Compensating with a Crystal

The Phiros Family is quite far from the Kalin Family, located directly north of Piltover, but very close to our lodgings. From there, it's not far beyond the southern Noxus desert. 😳🐺 💥💀

Upon learning the purpose of our visit, the butler asked us to wait in the living room for a while, saying that the head of the household had gone out for a walk and would be back soon. I took the opportunity to observe the surroundings of the house:

The Phiros Family was far less prestigious than the Kalin Family, and their territory was much smaller; after all, they weren't a gang.

However, the environment here is excellent, with lush and fragrant flowers, trees, and the sounds of birds, beasts, fish, and insects everywhere. It also has a beautiful name – Blue Fragrance Manor.

Judging from its appearance alone, one would never guess that this is the birthplace of Hextech; it looks more like a health resort.

Surprisingly, the interior decoration is the same.

Upon entering the living room, I saw white gauze curtains fluttering in front of the window, many beautiful paintings hanging on the walls, and tables, chairs, and various small objects casually placed, all exuding a lazy and comfortable atmosphere.

Is this really the living room? It looks more like a study. It's a pity the butler left after serving tea; I have no one to ask.

We sat for a while, and then the Phiros Family Head returned. He was a wiry little old man, dressed in gray, wearing a monocle, which was undoubtedly Hextech creation.

"Hehe, you guys got here pretty fast! I saw your motorcycles at the pavilion, and you arrived before I even got back."

"This is thanks to Hextech, the great invention of the Phiros Family."

"It's not that great; many places can make that kind of thing as long as you have crystal."

"I'm curious about the current state of Hextech. Could you please enlighten me?"

"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Stivan Ferros, I'm the Gray Lady's younger brother, and the current head of the Ferros family."

He didn't answer my question, but instead introduced himself, and I wisely refrained from pressing him for an answer.

"You've already met the explorers, Yasuo, Riven, and Vi."

"Judging from your expressions, you must be quite surprised by the decorations here, right?" Stivan asked, noticing Riven looking around.

"Indeed, we heard that the Phiros Family was the birthplace of Hextech, but we didn't expect it to be such a manor-like place."

"Haha, our family comes from southern Demacia. We used to run a manor there, and later moved here for business reasons, but the style remains the same."

"Oh, it really is beautiful. It must be very comfortable to live here."

"If you two like, you can stay a few more days. It's just me and a lot of servants here."

Are none of your family members here?

"They are all active in Zaun and Piltover; trade and technological development there require their presence."

"You are the most leisurely head of the household I have ever met."

"The children each have their own responsibilities; except for important decisions, they don't need this old man's help with anything else."

"By the way, we've come here to compensate you for the Primal Crystal, you see..."

"This family is very stable under the protection of my sister Camille. The children are focused on their work and have achieved remarkable results..." Stivan still didn't respond to me and continued talking about the Phiros Family.

Since arriving in Piltover, this is the first time I've met someone who isn't interested in the Primal Crystal, or rather, who's crazy about them.

It was somewhat surprising to hear that Camille was his sister, given how young she looked, while the Phiros Family Head was already an old man.

However, we already know that Camille underwent a complete makeover, so it's not surprising that she doesn't look old.

We chatted with Stivan for a while and gained a general understanding of the Phiros Family: the family is now divided into three parts, one responsible for trade, one for research and development, and the other forming the guards to maintain order in Zaun and Piltover.

Those in charge of trade are primarily based in Zaun, and unlike the clandestine gangs, they represent authority alongside the Gerral Family.

The people who develop the technology have built laboratories, museums, and shops; in the field of Hextech, their level is the highest.

The Piltover Guard need no introduction. Before the police department was established, they were very active. Although they have now stepped back from the limelight, no one dares to question their authority, especially with the presence of the Gray Lady Camille.

During the conversation, whenever I mentioned the Primal Crystal and Hextech Creations, Stivan would dodge the topic and change the subject, which gradually made me anxious.

Is this old man just bored and now he's clinging to us? Just as we were wondering what to do, he finally got down to business:

"Isn't it boring to have you all chatting with this old man?"

"Uh... actually, hearing about the family history is quite interesting, but I don't know why you're not interested in the Primal Crystal?"

"You're wrong. I'm not just interested, I'm extremely interested. That girl's arm is a product of the Philoss House, isn't it?"

"Yes, the Gray Lady said the original was too crude and asked you to make me a new arm."

Taking advantage of the situation, Vie took it upon herself to have the Philoss House rebuilt, even though Camille had promised to fix it.

She walked up to Stivan and held up her damaged right arm, which bore Camille's signature. Stivan, of course, had no reason to doubt her words.

"This arm is a masterpiece, both in terms of workmanship and technique."

"Hey old man, you're not trying to renege on your debt, are you?" Wei never cared about manners, and upon hearing Stivan's words, she assumed he was trying to avoid paying.

"How could that be? This arm is truly exceptional. I can't imagine what kind of machine gun could destroy it. But don't worry, I will still compensate you."

"Haha, since you're willing to compensate, I'll tell you the truth. The lasers fired from Jinx's machine gun were indeed very powerful. Not only did they destroy my arm, but they also destroyed the Hextech Motorcycle in that way."

Stivan looked at Vi with a kind expression. "I hope you'll take better care of your arm next time. And then, there's only one question left."

After discussing that matter, we finally got to the issue of compensation for the crystal, which was the main focus of this trip. I took out the Primal Crystal I had prepared:

"Your crystal is a whole piece, so I'm afraid we can't compensate you for it, but we certainly won't shortchange you on quality."

This crystal is one half of the one that broke off during the battle against the Desert Giant Scorpion. In terms of both color and weight, it completely surpasses the one from the Phiros Family. The only drawback is that it is not a whole piece.

Even the usually composed Stivan's eyes lit up when he saw the crystal, just as he himself had said, "I'm not only interested, I'm very interested!"

In just a brief moment, his expression returned to normal, showing no further greed. This kind of person is truly terrifying!

"Are you not satisfied?" I looked at Stivan's nonchalant expression, wondering what he was thinking.

"To be honest, in every respect, the crystal you brought is far superior to ours; they're not even in the same league in terms of value."

"Then are you willing to accept our compensation?"

"I don't want to."