27 - Hunting Partners, Not Friends

Lester declined Mel's offer to help.

He even chose not to use any transportation tools, instead having the soldiers carry the goods on foot to Zaun.

It wasn't that he deliberately wanted to make the soldiers suffer; rather, he wanted to parade openly through Piltover to observe the reactions of its citizens. This would help him make his own judgment.

Thus, Noxus' elite soldiers, in pairs, carried goods to Zaun. Their boots struck the pavement in perfect rhythm, the sound echoing off the tall buildings.

"These streets are too clean," one soldier muttered to his partner. "Makes my boots feel dirty just walking here."

"Clean streets, weak spirits," his companion replied with a sneer. "The General's right about this place."

Along the way, Lester carefully observed Piltover's citizens and found that this city truly lacked spirit.

Everyone he encountered on the road avoided direct eye contact with him, unwilling to meet the gaze of Noxus' army.

Even the enforcers responsible for maintaining order in the city averted their eyes when they saw the iconic black-and-red armor of Noxus.

Not a single person stopped them for questioning. They simply allowed Lester's well-equipped elite team to march straight through the city without resistance.

The display of cowardice was almost disappointing.

Although his team only had a hundred men, by his estimation, they could easily defeat hundreds of enforcers.

Including himself, that number could double. The thought wasn't a boast—it was a cold calculation based on what he'd seen.

If he were truly inclined to act, the chances of capturing Piltover at that moment were not low. The city's defenses seemed to rely more on reputation than actual strength.

"Plump lambs, but sadly raised by a vicious wolf," Lester muttered, shaking his head. His admiration for the Iron Wolf grew once again.

In Noxus, the strong were supreme. To him, Piltover's evaluation had already sunk below zero.

The city's wealth couldn't mask its weakness.

Even with advanced weaponry, they were merely lambs with fangs, still a delicious meal for wolves and utterly vulnerable. At the end of the day, all their technological advancement meant nothing without the will to fight.

Piltover was just a spineless lamb, but what about Zaun?

Lester was very curious about this city that had garnered so much attention from his superiors. The Progress Bridge loomed ahead, marking more than just a physical boundary—it was where gold-plated fear met steel-forged resolve.

Crossing the checkpoint set up by enforcers at the Bridge of Progress, he finally encountered the gaze he had been looking for on the other side.

Fierce, ruthless, and untamed. The eyes that met his didn't even waver for a second.

Lester liked such eyes—they were the eyes of a wolf. Finally, someone worthy of Noxian respect.

The owner of such a gaze would be recognized by the Empire.

And the gaze came from a woman—a strong, dark-skinned woman. She stood with the confidence of someone who had earned her position through strength rather than politics.

Zaun's Second Deputy Mayor, Sevika.

Lester had read her file; she was a warrior with conviction.

"I like your eyes," he called out. "What's your name? I'm Lester of Noxus, responsible for business activities with Zaun."

He extended his hand, offering goodwill. In her stance, he recognized a kindred spirit—someone who understood that respect had to be earned through strength.

Noxus valued only capability, disregarding everything else. The woman's fierce, wolf-like eyes earned his respect immediately.

"Sevika, Deputy Mayor of Zaun and Director of the Police and Military Bureau," she replied, with a cigarette hanging from her lips, looking rather nonchalant. Smoke curled around her words as she spoke. "The Mayor sent me to meet you."

Her lack of courtesy wasn't deliberate—Cipher had instructed her explicitly.

She exhaled a smoke ring through her nose, puzzled by Lester's enthusiasm and what he might be planning.

Nevertheless, she shook hands with him. Her grip was firm, matching his strength.

Cipher had told her that this group of Noxians might help Zaun get through its toughest period. She wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

Sevika wasn't one to play mind games—politics wasn't her forte, but she knew how to listen. And more importantly, she knew how to show strength without starting a fight.

"The people of Piltover look at us with fear in their eyes, but you dare to stare at us with the gaze of wolves. I'm not surprised that someone like you in Zaun's leadership has such courage. But why does even your subordinates dare to do the same?"

Lester was curious. Her people's defiance didn't match their supposed position.

In his view, if Zaun was being suppressed by Piltover, it meant their strength was far inferior. Yet here they stood, unafraid.

The powerful Piltover citizens didn't dare to face Noxus, yet the weaker Zaunites did. Their courage seemed to defy logic.

From what he observed, these Zaunites not only dared to stare, but they also dared to take action.

This was interesting—weren't they afraid of death? Or was there something more?

"Piltover folks grow up with milk and bread. They wear shoes, think about how to enjoy life, and of course, they fear you—because if they die, there's nothing left to enjoy," Sevika sneered, tapping ash from her cigarette.

"And us..."

She let out a cold snort. "We have to fight with knives just for a bite of food. So, tell me, why wouldn't we dare?"

"Here, if you're not ruthless enough, if you're not united enough, you won't survive."

Some of what Sevika said about Piltover came from Silco and Cipher, though her understanding wasn't as deep.

But she knew Zaun very well. Even back when the Chem-Barons fought among themselves, not a single Baron's enforcer would flee a battle unless their leader was already dead.

If they won, everyone's lives would improve slightly; if they lost, they'd all die together.

Zaun's harsh living conditions, ironically, brought people together. And hardship had forged them into something stronger than mere survival.

"Oh, but as I understand it, you've earned significant wealth through trade with us Noxians," Lester remarked. "Trade has made you prosperous. Doesn't prosperity breed weakness?"

"Prosperity?" Sevika scoffed. "We turned your coins into weapons, your trade into armor. Ask Piltover if we've grown weak."

"By that logic, we should be your friends. Do you treat your friends like wolves?" Lester smiled.

Sevika's answer had given him part of the perfect solution to his thoughts. This city understands power better than their wealthy neighbors ever could.

The contrasting survival environments of the both cities had led to completely different survival philosophies among their people.

His mentor was likely interested in this very situation and had deliberately sent him here to observe firsthand.

"Friends? Noxus doesn't have friends. Wolves only ally with other wolves. You're wolves, and so are we," Sevika said matter-of-factly. "And don't forget, wolves don't need friends. They need hunting partners."

"And what prey does Zaun hunt?"

"Whatever threatens our freedom."

Before coming, Cipher had explained to her the abstract concept of Noxus' "might-makes-right" philosophy.

When dealing with Noxians, one must never show even the slightest weakness.

It was crucial to make them understand that war wouldn't bring them what they wanted. Otherwise, these madmen would inevitably send troops to try and conquer through force.

To Noxus, lambs were merely food. Only fierce wolves had the potential to become Noxus' allies.

The idea of "friends" didn't exist in Noxian diplomacy.

Their diplomacy was either sending "war masons" to prepare for conquest or assassins for a friendly "greeting." Take Talon, the Blade's Shadow, as an example—he was considered one of Noxus' most infamous "diplomats."

"Interesting. I can't wait to meet your Mayor," Lester said, now intrigued by Cipher, who had unified Zaun and clearly understood Noxus very well.

That also meant he likely knew Lester's teacher very well too.

After all, the more someone understood Noxus, the less inclined they would be to engage in deep cooperation with it.

The reason was simple: among Noxus' ruling class, there weren't many farsighted individuals who genuinely respected others.

The new nobles were better, but the old aristocratic families were mostly greedy, short-sighted, and ignorant.

They would often send capable, rising officers to die on the battlefield for ridiculous reasons—usually out of fear that those officers would replace members of their own house.

Unlike his teacher, they would never provide equal opportunities for cooperation, let alone invest in or cultivate talent.

"Let's go. The Mayor has been waiting for you for a long time," Sevika said, motioning for her enforcers to help carry the goods.

Lester didn't refuse. From Sevika and the Zaunites, he saw Zaun's attitude—one that resonated deeply with Noxian values.

It was very Noxian. Very much to his taste.

If he had to choose a partner for Noxus, he would only choose Zaun, a city that was weak but fierce like wolves.

Piltover, despite its strength, was nothing more than soft lambs.

Young wolves could quickly grow into fierce predators through battle, but lambs would always remain prey.

This was a truth he had learned back when he was a slave.

Some chose to stay lambs. Others chose to become wolves. The choice makes all the difference.

And he chose to become a wolf, which caught Swain's attention and earned him a place among Noxus' new military nobility.