First, take down the Sword Demon, then save Runeterra.

"This……"

Aatrox finally understood that he was talking about his experience of being sealed in the weapon, which was also the reason for his madness and his desire for death!

"After the last of Empress Setaka's bloodline fell, we indeed could not restrain our ambitions and divided up the empire's territory..."

"But so what if our spirits are corrupted by the Void? It's better for the Darkin to fall into mutual slaughter than for the Protoss to create a bunch of insane monsters!"

"Even if I encountered you, even if the scabbard suppressed the corruption within me, my desire for death has never changed."

After Aatrox finished speaking, Aatrox remained silent for a long time, and could only sigh quietly.

"You've been so normal lately that I almost forgot about our initial deal. I wanted to help you gradually get rid of your obsession with death. Sorry, I was overthinking it."

He only experienced being unable to use his phone for half a month while on public transport. If Ato had experienced Aatrox's seal, the outcome wouldn't have been much better.

“Little thing, when it comes to obsession, you’re no less than me. You’re the only mortal to have defeated me on my mental battlefield.” Aatrox’s tone had returned to normal.

“Hey, it really is…” Atuo gasped. “Never mind, just thinking about it hurts. If it weren’t for the obsession in my heart that kept me from dying, I would have become your nourishment long ago.”

Atto pushed open the door, letting the sunlight stream into the room.

Looking at this boring, ordinary sunlight now, Ator feels a sense of warmth.

His mind started working, trying to distract himself with random thoughts.

"The ship has already entered the inland port... The mining ship is so slow even with a steam engine. How about we go to Piltover and ask Jayce to modify it and use Hextech Crystals as the power source?"

"Piltworth was founded in 772, and Jess gave a speech on the city's 200th anniversary Evolution Day... This year is 984, so Hextech should have stabilized by now..."

"I wonder if Jinx is still alive. She's always causing trouble, she'll get caught sooner or later... Is she over twenty-five years old this year?"

"Irelia is still a minor, she's only fourteen and she's about to cut off Swain's arm..."

After a long rant, Atto's mood completely changed.

“Mr. Harris, our ship will stop at the inland port outside the capital. Mining ships are not allowed in the city. We will transport the ore here to a nearby factory for refining. If you want to go to the capital, you will need to find another carriage. What do you think…”

The old captain reluctantly came over to explain the situation to Atto, and Atto didn't make things difficult for him.

We must join the army as soon as possible before they discover the location of Juewo Fort.

“The Immortal Fortress is right there, within my sight.” Ato looked at the three gray-white stone pillars that were faintly visible in the distance. “You’ve brought me here across half a continent, that’s enough. I’ll handle the rest of the journey myself.”

The old captain breathed a sigh of relief and said, "If you have nothing else to take, please follow me. I will take you to a place near the refinery where there are many horse-drawn carriages."

The old captain led Ato off the ship and out of the factory area. Seeing several carriages parked not far away, he said a brief goodbye to Ato and then fled as if running away.

“Why are there still people afraid of me?” Ato touched his disguised features. “I’m just carrying a greatsword. Noxians admire strength, and there are quite a few people who use greatswords.”

“Because you killed a mage,” Aatrox explained. “Even in ancient Shurima, mages were rare. They possessed great power without needing an ascension ritual, and those who could kill a mage were revered by mortals in any era.”

"It seems that even with the disguise, my strength is still too obvious... I need to be careful about that..."

Atto boarded a carriage, took out two banknotes and handed them to the driver: "Take me to the conscription office in the capital."

The driver took the money with a beaming smile and said excitedly, "Thank you for your generosity, sir. To be honest, I've been driving in the capital for so many years, there's no place I don't know. I guarantee I'll take the shortest route."

"Did I give too much..." Atto muttered to himself.

He didn't ask the price, thus concealing the fact that he hadn't spent any money. Judging from the driver's appearance, this must have been several days' worth of his earnings.

“You seem very experienced.” Ato sat down and chatted with the driver.

"You must be from out of town. People who haven't been here don't know how fast the capital has expanded."

"For example, you just take a nap, and the next day you find that there are a ring of houses around you. An inexperienced driver could easily get lost!" the driver said with a hint of pride.

"I don't live in the capital. How do those nobles treat commoners?"

"Hey!" the coachman called out in a short, light voice, causing the carriage to move slowly. "Sir, I know the policies the Empire is currently implementing, even though I'm not very educated. It's an honor for me to live in the Empire."

"They call them nobles, but most of them are actually commoners who rose through the ranks. They all have their own things to do, so they don't have time to care about others."

Ator thought of Demacia on the west coast of the continent, where ordinary people, as long as they were not mages, could live and work in peace and contentment.

The royal family at least did not discriminate against commoners and even provided them with certain protections, but it was almost impossible for commoners to become officials, as the nobility monopolized all paths to advancement.

In Noxus, ability determines everything. Ordinary people can indeed become nobles, like Darius, who was born in a port city and is now the right-hand man of Emperor Brown Darkwell.

However, the number of poor people in Noxus is far greater than in Demacia. Those who are unable to work cannot even get land and can only work in factories or make a living by begging or stealing.

"Sir, are you asking if the nobles are too harsh on us? Every outsider thinks that way. Actually, as long as you pay your taxes normally, the nobles won't make things difficult for you..."

"Furthermore, sir, I'll tell you a secret as a reward for your generosity," the coachman continued, "Apart from hereditary nobles, such as the Swain family, who can inherit noble titles, the only commoner who can rise to nobility is himself!"

"In other words, our 'Hand of Noxus' general, and his descendants, are not nobles! Unless his descendants continue to rise through the ranks on their own merits! This is what I heard from someone else, so don't tell anyone else!"

Ato raised an eyebrow, feeling that the world before him had become even more vivid.

"Don't worry, no third person will know." Ato casually replied, his mind already analyzing the situation in Noxus.

Two hundred-yuan bills seem like a good deal?

Good tactic... to minimize the influence of the nobility and make the emperor the sole ruler.

They then used their noble status to lure commoners, thus obtaining a continuous supply of talent.

Darkville?

He doesn't have that ability... It should be LeBlanc!