Arcane: TTB: Ch. 141

"Put Viktor's situation aside for now, there's something more urgent you need to see with your own eyes."

Cipher led Jayce over to the main monitoring station, where multiple screens displayed real-time surveillance feeds from across both cities. The largest display was split into two distinct video streams.

One half showed Piltover's Council chambers, where the assembled members were engaged in their typical heated arguments and grandstanding. The other half displayed Emystan pacing angrily inside a building while shouting into her communicator.

All the footage was being relayed by disguised surveillance drones.

"So when you mentioned that Noxian invasion, you're talking about her? What's wrong with this lunatic?"

Jayce had already expected the Council to behave exactly as they were showing on screen; he was completely used to their endless back-and-forth squabbling and theater by now.

When war comes knocking at their doors, if nobody steps up to take responsibility as a leader, the Council will stall and debate long enough to let Piltover fall completely.

"That's Warband Commander Emystan, leader of a fully intact Noxian military force, an elite unit that was just rotated off active duty from the Demacian front lines."

Cipher poured fresh hot tea for Jayce and provided him with essential background information on their uninvited guest, intelligence he'd only recently received from Swain.

Originally, he had planned to simply deploy a massive drone swarm to eliminate Emystan, but Swain had suggested a different approach to the situation.

Emystan represented powerful connections, one of Noxus' ancient noble houses with significant influence, and she was known to be completely without honor or moral constraints.

People like that will literally do anything to survive when cornered; rather than simply killing her, it made far more sense to trap her in Piltover and force her to call for reinforcements.

"But wait... isn't General Quiletta supposed to be maintaining order here? How could a war-obsessed maniac like this suddenly show up without anyone knowing?"

Jayce looked puzzled by the breakdown. Quiletta was the officially appointed Noxian governor. He didn't have a favorable impression of Emystan based on what he was seeing: she hadn't bothered with any formal announcements, she'd brought a strike force and essentially raided Piltover territory.

"It's actually pretty simple when you understand the bigger picture. Swain, who's been Zaun's primary patron and protector, suffered a major defeat in his Ionian campaigns; the House Medarda has also been significantly weakened."

"That means we currently have no reliable allies or advocates in Noxus, and the Twin Cities represent the world's greatest cultural and economic prize, of course ambitious figures are going to try to seize control while we're vulnerable."

"General Quiletta was personally dispatched by Commander Swain. If he is in trouble, then her position as governor becomes unstable and meaningless."

Cipher explained the complex situation to Jayce, helping him understand the broader context behind current events.

"I know you've always been frustrated with Piltover's government and their endless bureaucracy, but you don't need to declare war on the city. We could unite our forces and fight Noxus together as allies."

Jayce immediately grasped the point.

Indeed, whether or not Emystan was planning to launch a full invasion, Zaun's response shouldn't be war against Piltover but rather an alliance.

With him, Mel, Cassandra, and the two additional allies from the House Medarda's network, they already controlled five votes on the seven-member Piltover Council.

A joint military defense wouldn't be difficult to arrange, there would be minimal resistance from the remaining Council members.

"Do you remember Camille who nearly killed me about five years ago during that assassination attempt?"

"That was Camille Ferros of Clan Ferros, one of Piltover's most powerful families."

Cipher took a sip of his tea.

Camille had once been Zaun's number one existential threat, but she was no longer quite as dangerous as she used to be.

With an overcharged laser cannon firing at maximum power, they could punch straight through her energy shield and eliminate her if necessary.

With surveillance cameras and disguised drones spread throughout both cities, plus the central control system managed by Blitzcrank, she would be detected and tracked the moment she set foot in Zaun.

And they absolutely weren't bluffing about their heavy weapons, the laser cannon would be deployed without hesitation or mercy.

There was no need to explain all those details to Jayce; he only needed to understand that Zaun's current actions were motivated by self-preservation.

"But wait, ever since the Clan Ferros paid nearly half their total assets as compensation after that incident, their strength took a blow. That family has already lost most of their power and influence."

Jayce looked even more confused. Over the past several years, the Clan Ferros had been selling off assets and properties; they should have been completely purged from Piltover's ruling elite.

Could a family that had been erased from public records really still possess the capability to turn the world upside down?

Could Camille still wield that kind of influence?

"Oh, she definitely can. That's exactly the problem we're facing."

Cipher shook his head, having fully anticipated Jayce's reaction. Without access to the surveillance network that revealed hidden activities, it would be nearly impossible to understand the Clan Ferros' true remaining power.

Piltover's real rulers had never been the City Council at all, but rather the Clan Ferros.

The public compensations and asset liquidations were merely the visible power that the Clan Ferros had chosen to sacrifice.

"Take a look at this."

Cipher pointed at the main screen; the Council chamber view switched to show the interior of the Hexgate facility's maintenance tunnels and ventilation ducts.

Camille strode confidently through the narrow passages, followed by a large number of operatives who were fully equipped with advanced Hextech weapons and armor. She held a communicator and was clearly speaking with someone.

Comparing this feed with the earlier footage of Emystan, it was obvious that she was in direct communication with the Noxian commander.

She had come to extract Emystan from her trapped position, but clearly she wasn't confident she could break through Zaun's drone lockdown; instead, she was planning to reach Emystan through the building's hidden ventilation system.

What Camille hadn't anticipated was that Cipher had already knew that the Hexgate facility's maintenance ducts represented an escape route. He had predicted this exact strategy and had already deployed disguised monitoring drones throughout the tunnel system.

Jayce slammed his fist on the table.

"This is the ventilation system inside the Hexgate facility? How does the Clan Ferros even have access to internal blueprints?"

Caitlyn stared at the screen in complete shock.

The House Kiramman had been Piltover's principal urban planning and engineering family for generations.

The Hexgate facility's ventilation ducts and the entire city's underground infrastructure system had been designed and built by the House Kiramman's engineers. Only the House Kiramman possessed the complete plans, carefully guarded as part of their family's most valuable property.

The fact that Camille could navigate through the complex tunnel system with such confidence indicated that the Clan Ferros had somehow obtained copies of those blueprints, which should have been completely impossible.

"That's actually normal when you understand how Piltover really works. The City Council and its elected councilors are just visible puppets for public consumption. Piltover's real political power has always been concentrated in the Clan Ferros, specifically in Camille herself."

"What makes this situation even more dangerous is that she is also a covert member of Noxus' secret society known as the Black Rose. Commander Swain's recent military defeat was orchestrated from within by Black Rose operatives."

"That's exactly why Emystan was able to reach Piltover so quickly, the entire operation was coordinated by Black Rose agents working inside our government."

Cipher gripped his teacup more tightly, speaking slowly as he addressed Jayce, whose face kept shifting.

The full scope was finally becoming clear.

"Of course they want complete control of the Twin Cities. The Black Rose is trying to seize both Piltover and Zaun while we're isolated and unprotected, then fold our territories directly into the Noxian Empire."

Jayce's fury was building to a boiling point. He slammed both hands on the table again and shot to his feet.

"Whether it's the Clan Ferros or the entire Noxian Empire, Piltover is not their playground; it'll become their mass grave instead."

"I'll cooperate with you to strike back against Noxus, and I'll support your operations, but I have one condition: you must not harm innocent Piltovans under any circumstances."

"Any combat operations must avoid civilian residential areas."

With that, he turned and headed toward the exit. With Viktor's safety confirmed and his worries resolved, and as an elected councilor with sworn duties, he had to fight for Piltover's independence.

It was time to clean out Piltover's parasites once and for all.