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

The two ran until they reached the vicinity of the military camp before stopping.

Before Atto could speak, Riven grabbed Atto's shoulders and started shaking him.

"That's amazing, Artoria!" Riven exclaimed excitedly. "That attack just now barely took any damage! How did you do that?"

Ato didn't know Riven's educational level and was about to explain the lever principle to her in simple terms when Riven pulled him away.

"Anyway, I wouldn't understand what you're saying. Let's go, Atuo, lunch is on me today!"

"But it's not even noon yet..."

Riven ignored him and dragged Atto around the streets of Immortal Fortress.

Just now, Ato realized just how terrifying Riven's stamina was.

With a slight improvement, she no longer felt the strain.

No wonder she has such a big appetite; you need food to sustain your energy...

……

The Immortal Fortress, the King's Palace.

LeBlanc manipulated Darkville to dismiss the ministers below the stage, but suddenly sensed something was wrong.

"My magic circle has been altered. Who could it be?"

"Could it be that Riven triggered the runes during her battle with this mysterious powerful figure? I should investigate this thoroughly..."

"Wait, my most secret part hasn't been discovered yet. The forces we can mobilize now are all idiots. They might be discovered by a mysterious expert."

"Anyway, Riven isn't coming back from the battlefield, so it's best to leave her for now..."

Her figure disappeared into the shadows.

……

As the twenty-day leave drew to a close, the soldiers returned one after another, and the once quiet barracks were bustling with activity once more.

No one held accountable for the destruction of the recruiting center's training grounds, but Riven and Atto didn't go there again.

The empire stopped conscription, and the squad members went home; they had no reason to go there.

Riven battles Ator every day, and has completely mastered the improved Runeblade.

She can maintain the rune for fifteen minutes before becoming exhausted, but against a tough enemy, she can end the battle in a few minutes, and then turning it off won't have any effect.

“They really came back on their own.” Ato looked at the soldiers walking into the camp, all of them wearing confident smiles.

“Going home is also a way to motivate soldiers; encouragement from family is much more effective than words from superiors,” Riven said enviously.

Ato noticed Riven's emotional change but didn't disturb her.

When the 20-day leave ended, a count revealed that of the original 8,750 men in the camp, 8,596 were present, exceeding 98 percent.

Amistan returned to give them a final pep talk.

"Soldiers! In ten days, we will board the warships and fight for the honor of the Empire!"

"In these final days before the battle, you must train harder and rediscover the strength that belongs to the Imperial soldiers! Also, polish your armor and maintain your weapons!"

"When we return, we will share the joy of victory with our families!"

"The Empire will prevail! The Empire will prevail! The Empire will prevail!"

Ato secretly yawned, wishing this tedious mobilization would end quickly.

Shortly after disbanding the soldiers, Amistan found Riven again.

After the necessary salute, Amistan said to Riven, "This time our chapter will be under the command of Commander Duguel."

"The commander has decided to split the army into two groups. One group is the main force, which will attack the Navori province of Ionia."

"Another part of our forces, namely our warband, will be sent to attack Philol Island in western Ionia. We must act quickly and take Philol Island as our resting place. We cannot remain at sea indefinitely."

"Your squad will arrive soon. Get to know them before you set off. We'll tell you what the mission is after we take Navoli province."

"Understood, sir!"

After giving his orders, Amistan didn't linger and left the military camp immediately.

Ato and Riven chatted as they walked toward the cafeteria.

"How many warbands are going to Ionia this time?" Ator asked.

“There are eight military camps in the capital, and each camp is a battle group, with roughly the same number of people in each battle group,” Riven explained.

"Four went to Ionia, two followed General Darius to Freljord, and the remaining two stayed behind in the Empire to guard against foreign enemies."

"That means there are thirty to forty thousand people sent to Ionia..." Ator frowned slightly.

This was far less than he had imagined.

"How many people are there in Noxus?" Ato asked curiously.

"The empire has expanded rapidly in recent years, so when calculating the total population, we included those small countries. I remember it was over 80 million last year... Why are you asking about this?"

That means that on average, one in every thousand people is a soldier, which is already a very high proportion.

If you calculate it that way, a force of over 30,000 is quite a lot in this sparsely populated world.

Noxus deployed half of its forces, even with some troops remaining in the country and others being sent to invade.

"Have you ever fought against Demacia?" Ato asked instead of answering Riven's question.

"Of course, we've fought them the most, and we've had our share of victories and defeats. Besides Ionia, the Empire values ​​Demacia the most; their Dauntless Vanguard is very strong."

The two had arrived at the cafeteria and picked up their iron plates to prepare for dinner.

"So the reason we sent out so many troops and left two legions behind is mainly to guard against Demacia in the west," Atto analyzed.

“That’s right, Demacia certainly won’t let the Empire’s weakness slip by. Perhaps they will take the opportunity to reclaim some territory. Hello, I’d like three loaves of bread, two pounds of beef, and a glass of milk.”

Ato also ordered some simple food and sat down next to Riven.

“I’ve heard that the Dauntless Vanguard is the most elite force in the entire continent of Valoran. Each of them is capable of taking on ten opponents at once, and they also have powerful shield formations.”

"You know so much?" Riven, who was stuffing her mouth with meat, looked at Ator in surprise.

"The Vanguard are indeed troublesome, especially since they recently produced a young general, I think his name is... Garen, a member of the Demacian Crownguard family!"

"Hmm?" Atto's interest was piqued upon hearing the familiar name. "Have you fought him?"

“I fought twice.” Riven took a bite of her bread. “It happened last year and the year before.”

"He was very strong and wore heavy armor. Ordinary swords and knives couldn't hurt him at all. I lost the first time I fought him."

“Until last year, after His Majesty bestowed upon me the Runeblade, I encountered him again, and this time I forced him to retreat.”

It seems like last year's match was a level 5 Garen versus a level 6 Riven... Ato silently muttered to himself, then asked, "Is the Crownguard family very famous in Noxus?"

"The Crownguard family is a thorn in the side of the Empire. Everyone in this family is very capable. Apart from the King's Jarvan family, the most powerful generals in Demacia are all from the Crownguard family!"

"Garen also uses a greatsword, but strangely, although Demacians hate magic, his greatsword actually has magical power. I suffered a loss here the first time. What are those Demacians thinking?"