A Person in the League, But It's the Taiwan Server System

A laborer who can be bought with just a little Corrupting Potion every day is fine to keep around; in fact, it saves quite a bit of trouble.

Besides... Ahri is actually quite helpful at times—just like when she stopped the duel between Yasuo and Yone.

A fox support is not bad at all.

Furthermore... when the time comes to go to Fae'lor Island, I might really need her help.

Her ability to steal memories from others might be of use to that person...

"Then let's go. I'll take you to see someone very powerful."

"Syndra."

Chapter 40: Double Agent Samira

Inside a luxuriously decorated tent, Warband Commander Emystan watched the battle supervisor who had come to report, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk once more.

A faint, elusive smile played on her elegant face. She rested her cheek against one hand, an expensive coat draped casually over her shoulders; despite being over thirty, she could not hide the aristocratic aura of a woman of her standing.

Classic Noxian noble behavior.

In contrast, the battle supervisor reporting the situation was covered in mud and in a wretched state, his armor even showing signs of damage.

He knelt on one knee, trembling, his lowered head hiding the look of terror in his eyes. He didn't even have the courage to look up and meet her gaze.

Simply because he had lost the battle.

And that was enough for his superior to strip him of his rank and take half his life.

Even someone as glorious as Jericho Swain had been completely stripped of power after a single defeat, becoming the laughingstock of the empire—a cripple forever confined to a wheelchair, a loser.

In Noxus, strength is everything, and military merit is the best proof of that strength.

Only those with power are respected; those without it are worth less than rats in the sewer.

"You lost the battle." Finally, after several minutes of silence, Emystan spoke: "A total defeat, wasn't it?"

"...Yes." The supervisor squeezed out the word with difficulty.

"You failed to kill Yasuo, didn't you?"

"Yes..."

"Hmm... that was within my expectations. But... you couldn't even kill that Resistance Army member named Chen Ce, could you?"

"Yes..."

"And yet, I had already diverted all available forces in the vicinity to you... Hundreds of Noxian soldiers, and you couldn't even kill a few people?"

"I am terribly sorry, Commander..."

"It's fine, I won't blame you." Emystan chuckled, her tone incredibly gentle.

Her slender fingers continued to tap the desk, creating a rhythmic sound until her fingertips began to ache.

She smiled again, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes making her look almost kind. "You may go now. Everything else will proceed according to the original plan—oh, right, how many jars are left?"

"Three wagons," the supervisor replied immediately. "The Placidium Plains are flat and low-lying, and the wind is sufficient. Three wagons of jars are enough to cover the main camp of the Resistance Army there."

"Excellent." Emystan nodded with satisfaction. "Then take those soldiers who lost the battle and go—this is your chance to make amends for your failures."

"Yes, Commander!" The supervisor, having received no punishment, left the tent filled with gratitude and high spirits.

He swore to himself that he would perform well in the upcoming mission to make up for his previous defeat and repay the Commander's trust.

But what he didn't know was that the moment he left, the Commander he was so grateful to—Emystan—wore a cruel smile.

"Since someone has to be sacrificed, I might as well use the most useless trash as bait to lure away the Windswordsman and let them perish with the Resistance Army. Heh..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, in the capital of Noxus.

A woman hidden entirely beneath a coat, wearing an eyepatch over her right eye, quietly infiltrated a luxurious estate.

Her movements were swift and agile; she made almost no sound whether scaling walls or running. A pair of black-and-white revolvers were holstered on the multi-functional belt at her waist, looking all the more terrifying against the backdrop of the overcast day.

The guards patrolling the estate failed to notice her, and the doors that required keys were easily picked.

Within half an hour, she had perfectly infiltrated the deepest part of the estate—a luxurious study of nearly a hundred square meters, the kind only a Noxian noble would possess.

The moment the door was locked from the inside, the man sitting at the desk showed a look of mixed surprise and terror.

But soon, he calmed down—the "assassin" before him slowly removed her hood, revealing her beautiful face.

"Samira? Why are you here?" The noble man stood up with concern, though his tone betrayed a hint of displeasure—at her trespassing into his study.

Well, although this wasn't the first time.

Except for the Immortal Bastion at the heart of Noxus, Samira never announced herself when entering anywhere.

She had the ability, and she enjoyed using it—she called it "infiltration training"—even if she sometimes angered powerful people and lost out on high-level contracts because of it.

"I'm back from Ionia." Samira walked forward slowly and sat casually in another chair in front of the desk. "Honestly, this 'Ionian trip' was the most dangerous one I've had in years."

"After all, it is a war." Seeing her lack of respect, a flash of anger crossed the noble's eyes, but he said nothing.

"By the way, it's worth mentioning that I failed to complete the contract."

"You failed? You didn't kill the target?"

"Hmm. He is too strong."

"This is truly surprising to me..." The noble man wore a look of astonishment. "I never expected that, aside from the members of the Crimson Elite, there would be someone in this world capable of escaping your pursuit."

"Heh." Samira let out a strange laugh, then stuffed a pastry the man had left on the table directly into her mouth—these delicacies reserved for nobles were quite precious.

A moment later, she asked in a tone laced with a smile, "Do you know? Someone wants my life now."

"Who? The target of that commission?"

"No, not a specific person, but... many people."

"Then I can understand—you haven't exactly been short on making enemies over the years."

"But the people who want me dead this time... are right here in Noxus."

"Hm?"

Just as the noble man was about to ask, a sharp dagger was already pressed against his throat.

"You, what are you doing...!?"

"What am I doing? Isn't it obvious?" Samira shrugged, her slender fingers pushing forward slowly, and a smear of blood immediately began to flow from the broken skin.

The noble man clamped his mouth shut instantly, and the hand that had been reaching to trigger the alarm froze on the table.

"At this point, what is the point of continuing to play dumb?" Samira smiled. "There are people in Noxus who want my life. Many of them."

"This has nothing to do with me..." The noble man could barely stand.

"But you are informed. My mission failed, and I returned to Noxus alive. The people at the top want to seal my lips, don't they?"

"I... I don't know..."

"Emystan. Did she issue a secret arrest warrant for me?"

"I really don't know..."

"You don't know, alright, alright..." Samira twisted her wrist, and the sharp blade instantly sliced across half of the noble man's face, sending blood spraying out.

Before he could let out a howl of agony, she stomped her foot onto his mouth.

"I suggest you start saying whatever you know from now on, you damn pig!"

"Mmph..." The noble man let out bursts of painful whimpers, but quickly stifled them under the threat of the blade.

"Now, tell me, who was the one who told you to transfer that commission to me?" Samira asked as she moved her boot away.

"I, I really don't know..." The noble man was practically weeping blood and tears. "I just received a secret letter... sent by Emystan... I really don't know the specifics!"

"Emystan, heh... we'll get to the torture instruments later. For now, tell me what other tasks Emystan gave you?"

"No, there's nothing else..."

"Oh?" Samira drew another dagger from her waist and threw it toward the man's right hand.

Snap—! Two fingers were severed instantly.

"Mmph...! Mmph...!" The agonizing wail was blocked once again.

A moment later, Samira asked again, "Two fingers at a time; you have four more chances."

"It's... alchemy... alchemy weapons...!" The pampered second-generation noble could not withstand such pain and immediately caved. "She had me transport a batch of alchemy weapons! But I wasn't to send them from the already occupied Fae'lor Island; I had to send them through the southern strait!"

"The southern strait, huh..." Samira silently noted this key piece of information, then walked to the window and drew the curtains.

The moment darkness descended, she revealed a cruel smile.

"You are a smart pig, that's good. Now, let's chat a little more..."

Chapter 41: Ahri's Background

Ever since parting ways with Irelia and the Resistance Army, Chen Ce had taken Ahri and headed south for three full days.

After traveling for three days and three nights, it wasn't until the evening of the fourth day that he finally found a town where people still lived.

The further south they went, the closer they got to the coast, and the more obvious the traces of the Noxian invasion became. Many villages and towns had been looted clean, becoming "ghost towns," and some had even been burned to ruins... finding a town that still had inhabitants was no easy task.

This two-and-a-half-year war had caused too much damage to this land, forcing countless people to become displaced and leave their homes.

The town Chen Ce found was not particularly remote; it could be considered to have mountains and water, with pleasant scenery. Compared to others, it likely had mineral resources or food supplies, so it was a miracle it hadn't been looted by the Noxian legions.

It was almost as if... someone was protecting this town.

Of course, none of this was Chen Ce's concern—he was just a passerby, stopping for the night only to rest his feet and purchase some supplies.

As soon as they entered the inn, Ahri rushed into the bathroom to bathe—although "canines" were not as obsessed with cleanliness as felines, going several days without a bath still made her feel very uncomfortable.

She was, after all, a fox girl who loved to be clean.

As for why she didn't just make do with a river or stream like Chen Ce earlier... let's just say she was still a bit afraid of Chen Ce—based on the "perverted" acts he had performed on Samira earlier.

They were only boss and employee; she didn't dare to take off her clothes to bathe in front of Chen Ce while they were alone.

What if... what if...

What if Chen Ce gave in to his animal instincts...

And stole her clothes to sell them? That would be truly terrifying.

"Clothes... This Concubine had better take them into the bathroom." Before entering, Ahri cast a wary glance at Chen Ce. "Do not even think about laying a hand on This Concubine's clothes. This is the only set I have!"

"...Sometimes I really doubt whether you are actually a Nine-Tailed Fox." Chen Ce felt a bit helpless. "Instead of worrying about your clothes being stolen, shouldn't you be more concerned about what I might do to you?"

"Do what?"

"Strange things... or something like that."

"Strange things? What does that mean?" Ahri's look of pure innocence made it hard to believe she was a fox spirit.

What a naive little vixen...

"Forget it, it's nothing." Chen Ce shook his head. "Go ahead and wash up. I'm going out to pick up some supplies."

"Mm-hmm!" Ahri closed the bathroom door, but the silhouette projected onto the door revealed her undressing—that graceful figure was truly seductive.

Curvaceous and shapely... one could even make out the two little monuments atop the peaks from the shadow. Her nine fox tails were tucked obediently to the side, not obscuring that beautiful body, but instead outlining a unique, alluring charm...

Chen Ce dared not look any longer; he grabbed the cloth bag containing his coins and left the room.

By then, the sun had set and the town market had become deserted, so he had to find the innkeeper to try and purchase some dry rations.

The innkeeper was a middle-aged Vastaya man with a rather honest disposition. He quickly brought out half a crate of rations from the storeroom—there was dried meat and local specialty biscuits, all high-energy, easy-to-preserve, and long-lasting foods.

"Six silver coins for all of this, how about it?" The price the innkeeper quoted was quite fair.

Chen Ce did not haggle and readily bought the half-crate of rations.

Ahri didn't really eat such normal food, so this would be enough to last him alone for over half a month.

With the food issue resolved, he asked casually, "This little town seems quite peaceful... have the Noxians never been here?"

"Of course they have." The innkeeper said, pointing upward to indicate the floor above. "We even have a Noxian staying right here."