章節 119: -117- Path
December 21st.
On the other end of Piltover and Zaun, in a distant part of the world of Runeterra.
Beyond the sea, in the mysterious East, lies a group of magical islands. These islands are brimming with untouched natural beauty and primal magic, and the aura of natural beings permeates every corner of each island.
The people scattered across these islands, seemingly influenced by the magical environment, possess a remarkable "spirituality."
Magic is not a rarity here; people and nature coexist harmoniously.
These magical islands, when assembled, are referred to by outsiders as the Ionian Archipelago.
And on the various islands, the residents formed an alliance and called themselves—Ionia.
Navori is an island on the Ionian archipelago. Understanding its relationship with Ionia is not difficult; you just need to consider Navori as the most important city of Ionia. This island is also the largest among the numerous islands that make up Ionia.
The island hosts the sanctuary of Ionia—Placidium.
People from various islands make long journeys, crossing the sea to come here for worship and study. In the magical gardens, they learn nature magic and experience the power of the spiritual realm.
However, at this moment, the sanctuary of Placidium, once harmonious and lush, is now disrupted. Blood, corpses, severed limbs, and discarded gunpowder are visible everywhere—abandoned armor and weapons.
These things should not appear on the land of Navori, indicating that Ionia has been invaded.
This invasion has been ongoing for a year now!
In the southern part of Ionia, in Navori's Weh'le, the red flag reveals the identity of the invaders.
The imperial flag and army have already set foot on this land of birth, and not long ago, they even penetrated the vital area of Ionia—Placidium.
Although the local militia has pushed them back, the Empire has firmly established itself, holding on to the occupied territories.
In the evening, General Leiden, who had just rushed from the Immortal Bastion in the eastern part of the Valoran continent, slowed his pace. He looked at the man standing in front of the military table, deep in thought and his head lowered.
Leiden swallowed his saliva, trying to remain as calm as possible.
"Men, resources, you haven't brought me anything."
The other person spoke first, but he did not raise his head. He continued studying the map on the table.
It was a map that had already been half-drawn, and Leiden looked at it. The red on the map represented the areas invaded by the Empire.
At this moment, a portion of the red had been painted over with black, indicating that the Imperial forces had been pushed back.
Upon hearing the question, Leiden quickly responded, "His Majesty the King has given orders. Swain, the Empire is about to invade Piltover, and we urgently need manpower. So, the support for your troops and supplies, which was initially planned, has been personally recalled by His Majesty."
Leiden paused for a moment and, seeing no immediate reaction, continued, "Moreover, His Majesty has commanded that three hundred soldiers from your army be dispatched on warships from here directly to the port of Piltover."
"Why?" Swain finally lifted his head, calmly looking at Leiden.
From his tone, Leiden did not detect anger but genuine inquiry, as if he were curious about an unresolved question.
"There are rumors that Piltover has magic capable of granting immortality. Upon hearing this, His Majesty immediately summoned the army, and Lord Boklan was ordered to lead a thousand men to Piltover. This is His Majesty's command; the Empire aims to capture Piltover on the first day of the new year and obtain the magic of immortality."
"But, as I mentioned before setting out, the Empire is currently in a state of exhaustion from prolonged warfare. We can no longer expand outward. Attacking Piltover now means the Empire is practically at war with the entire world."
"I wouldn't dare try to stop him...." Leiden quickly bent down, keeping eye level with Svein, and softened his tone.
The person before him, for the Empire, for victory, had nothing he wouldn't dare to do. Leiden understood this.
He had become a tyrant under Darkwill in the aristocracy of the Empire. Consequently, many people didn't want him to return alive.
Swain had offended too many people.
"I know this is not your fault," Swain said with an understanding tone rather than anger.
The brutality of Darkwill is known throughout the Empire, Swain, who had been neglected by Darkwill, was well aware of this.
There was a time when he was Darkwill's close confidant, but now Swain knew he was feared by Darkwill.
Because of them...
"When do we depart?"
"At the latest, tomorrow."
"I understand."
Swain finished speaking and walked outside the tent. Leiden quickly followed him.
"General Swain, why has the Empire stopped advancing now? I remember at the beginning, all the reports you sent back were victories." Leiden asked in confusion, "In less than three months, you invaded the heart of this land."
"Because this country is far more powerful than we imagined," Swain replied to Leiden's question. He looked at the distant hills, where several people in strange attire were watching.
Those were the people of this country.
He used his cunning to secure various lands for the Empire.
Swain, a cold-blooded yet beneficial figure for the Empire, calmly said, "Tell the King that I will prevail."
"It's very challenging. The men and resources you want, the Empire couldn't provide, and tomorrow you'll lose another three hundred capable soldiers," Leiden told him.
"Every person, when choosing a path, already knows what paths are right and what paths are wrong," Swain said, initially confusing Leiden with his words. But soon, Leiden understood.
"Most of the time, people won't choose the right path because the correct path often comes with hardships and difficulties, making it challenging to walk."
"But I will," Swain declared.
He returned to the table, lowered his head, and focused on the map, not uttering another word to Leiden.
Leiden, despite not liking Swain, saluted him in the manner of the Empire, then withdrew.
Even if he didn't like Swain, Leiden had to admit one thing:
Swain was a powerful man.
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