37 - Eating Like Kings, Planning Like Warriors
Lester sat down next to Cipher, turning the row of four into five. He even mimicked Cipher's way of devouring the food without restraint.
"Come on, man. You're a Noxian general. How can you imitate the eating habits of a gutter rat like me?" Cipher looked up at Lester, slightly bewildered, trying to figure out what this guy was up to.
Lester's behavior left the rest of the Zaunite group equally surprised. The sight of a Noxian general eating like a common soldier was something none of them had expected to see at this fancy gathering.
Among the group, only Sevika didn't care about appearances. Like Cipher, she ate as if starving, feeding her anger with her appetite. Her plate was already half empty, while others had barely started.
On the other hand, Vander and Silco had always paid attention to dining etiquette. Especially latter, whose style had always been one of elegance.
"What's so strange? Back when I was a cannon-fodder slave in Noxus, I didn't hesitate to fight for food," Lester said with a mouthful of roasted venison, chewing and speaking in muffled tones. Grease dripped down his chin, but he made no move to wipe it away.
"Noxian rules are simple. We only respect strength and truth." He took another large bite.
"In my eyes, these Piltovan nobles are just like the old aristocrats of Noxus—obsessed with indulgence and pleasure, having forgotten the fundamental rule of survival."
"Just as Zaun is destined to replace Piltover, we new nobles are destined, under my mentor's leadership, to overthrow the decaying and incompetent old aristocracy."
Lester spoke openly about Noxian politics without a hint of reservation.
Cipher suddenly understood the purpose behind his eccentric behavior. It was likely that Swain had given him some instructions, and this guy was here to show goodwill and pledge allegiance.
Right then, the lights dimmed, and several spotlights shone on a corner of the hall.
Mel and the other Piltover councilors made their grand entrance, walking into the banquet under the bright lights.
Cipher noticed that Jayce and Viktor accompanied the councilors but stayed at the back of the group. Viktor leaned heavily on his cane, his face half-hidden in shadow.
It seemed that the Hexgate project had made substantial progress.
This banquet was probably meant to promote the Hexgate and discuss how to divide the resulting benefits.
"Excuse me for a moment. My mentor is very interested in Piltover's newly developed Hexgate," Lester said, wiping his mouth with a white napkin. He clinked glasses with Cipher one last time, downed his drink, and got up to find Mel.
"A cannon-fodder slave rising to the rank of general—there's no denying Noxus' strength," Silco remarked, watching Lester's figure disappear into the distance.
Noxus even gave opportunities to slaves, while Piltover showed no mercy to Zaun, which should be considered part of the same city, treating it as nothing more than a source to drain.
"If the Upper City had given us a chance, we wouldn't have needed to storm the bridge," Vander said, his tone heavy with emotion.
Back when the people of the undercity were being crushed, they had no choice but to fight for their survival and rights by storming the bridge.
If Piltover had extended an olive branch back then, the both cities wouldn't be in such a state now.
"Hmph. Counting on the Upper City back then was pointless, and it's still pointless now. We'll have to take what we want ourselves, and if they resist, we'll fight!" Sevika said, finishing a glass of strong liquor.
Attending this banquet had only strengthened her resolve. There was no point negotiating with the Upper City. Only when they were beaten down would they listen to reason.
"War means death—lots of death. Zaun is already improving. We don't need to concern ourselves with the Upper City. Let's just live our own lives," Vander argued. He was still against war, believing it was possible to close the doors and live peacefully in Zaun.
What he failed to realize was that Piltover's wealth and prosperity heavily relied on draining resources from Zaun.
The bright lights above them were powered by Zaun's suffering.
For now, the presence of Lester's Noxian army kept Piltover in check. But what about after he left?
The conflict between the both cities would eventually come to a head.
"Vander! Can't you see it yet? Think about what they call us—gutter rats, criminals. These Piltovans don't even see us as human!" Sevika said, her anger flaring. She couldn't understand his soft stance.
Zaun was no longer the same as before. She had personally witnessed the power of assault rifles like the Flatline and explosive rounds.
The current Zaun had the strength to go to war with Piltover—and the odds weren't bad! The Piltovans clearly didn't regard the Zaunites as equals, so why bother being polite?
If you want something, take it. If they refuse, make them pay until they yield.
"Enough. We're all on the same side. Let's not hurt our harmony over this," Silco interrupted, stopping Sevika from continuing.
He had also come to understand that the big decisions should be left to people like Cipher, who could see the bigger picture and make the right calls.
The rest of them should just focus on their own responsibilities and avoid causing unnecessary chaos in the realm of political strategy.
"Cipher, that Hexgate Lester mentioned—wasn't it developed from the Hextech research you invested in through Zaun University?" Silco asked.
Compared to Zaun's internal political debates, which he felt were none of his business, Silco was far more intrigued by the Hexgate, given Lester's evident interest in it.
If a high-ranking Noxian general was taking it so seriously, it likely had the potential to significantly impact the balance of power between Zaun and Piltover.
Silco hadn't forgotten what Cipher had said before—that Hextech could control magic.
"Yeah, the Hexgate uses Hextech to enable teleportation magic, allowing people and goods to be instantly transported across thousands of miles," Cipher replied with a shrug. He picked at his food, suddenly less interested in eating.
In the original story, despite possessing a large amount of Shimmer, Silco never dared to recklessly wage war against Piltover because of Hextech.
It was deeply ironic.
Silco believed that Zaun's future required him to rise to power by stepping over his good brother. Yet, when he finally rose, he realized it was too late—Piltover, empowered by Hextech, had left Zaun far behind.
Vander had been right all along: launching a war was nothing but a death sentence.
"Teleportation magic spanning thousands of miles? This will leave us trailing far behind Piltover," Silco muttered grimly as he realized the potential. His fingers tightened around his wine glass.
This Hexgate would make Piltover the center of global trade, allowing them to amass unimaginable wealth just from collecting transit fees. Meanwhile, Zaun would gain nothing and might even be isolated, unable to benefit from the Hexgate at all.
"This won't do. We need to immediately organize the enforcers and launch a full-scale war against Piltover. Either we take the Hexgate for ourselves or we destroy it!"
"If we let them spread the Hexgate across the world, Zaun will never catch up to Piltover," Silco said, standing up abruptly.
"Uncle Silco, calm down. I have a decent relationship with Jayce and Viktor. We even hold a share in Hextech. The wealth generated by the Hexgate will also benefit us, and Piltover can't stop us from using it."
Cipher couldn't help but laugh as he recalled how he initially planned to steal scraps of Hextech crystals and research data from Jayce's lab. But instead of needing to steal, Jayce willingly handed over everything.
"Are you sure? If you're wrong about this, then we'll…" Silco trailed off, trusting Cipher to understand the consequences of a misstep.
"Of course, I'm sure. Last time I secured massive investments, Jayce gave me a glowing endorsement—his personal recommendation letter, no less," Cipher said, gnawing on a large drumstick, pointing toward the distant figure of Jayce.
In the distance, Jayce looked overwhelmed, clearly unaccustomed to being surrounded by a crowd of powerful and influential figures vying for his attention. He smiled and nodded mechanically, his eyes darting between faces.
Meanwhile, Viktor stood alone in the shadows behind Jayce, leaning on his cane in quiet solitude. Not a single person of importance paid him any attention. The contrast between the two partners couldn't have been greater.
Though both Jayce and Viktor were co-developers of Hextech, their vastly different backgrounds meant that Jayce was basking in the spotlight, while Viktor was left to languish in obscurity.
"A young man who can develop Hextech must be remarkably talented, but he still seems like an immature child," Silco remarked after observing Jayce for a while. There was a hint of dismissal in his tone.
"This is actually one of Piltover's strengths. It shows that Piltover has enough resources and capability to allow its children to grow up happily, learning pure and beautiful things."
"Their children don't need to confront the bitter reality of survival too early, becoming nothing more than cogs in a machine, living solely to survive."
"Our children in Zaun, on the other hand, are forced to grow up too quickly. Some were even sent into mines as expendable resources. It's a tragedy—they've never truly experienced life."
Cipher disagreed with Silco's evaluation of Jayce.
Jayce was only 24 years old—barely two years out of university by modern standards. At his age, he wasn't supposed to be a shrewd and seasoned politician.
His youthful naivety, the clear and idealistic look in his eyes, was exactly how someone his age should be.
Jayce was untouched by the dirty games of politics, and represented something Cipher aspired for the children of Zaun to have in the future.
At the very least, while they were still young, they should experience a pure and beautiful life—the kind of life every human deserved.
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30 advance chapters!
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