Chapter 192
Thanks to the hero's sacrifice.
"Let's clean up the battlefield..." The general waved his hand wearily, his graying hair hidden beneath his scarred armor.
"I will personally convey the news of the hero Barrett Buvelle's death to His Majesty the King..."
Daily prayers are over.
Sona sat down with her violin in her arms, and then accidentally let out a melodious "thump~".
It wasn't because her hand holding the violin accidentally touched the strings, but rather...
Her overly full breasts accidentally pressed against the violin strings.
"Pfft~" The girl next to her burst into laughter almost simultaneously.
Sona blushed and turned her head, only to see her dear sister gesturing in sign language to "tease" her.
Our great musician is amazing! He can play the piano without using his hands!
[Kahina, my sister...!] Sona responded with sign language while lowering her head shyly.
It's not like that...
It's not like she wanted to grow up this big...
"You've come again, Kahina." A gentle yet authoritative voice rang out.
Kahina immediately stopped teasing her.
"Don't always bully Sona. You're the older sister, you need to act like one," the two girls' mother, Lestara, said as she walked over, instructing Kahina.
Then she also glanced at Sona's proudly full chest.
"But it is indeed very big... no!"
"See? Mother thinks so too," Kahina laughed again.
Sona blushed to the roots of her ears.
"Ahem..." Lestara realized her lapse in composure and quickly changed the subject—or rather, brought it back on track:
"News came this morning that the Battle of the Gate of Mourning has ended—with the Noxus retreating. This is truly good news to celebrate."
"Long live Demacia!" The outgoing and lively Kahina cheered, raising both hands.
[This is wonderful.] The reserved and gentle Sona smiled and gestured in sign language.
All three of them were in a good mood at the moment.
Not only because they were Noxus, but also because the end of the war meant...
Lestara's husband, the father of the two girls, will be home soon.
He had been away from home for so long, and although they had visited him briefly, how could those short meetings possibly quell the deep longing he felt?
"Judging by the time, it should be about right," Lestara added. "The letter came back this morning, but the war ended three days ago, and your father should be back soon."
"That's great!" Kahina happily hugged Sona, who smiled back.
Such a heartwarming scene brought a happy smile to Lestara. "Well then, let's prepare properly today—how about we welcome our hero's triumphant return with a sumptuous feast?"
"Perfect!"
[Yes, Sona thinks it's great.]
The two girls quickly got to work, one preparing kitchen utensils and the other tidying up the kitchen.
Lestara was also preparing to go out to buy some groceries.
She put on her shoes, and with a warm smile, opened the door to the gentle sunlight.
But what first caught her eye was not the tidy street.
He was a Demacia soldier.
His breast badge bore two wing-like insignia, a sign of his origin from the border; his shoulder straps were tied with a red ribbon, symbolizing his rank as a general.
"Hello, Mrs. Buvelle..." The general from the border bowed his head, his tone sounding somewhat heavy.
Lestara's joy vanished almost instantly.
Her startled gaze shifted from the other person downwards.
The general held a sword in both hands.
She knew that sword all too well.
That is... that is...
Yes...
"I regret to inform you..."
"Mr. Barrett Buvelle ..."
"They sacrificed themselves at the Gate of Mourning..."
Chen Ce wanted to prevent some tragedies from happening, but it was too late.
When he rushed back to Noxus from Freljord, Swain had already launched an attack on Demacia —right at the Gate of Mourning —and deployed the Trifarix Legion, the strongest force in the Noxian Empire.
Even if he rushed to the Gate of Mourning immediately, he wouldn't have been able to catch up with the Trifarix Legion, which had already been on its way for several days.
That tragedy was inevitable.
At least it wasn't something he could stop.
The gears of fate turned ahead of schedule... The timeline changed, and he could never have predicted that Swain would launch an attack on Demacia so soon.
Perhaps it was because of his arrival? Because Swain felt the pressure of being attacked from both sides?
I don't know...
In short, that's what Swain did.
In short...
"The whole city is in mourning..."
Chen Ce, dressed no differently from ordinary people, stood in an inconspicuous corner of the street, silently watching people's sorrow.
Barrett Buvelle was a nationally renowned clergyman and philanthropist who helped countless people... He had a brilliant mind and a kind heart, and he was a role model for the country.
He is also a close friend of the current Jarvan III.
They've known each other since they were little.
His death not only caused grief among many Demacia, but also struck the elderly Jarvan III like a thunderbolt... How could the old king have imagined that his friend, a healer, would die on the front lines?
He died at the hands of a magician.
"It's truly a pity..." Chen Ce silently tightened the hood on his head and took out a map from the bag.
After several days of travel, he had arrived in Demacia.
Lunwall, a trading city north of the Gate of Mourning, is fairly prosperous.
Great City is still in the northwest... about a two- to three-day journey... not too far.
Chen Ce put away the map and continued on his way in silence.
He had already devised a rather vague overall plan.
The war between Demacia and Noxus has ended, but the internal turmoil in Demacia remains severe... especially after the death of Barrett Buvelle. To gain a foothold in this country, develop power, and obtain more [chests], one must start from the Great City.
The vast majority of Demacia's heroes are concentrated in the Great City.
Although the timeline has changed somewhat, most of it is either "earlier" or "later." Theoretically, the overall course of all major events remains unchanged, and my advantage lies in "predicting the future"...
This can be used to solve a lot of trouble for the [heroes], or "cause them trouble"... In short, it's about establishing a connection with them.
And the first step in all of this is...
"Make way, make way!"
Several richly dressed and imposing knights rode in from the other side of the street, and the crowd of people mourning in the street made way for them.
Their accents and attire didn't resemble those of locals in Lunwall; their unpleasant arrogance betrayed their origins in Great City.
A person can fake or change everything, but not their temperament.
These people had the kind of "demeanor" that city dwellers have when they come to a remote, impoverished area, displaying arrogance and disdain.
Chen Ce silently shrank further into the alley, even preparing to use [Deceive] to further conceal himself just in case.
The knights from the city walked straight to the center of the crowd, and the leader took out a parchment scroll from the box.
Then he read aloud:
"By His Majesty the King's decree, the hunt for mages will be intensified starting today! The people of Demacia are expected to cooperate! Anyone who conceals or harbors such mages will be punished the same as the mages!"
"From this day forward, the Lunwall Mageseeker Order will be fully taken over by the Great City Mageseeker Order!"
"Officials of all ranks must report to the Great City Mageseeker Order before carrying out any demon-searching missions!"
"We will never let any cunning and evil magician escape!"
"We will show absolutely no leniency!"
After he finished speaking, the crowd fell silent, their expressions showing only surprise.
The knights from Great City didn't care about anything else. After reading the announcement, they left immediately—now they had more than just a demon-hunting mission; they also received a warm welcome from local officials and nobles.
Fine wine, gold coins, and women... and so on.
Chen Ce watched all of this silently.
Demacia is a classic anti-magic nation, having maintained an anti-magic stance since its founding—after all, the country was built on Petricite.
To be more precise, this country was originally founded by a group of people who feared magic.
The history of Demacia can be traced back to the Rune Wars... At that time, Runeterra was in turmoil, and a group of refugees who had suffered persecution from runes and magic began to migrate to the New World, wanting to rebuild their homeland.
They were all pitiful people whose families were destroyed and whose wives and children were torn apart by magic. They hated magic and headed north... and so they came to what is now Demacia.
There was a man who discovered a magical stone here that could effectively suppress a magician's magic, rendering him unable to use spells. He was overjoyed.
Under the protection of this magical stone, the refugees quickly built their own "Shangri-La".
Outsiders are unable to use magic here, and the locals have advantageous terrain and decent physical defenses, so they have gradually developed their power.
The idyllic paradise gradually transformed into a country.
[Demacia]
It was led by the most prestigious family at the time Lightshield Family.
That is, the current royal family—the full name of the current king Jarvan III, is Jarvan III Lightshield.
However, in the last hundred years, the hatred and fear of magicians among Demacia has gradually subsided, and in some remote areas, magicians have even started to live normal lives—people know he is a magician, but as long as he doesn't commit any crimes, they won't ostracize him for no reason.
Under these circumstances, the power and prestige of the Mageseeker Order gradually diminished, and by the time of Jarvan III, it had become a "peripheral department."
But Chen Ce knew that the Mageseeker Order would soon become highly sought after again—some of the kingdom's high-ranking officials and astute individuals had probably already guessed it.
Jarvan III hasn't explicitly stated it yet, but strengthening the Mageseeker Order's power is a done deal.
Lunwall was the first city to pilot the program.
Before long, the Mageseeker Order will become the most powerful department in all of Demacia —even more powerful than the military.
So...
Chen Ce's overall first step was to Mageseeker Order.
It wasn't the Mageseeker Order that was targeted, but rather...
Join the Mageseeker Order.
Take advantage of the fact that the Mageseeker Order is still a peripheral department and easy to join.
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated..." Chen Ce walked out of the alley and embarked on his journey to Great City once again.
"Only then can I protect Sona..."