Hearing Faen's question, LeBlanc's eyes flickered, but in the end, she merely nodded in silence.
After meeting Faen and returning to Noxus, the very first thing LeBlanc did—aside from investigating Faen's background—was to verify the information he provided regarding the Death's Hand Cult.
For the Black Rose, or rather, for LeBlanc, both matters were extremely important.
But if forced to choose which was more important, there was no doubt: the information regarding the Death's Hand Cult took precedence.
This could also be seen in LeBlanc's reactions.
When it came to Faen's identity, origins, and the legends of the Joy Demon, LeBlanc mostly delegated the gathering and organizing to others, only reviewing the final reports herself.
But regarding the Death's Hand Cult, LeBlanc personally took to the field.
She infiltrated the ancient underground city beneath the Immortal Bastion in Noxus, gathering intelligence within the complex passages and labyrinths that even Noxus itself knew little about.
The results she obtained left LeBlanc deeply unnerved.
Just as Faen had said, the Death's Hand Cult did indeed exist, and the entity they worshipped was precisely the nightmare LeBlanc desperately wanted to eradicate forever: Mordekaiser.
Unfortunately, the members of this cult were literally unafraid of death; they had long since offered their very souls to Mordekaiser.
This made it nearly impossible for LeBlanc to extract any useful intelligence from them...
Aside from the Death's Hand Cult, LeBlanc temporarily failed to gain any further information elsewhere.
There had been leads, but after she discovered the cult, the other clues seemed to go on high alert and completely snapped at once.
After a brief silence, a radiant smile bloomed on LeBlanc's face.
She looked at Faen and said, "Thanks to you, I have reaped quite a harvest. So, I believe it is time we began a beautiful cooperation."
"The premise of cooperation is a win-win," Faen replied with a faint smile.
"I told you, I can see fragments of the past and the future. Therefore, I know very well that the information I hold is crucial to you. In comparison... what about you?"
Hearing Faen's words, LeBlanc's eyes trembled imperceptibly.
However, shielded by her illusion magic, this lasted for less than a fraction of a second.
At least in the eyes of Shen, Usan, and the others, the mysterious masked woman's gaze remained as steady as ever from start to finish.
Only LeBlanc truly understood what Faen meant.
Just as Faen implied: now that LeBlanc knew about the Joy Demon, she asked herself, bring joy and hope to the people of other city-states?
Are you joking?
LeBlanc was a master of infiltration, subversion, sabotage, destruction, framing, and entrapment...
Take a look—was there a single "good" word in that list?
The very reason LeBlanc founded the Black Rose was to conveniently and securely acquire the world's resources and information to oppose Mordekaiser.
Even now, LeBlanc hadn't figured out what she would do after dealing with Mordekaiser—because the mental pressure Mordekaiser inflicted upon her was so immense, she didn't have the courage to think about anything else.
Under these circumstances, what did Faen need?
As a slave of the Joy Demon (in LeBlanc's eyes), what Faen needed most was the continuous production of such emotions.
But given how Noxus had developed to this point, even LeBlanc herself could only alter the nation's macro-strategy through internal micromanagement.
Boram Darkwill might be bewitched by LeBlanc, but he wasn't a total, brainless idiot.
Furthermore, even if Darkwill obeyed LeBlanc completely, an act that fundamentally negated the nation's culture would instantly put him at odds with the entire Noxian noble class, the military elite, and the citizenry.
Once Darkwill died, the Black Rose's influence wouldn't just be halved; it would suffer a loss of at least two-fifths.
And if certain domestic factions noticed the discrepancy and pursued them ruthlessly, losing more than half their power wasn't an impossibility.
Thinking of this, LeBlanc fell into a brief silence.
She knew very well that this had become an unequal transaction.
It was like a negotiation: the most important rule is to never let the other side know your bottom line.
Once your bottom line is known, you fall into total passivity at the negotiating table. Because once exposed, every subsequent exchange is no longer a simple conversation, but a further probing of that bottom line.
The problem was, sometimes even if you know the thing in front of you is shit, you have to eat it for the nutrients you desperately need.
After a short silence, LeBlanc said calmly, "The reason you told me these things is because I possess something you need, isn't it? In that case, there is nothing we cannot discuss."
"You're right, there is indeed nothing we cannot discuss," Faen nodded noncommittally, then said with absolute calm, "Get out of Ionia."
LeBlanc: "..."
Faen didn't care about LeBlanc's silence; he continued with a look of total indifference.
"I won't make it too difficult for you. I don't need you to risk Darkwill realizing the anomaly by having him order the rest of Noxus to leave Ionia.
All you need to do is clean up all the 'nails' the Black Rose has buried in Ionia. As for Swain... I have other arrangements."
Looking at LeBlanc, Faen said gently, "Once these matters are handled, I will give you new intelligence. Absolutely reliable."
Seeing Faen's gentle, calm smile, LeBlanc felt a lump of suffocating frustration in her chest that she couldn't vent.
But meeting Faen's gaze, LeBlanc—holding no cards in her hand—could only nod silently.
She turned to leave. "...May our cooperation be pleasant."
"It definitely will be," Faen replied with a smile.
At least, for Faen, it would absolutely be pleasant.
With the Black Rose—the plot engine of Runeterra—and LeBlanc—the ultimate schemer—helping him, Faen's future actions would be incredibly convenient wherever there were people in Runeterra.