"You want to use the indentured labor system to make a move, how exactly do you plan to do that?"
Realizing that Swain and Cipher had long had this planned out, Silco wasn't in a hurry anymore. He leaned back in his chair, cigarette smoke curling around his scarred features as he studied the documents spread across the table.
"We can't interfere openly, or it'll give Camille and her allies the excuse they've been looking for to escalate," Cipher explained while organizing the files. "This has to be handled by the people of Piltover themselves, otherwise it'll be dismissed as foreign agitation."
He continued passing out detailed intelligence reports to everyone present. Besides Caitlyn's dossier, he also selected information on a pair of Ionian siblings currently trapped in Piltover's exploitative indentured labor system.
"Caitlyn… I can't believe Councilor Kiramman would actually agree to let her become a Piltover Enforcer... If it's her, then she really is the perfect choice for this operation. Her firm belief in justice will drive her to investigate thoroughly, no matter what obstacles she encounters or how powerful the people trying to stop her might be."
Viktor set down Caitlyn's file with a thoughtful expression. As Jayce's longtime friend and laboratory partner, he had naturally met Jayce's childhood companion Caitlyn on numerous occasions, and had even been treated to little homemade cupcakes she baked.
She was one of the genuinely rare Piltovan elites that he held in sincere admiration. He had even once thought, with a certain romantic optimism, that Jayce and Caitlyn might eventually end up together in a relationship that would bridge their different social circles. They were around the same age, both exceptional talents in their respective fields, and Councilor Kiramman had definitely made several not-so-subtle attempts to encourage a romantic connection between them at various social gatherings.
Otherwise, given Caitlyn's restless personality and independent spirit, she wouldn't have been dropping by Jayce's laboratory so frequently during their academy days.
Unfortunately for any matchmaking schemes, Jayce was too familiar with Caitlyn to develop romantic feelings, he genuinely saw her as a beloved little sister rather than a potential partner. Caitlyn, for her part, had shown no romantic interest in him either, and their potential love story had quietly faded into friendship.
Viktor had also heard certain rumors circulating through Piltover's social networks, though he wasn't entirely sure how much credence to give them. It seemed that Caitlyn's romantic preferences leaned toward women, with stories of her having developed close relationships with several female students from Piltover Academy's more progressive circles...
In any case, Jayce, with his chronically sensitive stomach and tendency toward emotional vulnerability, had ended up being the one who received the most nurturing attention, often comforted and cared for by the mature and composed Mel during his frequent bouts of stress-induced illness.
"Caitlyn is indeed a perfect weapon against the indentured labor system," Sevika agreed, taking a swig from her bottle of Zaun's finest liquor. "But are you sure about that pair of Ionian siblings you picked?"
She gestured toward their photographs. "They're skinny as sticks. I'm afraid they'll collapse and die before anything gets done. We're not here to harm people on purpose."
Her assessment was characteristically blunt but accurate. Having trained extensively with Bronze Tiger's resistance unit for years and even participated in dangerous raids against well-armed Bialyan military convoys, her judgment had become exceptionally sharp.
At a single glance, she could tell that the siblings Cipher had chosen showed clear signs of chronic malnutrition and possibly untreated illnesses. They definitely didn't appear to be suitable candidates for any kind of demanding operation.
"Uh... I chose them because they're Ionians, and even worse, Ionian outcasts who don't even have basic rights to survival in their own homeland. They're only allowed to continue living if they serve as unpaid laborers or indentured servants, these are among the most oppressed people in the current political system. But unlike most Ionian outcasts, this particular pair has maintained a strong rebellious spirit despite their suffering. They weren't captured and enslaved by Noxian forces during military campaigns, they were actually sold to Noxian traders by their own village as payment for debts."
"Besides dismantling Piltover's indentured labor system, I also want to conduct a practical test of how difficult it is to guide rebellious Ionians like them toward revolution and social change. As for their current physical conditions, that's actually not a problem. I'll use microdrones to deliver low doses of refined shimmer to them, just enough to enhance their strength and endurance slightly. We'll thoroughly clean up any traces afterward, no one will ever be able to detect our intervention."
He explained his plan.
In recent years, shimmer had undergone major advancements, with most of the dangerous side effects successfully eliminated through careful refinement. It was no longer addictive when properly administered and was now used internally as both a medical enhancer and a combat stimulant.
Low doses of the refined shimmer worked essentially like a shot of adrenaline combined with cellular regeneration therapy. Piltover's medical establishment wouldn't even be able to identify that it was shimmer at all, given their limited understanding of advanced biochemistry.
"As long as you know exactly what you're doing," Sevika said, apparently satisfied with his explanation. She stopped worrying about the welfare of the Ionian siblings and instead became genuinely interested in the operational details. "So, who exactly are you planning to send to carry out this plan?"
She hadn't returned to active operations for several years, and her hands were definitely itching for action, specifically, the chance to give the self-satisfied Piltovan elites a serious shock to their comfortable worldview.
"A plan? I don't need any plan. Just tell me what needs doing, and I'll get it done, guaranteed results, no questions asked!"
The bar door suddenly burst open, and Vi strode in with her characteristic boisterous confidence. Behind her followed her younger siblings, along with Heimerdinger and Janna, all looking slightly windswept from whatever adventure they'd been pursuing.
Only Ekko was missing from the group.
He had violated several public safety laws by recklessly flying his personal hoverboard through restricted airspace at dangerous speeds. He had been shot down by automated security drones and subsequently taken into custody by Zaun's Public Security Bureau for processing.
Benzo, who had received the official notification, was now rushing across the city with a bag of money to pay the substantial fine and bail out his adopted son. If he didn't arrive in time, Ekko would be sentenced to one week of mandatory labor reeducation at a mining facility outside the city.
Cipher's meeting this time wasn't particularly high-level or sensitive, so even Vi and her younger siblings had been permitted to join the family gathering.
But since they hadn't been back to Zaun in such a long time, they had enthusiastically dragged Heimerdinger and Janna off to explore the transformed city and revisit their old haunts.
The adults hadn't minded the interruption, after all, despite their training and new capabilities, they were still fundamentally young people. It was perfectly natural for them to want to have fun and reconnect with their home.
"Vi, how old are you now? When are you finally going to learn to act your age and show some basic maturity?"
But midway through the strategic discussion, Vi had suddenly barged into the meeting wearing that typical provocative expression that seemed designed to irritate authority figures, which Vander found increasingly difficult to tolerate. He felt like he had failed in his duties as her guardian and role model.
His face was tired and full of guilt. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd let his old, departed friend down, was this really how they had ended up raising his daughter?
"Okay, okay, Vander, I get it. I'm not a kid anymore. I get it. I get it."
Vi casually picked at her ear and let Vander's words go in one ear and out the other, displaying the selective hearing that had driven him to distraction since her childhood.
Cipher narrowed his eyes but deliberately pretended not to notice. If this had been before, he would've suppressed her with an iron fist, no mercy. But now... he realistically couldn't overpower her anymore in any kind of physical confrontation, so he decided the wisest course of action was to remain invisible.
"Cipher, what exactly are you all discussing so seriously? Just give me a mission, I can handle absolutely anything you throw at me. I'm incredibly strong now, stronger than I've ever been. That Camille? One solid punch from me and she wouldn't even remember which direction is north!"
Cipher really didn't want to engage with her provocative boasting, but Vi refused to be ignored. She leaned over and casually propped her elbow on his shoulder.
Her gaze fell on the classified files spread in front of him. She picked one up, and her eyes immediately lit up.
"So the target is this Piltover Enforcer? Perfect, leave this entire operation to me then."
For some inexplicable reason, the moment Vi laid eyes on Caitlyn's photograph and read her biographical information, she instinctively felt that this particular young woman seemed genuinely interesting, really, truly interesting in a way that captured her complete attention.
She liked her immediately.
"Absolutely not. I have my own arrangements. You cannot go, that's final, non-negotiable."
Cipher's face twitched. He quickly snatched the file out of Vi's hands and slapped it face-down on the table.
In the original timeline, Vi and Caitlyn's relationship had been completely chaotic and poorly timed. Right before a crucial battle that would determine the fate of both cities, they had somehow ended up in a prison cell having an intense romantic encounter when they should have been focused on strategy and survival. It was absolutely ridiculous... Really!
In any case, he would never allow such dramatic nonsense to happen again in this timeline. That karmic thread between the two of them needed to be permanently severed before it could cause any disruption. There was no logical reason to allow their situation to escalate from normal cooperation to absurd romantic chaos. That kind of disruptive energy needed to be stopped before it could even begin.
"Stingy. Won't even let me look at a simple file."
Vi pouted, clearly unhappy with Cipher's reaction and obvious attempts to hide information from her.
"Be completely honest with me, do you have romantic feelings for her? It would make perfect sense if you did. You're not getting any younger, and it's definitely time for you to start dating. That Piltover girl has an excellent figure, and she's cute as a little cupcake. It would be totally understandable if you were attracted to her."
Vi draped her arm around Cipher's shoulder and began analyzing the situation like a seasoned gossip expert, causing Powder nearby to nearly lose her composure entirely.
"What? I want to take a look at her too!"
Powder leaned in with a grin, but didn't bother waiting for Cipher's permission. She simply grabbed the file and opened it before anyone could stop her.
As soon as she saw Caitlyn's photograph and read her impressive credentials, she instinctively glanced down at herself. The bright smile on her face faded instantly, replaced by a shadow of insecurity and gloom.
"Let me take this mission instead," she said with a forced smile.
"Huh?"
Janna, suddenly realizing that some serious family drama was beginning to unfold right in front of her, spread her wings nervously and flew up to perch on Cipher's head for a better vantage point.
Then, all of a sudden, the entire bird turned bright red. She stared at Vi in shock.
From now on, not only did she need to be extremely careful about revealing her true divine form in front of Cipher, she definitely couldn't transform in front of Vi either.
These two siblings were both completely unpredictable and chaotic to their very cores. One was more unhinged than the other.
Truly terrifying!