Camille in Her Youth

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After some effort, Link finally managed to calm Pride down and stow the mechanical beast into a portable attachment. With Pride secured, Link stepped out of Bluewind Manor.

As soon as he exited, he called out, "Janna—"

In an instant, a gentle breeze swept by.

"Link, you finally show yourself," Janna, in the form of a bluebird, perched on Link's shoulder, her voice tinged with complaint. "I was starting to think something had happened to you. I almost went looking for you."

"I was just busy creating something unique to me," Link said, tilting his head to look at her. "Sorry for making you worry."

"If you know I'd worry, then you should pray to me more often and keep me updated on your status," Janna grumbled. "Do you have any idea how I've spent the last ten days? Not only did I have to worry about your safety, but I also had to balance the factions, gather information, and reassure everyone else while waiting for you to return."

"Yes, yes, my Janna is the greatest deity in all of Runeterra!"

"Now, tell me, how are things in the twin cities?"

As Link walked along the street, Janna began her report. "The situation in Piltover and Zaun is relatively stable for now."

"With the support of the Ferros family, Mel and Salo have firmly taken control of the council. The Ferros family has also suppressed calls from the noble families to reorganize the council and their demands to send troops into Zaun."

"However, Zaun has been quite turbulent lately." Janna's brow furrowed, and Link could sense her frustration. "What's going on?"

"Jinx has been causing trouble for the chem-barons. Just two days ago, she blew up a Shimmer factory."

"That doesn't sound so bad, does it?"

Link had always despised the crude production of Shimmer. Not only was it ineffective, but it also had severe side effects.

"The problem is that after the factory was destroyed, the stored Shimmer leaked and contaminated a large area. I'm dealing with the fallout now—the plants and animals in the affected zone have mutated severely."

Janna sighed. "A few scavengers who got too close were dragged away and eaten by plague rats."

"Leave the cleanup to Singed. Have him concoct a solution to neutralize the contamination," Link said. "As for Jinx, send Vander to talk to her."

"Understood."

"Anything else?"

"With your funding, Ekko has taken in a large number of Zaunite refugees. However, his territory is limited and can't accommodate everyone. With my mediation, Sevika and Ekko have reached an agreement."

"Sevika will provide Ekko with more space to house the refugees, and in return, Ekko will help her maintain order in the streets."

"Good. Sevika is a practical person. Her involvement will be a big help," Link nodded. Janna hesitated before continuing, "As for the community you asked me to keep an eye on, I've been monitoring it."

"Thanks to Ekko's efforts, the community hasn't accepted new members for a while. But..." Janna trailed off, and Link finished her thought.

"Some people are still determined to join, right?"

"Exactly. Those with severe disabilities or critical illnesses still go there seeking help."

"Let them. Just make sure ordinary citizens stay away," Link said, exhaling deeply. Janna looked puzzled. "Link, why won't you let me get closer? Why only observe from a distance?"

"That's..." Link thought of Viktor but shook his head. "You'll understand in time."

"Now, I need you to help me find someone in Zaun."

"Who?"

After a moment of recollection, Link said, "A Shuriman. His name, if I remember correctly, is Ham Naderi."

"Got it."

"Good. I'll wait for your news."

Ham Naderi hadn't been having an easy time lately. The climate in the twin cities was vastly different from Shurima, and he'd spent days suffering from acclimatization issues. On top of that, the cost of living here was far higher than back home.

After two days in Piltover with no luck finding Camille Ferros, he'd used the last of his money to move to Zaun, staying in a small inn.

But once he arrived in Zaun, he realized just how terrible the city was. Filth flowed freely in the streets, plague rats scurried about, and gang members hurled insults at every turn. The air was so thick it felt like breathing sand.

Still, the thought of fulfilling his uncle's wish kept him from giving up.

Sigh... In the dimly lit inn room, Naderi stared at the flickering oil lamp and sighed. He pulled out a stack of drawings from his bag, gazing at the image of a woman. "Where are you?" he muttered. "How am I supposed to fulfill my uncle's last request?"

As he stared at the portrait, exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep at the table.

Later that evening, Link arrived at the inn where Naderi was staying.

"Abino Inn," Link read the rusted sign before stepping inside. The lobby was dim, illuminated only by a single flickering light. Behind the counter, a hunched figure dozed.

Knock knock knock!

Link rapped on the counter, and a pair of glowing green eyes peered up at him. The innkeeper, equipped with a chem-tech prosthetic, spoke in a raspy voice, "Room rates are on the wall."

Link glanced at the price list. The rates were reasonable.

"Naderi's financial situation must not be great," Link thought.

Turning back to the innkeeper, Link said, "I'm here to find someone."

The innkeeper eyed him for a moment before grunting, "Find them yourself. Don't disturb the other guests."

With that, the innkeeper slumped back onto the counter, returning to his nap.

Link shrugged and made his way up the stairs to the third floor. At the end of the hallway, he found the door to Naderi's room. To his surprise, it was unlocked.

"Are Shurimans really this trusting? He didn't even lock his door," Link muttered as he stepped inside.

The room was dark, save for a small desk lamp. At the table, a man with dark, curly hair and sun-kissed skin from the Shuriman desert was slumped over, asleep.

"This must be him—Ham Naderi, Hakim's nephew," Link thought.

He gently shook Naderi's shoulder. "Wake up."

"Huh?" Naderi blinked awake, his face marked with creases from resting on his bag. He looked at Link in confusion. "Who are you?"

"Camille Ferros sent me to fetch you," Link said, taking a step back and raising his hands to show he meant no harm. "You're not Hakim, are you?"

"I'm his nephew, Ham Naderi."

"Just one character off from your uncle's name," Link remarked. "Well, I'll just call you by your surname."

"Um..." Naderi rubbed his hands together, looking sheepish. "I'm a bit short on rent..."

"I'll cover it. But do you have something to hand over?"

Link glanced at Naderi's bag. The Shuriman nodded and pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to Link.

"These are my uncle's notes and sketches. He wanted me to give them to Lady Camille. They're his final mementos."

Link flipped through the papers. Alongside designs for crystal-tech derivatives were portraits of Camille, drawn by Hakim.

The Camille in the portrait was youthful, her face filled with the innocence and passion of a young woman. Time seemed to have left no mark on her, and Hakim had captured that eternal beauty on paper.

"My uncle drew these from memory," Naderi explained as he packed his belongings. "If I may ask, what's your relationship with Lady Camille?"

"Let's just say... I'm her son."

"What?" Naderi's jaw dropped in disbelief. Link chuckled. "Not by blood. Camille never married. She devoted her life to her family."

"I see..." Naderi scratched his head, looking thoughtful. Before he could say more, Link raised a hand to silence him. A breeze swept through the room, and Janna's voice whispered in Link's ear.

"Someone's coming. Seven of them, armed with weapons I've never seen before. Five are heading upstairs, and two are guarding the door."

Link turned toward the entrance just as the door burst open. Ferros family enforcers filed in, their weapons glowing with the sickly energy of Shimmer.

"Link Star?" The lead enforcer aimed his weapon at Link. "What do you want?" Link asked, tilting his head.

"Hand over what you stole from the family crypt," the enforcer demanded, his voice cold. "Do that, and I'll make sure your death is quick."

"Oh?" Link shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning back slightly. "That confident, are you?"

"We know you're a skilled craftsman, but against us, you'd better drop the arrogance," the enforcer sneered. "We only want what you took from the crypt."

"Fine," Link said, scratching his temple. He snapped his fingers, releasing Pride from the attachment. "Since you asked so nicely, I'll oblige."

In an instant, Pride materialized, letting out a deafening roar.

"ROAR—"

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 105 on my patreon go take a look and remember if you reach 390 stones of power I will publish the next chapter.