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A Few Days Later
The parliament session, originally scheduled to convene after the night of the break, was postponed due to Councillor Kiramman falling into a coma.
Fortunately, the counselor regained consciousness within two days. Although recovering from her injuries, she transferred her authority to her daughter, Caitlyn Kiramman.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we need to stay calm."
Seated on the bench, Mel Medarda rubbed her temples in frustration as the Councilors argued. Her expression was one of exhaustion and irritation.
Zaun's departure was never part of her plan. She feared that Jayce would struggle to handle such a volatile situation, but now that it had come to pass, the only thing left to do was solve the problem.
Piltover didn't have magic to defend itself; only Hextech could stand against Hextech. And for that, they had no choice but to rely on Jayce.
"Councilor Medarda, how can you ask us to remain calm?" a plump Councilor bellowed, slamming his fist onto the table. His face was red with indignation.
"The Hexgates are closed, my cargo is piling up by the day, and now the whole world is laughing at us!"
He vented his frustrations on Jayce, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction.
"Councilor Talis, this is negligence on your part! Your assistant harbored ill intentions all along, and yet you did nothing to stop him!"
Jayce looked down, his expression filled with guilt.
"Councilor, this is my fault, and I deeply regret it. If I'd agreed to Viktor's requests earlier, things might not have come to this point," he said with a bitter smile.
"This is not the time for blame," Caitlyn interrupted, her voice cutting through the clamor like a sharp blade.
Rising from her seat, she scanned the room with cold determination.
"What I want to know is whether Piltover still has the resolve to enforce justice."
Her piercing gaze swept over the room, forcing several of the senators to look away uncomfortably.
From her position behind Caitlyn, Vi raised an eyebrow in mild surprise but remained standing like a bodyguard, her arms crossed. Her sharp eyes glinted with disdain as she observed the bickering Councilors.
The silence was broken by a thin Salo muttering under his breath.
"That's a question for Councilor Talis and Professor Heimerdinger, isn't it?"
All eyes turned to Jayce and Heimerdinger, who sat at the head of the table, his small frame weighed down by the tension in the room.
Heimerdinger's face was lined with concern, while Jayce hesitated for a long moment before finally responding.
"If Viktor doesn't have access to Hextech gems, our chances of victory would be certain—100%," Jayce began, his tone grim.
"But if he does…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath.
"Our chances drop to... maybe 80%."
"And if he has sufficient resources and time to prepare?" Mel asked coolly, her voice devoid of emotion.
Jayce hesitated, then admitted, "In that case... our odds of success fall to less than fifty percent."
The weight of his words settled heavily on the room. Jayce slumped into his chair, his confidence visibly shaken.
The implications were clear: Viktor had surpassed him in the development of weaponized Hextech.
Zaun's overall strength was far inferior to Piltover's, but Viktor's brilliance had tipped the scales.
"Less than fifty percent?" scoffed the plump Councilor.
"You, the founder of Hextech, are being outmatched by him?"
"Viktor's methods are... far more radical than mine," Jayce admitted reluctantly.
"That's why I recommend we shut down the Hexgates until we have the upper hand. As long as goods are smuggled in through the gates, we're only giving Viktor more opportunities to gain an advantage."
"No! No! That's impossible! My business depends on those gates!" the plump Councilor protested, rising from his seat.
Mel silenced him with a raised hand. "If Councilor Talis can guarantee Piltover's safety, then I believe his proposal is worth considering," she said firmly.
"At least that would give us a fighting chance," Jayce said quietly, his tone laced with weariness.
Mel stood, her presence commanding the room.
"Then let's put it to a vote. I propose that Piltover enter a state of emergency, mobilize all war reserves, and shut down the Hexgates immediately. Professor Heimerdinger and Councilor Talis will oversee the development of weapons."
As she finished, a spotlight from above illuminated her—a tradition of the Piltover Council, symbolizing the beginning of a democratic vote.
"I agree," Caitlyn said decisively, raising her hand without hesitation.
Immediately afterward, Jayce and the Councilors raised their hands. The white voting light enveloped them both, signaling their agreement.
In an instant, the number of support votes climbed to four. However, two male and one female voted against the proposal.
Mel, who should have been pleased by the majority vote, instead frowned. Her sharp eyes settled on the three dissenting members—individuals she had considered her supporters.
The Medarda family was set to shoulder the financial burden of shutting down the Hexgate, so why would these members oppose her?
As the room fell into tense silence, with all eyes on Heimerdinger's visibly conflicted face, the doors to the council chamber were flung open with a resounding bang.
"I personally object, everyone," came a calm yet commanding voice.
The intruder was Ryan, clad in a pure white robe, followed by Katarina and Viktor, the latter adjusting a gleaming monocle on his eye.
"Your Excellency Meredith," Mel said politely, masking her irritation.
"This is Piltover's Council hall."
Ryan surveyed the chamber with calm but piercing eyes. From his robes, he pulled out a roll of parchment and tossed it onto the table in front of a Medardas adorned in mechanical augmentations. The sound of it landing seemed to echo across the room.
Vi leaned toward Caitlyn, whispering, "Who's this guy? He's got everyone shutting up like scared little kids."
Caitlyn whispered back, "He's a Noxian—some mage. My mother scolded me for even mentioning him once. She said if we ever crossed him, all of Piltover might pay the price."
"Heh," Vi chuckled darkly.
"Sounds like fun. Maybe I'll drag him into Zaun to deal with Silco and Viktor. Think he'll help me wipe them out?"
She smirked, mockingly drawing her thumb across her neck.
Caitlyn shot her an annoyed look.
"You'd get yourself killed first."
Vi laughed, unbothered. "Oh, come on, Cupcake. Mages are all soft, right? One good punch, and they're down for the count."
As the two exchanged whispers, the Councillor finished reading the parchment. He passed it to a blond colleague, then lowered his head respectfully.
"I agree with Lord Meredith's proposal to reopen the Hexgate," the mechanical Councillor declared.
"Why?" Mel stood abruptly, her voice sharp and demanding as her gaze locked onto the scroll.
The other dissenting members echoed similar support for reopening the gates.
The parchment was passed quickly through the room until it reached Mel. Narrowing her eyes, she began to read:
[Noxian Imperial Edict]
[Piltover has three choices:]
[Maintain the status quo. As long as Noxus's military supply lines and resource routes are secured, the Empire will not interfere in Piltover's internal conflicts.
If Piltover denies the Empire resources or closes the Hexgates, the Noxian army will be deployed to Piltover.
Submit to Noxus. Surrender ultimate authority to Ryan Meredith. Piltover will be annexed as part of the Empire, and Zaun will be eradicated.]
[—Signed Emperor Boram Darkwill]
[Seal of the Noxian Empire]
Mel's hands trembled slightly as she held the scroll. It wasn't just a notice. It was a thinly veiled ultimatum—a threat of invasion or annexation if Noxus's demands were not met.
"Impossible!" Jayce shot up from his chair, his face red with indignation.
"Piltover operates independently, free of external interference! We don't need Noxus to dictate terms to us!"
"Mr. Talis," Ryan said smoothly, not bothering to lift his gaze as he idly turned a ring on his finger.
"This isn't a negotiation. If the Empire's forces weren't already spread thin fighting wars on four fronts, Piltover would already belong to us."
Jayce opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, faltering under Ryan's calm yet overwhelming presence.
Mel sighed, visibly deflated. "Councilor Talis," she began, her voice tinged with frustration,
"I think we can all agree that option one is... favorable. Zaun is a problem we cannot handle alone. If Noxus is willing to provide assistance, we should accept."
Her words carried the tone of reluctant resignation. She despised the thought of Noxus meddling in Piltover's affairs, but the stark reality left her with little choice.
If the Empire's aid could neutralize Zaun, then perhaps it was worth the cost.
"Aid?" Ryan repeated, raising an eyebrow and smiling faintly. His expression carried a mix of amusement and disdain.
"I wonder... if I brought you one of your own council members, would that suffice?"