Two in the afternoon.
The carriage sent by Piltover stopped outside Luke's villa right on time.
Everyone sat in the carriage, and before long, they set out toward the Undercity.
Piltover's buildings descended from high to low, while the Undercity was located even farther below, underground.
It was said that people had already lived there over a thousand years ago. At the same time, it had also been a mining district. As mining continued, a massive underground space gradually formed.
But as time passed, the resources in the mining district were exhausted, causing many people to leave.
Those unwilling to leave continued to remain in Zaun. Only later did Piltover begin to be built above Zaun.
Piltover faced the sunlight and was filled with a bright future. From then on, there was a distinction between Topside and the Undercity.
Soon, everyone arrived at the transfer station between the twin cities. This place could be considered Piltover's civilian district. Most people here were dressed normally, yet it was lively like a small marketplace.
Here, there was a medium-sized elevator.
From the outside, it looked like a round elevator, and the seats inside were arranged in a ring. It could directly reach the Undercity.
This was also the route most people used to go down.
This time, three councilors accompanied Luke, namely Mel, Harken, and Costin. At the same time, Jayce and Viktor were also accompanying them.
Standing inside the elevator, Jayce pulled the switch. In an instant, the elevator let out an ear-piercing buzz, and the clanking noise of machinery in motion rang out.
But it also began moving downward. After several dozen seconds, steam spread from the outside of the elevator, and it came to a steady stop amid a burst of shaking.
When the door opened, the area of the Undercity closest to Topside appeared before their eyes.
The surface of Zaun could still see sunlight, but the architectural style was already leaning toward the Undercity. Its most obvious feature was the combination of steel and glass.
This was also the border between the twin cities, with a great number of people dressed in all kinds of ways.
Standing beside a railing, one could see Zaun below. It was like an ant nest, so deep the bottom could not be seen, with complex bridges crossing and connecting with one another. As a whole, it gave off a dim green tone.
"It's so high."
Lux leaned over the railing and looked down. She had not expected there to be such a deep city beneath the surface.
At this moment, their group had already attracted quite a bit of attention. Many people from the Undercity cast looks their way. Seeing the group followed by at least twenty enforcers, they only watched from a distance.
Many gazes swept over Luke, and quite a few people had clearly realized his identity.
"Let's walk around first."
Luke had actually sensed some hostile gazes, but they were not aimed at him.
The relationship between Topside and the Undercity was not good. This time, he had also brought along so many enforcers, so it was easy for the people of the Undercity to think they had come here to cause trouble.
However, the councilors claimed it was to protect their safety, which was why they had made such a large arrangement.
"Cough, cough... I'm from the Undercity. I'll lead the way."
Viktor covered his mouth and coughed twice, then stepped forward and spoke.
"That would be perfect."
Luke looked at him and smiled. "Your complexion looks much better."
Viktor said, "Thank you for the medicine, Your Highness. I took one pill at noon and felt much more comfortable."
"As long as it works. But remember, don't take too many. One pill per day is enough. Otherwise, it will have the opposite effect."
Luke nodded indifferently and said, "Lead the way."
"All right."
And so Viktor walked in front, introducing the area to Luke and the others as they went.
"The place we're in now is the uppermost level of Zaun. It's generally called the Promenade."
"Farther down is the place known as the mid-level plaza. Cough, cough... Most Zaunites live there."
When everyone arrived at the middle level, they felt a faint mist in the air.
The smell in the air had also faintly changed.
And when they looked at the streets as a whole, compared to Piltover's clean and orderly streets, the streets of Zaun looked disorderly everywhere. Yet within that disorder, there was a certain kind of order.
There were also neighborhoods here, markets, lively streets, and quite a few small stalls.
There were also many people with different clothing and unique styles, who looked as though they came from other places.
Calling it a mixed crowd would not be an exaggeration.
Many gazes gathered on Luke's group, but very quickly, they all scattered away, clearly not wanting to disturb them.
Following the stairs of the middle district, the farther down they went, the darker the light became. Or rather, the darker the overall tone became.
The smell of industrial exhaust in the air also became more and more obvious.
Zaun relied on a large number of industrial factories to keep itself running, operating tirelessly day and night. Most of these factories belonged to various gangs. After all, the ones responsible for maintaining Zaun's order were these gangs, and each gang occupied different territory.
Between them, they maintained a delicate balance.
However, now that everyone had come down, they did not see many gang members.
At this moment, the three councilors and some of the enforcers could no longer bear the strange smell in their noses and put on air filters one after another.
This was a special mask-shaped piece of technology. As long as it was worn properly, it could automatically filter the air being inhaled.
But most air filters were produced for Zaun.
"Your Highness, please wear this."
Mel had likewise prepared air filters for Luke and the others.
Luke waved his hand and said casually, "No need. I don't really like wearing things over my mouth."
Although the air had a strange smell, it was not yet unbearable.
Lux and the others also chose not to wear them, since all of them felt that being natural was more comfortable.
Seeing that Luke did not wear one, the three councilors and the enforcers could only endure the strange smell and remove their air filters.
"Do as you please. There's no need to mind me."
Luke glanced at them, indicating that there was no need for this.
Councilor Harken squeezed out a smile. "It's all right. We also haven't been to the Undercity in a long time. This is a good chance to understand this place better."
Seeing that they insisted on doing so, Luke did not say anything more.
Viktor said at this moment, "Actually, the smell in the Undercity's air used to be even harder to endure. Because the resources here were depleted, the greenery disappeared with them. Add to that the continuous construction of factories and their day-after-day operation, and a large amount of exhaust gathered here."
"Later, once order here became unified, exhaust pipes were built, and greenery also began to be planted."
Returning to Zaun, where he had grown up, Viktor's eyes could not help showing nostalgia.
He remembered that the air had been even harder to endure when he was a child. Because of Zaun's indulgent development of unstable technologies and reckless industries, large areas of the entire city had been polluted.
His lung disease had also been contracted because of that.
Even so, he still did not hate Zaun.
In truth, ever since he went to Topside, he had rarely returned here. Looking around now, he found that there had been many changes.
If one looked around carefully, one could indeed see planted greenery steadily purifying the air of the Undercity.
Lux could not help asking, "So you've always lived in this kind of environment?"
"Yes."
As Viktor spoke, he walked forward. "For many people, this is a hometown they can't abandon. The reason they are willing to stay in this kind of environment is only because they want to improve it."
"I understand."
Lux nodded. "If Demacia became like this, I definitely wouldn't leave either."
As they talked, she noticed the indifferent expressions of the councilors and the enforcers, or rather, the way they did not seem to care. From their eyes, which were struggling to endure, she could tell they wanted to leave as soon as possible.
For a moment, she seemed to understand why the relationship between Topside and the Undercity was poor.
She thought that Topside's complete lack of concern for the Undercity was surely one of the reasons.
After all, just imagine. Both sides lived so close to one another. Yet Caitlyn, who had grown up in Piltover since childhood, had only been to Zaun once, and even then, she had only walked around the Promenade.
That alone was enough to show how unfamiliar the two cities were with each other.
Caitlyn also seemed to have some thoughts about this, though she only quietly reflected for a moment.
At this time, everyone had already walked into the city area of the middle level. Houses were built here one after another, still giving people a disorderly feeling, with no pattern to be found.
Perhaps, however, this was Zaun's pattern. Everything existed by following what had come before.
Just then, Lux noticed something. An elderly woman with white hair and a middle-aged woman, both wearing gray, dirt-resistant cloth clothes, were kneeling respectfully before a statue and praying.
The statue was a small bird-shaped figure. It had been cared for very cleanly, and one could faintly make out a trace of spirituality from it.
Judging from its appearance, it was a bird she had never seen before.
"What's that?"
Lux could not help asking curiously.
Viktor looked over there, then answered, "They are worshiping Zaun's spirit. It is said to be named Janna, the embodiment of the wind. But nowadays, not many people know of her anymore. Or rather, not many still believe in Janna."
"Oh."
Lux suddenly understood and nodded. "So she's basically a tiny backwater goddess? We have those back home too."
"..."
Viktor fell silent for a moment, suddenly not knowing how to respond.
Luke, who heard the little blonde's bold statement from the side, looked at her with a subtle gaze. He still reached out and flicked her forehead.
"What are you doing!"
Lux looked at him unhappily.
"Be careful what you say. Trouble comes from the mouth."
Luke looked at her with the expression of someone speaking from experience and advised her.
If he did not keep her in check, this girl would get beaten up sooner or later.
Putting everything else aside, he could be certain that the tiny backwater goddess the little blonde had just mentioned had definitely heard that sentence.
"Please tell me exactly which word I said was a problem!"
Lux was very unconvinced and protested, "Even if she's niche, not very popular, and doesn't have many followers, that doesn't mean I don't respect her!"
Luke's gaze as he looked at her became even more subtle, and he silently sighed in his heart.
There was no stopping her.
By now, everyone had already approached the statue, and the two worshipers from earlier had already left.
Viktor said, "I remember the original form of this statue was a bluebird. It's said that the bluebird is Janna's incarnation. Later, people used the image of the bluebird to worship her."
"Oh."
Lux nodded again. She walked forward and, after thinking for a moment, took several pieces of gummy candy from her pocket.
These candies had been made by Luke. They were originally for Annie, but Lux also liked them quite a bit and would often carry some around.
Lux placed the candies on an empty spot in front of the statue, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes with a rather sincere expression, and thought, I offer these pieces of gummy candy. I was rude in word and deed just now, so please forgive me.
After finishing the prayer, she opened her eyes and vaguely felt a light breeze brush across her face, though she did not know whether it was her imagination.
She could not help asking again, "You said Janna is the embodiment of the wind?"
Viktor nodded. "Yes. The elders often say that Janna is the goddess of wind."
This made Lux thoughtful. "If she's the embodiment of the wind, what would happen if I sensed wind intent?"
She had been learning Wind-Wielding Swordsmanship from Luke and had now trained it to a very high level.
Sensing wind intent was naturally not difficult for her. Sensing wind intent was, in truth, sensing the element of wind.
As mentioned before, without talent, one would never be able to sense the wind element in their entire life, and would never be able to enter the threshold of Wind-Wielding Swordsmanship.
Lux was thinking that if Janna was the embodiment of the wind, then what would happen if she guided wind intent?
The bold little blonde immediately tried it.
She closed her eyes again, and the aura around her body changed.
The people around her suddenly felt a faint whirlwind begin to revolve around her.
Immediately afterward, this wind grew stronger and stronger, whistling aloud. Even they could feel the wind blowing against their faces and could not help feeling surprised.
What kind of move was this?
Lux's golden hair swayed in the wind, and the wind intent around her entire body had already become very obvious.
She quietly sensed it, seemingly wanting to connect with the bluebird statue in front of her. But several seconds passed, then several more seconds passed, and not a single strange phenomenon occurred.
Then Lux gave up. She opened her eyes and exhaled. "Forget it. There's no reaction at all."
Caitlyn could not help asking, "That thing you just did was..."
Lux said, "You can understand it as a form of elemental guidance. I wanted to learn a certain swordsmanship before, so I first had to sense the existence of the wind element."
Her current understanding of wind intent in Wind-Wielding Swordsmanship was that it was elemental guidance in magic.
This made it easier to understand.
A person without magical talent naturally could not sense the element of wind, and therefore could not begin Wind-Wielding Swordsmanship.
Anyone who could sense the wind element definitely also had a certain degree of magical talent.
And magical talent was something very difficult to define. Everything depended on fate.
"Miss Crownguard is actually a mage too?"
Caitlyn was startled. She was not unfamiliar with the idea of elemental guidance.
Mages were not especially rare in the twin cities, since magic was not forbidden here. There simply were not many famous ones, and there probably were not many powerful ones either.
Before Jayce developed hextech, Piltover's attitude toward mages had also been lukewarm.
After all, everyone here played with technology. How could something as mysterious and abstract as magic be popular?
But Jayce had changed their view of magic somewhat.
At this, Lux laughed smugly. "Of course. I'm a very powerful mage, you know."
As she spoke, she raised one finger, and a beautiful glow immediately lit up at her fingertip. Then she casually tossed it upward. A ball of light hung high above them, radiating soft light in every direction, making the surroundings much clearer and also drawing quite a few people out to watch.
Lux waved her little hand at just the right moment, and the ball of light immediately dissipated.
"That's amazing."
Caitlyn exclaimed in admiration.
This was the first time she had ever been so close to a mage.
She simply felt that it was impressive, but the councilors did not think so simply.
They looked at Lux, who had casually revealed a trick, and had not expected this young lady of House Crownguard to be a light mage. Judging by how casually she had released magic, she clearly was not weak.
Clearly, none of the people who had come to Piltover with this prince were simple.
"Go play somewhere else."
Luke stepped forward and pushed aside the little blonde, who loved showing off. In front of the bluebird statue, he likewise clasped his hands and entered a praying posture.
However, he had nothing he wanted to say. He merely closed his eyes and bowed slightly.
Lux, as the bigger person, did not stoop to his level and only snorted at this.
If she got angry at this guy all day, she would die of rage sooner or later.
With Luke taking the lead, the others also came before the statue one after another and worshiped it seriously, more or less offering a few tributes as well.
After finishing all this, they continued forward and resumed sightseeing in the Undercity.
After they left, a faint breeze blew past the bluebird statue, and the offerings before it suddenly vanished in a strange way.
In midair, a phantom invisible to others appeared.
It was a woman who looked like a fairy. She curiously tore open the candy bag, then tossed a gummy candy into her mouth and chewed. Her eyes immediately lit up.
Tart, sweet, and soft. How could there be candy this delicious?
"So stingy. He looks like the one in charge, but in the end, he couldn't even bring himself to take out a single offering."
As she chewed the candy, she watched the departing group and muttered a couple of times.
After eating one piece, she tossed another into her mouth, narrowed her eyes, and said with satisfaction, "For the sake of these candies, I'll forgive you for calling me a tiny backwater goddess."
"Still, that blonde girl has such strong magic power. And it seems there's also someone incredible here."
She murmured to herself, her gaze falling on the blonde girl and the stingy man beside her as she thought deeply.
From the two of them, she had also sensed a rather intimate feeling.
Perhaps it was because she was the embodiment of wind, and they happened to have gained a certain affinity with the wind element through some method.
She glanced over the others a few more times, and her gaze settled on one of them. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
But soon, she withdrew her gaze, tossed another candy into her mouth, and could not help sighing. "Sigh. When will I be able to return to the old days when I never had to worry about food or drink?"
Her figure gradually faded as she thought back to the glory she once had.
Back then, countless offerings were presented to her every day. She could eat whatever she wanted.
Now, she only received a wave of offerings every so often, and it seemed that fewer and fewer people knew about her.
Perhaps in another thirty or fifty years, she would completely disappear from this world.
"Maybe... I need to think of a way."
As her words fell, her figure had already gradually vanished.
Recently, the time she could manifest in the mortal world had grown shorter and shorter. Perhaps when the faith of the people completely disappeared, she would scatter without form like the passing wind.
Luke and the others arrived at the last area of the middle level. Along the way, they did not see anything especially novel again.
"As for the lower levels, I think there's no need to go there."
Viktor spoke at this moment. "There's nothing there worth seeing, and the environment is more or less the same."
Hearing this, Luke nodded. "Then we'll stop here. Let's go back."
As soon as he finished speaking, the councilors and the others behind him could not help breathing a sigh of relief.
They were finally leaving this place. If they had to stay in this environment for even a few more seconds, they suspected they might suffocate to death.
And so everyone began the return journey.
When they passed by the bluebird statue again, they discovered that all the offerings on it had disappeared.
"Something's wrong. Something is seriously a little wrong."
Lux suspiciously examined the statue, but in the end, she could not find anything questionable.
Viktor thought for a moment and said, "They were probably taken by nearby children to eat. Some of the people in the Undercity live rather difficult lives."
In truth, it was not just some people. If one went back several decades, it was the vast majority.
It seemed that this was the only possibility.
"Let's go."
Lux did not pay too much attention to it either.
Everyone returned all the way back, and soon they arrived at the place where they would take the elevator.
Once they reached this place, the air quality had clearly changed. Everyone sat in the elevator and returned to Piltover.
Meanwhile, on a high platform in the distance of the Promenade, a blue-haired girl was looking toward the elevator with a telescope. "They're leaving already?"
She lowered the telescope, and her eyes flickered with intrigued light.
She had gone to specifically learn about that prince and discovered that he really did seem to have quite the background.
That made her deeply interested.
However, Silco had repeatedly emphasized that she was not to provoke this prince, leaving her somewhat conflicted.
"Listen? Or don't listen?"
She sat cross-legged and asked and answered herself. "First, you need to understand one question, Jinx. Are you an obedient little baby? Obviously not."
As she said that, she already had an answer in her heart, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
Next, she would find something interesting to do!
On the other side.
Inside the office.
Silco looked at Sevika in front of him and nodded. "So, they've already left?"
"Yeah. They left the Undercity about ten minutes ago."
Sevika sat on the sofa, lit a cigar, took a puff, and said disdainfully, "Those people really treat us like servants. When that chief enforcer came to pass along the message, the look on his face almost made me unable to resist punching him."
"Their condescension didn't start today or yesterday. If you still can't get used to it, you'll only anger yourself."
Silco spoke calmly.
Sevika exhaled a mouthful of smoke and said fiercely, "Sooner or later, they'll regret it."
Silco smiled faintly and asked, "Where is Jinx? Did you see her?"
Sevika chuckled. "Who knows where that crazy girl runs off to all day? As long as she doesn't cause trouble, she can go anywhere."
"All right. Reduce the resentment between the two of you."
Silco was already used to hearing these complaining words. He said, "Go notify the gang members hiding in the lower levels to come back. Zaun can resume its usual operations."
"Yeah."
Sevika nodded, pressed the cigar in her hand into the ashtray to extinguish it, and then walked outside.
After she left, Silco slowly cut a cigar, lit it, and began smoking.
His deep gaze flickered slightly. Amid the curling smoke, he turned his chair, his eyes looking outside.
What those people had seen was not the true Zaun. The true Zaun was several times worse than what they had seen.
But just that much had already been unbearable to those finely dressed important people.
Still, that was fine.
The more dim and insignificant Zaun seemed in their eyes, the more Silco looked forward to their expressions when the day came that they stood on opposite sides.
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