Thank you all for coming from afar.
The fat man dressed in aristocratic attire walked up to Li Ke with a faint smile on his face. He rubbed his hands together and then said, "You must be the Lord of Zaun, right?"
Li Ke nodded, and the plump nobleman quickly shook hands with Li Ke, then looked behind Li Ke.
He seemed to have prepared in advance, accurately calling out the name of everyone present.
"Welcome to Noxus, Mr. Silco."
"You are quite tall and handsome, Mr. Talis."
Hello, beautiful lady.
"Mel. About your mother."
Srilan was a very kind person, without the menacing aura of Noxians. Instead, he looked like a gentle, plump, wealthy man. He even kindly told Li Ke others to just call him Kerry and not Mr. Srilan.
Srilan Kerry.
"Come, everyone, please follow me. I have prepared accommodations for you."
Srilan smiled and bent down, gesturing for Li Ke and the others to move forward.
Li Ke looked at the enormous fortress before him and pursed his lips.
The Immortal Bastion, located in the heart of Noxus, is said to be the Immortal Bastion of Mordekaiser. This castle, which has existed for over a thousand years, holds countless secrets.
The fortress is laid out in a circular pattern. From the outside in, the people living further inside naturally have higher status and prestige. Among the buildings of varying heights, the central black tower stands out. It is the castle located at the heart of the central area, surrounded by high walls that separate the interior and exterior of the Immortal Bastion.
In the middle section, the streets are layered and jagged, resembling the Giant Mouth of a wild beast.
This enormous castle is truly difficult to describe in words; it evokes a sense of oppression, perhaps due to its dominant color scheme.
Red and black are the main colors of the Immortal Bastion. This huge steel castle is made of black stone and various black steels, while bright red is spread throughout the fortress.
The family banner, whether painted with red pigment or dried blood on red stone bricks, made even Jinx, usually so carefree and cheerful, become noticeably quieter upon entering the Immortal Bastion.
Solemn, oppressive, imbued with an aura of holiness and antiquity, the narrow, secluded streets, the eaves of the houses with crenellations, and the magnificent city gates—everything here seemed to be emphasizing one thing to the outside world: the power and control of the empire.
"This place isn't suitable for human habitation," Jinx muttered softly as she approached Li Ke.
Jinx really thinks so.
Zaun is also very oppressive and crowded, but the crowded buildings do not bring a sense of oppression or oppression. Instead, they add a touch of life. But this place is different. Here, Jinx only feels uncomfortable.
Li Ke agreed, nodding as he looked around.
Srilan noticed Li Ke's gaze and saw him looking at the Noxus who resembled beggars on both sides of the road. The fat nobleman smiled and said, "Don't mind them, Mr. Li Ke. In Noxus, only those who are unwilling to work hard and want to gain without effort live like this."
"They brought this on themselves. If they had just joined the army or found a job, they wouldn't be homeless and starving every day." Srilan's voice was filled with disgust for the group.
Li Ke smiled but didn't say anything.
Silco, walking behind, revealed a mocking smile.
Am I not trying hard enough?
The despair in the eyes of this group reminded Silco of the Zaunite who had been ravaged by the Glimmer of Shimmer, and Silco clenched his fist at the thought.
Li Ke was right. His initial thoughts were indeed too extreme. If the people of a country lose hope for life and do not look to the future and embrace tomorrow, then that country is not far from its demise.
Li Ke changed Zaun.
"Come on, this way." After following Srilan for about ten minutes, Li Ke and his group arrived at the inner city of the Immortal Bastion.
The buildings here are even more dilapidated, but the people who live here are all dressed elegantly, and Noxus soldiers wearing helmets patrol back and forth from time to time.
"The banquet will be held tomorrow afternoon. You can all get some rest today. I will bring people to pick you up tomorrow."
On the black stone floor, Srilan performed a noble salute. After speaking, he emphasized, "Distinguished guests, there are many unsafe places deep within the Immortal Bastion, so please do not wander around late at night. If you really wish to go out and explore, please be sure to bring guards with you."
"Then, I'll take my leave now."
After saying that, Srilan led his group of Noxus soldiers away.
Soldiers lined both sides of the first floor, so Li Ke and his group went up to the second floor. The accommodations weren't great, but at least the place was spacious and there were quite a few rooms.
"I thought they were going to give us a hard time." Jayce opened the window to look outside, and after confirming that no one was there, he closed the window and turned back to speak.
Of the group that came to Noxus this time, Li Ke and Mel were the main invitees, while Silco was required to come, since he had to play the role of the "good cop".
Therefore, Jinx, Jayce, Sevika took on the roles of family member and bodyguard, respectively.
That's right, Jinx came as a relative of Li Ke, while Jayce came as a relative of Mel.
"A show of force? They won't do that." Mel, dressed in a red dress and with a bright red shawl over her shoulders, sat on a wooden bench and continued, "Swain is an enemy of the Black Rose. To protect Noxus, he personally executed the parents of someone who had joined the Black Rose. The Black Rose's invitation to this dinner party at this time is very likely a ploy to deal with Swain."
"So what are we supposed to do? We can't really be here for a dinner party, can we?" Jayce leaned against the wall and looked at Li Ke.
Li Ke opened his backpack, took out a bottle of water, and handed it to Jinx.
Once in Noxus, it's best to take care of your own food and drink. Besides, even if the Noxians wouldn't poison you, Li Ke doesn't intend to use their filthy iron kettles to pour water.
Silco picked up where Jayce left off, looking at Li Ke: "Swain or Black Rose?"
"Well, if I really had to choose one, I'd probably choose Swain," Li Ke said after helping Jinx unscrew the cap.
He looked at Mel and then said, "You think so too, don't you?"
"..." Mel paused for a moment, then said, "From the perspective of Noxians, I choose to support Swain. But as a Piltover resident, I do not agree with supporting Swain. Letting Swain and the Black Rose continue their infighting and weaken Noxus is the best choice for us."
"Swain won't do that," Li Ke shook his head and said with a smile, "He will compromise and relinquish his power, thus allowing Black Rose to emerge from the shadows."
"Mel, a rose hidden in the shadows is far more dangerous than a rose in the sunlight," Li Ke said with certainty.
That's how it's written in the background!
Although Li Ke isn't a big fan of the Riot Games universe, he certainly knows the backstory of Noxus.
After all, Noxus has been a country whose popularity has never waned since the release of League of Legends.
If you're talking about the nations of Runeterra online, Noxus will always be one of the top two topics.
In the background, Swain divides power into three parts, granting them to Darius, LeBlanc, and accepting all those who have sworn allegiance to the Empire.
From then on, the foolish beauty was exposed by Swain and became active in Noxus as the "Faceless One".
"This..." Mel was taken aback, then she gasped and nodded, "If it's him, this situation could really happen."
Swain was too rational, to the point of being cold-hearted. He didn't judge things based on emotions, but rather on absolute self-interest.
"Then why should we attend the Black Rose's dinner party?" Jayce squinted and spread his hands.
"To see Swain," Li Ke said.
How do I meet you?
"Shut up, Jayce," Li Ke sighed.
Li Ke already felt he was terrible at politics, but compared to Jayce, an engineering student, he seemed alright?
Jayce was somewhat displeased, and then Li Ke's voice rang out again.
He will come to us on his own initiative.
Li Ke said affirmatively.
While Bilgewater and Illaoi were fighting, Li Ke happened to see black crows in the sky.
The throne in the Immortal Bastion was destroyed, and in its place appeared a huge office desk.
A middle-aged man with white hair sat at the table, writing something with his head down.
Beside him, a tall, lean man with a beard spoke up, "Abolish the hereditary system of official positions and titles, and abolish slavery. I say, Swain, my Lord Chief, are you truly not afraid of death?"
The man's voice was somewhat shrill, with an oddly high-pitched quality. He smiled at Swain and continued, "They won't agree. Even if they respect you and fear you, you're digging up their roots."
Swain looked up at the man and said calmly, "They don't have a choice."
"Then I'd like to ask, what is the meaning of this announcement? At the heart of the great empire, there exists a corrupting force. It has never ceased for hundreds of years, appearing at first glance like a proud flower, but its roots twist and spread in the shadows."
"Who do you think I'm talking about?" Swain put down his pen and asked the man sitting on a pile of books in the distance.
"How would I know you? Swain, your mind is deeper than a widow's! Who the hell can see through you?" The man chuckled, casually tossing the documents aside. He then dropped his smile and said seriously:
"Swain, why can't you slow down? It's too fast, really too fast. You've only just taken over, and apart from Du Khao and the Assassin's Guild, you don't have many people supporting you."
"It won't be slow, Draven." Swain hearing this; only in front of this old friend could he reveal his true feelings.
A faint smile played on his cold face as he continued to Draven, "If I'm even a step slower, she'll catch up. I can only truly catch her if I'm faster than her."
Draven pointed to the side. "Is it him?"
"Yes, a cult called the Black Rose."
"But I remember when you killed old Jericho, didn't you already completely wipe out that cult?" Draven frowned.
For most Noxians, the name Black Rose is mysterious, representing an unknown group. But for a general like Draven, it is certainly known that there is a mysterious order within the Immortal Bastion.
"I also thought I had executed her with my own hands, but... that was just her scheme," Swain replied.
"Alright, so, what are you going to do about the banquet hosted by Marquis Boli?" Draven asked again, smacking his lips and letting his mustache wag comically on his chin. He continued, "The elites of Zaun and Piltover are attending this banquet; don't tell me you didn't know."
"I don't know how you did it. You lock yourself in this room every day, yet you know everything that happens outside. So, you must know about this too, right?"
"Hmm." Swain nodded, then he lowered his head, picked up his pen, and continued writing.
"Hey, I'm asking you what you plan to do."
"Since the Twin Cities can't be involved in this, let's just treat them as tourists." Swain crossed out a name on the paper, looked up, closed the paper, and put it into an envelope.
Then, he raised his only hand, snapped his fingers, and a crow flew over, snatched the envelope from the table, and flew up into the sky.
"Of course, I will meet with Li Ke and tell him that the warlord who attacked Piltover has been punished, and that Noxus hopes to cooperate with the Twin Cities and become friendly neighbors in the future."
"It's fucking hilarious. These small city-states that we could easily crush are now our partners." Draven laughed loudly.
Swain glanced at him; if someone else had said that, he wouldn't have paid any attention.
But Draven different, so Swain said softly, "Things are different now."
"Alright, go do what you need to do. I don't need your protection."
"Fine, my commander." Draven snorted and walked towards the door.
Shortly after Draven left, Swain took out another piece of paper and began writing something once again.
At the same time, on a high platform in the Immortal Bastion, a woman who had been hiding in the shadows saw the black raven flying in. Upon seeing this, her previously languid body tensed up.
She stood up, revealing that she was wearing black leather armor. The small black leather buttons were not fastened, revealing her beautiful waist and abdomen. Above her was a rounded shape encased in a black leather bra, and below that was a beautiful and firm abdomen with clearly defined muscles on her waist and large tattoos.
With a light touch of her toes on the ground, she nimbly leaped towards the crow, disappearing several meters away without making a sound.
She took the envelope from the crow's beak in mid-air. Beneath her red hair, on her left eye, was a thin scar that ran across her brow. This scar did not ruin her appearance; instead, it added a unique charm to her.
"Ha, this time, is it necessary to kill a marquis?"
She tore the letter to shreds and looked towards a certain spot.
There, a banquet will be held tomorrow, hosted by the Imperial Marquis.
It was also the last banquet of his life.
She is incapable of failure.