Not Just Power, But Status!

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In the early hours of the morning, the Council building stood silent and imposing.

At the top floor, in the dimly lit office, Link Star shattered the window and stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room cautiously.

"Janna, have you informed Medarda?" he asked softly.

"She's on her way," Janna's voice echoed in his ear, ethereal and calm. Link nodded slightly. "Keep an eye on Jinx and Ekko for me. If anything goes wrong, notify me immediately."

"Understood. I'll keep watch."

Janna paused, then added with a hint of curiosity, "But why did you send Ekko to do something like that?"

"A community that shelters and helps the people of Zaun—isn't that a good thing? Why interfere?"

"Janna, do you think a true utopia exists in this world?" Link didn't answer her question directly. Instead, he posed one of his own. Janna fell silent for a moment before responding uncertainly, "I've existed since ancient times and have witnessed countless beautiful cities and nations. But a true utopia? No, I haven't seen it."

"Exactly," Link sighed, sitting down in Medarda's chair. "That's why I sent Ekko to intercept the people heading to that community."

"The founder of that community is an admirable man. He's never abandoned his ideals or forgotten his original intentions."

"But it's precisely because of that that I need to stop him before he makes a grave mistake."

Link gazed up at the ceiling, his voice low and contemplative. "The progress of society is never driven by a single individual. It's the result of collective effort and unity."

"Placing all hope on one person, building a society sustained by a single individual—it's a house of cards, fragile and rootless."

Janna listened quietly, her presence a comforting silence.

After a moment, Link took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Until I'm fully prepared, I can only use underhanded methods to prevent him from expanding his community."

"Once I'm certain of my approach, I'll meet him personally."

"Medarda is almost here," Janna reminded him gently. Link straightened his posture and composed himself.

Soon, the office door opened, and Medarda stepped in, holding a lantern.

"This is quite a sudden meeting, Herald," Medarda said with a faint smile as she approached the desk.

"Apologies, Medarda," Link replied, nodding respectfully. "I'm swamped with responsibilities, and my identity must remain hidden for now. This was the only way."

"It's fine," Medarda said, her smile warm. "But please, don't be so distant in the future. Rely on us more. The Medarda family will always be your most loyal support, Herald."

"Thank you, Medarda," Link said with a nod. "How are things in the Council?"

At this, Medarda's expression darkened. "Not well."

"Although there are significant vacancies in the Council, Salo and I are struggling to influence Piltover through it."

"What's the resistance?" Link asked, his brow furrowing.

"First, the other families of Piltover are demanding new elections to fill the vacant seats. They want to restore the Council's original numbers and increase resources to 'reform' and 'regulate' the undercity."

"At the same time, all the families are insisting that the current economic stability must not be disrupted. Tariffs and trade routes must remain unaffected."

"Additionally, more than half of the families are banding together to pressure us into holding new elections."

"When?" Link asked, his voice tense.

"After the evaluation meeting," Medarda replied.

"This is troublesome," Link muttered, tapping his fingers on the desk.

Medarda hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully. "Herald, there's something I've been meaning to say."

"Go ahead."

"If we want to spread Janna's faith and gain influence, aligning with the upper city families is the wisest choice. With their help, we can quickly propagate Janna's worship across Piltover. With Janna's blessings, the city can become even more prosperous and great."

"So why go through all this trouble...?" Medarda trailed off, but Link understood her unspoken question.

"What you say makes sense," Link admitted. "But tell me, what about Zaun?"

"The undercity..." Medarda fell silent, her expression conflicted. After a long pause, she spoke slowly. "I must admit, I don't have a favorable impression of Zaun. To me, they're like rats in the sewers, always scheming to undermine Piltover's stability and prosperity."

"You see, Medarda," Link stood up and placed a hand on the back of the chair. "That's your limitation."

"To you, Zaun is a burden, a disease that Piltover can't shake off, always dragging us down."

"But to the people of Zaun, Piltover is the one hoarding wealth and resources, monopolizing opportunities, and leaving them with nothing—not even clean air, water, or space to live."

"But it's not the same!" Medarda protested.

"How is it not?" Link countered.

Medarda opened her mouth to argue but found no words under Link's steady gaze.

"It's not different. If it seems different, it's only because someone made mistakes that led to this situation."

"So, who made the mistakes?" Link pressed.

Medarda remained silent, and Link sighed. "If you won't say it, I will. The ones who made the mistakes are the privileged elite—the ones who hoard wealth and resources, monopolize power, and refuse to let go of their control over Zaun. They exploit its people while ensuring it remains poor, chaotic, and backward."

"That's the root of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun. And that's what I want to change."

"I want a united, prosperous future for both cities—not a Piltover that thrives by exploiting Zaun."

"Do you understand?" Link's voice was firm, and Medarda looked conflicted. After a long moment, she nodded hesitantly.

"Your vision... the Medarda family will support it to the best of our ability. But this isn't something that can be solved overnight."

"We should work to divide and conquer the existing power structures, build our own influence, and make changes gradually."

"You're not wrong," Link acknowledged. "But that approach would only lead to a new cycle of the same problems."

"The powerful families would remain in control, and wealth and resources would still be concentrated in their hands. Even if things improve, the fundamental issues would remain."

"Today's reformers would become tomorrow's tyrants, waiting for the next revolution."

"Then what do you propose?" Medarda asked, her voice tinged with unease.

"Drastic measures," Link said calmly.

Medarda's eyes widened. "But that would provoke a massive backlash!"

"Exactly. That's why we need to strike decisively."

Link took a deep breath, his voice resolute. "We need to shock the elite into submission, establish a new system, and carry out this revolution swiftly."

"But we don't have the power for that yet," Medarda said gently. "You've excluded my mother from this, and I won't involve her either. With just your own strength, changing everything will be difficult."

"Not only do we need overwhelming power, but we also need a status that commands respect and forces the families to yield."

"So, please be patient. We must proceed carefully."

As Medarda spoke, Link remained silent. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the sprawling city of Piltover. His eyes were filled with determination.

The root of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun lay in Piltover itself. To resolve it, Piltover needed to be revolutionized first. Only then could a new system be established to reform Zaun.

But as Medarda had said, he currently lacked both the power to strike decisively and the status to command respect from the families.

"To change Piltover, power and status are indispensable. Power is the force needed for a revolution from below, and status is the foundation for reforming the system from above," Link thought to himself. "Gaining status takes time, unless I can find a way to borrow influence."

"As for power, I can only rely on the knowledge and technology I possess."

"Perhaps it's time to accelerate the 'Original Sin Project' I planned during my magic aptitude test. I need to create my own 'Blitzcrank.'"

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 100 on my patreon go take a look and remember if you reach 180 stones of power I will publish the next chapter.