Oretal

Qiyana's mastery of elemental magic was plain to see.

Following behind Qiyana, Yuan Chen could clearly see that each time she spun the Oretal Ring Blade in her hand, the dense vines beneath the Rainforest Canopy actively parted before her, clearing a path.

Weeds, shrubs, and vines—all these dense plants and roots crawled out of the soil, carrying little clumps of earth as they moved aside.

The path itself quickly became smooth and level, even forming steps when necessary.

But it was obvious that Qiyana couldn't influence a very wide area yet.

Even so, the woodland around her was like her domain, responding to her every command. She didn't even need to speak. A mere thought was enough to shape the terrain as she wished.

If her ability were a little stronger, she could probably lead the caravan straight through the forest and reach Yishuaoken directly.

Yuan Chen thought:

The paths of Ixialia connected the Axiom Towers. Under those circumstances, maintaining the roads was essentially the same as maintaining the Veil Technique that enveloped all of Ixialia.

That was why the roads around Yishuaoken weren't laid out according to what would be most convenient. Instead, they were specifically arranged along the routes of the Concealment Spell.

As for why they didn't just bypass the spell and connect every county in a straight line... the answer was clear from how quickly Ixialia's forests regenerated.

Behind Qiyana, the woodland she had passed through—beyond the area of her "domain"—began reclaiming the path almost as soon as the weeds, shrubs, and vines had parted, sealing it off without leaving a trace.

This was Ixialia, after all. The weeds and shrubs weren't much different from those elsewhere, but every vine deep in the forest was as thick as a giant python.

If an ordinary person tried to pursue Qiyana through terrain like this, she wouldn't even need to attack. The surging, regenerating vines would devour everything.

Qiyana was actively helping the forest recover so quickly, but even without her, the area would return to normal within a day at most.

"Such a flourishing forest... I've gained a new appreciation for your mastery of the elements."

Yuan Chen sounded impressed.

Qiyana was clearly pleased by the praise, but after the way Yuan Chen had just made her feel...

Or perhaps because he was always lecturing her, she merely gave a dismissive little huff.

But the slight upward curve of her lips still revealed her delight.

At the same time, Qiyana stopped accelerating the forest's regrowth. It recovered quickly, and anyone who slowed down a little risked being swept away by the vines.

She had near-absolute control over the natural elements, so she knew exactly how quickly the vines were growing. But she didn't tell Yuan Chen.

The reason was simple. Yuan Chen was always lecturing her, always lecturing her, like a teacher or a father. This kind of advice was a novel experience for Qiyana, since hardly anyone had ever offered her suggestions about the struggle for the throne before.

And it had brought out her rebellious streak—

Once that guy couldn't take it anymore and begged for her help, she would magnanimously slow down and rescue him from the vines.

And, while she was at it, she could show him that Qiyana didn't need all that advice. Qiyana was already perfect!

But before long, Qiyana's excitement and schemes gave way to surprise. She turned to look at Yuan Chen, who was keeping pace beside her with ease, and stopped, uncertain.

"What's wrong?"

Yuan Chen glanced at her.

Qiyana fell silent for a moment, then said with some irritation, "I should be asking you that. You don't know the Wood Axiom. There's no sign of it in your magic."

"Wilderness Blessing," Yuan Chen explained. "Just as you have a trait, there are others in this world who have traits, too. Wilderness Blessing lets me travel freely through the wild."

He paused, then added, "Of course, my Wilderness Blessing is only Rare quality. It can't compare to your Elemental Dominion, which is Epic Quality."

Hearing Yuan Chen's words, Qiyana let out a satisfied little huff. She'd been a bit disappointed that she hadn't managed to show off her abilities, but now she felt better.

"Wilderness Blessing... No wonder you could pass through Ixialia's Veil without being detected. But it makes no difference. As my subject, you naturally need a talent that others don't have!"

As she spoke, Qiyana and Yuan Chen set off again. Along the way, Qiyana couldn't restrain her curiosity and asked Yuan Chen all sorts of questions.

"Where are you from?"

"Ionia... Didn't you know? You recognized where I was from the moment you saw me."

"Uh... I was just checking." Qiyana was a little embarrassed. But after a brief silence, she couldn't help asking, "What was that Noxus you mentioned earlier?"

Qiyana rolled her eyes. "Of course I know about Noxus. I was just curious about what you meant by 'Meritocracy.'"

"It's part of Noxian culture."

Seeing that Qiyana was curious, Yuan Chen didn't hide anything.

"Noxus is a multiethnic nation. If you're capable enough, it's easy to rise to prominence. Even if you challenge your superiors, the people at the top will turn a blind eye as long as you prove your ability."

"And in Noxus, strength is thought to take many forms."

"What forms?"

"Magic, strategy, physical prowess, schemes, trickery, assassination... lots of things," Yuan Chen explained. "Usually, if you're capable enough, you can rise to prominence in Noxus."

"Sounds great!" Qiyana's face held a trace of longing.

The Yuentar and the Royal Family of Ixialia knew about the Outside World and its civilizations. But because of the Veil and their tradition of isolationism, they didn't really understand them. They had only a rough, stereotyped impression.

"It only sounds great," Yuan Chen said calmly.

"Everyone spends some time thinking they're the main character of the world, destined to rise to prominence. But most people are just supporting characters. Sometimes, they don't even qualify as leaves beside the flowers."

"Not being capable, not being strong enough, being introverted... In Noxus, traits common to ordinary people are considered sins. That's why I don't like Noxus."

"But you're not ordinary, are you?"

"...We're all just grains of sand."

Yuan Chen didn't directly answer Qiyana's question. Or perhaps he himself didn't know whether he could still be considered ordinary in his current state.

Noticing something off about Yuan Chen, Qiyana grew curious, but she didn't press him. Instead, she quickened her pace and headed toward Yishuaoken.

Yuan Chen seemed exactly as he had before, neither speeding up nor slowing down. Yet he stayed effortlessly beside Qiyana, never changing his position.

That left Qiyana feeling a little dejected.

Yuan Chen didn't think much of it... He had the stamina of a trained dancer, you know?

Just keeping up with Qiyana like this wasn't even tiring.

With a touch of competitiveness, Qiyana kept increasing her speed. She continued until she herself was starting to pant, a thin sheen of sweat covering her skin. But whenever she looked back, Yuan Chen was still as composed as ever, as though he hadn't been affected at all.

At last, after steadily picking up the pace and taking shortcuts, Yuan Chen and Qiyana reached Yishuaoken around midday the next day.

Yuan Chen had seen the concept art and descriptions of Yishuaoken on the official League of Legends Universe website, but when he saw the city's scale with his own eyes, he still couldn't help holding his breath.

Yishuaoken stood among the mountains. Though it was a man-made city, it was clearly larger than the mountains themselves, grander and more magnificent.

Yishuaoken was a colossal white tower, built entirely of Elemental Stone. Its base was a perfect cube. Centered on the tower, four city walls extended outward from the middle of each side, forming long corridors pulsing with elemental energy.

The corridors connected to roads that led out from Ixialia and disappeared into the distant plains and boundless mountains. Their ends were nowhere in sight, but Yuan Chen could feel that the place was saturated with immense amounts of magic at all times.

The magic was transformed, generated, and transported in Yishuaoken. Like a heart, Yishuaoken sent this vast supply of magic through the Veil Technique to every inch of Ixialia.

Yishuaoken itself was just as magnificent, beyond the power of words to describe.

The enormous tower base rose in four tiers. It wasn't merely an engineered structure. The Elemental Stone had been precisely divided by the Yuan Chu Axiom, channeling power throughout the land and joining the surrounding environment into a single whole on the energy level.

Every part of the city was unique. Geometric lines, drawn in gold and a solution of precious stones, adorned the tall white walls. They connected through intricate Energy Pathways, each one representing a form or principle of elemental magic.

Within the complexity lay an indescribable order. At the top of the tower base stood five towering pillars that reached into the clouds. Four corresponded to the corridors below them, while the fifth stood in the center. It was also the thickest and most ornate of them all.

Energy invisible to the naked eye traveled up the pillars and into the sky, shrouding all of Ixialia like a canopy.

Flames, Flowing Water, rocks, Magnetic Force...

Beneath the intricate Energy Pathways, the forces of countless elements converged, forming a stable and unbreakable whole—

Yishuaoken.

"Welcome to the Center of All Things!!"

Qiyana tried to deliver the words with gusto, but the exhaustion from their journey left her inevitably panting.

"Why aren't you even sweating? Aren't you tired?"

At Qiyana's frustrated question, Yuan Chen only smiled. It was obvious that Qiyana didn't know about Placidium's Ritual Dance.

It was a dance only a master could perform, a trial of both mind and body.

Even Kagura, the goddess of fire, would have to bow down before it.

I'm too lazy to write an author's note. I'll upload the chapters I've saved first and fix any typos later. I'll continue updating tomorrow.