A Parting Gift

Stivan's words made me a little uncomfortable. I've been helping you protect such an important crystal, and you won't even help with this little thing?

But then I realized he didn't mean "I won't help," but rather "I can't do it."

"What do you mean by 'can't do it'? Isn't the Gray Lady your sister?"

"She is my older sister, the CEO of the Phiros Family, and the lifelong commander of the Piltover Guard. Even as the head of the family, I cannot see her without her summons."

"Could it be because even the Primal Crystal won't work? Not long ago, she fought a fierce battle while tracking down thieves."

"Well... alright, I'll make an exception and take you to see her this once, but I won't go to see her. Take the crystal with you; nothing should happen."

Stivan's fear didn't seem feigned, and I was also very curious: what were Camille's considerations in refusing to see even the head of the family?

The Piltover Guard's headquarters is not far from the Blue Fragrance Manor; it only takes us half a minute by motorcycle to get there. It's a somewhat dilapidated castle building with its large, black iron gate tightly closed and no one guarding it.

Stivan knocked on the door, but there was no response. He did this several times.

"Could it be that it's not inside?"

No, she's inside.

When Stivan knocked on the door just now, I used my Insight Technique to sense it and felt a familiar energy fluctuation inside; it was Camille.

"Then you can wait here for a bit, I'll head back first." Stivan didn't want to linger any longer.

I didn't want to wait any longer. Since no one was watching the door, I figured I could be rude to the guest. I pushed the door hard, and with a dull metallic clang, it opened.

But after entering the main gate, there was a second door inside the doorway, exactly the same as the first one. When I opened it again, I discovered a third door.

What kind of design is this? I found it strange, and just as I was about to reach out and push open the third door, Riven stopped me:

"Wait, let me tap it again."

I knew she was afraid of an ambush, and I was prepared too, but just like last time, there was still no response from inside.

"I wonder how many doors there are here," Wei also found it strange.

"Judging by the length of this doorway, this should be the last one."

After I finished speaking, I pushed open the third door and finally saw the scene inside: it was ordinary and unremarkable, just like the residence of an ordinary minor nobleman in Demacia.

The murals and decorations were simple, and the utensils were all there, but they were very old, as if no one had used them for eight or ten years.

As soon as I stepped into the room, I suddenly felt a chill run down my neck. I quickly stepped back and shielded Riven and Vi behind me.

Two guards appeared before us, expressionless, with blades on their legs and grappling hooks on their arms, moving in the exact same manner as Camille.

"This kind of reception is quite unusual, isn't it?"

"Who are you? Without the master's orders, no one is allowed to approach this place; otherwise, it will be considered an intrusion. Are you sure you want to continue?"

"Wait a minute, I was brought here by the head of the Stivan. You should have heard him knocking on the door, right?"

After listening, the two looked at us and then shook their heads. "This has nothing to do with us. We can't go in without the master's orders."

"Stubborn robots indeed." Judging from their expressions and behavior, I knew they had also undergone Hextech modifications, albeit at a much lower level than Camille.

"Command: Drive out the intruders!" The two of them charged at us together.

What's with the attitude? Is this how you treat people if you're so capable? Fine, I'll show you what you're capable of outside of Piltover!

The guard's limbs and torso have been modified, making it very strong, but it's still far weaker than a desert scorpion!

Faced with the Wind Force, they quickly retreated, displaying impressive escape skills. They used grappling hooks to hang from the wall and disappeared from our sight in just a few seconds.

"Be careful, there might be someone even stronger ahead," Riven warned me.

"Then let's hurry over there. I've already sensed Camille's room."

We cautiously looked around, fearing another assassin, but no one else appeared even when we reached Camille's door. However, there were quite a few pairs of eyes staring at us, which made us a little uneasy.

I could force my way through the main gate, but I couldn't just walk into the private room. I used my Insight Technique again to confirm that Camille was inside, cold and powerful.

"Greetings, the Gray Lady. We are not intruders; we have specifically Phiros Family Head to pay you a visit."

"Do you know what happens to those who trespass without my permission?"

"If you saw the Primal Crystal in my hand, you might not think that way."

"Come in."

Hearing Camille's words, we all breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that crystal really is a diplomatic tool here.

Pushing open the door, I saw Camille behind the curtain, her back to us, and she appeared to be naked.

"My body needs to repair itself every now and then, please don't mind."

"No, please forgive me for bothering you without permission."

"You said you came because of the crystal, but did you discover the thief's whereabouts?"

"This story begins when we met in Zaun..."

I recounted the meeting of the Kalin Family and the events at the Blue Fragrance Manor, trying to make her understand that we came with good intentions. Camille listened in silence for a while, then asked me to take out the crystal and take a look.

I took out the crystal, looked around, and realized there was no one else there. How could I deliver it to her?

"Just bring it over."

"Isn't this inappropriate? You don't seem to be wearing any clothes. Go ahead, Riven."

I turned around and handed the crystal to Riven, asking her to take it over, while whispering to her to be careful.

"Hehe, I don't eat people, you don't need to mind, it doesn't matter who comes." Camille wasn't as cold as before, and there was a hint of joking in her words.

"Haha." I laughed awkwardly, not expecting her to hear me.

Riven handed the crystal over, and Camille knew it was real after just one glance. She played with it for a while before returning it to us.

"Since the patriarch says he won't accept it, then I won't either. You can keep it for yourselves. So, what brings you here?"

"I'd like to ask you for a favor; you can think of it as our way of repaying you for protecting the crystal."

"What help is needed? As long as it doesn't infringe on Piltover's interests, it's fine."

"No, on the contrary, it will benefit Piltover."

"Go ahead and say it."

"I would like to ask you to protect two people, and if possible, to teach them some skills, such as arresting criminals."

Are these two people you brought?

"Not entirely. The pink-haired one is called Vie, and the other is her friend Caitlyn. They're both from the Kalin Family and work at the police station."

"Hey Yasuo, why didn't you even discuss this with me?" Vi was surprised to hear my words; she hadn't expected me to come to Camille about this.