"Fall behind, and you get beaten!"
"My Majesty!"
Duke held King Jarvan III's gaze, speaking with unwavering certainty.
In this world, clinging to tradition or basking in past glories isn't enough to survive.
If you refuse to change, resist the tides of progress, and fail to push forward, only one fate awaits you, annihilation.
"Fall behind, and you get beaten," Jarvan III repeated Duke's words, his once-straight posture slightly slumping with the weight of realization.
"Duke, what do you think are Demacia's weaknesses?"
Instead of responding directly, the king shifted the conversation.
"Weaknesses?"
Duke stubbed out his cigar, his expression turning serious. "Do you truly want my honest opinion?"
"Yes. I want to hear your perspective."
"As they say, 'insiders are blinded, while outsiders see clearly.'" Jarvan gestured, encouraging Duke to speak freely.
"I want to hear your thoughts. As Piltover's foremost craftsman and scientist, you must be able to discern the hidden risks Demacia faces."
"The Anti-Magic Decree," Duke said bluntly, the words striking Jarvan III. He paused, then nodded with a wry smile.
"Yes. The Anti-Magic Decree."
"The decree, if I may speak frankly, is stifling Demacia's potential and future."
Duke recalled the two enforcers he had seen upon his arrival, shaking his head. "The Anti-Magic Decree continuously suppresses mages, stripping them of their livelihoods and reducing them to society's lowest caste."
"Over time, this will inevitably lead to catastrophe."
"After all, the awakening of mages cannot be controlled!"
"The continuous enforcement of the decree only pushes Demacia's mages to oppose the state. If they wish to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, they have no choice but to resist!"
Duke raised a finger, pointing at Jarvan III.
"They will rise against those in power, overthrow the rulers, and establish a new order."
His eyelids lowered slightly. "Perhaps worse, they might create a mage-dominated state, where only mages hold supremacy, and ordinary people have no place at all."
"Ah!"
Jarvan III let out a heavy sigh. "You are right, every word. This is indeed Demacia's greatest issue."
"The Anti-Magic Decree has fractured Demacia," Duke continued. "It has sown hatred."
Duke raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Could it be… Your Majesty intends to"
"I do," Jarvan III admitted without hesitation.
"That's why I chose to introduce Hextech Portals. Over the next ten, twenty years, even into the next generation, the Anti-Magic Decree will be entirely abolished."
Duke fell silent for a moment. As a wise ruler, Jarvan III clearly understood the danger. Yet to overturn a centuries-old tradition so decisively, this was unexpected.
In Demacia, anyone would consider mages inferior, regardless of their power to manipulate natural forces. Even Garen had once shared that prejudice.
Foreign mages entering Demacia were bound by harsh rules called the Stone Regulations. Two veteran enforcers monitored them around the clock, forbidding any use of magic and severely restricting personal freedom.
Even strolling through Demacia would draw hateful stares, a constant reminder of societal disdain.
This was why Duke had initially concealed his identity, though after encountering Garen and Lux, the pretense had become redundant. He simply refused to be bound by the Stone Regulations.
"If I had to follow those rules, I'd rather summon Piltover on the spot."
"What are your thoughts on the Hextech Portal project?" Jarvan shifted the topic. The portal was the first step toward abolishing the decree, and failure was not an option.
"The construction team will arrive next year. I've reached an agreement with the DuLong family, they'll assist in building the portals. The entire city of Demacia will also need to cooperate."
"Technology capable of instant travel across the continent," Jarvan mused, looking at Duke with a complex gaze. Piltover, at best a city-state, could never match Demacia's scale, yet it advanced relentlessly, while Demacia seemed to stagnate.
"I look forward to the day it's completed."
"It will happen," Duke said with a smile. Jarvan cleared his throat. "Now, about your technique to awaken Galio… Have you considered selling it?"
"Sorry, that's impossible."
Duke's refusal was firm. The Hextech Rune Base was the foundation of Hextech technology, the origin of all Hextech innovations. It could never be allowed to leave Piltover.
While Hextech Gems were central, the runes themselves were indispensable. Their configuration on the bases could not be shared.
"However, the completed product can be sold. Tests show that six rune bases can awaken the Justice Colossus, enabling it to fight at high intensity for three hours continuously, and sustain activity for a full day under normal conditions."
Duke shared his observed data. Jarvan III stroked his chin, pondering. "And the price?"
"Ten thousand per set of six bases," Duke said. The cost of the gems justified the price, while the bases merely channeled and amplified the gems' power, a shrewdly high offer.
Jarvan tapped the table, thinking for a moment. "Very well. On behalf of Demacia, I'll order five sets of rune bases from Piltover."
"I'll coordinate with my family promptly," Duke said, nodding. The deal would yield a massive profit.
"Anything else you can sell us?" Jarvan inquired. Duke's smile widened, time for a major sale.
"Of course. Allow me to introduce them to you slowly."
Outside the capital, on a small farm…
A traveling salesman pushed his cart, calling out to attract villagers who rarely had the chance to visit the capital.
A burly man with a thick beard approached, laughing. "Old Mack, do you have my cigarettes this time?"
"Of course, I reserved them for you," Mack replied, pulling out a box. The bearded man handed over his payment, and they chatted a bit before parting.
Mack continued selling, while the bearded man returned home, venturing out again only at night.
Under the cover of darkness, he crept to a pen in the farm's east side, moved a stone, and revealed a hidden tunnel. Entering, he replaced the stone and proceeded to a secret underground chamber.
Inside, six or seven people awaited him.
"Got the intel?"
"Yes," he said, removing a cigarette and unfurling it. Tiny script covered the paper, information from Mithril City.
He handed it to the leader, who exhaled heavily after reading.
"The northern barbarians have breached Mithril City's outskirts and are advancing toward the capital. They'll arrive in seven days. We need to prepare."
"Is this wise?" someone whispered. "We can't just lure them here."
"So what?" the bearded man scoffed. "Those noble lords wield magic and avoid punishment. But we… we are tainted. We are the plague!"
"It's time they feel the pain we endured."
"But the most important thing is to rescue him," the leader emphasized. "Silas, in the black prison, must be freed. Only he can lead us into Dawn Castle!"
"How exactly?"
"The Glory Tournament has begun. While their main force moves north, some barbarians have already infiltrated the capital. They'll coordinate with us. At the right moment, we strike, overturning the elite mages and making them understand what it's like to crawl in the dust."
End of chapter....
IRONBOUND PATRON
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters + 3 BONUS CHAPTERS + HIDDEN SURPRISES
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer