Located in western Valoran, bordering the Conqueror's Sea, and bordered to the north by the snow-capped mountains of Freljord, Demacia possesses a uniquely advantageous geographical position.
The valley plains are surrounded by mountains. Even if the Demacia do not farm, the surrounding area provides them with countless resources: trees, fruits, and wild animals; not to mention the Forbidden Forest, a resource that cannot be explained and can only be described as a miracle.
With such favorable geographical conditions, Demacia built its powerful Lion Empire in just a few centuries.
From its founding monarch Orlon to the current House Lightshield, Demacia has risen step by step, reaching Demacia zenith under Jarvan III.
The Lightshield family has served Demacia for generations. The founding emperor led the charge and fought bravely. Jarvan I died at the hands of the previous Hand of Noxus Sion, but in reality, he perished together with Sion.
Therefore, with the support of the people, the Lightshield family made the throne hereditary, with the second, third, and now the fourth prince.
Marseille Village, an agricultural village located around Jandelle, does not grow wheat but specializes in growing grapes. In the afternoon, a tall old man with a stern face and gentle eyes, dressed in linen clothes and followed by a black-haired servant, is talking with a fruit farmer from Marseille Village.
"Brother, so your profits have been pretty good lately?"
The old farmer grinned, showing off his bright white teeth, and said, "That's right. In the past, we had too much fruit and couldn't sell it. It would just rot in the orchard, and it broke my heart to see it like that. But things are different now."
They say there's a city-state called Pietro or something like that that specializes in buying fruit. You can sell it there for a higher price than you'd get from Great City of Demacia, and it's much more convenient! There are people coming to buy it!
Hearing the old farmer's words, the old man's smile widened, and he cheerfully continued, "Then, brother, will you sell your fruit to Great City of Demacia first, or to that Pietro guy? Also, when you sell your fruit to Great City of Demacia, don't you consider raising the price? After all, as you said, selling to Pietro not only gets you a good price, but it's also very convenient."
"What are you talking about, kid?" The old farmer's smile faded, and he rolled his eyes at the old man with annoyance, then continued:
"Are you from one of the surrounding villages or from this town? The fruit sold to Pirot is expensive, but if there's any good stuff, of course we should sell it to our own people first. The fruit I sell to Pirot is all rotten; the good fruit is all reserved for our own people."
"As for price increases? Is that even possible? In these war-torn times, we are able to live the life we have today thanks to His Majesty the King's wisdom and might. He treats us well, so naturally we treat him well in return. You shouldn't have such thoughts, kid. You look like you have a square face and are handsome and mighty, but how come you're full of bad ideas?"
The old man was both amused and exasperated by the criticism from the farmer, but he nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Behind him, the black-haired young attendant remained silent. He looked young, with a handsome face and youthful appearance, but his eyes revealed an indescribable sense of vicissitude.
Suddenly, the man who had been quietly following the old man moved, focused his gaze on a certain spot, and whispered two words in the old man's ear.
"Well, brother, I have some things to attend to. I'll visit you again next time."
"Don't come here, you're full of bad ideas, I don't want to associate with people like you." The old farmer waved his hand, unwilling to speak to the old man.
The old man smiled apologetically, then turned and left.
The black-haired attendant followed closely behind, and the two arrived at a spot in the forest, where they saw a woman dressed in silver armor, with long arms and legs, and a slender sword at her waist, emerge.
Several knights followed behind her, each clad in magnificent armor and carrying enormous weapons.
A heavy sword serves as a shield at his back, while a short dagger and white crossbow hang at his waist.
In the Great City of Demacia, even ordinary soldiers and knights would show them the utmost respect, for this armor and weaponry are reserved for the most elite troops of Demacia, the Dauntless Vanguard.
Upon seeing the old man, they all knelt on one knee with utmost respect.
A beautiful blonde woman bowed slightly, giving the old man a knightly salute, and said softly, "Tianna Crownguard greets Your Majesty."
"Alright, Tianna, how many times have I told you? Given our relationship, you don't need to act like this when we're out in public." Jarvan III waved his hand, gently gesturing for everyone to stand up.
He looked at Tianna, the woman who held the position of marshal of a nation despite being a woman, and said, "Tell me, what happened that brought you here specifically to see me?"
Tianna remained calm and said, "The ambassador who was sent to Twin Cities has been arrested, and Twin Cities have sent us an interrogation letter demanding an explanation."
Jarvan III's smile faded, and he said with a slight headache, "So, those people in the Senate are all waiting for me to come back, right?"
The Council is the power institution of Demacia. Before the House Lightshield, the Demacia emperor was elected by the council members. After the Lightshield, the power of the Council was curbed, but even so, the Council still wields considerable power.
Given Tianna's status, she is actually qualified to participate in this kind of topic. Putting aside her status as a marshal of a nation, commanding troops, she is the current head of the Crownguard Family, the most famous and powerful family leader in Demacia besides the Royal Lightshield. She has the qualifications to do so.
To some extent, Tianna wielded immense power, even being a political enemy of the Crownguard. One of the "traitors" whom Tianna personally executed said on his deathbed that if the Crownguard Family was not restrained, Demacia would be overthrown.
The voices from the outside world were not small, but Jarvan III and Tianna both knew one thing: the Lightshield and the Crownguard were bound together by fate, and Jarvan III knew better than anyone whether Tianna had any intention of rebelling.
Despite her beautiful face that makes her look like she's in her early twenties, Tianna is actually not much younger than Jarvan III.
From the time Jarvan III was a young man who had just ascended the throne, Tianna had protected his safety. She had saved Jarvan III on several occasions, and Jarvan III knew best of her loyalty.
He didn't care how powerful the Crownguard Family was. After all, Garen was very close to his son and had even risked his life to protect him. If anyone was most afraid of the Lightshield falling, it was the Crownguard.
Even so, to avoid gossip, Tianna chose to consolidate her power and become "weak".
"Let's go back and take a look."
Jarvan III opened his arms, and behind him, the black-haired youth shook out the trench coat in his hand and draped it over him.
At dusk, at the Great City of Demacia Constitutional Court.
At this moment, in the highest authority of Demacia, a group of people were spitting at each other. They were dressed in white robes, like silk skirts, and both men and women were dressed in white. They looked more like priests than officials.
As a black-haired youth with a ponytail and carrying a long spear pushed open the door and walked in with a cold expression, the arguing subsided and then disappeared.
They all recognized the young man—the royal steward, the king's guard, the prince's tutor, and one of the king's closest confidants.
Then, the king appeared.
Clad in golden armor, with a crown as fiery as flames atop his head, his white hair disheveled and his beard meticulously combed, he strode into the hall like a lion, and upon reaching the seat at the very top, he plopped down.
"Tell me, what happened? Why would Piltover and Zaun arrest a diplomatic ambassador out of the blue?"
Jarvan III leaned forward, one hand on the backrest and the other on his thigh, looking down at the group of people with an imposing aura.
Then came a cacophony of voices—
"Your Majesty, Piltover and Zaun must give us an explanation for this matter. They were the ones who asked us to engage in diplomacy, and now they are the ones who unilaterally tore up the agreement!"
"Your Majesty, they must make compensation. The Twin Cities are adjacent to Noxus, and their establishment of diplomatic relations with us is clearly because after the coup in Noxus, Swain to power, and the Twin Cities fear an attack from Noxus, which is why they came to us!"
"I don't think so. The Twin Cities are known as the jewels of Valoran, benefiting Valoran and even Runeterra. Swain's mind far surpasses Darkwill's. I don't think he could do something that would cause such widespread protest!"
"Absurd! Why are you praising someone from an enemy country? Swain is nothing but a usurper and traitor."
"Duke Fore, it is precisely because he is from an enemy nation that we should take him seriously, discover his strengths, and thus prepare a countermeasure, rather than arrogantly belittling our own opponent."
The argument continued, Jarvan III listened quietly.
He silently observed the group, his face expressionless, but inwardly he sighed.
Demacia lives a self-sufficient life. The members of the parliament, holding high positions, are accustomed to arrogance. In addition, as Demacia becomes more powerful and more closed off, these people always look down on other countries.
But Jarvan III was different; his vision far surpassed these guys', and in fact, he was secretly working on something big.
Jarvan III was delighted to receive the invitation from Twin Cities. What he was about to do would overturn Demacia, and to do so, establishing contact with the outside world was a good thing, in order to gain acceptance from the people and nobles.
But now it seems that contacting the outside world would also cause big trouble.
"Your Majesty, please order Marshal Tianna to muster her troops, point their swords at Zaun, and demand that Zaun release the prisoners!"
In the end, the discussion resulted in the following outcome.
Well, many people have said that Zaun, which has always been friendly to us, must have a reason for suddenly doing this. The ambassador abroad must have done something to provoke Zaun's anger. We should first understand why Zaun did this.
However, these voices were quickly suppressed because Demacia is a great power, and the dignity of a great power cannot be violated. Even if an ambassador abroad did something wrong, he would return to Demacia and be judged by Demacia, not Zaun.
Therefore, the faction that was inclined to Zaun also changed its tune.
Yes, Demacia is a great power!
Just as Jarvan III was about to speak, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
Then, a sharp sound:
"Urgent report from the front!"
Tianna, standing beside Jarvan III, narrowed her eyes instantly, and then she said, "Open the door!"
The gate opened, and a Dauntless Vanguard scout rushed in. His armor was covered in mud and snow. Although it was winter, Demacia hadn't seen any snow recently. The Freljord's continuous mountain ranges blocked the snow, but this man was indeed covered in unmelted mud and snow.
The scout's lips were pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. After entering the hall, he knelt on one knee, slammed his right fist into his left chest, and proclaimed loudly, "Rogerman of the 13th Company, 7th Shield Formation of the Dauntless Vanguard, pays his respects to His Majesty the King!"
"Get up and tell me what happened," Jarvan III said calmly.
"Yes!"
Rogerman stood up and said loudly:
"Report from the north: the strange phenomena that occurred in Freljord some time ago have been investigated. According to our findings, the phenomena in Freljord were caused by the Deity —a war of the Deity! After the war, Avarosa and the Winter's Claw allied and established the largest clan in the north, unifying Freljord! And the cause of this outcome was Zaun!"
"Freljord has announced an alliance with Zaun, and Sejuani, the Winter's Claw, Warmother left her tribe, presumably heading to Zaun."
"Is the information reliable?" Tianna's expression was cold, but she was shocked.
The Winter's Claw are located in northern Freljord, but they are the northern clan that Demacia has the most contact with and the best understanding of, because Noxus was defeated by the Winter's Claw!
It is said that the general who was to inherit the title of Hand of Noxus was captured and taken prisoner, which is why Tianna naturally pays attention to Winter's Claw.
"Reporting to the Marshal, the information is reliable; it was all said by Warmother Ashe herself," Rogerman shouted.
The crowd erupted in uproar. If the North were unified and an alliance were established with Zaun, then what they had just said would no longer be possible.
Demacia knows best the strength of Freljord, because even the soldiers of the Dauntless Vanguard find it difficult to endure the northern snowstorms, which shows how strong their physical abilities are.
But just as they were all shocked and wondering if they should change their approach, footsteps sounded again.
Another scout rushed in; she was a tall woman dressed in a ranger's outfit, with armor over a tight-fitting suit. She strode confidently with her long legs, her handsome and beautiful face filled with composure.
She entered, knelt on one knee, and said, "Ranger Quinn has urgent intelligence to report to His Majesty!"
Tianna's gaze fell on Quinn, and she looked at her a few more times.
Ranger Quinn. This woman is extremely famous in Uwendale, a renowned hunter in the area. What makes her famous is not only her agility and exceptional eyesight, but also her falcon, which is believed to be extinct.
Tianna had sent people to find Quinn, wanting her to join the Dauntless Vanguard, but she refused. Compared to the strict military system, Quinn seemed to prefer guarding Demacia as a lone wolf, and spent most of her time wandering the borders of Demacia.
Therefore, when she said she had intelligence, Tianna guessed that it was probably related to Noxus.
And sure enough—
"The Noxus legion in the Silver Mountains suddenly rioted. Noble Vince was ordered to be executed and was hanged in the marketplace yesterday afternoon. The original army was suppressed, and Trifarian's Seventh Army became the new Frontier Legion."
Quinn made his purpose clear in just a few words.
This news made Jarvan III jump to his feet. "Is Noxus going to war?!"
Trifarian Noxus's elite forces, meant to rival Demacia's Dauntless Vanguard, have now emerged from the Empire and arrived at the Silver Mountain Range. Damn it, does Swain intend to start a war?!
Quinn quickly added, "Noxus doesn't want war. Vince was executed for treason. On the day of his execution, the town was informed that Vince, without the orders of Grand Chancellor Swain, had disrupted Noxus's efforts to establish diplomatic relations with the Twin Cities, secretly profited from the Twin Cities, and refused to confess or surrender after the incident, thus he was sentenced to death."
"Another Twin Cities?"
"The Noxus Legion, which was originally stationed in the Silver Refinement Mountains, I remember had about seven thousand men. They were opposed to our forces at the Gate of Sorrow. And Vince was a marquis... wait, he was a marquis, and he died for this reason?"
"What is Swain thinking? Why would he cut off his own arm for the sake of the Twin Cities? What will the Noxus nobility think if he does this?"
Discussion arose.
A moment later, the Duke, who had initially advocated for an apology from the Twin Cities and the return of the ambassadors to Demacia, stepped forward, his face solemn, and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, it now appears that the Twin Cities have developed beyond our expectations, and we have been obtaining information from the outside world far too slowly."
"We don't even know when Noxus established diplomatic relations with the Twin Cities, let alone the fact that Zaun is involved in the unification of the North. I think we should..."
That's pretty much it; we need to seriously consider our relationship with Twin Cities.
If that were all there was to it, Demacia could simply ignore the Twin Cities. Let the Twin Cities be powerful; we Demacia are so far away, and all of Demacia's wars have been defensive, never wars of aggression. We have absolutely no interest in conquering the world.
But that won't work now. The technology of the Twin Cities, and Demacia's rapidly growing economy after making contact with Twin Cities, make it impossible for Demacia to give up this benefit.
But in hindsight, using power to intimidate others was a foolish decision.
With the north unified, Sejuani, the Warmother, travels to Zaun. Swain, the Grand Commander of Noxus, kills a Marquis in order to maintain the alliance Twin Cities.
The Twin Cities have absolutely no reason to be afraid of Demacia!
Upon hearing this, Jarvan III suddenly laughed.
He stood up with a smile, looked meaningfully at the Duke, and spoke loudly:
"Only half an hour has passed since then, and your attitude has changed again and again. At first, you were thinking of suppressing Twin Cities and forcing them to release Twin Cities prisoners. Now that you've heard the battle report, you realize that Twin Cities is not easy to handle, so you want to ease tensions."
"But I'm curious, doesn't any of you want to know what the envoys abroad actually did? Four hours have passed since the letter from Zaun demanding an explanation, but none of you have told me what mistake the envoys abroad made."
"I'd like to know, is any of you interested in finding out?"
Jarvan III's voice lowered, "Humility, integrity, compassion, courage, justice."
"Have you forgotten the rules of Demacia?"
Jarvan III's face gradually showed anger. Beneath his golden armor, he appeared old, but his aura became increasingly formidable.
Like a lion, he roared in a low, menacing voice:
"More than figuring out how to ease tensions with the Twin Cities, understanding the situation in the north, and knowing why Noxus did what it did, I'm more interested in what Noelle did to cause Zaun to change its friendly attitude!"
"I refuse to believe that none of you know what Noelle did! Or do you really think I'm so old that I know nothing?"
"Tianna!"
"Your subject is here!"
Jarvan III ordered, "Send out all the Dauntless Vanguard from the Great City of Demacia to search the nobles, large and small. Compared to Demacia's current foreign relations, I think we should clean up our own house first!"
"You have forgotten the code of chivalry, but I haven't."
The main hall was completely silent.