personally close with her. Your mother is in quite a bit of trouble now, so I thought I should lend you a hand where I can." Ryan took a sip of wine.

He had to admit that Mel possessed outstanding political talent. She could quickly notice and adapt to all kinds of changing relationships.

There was no way his previous meeting with Mel had left her with a friendly impression. Mel had been born in Noxus but stood with Piltover, while he represented Noxus.

Mel seemed to have realized that very quickly. Almost immediately afterward, she had sent him an invitation in the name of the Noxian Medarda Family.

That alone was enough for Ryan to appreciate Mel's ability.

If Mel had been replaced with Katarina, then even with comparable resources behind them, things would surely have become a complete mess.

Of course, if the two of them were thrown into Zaun's Undercity, the result would have been entirely different.

"My mother has many troubles. Ever since I was young, she has either been at war or on her way to a battlefield." Mel wore a helpless expression.

"There are few generals in Noxus as pure as she is. Only her, General Darius, and Major General Kled." There was a trace of regret in Ryan's voice.

"Then why do I remember General Du Couteau being one as well? And his eldest daughter, Miss Du Couteau, bears the title of genius assassin. She will certainly take over his position in the future."

A charming smile rested on Mel's face as she raised her wineglass toward Katarina.

Uncomfortable, Katarina silently clinked glasses with Mel and drained her wine.

She was competitive by nature, yet in this setting she felt frighteningly clumsy, far less at ease than the woman before her.

"It's only a matter of time. Katarina's potential is no less than mine." Ryan smiled. "But compared to that, you seem more concerned about your main character. You even seem a little impatient."

His gaze shifted to a sturdy young man in the hall. He had noticed that Mel's eyes always unconsciously drifted toward him.

Naturally, Ryan had already seen the young man's portrait more than ten times. It hung throughout Piltover's streets and alleys. He was Piltover's prodigy—Jayce Talis.

"My apologies, but he truly is Piltover's treasure. I never imagined a child from an ordinary family could possess such exceptional talent." Mel looked apologetic, but her words were full of amazement.

"Gifted and capable. Yet he still seems like a young boy. People born in Piltover all seem to share that flaw."

Ryan's gaze lingered on the big boy for only a second before turning to another young man leaning on a cane. His body was as thin as a bamboo pole, as though he might collapse at any moment, and his face bore a sickly expression.

The young man with the cane was Viktor, a scientist Ryan considered far superior to Jayce.

Mel caught the implication in Ryan's words. She gazed at Jayce with unfocused eyes and shook her head. "After all, people need experience to grow. Piltover is a fine stage. I can give him time."

"Betting a city's future on him?" Ryan raised a brow, becoming a little more interested.

"Your Excellency, this is not gambling. It is stepping into a new future. He is our golden boy." Mel wore a confident smile.

Ryan could sense that Mel seemed even more confident in Jayce Talis's future than Mr. Talis himself. He could tell that Jayce still looked lost, like a little puppy seeking comfort.

As the two spoke, Jayce noticed them as well. When he saw Mel, delight appeared on his face.

He strode over, then anxiously whispered into Mel's ear.

"Could we speak somewhere private?"

Mel looked apologetically at Ryan. "My apologies, Your Excellency. I may have to excuse myself for a moment."

"It's all right. I hope you and your golden boy have a pleasant conversation."

Ryan raised his glass without concern and quietly watched the eager-looking Jayce lead Mel out of the banquet hall.

It seemed the little puppy had found his owner. Next would come the comforting. Only after their backs disappeared did Ryan withdraw his amused gaze.

"Is that Jayce Talis?" Katarina asked curiously.

"The genuine article. I haven't seen his intelligence firsthand, but his physique is no weaker than that of the Empire's elite soldiers. That is already rare enough in Piltover." Ryan gave his assessment.

"He looked like a clumsy boy. It's hard to believe he could achieve much in science. I'm starting to feel more confident about what you said." Katarina spoke seriously.

"Which thing I said?" Ryan seemed somewhat surprised.

"If Jayce is really like that, then I think I can master magic too." Katarina's tone was resolute.

Jayce had left an exceptionally poor first impression on her. She did not understand science, but she believed she could probably do better than Jayce.

"Hahaha, Miss Katarina, please keep that confidence at all times. That is what I admire most about you."

Ryan spotted Viktor sitting alone nearby. He gestured in Viktor's direction to Katarina.

"Now, we should go meet Jayce's assistant."