Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

Demacia's Grand City. 

A scouting party of 12 rangers safely returned to the capital under the protection of Galio. 

To avoid causing public panic, Li Lin's aerial combat machines, the [Storms], engaged their optical camouflage. The scene of thousands of floating drones deploying energy shields to safeguard the city remained unseen by most. 

As the city's heavy gates opened, the rangers turned to glance at the distant horizon. 

One female ranger, her voice trembling, asked, "Was that… Winged Guardian?" 

The sudden energy shockwave earlier had left her thoroughly shaken. 

Rangers held a relatively privileged status in the Demacian military hierarchy—superior to ordinary soldiers but still low-ranking nobles. As a backbone force tasked with defending Demacia from infiltration, they underwent rigorous selection. Typically, rangers operated independently, equipped through family sponsorship and always accompanied by a swift and intelligent animal partner, be it a bird of prey or a fierce beast. 

Group operations, such as this one, were usually assigned by the High Marshal or the King himself, primarily for reconnaissance. 

The female ranger did not fear death; she was prepared to die valiantly in battle against Noxian spies or bandits, finding purpose in such a fate. 

But dying to an energy shockwave—a mere byproduct of the angels' battle—was unbearably frustrating. 

More horrifyingly, the shockwave was but the residual force of the celestial sisters' clash, a glimpse of godlike power that left her feeling utterly powerless. The sheer helplessness of facing such divine might was a terror she never wished to endure again. 

"It seems likely," the temporary leader of the rangers replied, squinting toward the horizon. 

The tremendous magical collision had startled their horses, scattering the mounts in panic. They had no choice but to run on foot, shielded beneath Galio's wings, which absorbed the brunt of the magic radiating from behind them. 

Now, nearing the capital, they had witnessed the descent of a radiant beam of light from the distant heavens, piercing the skies with unparalleled brilliance. The light far outshone the countless azure spheres raining down like meteorites. 

Even from hundreds of kilometers away, the beam's presence was suffocating, its overwhelming power reducing the rangers to trembling spectators. It was as if they were staring into the wrath of a celestial titan unleashing divine judgment upon the world. 

But now, the celestial radiance had faded, and the battle's echoes were silent, as though the conflict had long reached its conclusion. 

Galio had departed without even a word, leaving the 12 still-shaken rangers behind. 

"Who won?" 

"I don't know… but His Majesty mentioned that Duke Li Lin was there as well. He won't be in trouble, will he?" 

"Duke? Which duke?" 

"Li Lin, Duke Li Lin. He's the one who awakened Galio. His Majesty conferred the title upon him at the Monument Path." 

"What?! How did he know how to do that?" 

"Could he be a powerful mage?" 

"Fool! That's impossible. Have you forgotten about the [Mageseekers' Codex]?" 

"Anyone who joins the Mageseekers and pledges loyalty to the Lightshield dynasty—" 

"—Hush! Don't say such things aloud!" 

"Well, magic's out of the question. Beyond that, I have no clue." 

As the group chattered nervously, the gates fully opened, revealing none other than King Jarvan III himself, clad in golden armor, there to greet them. 

"Your Majesty!" 

The twelve rangers, startled, immediately crossed their arms over their chests in salute, bowing deeply. Even their animal companions lowered their heads in respect. 

For most of them, it was their first time meeting the king in person, let alone in the presence of other high-ranking figures. 

"Are you all unharmed?" King Jarvan III strode forward briskly, surrounded by members of the Dauntless Vanguard, his concern evident. 

Beside him were notable figures: Crown Prince Jarvan IV, Xin Zhao, and others who had remained in the city—Garen, Barrett, Tiyana, Pieter, Eldred, and several other prominent nobles. 

"Your Majesty, we returned safely under Galio's protection," the ranger captain reported. "However, our horses—" 

"It's fine, as long as you're safe." The king let out a visible sigh of relief before his expression turned grave once more. "Did you manage to gather any information? What of Duke Li Lin? Who was he and Morgana facing?" 

The ranger captain hesitated only briefly before responding. "Through our spyglass, we observed the enemy. The figure wore gold and silver armor, with white wings extending from their back. Their face was obscured, but they wielded a massive azure blade. 

"This being floated in the skies, standing opposite Morgana, The Winged Guardian. The clash of light and darkness in the sky was the result of their confrontation." 

"And Li Lin? Is he safe?" The king's concern for the duke was palpable. 

You must know, Li Lin not only saved the prince but also healed the royal guard's eyes, which were blinded by magic. Even Morgana returned because of him. And today, he awakened Galio and even found a way to keep it conscious for a long time.

Li Lin isn't just a hero to Demacia. he's also a legendary figure in Piltover. On top of that, he has a rather enamored Twilight Star Spirit—Zoe—by his side. 

If anything were to happen to him, not only would King Jarvan III feel guilty, but it would also be impossible to justify it to neutral Piltover. And if they provoked Zoe... 

He dared not imagine the consequences for Demacia. 

"Duke Li…" The ranger squad leader hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. 

"Soldier! When the king asks a question, you must answer loudly and without hesitation!" Tiyana sternly reprimanded. 

"Yes!" The soldier quickly responded, "Duke Li was at the edge of the battlefield at the time. But since Galio has returned to protect us, he should be fine." 

"Father, Li Lin is always prudent. This is a man who can even oppose ancient demons. There's no need to worry too much," Jarvan IV reassured. 

Jarvan III sighed. "Let's hope so…" 

A brief silence hung in the air. 

The ranger squad leader hesitated before swallowing nervously and saying, "I believe… I believe the one who confronted Morgana's Protector was her sister, the one we revere as the Adjudicator." 

At these words, all eyes turned to a middle-aged woman standing beside the king. She was dressed in the ceremonial hooded robes of the Illuminators—Isabelle, the High Priestess of the Church. 

"The Winged Sisters have long harbored grievances against one another," Isabelle's soft but grave voice echoed. "The Illuminators' records note that they fought once centuries ago. 

"If the Adjudicator has truly returned, we must deliberate on where our allegiance lies." 

As her gaze shifted sideways, so too did everyone's attention return to the pensive King Jarvan III. 

"Your Majesty, Demacia has always stood against magic. The records of the Crownguard family remind us that the Angel Sisters were not as benevolent to our ancestors as we might wish to believe. We must tread carefully regarding the resurgence of magic," advised Eldred, clad in golden noble armor, a white cape with golden trim, and a winged golden mask covering his right eye, which extended to a chin guard. 

"Eh? I don't recall seeing anything about this in our archives," Crownguard patriarch Pieter interjected, startled. 

Standing beside him, Garen and Tiyana furrowed their brows simultaneously, sensing an ulterior motive in Eldred's words. 

"That information is from a long-lost Crownguard epic," Eldred replied with an unsettling smile. "Fortunately, I managed to recover it." 

A flash of displeasure and anger flickered in Pieter's eyes. 

If Eldred had indeed recovered such a critical piece of Crownguard history, it should have been reported and returned to the family archives promptly. Such behavior—finding it but withholding it—showed a blatant disregard for both the family and his position as patriarch! 

Still, Pieter quickly composed himself. He knew that Eldred, despite marrying into the Crownguard family, never truly regarded himself as one of them, largely due to Tiyana's attitude toward him. 

Not to mention, Eldred's later position as head of the Mageseekers only furthered the divide. 

To Pieter, as long as Eldred didn't involve his daughter, Lux, he had no interest in dealing with the duplicitous man. 

Jarvan III glanced at Eldred. "What is your take on this, then?" 

"We must purge magic from Demacia completely," Eldred declared firmly, "even if it means driving out the Winged Protector herself." 

The nobles erupted in an uproar, and even some of the Dauntless Vanguard murmured in dissent. 

"Hah! After witnessing today's battle, do you think we have the means to refuse their return if they choose to?" retorted a noble who often clashed with Eldred. 

Damn old fool! Eldred cursed silently, though his expression remained stoic. "Galio has already awakened, and we have the Petricite Forest…" 

He paused, careful not to overcommit. "Even if we cannot reject the Winged Protector, we must expel all dangerous mages." 

"Why are you so fixated on mages? That's not even the issue we should be focusing on right now," Barrett rasped, his voice old and hoarse. "The priority now is to address the impact of the Winged Sisters' conflict on us!" 

"Yes, yes… You're right," Eldred conceded, retreating into the crowd and falling silent. 

As the group's attention shifted away, an almost imperceptible smirk crossed Eldred's lips. 

After all, today's actions were all part of his plan. 

Initially, he had intended to use Lux as his final pawn, but the Adjudicator's return had given him new ideas, accelerating his timeline significantly. 

Soon. Very soon… 

(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).