From Noxus

Yuan Chen was not surprised by Styraatu's words.

Although Azir is the only Ascended with a golden bloodline since Setaka, the Azir Queen, his reign was far too short.

For an ordinary person, Azir's life was nothing short of brilliant.

However, many of Ascended existed before the First Void War. They fought alongside the Ascended Queen Setaka for thousands of years, spreading the glory of Shurima to every corner of Runeterra...

For these veteran Ascended, Azir was indeed superior to other members of the Golden Bloodline, but far from being outstanding.

At least, with Queen Setaka as a precedent, no matter what Azir did, he would always remain in Wu Zetian's shadow.

Moreover, Azir made quite a few mistakes in the later stages of his reign... the biggest of which was trusting Xerath.

An empire that fought tenaciously and triumphed even against the Void was brought to ruin by a lowly slave.

Furthermore, with the subsequent fall of the Ascended during the Dark Descendant warlord era, it won't be easy to get them to pledge allegiance to the Golden Bloodline once again.

Varus... is indeed an exception.

Yuan Chen thought to himself.

Varus lost his mind at the end of the First Void War, his mind filled only with hatred and revenge against the Void.

If his consciousness is truly awakened, then his memories should still be stuck in the timeline of the Void War...

Now that you mention it, let alone the Great Shurima Collapse, he probably doesn't even know who Azir is.

Thinking this through, Yuan Chen said thoughtfully:

"So... it seems the Ascended aren't that loyal to Azir?"

"He is still loyal, but he doesn't have the same absolute faith in Empress Wu."

When discussing Azir, Styraatu didn't show much respect. But that didn't matter, after all, Styraatu was a veteran Ascended had fought alongside Setaka.

For immortals whose life level was elevated by the Sun Disc, Azir, whose life spanned only a few decades from birth to death, was indeed rather young.

After thinking for a moment, Styraatu said:

"Although he is called the Eagle King, the young emperor couldn't even control Chalicar... Perhaps he will be able to control a part of it after he completes his ascension? But it's too late to say that now."

"Because the empire collapsed due to the mistake of trusting a slave, it is difficult for me and my compatriots to trust him as much as we trusted Empress Wu."

Chalicar... the weapon in Sivir's hands, and also the weapon and symbol of the Ascended Queen Setaka.

Although I knew that the cross-shaped wheel was extraordinary, judging from Styraatu's words, its power seemed to extend beyond its function as a weapon.

Thinking this through, Yuan Chen nodded thoughtfully and said:

"Do you still remember any advice I gave you in the past?"

Upon hearing this, after a moment of silence, Styraatu shook her head and said somewhat apologetically:

"I'm sorry... I've forgotten too many things."

"It's not your fault; I'm sure I was aware of that as well."

Yuan Chen nodded and said, "Then let's leave here... I will continue with my plan, and for now, Styraatu, Camille will be with you."

"Alright, I have no objections," Styraatu said. "I also want to learn more about this world... It would be even better if I could visit Shurima sometime."

"As you wish." Camille remained calm, offering no further explanation.

Just as they were leaving the bottom of the Sump, Yuan Chen thought for a moment and couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which, Styraatu..."

"What's wrong?"

"You and Aatrox seem to have a good relationship, right?"

Upon hearing Yuan Chen's question, Styraatu paused slightly, then scratched her cheek somewhat awkwardly, turned her head away, and said a little embarrassedly:

"About this... Master, why are you asking this? The general and I are just friends... well, friends! He saved me during the Void War, and I felt I should repay him, that's all..."

Sensing the obvious hint of ambiguity in Styraatu, Yuan Chen understood.

Although it's not explicitly stated in the backstory, Styraatu has always had a strong desire to return to the side of the Aatrox.

But compared to this...

"Speaking of which, why doesn't your name have the character 'Ya' in it?" Yuan Chen asked, stroking his chin with some confusion.

"If you're interested in Aatrox, you should know his preferences... so why doesn't your name have the character 'Aatrox' in it?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, silence fell. After a long while, Styraatu rubbed her temples wearily and said helplessly:

"Regarding this... Master, you should understand. Although the general is brave and decisive, and his heroic figure on the battlefield is awe-inspiring, there are certain aesthetic sensibilities..."

"It's not that it's bad, it's just that it's a bit too... otherworldly."

Sensing the increased disdain in Styraatu's tone, Yuan Chen chuckled.

It seems that some of Aatrox's quirks were not accepted by the other Dark Descendant.

With that thought in mind, Yuan Chen and Camille left the trench in Zaun together.

"We'll part ways here." Turning to leave, Yuan Chen added unhurriedly, "But don't forget what I said."

"I will not forget," Camille said calmly.

Once Yuan Chen disappeared from sight, Camille fell silent, a look of confusion appearing in her eyes.

To be honest, Camille was also wondering whether what she had done was right or wrong.

However, this confusion only lasted for a brief moment. When she came to her senses, the confusion in Camille's eyes disappeared completely, and she strode towards the Hextech Pressure Transporter heading towards the Bluewind Court at the top.

Unlike when she was in the ditch, Styraatu is no longer attached to Camille's body. Instead, she has transformed into a small nineteen-stringed harp that Camille holds in her hand.

It's called a small harp, but it's only smaller than a regular harp.

Holding it in your hand, its structure is less like a D-shape and more like a peculiar right triangle. The dark gold material is adorned with scarlet flesh, making it look grotesque and twisted.

Camille could sense the agitation emanating from Styraatu's lyre—in fact, Camille already knew that Styraatu had a bad temper, even a terrible and twisted one.

However, she had been facing Yuan Chen earlier, which made her suppress her inner thoughts.

Now that Yuan Chen is gone, Styraatu has reverted to the Ascended's disdain for mortals...

Not surprised by this, Camille simply held the harp in her hands silently and said:

"I will arrange a suitable body for you as soon as possible, but please suppress your emotions for now."

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

A cold response came from the harp.

With the whistle of a private transport plane, Camille strode back to the glamorous Bluewind Court.

Led by a servant, Camille leisurely got into the car.

Inside the private transport plane's changing room, Camille had changed into a neat and luxurious long dress to conceal the lacerations left by the venomous sewer fluid on her legs.

Bluewind Court is the residential area for all the prominent families in Piltover. Located within it, it appears luxurious and extravagant even compared to Piltover.

To showcase their family's wealth, they stacked huge stones to form high walls, filling the gaps between them with gold thread.

The smooth floor is paved with marble and is spotless; even the slightest speck of dust will immediately attract the attention of the cleaning robots.

Fully armed Piltover Enforcers patrol the streets day and night, wielding Hextech kinetic guns. Forget petty theft; if you show even the slightest surprise or a naive, country-style remark, you'll immediately be questioned by them.

To outsiders, this is where the most powerful, wealthy, and intelligent people in Piltover gather.

But Camille knew very well that behind the high walls of this family lay not so-called wisdom, but greedy beasts.

Walking through these streets, Camille felt no sense of relaxation. In fact, to Camille, this place wasn't even as clean as the sewers of Zaun... at least the filth in the sewers was only on the surface.

Rather, it lies deep within people's hearts.

"Madam, the head of the family needs to speak with you."

As soon as Camille entered, a maid-like girl conveyed the master's request to her.

Camille simply nodded to indicate that she understood, and then went to her workshop without saying a word. Under the work of the craftsmen, her severely rusted leg blades and some parts on her body were replaced.

Looking at her own reflection in the mirror, now restored to her former elegance, Camille strode toward the office of Stevan Ferros, the head of the Ferros Family and her younger brother.

In his office, the aged Stevan seemed somewhat impatient. But upon seeing Camille's arrival, Stevan breathed a sigh of relief.

It was getting late. Through the window, the setting sun shone on Stevan's body, gilding his figure with a golden glow, and even the wool blanket covering his legs looked exceptionally dreamlike.

Looking at Camille, Stevan's face also showed a hint of excitement. He raised his head and said excitedly:

"Camille, our chance, the family's chance, has arrived!"

Stevan's words silenced Camille.

Stevan usually calls her "older sister" and rarely uses her name directly. When he does use her name, it's only when it's something important.

Camille glanced at Stevan's neck, stiff with excitement, and the age spots creeping up his neck from under his silk scarf, and sighed:

"What happened? My brother?"

"Noxus has decided to deepen its control over Piltover!"