Onward Again

"I can only tell you that I have something very important to do in Ionia. What about you? Did you come to the real world on a mission this time?" Ryze asked the Four Little Ones.

"It's our reward for completing a mission! The mayor gave us a really long vacation, and this time our mission is to have fun!" Tristana answered eagerly.

"We decided to visit somewhere we'd never been before, so we picked Ionia!"

"But who knew that when Teemo, that dummy, went through the portal, he'd get the direction wrong? He's been a scout for ages, but he's still terrible at finding his way!"

Lulu glared at a certain Mushroom Head with a very punchable look.

"Heh heh..." Teemo squinted, looking guilty, but offered no explanation. It seemed his scouting work had made him taciturn, a stark contrast to Lulu and the others.

"Our journey will last another couple of weeks. Could you please stay quietly in your rooms?" Ryze sounded like a strict parent.

"We're still sailing across a dangerous sea. You can enjoy your vacation, but don't cause trouble for anyone else."

"Got it!" Tristana rubbed her hands together and looked around. "Wow! What a huge ship! Can we look around?"

"Sure..." Ryze began to explain the rules.

"Hooray!" The Four Little Ones scattered, dashing off in four different directions. The other crew members steered clear of them, and even Ryze couldn't catch them.

"You've got four little terrors aboard now," Ato said with a smile to Sarah. "I think things are going to get even more interesting from here on. I can't wait."

"Please don't tease me, Mr. Ato. Figuring out what to do with them really is a problem."

"I'll head back and get some rest. If someone sneaks into my room, how do you think I should scare them?" Ato asked eagerly.

"...I really can't advise you on that." Sarah shook her head, laughing.

Ato waited in his room until the next day, but he didn't see a single sneaky figure.

"Are Yordles really that alert? It feels more like they're deliberately avoiding this place. What a shame."

"Your instincts are right, little thing," Aatrox said. "I can't make out their composition, but I can say for certain they have a tendency to avoid all threats. This world won't let them come to harm—not even if someone just tries to scare them."

"How unfair. Even when they stray from their original course, they just happen to land on a ship bound for Ionia. Is that the power of nature?" Ato muttered.

Just then, he heard a faint rumble coming from below the deck.

"The Leviathan is starting up!"

Realizing what was happening, Ato hurried to the bridge.

The four Yordles sat in a row inside, gazing eagerly at the three operators as they worked various instruments and pressed different buttons.

Sarah stood to one side, supervising with a stern expression.

"This is so exciting! I'm going to tell Vex about this giant machine! I'll tell her how wonderful the outside world is, so she'll stop moping around alone in her room all day!" Tristana clapped excitedly.

"You should tell Vigus," Ato said as he walked onto the bridge, closing the door behind him.

"Whoa, you're... a giant monster!" The Four Little Ones huddled together and trembled at the sight of Ato—and this time there was no Ryze's leg to hide behind.

"Well, that's a problem."

Ato raised an eyebrow, already deciding that on this trip to Freljord, he would find that Demigod and have him forge an unprecedented Sword Sheath for the Demonic Sword of the Dark.

The sword's aura needed to be concealed. It wouldn't do to scare children like this.

The little thing must be thinking of something dangerous... Aatrox suddenly shivered for no reason.

"Ryze must've told you I'm an ally. Don't you believe what he says?" Ato said, using Ryze as a shield.

"He did..." The Four Little Ones relaxed a little. "If he picks on us, we'll tell Ryze! We'll make Ryze deal with him!"

"Right, exactly!"

"Mm-hmm."

Did Ryze know he'd become their proxy guardian? Ato could hear every word the Four Little Ones muttered, of course!

"I-I'm warning you, don't scare us with your sword!" Lulu puffed out her nonexistent chest.

"If you dare—dare to bully us, I'll get bigger than you, y-you!"

"Pfft..." Ato nearly lost control of his expression. You worked so hard to work up the courage to say all that to me...

"Fine, fine. I promise I won't scare you. Otherwise, you can let Ryze bully me."

The moment Ato finished speaking, he realized something was off. This really does feel like trying to pacify a bunch of kids!

Scaring them would get Ryze to fight him! That was what Aatrox thought.

But then he remembered that he'd lost control of his abilities and that whether they fought was up to Ato, so he backed down again.

Why did it feel like the old geezer was itching for a fight just now? Ato frowned. Maybe he'd imagined it.

"Sit still. I won't bother you," Ato said as kindly as he could.

The Four Little Ones quickly straightened up, lips pressed tight. They looked just like Ato himself in his previous life, sitting attentively in class back in primary school.

I knew these guys were going to be a handful...

A faint vibration could still be felt beneath his feet. The battleship had indeed started up.

"Are we setting sail?" Ato asked Sarah.

"Yes. Andrew will lead this voyage, with Raven and Sanchez assisting."

"The Leviathan's structure is too complicated to master in a short time. But we're short on time, so we have no choice but to do it this way."

"I need another safeguard." Ryze pushed open the door.

As everyone watched, he explained, "After all, he used to serve under Gangplank. I don't agree with Gangplank's principles."

"When it comes to his subordinates, it's better to be cautious."

"I didn't want to use this spell, but your lives are at stake, so I have no choice."

With that, he raised his right hand in a casting gesture. The runes on his body and his eyes lit up as he chanted.

A stream of blue light covered in countless runes flowed into Andrew's body. Andrew clutched his head, his expression twisting in pain for a moment. He quickly recovered, then turned back to the instruments and continued operating them as if nothing had happened.

"This is a Mind Control Spell. It'll last for three months and won't affect his intelligence. The only thing I've made him do is avoid betraying us."

"Now you can truly trust him. He can still answer your questions, and he knows what he needs to do."

"You can do that?" Ato gaped in astonishment. That's not a skill I've ever seen in the game. It's practically like Ahri's charm!