On an October morning, the cool breeze blowing in from the sea made Piltover's climate especially pleasant. As usual, Ezreal got up early and went for a run of several kilometers. After breakfast came two hours of physical training. Only then did he turn to the research work he had grown accustomed to. His conversation with Ling Ying had given him a clear goal. He knew that sooner or later, he would have to go to Icathia, that deadly forbidden land. Until then, he would work hard to make himself stronger.
"Rrrip!"
With a piece of toast clenched between his teeth, Ezreal expertly sliced open a copy of the Piltover Daily. The crisp headline leaped out at him along with the scent of fresh ink.
"Shocking! Midalda Family's Young Lady Dies in the Street!"
"..."
Ezreal froze for a full ten seconds. He didn't even notice when the toast fell from his mouth and landed on the floor.
"For once, this paper isn't using a clickbait headline. This really is shocking."
Half laughing and half crying, Ezreal reached for the milk beside him to calm his nerves, then kept reading.
"The Enforcement Department captured the culprit several days ago, but due to lax supervision, the prisoner escaped. After efforts to persuade the culprit to surrender failed, the police had no choice but to shoot and kill them. According to police sources, the culprit was an outsider named Lilia Lance..."
"Pfft!!! Cough, cough, cough..."
Ezreal sprayed milk everywhere.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!"
"You're joking, right?"
Vi's gray-green eyes widened, and her voice rose a full octave.
"You just... brought her on board? Just like that?"
"What else?"
Caitlyn continued writing up the report without looking up.
"Did you expect me to hold a formal induction ceremony? I took you on just as casually, didn't I? Back then, you..."
"All right, all right, stop. Don't say another word."
Vi hurriedly cut Caitlyn off.
"That's not what I mean. But you could've at least talked it over with me, couldn't you? Or did you deliberately leave me out because I've been in Zaun the past few days, arguing with those people on the council?"
"Vi..."
Caitlyn looked a little amused and exasperated.
"I think you're reading too much into this. I just happened to make the decision while you were away, that's all. And I didn't make it on my own. The Grey Madam and I discussed it, and some of the Enforcement Department's higher-ups knew about it too."
"Okay, I was wondering how you dared bring her in. She's not a local, her identity is fake, and she's even killed someone, for fuck's sake. But you mean that famous Camille from the Fierol Family? I thought she was too busy having her family's spies kill each other to bother with us. Why's she suddenly interested in the Enforcement Department?"
"Because our new friend dealt the Midalda Family a crushing blow at a time when many people wanted to see it fall. She spared the other families the trouble of acting themselves. Now all they have to do is kick them while they're down. It may look as if the case of Sophie Midalda is closed: according to the official notice, both the culprit and the victim are dead. But as far as the families' power struggle is concerned, this is only the beginning. They'll keep dragging this out. Sophie Midalda will be accused of being a monster who massacred innocents and trampled on human rights. People will dig up every one of her misdeeds and lay them before the courts, all to undermine the Midalda Family's reputation and standing with the public. After that will come direct attacks on the family. They're a leading name in medical biotechnology, and if anyone cares to look, there's no shortage of dirt to dig up. The Midalda Family may not escape this unscathed. As for the person who lit the fuse, since she survived, the major families led by the Fierols see no harm in doing her a favor. The Enforcement Department can give her a new identity, and perhaps they'll even be able to use her to irritate the Midalda Family when they least expect it."
"Wow, that old man from the Midalda Family really got the short end of the stick. He lost his daughter, and he might even lose everything he owns. You Piltover folks... the infighting among Piltoverians is terrifying."
Vi curled her lip and casually took a sip of the coffee Caitlyn had been drinking at her desk.
"Pfft! That's so bitter! You should add more sugar!"
"Bitterness is what deserves to be savored. What is there to remember about sweetness?"
"See, that's another thing about you people I just can't understand. If something doesn't taste good, why drink it? Anyway, I still feel like you acted a bit rashly this time."
"Ah, you're right. The Grey Madam's advice at the time was that this person might make a good ally, but I doubt even she expected me to bring the girl straight into the fold. There is certainly some risk..."
Caitlyn stopped writing and twirled her pen, lost in thought.
"Piltover's merchants often say that profit is the strongest bond between people. I think there's some truth to that. As long as there's something to gain, even people who can't stand each other can coexist for a while. You can think of this as a business deal. Our business partner asked for very little, but the benefits she brings are substantial, so the risk is acceptable."
As she spoke, Caitlyn looked over at Vi.
"Of course, I didn't do this because of the filthy power struggles between those families. I don't want to pay any attention to them at all. But I'm always watching this city. Internal scheming isn't enough to bring it down. A powerful force from outside, though, could topple it overnight. Do you understand, partner?"
"You mean Noxus?"
"Exactly."
Caitlyn glanced at the section of the file marked with a bright red emblem, then sighed.
"News from the border trading posts says that this warmongering empire has weathered the turmoil of its power transition. Now it has a leader who can serve as its anchor. And that leader may well start a war abroad to establish his standing with the people and... completely purge the forces that oppose him. Given that we share a continent, and that Piltover has an enviable economy, trade, and technology, it would make an excellent target."
"True. Noxian spy activity has been getting more and more brazen lately."
Vi rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"But what does that have to do with what we were talking about?"
"It has everything to do with it."
Caitlyn gave her a helpless smile.
"If a war really is waiting for us, I want to give Piltover whatever extra help I can, even if it's just one person. But I have a feeling our new friend can do far more than one person's worth."
"Fine, I won't say anything, then."
Vi shrugged.
"Your instincts are usually pretty good."
"Is that so? Thank you for the compliment."
Caitlyn smiled as she finished the last line, closed the folder, and stood up.
"Now then, let's get our new partner and go clean out some nasty rats. Until we've completely fallen out with the other side, it's still essential work."
Zakel was in an excellent mood, and he couldn't help whistling a little tune. But his good mood wasn't because he'd just gotten a raise as a customs worker. That was only his cover identity. In truth, he was a Noxian War Stone Mason. Not the kind of mason who worked with actual stone, of course. They were the empire's finest intelligence agents and spies. Whenever Noxus went to war abroad, the War Stone Masons arrived in the target nation ahead of its armies to gather intelligence, scout, and draw maps. Or they might do nothing at all, simply settle in and wait until the empire needed them. Zakel had come to Piltover six years ago with a group of colleagues. His acting was so good that he'd even secured a position in the important customs department. Alongside the Piltoverians, he'd used his authority to rake in a fortune. But a life of luxury hadn't made him forget his true duty. Because...
"Noxians never betray their country."
Zakel silently repeated the oath he'd made all those years ago, then looked up at the cargo crate being hoisted overhead. According to the port registry, it contained handicrafts bound for export. In fact, it held the most important prize Zakel had ever pursued during his time undercover: a devastating weapon from the Hextech Lab. The Piltoverians had mothballed it, claiming it was too dangerous. Zakel scoffed at the excuse. A weapon was made to kill—who cared whether it was dangerous? Noxus didn't. With such a powerful weapon, the imperial army would be like a tiger with wings, even more unstoppable on the battlefield.
"Come on! Hurry up! Just get it aboard!"
Zakel couldn't stop himself from wishing for it, over and over.
"Mr. Zakel, you seem nervous."
Then an unfamiliar, clear female voice sounded behind him. He turned around. Someone he absolutely hadn't wanted to see was standing there.
Piltover's Chief Constable, Caitlyn.
"Damn it."
That was the first thought that came to Zakel's mind. He knew something had gone wrong with his plan; otherwise, the Chief Constable wouldn't be here. He just couldn't figure out how his nearly flawless plan had sprung a leak.
"What's the matter? In a hurry to leave?"
Caitlyn glanced up at the cargo crate hanging in midair and spoke in a quiet voice.
"The prototype of the Hextech Energy Coil Cannon. You probably don't realize how dangerous this thing is. Ah, of course, I doubt you care. But what I mean is, you chose a target that's too tough to crack this time. Even if you get it back, Noxus doesn't have the technological expertise to reproduce it. So..."
Caitlyn shook her head, then raised the silver-white Hextech rifle in her hand.
"Let's leave it in Piltover, shall we, Mr. Zakel?"
Zakel stared in terror at the rifle's dark muzzle and staggered backward, his mouth hanging open as he babbled incoherently. He looked utterly frightened. But in the next moment, his expression shifted into something dangerously vicious.
"Kill her!"
Zakel roared. Two dark figures shot out from behind the stack of cargo crates, gleaming blades in hand as they rushed at Caitlyn.
"Yes! Just like that! Kill her!"
A hint of triumph appeared in Zakel's eyes. He knew who the two figures were. They'd arrived just a few days ago, reinforcements sent by the empire to ensure the cargo's safe transport. One was an assassin from the empire's elite Crimson Elite. The other was a Shadowmancer from the Black Rose. Either one could easily kill Caitlyn a hundred times over—she wasn't skilled at hand-to-hand combat. And yet the Chief Constable had actually shown up alone. Did she think she had the advantage?
"Clang!"
"Rrrip!"
The sharp clanging and slicing of metal shattered Zakel's hopes. After a brief clash, the two dark figures were forced back. And, to his surprise, two more people had appeared beside Caitlyn.
"Now it's three against three."
Caitlyn smiled. Zakel stared warily at the two unexpected arrivals. The one on the left was a familiar face: Caitlyn's wild and unruly partner, Piltover's enforcer, Vi. As for the other, Zakel narrowed his eyes and studied her. She had silver hair that looked as if it had been kissed by the pure moonlight, and a face so stunning it would make every woman in Piltover green with envy. While admiring her inwardly, Zakel's gaze fell on the steel badge on her chest.
"Cecilia Iliana?"
Neither his colleagues nor he had ever found any information suggesting that the Enforcement Department had someone like her. It seemed tonight held plenty of surprises.
"Hey! You filthy Noxian rat."
Vi cracked her neck and stepped forward.
"I'll give you two choices. First, I punch you a few times, then ask you every question I can think of. Or you can come clean, and then I punch you a few times. Which do you choose?"
"?"
Zakel stared in bewilderment. What the hell was the difference between those two choices? But while he was still trying to make sense of it, Vi was already moving.
"Time's up! I'll take that as your choosing the first one. Charged Punch!"
Vi shouted and lunged forward. Her Atlas Gauntlets belched bright blue flames, propelling her into a sudden rush toward Zakel. The massive armored fist on her gauntlet roared down toward him.
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