A Family of Three

In the following days, Li Ke passed messages with Malson while living a stable life at home.

The Mid-level Plaza was no longer safe. The Gutter was in chaos, and minor gangs were driven up to avoid the Alchemical Baron. It was like big fish eating small fish, and small fish eating shrimp. Consequently, the Mid-level Plaza was now overcrowded. These people immediately caused quite a stir after arriving. This was evident from the fact that no one from Piltover had been seen in the Mid-level Plaza for the past few days.

As for going to the Dance Hall?

Don't be ridiculous. Appearing before the Enforcers with Jinx? Although Li Ke didn't know how Silco managed to cover up Jinx's crimes, he wasn't going to take that chance.

The Dance Hall connected to Piltover. Crossing the bridge led to Piltover, where the cops were stationed at the checkpoint. Enforcer teams would inspect the Zaunites in the Dance Hall daily. It was hard to believe, but that was the reality.

In front of Piltover, Zaun had no voice, let alone autonomy. The Dance Hall was the biggest example of this.

This was probably why Silco wanted the Zaunites to unite and stand against outsiders.

To have their homeland investigated, searched, and have their goods inspected – what kind of situation was this?

During these few days, Li Ke also learned the name of the Little Girl Jinx had brought back.

The Little Girl was named Isha. She was a child born and raised in the Gutter. The reasons for her escape to the Mid-level Plaza were no longer important.

Isha was nine years old, a year older than Li Ke had thought. She was an extremely intelligent child. The fact that she could discern adults' emotions from their faces at such a young age and react accordingly showed that she was more mature and smarter than other children, very quick-witted.

She also possessed an astonishing talent. It was related to the Small Toys made by Jinx. Li Ke picked one up and fiddled with it, but he couldn't figure out how to play with it. The seemingly simple Small Toys, pieced together from junk and scrap metal, had intricate internal structures.

However, Li Ke couldn't figure them out, but this little one, Isha, could. She could even take apart the "Small Toys" Jinx made and study their internal structures.

And now, she was learning from Jinx and starting to make toys herself.

In Jinx's words, people like her and Isha were the true Zaunite children. Li Ke and Vi were the same – idiots who only knew how to use their fists, incredibly stupid.

Zaunite children should learn to use everything around them to forge their own future.

"Jinx, Isha, dinner!"

In the kitchen on the first floor, Li Ke brought the dishes to the table. Although he didn't have money to buy many seasonings, pan-fried meat patties sprinkled with salt and pepper wouldn't taste bad.

The main staple was bread. It wasn't the bread mixed with sawdust and crumbs they ate in the Gutter, but a large loaf of Komugi bread that had been around for some time and was quite hard.

Although it was hard and dry to chew, it was perfect with the rich mushroom soup. Soaking the bread in the soup and then eating it with the meat patties while it was slightly softened made for a decent dinner.

"Coming!"

A high-pitched voice echoed from the second floor. Li Ke looked up and saw Jinx running barefoot in shorts, laughing heartily. Behind her, Isha followed, her hands outstretched, looking excited. She was also barefoot like Jinx, her small face wearing a cool expression as she chased Jinx.

Although the house had been cleaned, this was Zaun. No matter how clean the house was, it would be covered in dust and grime within half a day. Thus, Jinx's small feet were covered in black dirt, which made Li Ke look at them a few more times.

Fair, tender, with rounded toes. The contrast between white and black dirt...

How to put it...

What a great contrast!

"Huh, eating this again? Awesome! I love meat." Jinx hopped onto the stool, sat cross-legged, grabbed her own feet, and swayed back and forth as she looked at the food on the table, her small face full of excitement.

Isha, the little mute, was also very supportive, shaking her knife and fork in her hands: "Ah ah!"

Jinx let go of the hand holding her toes and reached for the food.

"Slap!"

Li Ke slapped away Jinx's paw as she reached for the meat patty and looked at her sternly: "Did you forget?"

Jinx retracted her hand, feeling the sting, and blew on the back of her hand, muttering: "So many little rules."

Despite saying that, Jinx didn't dislike the rules Li Ke had set for the household. Instead, she felt a little happy inside.

She liked this feeling of being "managed" and "taken care of."

It made her feel valued.

So, calling Isha, Jinx took the little mute to wash her hands.

Back at the dining table, with Li Ke's "Let's eat," the three of them lowered their heads to eat and chat.

"Li Ke, I've finished making the latest batch of weapons, but I can't guarantee the quality. Well, but they'll definitely work against idiots," Jinx said, chewing on a meat patty with rather ungraceful table manners.

Isha nodded beside her, making two sounds in agreement with Jinx.

"What about facing professional gangsters?"

"Don't make things difficult for me, okay? We don't even have decent tools here. Do you really think that just by picking up scrap from the junkyard and having me assemble it, it can compare to weapons made with a lot of money by others? Don't kid yourself."

"I might be a genius, but you're definitely a pauper." Jinx rolled her eyes, speechless at Li Ke's words.

She was already outstanding, wasn't she?

She had assembled a batch of weapons from a pile of junk: simple iron guns that could shoot sharp projectiles, grappling hooks that could be flung out with insufficient accuracy but incredible speed, and rope traps that would capture people upon collision after being thrown. The little contraptions she had tinkered with were already quite remarkable.

But to use those things against regular gangsters and their weapons?

Then she'd have to go back to Silco. After all, Li Ke was too poor to even provide decent materials.

So it wasn't that she was incapable, it was that Li Ke was incapable!

Isha, agreeing with Jinx, hopped off her stool and ran to Li Ke. She then pulled out something and handed it to him.

"What is this?"

Jinx explained from the side: "It's a Smoke Bomb Isha made. See the button on the iron ball? Press it and throw it, and it'll spray a dense fog of paint."

"You can make weapons now too?" Li Ke was very surprised.

Li Ke didn't know Isha well.

Because neither in the League's universe nor in the War of Two Cities had Li Ke ever seen Isha. Although he had speculated that Isha might be a character appearing in the second season, Li Ke immediately dismissed the thought.

How could it be such a coincidence?

However, Li Ke also quite liked Isha.

Because Isha spoke little, was smart, sensible, and moreover, with her around, Jinx's mental state had improved.

Although Jinx's mental state had been quite good when interacting with Li Ke, only having gone a bit crazy twice, Li Ke was an adult after all and couldn't truly calm down and play those little games with her. But Isha was different; she liked playing with Jinx.

With back-and-forth interaction, Jinx had truly become like a Sister to Isha.

Let's put it this way: if Li Ke gave Jinx a sense of security, then Isha gave Jinx a sense of belonging.

And the reason Isha felt so favorably towards Jinx...

Hmm, Li Ke felt that if he had had similar experiences to Isha when he was little, being saved by a beautiful, eccentric older sister, and then having her help him bathe and sleep together, he would definitely have liked and clung to her too.

"Really amazing." Li Ke smiled and reached out, patting Isha's head.

Isha looked up, revealed a smile, then scampered back to her spot, climbed onto the stool, and began eating dinner. But upon reaching the dining table, little Isha's face froze. She looked at her plate, which only held a piece of bread with irregular teeth marks.

"Huh?"

Wait, where was my big meat patty?

Isha looked towards Jinx, only to see Jinx tilting her head away from her, her profile showing her Mouth moving silently as she chewed.

"Ah!" Isha immediately reacted and reached out to push Jinx.

"Hehe, who told you to run around everywhere? I confiscated the meat patty~"

Li Ke watched this scene and couldn't help but laugh along.

Although this feeling was a bit strange, it was truly wonderful.

In this unfamiliar and dangerous environment, accompanied by Isha and Jinx, Li Ke felt a hint of home.

The place he lived before, could it be considered his home?

No, that didn't count.

Li Ke shook his head with a smile, then he reached out, divided his own meat patty in half, and placed it on Isha's plate.

Isha's huffy little expression immediately vanished.

Li Ke looked at Isha, "Eat up quickly."

Touched, aren't you?

This home still depends on me, Li Ke!

But what happened next, little Isha's actions, made Li Ke's smile freeze.

Isha speared half a meat patty and reached out to pat Jinx's back.

Jinx turned her head to look at Isha.

Isha moved her chin, coolly.

Jinx opened her mouth, and Isha reached out to put the meat patty into Jinx's Mouth.

The little one grinned broadly, very happy.

Li Ke, watching from the side: "???"

What about me?