Finally, the gag order jointly issued by Crownguard and the Buweier family let Garen escape disaster. Although his image had already been shattered in the eyes of many, he only needed to avoid those people for a while. He probably wouldn't have to flee Demacia.
Well, congratulations. Congratulations.
However, the matter wasn't over yet.
Soon, Ogesha arrived in a hurry and personally took action. She grabbed her own son by the ear and hauled him all the way to the Buweier family estate to apologize in person.
Since Crown Guard Manor and the Buweier estate lay at opposite ends of Demacia City, east and west, nearly every resident of Demacia City witnessed Garen, that little bastard, being dragged through the streets by his mother.
The onlookers obviously had no idea what Garen had done, but there were plenty of arrogant teenagers in their early teens who got disciplined by their mothers, from nobles to commoners, and the reasons were all over the place. So everyone happily stopped to watch, spontaneously turning it into a grand spectacle along the way.
Compared to what Lux had said, being dragged through the streets by the ear was one level less socially humiliating. Even so, Garen still felt utterly hopeless and wished he were dead.
Fortunately, after Mrs. Buweier learned what had happened, she didn't make things difficult for Garen. She even reprimanded her own unreasonable daughter, and the whole uproar finally came to an end.
Aside from Jarvan IV laughing seven times at Garen's red and swollen ear during training the next day, the matter was only occasionally mentioned when certain unruly children were being disciplined by their parents: "Do you want to end up like that little bastard that day, being dragged two li by the ear?"
Thus was born the Demacia City where only Garen got hurt.
However, although the incident had dealt Garen an enormous blow, it was only a minor matter to Demacia City—and across all of Demacia, it was even less worth mentioning.
Even Barret Buweier and Peter Crown Guard hadn't taken it to heart. When the two met at Dawn Castle the next day, they didn't mention it even once.
For them, the more important matter was currently the war between Noxus and Ionia.
More precisely, it was the intelligence concerning the war.
Unlike the Noxians, who had established a professional organization of war artisans, Demacia actually had no professional spy organization. Over the nearly thousand years since its founding, most of its intelligence had come from merchants, laborers, farmers, scholars, and people from all walks of life volunteering information.
Demacia itself had little desire to expand its territory. Strategically, it had always focused on solid defense, occasionally causing the Noxians some trouble. It was one of the few "kind nations" in Runeterra. Moreover, many countries relied on Demacian food exports. Thus, in terms of intelligence, Demacia followed the kingly path of "receiving abundant aid from those who upheld the right."
One couldn't say that every Demacian was a good person, but at the very least, they benefited from being contrasted with their peers.
This approach worked very well when dealing with matters concerning Valoran, but it was far less effective when keeping watch on the war in Ionia. The enormous distance made the transmission of intelligence difficult, while the chaos in Ionia made even firsthand reports unreliable.
Even Demacia's fastest ship needed more than three months to sail from Whitecliff City, pass through the Valoran Strait, reach Ionia, and return—without even taking a Noxian blockade into account.
So although the Demacians had evacuated quite a few refugees from Ionia, when it came to Ionia's specific situation, Demacia could only make broad guesses and assume the worst.
For precisely this reason, even though some northern regions had suffered frost damage, the Crown Guard family's fief taxes had not been reduced. Demacia needed to prepare for war. What if the Noxians were only staging a feint and actually intended to attack Demacia?
Pretending to go to war with another country, then launching a surprise attack when Demacia lowered its guard—Noxus had done that plenty of times throughout its history!
Just look at the cities along northern Shurima's coast that had defected to the Noxians!
Almost every time a city changed sides, the Noxians staged a siege with much thunder but little rain. If Demacia showed even the slightest negligence, the Noxians at Trivell or Old Gate would launch an all-out assault without warning...
Fortunately, on the very day Garen was "paraded through the streets," the latest intelligence finally made its way back to Demacia after passing through several hands.
After comparing intelligence from multiple sources and conducting repeated analyses, they could finally confirm that the Noxians had committed an unprecedentedly large force to Ionia. All twenty warbands were regular troops rather than militia brought in to make up the numbers, and the Sea Watch Fleet had put to sea in its entirety.
This meant that the Ionians would probably have great difficulty holding out, but at the same time, Demacia's borders would remain secure for quite a long while.
Thus, at today's internal meeting, Demacia would discuss and formulate a concrete response to the war.
"First, Your Majesty, I believe the Noxians can no longer turn back." Unlike his meekness when facing his wife, Peter was known for speaking boldly during internal meetings. "Based on the information we've received from Ionia and cross-checked with other sources, the Noxians have indeed committed all their main warbands to the war in Ionia. Although a few warbands were recently recalled, that should be because of pressure from the north. Judging by the timing, it's also the season when those northern barbarians become active."
"So this war is far larger in scale than the several landings in Shurima?" Jiawen III carefully examined the map that had finally been sent from Ionia. He pointed toward Waili. "The Noxians' main fleet landed here?"
"According to the information provided by local Ionian rangers, yes." Peter nodded. "But not just there. Aside from Waili in Navoli Province, the Noxians also landed at Nongpu in Valu, Sanda in Shanzan, and Laiken in Zhyun."
"That is a truly grand undertaking." Jiawen III looked at the landing points marked with sailing ships on the map and couldn't help rubbing his brow. "Could the Noxians really be planning to swallow all of Ionia in one strike?"
"Objectively speaking, we lack the necessary information to answer that question." Barret remained cautious and rational. "However, Your Majesty, I have the same doubt. When the Noxians attacked Shurima in the past, they never launched such a conceited multi-pronged offensive."
"Even when they conquered Bel'Juin," Peter added. "That time, the Noxians dispatched only one fleet, and its primary purpose was transporting troops. But this time, nearly the entire Sea Watch navy of Noxus has sailed. As a result, pirate activity in Bilgewater has rapidly intensified, and many Piltover merchants have complained that the Sea of Watch has become extremely dangerous."
"Will they succeed?" Jiawen III turned to Xin Zhao, who had remained silent. "Are your countrymen as brave as you?"
"They're braver than I am." Xin Zhao licked his slightly dry lips. "The Noxians have already encountered courageous resistance. But when my fishing boat was seized, I was immediately taken prisoner and sent to a Noxian gladiator arena."
"That wasn't your fault." Jiawen III couldn't help shaking his head. "You should understand what I mean. If—just hypothetically—if Ionia cannot resist the Noxian invasion, then once that beast devours your homeland and finishes digesting it, all of Runeterra will be placed upon his dining table."
"That's impossible." Xin Zhao shook his head as well, his tone firm. "The Noxians may win, but I believe Ionia cannot be completely conquered."
"...Let us hope so." Jiawen III fell silent for a moment before exhaling a breath of stale air. "But considering the arrogance the Noxians displayed after acquiring Bel'Juin and Uzeris, I think we need to devise a plan to curb the spread of this evil."
"I already have some ideas on that." At the mention of this topic, Peter stepped forward again. "Now that we've confirmed the Noxians' main forces have gone west, we should take this opportunity to reinforce and remodel our western defenses."
"Be specific." Jiawen III took another long look at the map of Ionia before returning to his throne. "I understand reinforcing them, but what do you mean by remodeling them?"
"Offensive fortresses, Your Majesty." Peter spoke frankly. "We cannot sit by and watch the Noxians establish a foothold in Ionia. Even if this despicable surprise attack has succeeded, we absolutely cannot allow that beast to digest its meal in peace and prepare for its next hunt!"
"So when he opens his mouth and bares his fangs again, we punch him hard in the face?" Jiawen III nodded. "I agree with this approach, but the problem is... we don't share a border with Noxus."
The problem was extremely awkward. For Demacia, not sharing a border with Noxus meant that there was a certain buffer zone between the two sides. This should have been a good thing for Demacia, which favored a strategically defensive posture.
But if Demacia needed to take action in response to Noxian actions in the future, this buffer zone formed by small countries and city-states would instead become an obstacle.
When Noxus stirred up trouble, it could invade openly and ruthlessly. But if Demacia did the same, it would destroy its own image. Although it was deeply unfair, if Demacia launched an offensive and invaded these buffer territories, its carefully maintained reputation would probably collapse completely.
For Demacia, that was an unbearable burden!
"We could go through... the Gate of Sorrows." Peter hesitated for a moment before proposing an idea that made everyone present frown. "Then proceed through Trivell."
"That's impossible." Barret finally rejected the proposal. "Crossing the Shimmering Silver Mountains is no simple matter. The Noxians have already proven that through their own failure."
"That is precisely why I said we need to remodel the western defenses." Peter seemed to have been prepared for this. "As long as we carry out a series of modifications based on the existing Gate of Sorrows fortress, the difficulty of crossing the Shimmering Silver Mountains will be greatly reduced. At that point, we would only need to face the relatively gentle southern foothills."
As he spoke, Peter took out a map of the area around the Gate of Sorrows and began explaining his strategic concept, pointing out the terrain of the mountains: expand the Gate of Sorrows fortress, stockpile more food and equipment, and build a military road along the mountain ridge to Jiayin Peak.
Once they reached Jiayin Peak, the Demacian army could advance in one great push through the narrow stretch of gentle slopes along the southern foothills of the Shimmering Silver Mountains and strike directly at Darkwill.
"If that's the case, then it is theoretically feasible." Barret studied Peter's diagram and thought for a while before reluctantly nodding. "However, Your Majesty, I must point out that this proposal would consume enormous resources. Even with water transport, building a military road directly to Jiayin Peak would still require an astonishing amount of manpower and materials."
"Manpower and materials... Those will indeed require careful calculation." Jiawen III did not immediately accept or reject the proposal. Instead, he raised another issue. "But what happens after we take Trivell? I remember that Trivell's royal family is gone."
"Yes, Your Majesty. When the Noxians conquered Trivell, they killed every noble of the royal family." Barret nodded. "We cannot help Trivell restore its kingdom."
"That is truly terrible." Jiawen III wore a sorrowful expression, as if deeply grieved by the misfortune of Trivell's royal family. "It seems that afterward, we will also need to build an additional defensive line to garrison Trivell?"
"I'm not particularly worried about that." Barret finally smiled. "Once the brutal Noxians are driven out, the people of Trivell will surely be happy to help us. After all, they'll be defending their own homeland as well!"
"Then it's settled." Jiawen III stroked his chin and made the final decision. "We will continue to focus on defense in the direction of Green Tooth Peak, while reinforcing and remodeling the Gate of Sorrows. If the Noxians do not stop their atrocities in Ionia, we will strike them hard in Trivell!"
"His Majesty is wise!"
"What a pity that Ionia has no king of its own. Otherwise, I would certainly sign a joint declaration with him..."
And so, Demacia finally confirmed its position regarding the war in Ionia. Technically speaking, however, this still needed to pass through the Noble Council three days later.
But judging from past experience, when Jiawen III made up his mind, the Noble Council had only two options.
Unanimous approval.
Or raising objections first, then being persuaded.
There was nothing they could do. Who could blame His Majesty for wearing the same trousers as the loyal Buweier family and the Crown Guard family?
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Please, esteemed readers, lift a finger and turn past the final page to complete your follow-up reading. The follow-up reading data is very important!
Thank you, everyone!
This chapter mainly focused on the impact of the war in Ionia on Demacia and Demacia's response, while also digging two more holes. It wasn't filler, honest~
Before you continue