Chapter 123

"Did you get what you wanted?" Darius slapped his neck hard, clearly exhausted from a day of training and a two-hour "meeting".

He glanced sideways at the giant scythe leaning against the wall; its single, scarlet eye always made him feel uneasy.

But he knew it was the feeling of power.

Inhuman power.

"A scythe... it looks like a demon's weapon."

"Perhaps even demons can't compare to him." Chen Ce chuckled and glanced at Rhaast's giant scythe—the latter was too lazy to care about Darius's evaluation—the evaluation of a mere mortal was insignificant to him.

"Then I hope you can handle this danger well and not let it devour your soul... Making a deal with a demon has never been a good idea, as you and I both know." Darius said, turning to look out the window. Ravens were perched on distant rooftops.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Chen Ce replied.

As the conversation got to the point, Darius adjusted his posture slightly to make his already large frame appear even bigger.

"You said you could solve the problems in the north, is that right?" he asked again for confirmation. "The barbarians of the north... those Freljord savages are not to be trifled with."

"I know." Chen Ce nodded. "I know their past and I'm aware of their strength."

"So you're that confident?"

"It comes from my power, and from that scythe."

"Hmm... If I had met you sooner, we could have become great comrades and friends." Darius tapped the table lightly, his eyes full of appreciation—the appreciation of a general for his soldiers, or the appreciation of talent as one of the leaders of the empire.

"I won't ask about the plans, I just want to know when you plan to leave?"

"Not long," Chen Ce added, "Or rather... immediately."

"Immediately?"

"Yes, I don't want to drag things out too much."

"This puts me in a difficult position... How many troops do you need? I don't know if I can prepare them in time; I can only say I'll do my best."

"Troops..." Upon hearing this question, Chen Ce glanced at the sword at his waist and then at Rhaast beside him.

Finally, he smiled and gave an affirmative answer:

"Not a single soldier needed."

"Hmm...?" Darius paused for a moment.

Before he could ask another question, the nimble figure had already disappeared from the study.

Only one confident answer remained:

"I'm enough on my own."

On the way back to the safe house, Chen Ce had already roughly formulated the plan to be implemented next.

To be precise, it was a plan about how to resolve the Northern Problem.

What he promised Darius was to "deal with the northern barbarians, mainly the leaders of those major tribes."

Therefore, the word "solution" here can have many meanings.

It could be a direct assassination, or it could be resolved in other ways.

The problem will be solved once the unrest in the north ends and the Freljord stop targeting Noxus cargo ships.

Hmm... With sufficient strength, plus a bit of "foresight" about the future development of Freljord, resolving the conflicts between the three major tribes of Freljord shouldn't be too difficult.

The Avarosan Tribe led by Ashe the Frost Archer, the Winter's Winter's Claw Tribe led by Sejuani the Winter's Wrath, and the Frost Watchers led by Lissandra the Lissandra.

All three of them have their own problems to solve.

However, the conflict between them is not entirely irreconcilable.

Once we help the three of them overcome their difficulties, the matter of building their own faction in Freljord should be easily resolved.

Then, relying on the "glorious achievements" in the north, he can return to Noxus and gain the support of the Faceless and Darius. In this way, he will almost be standing at the pinnacle of power in Noxus. At that time, let alone building up a faction, it will not be a problem to unite all of Noxus against a common enemy.

This plan essentially solved the problems of two major countries at once.

Rather than following LeBlanc's approach and slowly annexing Noxus, it would be better to take a more decisive and swift approach, bringing both countries under one roof.

The Void could descend at any moment, and given the time constraint, the sooner the better.

Moreover... Freljord has another secret.

The secret of Lissandra, the Lissandra, breaking with her two sisters and sacrificing an entire Yetis.

She was likely the first person in the entire history of Runeterra to encounter Void creature.

She had even seen the true leader of the Void creatures— the Watchers.

The powerful magic that sustained her rule over northern Freljord for countless centuries was the work of the Watchers.

It was the Watchers bestowed upon her extraordinary magic and power, allowing her lifespan to be extended indefinitely.

Later, she finally realized her mistake and betrayed the Watchers, sealing their passages into the material realm.

Therefore, it is possible that she knows many secrets about the Void.

It can even predict when the Void will descend—if the Void still intends to emerge from that passage.

In short, Lissandra is the key.

Whether it's something Void or about "solving the northern problem."

As Chen Ce pondered this, he made his way through the secret passage back to the safe house.

Then, the first thing he saw LeBlanc, sitting elegantly on the sofa, sipping her tea.

Syndra dislikes this "bad woman" and seems to be resting in her room.

"You're back?" LeBlanc, with her back to Chen Ce, recognized the person just by the sound of footsteps.

"Hmm." Chen Ce responded casually, then threw the giant scythe in his hand into the storage room and covered it with a black curtain—amidst the latter's angry curses.

"The riots at Immortal Bastion... were you the one who started them?" LeBlanc turned around. "Looks like you've gotten what you wanted."

"Hmm," Chen Ce replied nonchalantly.

"Is it that terrifying scythe?"

"Um."

"That seems to be a weapon of the Darkin... or perhaps it is the Darkin itself."

Congratulations, you guessed it all right.

"It seems it approves of you? That's quite surprising."

"After all, I win people over with virtue." Chen Ce sat down as well, and without saying a word, picked up the freshly brewed black tea from LeBlanc and poured himself a cup. "Rhaast and I have become very good partners."

"You're talking nonsense...!" An angry voice suddenly appeared in my mind.

"You're really starting to impress me more and more... You know, before you, quite a few greedy people have lost their lives to that scythe." LeBlanc turned her head and glanced at the giant scythe in the storeroom; the faint crimson Shimmer emanating from its single eye made her uneasy.

"So, can you tell me what you plan to do next?"

"So concerned about me?" Chen Ce chuckled teasingly.

"To be honest, your progress has far exceeded my control." LeBlanc took a sip of tea, surprisingly not trying to be seductive, but instead revealing a serious expression. "I can no longer see through you... This makes me uneasy."

"It's rare for you to tell me the truth." Chen Ce also became a little more serious.

"Because this concerns our future relationship."

"Oh? You want to terminate the cooperation?"

"If you've been taking advantage of me while hiding everything from me."

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

"What are your plans for the future?"

"Is that all?" Chen Ce put down his teacup, a kind smile returning to his face. "We're staunch comrades and partners, why would I hide anything from you? Of course I can tell you."

"That's not what you said before~" LeBlanc also revealed a charming but insincere smile.

"Because plans can't keep up with changes," Chen Ce laughed. "My next plan is to go to Freljord —to avenge the defeat of General Darius, the Hand of Noxus."

"To gain his support?"

"It seems you were able to guess my plan."

"But is it really necessary?" LeBlanc frowned slightly. "Following the path I've laid out for you, it would be very simple to legally and reasonably resolve the Swain."

"I want to see the scenery of Freljord —I've always heard that the snow in the north is beautiful," Chen Ce casually made up a reason.

LeBlanc could certainly tell, but she had no choice but to give up for now.

Pressing for an answer will benefit no one.

She came today simply to confirm whether there was still a need for them to cooperate.

It seems... it can still be maintained for a while longer—at least for a while longer.

"Alright, whatever you say." LeBlanc stood up, her tall and beautiful figure gradually disappearing into the secret passage.

That's just her personality. If there's no benefit to be gained, she doesn't want to waste a single second.

Chen Ce didn't mind and turned around to push open Syndra's door.

The beautiful silver-haired girl was still awake.

Even though it was late at night, she wouldn't sleep until she saw the person she was waiting for.

Rather than falling asleep alone like she did when she was sealed in the Dreaming Pool, she preferred to idly observe the little insects in the corner of the wall while waiting for Chen Ce to return.

"It's so late." Her voice was somewhat cold, but more than that, it was filled with grievance.

"I'm sorry." Chen Ce hugged the girl from behind. Her soft silver hair and sweet fragrance wafted over, making him feel refreshed and relaxed.

His hands also unabashedly rested beneath two soft mounds.

The girl's pretty face flushed slightly, but she didn't struggle—she could endure it as long as it wasn't a direct grab.

"Will you massage my legs again tonight...?" she asked softly, blushing.

"Of course," Chen Ce answered readily, "I will try my best to make you feel 'relaxed'."

"Then don't go too far... don't do what happened last time..."

"Yes, ma'am." Chen Ce smiled and picked up the girl.

The pair of semi-transparent black footed stockings slipped down under the influence of magic.

Looks like I'll have another chance to fold steel tonight... Great, really great...

But...

Maybe starting tomorrow, there won't be a period of time where we can't stack steel on Syndra.

The journey to Freljord will likely take some time...

PS:

The Noxus saga is far from over! The Noxus saga is far from over! The Noxus saga is far from over!

I'll say it three times because it's important!

The story that follows will involve collaboration between two countries and two regions, and will also return to Noxus!

That's all!

Chapter Twelve: You Ashe, I'm a Healer?

After making all the necessary preparations, Chen Ce finally embarked on his journey to Freljord.

LeBlanc's clones will remain in the safe house for extended periods to confuse Swain's "informants," and Syndra does the same.

Katarina has officially taken over the entire Du House Du Couteau. Under the influence of the Faceless, the Assassin Guild have expressed their willingness to acknowledge the legitimacy and rationality of Katarina's succession—after all, she is the eldest daughter of General Du Couteau.

As for General Du Couteau himself... Katarina's attitude was still quite delicate, Chen Ce naturally wouldn't risk offending Katarina by killing him, so he simply kept him imprisoned by Mordekaiser.

In conclusion, it's highly unlikely that anything unexpected will happen in Noxus.