Confirming that Ezreal and Lux entered the city to find out the news was a rare opportunity for the two to be alone after the formation of the adventure team, perhaps because of the long-term relationship between them over the past few months, which made Lux's mood change a little after Ezer. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Just when it was easier to be sentimental in the interlaced shadows under the undulating mountain walls, Ezreal's abrupt question rippled in the thoughts of the girl he didn't understand: "Ah... After... About what? ”

Ezreal, who did not relax his observation of his surroundings even when he spoke, unfortunately failed to see the wonderful facial expression of the girl beside him at that moment, and after being silent for a while, he finally spoke again after making up his mind: "Noxus has been silent Chen Bing Zuan, maybe our plans are really going to change." ”

"Huh? Okay, I see... Indeed, since the empire has reached out to Zu'an, there is no reason why the Iron Ridge Pass should not be heavily guarded......"

"Huh? Yes, after entering the castle for a while, you should be able to learn about the current situation of the mountain pass. Ezreal sensed that the girl didn't understand what he meant, and casually brought up the topic of the itinerary, and turned back and said in a deep voice, "Lux, what do you think now...... Are the Noxians still targeting Demacia? ”

“……”

In fact, when it comes to political negotiations and military purposes, Lux, as a member of the Crownguard family, should be far more sensitive than a half-tone archaeologist or 'explorer'.

The problem is that she, who is tasked with the task of focusing on Ambassador's Day, habitually thinks from the perspective of the victim of the Noxus Empire's military operation, so when she is just faced with the new changes in the situation on the mainland, she does not immediately adjust her brain that is affected by habitual thinking.

Although she traveled to several countries at a young age, she was actually just a genius magical girl who chased ducks to the shelves, and she hadn't even held a coming-of-age ceremony.

After several days of 'heaven and man at war' in her mind, Ezreal reminded her that Lux took advantage of the gap in the undulating mountain wall to look at the gray mist and distort the city of technology in silence as she advanced.

"Izawa, what do you want to say?" After briefly clearing up the situation on the continent that she had seen along the way, Lux's eyes regained a light and she decided to listen to the advice of her own guide, who was not a simple guide.

"Lux, do you remember Congressman Giancarlo's wild conjectures?" Ezreal, who was finally embroiled in complicated political affairs, led the girl's mind beyond the channel.

"Yes?"

"After the welcome party of the legations that night, I was going to talk to you about the route of the return journey, but my father sent Cosimo to call me to the study, and he again mentioned the crazy conjecture of Mr. Giancarlo...... "Listening to Ezreal's disguised explanation of why he did not return to the team after the party, even though she was thinking about business, the girl's face still flashed a little red, and the unhappiness she had had in her heart for this disappeared.

"Even if they all say it, I don't know if I should believe it...... You know I didn't like these political issues, and I thought that some of my father's words were trying to persuade me to participate in the political process of Piltover. But now it seems that he is right, we can't stay out of the equation about something that concerns everyone......"

Ezreal's words were a little deeper, and as a companion who knew him better, a look of surprise crept up uncontrollably on Lux's face.

"We... Are we talking about Noxus? Izawa. ”

"Yes, Lux. Noxus, of course, and if this once stubborn empire hadn't taken a major military operation against the Federation this time, I think we'd all be in big trouble. Use force against Ionia, seal the straits to prevent reinforcements from other city-states, use the resources looted from Ionia to attack the Federation, and finally restore the glory of the Shurima dynasty dominating the whole world......"

"However, the Empire will face tremendous resistance from the Federation and the city-states! Piltover, Bandle City, Bilgewater, Zu... Ann..."

Lux didn't expect her fellow explorers to think so far ahead, and the tactics she might have said were true, so she disagreed with intense surprise.

Ezreal also quickly swept the city that was getting closer and closer below by the undulating mountain wall, and said in a low tone, "Yes, Zaun......"

"If Zaun votes in favor of annexing the progressive city, the only resistance the empire will have to face in the short term will come from the Federation." Ezreal, who turned his head to look at his companion, shook his head and continued: "The yodelers are different from us, they don't really care what happens to the human world, and the empire can keep Bandel City still with the blockade of Mogro Pass with just a few words. ”

"And the weaker Bilgewater, facing the more powerful Imperial Navy with the help of the Zaun, they should consider how to avoid burning the flames of war on the archipelago." Recalling Capet's 'alarmist' dissection of the situation on the continent that night, Ezreal, who saw that the Noxian soldiers had arrived at the gates of the progressive city, described to Lux a possibility that no one had seriously considered.

This was not the time of the Shurima Dynasty, when the magicians had more powerful powers, close to the strength of the demigods, they were able to create many strange devices, so that information could be quickly transmitted from one corner of the continent to another, so that even ordinary councilors in the dynasty could have the most intuitive understanding of the situation on the entire continent.

Now in the 'post-rune era', where they have lost their former power and are divided and strife, the so-called mages are more like the warlocks of the 'rune age' - a profession that simply studies how to use spells better to fight.

And the vast majority of 'councilors' or aristocrats who have assumed the role of 'councilors', due to the backwardness of the means of communication, are more and more like ********** think that nothing has happened in the outside world as long as they don't know what is going on in the outside world - the best representative of this kind of people is the ancient kingdom that is 'beyond the continent' and immersed in the fantasy of seeking immortals and asking questions.

"No, Izawa, don't let your conjectures defeat you. That day, the white-haired Zaun made me understand that any force that wanted to conquer the city had to defeat these Zuans with pride in their hearts. ”

Lux was glad that Ezreal's words had broadened her mind, but the girl from the Crownguard family was not accustomed to blindly following other people's opinions, and she always had reservations about it without real evidence to back it up.

"You mean that skinny-mouthed city guy boy?"

"Hey, Izawa, you're not that old, why do you call others that?"

"I'll ......" Seeing that Lux was unwilling to continue discussing the 'crazy' conjecture, Ezreal also pushed the boat to change the topic, and only then did he start, so he pulled Lux into the shadows under the mountain wall with a solemn expression and whispered: "Shh~"

"It's a Noxian patrol."

Looking at the neat queue of several 'adventurers' on the mountain road below, searching and passing with heavy equipment, Lux quietly pulled out his wrist from the other party's hand and said in a condensed voice.

"Maybe it's not aimed at us, and it's more likely that it deliberately lures the enemy with such a posture, the old trick of the empire~ Come on, the terrain here is not so steep, let's try to go another way."

The mountainous area where the Noxus Patrol haunts is close to the outskirts of Zaun City, and the nearby terrain is difficult for the experienced 'explorer' Ezreal, whose only concern is how to find a suitable place for Lux to climb up and down.

After a thrilling journey, the two returned to the control of the Noxian army, which patrolled the outskirts of the city in silence as adventurers.

Upon entering the empty suburbs outside of Zaun, the disguised Noxian soldiers were almost nowhere to be seen, except for ordinary Zaun paple people roaming freely through the garbage heaps, trying to find something useful that could be exchanged for a not-so-rich dinner.

Ezreal, who tried to blend in with the crowd around him so as not to be easily exposed, saw an opportunity when no one was paying attention, turned his head closer to Lux and whispered, "Maybe you're right." The Noxians did not leave the city in the open. ”

It's just that Ezreal's somewhat frivolous actions are exchanged for a fierce look from Lux. This guy, this kind of fake public and private behavior has become more and more frequent recently, which is really excessive.

It's a pity that since arriving in Piltover, Ezreal's cheeky growth rate has tended to grow faster, and even though he was warned by the girl with various eyes, he still maintained this kind of closeness, repeatedly challenging the bottom limit of Lux.

Soon, the two of them became somewhat addicted to the pleasure of 'fighting with people', and reduced their perception of their surroundings.

They were walking on a fork in the city at the moment, and at most two more bends could leave the factories and laboratories lined up in the suburbs, when suddenly a somewhat obscene greeting sounded at the side crossing: "Two ~ very eye-catching ~ Do you want to bring some souvenirs when you come to Zu'an for the first time?" ”

Ezreal and Lux, pulled back to reality by the voice, looked at each other awkwardly before turning their attention to the trail at the same time.

In this case, Ezreal, who is usually experienced in adventure, stepped forward, and after confirming that there was no problem, he walked up to the lewd man who greeted them, and said in the tone of an adventurer: "It's a pity that this is not the first time we have come, although we don't often come to Zuan to look for work, but we also like the 'specialty' here, how is the business today?" ”

After hearing the 'explorer's answer, the lewd man's expression of disappointment was overflowing, he carefully looked at the two guys in front of him who were obviously not dressed in Zu'an style, and then shook his head in a cold tone: "Few adventure teams enter the city at this time, come with me." ”

For the vast majority of people in Zaun, they are proud of themselves and the city.

This pride probably comes from the fact that they have the right to do whatever they want in Zaun, even to the point of covering the city center with all kinds of polluting substances like an iron curtain, so that in this city where you can't see the morning sun in the morning, the freedom is far greater than that of the pirates' comfort nest Bilgewater.

Because of this freedom, the streets of Zaun are crowded like beehives with labs, factory owners, and poor people, dwarfing even the winding roads of Old Noxus.

This location has been exploited by many people who do not have a proper livelihood, and through the chaotic paths that connect almost all the laboratories and factories, many things that are considered contraband by other city administrators have appeared in all corners of Zaun. Of course, there are also some merchants who sell strange goods - if you do know the goods, in general, as long as they are profitable, there is basically nothing that cannot be bought in Zaun.

The one who greeted Izawa and the others just now was a broker hired by the merchant who sold contraband on this path.

This guy who thinks he sees people very accurately, at first thought that the two people who flirted on the street were the 'fat sheep' who came to Zu'an for the first time, this kind of thing is not often encountered, but as long as he encounters it once, he can get a lot of income.

As a result, as soon as the 'explorer' who knew this thing opened his mouth, it was like cold water poured on this guy's head.

Compared with his own slaughter of the 'fat sheep' with worthless things, the commission for introducing the adventurer who must be compared to the money to the guys in the alley is much less, so the change in the lewd man's expression is so obvious.

Walking into the path with the necessary vigilance, Ezreal turned her head and quickly made a smug expression at Lux, and the girl holding the staff had to take a sip of disgust.

Boom!

Not long after entering the alley, the broker, who saw that he had no chance to take advantage of it, walked into a false door with two guests who were not easy to mess with.

Luck was in luck for Izawa, it seemed to be a small bazaar, with merchants selling rare items and stalls selling contraband - although his demand for these things was much lower now, he could also pick and choose, what if he missed it? He was not willing to pass up any opportunity to make a fortune.

Unlike the 'sloppy explorer' who picks and chooses to pick up treasures, Ezreal is always wearing an expedition jacket, and if she wants to disguise herself as a mercenary, she only needs to roll a few more times on the mountain road, and Lux is not very satisfied with her current dress, although the cloak on her body is considered to be successfully worn, but she does not dare to reveal it easily, because the delicate magic armor hidden under the cloak is the ubiquitous spy of Noxus.

Lux needs to procure some camouflage materials here, and then cover up the traces of Demacia on her body.

After some painstaking bargaining, Izawa and the others left the 'secret shop' with a large bag of goods, and he was forced to increase the amount of camouflage materials he bought for two other non-existent companions on top of the camouflage materials purchased by Lux - a four-person adventure team was normal, and a team of two was relatively eye-catching.

"Let's go, go back and bring things to Kenta and Vito."

Ezreal, who was outside the door, deliberately greeted Lux in a voice that could be heard by the people inside, and then took the lead to walk outside.

Followed by Lux, who didn't understand very well, but wisely didn't speak, in the past, she had tried to bypass this heavily polluted city from the official road, and it was the first time she had observed it so closely.

Soon, the 'explorer' who took Lux around in circles in another lane told her what basic consciousness she needed to survive in this too 'free' city.

"Why follow us?"

"Hold... Sorry, I was trying to... Maybe you still have something you need to buy, so ......"

"What to do? Mistress Vito definitely doesn't like the ...... we go back with this tail," Ezreal took a serious look at the broker who was unwilling to take a small commission, and asked his companion for advice.

It was a new learning, and Lux, with her staff under her cloak, stood by and looked at Ezreal with a strange look, showing her a different world from what was taught at school.

.