Battle of the Two Cities: Begins with the Mage

The Temptation of Meredith...

Seraphine was fortunate enough to see that empty space when she helped Madam Syndra get the Soul Scroll.

There are some differences in the appearance of the four soul scrolls, but because of her talent, she can clearly feel the soul in the magic book.

Although... she couldn't hear anything from it.

But, every soul has its own unique smell...

And the soul in the magic book made her feel like her own teacher.

Facing the curious eyes of his apprentice, Ryan tapped his chin and agreed with her idea:

"As early as ten years ago, I gave the seductive scroll to Laxana."

That's what happened when he traveled to Demacia.

Laxana back then...

Younger than the current Seraphine, her splendid blond hair was combed into two strands on either side of her cheeks, like the bright little flowers blooming on the snow-covered grass in winter. At that time, she was still living in Miyin City, and did not go to the Crown Guard's home in Xiongdu.

At that time, Ryan's magic had not been exposed. The two stood on the Xiongyan Bridge, listening to the blue water before and after Tao, and the ships entering the port had already put up their sails. The view on the bridge was very wide, and even sailors could be seen The sound of busyness on the deck.

The shadow of the sun slanted westward, and Ryan and Laxana had a pleasant exchange.

Without hesitation, of all the Demacians he spoke to, Laxana was the kindest and most gifted.

Under her leadership, Demacia will be a glorious country.

And spending more than ten years planning a country is not a long thing for Ryan.

At that time, he also needed time to grow.

But unfortunately, his magic was exposed, and he was rounded up and expelled by the seekers.

After staying in Secret Silver City for a while, he chose to leave.

And the magic book was found by Laxana by chance and took him with him half a year after he left, as he expected.

Unfortunately, he finally joined Noxus, and his previous plan turned into another direction.

"Ten years... so early, then she should be my senior sister." Seraphine whispered.

Demacia's most gifted future is a student of Noxus Trifali's Chancellor.

With this unfolding, she was really looking forward to the day when Laxana and Demacia knew the truth.

"She really called me teacher later than you." Ryan said with a smile.

"Then she is also my senior sister." Seraphine muttered even more quietly, but unexpectedly revealed firmness.

What magic talent is second, it is definitely a lie to children!

When she was 20, she didn't think she could be better than Laxana.

Also, why do Demacians feel that her threat is far greater than that of Laxana, who is worthy of being called 'the country'?

Now... she just wants to grow up carefree, make the world peaceful as much as possible, and sing a beautiful tune.

Ryan seemed to know what Seraphine was thinking, and said in a serious tone:

"Seraphine, you are born with different talents, and your talents are unique among human beings."

"I don't think I have such a talent." Under the praise of the teacher, Seraphine's cheeks flushed.

She is not the uninformed child. Along the way, whether in the academy or elsewhere, she has seen so many mages, and none of them are less talented than her.

Whether it is the two teachers or Laxana, the talents are among the best.

Not even Annie, Rael...even Silas who followed Laxana, she didn't feel like she was stronger than them.

However, diligence and famous teachers have allowed her to grow faster.

As for rune magic...

She learns with a sense of frustration. In this respect, she is far inferior to Annie and the others. She learns the theory quickly, but it is very complicated to perform.

"You're only 14 years old this year, and I didn't even wake up to magic when I was 14."

Ryan shook his head slightly, and he could see Seraphine's recent studies at a glance.

Seraphine's recent shift of focus to teaching and politics between the two nations is not a good sign.

"Are you worried about rune magic?"

"I'm not gifted at this." Seraphine cupped her head in distress.

She had sworn that she had promised her two teachers that Demacia and her party would definitely break through to the hero level.

But along the way from Noxus, not only did she not make a breakthrough, but she was even more confused.

She can talk and laugh with yordles, she can confuse Laxana with her words and make her change color, she can deal with the eight officials of Demacia with a level-headed attitude...

But all of this is not what she wants.

All along, she never has to worry about her personal achievements...

Seraphine, look at this name, apprentice of Councilor Ryan Meredith of Trifaris, apprentice of the godlike mage Lady Syndra.

These eye-popping suffixes alone are doomed to her extraordinary future.

But she really didn't feel that she was worthy of the titles brought by the two teachers, such as Ms. Laksana, who was like a child who showed off under the protection of her parents.

Not to mention, she didn't even feel that she was gifted in the magical path of the two teachers.

"Your talent is not here. Rune magic is the magic path that Syndra and I created together. This is our path." Ryan sat on the reclining chair by the window and enlightened her.

"But both you and Ms. Syndra believe that this is the way to get to the end."

"It's not the only way." Ryan waved his hand, "it's the only way that is firm for us, and it doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. Xiaosa, you are only one step away from being a hero, and your problem is In me and Syndra's influence on you."

Seraphine was not suited to his runic magic path, and neither was Laxanna.

The charm of rune magic is that knowledge can help strength grow, and knowledge is the best teacher.

But not everyone and mages are good at seeking knowledge, and not everyone has a supreme pursuit of strength.

Relying on the infinite thirst for knowledge and studying the mysteries of runes, strength can be exchanged.

But the greatest talent of Seraphine and Laxana is the heart that is different from others, the charm that can influence others all the time.

And providing them with knowledge is just to make their follow-up path easier.

The path of magic has always been the assistance of the two of them, not the path they really want to pursue.

"Is the teacher's influence..." Seraphine looked thoughtful.

This trip to Demacia actually gave her a deeper understanding.

From Piltover, he went to Noxus to study, and visited Demacia as a messenger.

In just a few short years, she seems to have experienced countless things.

Whenever her footprints landed in one place, the voice of everyone's soul rushed to her ears like a rising tide.

She could hear the cries of their hearts, the desires they craved.

Kindness, guilt, enthusiasm, glory, arrogance, darkness...

It is these things that make up a collective called human beings.

Whether it was her singing that changed the world or persuading others, it seemed too one-sided.

She, it seemed, was always missing something she really wanted.

She seemed to be looking for something.

This kind of thing is not the knowledge that the two teachers have given her, nor is it her achievements as a mentor to teach students, nor is it the pride of Noxus.

Ryan saw Seraphine raise her head, her eyes slowly brightened, knowing that the other party was only one step away from the answer.

The reason why people above mortals are called "heroes" is not because they have stronger and unmatched power.

Rather...

"Teacher, maybe I understand!" Seraphine took a deep breath.

Ryan looked at her gently: "Tell me what you think."

"I'm missing the most important thing, which is myself... I'm lost these days in Demacia."

"The expectations of the teacher, the goals of the empire, and the education of the academy are all closely related to me, and I have learned a lot from them, but I only play a participatory role."

"Then what do you want?" Ryan nodded with approval and asked further.

Seraphine had a bright smile on her face, and she bowed slightly to Ryan:

"Teacher, my name is Seraphine! I want the world to hear my voice and tell everyone that I'm Seraphine!"

The moment Seraphine finished speaking, she let out a long sigh, as if her whole soul had relaxed.

It was as if some tightly bound shackles were quietly loosened.

Suddenly, she found her own future path, and clearly realized that...

Faith...is the key to a hero!

As if it had come naturally, the voices in her ears became clearer, and she could gradually hear more voices that she couldn't hear before.

At the same time, her temperament has quietly changed, and as long as people's eyes pay attention to her, they will hear the voice she conveys, and the voice will go straight into the soul of the other party and tell the other party...

She is Seraphine.

With a smile in his eyes, Ryan stood up and walked to the window, overlooking the crowd flowing below, and muttered in a low voice:

"Seraphine... move to the beat of your own music. In the near future, you and Laxana will be Noxus and Demacia the brightest light in the shadows, dispelling everyone's hearts. of darkness."

Demacia, just an appetizer on the rise of Noxus.

Their real enemy is coming.

Although it is only a small test, it will be a drastic change for the entire Runeterra.

In the room, the voices of master and apprentice talking and discussing rang again, intermittently, and when the sun rose to the highest point, they walked out of the door together.

The environment in the corridor was not quiet. There were two people standing opposite each other on the white stone floor. One of them was wearing the same white robe as Ryan, and there was a silver-striped badger embroidered on his left shoulder.

That's Grinston O'Neill.

At this time, he was bending down his tall back and doing a Demacian manner of respecting his teacher, and the object was Ziben, who was not half his age.

This scene made others look quite strange.

But Ziben didn't seem to think there was a problem, and was still talking about something.

When he sensed Ryan's sight, he stopped his desire to output, scratched the back of his head and looked over embarrassedly, and bowed.

"Your Majesty, good noon!"

"Your Majesty, you're out." Grinston also turned around with a somewhat embarrassed look on his face.

Called 'Your Excellency' in front of outsiders, and 'Your Majesty' in private, this was the order given by his grandfather.

Moreover, he now understands the reason why His Majesty Ryan brought him here.

Ziben, an existence that amazes him so much that he can even be regarded as a teacher regardless of his age.

He gave a very easy answer to the question that Ryan just mentioned at the market.

People are chasing profits, even if they are not big families and do not have very powerful forces, but because they are in charge of people's livelihood, they can do a lot of twists and turns.

The interests of Demacians must be safeguarded.

In the previous Gladstone's view, this sentence is to cut the income of the nobles and keep the country, nobles and commoners in balance.

But after being instructed by Mr. Ziben, he completely understood.

His Royal Highness Ryan is not to ensure that the citizens of Demacia get their due, but to keep them passionate about a better life in the future.

But in this, it is necessary to give them real benefits.

When Ziben said this just now, Gladstone expressed disdain.

There is no benefit where there is no compensation. Demacians can hardly afford vegetables. When the livestock they raise are almost sold, the price of meat will usher in a surge.

It was Ziben's words that woke him up.

"What the people want is a hope, a hope, not real alcohol and meat."

Immediately afterwards, Ziben used some examples and operations to make him gradually stunned.

No matter how much the price of meat and vegetables rises, Demacia cannot afford to eat.

Since food and clothing are not a problem, the conflict of interests can be transferred.

For example... the farmers who grow vegetables and the herdsmen who raise cattle and sheep also need money, so they increase the price.

As for what the Trefary Gold Coins were used for, of course, they were used to build better and bigger houses, educate their children better, buy more beautiful and practical mechanical cars, or other machinery from Noxus.

So the question is, it takes money to do all these things, where do the people at the bottom of Demacia get so much money.

Gladstone humbly asked this question, and Ziben also gave the answer.

Borrow!

It's a good tradition that the O'Neills often hand out aid to Demacians, and they pay them back quickly.

With a little improvement, it can evolve into a Demacian who lends a sum of money in O'Neill or Noxus Bank to buy and improve their lives, and finally repay them in installments.

This amount has a lot of interest, but the Demacians don't think there is any problem with it. It's not their own thing. Borrowing it always has to pay a price.

Demacians are of high moral character, and for them, paying debts is a matter of course.

As for how to promote excessive consumption, that is something that the nobles need to consider.

In the future, Demacians will only need to pay an initial savings, and subsequent payments can be borrowed.

Of course, banks and nobles will judge whether to borrow, or for how long, based on Demacian assets and income assessments, and will use the purchase as collateral.

In Ziben's vision, that initial savings is the cost of the purchase.

For example, building a house... Noxus has developed a lot of new building materials, Piltover is good at design, northeast of Noxus - across the narrow moon sea, bordering Ionia Parts - with good wood and bonsai.

Under various combinations, the cost is not too high.

Of course, the building of Demacia's houses is entirely the responsibility of the nobles here, who can cut costs and make profits from it.

Noxus will only charge part of the material interest, and the bank will only charge the interest part, and the pricing of housing construction and sales depends on the nobles.

Nobles collect money, Noxus collects interest, Demacians spend money to improve their lives, and work harder because of debt.

Everything is so perfect.

Gladstone felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

As long as they continue to benefit the Demacians and create consumer goods for them, they will have endless motivation to work hard.

The impact of Noxian wares on Demacians is palpable.

Even if it is extremely unpalatable wasteland beef and mutton, most Demacians want to try it if they don't have money.

In their eyes, things from Noxus are not only rare, but definitely high-end goods.

Otherwise, why would it be so expensive?

Good things are not cheap, this is the eternal truth.

Gladstone spoke of the excitement he'd learned from Zbona, and assured the Onions family that Demacia would be managed well.

But while chatting, Seraphine looked at her student strangely.

She never thought that a small magic department could produce a character like Ziben, who could make people lame at such a young age.

There is a question, through Ziben's voice, she also learned.

That is...

When the Demacians came to their senses... how did they get their anger out?

In other words, what should I do when the reward for hard work is not enough to pay the loan?

Demacians are embarrassed not to repay the bank's loan, if you please.

Buying goods and imported goods, clearly marked prices ~ www.readwn.com ~ can not blame anyone.

So... who is exploiting them... who is underpaying them?

Ziben met Seraphine's eyes, spread out his hands, his face full of innocence.

At that time, whether it is the Crown Guard family or the Light Shield family in power, people will be hung on the street lamps from the beginning of the small nobles, which has nothing to do with him and the empire.

When the time comes, a new batch of nobles will be replaced with new and pretty packaging for other commodities, and it will be a new Demacia...

All of this is the internal affairs of Demacia, and has nothing to do with the empire.

Noxus has deep pockets and gives jobs that are definitely much better than those offered by the local nobility.

Moreover, as an ally, the loan is provided with the utmost benevolence and righteousness. You can't help but pay it back. The interest and repayment date are all agreed, and Demacians can't do anything to break the contract.

So at the end of the day, it's all just inside Demacia.

Empire is always a symbol of justice!