When Karya mentioned Jotunheim, Darius's gaze instantly sharpened.
So this was the Demacians' plan?
They weren't satisfied with taking control of the Black Forest. Now they wanted to reach all the way to Jotunheim?
"Impossible." Darius's tone was unwavering. As far as Jotunheim was concerned, there was no room for negotiation. "Jotunheim has always been Noxian territory. There can be no doubt about that."
"But the Iron Thorn Kingdom seceded." Karya had clearly come prepared. "Noxus recognized its independence."
Darius's expression stiffened.
"Besides, the Freljordians have built a military fortress on the site of the old Jotunheim," Karya continued. "In other words, Noxus doesn't actually control Jotunheim anymore."
Darius's already-stiff expression grew even more rigid.
Unlike the Black Forest, Jotunheim was Noxus's northern shield. The Iron Thorn Mountains were its first line of defense in the north, and to Noxus, an independent Jotunheim was an entirely different matter from one occupied by the Demacians.
The Iron Thorn Kingdom might sound impressive now that Jotunheim had declared independence, but any Noxian who understood the region knew that the Valrokhan family was little more than a band of upstarts.
With Jotunheim alone, they were merely fish stranded in a drying pond.
But if Demacia occupied Jotunheim—even if it became a Demacian exclave, an Autonomous Region, or a territory under its administration—that would mean something entirely different to Noxus.
Whoever occupied Jotunheim would command the high ground, with a clear advantage over the surrounding region. From Jotunheim, an army could march south toward the Dalmo Plains, the only part of Noxus that could be called fertile. This was the heart of Noxus. If the Dalmo Plains fell, Noxus would truly be finished.
The Iron Thorn Kingdom could not use Jotunheim to dominate the surrounding region, because its economy was heavily dependent on Noxus.