92 Speaks

Hearing Yuan Chen address him as a master, Heimerdinger seemed somewhat surprised. Just as he was about to say something, a Poro popped out of his furry head.

Poros, one of the native creatures of Runeterra, are found in every corner of the world. They are widely distributed from the magic-suppressing Demacia, the frigid Freljord, the peaceful Ionia, to the desolate Shadow Isles.

Their aptitude for magic is astonishingly high. In Piltover, scholars have been conducting specialized research on the Poros, trying to find out why they are so densely distributed in every corner of Runeterra.

These adorable and harmless creatures can even coexist under the same roof as ferocious dragons.

But considering the current situation, Heimerdinger, seeing the little Poro crawling out of his head, seemed very angry. Grabbing the Poro by the back of its neck (do Poros really have necks?), Heimerdinger said somewhat angrily:

"Little Pi! How many times have I told you not to crawl into my hair? My head is important! There are still many things in this world that science hasn't yet understood, waiting for me to explore! If you keep doing this, I'm going to get angry with you! And what we're doing right now is very important..."

Heimerdinger is clearly a chatterbox—well, to be precise, most Yordle have some degree of this trait. In a sense, Yordle are the Hobbits of Runeterra.

That's right, they are the hobbits of Middle-earth. This can be seen from their temperament and habits.

They all like to wear brightly colored clothes, often laugh heartily, eat and drink, and sometimes like to make harmless little jokes.

They are also very hospitable, enjoying exchanging gifts and hosting feasts. More importantly, both hobbits and Yordle possess keen eyesight, exceptional hearing, and are incredibly agile, naturally able to conceal themselves quickly and silently. They prefer quiet, peaceful, and joyful places.

In this context, Poppy Veggus, who was essentially giving up, was a complete oddity—and it's no wonder she couldn't fit into the Yordle community, since most Yordles yearned for light and happiness.

Despite being an older Yordle and known as a great inventor, Heimerdinger's talkative nature remains.

Of course, despite his talkative nature, Heimerdinger retains his kind disposition, a trait inherent to Yordle.

So, despite complaining about the trouble, Heimerdinger still put the Poro named Little Pi on the ground, patted its round bottom, and then took a rope from his pocket and put it around Little Pi's neck...

Well, although he jumped up, Yuan Chen was very suspicious that Xiao Pi wouldn't even need to struggle; a simple roll would have been enough to break the rope.

As well as...

Yordle know to use ropes when fighting Poros.

"Ahem," Heimerdinger coughed lightly, then said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm sorry, distinguished guest from afar. Little Pi is always like this, you know, Poros are always so endearing. Although I am Yordle, I..."

Yuan Chen showed no impatience while listening to Heimerdinger's rambling words.

From any perspective, Heimerdinger is undoubtedly one of the most respected heroes in Runeterra.

Unlike other characters who merely appear in the game but whose actions are despicable and are only called "heroes" as selectable characters, Heimerdinger is a true hero.

Feeling Yuan Chen's gentleness, Heimerdinger breathed a sigh of relief, gathered his thoughts, and then, adopting the dignified demeanor of the president of Piltover University, said:

"I am Cecil B. Heimerdinger, the president of Piltover University and a Grand Councilor with a permanent seat in the Piltover Council. Of course, for convenience, you can just call me Heimerdinger. You know, we Yordle aren't too particular about titles."

"Of course I've heard of you," Yuan Chen said.

"You are the true master of Piltover, whether from the perspective of magical engineering or from a personal perspective, you should be the most respected scholar."

"Eh..."

Hearing Yuan Chen's praise, Heimerdinger felt somewhat uncomfortable. As Yordle, Heimerdinger rarely attended major events in Piltover —except for special occasions like Progress Day.

Furthermore, Heimerdinger advocated that technology should be used for a better tomorrow, not for war, evil, or conspirators, and should not be corrupted into a tool for creating chaos. Therefore, Heimerdinger consistently refused and tried his best to prevent the large families from infiltrating Piltover University.

Calling it infiltration is a bit inaccurate; what it really means is that they don't want powerful families to use money to hire talented people and turn them into tools for making money.

"You flatter me. I only did a few small things..."

Scratching his head, as if remembering something, Heimerdinger glanced back at Jayce and the others not far away, sighed, and said, "In fact, I may have already failed."

"The involvement of family conglomerates is not entirely a bad thing for science... but it is certainly not a good thing either." Yuan Chen didn't take Heimerdinger's words to heart, but instead raised his head and looked at the crowd behind him.

"Perhaps we had a minor disagreement just now, but let's begin the formal visit."

Hearing Yuan Chen's words, the reporters didn't think this seemingly gentle and handsome young man had much goodwill towards Piltover —but that was exactly the kind of big news they wanted to see!

Ultimately, what's the point of good deeds? Can they be used as fodder for casual conversation? It's definitely more interesting to have sensational topics mixed with conflict; otherwise, what's the point of having reporters?

Just then, a young man with a rough, bronze complexion, short, neat hair, and wearing a leather jacket couldn't resist rushing out from the crowd:

"Are you really Yixialian? Really?" The young man looked excitedly at Yuan Chen, Qiyana behind Yuan Chen, and a group of Road Protector.

"I am Jarl Medarda! Would you like to come to my manor for a chat sometime? I promise, it's just about the culture and customs of Ixialia! I assure you there won't be anything out of line! This is my Historical Society and Explorers' Society's—"

Before the guy named Jarl Mirdal could finish speaking, a familiar figure stepped out from the Yuan Chen.

Caitlyn – But unlike before, this time Caitlyn is not wearing her usual casual uniform, but instead is wearing the special uniform of the Piltover Enforcers Riot Control Unit.

"This is a formal visit to the city-state; please do not cross the blockade."

As she spoke, Caitlyn coldly pushed Jarl aside. While pushing him, she said in a low voice, with a hint of helplessness:

"This was given to you by your father."

Upon hearing this, a look of resentment appeared on the face of the man named Jarl, but since it was his father's order, he simply tossed a business card at Yuan Chen and then left the scene unwillingly.

Yuan Chen raised an eyebrow after glancing at Jarl's business card.

Jarl Mirdal appears as a card in LoR, but his surname is clearly more important than his personal identity— Mirdal, the most senior, wealthiest, and most powerful family in Piltover, without exception.

The Sun Gate, the foundation of Piltover's development, and the livelihood of all the trading families in the city. Mirdal, on the other hand, controls nearly 60 percent of the trade along this route.

Their merchant ships can be found as far north as Noxus with its steel and weapons, as far west as Demacia with its Honey Fruit and armor, as far south as the rich minerals of Kalamanda on the Shurima, and as far east as Bilgewater, where outlaws roam...

It can be said that before the advent of Hextech Gate, Mirdal was the uncrowned king of Piltover.

The family's chief heir, Jarl Mirdal, is passionate about archaeology and enjoys uncovering ancient artifacts hidden among ancient tombs and dense forests.

Although this was considered a waste of time by the patriarch of the Medarda Family, Jarl's father, in this world filled with countless extraordinary and mysterious things... archaeology might have more potential than trade.

However, the risks are also high.

It's very big.

After accepting the business card, Yuan Chen was not in a hurry.

Mirdal wields considerable influence in Piltover's political, business, and grassroots circles. If this influence is utilized properly, it could play a significant role in the upcoming Piltover campaign.

As he pondered this, Yuan Chen nodded to Heimerdinger, then walked unhurriedly toward the Sun Gate.

Boarding a sightseeing float powered by Hex Crystal, Yuan Chen and the others soon passed through the Sun Gate and arrived at the meeting hall located in the center of Piltover city on the other side of the sea gate.

It must be said that Piltover is called the City of Progress for a reason. Compared to other parts of Runeterra —especially Demacia, an extremely xenophobic and conservative country.

Piltover surpasses Demacia by a wide margin, at least in terms of architectural style. This is not to say that Demacia's architecture is bad. On the contrary, Demacia's dignified, solemn, and heavy city, built with Mana Stone as its material, exudes a classical and dignified atmosphere just by looking at it.

In contrast, Piltover's architecture is a combination of smooth marble, bronze grilles, and shimmering glass, somewhat resembling the Baroque style that flourished in Italy during the 17th and 18th centuries.

However, in terms of unrestrained extravagance and extreme luxury, it lacks the flamboyance of the Baroque style.

Upon entering the grand hall, Yuan Chen straightened his clothes and went to the podium. He looked at the scholars, family representatives, merchants, and scholars and city dwellers in the central area of the hall.

Yuan Chen said calmly:

Hextech no longer exists.

I'll upload some LOR character images later in the chapter notes. I originally wanted to use a bonus chapter, but unfortunately, bonus chapters require an author level of LV4 or higher.