Caitlyn refused to believe in dead ends. Even knowing she might hit a brick wall, she was determined to crash right through it.
Clinging to the resolve of securing a Councilor's signature to launch a lawful investigation, she hurried back home.
Meanwhile, following investigation protocols, the Enforcers very politely "invited" Levi to sit in a jail cell.
Because Piltover's administration was rather crude, they made no distinction between a detention center and a prison.
Whether they were convicts serving time or suspects awaiting investigation and trial, regardless of age, gender, or the severity of their crimes, everyone was stuffed into Stillwater Hold, located off the coast of the southern port.
Situated several kilometers away from the city, it was an isolated island surrounded by the sea on all sides. With its damp air and gloomy environment, it was certainly not a pleasant place to be.
However, Levi had the backing of House Kiramman, after all.
Caitlyn had pulled some strings in advance, so no one in the prison dared to give him a hard time.
He was assigned to a relatively spacious cell. Though dark and damp, it was at least swept reasonably clean.
"Hey, new guy—"
Because the interior of Stillwater Hold was vast, sound carried exceptionally well.
Since the inmates didn't have to work and lacked the privilege of yard time, they were trapped in their cells all day with nothing to do but stare into space, each more bored than the last.
So, the moment Levi moved in, several fellow inmates eagerly craned their necks through the bars, projecting their voices from afar to get chummy with the newcomer.
"Let's chat. What are you in for?"
"Assault," Levi answered casually.
"Tch, boring," an inmate grumbled. The only form of entertainment here was listening to stories, and the premise of Levi's tale didn't sound very interesting.
However, Levi was quite interested in hearing their stories and having a good chat.
After all, prisons were full of unique talents with a knack for storytelling. Since he had nothing but free time, he figured he might as well try to recruit some of them.
Taking the opportunity, Levi asked, "And what are you all in for?"
"Nothing much. Just killed a few dozen people back when I was a pirate," someone answered proudly.
"..."
'This kind is beyond rehabilitation. Hard pass,' he decided.
"Sigh, I just stole a motorized scooter and got sentenced to fifty years," someone lamented.
'This one seems salvageable. We can talk,' Levi thought.
"So what if I accidentally ran over a dozen people while driving away? Is it really that serious? It's not like I did it on purpose..."
"..."
'Forget rehabilitation for you too. You should just be shot.'
"I'm only in here because of that damn Piltover Council!" another person cursed vehemently.
'Pointing the finger straight at the Piltover Council right off the bat. Sounds like he has some progressive awareness. Might be worth a chat.'
"They actually had the nerve to say my slave trade was illegal and locked me up. Fuck them! I worked my ass off capturing slaves from Shurima. Do they think that's easy? When it comes down to it, they're just pissed I didn't pay them enough in bribes!"
"..."
'Fuck rehabilitation for you too. The Grandmaster at Arms should just string you up.'
After this brief exchange, Levi finally realized...
His idea of trying to recruit rehabilitative targets in prison was completely wrong.
Because those Zaunites who still had a conscience, hadn't committed severe crimes, and had the potential to become comrades were almost never locked up here.
They were either casually gunned down by Enforcers during arrest or kicked right back down to Zaun.
Thinking they could just casually slip into prison for free meals? Not a chance.
The majority of those locked up in Stillwater Hold were local Piltovan criminals.
There were Zaunites too, but they were almost exclusively heinous felons—the kind of people who were virtually impossible to rehabilitate.
Trying to find potential comrades among this scum was like panning for gold in a cesspool.
And so, as the conversation dragged on, Levi lost all interest in entertaining them.
But just then, someone else took the initiative to speak to him.
"Hey, new guy."
The speaker was actually a girl.
Her voice was young, vibrant, and strong, carrying a natural, untamed rebelliousness.
Although he couldn't see her face through the walls of the intervening cells, just hearing her voice painted a picture of a dashing, tomboyish figure.
She suddenly asked Levi, "Are you a Piltie or a Zaunite?"
"Zaunite," Levi replied.
"Then have you ever seen a girl named Powder in Zaun? Blue hair, blue eyes, really cute. She's a bit timid, but sometimes she gets really paranoid... She should be about sixteen this year."
The girl asked, her tone completely serious.
"Hahaha, Vi!" But the moment she finished speaking, a fellow inmate mockingly shouted her name.
"I swear, you're unbelievable. You ask the exact same thing every time a new guy comes in. I'm telling you, stop wasting your breath. How many years have you been locked up in here, and you're still dreaming about finding your sister?"
"If you ask me, she's been dead for a long time!"
"Shut your mouth!!" the girl named Vi growled furiously.
This was followed by the heavy thud of an iron fist—her knuckles slamming against the stone wall of her own cell. Yet, the muffled impact echoed shockingly far down the block.
'So it's her...'
Levi knew exactly who he was talking to now.
Chu Yuxun... cough, no, wait:
It was [Piltover Enforcer・Vi].
It was just that she was currently still eating prison food, far from becoming the future Piltover Enforcer and partner to Sheriff Caitlyn.
As for the "Powder" Vi had mentioned, that was naturally her younger sister, the future [Loose Cannon・Jinx].
Levi actually knew where Jinx was right now.
However...
He thought about it for a moment and decided against telling her just yet.
Because Vi was fiercely protective of her sister to an obsessive degree. If she found out Powder was still alive, her mind would be entirely consumed by questions of where her sister was, how she was doing, and how to find her. She wouldn't be able to think of anything else, nor would she listen to another word he said.
Furthermore, they were all currently locked behind bars. Even if he told Vi her sister's whereabouts, she had no way of breaking out to see her.
Not to mention, based on what Levi knew:
'Your sister is no longer the "Powder" you once knew.'
'If you rush over to see her now, I'm afraid you'll only push her further away.'
Levi sighed softly in his heart.
So, choosing his words carefully, he replied, "Sorry... I haven't seen this 'Powder' you're talking about."
"Is that so... alright!" Vi punched the wall heavily.
She let out a disappointed sigh, then asked Levi with noticeable interest, "It's been a long time since a Zaunite was brought to our cell block."
"Since you're from Zaun, can you tell me how Silco is doing these days?"
"Um... you do know who Silco is, right?"
Of course Levi knew. Every Zaunite knew Silco's name.
Because Silco was the mob godfather of Zaun, the undisputed leader currently recognized by all the Chem-Barons.
And here, one had to mention the bad blood between Vi and Silco:
Ten years ago, Zaun had organized an armed uprising under the leadership of Vander, only to be met with a bloody suppression by Piltover Enforcers on the Sun Gates Canal Bridge.
Vi and Jinx's parents had lost their lives in that failed rebellion.
Vander took in the two sisters who were orphaned by the battle. Disheartened by the defeat, he reached a compromise with the Piltover Enforcers and abandoned the path of radical armed struggle.
However, his former comrade-in-arms, Silco, was extremely dissatisfied with his policy of appeasement. Finally, about six years ago, Silco delivered a harsh critique of Vander's defeatist route—a critique delivered through force of arms.
Silco launched an armed coup, seizing the authority of Zaun's leadership from Vander's hands.
Whether this event was good or bad for Zaun was a matter for another time.
Regardless, in Vi's eyes, Silco was the murderer who killed her adoptive father Vander. He was the supervillain responsible for her friends dying young, her sister going missing, and her own imprisonment.
She hated Silco to the bone.
That was why whenever a Zaunite was thrown into prison, she always wanted to ask them how Silco was doing.
"Silco, huh..."
Levi thought for a moment, weighing his answer carefully.
"I've been working as an apprentice in Piltover for the past couple of years, so I'm not entirely sure."
"But according to the new apprentices, Silco's business has only grown larger over the last two years, and his power has expanded. Let alone in Zaun, even the Piltover Enforcers have to show his subordinates a degree of polite deference when they cross paths."
"That..." Vi cursed bitterly, "Motherfucker!"
"That scum is living better than ever... Fine, that works too. He needs to stay alive... so that when I get out, I can settle the score with him nice and slow!"
"You have a grudge against him?" Levi asked, despite already knowing the answer.
But Vi only let out a muffled grunt and fell silent.
It was obvious she had no desire to expose her scars to a stranger.
Levi, however, really wanted to chat with her a bit longer.
Seeing that Vi was ignoring him now that she had asked her questions, he pondered for a moment before feigning confusion and letting out a slow sigh.
"Why do you hate Silco so much?"
"Honestly, I actually admire him quite a bit."
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