Cipher's passionate declaration ignited the spirits of everyone at the table, filling the room with excitement and fervor. Silco nodded approvingly to Viktor, leaning in slightly. "Now this is a man who understands what's at stake."
"My goodness, such passion! But... Let's not talk about this while eating. There are children at the table." Heimerdinger adjusted his spectacles nervously, his large ears twitching with discomfort.
"Don't worry, I can solve Zaun's environmental problems. The Zaunites will soon have better days ahead!"
Heimerdinger was somewhat satisfied with Cipher's attitude, but he wasn't pleased with his talk of blood and struggle. It was too Noxian, too war-driven.
One could tell right away, many people would die.
"Professor, my apologies. I didn't mean it that way."
Cipher sat back down, showing respect to Heimerdinger with a small, apologetic smile.
But even if he had to say it again, he wouldn't change a thing. Mel had to witness his resolve. Peace or conflict wasn't up to Zaun; it was up to Piltover.
If Piltover wanted peace, then there would be peace.
If Piltover wanted war, then there would be war.
And if Piltover wanted to fight for years, then so be it.
But Mel's smile had disappeared. She could barely keep her composure.
Cipher's reckless approach threw her off completely. Politics was about maneuvering, leaving room for negotiation, not pushing things to the brink.
You don't go all-in during the opening hand. Now I'm backed into a corner. Mel maintained her composed exterior while her mind raced through potential diplomatic salvage operations.
This was exactly why, despite knowing Cipher was dealing in weapons, she hadn't exposed him in front of Heimerdinger.
Pointing it out now was more about probing, testing the waters, and trying to secure leverage in the upcoming negotiations.
A textbook opening move.
Cipher, however, played it all wrong. The younger generation had no sense of decorum. She gave him room, and he came in swinging, throwing wild punches at the seasoned players.
Even if his conscience was clear, even if he had no choice but to act this way, he could've at least given her a way out. Negotiation required cooperation to keep the performance going.
But instead, he flipped the table, making it clear to everyone, he would not compromise. There was no room for discussion. Piltover could take it or leave it.
So where did that leave Mel? She had a reputation to uphold!
She had genuinely come with the intent of peace, but now, with the way Cipher was handling things, even if she wanted to ease tensions between the two cities, she couldn't.
Silence was her only choice. Her gaze shifted to Lester, who had been keeping his head down, pretending not to exist. Her eyes urged him to step in as the mediator.
The negotiation had stalled. A third party was needed to ease the tension before they could continue.
There were only two people in the room who could take on that role, Heimerdinger or Lester.
But Heimerdinger lacked political awareness and likely didn't even realize the situation. That meant Mel had no choice but to pin her hopes on Lester.
Lester, however, was in just as much trouble. He had done absolutely nothing and yet found himself being roasted over the fire.
Fantastic. She lights the fuse and expects me to stamp it out. Typical Medarda. His expression darkened as he watched the diplomatic disaster unfold.
Honestly, he couldn't wrap his head around it.
Mel's earlier words had "subtly," yet unmistakably, pointed fingers at the weapons trade between Zaun and Noxus.
He simply didn't understand how Mel's mind worked.
She was Noxian, wasn't she? Shouldn't she be protecting Noxian interests? Yet here she was, making trouble for Noxus at every turn. Was she a Noxian traitor?
Just last night, she had caused a whole spectacle, and everyone had let it slide, treating her like a well-meaning girl. That was over now.
And yet, here she was again. Was she playing games?
If Mel was simply tempted by the profits of the arms trade and wanted a share, Lester could at least understand. They could sit down and talk.
For the sake of the Iron Wolf Mother, even Swain would likely grant her a cut.
But Mel acted like someone who had completely lost her mind. She wasn't looking to negotiate, she was trying to shut down the entire weapons trade between Zaun and Noxus.
If these idiots start a war now, the campaign is doomed. Years of planning, wasted because she couldn't resist poking the bear.
If Swain hadn't explicitly ordered him to ignore it, Lester would have thought the Iron Wolf Mother was testing his mentor's patience.
Looking at the way she carried herself, there was no way she would have survived in Noxus without her mother's sheltering hand.
At best, she'd last three episodes, maybe five.
And now that the negotiation had fallen apart, she suddenly remembered him.
Where was he when she was trying to shut down the weapons trade? Now he was supposed to clean up her mess?
Lester frowned as he tore into a steak, his face twisted in frustration.
Like it or not, he had to help Mel fix this.
Swain was preparing to march on Shurima, and Piltover as well as Zaun would be a crucial supply hub for the Noxian army.
Zaun's advanced weaponry could help smooth the path to conquest.
For now, Piltover belonged to the Iron Wolf Mother, and Zaun to Grand General Swain, this was an unspoken agreement between the two titans.
If war broke out between the cities, both their interests would take a massive hit.
If things spiraled out of control, the Iron Wolf Mother might personally lead troops into the fray.
And that was the last thing Swain wanted.
Sending Lester to Zaun wasn't just about testing his student, it was also a contingency plan.
Lester wasn't just an observer. He was the emergency response unit, the one meant to put out fires before they spread.
His resentment toward Mel grew.
His original plan for Piltover and Zaun was a slow, controlled escalation.
First, certain families in Piltover would secretly initiate military actions against Zaun.
With both sides evenly matched, the conflict would be intense but contained, no immediate risk of full-scale war.
Piltover and Zaun would maintain a facade of peace, ensuring neither the Iron Wolf Mother nor Swain's interests suffered.
This fragile balance would hold until Zaun gained enough strength to truly challenge Piltover.
When the time came, he wouldn't just sit back, he'd call on Swain to keep the Iron Wolf Mother occupied.
At that point, tensions would snap, and war would be inevitable. There'd be no need for scheming, both cities would tear each other apart.
Lester would have time to analyze, strategize, and prepare his answers for the real test ahead.
But now? He hadn't even started stirring the pot.
The moment the city leaders met, the talks collapsed, and suddenly they were fast-forwarding straight to all-out war.
If things weren't handled carefully, both Swain and the Iron Wolf Mother might personally intervene.
And that would be a disaster for him. He wasn't just failing the test, he was flunking so hard Swain might decide Noxus didn't need dead weight.
"Mayor Cipher, Councilor Medarda, we are friends, not enemies. We all share a vision of peace for Piltover and Zaun."
His stomach turned as he spoke the words. Peace wasn't the Noxian way, but sometimes you had to lie to preserve the larger truth.
Still, acting like this... he really wanted to puke.
"If we all cherish peace, then as long as we stand united, no one can disrupt it. Let us raise a glass to the peace of Piltover and Zaun."
Lester forced a grin and lifted his glass toward Cipher and Mel.
The words "raise a glass" nearly got stuck in his throat.
"To peace between brothers and sisters."
If he had known the situation would be this messy, he wouldn't have bothered showing up this morning.
Mel had made a mess, and now he had to clean it up. What a joke.
"Lester is right. Councilor Medarda, I trust you've come in the name of peace as well. Let's drink to that, to the peace of Piltover and Zaun."
Cipher's gaze flickered as he stood.
He wasn't sure what Mel was thinking. A high-ranking councilor coming alone to the Undercity was, in itself, a sign of goodwill.
But if she thought he would back down, she was wrong. He had to fight for Zaun's interests. Piltover had been bleeding the Undercity dry for over two hundred years, it was time to pay their dues.
"Peace has always been Piltover's goal," Mel replied smoothly. "To the peace of Piltover and Zaun."
Mel, given a way out, smiled and raised her glass. Her eyes never left Cipher's, a silent battle continuing behind the toast.
Cipher matched her gaze, his glass rising to meet hers. "To the peace of Piltover and Zaun."
The glasses clinked.
The negotiations could finally continue.
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40 advance chapters!
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