Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

The chaos in Demacia was finally quelled by the combined efforts of the Dauntless Vanguard and the patrol guards.

Strangely, besides the eastern Shining Silver Gate, no other gates in the city saw violent clashes between the military and civilians.

It was normal for people to shout insults at the guards who had closed the gates to prevent the public from leaving. The guards had heard the rumors and were uncertain about the situation between the Winged Sisters.

Though the civilians expressed their fear and frustration by hurling insults at the soldiers, the situation did not escalate to physical violence.

Under the command of Grand Marshal Tiyana, the Dauntless Vanguard arrested 287 civilians and temporarily imprisoned them in the dungeons for trial.

Not only that, but more than twenty guards were also captured for having launched an attack on the Fearless Vanguard.

Subsequently, she issued orders for additional squads, along with elite soldiers, to lock down the entire city and conduct a thorough search for any assassins who might have attempted to assassinate the king.

King Jarvan III, Zhao Xin, Tiyana, and the recently arrived King Jarvan IV, along with Barret and Eldred, who had come leading the Mageseekers, were all puzzled by the situation.

After the Mageseekers used their special equipment to detect traces of magic, they found residual magic left behind...

It turned out that the riot was the work of mages.

However, they couldn't figure out how magic was able to take effect near the walls made of Petricite, which were supposed to block magic.

Could it really be true, as Li Lin had said, that Petricite only absorbs magic and doesn't suppress it? Perhaps it had absorbed too much magic from Morgana, reaching near saturation, and thus failed to control the magic's effects?

Before King Jarvan III could speak, Eldred began pleading with the king to grant more authority to the Mageseekers.

Even Tiyana, who often clashed with him, chose to support him this time.

After a brief moment of thought, Jarvan III decided to hold a Shield Council meeting to discuss the matter further, though he needed to address the current turmoil first.

Just as he, Barret, and King Jarvan IV were discussing that civilians and soldiers affected by magic should not be punished, Li Lin suddenly descended from the sky in full armor.

"Li Lin!"

The people present were immediately struck by surprise.

King Jarvan III, Tiyana, and Zhao Xin saw Li Lin for the first time wearing the Infinite Armor and were astonished.

A moment later, they noticed the unconscious man Li Lin was carrying—someone wearing a black robe that clearly wasn't of Demacian style, with an injured arm. Their expressions turned puzzled.

Yet, more pressing than the identity of this unknown man, they were still focused on the Winged Sisters' situation.

Li Lin casually dropped the man to the ground, and his armor instantly reverted to his usual clothes, though a large sword sheath remained on his leg—something no one seemed to notice.

Meanwhile, Eldred, who had been overseeing the Mageseeker investigation of the magical residue, caught a glimpse in their direction and noticed the unconscious man on the ground. His pupils shrank in shock.

"Li Lin, you're safe," King Jarvan III sighed in relief, his anxiety easing. "Where's Morgana? She didn't return with you?"

"What happened on your side? Is it true that Kayle returned and had a conflict with Morgana?" King Jarvan IV quickly followed up. "And what about that last pillar of light? Whose power was it? It was terrifying!"

Their questions mirrored those of Xin Zhao, Barret, and Tiyana.

"This is a long story... The Winged Sisters went back to Mount Targon," Li Lin replied, briefly pausing before adding, "The sisters need to reconcile and calm the influence of each other's powers before they can return to Demacia and offer better protection to the people."

Jarvan III let out a sigh. "I see... Well, I hope they return soon, and that the glory will be credited to the Lightshield family."

Demacia's throne did not follow a direct line of succession. If a king died without an heir, a new heir would be elected by the people and the council.

The Lightshield family wasn't originally part of the royal family; it was after King Jarvan I, the young king who was chosen by the soldiers—particularly the Crownguard family—that the family rose to the throne. Though one might die in battle, at least Jarvan III had heirs to carry on the bloodline.

The current queen had died in childbirth, leaving only Jarvan IV as the sole heir. After Jarvan IV was nearly captured by Noxus, it was only natural for Jarvan III to worry.

"Speaking of the Winged Sisters, I believe you might be more interested in him," Li Lin said, pointing to the still-unconscious figure of Jemira.

"Who is this?" King Jarvan III raised an eyebrow.

Meanwhile,Xin Zhao noticed the injury on Jemira's arm and his eyes widened in realization. "That's my attack... He's the assassin!"

"Vanguard!" Tiyana immediately barked.

At her command, two Fearless Vanguard soldiers swiftly stepped forward, expertly binding Jemira with shackles and ropes. A nearby army medic was called to treat the assassin's wound, which was relatively severe.

"You even captured an assassin!" Barret could hardly believe it.

"It was just a coincidence. My armor tracked him down. His name is Jemira Moses," Li Lin explained as he drew a blade from the sheath at his leg and showed it to them.

"This guy could turn invisible thanks to this magical blade."

Li Lin had no intention of handing over the artifact. The same-named weapon bought from the [Essence Shop] couldn't compare to the one in his hands. He still planned to use it on his exo-suit.

However, Jarvan IV was unconcerned. "As long as we catch the killer, the weapon doesn't matter," he said.

Besides, this was a magical item. If Li Lin wanted to give it to him, he was welcome to do so.

Tiyana glanced at her distant husband with an indifferent expression.

If Eldred were here, he would undoubtedly ask for the weapon and "properly secure it."

She thought sarcastically.

"Li Lin, the royal family of Demacia owes you another favor," Jarvan IV said, stepping forward and clapping Li Lin on the shoulder.

"You're too kind, Your Majesty. When Demacia is in trouble, it's only right for a friend to help," Li Lin replied with a light chuckle. "Not to mention, you've made me Duke of Demacia. I can't just stand by."

"Ha ha ha... indeed, indeed," Jarvan IV laughed heartily. "We are blessed to have you as a friend. It must be the spirits of our ancestors watching over us..."

Before he could finish, a deafening explosion echoed in the distance, followed by thick black smoke rising into the sky. The ground trembled slightly.

Jarvan IV's smile froze on his face. He immediately barked, "What now?!"

"I'll go take a look."

In the blink of an eye, Li Lin's exo-suit enveloped his body. He sheathed his blade, retracting it back into the nano-material scabbard, and activated his powerful propulsion system. With a burst of energy, he flew towards the source of the explosion.

[Based on energy readings and sensor calculations, the explosion was caused by fire-element magic.]

"I can see that for myself."

In just two or three seconds, Li Lin arrived at the explosion site, his expression turning serious.

The location of the explosion was in the northwest of the capital, near the Silvermere Mountains. Coincidentally, this was where the Mage Seeker's dark prison held high-ranking mage criminals.

Taking advantage of the fact that all the Mage Seekers had gathered in the eastern district and left the area poorly guarded, a hole had been blasted in the reinforced magic-nullifying stone walls of the prison, big enough for a person to crawl through. Ragged mages crawled out one by one.

At the front of the group was a man who appeared to be in his twenties.

His muscular torso was bare, and he wore tattered dark blue pants, barefoot. His well-defined muscles were marked with red magical runes, and his disheveled black hair fell around his face. He had the first signs of a black stubble, and around his neck was a magic-nullifying stone collar. Heavy silver cuffs, reinforced with magic-nullifying stone, encircled his arms, connected to thick, golden chains that dragged along the ground.

Li Lin narrowed his eyes, instantly recognizing the familiar appearance. It was Sylas—just like in the original timeline, he had broken out of prison.

But this time, his rebellion had come seven years earlier.

(End of Chapter)

=========================================================

DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE

SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS

PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).