lol: After being blessed by the Happy Demon, I became the harem king

Page 29

Originally, they were missing an opportunity—the perfect technique to channel the anger and discontent within the Zaunites into a more intense sense of joy. But who would have thought that the alchemist barons, in order to minimize their losses, would directly unleash the smog?

These regional, painful memories generated extremely intense fluctuations in the spiritual realm, and for a being like Farn, who was half spiritual and half material, there was simply no better source of power.

Just as Caitlin was still pondering this, a voice suddenly came from afar.

“Enforcer? Ha! I know you! I saw you at the banquet! Little girl from the Gilamann family!”

54. Sisters in Confrontation

Following the sound, Caitlin saw a man wearing a coat with short blond hair and whose arms had been modified into prosthetics.

"I am the Alchemist Baron Saito Takeda! I have a partnership with your family, and you are obligated to protect me!"

Looking at the man whose face was filled with terror, Caitlin frowned slightly, and then related information came to mind.

Because of the unique nature of Piltover and Zaun, these two cities are always home to people from all regions, city-states, and countries. Takeda Saito is one of them—he claims to be from a samurai family in a distant land, who were exiled here by his ancestors.

The main industry in Zaun is arms smuggling. This involves not only smuggling weapons from Zaun to other areas, but also assisting Piltover's elite in smuggling controlled items into Zaun. It is precisely because of this that Saito Takeda has extensive connections with many families in Piltover. The Gilaman family, as one of the largest shareholders of the Piltover Guard, also has very deep ties with Saito Takeda.

Furthermore, according to Caitlin's knowledge, Saito Takeda, as the Alchemist Baron, harbors ambitions far beyond the interests of the territory he currently possesses.

Thinking this, Caitlin frowned slightly—because, just as Saito Takeda had said, as a member of the Giraman family, Caitlin had a responsibility to protect Saito Takeda's personal safety.

Especially with Takeda Saito already pleading for help—with so many law enforcement officers watching, if he ignored it, the news would quickly reach Piltover. What would the other allies of the Giramanen family think then? All those families, large and small, and forces from Zaun constantly currying favor with the Giramanen family were hoping to receive timely and effective assistance when they encountered problems.

Thinking this, although she felt dissatisfied with these weapons dealers who sold death and chaos, Caitlin's face remained calm as she said, "I understand, but what has happened? Why is Zaun suddenly in such chaos? Why has the upper echelons already spiraled out of control before we've even received any information?"

Upon hearing this, a complex expression appeared on Saito Takeda's face. Even as a member of the Alchemist Baron family, Saito Takeda found it hard to believe what had transpired in Zaun...

Just as Takeda Saito was about to say something, he suddenly heard a faint sound of water behind him. This made Takeda Saito tense up instantly.

Looking back, upon spotting a figure in the distance, Saito Takeda disregarded everything else and rushed to Caitlin and the others. Meeting the officers' puzzled gazes, he shouted excitedly, "That guy's here! That guy's here! Stop him! Stop standing around! I pay you all that money every year so you'll die for me in times like this!!"

Upon hearing Saito Takeda's words, neither Caitlin nor the other law enforcement officers could help but frown inwardly. Vi, in particular, felt a surge of disdain at Saito Takeda's panicked, rabbit-like demeanor.

"Now that Hilk has taken control of Zaun, any piece of trash can become an alchemist baron, right?"

Wei stepped out of the crowd, her face filled with disgust.

Vi doesn't know much about Zaun during the time of the Hillcopter, but she knows a lot about Zaun during the time of Vander. While Zaun back then certainly wasn't exactly known for its simple, honest people, its living conditions and the spirit of its inhabitants were quite commendable. Vi's background was relatively good; she was Vander's adopted daughter. In her spare time, she could go to the upper city to play with her friends. Even if she did something wrong, Vander would always clean up the mess. But even disregarding Vi's background, the environment in Zaun back then was much better than it is now.

Although the title of "Alchemist Baron" didn't exist back then, there were already many neighborhood bosses. Even if there were conflicts between different neighborhoods, they would unite against Lady Piltover. But now? Judging from the actions of these Alchemist Barons, Vi felt that hanging them wouldn't be a problem at all.

Upon seeing Vi, Saito Takeda paused slightly in surprise and said, "You are... Vi Ori? You're out? But that doesn't matter, Vandall is long dead. And it seems you're doing quite well, already wearing the Piltover cop's dog tag."

Saito Takeda glanced at the badge on Wei's chest, paused for a moment, then sneered, "Well, that's fine too, at least it's safer than staying in Zaun!"

As he spoke, Saito Takeda glanced behind him again. Upon noticing the figure approaching in the distance, his expression changed drastically. He quickly retreated behind the group and said, "Stop this guy right now!"

Upon hearing this, Caitlin turned around and looked behind her.

As Caitlin, dressed in a tight-fitting combat suit, slowly approached from afar, Fann greeted her with a gentle smile.

"Long time no see, Officer Caitlin."

Caitlin didn't respond immediately, but looked at Fane with suspicion before saying, "More than pleasantries, I'd like to know what's going on in Zaun right now."

"It's just about returning Zaun to the hands of the Zaunites, and then returning Zaun to where it should be." Fain seemed very casual, and then pointed to Takeda Saito behind Caitlyn and asked with a gentle expression, "As for now, can you give me that alchemist baron? This is Zaun's own business, and Piltover doesn't need to interfere."

“Baron Saito Takeda is a partner of the Piltover Council.” After hearing Farn’s words, Caitlin paused for a moment before saying, “If he has committed a crime related to Zaun, the Piltover Council will immediately begin the trial. However, you don’t need to worry that Piltover will protect criminals. We are only trying to determine whether Lady Piltover was involved to ensure the impartiality of Piltover’s justice system.”

“So.” Farn raised an eyebrow.

“So we’re taking the prisoner away,” Caitlin said calmly, “to ensure justice.”

Upon hearing this, Faen couldn't help but nod.

It's no wonder Caitlyn is the head of the Giramanen family—unlike the world of the Twin Cities anime and the previous League of Legends universes, as Faen understands it, this world incorporates many other elements. For example, Caitlyn's mother is not the head of the Giramanen family, but one of the three auditors.

The Giramanen family does not have a traditional head of household; instead, voting takes the form of a family council. Among the younger generation, work and power are allocated based on their abilities. Caitlin is the foremost member of this generation of the Giramanen family.

As things stand now, whether Caitlyn firmly refuses or chooses to compromise, it will inevitably affect the reputation of the Giramanen family and leave ammunition for criticism in Zaun. However, now the same message is being conveyed in different ways. While it's true that finding fault is easy—who can't nitpick?—there's no doubt that Caitlyn's words are quite eloquent for now. Even if something goes wrong in the end, neither Zaun nor Piltover will be able to find fault with Caitlyn.

However, there's a reason why Caitlin could say that—

“We know perfectly well that you think you have the right to say that because Piltover is behind you.” Fain glanced at Caitlin, a gentle smile on his face. “But what if I don’t care?”

Looking at Fain, whose face was still full of gentleness, Caitlin narrowed her eyes.

Caitlin knew exactly why she could say that. Similarly, Caitlin also knew that if Farn truly didn't care about the pressure from Piltover, then she and her few remaining men simply couldn't stop Farn's slaughter.

Let alone these few people, even if several more squads came, their fate wouldn't be any better than that of the Zaun thugs in the mid-level plaza.

But just as Caitlin was still thinking, a voice came from the side: "Enough, Fane, let's stop here and not escalate the conflict any further!"

She stepped out from behind Caitlyn. After noticing Vi's actions, Caitlyn nervously looked at her friend, then gestured with her eyes that Vi's identity was sensitive and that she shouldn't meddle in such matters.

But Vi, who was usually very obedient to orders, returned Caitlin's gaze with a firm, or rather stubborn look.

Then, looking at Fain, Wei said seriously, "I don't know where you're from, and I'm not interested in what your purpose is, but I know what your organization called the Winds of Change wants to do... Let's stop here and not try to go any further."

Vi said seriously, "You're not from Zaun, and you don't understand Piltover. You don't know just how terrifying a behemoth Piltover truly is. For Zaun, breaking with Piltover is never a good thing. He's just an alchemist baron; even if you captured him, it would be meaningless. Just let this matter go..."

Wei earnestly tried to persuade him—she wasn't a surrenderist. In fact, even now, if given a choice, Wei would prefer to return to Zaun, because that was his homeland.

The problem is, because of her identity, she can't go back. And having witnessed firsthand the 24/7 operation of Piltover's flying gate port, shipping docks, Hextech factories, and Hextech crystal workshops... Vi knows very well that if a conflict were to break out, it would be devastating for Zaun.

But some people don't think that way—

"My dear sister, how did you turn into such a good dog?"

55. So-called judicial fairness

Jinx stepped out from behind Fain, staring intently at Vi who had come out to stop Fain, her eyes filled with twisted madness.

"Let me see who this is? Is it my dear sister Vi Ori? No, how could this be her? After all, this guy is not only wearing the skin of a Piltover cop, but also has the tag of a Piltover cop."

Upon seeing Jinx, Vi instinctively looked away, glancing to the side as if she dared not meet Jinx's gaze.

But Vi quickly realized she couldn't continue like this, and turned her gaze firmly to Jinx, saying seriously, "Jinx, now is not the time to consider our issues! What this guy named Fain is doing will affect the entire Zaun. You don't know how powerful Piltover's industry is, but I do, and his stubbornness will completely destroy Zaun!"

"That's none of your business, you traitor from Zaun!" Jinx sneered.

"I'm not a traitor to Zaun!" Vi was enraged upon hearing this label, pointing at Jinx in front of her and gritting her teeth as she said, "I'm standing here for Zaun! And what about you? What have you done in the past? Tell me! And why are you working for the murderer who killed Vander?"

Upon hearing this, Jinx simply smiled brightly and said nonchalantly, "Yeah, I first worked for the murderer who killed Vander, and now I'm working for the murderer who's about to kill Hilko. That's Jinx for you, that's bad luck. Anyway, just like you said, I'm just a freak who brings disaster~"

Jinx still remembers the last words Vi said to her when she left her more than a decade ago.

“Of course, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Anyway, Jinx (misfortune) means Jinx.” Jinx tilted her head, completely unfazed by Vi’s verbal attack, her face filled with undisguised sarcasm and a strong sense of self-destruction.

Jinx was already used to this level of humiliation years ago, when those die-hard Vander's followers faced her. She didn't even bother to argue, because she had long accepted her identity as a freak—or rather, the fact.

Now, looking at Vi, Jinx still laughed and said, "But what about you? Vi, what are you doing? After becoming a traitor to Zaun, you still have the audacity to say that this is for Zaun? Let me guess, you're not going to come and arrest criminals from Zaun for Piltover, are you? Just like that Alchemist Baron, spouting some bullshit about justice and all that nonsense."

"You actually believe that? No way? You shouldn't believe that, right? After all, if these uptown folks really had any so-called judicial fairness, at least half of the Sungate's revenue should belong to Zaun. Why is it that the entire Sungate sluice gate and canal have nothing to do with Zaun? Is it because the people of Zaun are born outlaws, born evil Zaun brats?"

"You..." Looking at Jinx, who was only attacking and not defending, Vi, whose fists were faster than her words, was momentarily speechless. It was clear that Vi wanted to say something. But in a verbal battle, it's hard to defeat a 'shameless' person. This shamelessness wasn't about personality or behavior, but rather Jinx's current self-destructive mood, which made her completely disregard Vi's accusations, leaving Vi unsure how to respond.

Vi didn't know how to respond, but Jinx wouldn't stop her attack. Staring intently at Vi, Jinx said with a fanatical expression:

"Speak up, tell me! Or did you die of fright after witnessing Piltover's power? Did you not even have the slightest thought of resistance? Then I advise you not to be an enforcer, lest you give up resistance as soon as you encounter difficulties!"

Farn watched the two sisters exchanging words with great interest. In contrast, Caitlin's expression grew increasingly serious.

Undoubtedly, she had noticed that Jinx's relentless pursuit was having a serious impact on Vi. Watching Vi's constantly shifting expression, and seeing flashes of guilt and self-reproach in her eyes from time to time due to Jinx's self-deprecation and self-destructive tendencies, and recalling Vi's fearless protection of her during law enforcement, a strange emotion welled up within Caitlyn.

However, as the leader, Caitlyn maintained her composure and stopped Jinx's words and actions, coldly interrupting her, "Enough! Jinx! We haven't settled the score for you helping Hilko smuggle Glimmer Potions to the Upper City yet!"

"Smuggling? Ha! Don't make it sound like the Piltover police haven't taken any money!"

Jinx completely ignored Caitlyn's accusations: "And Zaun and Piltover have a good relationship, don't they? To be honest, many Zaunites consider me a hero. After all, there's no better praise than the wrath of the enemy. I've even been thinking about whether to build a super bomb, secretly aim it while you're in a meeting, and then—BOOM!!!—send it over for a barbecue for your whole family!"

When facing Caitlyn, Jinx was even less concerned, her smiling face showing that she didn't take Caitlyn's words to heart at all.

Seeing Jinx completely indifferent to her, Caitlyn realized that trying to communicate with this madwoman was just asking for trouble, so she quickly turned her attention to Fain beside her: "Speaking of which, Mr. Fain, Miss Seraphine disappeared after the concert. And according to our Piltover Police's investigation, there seems to be traces of Miss Seraphine in the lower levels of Zaun."

"As a public figure in Piltover and Zaun, I think it is necessary for you to give a precise answer."

"Salepani, she came here of her own accord, after all, her parents are both from Zaun."

As he said this, Fan clapped his hands and said, "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you, so why don't you ask her yourselves?"

With Fane's words, the Storm's Mark quickly relayed the news to Zerek and Seraphine. After receiving Fane's summons, in just a few minutes, Zerek, carrying Seraphine in a princess carry, used her E skill to slide along the steel exterior of the Alchemist Tower to the top of Zaun, a trail of sparks and lightning.

Salafine was a bit taller than Zeli, but thanks to Fain's intensive nutrition over this period, Zeli's physical condition was significantly better than before. He could handle anything, not just a young girl, but even during intimate moments at night, Fain's full-force attacks could keep him going for quite a while.

"Here she comes! Seraphine is right here!"

After putting Salafine down, Zeli came over to Fain with a grin, looking up at him for praise. Fain patted Zeli's head and then turned to Salafine, saying, "This officer suspects you were kidnapped by me. Explain yourself."

Upon hearing this, Seraphine nodded, then turned to Caitlin, whose expression was filled with surprise and uncertainty, and said with a bright smile, "Mr. Fann didn't force me; I came of my own accord. In fact, I've wanted to visit Zaun for a long time because my parents are from Zaun, and I can feel the land of Zaun calling to me."

Projecting Seraphine's words, Caitlin stared at Seraphine with some suspicion. Judging from Seraphine's expression and the light in her eyes, Caitlin could roughly determine that Seraphine's thinking hadn't been distorted by magic or drugs. And from her demeanor, there was no sign of the fanaticism or madness that comes with brainwashing.

But precisely because it seemed so normal, Caitlyn noticed something was amiss—how could Seraphine be completely unharmed in such a shitty environment as Zaun without any protection?

Thinking it over, Caitlyn asked some questions used by Piltover's security detail to determine if an interrogator was under the influence of psychotropic drugs. Seraphine, though puzzled, tried to answer. While some of her answers weren't entirely accurate, these questions weren't judged by the answers themselves, but rather by the person's reaction.

Based on Salafine's reactions throughout the process, especially her questioning and clarification of some ambiguous issues, Caitlin can be fairly certain that Salafine's mental state has not been affected.

Thinking it over, Caitlin nodded and said, "Okay, your parents have been looking for you. If possible, it's best to contact them as soon as possible. If you have any questions about staying here, I will also pass on the message to your parents if needed. If you encounter any difficulties..."

As she spoke, Caitlin glanced at Farn and the others beside her and said, "Piltworth will protect every law-abiding citizen."

"Are you done?" Farn looked at Caitlin.

After glancing at Salafine again and confirming that Salafine showed no signs of being threatened, Caitlin turned and said, "The matter concerning Miss Salafine is settled. If there are no further questions, we will leave now."

“It’s not your turn to leave yet.” Farn shook his head and looked at Caitlin in front of him. “You’ve finished asking your questions, so now it’s my turn.”

Upon hearing this, Caitlin's heart sank, but she calmly looked at Fane and asked, "What would you like to ask, Your Excellency?"

"The handling of the Alchemist Baron is an internal matter for us Zaunites. According to what you just said, the Alchemist Baron Takeda Saito has dealings with some trading families within your Piltover, and has a deep cooperation with your family. Therefore, for the sake of judicial fairness and to prevent any accidents from happening to the suspect, Miss Caitlin, please stay in Zaun with Baron Takeda Saito."

Farn said with a smile, "This is also for the sake of judicial fairness in Zaun."

56. Arresting Caitlin

Upon hearing Fan's words, Caitlin frowned slightly, quickly discerning the meaning behind Fan's words—they might not be able to leave so easily today.

Caitlin wasn't the only one who sensed Fain's meaning. Sure enough, Vi, standing nearby, also turned sharply to Fain, her face filled with disbelief, and exclaimed, "You bastard! What are you trying to do?!"

As she spoke, Vi instinctively shielded Caitlin behind her and pointed at Fain. But the next moment, Fain reached out and grabbed Vi's arm, which was clad in Atlas gloves.

Originally designed for miners, the Atlas gauntlets are as thick as an adult's waist. Their ease of use relies entirely on the abundant energy provided by the Hextech crystals, allowing the user to wield the weight without bearing it themselves. Their immense destructive power is more than capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks. In Wei's mind, these gauntlets felt like they had always been waiting for her. Wearing them, Wei felt the world was vast, and there was no place she couldn't go.

Unfortunately, this feeling was only Wei's own.

Looking at Vi, whose eyes were filled with hostility, Fain placed his hand on her. Vi immediately felt a powerful emotion surging through her. Then, she felt the Atlas gauntlet in her hand begin to heat up intensely; her arm felt like it was engulfed in flames. Instinctively, she opened her hand and flung her arm away. The Atlas gauntlet, which had been on her right arm, malfunctioned and was flung away in a blast of hot air.

"Ugh!"

Wei clutched his right arm, kneeling painfully on one knee. The skin of his strong and slender right arm was wrinkled, the flesh an unnatural reddish-brown, and the outer membrane, like a plastic tiger skin, had peeled off, emitting steam in the damp environment of Zu'an.

"Vi!!" Seeing Vi injured, Caitlyn's eyes flashed with panic. In contrast, Jinx, though silent, also showed a flicker of fear in her eyes. However, knowing her place, Jinx didn't cry out like Caitlyn; she simply glanced coldly at Vi before continuing to stand silently behind Fain.

Farn's expression remained completely unmoved by Wei's hand injury. After all, given Wei's physical condition, a burn of this severity would likely heal within a day or two.

With a calm expression, Farn said peacefully, "Your weapon is indeed very good, but unfortunately, you only know how to use it, but you don't understand it."

Upon hearing this, Vi didn't speak, but stood up after a moment of silence, arms crossed, and said, "You can't do this. Caitlin's identity is special. This will escalate the conflict between the two cities. Zaun can't afford another wave of riots!"

Farn remained silent, simply standing there. After a moment of silence, Vi took a deep breath and said, "I'll stay here. You send Caitlyn back. At least let Piltover know that Zaun has no intention of completely severing ties with them!"

"Vi!" Upon hearing Vi's words, Caitlyn frowned—she knew that at most she would only receive verbal taunts here. Born into the Giramanen family and a star enforcer of the Piltover Guard, Zaun would never dare to do anything to her unless it was a fight to the death.

However, if it were NIO, then NIO could encounter any extreme situation! And it's highly likely!

Not only Caitlyn, but Jinx also looked up after hearing Vi's words, and after a moment she chuckled sarcastically, it was unclear whether she found Vi laughable or herself laughable.

To this, Farn simply shook his head and calmly said, "Your life or death is not important to Piltover, but it's different for Caitlin."

As he said this, Farn turned his gaze to Caitlin and beckoned her affectionately, saying, "What are you all standing there for? Come on over, so as not to cause any unnecessary casualties."

Upon hearing Fane's words, Caitlin's expression shifted repeatedly. Behind Caitlin, the various law enforcement officers exchanged glances, then one of them seemed to recall something about the glory of Piltover, and subconsciously took a step forward. Although it was a simple action, it instantly drew everyone's attention in this setting.

Feeling the gazes of the crowd, the law enforcement officer swallowed hard, then forced himself to speak with some difficulty, "We are Piltover—"

Before the enforcer could finish speaking, Jinx sneered, drawing everyone's attention. Then, in everyone's sight, she walked straight in front of the man, her seemingly frail body unleashing astonishing speed and power in an instant. With just one punch, she sent the enforcer flying—Jinx may appear small, but in terms of actual strength, she is even stronger than Zeli.

The reason is simple: although Zeli has been absorbing nutrients well during this period, Jinx has been consuming large amounts of light almost every day for the past ten years.