Unexpected Arrest

Not far from the southern part of Dokko, there was a small town with few passersby. Even the occasional person seen walking on the main street looked unnatural; it was clear they weren't ordinary people.

These individuals had sturdy physiques and steady strides, showing they had undergone military training. They looked at Darius with reverence. That's right, this was our destination.

Darius led us to a spacious courtyard. The houses inside were somewhat dilapidated, with peeling walls that looked like rusty iron in many places.

He knocked on the door. The person who opened it was an old man with a wrinkled face. He was once tall, but his height was significantly reduced by a hunchback.

"General, please come in."

"You two wait outside. Find a corner to hide, and don't let any suspicious people slip by."

After Darius finished speaking, he went inside. I saw about twenty people standing in the courtyard. The scent of slaughter wafting from afar told me they were all seasoned warriors.

Talon flickered and leaped onto the roof of a nearby building. As an assassin, he was adept at finding hidden spots. I had also learned many assassination techniques from Master Shadow, so my hiding place was equally ingenious.

After a while, we didn't encounter any suspicious individuals. Instead, a troop of fully armed people marched straight towards us. They were led by a woman with fiery red hair. Her light armor couldn't conceal her alluring figure. A scar ran across the center of her left eye. It was Katarina!

She commanded her soldiers to surround the courtyard, her voice ringing with authority: "Darius, Swain, you are surrounded. Surrender immediately and come with me to see His Majesty."

Receiving no response, she continued, "I'll count to ten. If you don't come out, don't blame me for being impolite! One, two..."

Darius had told us not to let any suspicious people pass, but with so many people suddenly arriving, I didn't know what to do. Should we fight them head-on? While I was hesitating, Talon appeared beside me from who knows where:

"It seems the situation has exceeded expectations. It's pointless for us to go in and report now. Let's stall them first!"

Without waiting for my reply, Talon charged out. As his throwing knives flew, three people immediately fell to the ground with muffled thuds. He then flickered into a nearby alley, disappearing from sight. All of this happened in an instant, and the enemies immediately shifted their attention.

"They have accomplices outside, be careful!"

"Don't worry about them."

Katarina seemed unconcerned. After finishing her count, she shouted into the courtyard again: "If you expect these two to hold us off, you're too naive. Since you won't come out, don't blame me for being impolite. Prepare to attack!"

"Don't be so hasty, little sister Katarina. You must give us some time to get dressed before we meet you."

Darius walked out with a smile on his face. Beside him was a limping man. He was ugly, his hair was almost entirely white, and he wore a black trench coat. His sinister appearance was none other than Swain.

"Just the two of you? My intelligence said there were twenty-seven people in the courtyard. Where are the other twenty-five? Those two clowns don't count, right?"

I had remained hidden the entire time, yet Katarina knew there was someone else besides Talon here. As expected, she was not simple; her assassin's instincts were indeed sharp.

"Swain and I often chat idly. When did we get so many people? Your intelligence must be mistaken. Come in for a chat?"

"Two homeless people chatting idly? What a joke. Since you won't admit it, I'll search myself!"

The house was already dilapidated, and this commotion almost tore it down. They couldn't find anyone else, so it seemed there was a secret passage inside.

Although we didn't manage to delay them, those people had already left. I just didn't understand why Darius and Swain didn't leave together.

Katarina was furious after finding nothing and ordered the two men to be locked up. At this point, I couldn't stand by any longer. I rushed out with my Steel Spear. Unexpectedly, Darius waved me off and then obediently allowed himself to be locked up without any resistance.

Talon returned to my side: "Let's leave first, or we won't be able to get away later. Judging by Darius's expression, he doesn't seem to want to fight here."

As I hesitated, Talon suddenly dashed in front of me and blocked a flying knife with a "clang." However, his right arm was still hit by another flying knife.

"Hurry, she's captured Darius now and will soon turn her attention to the two of us."

We quickly retreated and fled into a forest in the west. I felt extremely guilty. Not only did I fail to help this time, but I also caused Talon to get injured. If he hadn't saved me, I probably would have died under Katarina's flying knives.

No wonder Master Shadow always said to remain vigilant when facing assassins; some killing moves come without warning.

"I'm sorry for causing you to get injured."

"Any combat requires full concentration, otherwise, you'll die a miserable death. Let's go, we'll head to the Immortal Fortress. This woman will definitely escort the two of them to the capital for trial. We'll see what happens then."

"That woman is Katarina, an assassin like you," I reminded him.

The Immortal Fortress is the capital of Noxus. Unlike the Silver City, it has not only prosperous districts and academies but also countless poor people and slaves. The extreme polarization and conflict are like ice and fire mingling.

I had some understanding of it through the game's background, but seeing it with my own eyes now felt different. Even though it was just a city, I could see myriad aspects of life.

Perhaps one moment you see a few citizens enjoying themselves harmoniously, and the next moment you witness a slave owner whipping and scolding his subordinates. Next to a corner filled with academic atmosphere, prostitutes and their clients would be arm in arm.

We arrived here before Katarina. She arrived a day later. Now, everyone in the Immortal Fortress was talking about Darius and Swain's rebellion. Most people firmly believed they wouldn't rebel, but the Emperor's execution order left them helpless.

Darkwill seemed determined to kill them both, and to address public doubts, he ordered a public trial, scheduled for two days later.

Talon and I disguised ourselves meticulously and thoroughly investigated the surroundings of the execution grounds. Talon was very familiar with this place. Tam had told him that he was once captured after a failed assassination attempt and was later ransomed to the arena.

I had always been curious about what kind of person could evade Talon's assassination, so I tentatively asked him. His answer surprised me: Swain.

"If you wanted to kill Swain, why are you helping them now?"

"Because our positions have changed. I spent years honing my skills just to kill those who trampled on my homeland, which was Swain. However, I ultimately failed. Later, I learned that Swain had already been dismissed. The Emperor forced him to invade Ionia back then. Since he now wants to overthrow the Emperor, of course, I'm willing to serve."

"Is this the common ideal that Tam spoke of?"

"I don't know what their ideal is, I just want to kill the Emperor."

Through reconnaissance, I discovered that the execution grounds in the Immortal Fortress were as large as a football field, with numerous high platforms surrounding it. It was said to accommodate the entire city. No matter the form of killing, it was very popular in Noxus.

It had been raining for the past two days, but it didn't affect people's attention to this matter. The public trial of Darius and Swain attracted many people. It became much simpler for Talon and me to blend in.

There were five people on the tribunal. The one in the center, dressed in opulent robes and wearing a crown, was undoubtedly the Emperor of Noxus, Brawn Darkwill.

On his sides were Katarina and a person wearing a black veil. On the outermost sides were two elders holding books, seemingly responsible for the sentencing.

In the past, when the people saw Darkwill, they would shout, "Long live the great Emperor!" but today they were shouting, "Let them go."

I think no ruler would want to see such a scene: the people love his subordinates more than him.

He stopped the clamoring crowd: "Quiet! My dear citizens, I know you deeply respect these two men, and I once liked them very much too, but once you know what they have done, you will understand why I must part with them."

The crowd quieted down and listened carefully as Darkwill explained the whole story: "As everyone knows, Darius failed to conquer Demacia, and the elite War Axe Legion lost more than half of its men. Swain was even defeated by those primitives in Ionia, causing severe damage to the Black Feather Legion. The defeat of these two legions cost Noxus years of effort."

The crowd was not convinced: "They conquered many places!"

"They are the pioneers of the Empire!"

"They made Noxus's name known throughout the world!"

"Everyone, please hear me out. These two men have made brilliant military achievements. I could forgive them for a single defeat, but they actually attempted to subvert the Empire!"

The crowd was silent for a moment, then they expressed their disbelief. The two great generals who had shed blood and sweat for the Empire would actually do something like subverting it? No one could believe it. At this moment, Katarina stood up:

"What His Majesty said is absolutely true. I am Katarina Du Kao, the eldest daughter of the legendary General Dukao. I believe everyone is familiar with my father. Ten years ago, the news of my father's accidental death plunged all of Noxus into deep sorrow. Many said he was assassinated by the enemy, but the truth is not so."

Seeing that she had successfully shifted everyone's attention, Katarina continued:

"During his lifetime, my father, as a great General of Noxus, had two most capable subordinates: Darius and Swain. He handed over the elite War Axe and Black Feather Legions to them. However, he never expected their ambitions to go further. They wanted to gain higher power, so they conspired to murder my father!"