In the following days, Li Ke maintained his routine of teaching two classes in the village every day.
Thinking about it carefully, Li Ke won't stay in Bond Village for too long. Once Jinx gets tired of the place, or Ahri sends a message, he will take Jinx away from Bond Village and head deeper into Ionia.
Therefore, Li Ke didn't really intend to teach these kids any knowledge. These days, he simply taught them some continental languages and told them about the world outside of Ionia, such as the interesting things in Zaun and Piltover, opening a new door for them and letting them know what the outside world is like.
One or two months isn't enough to really teach anything. What Li Ke needs to do is plant a seed in these children's hearts—a seed of longing for the outside world, a seed of adventure, a desire to go out and see it.
Jinx stopped coming to school after the third day. Her interest came and went quickly. It was hard to keep her sitting in the classroom and listening to Li Ke talk about things she already knew. After a while, and after a lot of times, she naturally started to get impatient.
So from the third day onwards, Jinx would always stay in the repair shop.
Li Ke quite enjoys going to class, savoring this hard-won daily routine.
Time flowed by on such relaxed days, and I felt quite content.
Navori, located in northern Ionia, is the largest province in Ionia. Navori was also one of the most severely affected areas during the Noxian-Ionian War. However, extreme oppression often leads to resistance, and the Navori resistance was born under these circumstances.
On Placidium, the Ionia inhabitants, who had suffered greatly at the hands of the Noxians, formed a resistance army and joined the local militia groups in Navori.
This became the first line of defense against the Noxians, and the first and only time the Ionia truly broke through the Noxians. The rebels became a heroic organization that drove them away.
As a result, many Ionia, filled with anger and seeking revenge, went to Navori, hoping to join the resistance. However, as the Noxus army left and the fighting in Navori subsided, people returning to normal life began to disagree on their future choices.
Some want to return to the countryside, lay down their weapons, forget their hatred, and start a new life. Others, however, cling to their hatred, blinded by hatred and violence, take up arms and try to unify Navori by force, seeking revenge against Noxus. Still others try to profit from this and gain advantages.
In this context, an organization called the Brotherhood was born in Navori. This organization first appeared during the Noxian-Ionian War, and it already existed when the Battle of the Placidium began, but at that time it was incorporated into the Rebel Alliance.
Until the end of the war, disputes arose between different factions, and the name of the Navori Brotherhood officially became known.
They broke away from the resistance and traveled in Navori under the name of the Brotherhood, recruiting Ionia from other provinces who came to Navori to protect their homeland, thus expanding their organization.
Today, the Brotherhood has become a force to be reckoned with in Navori.
Just a few dozen miles southwest of Placidium lies the rebel stronghold. Here, in the afternoon, you won't see the greenery typical of Ionia; war has ravaged the land, affecting the natural spirit of Ionia.
As a result, the local plants became less friendly towards humans and even attacked them, making food acquisition difficult. Therefore, venturing into other areas unaffected by the war to find food became the main source of sustenance for the locals.
Beyond the blood-stained wooden wall lay a cluster of houses of varying sizes. In one of the houses, marked with badges on the eaves, a girl in red armor and a silver crown was vigorously washing her hands in front of a basin of water.
Her hands were clean when she put them in the water, but she rubbed them vigorously until the skin on her hands turned white and wrinkled in the water before taking them out.
"Leader, we've captured two more people outside the stronghold." A voice sounded behind her.
She turned around and saw a weathered face. The man was tall, carrying a spear on his back and wearing an animal skin hat. He was looking at her with a sigh.
"Is this another attempt to assassinate me?" the girl asked calmly.
"Yes, we already had our eyes on them when they appeared in the market." Wen said with a hint of helplessness. As a militiaman, he now possessed a knack for counter-surveillance, all thanks to the Brotherhood.
His name was Wen, a very strange name.
"Let it go," she said softly after hearing this.
Wen remained silent. "."
After a moment, he opened his mouth and said in a deep voice, "Irelia, this can't go on. You have to make your stance clear to them, otherwise they will only become more demanding."
"This is the fourteenth assassination attempt this month. Apart from the one who came to you in person and was executed, you let all the other assassins go. However, the damage they caused has affected the camp."
"But I really don't know what to do." Irelia looked at Wen, covered her face with her hands, and whispered, "Many of them know me, and I know them. We fought together. They consider me their leader. I just can't bring myself to do it to them."
"Sigh, I understand." Wen nodded and said, "Then I'll have them released, but you should make a change, Irelia."
"We're all waiting for you."
"I know. I'll be prepared, Uncle Wen." Irelia lowered her hand, revealing a fair face. Her blue eyes were filled with sorrow as she looked at Wen, hoping he would stop talking.
Seeing this, I couldn't bear to say anything more.
After all, she was only fifteen years old, yet she already carried the expectations of countless people. Everyone had placed their future on this girl's shoulders, hoping that she could lead Navori to rise and lead the resistance to rise.
But everyone seems to have forgotten one thing: she is only fifteen years old.
At this age, she should be playing carefree, learning, and growing up healthily, but instead she became a hero leading tens of thousands of people.
Not to mention the blows the split-off Brotherhood dealt her.
But after hesitating for a moment, Wen still said, "There's one more thing, Irelia."
"Please speak."
"The Brotherhood sent people south, seemingly intending to wipe out the local Noxians, but after the war, many Noxians have already integrated into Ionia, and there are even Noxians living in many villages."
Wen then said in a deep voice, "We have to stop the Brotherhood."
"Uncle Wen, don't you hate the Noxians?" Irelia asked.
"Hate? Of course I hate them. If it weren't for them, I would be a farmer in Sunflower Forest now. But Irelia, they were just ordinary soldiers. Noxians were accepted by the locals after the war shouldn't be bad by nature. Besides, they paid a price. They couldn't go home and were abandoned by their country."
"Furthermore, if the locals can accept them, then what can I say?" Wen said with a wry smile.
Not every Noxians is bloodthirsty. Noxians were able to integrate into the local community after the war may have killed Ionia during the war, but they certainly did not torture Ionia. They may even have worked in logistics and never went to the front lines.
Otherwise, the villagers would never accept them.
Irelia nodded after hearing Wen's words.
"Then send an army south to track the Brotherhood and thwart their plans," Irelia said coolly.
Wen nodded and said in a deep voice, "Yes."
After saying that, he left the room, leaving Irelia alone.
She looked at the razor blades hanging on the wall; they were the marks of the Zann Family, the last things her family had left her.
But now, just like his own hands, the emblem of the Zann Family was stained with blood.
"Well"
With a long, mournful sigh, the girl fell into confusion once more.
What will Ionia look like in the future?
Sometimes, she even wonders if her rash decision was a mistake.
It was because of her rebellion that Ionia became what it is today; it was because of her leadership that Ionia truly fell apart.
The retaliation extinguished peace; some things have been destroyed and may never be recovered.
Looking at the badge, Irelia's eyes were filled with sadness.