A Cup of Tea with Grey Madam

"Where are we going?"

After following the Grey Lady through the streets for several minutes, Ling Ying finally couldn't help asking.

"Somewhere we can have afternoon tea, just as I said."

The woman walking ahead of her replied coolly.

"A nice cafe I visit often."

"Oh?"

Ling Ying narrowed her eyes slightly, studying the elegant figure ahead with a hint of suspicion.

"Should I feel honored to have tea with the famous Ms. Camille, then?"

"Heh."

Camille showed no obvious reaction to Ling Ying's probing remark. She merely gave a noncommittal chuckle.

"Fame isn't always a good thing. After all, the dagger tucked into your pocket may well be deadlier than the cleaver in your hand."

"Oh?"

There was unmistakable puzzlement in Ling Ying's voice.

"But I don't think you—the renowned Camille, known throughout the city as the Steel Shadow—are anything like a dagger."

"True. I once wanted to become something like that, but these days, I seem more like an executioner's axe with a fearsome reputation."

Camille chuckled, then abruptly changed the subject.

"So I need to find another dagger. One that can move freely in the shadows."

"?"

Ling Ying blinked. She felt that Camille's words held a deeper meaning. But just as she was about to ask, Camille stopped in front of an unremarkable shop and knocked on its old-fashioned wooden door.

"Coming."

An unhurried voice came from inside. A few seconds later, the door opened, and a plump man wearing a coffee-colored apron stepped out. With an inelegant gesture, he ushered the two women inside.

"Winston, a cup of your finest black tea."

Camille ordered tea and refreshments as soon as she sat down, like a regular customer, then turned to Ling Ying.

"And you? What would you like?"

"Anything."

Unable to fathom Camille's intentions, Ling Ying wasn't in the mood to enjoy tea. So far, she could only guess that whatever Camille wanted to discuss with her wasn't suitable for the public eye, but she had no idea what it might be. Not knowing what the other woman was after put her at an inherent disadvantage, especially against a seasoned schemer like Camille. One careless misstep, and she could end up in a hole she couldn't climb out of. Then again, Ling Ying remembered that Camille wasn't exactly a villain, was she?

"Then another one, a young person's usual: milk, honey, and matcha."

When Ling Ying didn't respond, Camille simply ordered a drink for her. The shopkeeper noted down the order and quickly ducked behind the counter to prepare their drinks. Ling Ying came out of her thoughts and looked at Camille, seated across from her, only to find the other woman studying her with much the same expression. They gazed at each other in silence for dozens of seconds, until Camille's eyes suddenly flicked downward.

"Don't be so nervous. Relax."

With her thoughts laid bare, Ling Ying's index fingers, which had been awkwardly poking at each other, froze in midair. A hint of embarrassment entered her eyes. Camille's expression remained unchanged—or rather, her face always wore that same stern look.

"This is just an ordinary tea party, not an interrogation. You're not a criminal, and I'm sincere with my guests. Of course, that is if you're interested in listening."

Camille stopped short, but the temptation behind her unfinished sentence was obvious. Ling Ying watched her dubiously for a few seconds, then finally couldn't resist asking:

"Such as?"

"Clack."

The instant Ling Ying finished speaking, Camille placed a long, narrow object on the table. Ling Ying's eyes followed it despite herself, and her expression stiffened. It was a sword—a long one with an unusual design. Its sharp blade, apparently made of a special alloy, had a faint blue sheen that gave it a distinctly technological appearance. But the strangest part was the middle of the blade. Where the crossguard and hilt guard should have been, there was instead a square gun barrel, complete with a grooved muzzle.

"Hextech Gunblade. One of the Piltover Armory Lab's cutting-edge creations. The blade is made from a specially crafted, ultra-dense alloy. The gun can fire ordinary bullets or energy rounds, if you fit it with a crystal."

Before Ling Ying could decide how to react, Camille had already given a concise yet thorough explanation of the sword on the table. Then she reached out and pushed it toward Ling Ying.

"It's yours."

"?"

Ling Ying couldn't hide her surprise. It wasn't the sword itself that shocked her, but the fact that Camille was giving it to her. They had never interacted before, and she couldn't understand why Camille would offer her such a gift now. Wary, she didn't move. She simply held Camille's gaze, waiting to see whether there was some hidden price.

"You're cautious. That's a good habit."

Camille made that observation when Ling Ying didn't reach for the weapon.

"But you needn't worry. You don't have to pay anything for this sword—or rather, you've already paid. The Midalda Family and the higher-ups in the Enforcement Department felt you deserved a reward for resolving the crisis on Long Bridge. And for a warrior, a weapon is surely the best gift."

Camille's explanation sounded reasonable, but it still didn't completely dispel Ling Ying's doubts. The two continued to face off for a while.

"Your tea."

The shopkeeper's arrival happened to break the silence. The plump middle-aged man served their drinks as casually as he might any other day, told them to enjoy, then turned and left, seemingly oblivious to the weapon on the table.

"Leave it there. Whether you take it or not is up to you. A sincere offer doesn't come with any pressure."

Camille lifted her black tea with elegant poise and took a sip, sounding completely unconcerned. Her attitude provoked Ling Ying. Out of sheer stubbornness, she reached for the sword and gripped its hilt. The feel of it in her hand was immediately different from Doran's Blade. Compared with that weapon, this one, so thoroughly imbued with technology, was noticeably heavier. But since it combined a gun with other functions, complaining about its weight would be nitpicking. Ling Ying could tell it was probably a rare and valuable weapon in Piltover, but when it came to weapons, she still preferred the Purple Scythe from her original body and the Doran's Blade she had carried for so long. Still, she understood that turning down something free would be foolish.

"If you're happy with your new toy, perhaps we can discuss something else."

Camille set down her teacup and folded her hands on the table, adopting a serious air.

"Something else?"

Ling Ying stowed the Gunblade, then looked at Camille in confusion.

"Of course. Giving you that weapon was a way of doing the Enforcement Department's higher-ups a favor. But the person sitting here talking to you now is Camille, representing the Fierol Family. What I want to know is whether you'd be interested in working with the Fierol Family."

"Work with you?"

Ling Ying didn't sound particularly surprised. In fact, she had more or less suspected Camille had something like this in mind from the beginning.

"Just as I said before we came in. The Fierol Family needs a dagger, and you seem well suited to becoming one."

So she was trying to poach her outright. Ling Ying was speechless, but kept her expression calm as she replied:

"You... should know that, officially, I'm under Caitlyn's supervision. So if you need me to do something, it should be through the Enforcement Department..."

"Ah, you don't need to worry about what that little girl might say."

Camille cut Ling Ying off.

"Because recruiting you into the Enforcement Department was something she and I agreed on. Given the relationship between the Fierol Family and the Enforcement Department, it's hardly difficult."

"..."

Ling Ying's expression faltered. She had tried to use Caitlyn as a shield, only to discover that Camille had a hand in everything. She could poach her openly and still ensure no one dared object.

"So what do you want me to do? Help you kill off the other families' members, like some kind of assassin?"

Ling Ying asked with a hint of mockery. To her surprise, Camille nodded with complete seriousness.

"That depends on the circumstances. We don't need that at the moment, but it could become necessary in the future. In fact, I think you'd be quite suited to the work."

"Not suited at all."

Ling Ying shot to her feet and said coldly:

"I'm not some lunatic who loves killing. I'm sorry, but I can't accept."

Ling Ying started for the door. Camille, the one who had proposed the arrangement, remained unmoved. She took another sip of tea and waited until Ling Ying was almost at the entrance before speaking at an unhurried pace.

"The Midalda Family's spies have realized you're still alive."

Ling Ying stopped, then backed up to the table and said in a low voice:

"Are you trying to threaten me with this? If I refuse to cooperate, will you leak the information to that family?"

"No, no. The Fierol Family wouldn't use coercion against a potential partner."

Camille shook her head.

"In fact, none of us who know the truth have ever revealed anything about you. What gave them a lead was the series of major incidents you've caused lately. They've noticed that a powerful newcomer has suddenly appeared in the Enforcement Department. Every family has at least a few pawns in a place like that. Even though the Fierol Family controls the higher-ups, it wouldn't be difficult for the others to investigate. If that old man Jaggu learns that the person who killed his precious daughter wasn't executed, and is still alive and well..."

"If all they send are thugs who know how to wield blades and guns, I can kill as many as they like."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Ling Ying's eyes. With her current abilities, she wasn't afraid of the families. But Camille's next words forced her to think twice.

"It seems you still don't understand your situation."

Camille picked up a sugar cube from the plate beside her with a pair of tongs, then dropped it into the green tea.

"Right now, you're like that sugar cube. You've entered Piltover's cup of tea, but you're still not one of us. In private, we can help you. But the council's major families can't—and won't—openly fall out with each other. If your conflict with the Midalda Family becomes public, Piltover definitely won't side with an outsider, especially one who killed a Piltoverian. You'll be facing a citywide manhunt. And after learning from their last mistake, the Midalda Family won't let us pull another disappearing act."

"...Then I'll leave Piltover. Valoran's huge. Let's see where they can find me."

Ling Ying gritted her teeth, speaking as if in a fit of pique. Camille chuckled at the sight.

"Leaving would be simple enough, but you must have come to Piltover for something, don't you? Or rather, something you're looking for? A special crystal, perhaps?"

"..."

Ling Ying deflated and sighed helplessly. Camille had struck straight at her weakest point. The crystal the Cloaked Figure had described was what she cared about most right now. After all, it was practically her only lead.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Simple."

Camille glanced at the sugar cube that had vanished into the tea.

"Just choose to dissolve into the cup, like that sugar cube. Disappear from public view and move underground. The Fierol Family will protect you. In return, you'll provide services for us. And don't think you're getting the short end of the stick. You know that the Fierol Family's largest business is the research and artificial replication of Hextech Crystals. We control the movement of most of the crystals in this city. You can use our intelligence network to look for what you want. If you find it, we won't interfere. You can take it back."

If Ling Ying had been mainly thinking about refusing before, now she was carefully weighing the pros and cons. Camille's proposal sounded fair enough. With a local power's intelligence network, she'd be better off than wandering around blindly as she had been. She was only worried she'd get caught in Piltover's tangled web of intrigue and never escape.

"Besides the work required of you, the Fierol Family won't interfere with your freedom. You can also make use of the family's resources if you need them."

"Ah..."

Ling Ying sighed.

"I need a little time to take care of some things."

"No problem. You have three days. Someone will come find you after that. For now, you can go do what you want. Remember to take this."

Camille pushed a gleaming silver badge toward Ling Ying. Then she picked up a copy of the Piltover Daily from the nearby newspaper rack and began to read, paying no more attention to Ling Ying. Ling Ying didn't hesitate for long. She took the badge and headed out. Only when she stepped outside did she notice that the shopkeeper was wearing an identical badge.

After leaving the alley where the cafe stood, Ling Ying took a deep breath, drawing in the cool air to clear her rather overstrained mind.

"Whew. Negotiating with old folks like them really takes years off your life."

Looking at the badge in her palm, Ling Ying sighed. She felt an urge to throw it away, but changed her mind and tossed it into the Storage Bag along with the Gunblade.

"I had one cup of tea and sold myself. I really am cheap."