The Girl's Worries

"Breathing Filter, Quick-Acting Capsule, Type A and B Instant Rations... Ah!"

Orianna was sorting a huge pile of things into her backpack when she suddenly cried out. Someone had wrapped their arms around her waist from behind, even though she was supposed to be alone in the dorm.

"Hehe, Orianna, what are you sneaking around doing behind my back?"

Ling Ying rested her chin on Orianna's shoulder, then playfully blew into her ear. Orianna's body gave a slight shiver.

"Phew... It's you, Cecilia. Honestly, you're always teasing me!"

Orianna chided her and gently pushed Ling Ying aside, though her face had turned pink.

"Ahaha."

Ling Ying blinked mischievously, then glanced at the pile of things on the table and asked with some confusion,

"What's all this...?"

"Oh, you came back just in time. I'll tell you."

Orianna's expression suddenly grew serious. She took a deep breath, then spoke slowly and firmly.

"I'm going to Zaun."

"You're going to...?"

Orianna's words left Ling Ying speechless for a long moment. Those five simple words carried a lot of weight. She knew Orianna had always been curious about the world outside, but why had she suddenly decided to go to Zaun? Wait, Zaun? Ling Ying suddenly remembered Orianna's Heroic Story, and a foreboding feeling quickly rose in her heart.

"There was a Poison Gas Leak Accident in Lower Zaun. The contaminated area is still spreading, and the people of Zaun will have a hard time getting through this without outside support."

As she spoke, Orianna picked up a newspaper from her desk and waved it at Ling Ying.

"It happened a couple of days ago. You were busy helping the Enforcement Department investigate the fire at the Administration Building, and Senior Jayce and the others were busy with their experiments. I didn't discuss it with any of you. I made the decision on my own."

"No, no, this isn't something you should have discussed with us."

Ling Ying shook her head and said gravely,

"Orianna, don't you know what Zaun Beneath Piltover is like? It's a Lawless Land. Lower Zaun especially—its residents can abandon their humanity at any moment just to survive. You're such a fragile girl. Going to Zaun alone... You might not even last a day."

"Cecilia..."

Orianna interrupted Ling Ying, then gave a bitter smile.

"What you're saying is the same thing I hear from Piltover's newspapers and citizens, and even from my father. They make it sound as if Zaunites are inherently inferior to Piltoverians. But I believe that everyone is capable of kindness. It's just that their circumstances have worn that kindness away. If we show them kindness, they'll feel it and return it."

Orianna's words left Ling Ying speechless. Silence settled between them. Ling Ying, of course, didn't want Orianna to go to Zaun. Even though, as a transmigrator, she knew her words had been somewhat prejudiced. After all, there were still plenty of kind people in Zaun. But that did nothing to make Zaun safe enough to feel comfortable about. What was more, Ling Ying knew all too well that Orianna's most life-changing turning point would happen in Zaun. According to the story, Orianna would suffer burns to both lungs during her trip there and have to replace them with Mechanical Lungs. Her guilt-ridden father, Colin Revok, would confine her to their home, turning her into a lonely bird in a cage. Then, when the Master Craftsman was nearing the end of his life, exhausted in body and spirit, Orianna would transplant her heart into her father and replace her own body with a Mechanical Golem before setting off into the world.

It was a sad story. Ling Ying absolutely didn't want the golden-haired girl she spent every day with to become a cold Mechanical Golem. But after hearing Orianna's words, she couldn't bring herself to stop her. That was right—if they lived on the same land, who was more deserving than anyone else? Orianna was a Piltoverian, yet she had been able to see that clearly.

After a long silence, Ling Ying spoke.

"I can't talk you out of it, can I?"

"Cecilia..."

"Then I'm going with you."

"Huh?!"

Orianna stared at Ling Ying in astonishment.

"You can't. It's dangerous there..."

"No. You can't talk me out of it, just as I can't talk you out of it. If you insist on going to Zaun, you're not leaving me behind."

"I..."

Orianna choked up. A moment later, tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.

"Don't cry. You won't look as pretty."

Ling Ying smiled and wiped the tears from the corners of Orianna's eyes.

"Isn't this perfect? The Ice Festival is almost here. We can treat it like a vacation."

"You... honestly..."

Ling Ying's playful remark made Orianna laugh through her tears. Suddenly, she opened her arms and hugged Ling Ying, nestling against her chest as she said softly,

"I'm so glad I met you."

"Me too."

"You're both crazy?!"

Jayce's eyes widened. The decision of his two underclassmen seemed utterly incomprehensible to him.

"Do you even know what you're saying? What kind of place is Zaun? It's a Land of Sin! The Devil's Den! If you two head down there, there's no telling whether you'll make it back alive!"

"Ah, just to interrupt for a moment: I already told Orianna everything you just said, Senior. It didn't work. If you want to convince her, you'll probably need to try a different approach."

Ling Ying shrugged helplessly.

"That's why I brought her to you. But if you can't convince her either, then I can only go with her."

"Crazy! You're all crazy!"

Jayce paced back and forth, pinching his chin as he spoke. Then, as if he had thought of something, he said sternly,

"Think about it. Are those Zaunites really worth risking your lives to save?"

"Senior Jayce, how can you say that?"

Jayce's words immediately riled Orianna up.

"Zaunites and Piltoverians are the same. Does anyone deserve to suffer through a disaster like this? I never thought you were this kind of person, Senior Jayce."

"I..."

"You're always making sarcastic remarks, and I let that slide. But I never thought you were this kind of person either."

Viktor, who had been standing silently to the side, lost in thought, stepped forward. First, he gave Jayce a disappointed look, then turned to Orianna and gave his underclassman a small nod.

"Junior Orianna, I'm ashamed. As a Zaunite, I've used my experiments as an excuse and never paid attention to what was happening in my hometown. If you hadn't brought this up, I might not have found out about it until much later. And you, a Piltoverian, have put yourself in the Zaunites' shoes. I'm deeply ashamed. So if you've decided to go to Zaun, I'll come along too."

"Crazy! You're all crazy!"

Jayce clearly wanted to say more, but he quickly noticed the strange looks the three of them were giving him. Furious, he turned and strode out of the lab.

"Do whatever you want!"

With that, the lab door slammed shut. The three of them fell silent for a few seconds. Then Orianna asked uneasily,

"Did I... go too far?"

"Maybe. We bicker all the time, but he was clearly really angry this time."

Viktor spoke, giving Orianna and Ling Ying a curious look.

"You should have known that bringing it up with him would probably end like this. After all, he doesn't have the slightest bit of goodwill toward Zaun."

"Ah, then I guess I'll take the blame."

Ling Ying scratched her head sheepishly.

"I really did want you to talk Orianna out of it. I just didn't expect things to turn out like this. Should I go bring Senior Jayce back?"

"Don't bother. There's no point apologizing now. The best explanation will be for us to return safely from Zaun. When are you planning to leave? I need to hand over my lab projects."

"Probably within the next couple of days. We've almost finished preparing everything we need. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can help the people of Zaun suffering through this."

"Mm, that makes sense. I'll hurry with the handover, but..."

Viktor's expression grew serious.

"Actually, your Senior Jayce wasn't wrong. Zaun really is dangerous. Have you... truly prepared yourselves?"

"Well..."

Orianna hesitated, then looked toward Ling Ying. Ling Ying immediately nodded in understanding, pulled a tiny booklet from her jacket pocket, and opened it in front of them.

"Enforcement Department Secret Detective, Cecilia Iliana, will do everything she can to ensure your safety on this trip to Zaun."