"Look, Mom!"
At the edge of the Black Alley, a child wearing a two-tone jacket and athletic shorts exclaimed in surprise, then pointed to the golden sand outside and shouted.
The woman next to him had large tattoos and wore clothes that were gray, black, and blue, with a strong sense of Zaun.
She was looking at the beach with a surprised expression, holding her child's hand in the other hand, and then the Zaun mother looked up at the sky.
There was a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Janna has moved the entire Zaun here. Right above is the Mid-level Plaza, then the Dance Hall, and then... Piltover is gone.
Besides that, there's another difference: Zaun finally has its own sunshine.
It's no longer the sunlight that was given up by Piltover, but the sunlight that belongs exclusively to Zaun.
The sunlight hitting my face was very warm. It was winter, and the sea breeze was blowing, so it was actually a bit cold. But the warm sunlight on my face felt cozy and comforting, and at the same time, it gave me a strange feeling of heart-fluttering.
"Thank you Goddess Janna! Thank you, Lord Li Ke!"
"Are we going to live here from now on? Oh my god, I can go fishing whenever I want!"
"We need to take precautions. I'll talk to Councilor Marna about it later; I happen to know how to fix things!"
"Quickly, everyone come out and see!"
At a shout, most of the Zaunite came out. They emerged from the Black Alley and stood on the sand. Some grabbed a handful of sand and rubbed it, while others looked around with their hands outstretched. Many more Zaunite were coming down from the Mid-level Plaza and the Dance Hall.
"Let's go. This is just the first step, everyone. You came to Twin Cities not just to witness the birth of the New Zaun, but also to do something more important, isn't it?"
On the other side of the crowd, Li Ke smiled and spoke to Jarvan III and Swain.
Needless to say, Irelia was completely brainless when she came here. She has never even considered herself the leader of Ionia. Irelia was summoned by Li Ke, and Karma, who accompanied her, acted as Irelia's guardian.
Therefore, since neither Jarvan III nor Swain had any objections, the leaders of the smaller states naturally had no objections either.
But their eyes flickered, clearly indicating they were thinking about something.
It's no surprise that after seeing the Deity of the Twin Cities move away from Zaun, all sorts of thoughts naturally arise in their minds, especially for some countries that now have some money but whose land area is still very small.
Some of them, like the Twin Cities, are near the sea; some are situated atop mountains; and some are nestled in basins and valleys. What they all share is a desire for the Twin Cities' help to use Twin Cities technology and magic to change the current state of their nations.
If they've already done things like reclaiming land from the sea, wouldn't it be much more troublesome to carve mountains and build roads?
This shouldn't be a problem for either of the Twin Cities, right?
"Please come this way."
Li Ke was unaware of these people's ulterior motives; all he wanted to do right now was finish dealing with the immediate issues.
In the conference building of Zaun, a meeting room was filled with nearly thirty people.
Li Ke sat in the first seat, with Mel sitting next to him, while Silco and Jayce sat with the leaders of various countries.
It was time for Mel to speak. She was dressed in a gold gown, her hair was neatly styled, and her makeup was exquisite. The golden scales under her eyes complemented her dark skin perfectly. With a smile on her face, she spoke in a clear voice:
"Regarding the selection of seats, Twin Cities plans to divide the Federation's seats into five, namely one, two, three, four, and five, with the order of the national city-states serving as them being Twin Cities, Demacia, Noxus, Ionia, Freljord."
In addition, numerous secondary seats will be established as proof of entry into the Federation for everyone present. The rights of the secondary seats are certainly not as great as those of the primary seats, but they can still legally enjoy the benefits of the Federation. For example, they have the right to legally purchase a certain amount of Hextech Gem every year, and each secondary seat country has the opportunity to send its national talents to Twin Cities for further study.
Here, I assure you all that there will be no restrictions on the dissemination of knowledge from Twin Cities to the outside world, and Twin Cities will absolutely not obstruct students who have completed their studies from returning to the country."
After Mel finished speaking, she paused, waiting for the people below to have absorbed the information, before continuing to talk about the rights that the chief would possess.
Compared to the powers held by the chief, the second-in-command's rights seemed quite ordinary, especially after Mel mentioned the veto power, which caused many people in the audience to become restless.
Swain was one of them. His eyes flickered as he looked at Li Ke, only to see Li Ke tilting his head and talking to Lissandra while looking at each other. Seeing this, Swain's feelings were complicated for a moment.
Swain then looked at Jarvan III, who nodded with a smile, his gaze fixed on Li Ke, filled with admiration for Li Ke.
"."
To be honest, Jarvan III was right. Instead of thinking about how to restrict Twin Cities and hinder Twin Cities development, he should think about how to help Twin Cities and how to get on the fast train of Twin Cities' ever-accelerating development.
This garden's ecosystem can accommodate many flowers. Don't always aspire to be the only blooming flower; instead, be a protector of the ecosystem.
The old emperor's words and wisdom made Swain realize that his thinking was indeed somewhat out of touch with the world. Swain still held onto the mindset of a militaristic imperial soldier, but the world had changed drastically.
Because of the Twin Cities, transportation has changed, the distance between people is no longer far, and resources have also changed. Hextech magic gems are used on the soil, and the magical aura improves the soil quality, resulting in crops that are large and sweet, and food is not scarce at all.
Not to mention, in the world of Runeterra, although it is said that human footprints have covered the Runeterra, in reality, there are far too many places that humans can set foot in. Leaving aside the land, just take the resource-rich ocean, where human development covers less than one percent of the area.
Apart from the Bilgewater people, other nations like Noxus and Demacia know very little about the ocean.
Therefore, times have changed, and Swain's way of thinking is no longer effective.
"Now, the officers will distribute pens and paper to everyone. Please fill out the forms and hand them in," Mel continued, picking up the microphone and bringing it to her lips.
"The first batch of Federation members will not have any restrictions. Everyone present can become a member of the Federation as long as they fill out the form. Within the Federation, members are not allowed to harm each other. I cannot interfere with commercial wars, but if anyone dares to launch a war of aggression, then Twin Cities will not let them off easily."
After Mel finished speaking, the law enforcement officers came forward and began distributing forms and pens to everyone present.
Interestingly, their eyes immediately turned to Swain, many with curiosity and amusement in their gazes, eager to know what Swain would choose.
Speaking of wars of aggression...
Among the countries present, only a handful had never launched a war of aggression, and Demacia was the only one with a powerful military that upheld justice and peace.
Ionia doesn't count. Ionia doesn't wage wars of aggression because Ionia has always pursued a policy of closed development. To put it bluntly, the Ionia didn't even know that there were so many landmasses and countries in the world before.
Why are you all looking at me?
Swain frowned slightly, his gaze turning cold as he looked at the group of people whose eyes were filled with mockery. He simply swept his gaze around calmly, and the group of people obediently lowered their heads and began to look at the forms in their hands.
"Now that we're seated here, Noxus will naturally abide by the rules of the Twin Cities," Swain said calmly, then picked up a pen and began filling out the form.
The list includes the country's name, size, land conditions, military situation, the leader's signature, assurances, recommendations for the future of the federation, and information on trade routes.
Swain finished filling out the forms one by one, and at the same time, Jarvan III beside him also finished writing. The two of them handed the papers to the enforcer standing behind them.
The officer respectfully collected the papers with both hands, then went to Mel and handed them to Mel.
Mel folded the paper and placed it in the red wooden box that had been prepared in advance in front of him.
Soon, everyone had finished filling out the forms. Of the thirty-two countries present, not one refused to join the federation. Seeing this, Mel smiled and then bowed to everyone.
After standing up, she said, "Then, the Federation is officially established. From now on, we are not only family, but also partners. I hope everyone will abide by the agreement."
Mel said loudly, raising one hand, and earnestly stated:
"This world is far larger than you can imagine. We could never explore Runeterra in our entire lives, but our future generations might be able to."
"But putting aside the fact that we'll be nothing but dust in the past by then, even in the future, if overpopulation leads to resource scarcity, I believe the Twin Cities will definitely find a solution."
"The Twin Cities' goal has never been Runeterra; our goal is..."
Mel's gaze was firm, and she glanced at Jayce below, only to see Jayce clenching his Riot Games and looking back at her.
With a slight smile, Mel's voice rang out.
"The vast universe!"
Below, the leaders of various countries were all moved by Mel's words, and Jarvan III clenched his Riot Games tightly on his knees.
The vast universe—no one would think Mel is exaggerating, because the Twin Cities, established only a few years ago, have already truly changed the landscape of Runeterra, a place that has existed for millennia. So who can say that the Twin Cities won't eventually reach the heavens?
"Alright, the meeting is adjourned. Everyone can stay in Twin Cities for the next few days to hand over the work with me. Also, please think about which representatives your country will send to the Federation in the next few days. I will register the corresponding names in advance and make preparations for their arrival."
"The meeting is adjourned."
Everyone present stood up, but a voice suddenly rang out.
"Your Majesty Jarvan III, Grand Commander Swain, Empress Irelia, please wait a moment, I have something to discuss with you."
Li Ke suddenly stood up and spoke.
Only then did everyone notice that the mysterious woman named Lissandra, representing Freljord, was sitting quietly with her eyes closed in her seat.
Seeing this, they weren't surprised.
If the top leaders need to talk, then those of you in the second tier should wisely give up your positions.
Soon, only Li Ke, Lissandra, Jarvan III, Swain, Irelia, and their entourage remained in the conference room.
Karma raised her neck and looked at Swain, her eyes calm.
Swain didn't look at Karma, but instead looked at Li Ke, then at Lissandra. Instantly, he knew what Li Ke and Lissandra were about to do.
"Li Ke, is there something you need to tell us by keeping us here?"
The old emperor spoke first, asking a question from his seat.
Li Ke looked at Jarvan III, nodded, and said, "Yes, it's a very important matter."
"Please speak," Jarvan III began, chuckling as he continued, "We are one now, aren't we?"
Li Ke laughed, while Irelia was somewhat confused, still not quite understanding why Li Ke had called her Empress earlier.
After Karma patted Irelia on the shoulder and whispered to her to stop worrying, Irelia finally snapped out of her daze and looked at Li Ke.
"Gentlemen, I've kept you here because I have a favor to ask of you." Li Ke took a deep breath, stood up, pointed to Lissandra beside him, and said, "Among those present, only His Jarvan III is unaware of Lissandra's identity, so let me briefly introduce her to you."
The old emperor sat up straight.
"Lissandra, in a sense, is our ancestor. Ten thousand years ago, Lissandra and her two sisters led humanity in a struggle against the heavens and earth, for the sake of humankind."
Li Ke Jarvan III interrupted before he could finish speaking.
"What did you say?"
"Ten thousand years ago? Li Ke, are you sure you didn't misspoke?" The old emperor stood up, and behind him, Garen, Tianna, and Xin Zhao also looked at Lissandra with disbelief.
Are you kidding me!
Ten thousand years ago?
Ten thousand years ago, how long had Demacia been established? Only a few hundred years!
Even Noxus has only been a nation for less than a thousand years!
But this mysterious woman lived on, for ten thousand years?!
Lissandra opened her eyes, revealing a pair of pale pupils, and calmly gazed at Jarvan III. Lissandra remained silent, showing no disbelief in the old emperor.
"Yes, you heard me right, and I didn't misspoke. She did live for nearly ten thousand years. But what I'm talking about isn't how long she's lived, but something that happened in ancient times." Li Ke pressed down his hands, signaling Jarvan III not to interrupt him.
Then he recounted the events that had occurred in Freljord ten thousand years ago, and the expressions on the faces of everyone present were increasingly exaggerated.
Katarina's mouth dropped open in disbelief at what Li Ke had said.
Then, Li Ke talked about the Void.
"Lissandra did do something wrong, but she doesn't need to apologize to anyone. And now, the True Ice is melting, and the Frost Watchers are showing signs of resurgence."
"Therefore, instead of waiting for the Frost Watchers to regain their strength and break the seal on their own, it's better for us to break the seal first and catch them off guard while they're weakened!"
"What a joke!" Jarvan III stood up, looked at Li Ke seriously, and said, "If what you said is true, then with our strength, we are no match for those monsters!"
"Well, Your Majesty, how should I put it, you really know too little." Li Ke reached up and rubbed his cheek, then continued, "Let's put it this way, there are three people in this room who are no less than Janna and are even stronger than Janna."
Jarvan III was taken aback and instinctively said, "Three people? Isn't it just you and her?"
This "she" refers to Lissandra, of course.
Li Ke smiled and shook his head, "My situation is rather special. Under normal circumstances, I am far inferior to Janna."
"The three I'm referring to are Lissandra, Swain, and Karma."
Jarvan III at Swain beside him and saw Swain raise his hand from under his uniform, revealing an arm made of blood-red threads.
He looked at Karma again and saw Karma waving her fan, with a green dragon swaying behind her.
Upon seeing this, Jarvan III's expression turned somewhat grim.
What's the meaning?
Noxus and Ionia both possess Deity power, right? What about Demacia?
It's not that Demacia has no Deity, but with the changing times, the current Deity of Demacia, the winged guardians, have all disappeared.
Jarvan III's grandfather left behind a record detailing the process by which the Lightshield family ascended to the throne. During the record, the winged guardian deities were mentioned. Therefore, Jarvan III believed that the two Deity sisters were real, but at present, he truly did not know where they had gone.
"Of course, Demacia also possesses formidable power," Li Ke said, having discerned Jarvan III's thoughts.
"Who?"
"Galio."
"..." Jarvan III's expression was strange. "That's just a Petricite."
"No, that's a stone statue with self-awareness, a statue that has developed intelligence," Li Ke said, shaking his head.
"I'll talk to Lux about that later," Li Ke continued.
"Wait, what do you mean by talking to Lux?" Garen immediately asked.
As someone who dotes on his sister, he certainly wouldn't stand by and watch her get into danger.
"Because your sister and Galio are good friends, oh, and she never told you about that, right?"
Garen's expression worsened, while Jarvan III's expression improved considerably.
Because he believed Li Ke's words, it meant that Demacia still possessed Deity power. But Jarvan III had never truly considered that the Petricite statues could actually possess intelligence.
That's just a war statue made of Petricite!
"Then now."
Li Ke placed his hands on the table, and Lissandra beside him felt her heart racing.
The Frost Watchers are powerful; even when Anivia was reduced to ashes, she only lost a few Frost Watchers. However, Lissandra doesn't believe she's weaker Anivia, not to mention she has so many Demigod helping her, and besides, Li Ke has many powerful Deity standing behind him!
That beautiful woman with pink hair, the white-haired Asura, and the short little devil—each of them is an outstanding figure among Demigod!
We will never lose this war!
And then, Li Ke, with a serious look in his eyes, continued:
"Let's fight the Void together!"