Observations at the Banquet

When Ryan walked into the banquet hall with Katarina, the eyes of every noble present converged on him. They all stopped their conversations in unison and raised their glasses toward him in salute.

This banquet had originally been convened on Progress Day to raise funds for the Medarda family, who were away on campaign.

But with Ryan's entrance, the previous purpose no longer mattered. They had gathered together solely to welcome the Noxian envoy.

"Good afternoon, sir. You may call me Porpok, a loyal business partner of Noxus."

"Good afternoon. On behalf of the Kiramman family, I offer you our sincere apologies. My daughter was too rash this morning."

"Greetings. I am Housemaster Ferros, Stevan. I heard of your deeds at the Battle of the Presidium and hold you in great admiration."

"..."

The Piltover nobles swarmed around Ryan like bees, their gazes fixed on him as if he were sweet honey, their faces warm and enthusiastic as they offered their blessings without breaching etiquette.

Ryan, unlike his usual aloof demeanor, smiled and returned their greetings one by one, committing their names to memory.

After about half an hour, he finally broke free from the crowd, a glass of wine in hand, and led the somewhat numb Katarina toward Mel:

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

"The fundraising is going smoothly. My mother taught me from a young age that one should keep all variables under control." Mel smiled and clinked her glass against Ryan's, downing the wine in one gulp.

"You think you can control everything?" Katarina couldn't help but ask.

For an assassin, attending a banquet was torture. The people around her were too warm, yet she could see through their falseness. She found this occasion completely beyond her control, nothing like the simple, direct act of driving a blade into flesh.

Mel looked Katarina up and down, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "Miss Du Couteau, I don't need to—nor can I—control everything. I only need to understand today's protagonist."

"Lord Meredith?"

Katarina was even more puzzled. Ryan didn't seem like someone Mel could scheme against.

"Walking into the banquet hall means we're not enemies. I'm not Noxian, but my mother is. I've heard you and my mother have a decent relationship."

"I've only met Madam Medarda a few times, but my former superior was on good terms with her privately. Now that your mother is in considerable trouble, I thought I should lend a hand where I can." Ryan took a sip of wine.

He had to admit, Mel possessed exceptional political talent, able to quickly recognize and adapt to shifting relationships.

His previous meeting with Mel couldn't have left a good impression on her. Mel was born in Noxus but held Piltover's stance, while he represented Noxus.

Mel seemed to have realized this almost immediately, and before long, she had sent him an invitation in the name of Noxus's Medarda family.

For that alone, Mel's talent was enough to earn Ryan's appreciation.

If he were to replace Mel with Katarina, even if they had similar backing resources, it would inevitably turn into a mess.

Of course, if the two of them were thrown into the undercity of Zaun, the outcome would be entirely different.

"My mother has many troubles. Ever since I was a child, she's either been at war or on her way to the battlefield." Mel's face carried a hint of helplessness.

"There are few generals in Noxus as pure as her. Only she, General Darius, and Major General Kled come to mind." Ryan's words carried a trace of regret.

"How could I forget General Du Couteau? And his eldest daughter, Miss Du Couteau, is renowned as a genius assassin. She will surely take his place in the future."

Mel wore a charming smile as she raised her glass toward Katarina.

Katarina's face showed discomfort, but she silently clinked glasses with Mel and downed her wine.

She was a competitive person, but in this setting, she felt terribly 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 protagonist—almost impatient."

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

Of course, Ryan had seen the young man's photo no fewer than ten times. It was plastered all over the streets of Piltover. He was the city's genius—Jayce Talis.

"Sorry, but he's truly a treasure of Piltover. I never imagined a child from an ordinary family could possess such remarkable talent." Mel's face showed apology, but her words were filled with admiration.

"Exceptional talent, outstanding ability. But he's still like a young child. You Piltover-born people all seem to have this flaw."

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

The cane-leaning youth was Viktor—in Ryan's eyes, a scientist far superior to Jayce.

Mel caught the subtext in Ryan's words. Her gaze grew distant as she looked at Jayce, shaking her head. "After all, people need experience to grow. Piltover is a fine stage. I can give him time."

"Betting on the future of an entire city?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

"Sir, this isn't a bet. It's stepping into a new future. He's our treasure boy." Mel's face radiated confidence.

Ryan could sense that Mel seemed even more confident in Jayce Talis's future than Mr. Talis himself. He could see that Jayce still wore a look of confusion, like a little puppy seeking comfort.

As the two spoke, Jayce noticed them. When he saw Mel, his face lit up with surprise.

He strode over, a look of urgency on his face, and whispered in Mel's ear:

"Can I speak with you in private?"

Mel looked apologetically at Ryan. "Sorry, sir. I may need to excuse myself for a moment."

"No problem. I hope you enjoy your chat with your treasure boy."

Ryan raised his glass indifferently, watching quietly as the anxious Jayce led Mel out of the banquet hall.

It seemed the little puppy had found its owner. Now came the soothing part. Once their figures disappeared, Ryan withdrew his amused gaze.

"Is that Jayce Talis?" Katarina asked curiously.

"As genuine as they come. I haven't seen his intellect in action, but his physique doesn't lose to the Empire's elite soldiers—that's already commendable in Piltover." Ryan remarked.

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

"Which part?" Ryan seemed somewhat surprised.

"If Jayce is really like this, then I think I could master magic too." Katarina said with certainty.

Jayce's first impression on her was truly poor. She didn't understand scientific knowledge, but in her mind, she figured she could do better than him.

"Hahaha, Miss Katarina, always hold onto that confidence—it's what I admire most about you."

At that moment, Ryan noticed Viktor sitting alone off to the side. He gestured toward him and said to Katarina:

"Now, it's time we go meet Jayce's assistant."