Cyberzaun, Machinarium

"Before I came to Demacia, I thought I had never seen such a beautiful moon. The sky of Zaun... is always the same, gray." Enoch turned around and pulled the girl over, leaning against a stone pillar.

"Do you like it here? How about staying here for two years?"

"You want to abandon me?" The girl who was in Enoch's arms just now stood up as if she had heard something extremely sinister. "You said you wouldn't abandon me. Are you going to lie to me too?"

Jinx pressed her whole body on Enoch, forcing him to lean back greatly. Following this movement, Jinx pulled out a small table knife from somewhere and pressed it against Enoch's chest, while using her other hand to strangle his neck with a little force.

"I'm a little scared." Feeling the pressure on his neck, Enoch ignored the dangerous knife and reached out to touch the girl's long blue hair.

"When we return to Zaun, we will most likely have to confront Piltover. I can't imagine you getting hurt. I won't abandon you, but I don't want to lose you even more."

Jinx's eyes flickered slightly, and her left hand tightened unconsciously, but when she saw Enoch looking a little uncomfortable from being pinched, the girl quickly let go, as if all the strength in her body was drained away.

With her head lowered and resting on Enoch's chest, Jinx's voice sounded unusually hoarse. "I can help. Why don't you want me? I won't make mistakes again. Please don't abandon me. I will be obedient. I promise that I will never cause trouble for others again. Please, don't leave me alone."

Holding the girl's body in his arms, feeling her soft body gradually calm down from trembling, Enoch then raised Jinx's little face.

Reaching out to wipe the stains on the girl's face, Enoch said word by word, "I need you, so I don't want to take any risks, understand? I won't abandon you, whether now or in the future, you are very important, understand?"

"Then you shouldn't leave me here, you shouldn't even think about it. If you think I'm important, you have to tie me to you, understand? I want you to stare at me and don't move away. I will do anything for you." Jinx hugged Enoch tightly, as if she wanted to hold the two of them together.

"I understand." Enoch patted Jinx's shoulder. "I won't say such things again. I promise to keep an eye on you, okay? No matter where you go, you have to come back to me."

Leaning on his chest, he hummed in a muffled voice, and then he slightly relaxed his strength. The two of them maintained an awkward posture, enjoying this quiet night. The noisy banquet in the distance could not disturb the two of them.

At this moment, their world belongs only to each other.

"Want to dance some more?"

"Of course, you have to follow my pace this time." Jinx smiled after regaining her spirit. If it weren't for the slightly red circles under her eyes, no one could tell what was hidden under the girl's smiling face.

........................

The butler, who was ordered by Galen to search the manor for several times, finally found Enoch on a remote path.

When he was found, he was being dragged around by a young lady, doing a weird dance. It is hard to describe the expression on the butler's face at that time.

After all, for a family that values honor, the ball held at home not only failed to entertain the guests and make them feel the host's hospitality, but instead made the guests run away to a place far away from the banquet to entertain themselves.

This is truly a dereliction of duty... Strictly speaking, it is a humiliation to the owner.

"I hope I haven't disturbed you from enjoying the banquet, sir." The old butler gritted his teeth and said against his will, "If it's convenient for you, please follow me. Madam Tiana is waiting for you."

"I'll be there soon." Enoch nodded, and was dragged by Jinx to turn half a circle again.

"Please leave now," the butler calculated the time, "I insist on doing so."

Hugging the girl who seemed to be extremely happy, Enoch stopped and touched Jinx's forehead. "Listener, little lunatic, I need your help now. Stay outside. If you hear any big noise, help me warm up the atmosphere, okay?"

Jinx tilted her head to look at the old butler and smiled widely, "No problem, I'll go play with Lux."

"I thought Lux was your friend?"

"Yes" Jinx wiped her eyes "I said I would do anything for you, I will prove it"

"Hey, don't do this." Enoch quickly grabbed the girl. "I believe you can do it, but there is no need to hurt your friends. Nothing should happen tonight, trust me."

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Looking at the background where Enoch followed the butler to leave, Jinx muttered a few words, "Now, where should I find you, little spark?"

PS:

Thank heaven for blades

Chapter 42 Tiana (Part 1)

Led by the butler, Enoch walked through the beautifully decorated courtyard and entered the main building.

Following the curved corridor built along the wall, Enoch entered a room filled with moonlight.

There were very few people inside, including Prince Jarvan, who was looking out the window with his hands behind his back, Captain Tiana, who was sitting in front of a huge map of the empire's territory, and Swordsman Garen, who had been waiting at the door for a long time.

"It seems like you had a lot of fun. The housekeeper has been looking for you for a long time." Lady Tiana looked at Enoch casually, and said as if complaining casually, "I hope you are satisfied with today's dance. After all, many people think that I have secretly hidden you."

"It's my fault. This is the first time my female companion and I attend such a party. It's inevitable that we behaved... a little rudely." After bowing to the people in the room, Enoch sat on the high-backed chair that had been prepared... There was no one around, it was as if he was being interrogated.

Tiana snorted and tapped her fingers on an emerald necklace. The smallest gem on the necklace was the size of a bee.

"As a merchant, what kind of wealth do you expect? Reselling a few swords? Transporting some food and grass? Or trying to dress up your poor horse beautifully and sell it to a knight who doesn't know the value of it? I hope you know what you are here for."

"I know ma'am, I'll show you my special item"

"I'm curious"

"My personal guess...Excuse me, you seem to be confusing me with an ordinary speculator."

"Oh?" Tiana picked up the wine glass on the table nonchalantly. "Tell me, Enoch, do you think I can't see your purpose? The people of Zaun definitely don't come all the way here just to make a fortune, especially since you just lost all the profits of the past few years to hold a competition."

"Your Highness, when I led the caravan here, I took a brief tour of Demacia. Demacia has many brave knights and endless warriors. The road from the capital to the border is straight and wide. If you need it, you can easily find a professional blacksmith to repair your armor... Any caravan can take on this job, there is no need to hold a special competition."

“You haven’t answered my question yet.”

"I have no doubt that there are a large number of caravans that can offer you a good price and take on the task of transporting the army, but not every merchant can provide you with items that change the way of war - you confused me with the candy vendor selling crispy fruit outside.

You think I'm a speculator... Many people - I mean the knights who stopped the caravan and asked us to polish his armor. Arrogantly thinking that we were a bunch of servants with no fixed place to stay, they didn't know that there were a lot of things in the caravan that could easily crush the armor he was so proud of... He didn't even have time to climb out.

They didn't have enough vision to see that I was offering a new way, a new way to defeat the enemy more easily. If I just wanted to sell some armor, I wouldn't need to show up at all. I just needed to find a local thug, give him some gold coins, and let him wield an iron rod to kill the person who had humiliated him before. The shock effect of the blood would be enough to make many knights pass through my door. "

The moonlight shone on the marble walls, reflecting a cool light. The guests downstairs seemed to be gradually dispersing. From the high tower, one could faintly hear the sound of whips as horses moved forward, and occasionally the sound of horse hooves.

"It's really interesting that fate sent such a cunning businessman to punish me"1

Tiana spun the red wine in her hand, but her eyes narrowed, revealing a hint of anger. "A businessman who has no respect for me and even lacks basic courtesy came to me, the leader of the Fearless Vanguard, and staged a good show of humiliating the knights, and then shamelessly told me about his grand plan.

Is it because I am not majestic enough, or is it because my beautiful dress has affected your judgment? There will be no next time, Little Finger Enoch. Don't say such things to those in power. Most of them have good memories.

And you know... even the wisest kings have gadgets like daggers, dungeons, and whips. They have the right to use these gadgets to redeem their damaged dignity. Not everyone can calmly accept spicy proposals. It is recommended that you consider your words carefully, otherwise, your companions may have to work hard to collect your parts under the wheels. "

Tiana put the red wine aside, clasped her white and slender hands together, and gently placed them in front of the huge topographic map. The seal ring representing the leader of the Fearless Vanguard flashed a cold light. Enoch did not refute, nor did he intend to quibble.

"I don't like this necklace, it's too heavy for my neck and harmful to my health, but in order to show the best side to the guests, I have to take off my usual armor and put myself into this dress.

I think you should also understand that the reason why tradition is tradition is because there are generations of people who spontaneously maintain it, so whenever someone speaks out, there will always be someone who stands up and teaches how to be cautious in what they say and do.

So now, Little Finger Enoch, if you have any good suggestions or ideas, feel free to express them. Rumors about your company are circulating in the cities of Demacia. Even if only half of them are true, I bet you must have great ambitions.

So today I am not asking you to do something simple and ordinary - such as decorating a palace or building a theater - that is simply a waste of your talents and can be left to someone who offers a lower price."

Waving her hand to stop Garen from pouring wine, Tiana pushed the tobacco beside her to Enoch and said, "We have just finished the banquet and had a wonderful night. Let's all be happy. Try to please me. I am looking forward to your pertinent or sharp opinions. I am also happy to hear one or two compliments or tributes. You can choose the order."

"Okay, ma'am." Enoch waved his hand and declined the tobacco in front of him. "I am not a poet who can make people happy, nor am I good at speaking. I just want to thank you for the honor you have given me. This allows me to take this opportunity to realize my ambitions.

I come here to help each other - not just a simple relationship where I sell goods and you buy them. I look forward to a deeper cooperation with an elegant and wise lady like you."

"Go on, go on." Tiana leaned back in her chair, took a sip of red wine, closed her eyes, and smiled slightly. In the shadows, I couldn't see the expressions of Prince Jarvan and Garen clearly. I could only vaguely feel that they were trying hard to control their trembling - they didn't make any sound.

PS:

Thanks to A2C for the monthly pass and blade

Thanks to the invincible blade of the second dimension

Thanks to the blade that reaches the root

Chapter 43: Tiana (Part 2)

"I am honored and proud to sit next to the leader of the Demacia Fearless Vanguard. She is as beautiful as she is wise. What makes me most honored is that the leader has also heard the rumors about our caravan. According to the rumors, she is willing to give me a chance to reach a cooperation plan that is not just a simple business cooperation plan, but a cooperation between city-states."

Captain Tiana listened to Enoch telling her about his plan with a mysterious smile on her face.

"Other nobles cannot match your wisdom. They often shortsightedly hope that we can help them arm a team of private soldiers, or build a luxurious manor for vacation. They don't care about the future brought by the combination of the most heroic knights and the most advanced technology. They just want to maintain their own transcendence."

Enoch tried to guess something from Tiana's unchanging smile.

"So, please allow me to pay tribute to you again. Your tolerance has made both of us a bridge of mutual assistance. Allow me to point out our common enemy, Noxus.

Ambitious enemies have always coveted the property and land of all the surrounding city-states. They rudely occupied the river shipping lanes and greedily demanded from the mountains. We all have our own troubles, but I think they have surprising similarities. Perhaps we can help each other and curb the evil empire's invasion of us."

"Mr. Enoch," Tiana, who had been silent for a long time, opened her eyes and looked at the merchant. "I was wrong. You are a very interesting person. You are not as bad at talking as you said."

Your suggestion does sound attractive, but I think I've found some inappropriate issues. You seem to think that Demacia is a group of maniacs who only know how to fight. They can be easily controlled as long as you hang honor in front of them and provide them with simple weapons.

You also forgot that from my perspective, Zaun seems to be a subordinate city of Piltover, and your every move cannot represent that city, especially since we received news that Zaun sold a batch of alchemical gas bombs to Noxus - obviously, your buyers did not consider information management, but instead you were quietly hedging your bets, trying to manipulate people you should never underestimate.

Enoch raised his head and looked straight into Tiana's blue eyes. "Please believe that I came here with sincerity. As I just said, the price of having a strong neighbor is that it is difficult to refuse his embarrassing request. I am willing to prove this point.

I hope to achieve equality with the help of my allies. As for the issue of Piltover, you should know that it and Zaun are two sides of the same coin. How can there be any contradiction?

Tiana smiled playfully, but there seemed to be a spark in her eyes. "Very good, Demacia, please pay attention to the friendship of allies. I am very happy to lead the team to Zaun and fight with the people of the two cities. You only need to provide the station and military funds, and we will be happy to provide you with protection."

The smile on Enoch's face froze slightly. The woman in front of him could not be considered a knight, but more like a politician who would chop people. Even if Enoch was thick-skinned, he could not propose the garrison plan so easily. This was not about guarding against the infiltration of Noxian forces, but about paying for a father.

"Zuan can quickly resolve a small amount of internal unrest, so you don't have to worry about it. What I want is not to control your army. On the contrary, I hope to provide you with more powerful combat equipment to help you defeat your long-standing opponents.

We work together in our respective areas of expertise, defeating the greedy empire, and Zaun will have a chance to breathe. No offense, we can only face powerful enemies together if we join forces."

"Very interesting insights." Tiana continued to smile, which made her look even more frightening. "You tried to deceive the prince of Demacia and the captain of the Fearless Vanguard with sweet words to work bravely for your ambitions, but you wanted to just stand by and watch. I have to say that you are really an excellent patriot. I have begun to admire you."

"Okay, businessman, meaningless words are boring to both of us." Jarvan IV finally stopped admiring the moonlight in front of the window. For the first time, he left his standing position and walked to the table. The glittering decorations reflected his slightly resolute face.

"You have not shown your sincerity, nor your honor. Empty promises cannot reassure people. Now, let's make everything simpler. I am very interested in your armor in the arena. I need you to arm part of the army. As for the Alliance, do you think you and Noxus are enemies? Then go and prove it."

"As you wish, Your Highness." Enoch saluted Prince Jarvan and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, he almost couldn't help but take the initiative to attack Captain Tiana. After all, that woman's expression of "You look good, so I'm going to use you as a sacrifice today" was really a test of his heart.

"I will deal with the weapons outflow caused by Zaun's mismanagement as soon as possible, hoping to take this opportunity to show Zaun's attitude. As for weapons, these armors are the most basic combination. His deployment can allow your soldiers to ignore the opponent's part of the attack.

For commonly used weapons, I recommend using a thermal axe and a chainsword. The former has good killing power against armored targets, while the latter can cause devastating damage to lightly armored or unarmored targets. Not all troops can face the roar of a chainsword with their heads held high.

At the same time, there are optional bolt guns. I suggest that you pair them with armored transport vehicles to quickly transfer soldiers, as well as mortars for enemy strongholds and mage units. Working together, we can get the most favorable situation for the battle. ”2

"We will check the effectiveness of your recommended weapon. At the same time, you have received my promise. Demacia welcomes friends. Whenever you can prove your honor, Demacia will consider your proposal." Jarvan held Enoch's outstretched right hand and nodded slightly to Tiana. "If your weapon can satisfy the leader of the Fearless Vanguard next time, then congratulations to you. Your grand performance has not been in vain."

"Thank you very much." Enoch followed Galen out of the meeting room, and then he felt relaxed all over. This is not an interesting energy. I hope I won't meet such a smart and strong woman next time.

"To be honest, I'm impressed by you." Garen led Enoch to the courtyard, with a smile on his face. "Not everyone dares to speak nonsense in front of my aunt. By the way, as someone who angered her, you have the best ending, and your flattery is the most fancy."

"It's my pleasure. I hope it doesn't affect Madam Tiana's opinion of me."

"Don't worry, the captain is not a unreasonable person. Where are you going next? I will arrange a carriage to take you." Turning his head, Garen looked at Enoch. It must be said that he now has a good impression of this young man.

"My companion is still waiting outside, and I have to find my female companion first."1

Chapter 44 Night Talk

Ever since Jinx said a brief goodbye to Enoch, she has been in this excited state, humming Zaun nursery rhymes and moving quickly among the guests, so fast that almost only her flying long hair could be seen.

Jinx is now extremely motivated. After all, she just got some true words out of Little Finger, and the girl generously forgave him for his impression that she was a weak little girl.

There is plenty of time in the future, and I will prove myself little by little. Jinx is the most capable helper, no one can compare to her. Enoch will rely on Jinx in the future.

"So you are here, you look so 'shining'" Jinx suddenly jumped out from behind, scaring Lux.

"Where are you from?" Lux looked around guiltily, she knew that the girl in front of her was a little crazy, if she revealed her magician secret in this place, it would be a big trouble... There was no need to even summon all the nobles to vote on another day, because all the nobles who had the right to vote were here.

"It's nothing, you know. I'm just running around here and there. No one is stopping me anyway." Jinx maintained a smile on her face. "Is the party here so monotonous? Can you take me around?"

Lux stared at her hands. The thick gloves blocked everything. Thinking of this, Lux nodded slowly, "Okay, follow me closely. I'll take you around."

Obviously, there's nothing great about the manor at night, unless you can find someone who's willing to go into the bushes with you for a tryst.

After simply taking a stroll around, Lux took the girl back to her boudoir. She changed out of her restrictive long dress and put on comfortable pajamas, wondering if this was the "pajama party" that other ladies often mentioned?

Obviously, Lux was wrong. After all, pajama parties are usually paired with just the right amount of black tea and sweet snacks, not graffiti-covered grenades.

Especially since these grenades were just under Jinx's skirt and had been spinning around on the dance floor for who knows how many times.

"How did you get so many dangerous items? Didn't anyone tell you not to bring weapons into the party?" Lux looked at the scene in shock - Jinx was using thin wires to string grenades together and hanging them on the surrounding walls, making them look like Christmas lights.

"I didn't get in with an invitation." Jinx put her hands on her hips, looked at the works on the wall, and nodded with satisfaction. "Besides, I didn't bring any knives or daggers, I swear."

"What do you want to do?" Lux stared in front of her with some vigilance, her fingers constantly tightening and relaxing. She was not sure whether she should take off her gloves now.

"These things are too heavy, so I'll hang them up for a while. Look, my doodles are much better looking than yours." Jinx didn't care and approached Lux enthusiastically. "Don't worry, I'm staying in the same room with you, not to mention you prepared hot cocoa for me."

Lux stared at her for a while, then pulled the girl and sat her down on the soft carpet. "You're scared."

Lux was very sure of this. She had a feeling that there was a restless little bird in this room, jumping restlessly, but its heart was far away.