Chapter 237
Because...
Demacia is many times larger than Delverhold!
Based on the information provided in the letter, Darius rushed to the other side of the Immortal Bastion —a spacious but dimly lit room.
The entrance was heavily guarded, and inside there were countless magical barriers set up by Black Mage. Even the windows were watched closely by sentries from the watchtowers opposite... This room was a thousand times more secure than Noxus's most secure prison.
It's because the people "imprisoned" inside are terrifying.
It wasn't his physical strength that was terrifying... his fragile body was utterly powerless, but his mind and seductive will made the Trifarix Council uneasy—even now, the Assassin Guild and the Black Rose dared not relax their surveillance of him in the slightest.
"General!"
The guards at the gate immediately gave Darius a respectful military salute.
"Hmm," Darius replied perfunctorily, then pushed open the door with a slightly hurried air.
The sunlight streaming into the dimly lit room brought the feeling of emptiness and silence to its peak.
Darius stopped by the door, the only sound reaching his ears being the scratching of a pen on paper.
Using the dim light, he looked at the only piece of "furniture" in the entire room—a large enough black desk.
A gray-haired man was writing furiously there.
His brows furrowed slightly, his eyes sharp, he would pause occasionally to sigh softly, and at other times write rapidly with an excited expression.
He didn't even notice that someone had arrived.
He seems to be completely absorbed in his own world.
Darius looked at the man and couldn't help but marvel at how much faster he had aged than others—the last time he saw him was only a month ago, when only the tips and sideburns of his hair were white, but now... it was almost completely white.
Without the support of that evil and powerful force, this once invincible man was nothing more than a cripple with one foot in the grave.
Of course, this only refers to his body.
His mind remained frighteningly sharp.
"Stop what you're doing for a moment." Darius walked up, his weathered face gradually becoming clearer in the candlelight. "You've provided enough policy suggestions lately; Noxus can't even keep up with the implementation—local officials haven't even had time to thoroughly study your documents."
The man at the desk did not respond.
Darius continued to approach.
Then he pressed down on the pen in the other person's hand with his strong hand.
Finally, the old man with gray hair raised his head—for a moment, his eyes revealed a deep confusion, as if he had just woken from a dream.
He seemed... not yet recovered from what happened that night.
Perhaps, even as he wrote furiously, he still felt as if he were sitting on the throne of Noxus?
"The Trifarix Council has a more important task for you." Darius placed the raven-written letter on the table.
The scarlet handwriting made the man's eyes widen.
He seemed to suddenly perk up, and despite the excruciating pain in his knees, he insisted on getting up.
This process was quite difficult... Not only was one of his legs disabled, but he also lost an arm—he could hardly even perform a simple action like getting up by supporting himself on a table.
Even so, Darius would not underestimate him in the slightest—even though he could kill him a hundred times over with a mere wave of his hand.
"Go and fulfill your unfinished ambition. This is the will of the Trifarix Council."
Darius rarely showed a smile—a smile that contained cruelty, but also appreciation and anticipation.
"From now on, the Trifarix Legion will be under your full control. You only need to convey the details and reports of each operation to the Trifarix Council."
"Furthermore, you have the authority to act first and report later, and the Empire's most prized dragon lizard riders are at your disposal."
"You have only one goal— Demacia."
Darius paused briefly, then his smile widened.
"Don't disappoint Mr. Chen Ce."
Crush them, Swain!
"You, come here."
The command rang out in the hall, and many clansmen showed expressions of dissatisfaction.
This is the headquarters of the Freljord Alliance! How dare she, an outsider, speak in such a tone?
Or is it the commanding Ashe?!
The crowd glared at them angrily.
But Ashe patiently walked down the steps and stood before the "uninvited guest."
But she wasn't afraid; it was out of respect—the utmost respect.
If the other party persists in such rudeness, treating the Freljord Alliance as a child's plaything to be ordered around, then she will definitely draw her Frost Crystal Longbow.
"What is it, Lissandra?"
Ashe's tone was also somewhat cold.
Lissandra, the Lissandra, remained unfazed and continued in that commanding tone:
"I need your help."
"Is this how you ask for help?" Ashe narrowed her eyes.
Sejuani slowly approached.
Seeing this, Lissandra revealed a disdainful smile. "What if... it's about Chen Ce?"
"Um?"
The moment that familiar name was mentioned, Ashe and Sejuani instantly dropped their aggression.
The elders in the hall immediately became more amiable—if it was about Mr. Chen Ce, they would no longer be angry with Lissandra.
Mr. Chen Ce's matter is a matter for the entire Freljord Alliance.
No... it's a matter for the entire Freljord!
"What do you want me to do for you?" Ashe's tone gradually calmed down.
"I need you to help me see what Chen Ce said." Lissandra's tone became a little strange.
"Um?"
"No need to doubt, that's all."
"You need help with something so small...?"
Ashe was speechless.
Until...
She saw Lissandra stiffly pull a letter from her bosom.
The proud Lissandra revealed a complex expression, and her tone carried a strange feeling...
It's like...
Wronged...?
"I can't see..."
The powerful Lissandra can sense all forms through magic and construct identical images in her mind, but words written on paper...
Isn't this bullying?
"Ah?"
Irelia let out an incredulous sound.
"What? What?" Karma, who was meditating nearby, poked her head over.
"Ah?"
Now there are two incredible voices.
"What are you looking at? I want to see too!" The fluffy fox tail was lifted, and the beast-eared girl Ahri also came over.
"Oh--! I don't understand..."
And there was the sound of Zhang Yu.
"Chen Ce is playing this big?" Irelia stared at the crooked, small handwriting on the letter, momentarily speechless. "He recently... ah?"
"I don't understand either..." Even someone as intelligent as Karma couldn't figure it out.
"What are you talking about?" Zhang Yu Ahri simply covered his head with his fox tail again.
Irelia remained silent for a long while.
Then he sighed softly, "That guy is really something... does he have us completely under his control?"
"I guess so..." Karma nodded in agreement. "Knowing that Ionia values peace, he invited only a small group of people to help in his personal capacity..."
"And the ones we've invited are all powerhouses capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly..." Irelia said with a hint of helplessness.
"So what do you think about this...?"
"How could I possibly refuse Chen Ce?"
"Hmm... alright, it's up to you," Karma said. "But I still trust Mr. Chen Ce more."
"I also trust him," Irelia shrugged. "I believe he wouldn't do something so inhumane... He must have his own plans, and all we can do is trust him."
"Hmm." Karma nodded again, while secretly observing Irelia's expression.
As expected...
She started to get angry...
Because...
Her name wasn't on the list...
"Is this my name?" Zhang Yu Ahri stared at it for a long time before finally figuring something out.
"It's not yours, you've mistaken me for someone else," Irelia said coldly.
But this couldn't fool Ahri, who was adept at understanding human nature—she shouted loudly, "You're trying to deceive me! My darling clearly wants to find me!"
Irelia's face darkened further.
Karma took the letter and slipped out of the meditation room.
"Lee Sin, Udyr, Sett, Yasuo, Yone... and those swordsmen and Underground Fighting Pit... okay."
Demacia bathed in sunshine.
But the dungeon remained dark and gloomy.
A prisoner at the very bottom of the "Black Mage Prison" stood up.
He gripped the sturdy iron gate with one hand and a white stone with the other.
At that moment, he understood many things... He knew very well that he had been manipulated by that damned Mageseekers.
But he had no other choice.
If you don't leave, you'll be beheaded.
Even if we're used as pawns, there's still a glimmer of hope...
He has already deciphered the Petricite.
A continuous stream of power emanated from the Petricite in his palm, spreading along his arm and throughout his entire body.
The next moment...
Boom--!
A powerful burst of magical energy erupted, and the seemingly indestructible cage shattered with a deafening roar.