The Hot Potato

Seeing Stivan praise the crystal, I assumed he was very satisfied, but to my surprise, he uttered the words "unwilling." ♝☝ 🐒🍟

As I was wondering how to respond, he continued, "I don't need your compensation. I have no grudge against Jorba, and I know this isn't his fault. Since the thief was able to steal the crystal under our constant surveillance, no amount of money will make a difference. It's safer with you."

These words were spoken with utmost sincerity, without a trace of hypocrisy.

Stivan genuinely didn't want us to pay compensation, but then again, their lost crystal really had nothing to do with Jorba saving Jinx.

"As expected of a pioneering family in Hextech, they remain completely unmoved by this crystal."

"I'm very tempted, but I'm even more afraid it will fall into the hands of someone with malicious intentions."

Are you suspecting the Kalin Family?

Stivan smiled. "I do have some suspicions about them; they might be using various means to seize the Primal Crystal."

"So you didn't let us make compensation to the Kalin Family because you were afraid of danger, and also suspected they were connected to the treasure thieves?"

"All I know is that the Kalin Family has been acquiring Primal Crystal in recent years, exceeding our revenue, while their research expenditures aren't that high. As for whether it's related to treasure thieves, I can't be sure..."

"It's probably due to other factors that are causing the biggest consumption, such as the motorcycle, timers, and other small items," I offered a casual explanation.

Judging from Stivan's expression, it seems he wants to recruit me. Although it would be comfortable to have such a large family supporting me in Piltover, I don't plan to stay here for long and don't want to cause trouble for myself.

He noticed I was deliberately avoiding the topic and chuckled, "Don't overthink it. I don't want you to go against the Kalin Family; I just want you to know that Piltover's stability depends entirely on the three major families, and the status of those three families depends entirely on the Primal Crystal."

"I already know that, and I've witnessed it myself."

"Very well, let's look at it from another angle. Since the Primal Crystal has such powerful energy, what would happen if it were used by someone with ill intentions? One Jinx is already difficult for us to deal with; if a few more come, this place might be destroyed."

"I don't think the Kalin Family would do that. This is also their place of livelihood; what good would establishing a dictatorship do them?"

"You still don't understand me. I doubt the Kalin Family's use of the crystal, but I don't doubt their intentions. But what if they're being used? Aubrey isn't a wise man."

So that's what Stivan was worried about. He was right; Aubrey was clearly a fool, completely lacking the wisdom of a head of a large family.

Compared to Stivan in front of him, he was far inferior, but there were indeed few people as shrewd as Stivan.

If Aubrey was manipulated into collaborating with the crystal thieves to amass such a large amount of Primal Crystal, it certainly wouldn't be for any good.

But I still don't understand, if it's not about asking us to help fight the Kalin Family, then what does it have to do with me?

"Please forgive my bluntness, but I'm rather slow and don't understand what you mean. Please just say it directly."

"I would like to ask you to leave Piltover. Also, please take good care of your crystals and make sure they are not stolen or robbed, as this concerns the safety of Piltover."

Well, now the crystal has become a hot potato. If we give it to Ferros, they won't take it; if we give it to someone else, there's a risk of trouble. If we keep it, it's not only useless, but it might also bring danger.

A priceless treasure has become a time bomb, all because of a few words spoken today. In this light, those who reap the crystal shards are actually the happier ones.

"Why do I feel like it's a bad thing that Yasuo has such a precious crystal?" Even Vi, who's usually oblivious, noticed it.

"Selling it doesn't seem like an option either." Riven stroked her chin, then made a drastic decision. "Then let's just destroy it!"

These words stunned everyone, even Stivan was slightly shocked. Destroying such a precious Primal Crystal, how much courage would that take!

However, what they didn't know was that Riven's talk of destroying more than just this one crystal. If I took all the crystals out of my bag, even Stivan probably wouldn't be able to stay calm.

There is always a limit to how much people can resist temptation.

"If possible, I still hope you can keep it. After all, the improvements that Hextech brings to our lives are undeniable, and we might need it again when we move into new fields."

"Uh, are you treating us like walking safes?" Riven's words made us laugh.

"Haha, in return, if you need it, I can let you have priority access to the latest research results."

"Okay! I agree!" Riven answered readily.

Speaking of research findings, I have an idea. "Actually, there's another way. You could just turn it into Hextech Item and consume it, wouldn't that be the same?"

"You may not know this, but Primal Crystal are consumed very slowly and require a lot of manpower and resources. With the current number of researchers in Piltover, it would probably take a month to consume the crystals you have."

Wow, this thing is so complicated! It seems the kickbacks Jorba received for helping out weren't that much, considering he mobilized the entire family's top talent.

How many Hextech personnel are there in Piltover right now?

"No more than ten people."

So little?

"Originally there were more, but in recent years crystal production has been decreasing, and many people have left the industry. According to our rules, those who leave must have their related memories erased to prevent the leakage of technology."

"Could the person collecting these crystals be someone who failed to have their memories erased? Otherwise, what's the point of accumulating so many crystals if you can't use them?"

"I've thought about this issue too, but these people are under strict management, and everything is normal for now. Everyone is trying to make a living."

It seems my idea wasn't of much value; with Stivan's intelligence, he had already thought of everything I could.

"Alright, in that case, I'll agree and leave now. But there's one thing I can't guarantee: Crystal's safety. I don't know how powerful the people in the shadows are, nor what their methods are, but I'll do my best to protect her."

"I'm glad you agreed. In the meantime, I will do my best to investigate this matter and find out who's behind it."

Seeing that I wasn't leaving, the shrewd Stivan realized I might ask for something else, and he couldn't help guarding the crystal for nothing. "What are your conditions? If I can meet them, I'll agree."

"I'd like to ask the Gray Lady for a favor, could you...?"

"I'm sorry, I can't do that."

Before I could finish speaking, Stivan refused.