Arcane: The Gods Want Me to Pick a Route-Chapter 129: The Twin Cities’ Banquet (20 - s Today!)

Chapter 129: Chapter 129: The Twin Cities’ Banquet (20 Chapters Today!)

Zaun needed only three days to drive every Noxian out of its territory. Piltover took longer, because in Zaun, business with Noxians had usually been nothing more than a straightforward buyer-and-seller relationship.

Noxians came to Zaun to purchase resources and weapons, Zaun sold to them, and that was basically it. Aside from weird and dangerous weapons, the old Zaun hadn’t really had anything Noxus cared about.

Piltover was different. Piltover and Noxus had all kinds of business ties—many of them weren’t simple transactions, but investor-and-investment relationships. So if Piltover wanted to kick the Noxians out, there was a lot of arguing, paperwork, and legal wrangling involved, and the compensation payments weren’t a small number either.

Silco thought that if Piltover had already decided to do this, then why bother showing any courtesy to Noxian merchants at all?

It was like going out of your way to do something pointless—making trouble for yourself for no reason.

But Renata rejected Silco’s view. Yes, Piltover could refuse to pay for goods and refuse to pay breach penalties, and simply throw the Noxian merchants out on their faces—after all, they’d effectively declared war.

That would save a fortune.

But it would also damage Piltover’s credibility.

Renata was a genius merchant. She hadn’t inherited her family’s alchemy, but she’d mastered something else entirely—the ability to turn business into gold. Commercial tactics came to her as naturally as breathing. In Zaun, she did things the Zaun way; in Piltover, she did things the Piltover way.

Different places, different methods.

From Piltover’s perspective, Renata believed Piltover was a city of technology now—but before Hextech ever existed, Piltover had been a city of trade.

Its lifeblood, its way of accumulating wealth, had always been maritime shipping. You couldn’t just gain a new technology, a new way of doing things, and then toss aside the very foundation that once kept you alive.

After all, the technology Piltover produced still needed places to sell, didn’t it?

And so, it took a full half month before Piltover couldn’t find a single Noxian merchant in the city.

The Twin Cities didn’t announce to the world that they’d cut ties with Noxus. But once word spread—and with the way the Twin Cities had been moving lately—small nations and small city-states all understood something.

Valoran was about to change.

The former jewel of trade was no longer satisfied with being everyone’s commercial transfer station. It was stepping onto the stage of Valoran for real—and showing muscle.

What was interesting was that Noxus showed no reaction at all. Just as Mel had said, the Noxians simply didn’t have time to deal with the Twin Cities right now. And perhaps, in Boram Darkwill’s eyes, Piltover and Zaun combined were nothing more than a tiny bug—something the army could crush in a single charge.

So Noxus continued waging war everywhere, ignoring the Twin Cities’ "little bug" provocation.

And the little bug was content to hide in the shadows—evolving at a speed Noxus couldn’t even imagine.

Late February, Jayce arrived at Zaun’s council hall that afternoon.

Smiling, he looked at Logan and Silco and said, "We still haven’t caught every Warmason embedded in the city-state, but Mel thinks the two cities should hold a banquet."

"Zaun’s leadership and Piltover’s leadership—it’s time everyone meets face to face. We need to understand each other, right?"

Jayce was delivering Mel’s message.

The banquet was Mel’s idea. First, it would stabilize the relationship between the two cities. The Twin Cities weren’t only cooperating economically now—they were cooperating militarily too. Saying they were effectively one body... wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Zaunites didn’t say it out loud, and Piltovans didn’t have the nerve to say "we’re one family" anymore, but everyone understood it without speaking.

They shared faith in the same god, had once shared the same culture, and now faced a powerful external enemy—those invisible forces were pushing the two cities closer together.

Besides, Zaun genuinely needed Piltover’s money, and Piltover genuinely needed Zaun’s trust.

The second reason was this: Mel wanted the Warmasons still hiding in Piltover to see the Twin Cities’ relationship with their own eyes—to make it clear that, in Noxus’s view, Piltover and Zaun were now bound together completely.

To make Piltover heavier.

"Where’s it being held?" Silco asked.

"Bluewind Court," Jayce said. "That estate right behind Piltover’s council building."

"Oh, that rich district. Logan, I went there when I was little," Jinx said, turning to him.

Logan searched his memory and came up empty. "Then why didn’t I go?"

"Because back then you were always running around with Marsen. Vi definitely wouldn’t have taken you," Jinx said.

She really had been to Bluewind Court as a kid—Vi had taken her, saying they were going to steal something expensive and bring it back.

Unfortunately... estates in the rich district weren’t exactly easy to sneak into.

In the end, Vi could only drag Jinx away, defeated and empty-handed.

"I think it’s doable. I’ve never been to a high-society banquet," Logan said after thinking it over. He looked at Jinx. "Do you want to go?"

"A little... yes. A little... no," Jinx said after thinking.

When Logan tilted his head at her, she explained, "I want to see what kind of food they eat at their banquets, hear their music, watch their dances... but I don’t have any clothes that fit that kind of place. If I go, won’t I just embarrass myself?"

"Powder, if anyone says a word to you," Vander said from the side, "I’ll rip their head off."

Jinx’s clothes had always prioritized comfort and convenience. These days she wore skirts sometimes, but rarely. Most of the time it was work pants and a denim jacket. That fit her personality and vibe—but it didn’t match an upper-class banquet at all.

Silco smiled as well, looking at Jayce. "What Vander means is what I mean. We can go, attend the banquet, talk about the Twin Cities’ future, discuss business opportunities—but if anyone can’t control their mouth..."

"Then our mouths will be a whole lot dirtier."

"I get it—no, seriously," Jayce said helplessly, spreading his hands, sounding a little wronged. "I lived in Zaun for ages. I go back for a short while and you all treat me like this?"

Then Jayce continued:

"Honestly, Piltover banquets aren’t that interesting. It’s just a bunch of people dressed up, wearing expensive jewelry, eating a little food politely to slow music. Then they carry a wine glass they barely sip from and wander around looking for other people doing the same thing—talking to each other with ’business’ in every other sentence."

Jayce’s face twisted into a mocking grin. "So really, I’d rather attend a Zaun banquet—everyone gathered together grabbing barbecue with their hands, drinking big, playing cards and rowdy drinking games. That’s what a banquet is, damn it!"

"But you should still go," Jayce added, looking at Silco. "Getting exposed to something new can be a good thing, right?"

"What time?" Silco asked.

"Tomorrow evening. Doors open at five, it officially starts at seven."

"You can come over around six-thirty," Jayce said.

After that, he greeted Logan and headed back to Piltover alone.

Once Jayce left, Zaun’s councilors started chatting.

"A Piltover banquet..." Scar swallowed hard. "I’m not gonna lie, I used to want to sneak into one of those. I heard the food on the tables is all lobster, lamb chops, steak, that kind of thing."

Marna’s eyes sparkled. "Will I get to see any musical performers? I’ve gone a few times lately with Caitlyn and Vi, and I ended up falling for a certain actress..."

"Oh, kids, don’t be nervous," Heimerdinger said, clapping his little hands as he stood up. "I’ve attended countless banquets. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Councilor Heimerdinger," Marna asked quickly, "what do you think we should wear?"

Heimerdinger looked at her and laughed. "My dear, you only need to wear what you think looks best."

"Heimerdinger’s right. Everyone just wear what you like," Silco said, making it final. He tapped a knuckle lightly on the tabletop and continued,

"We’re equal to the Piltovans. This time, they’re the ones inviting us. What we wear is our choice. We don’t need to please them or cater to them."

"Alright then. Clock out early today, and tomorrow you’re all off for half the day—use the time to prepare."

Silco smiled, clapped his hands, and dismissed the room.

Logan and Jinx were the first to bolt out together, leaving the newly risen councilors staring at their backs.

Marna suddenly muttered, "I have a question... when are they planning to get married?"

Silco froze, a complicated look flashing in his eyes. Vander looked just as conflicted.

If Jinx—Powder—got married...

Then who, exactly, was going to be the one to walk her down the aisle?

An invisible shiver went through the room, and everyone suddenly felt a little cold.

Then Scar realized why. He reached out, tugged Marna’s shoulder, and jerked his chin toward a certain direction.

Marna looked over.

Silco and Vander were staring each other down—coldness radiating straight off them.

"Let’s go," Marna said quickly.

"I’m going to buy a few outfits. Jinx, help me pick."

"I’m buying makeup too!"

"Makeup? Do you even know how to do makeup?"

"I can paint like a pro—makeup is nothing."

"...Fair point. So what are you wearing tomorrow night? Still jeans and black pants?"

"Not telling you. You’ll see tomorrow night~"

Walking toward Zaun’s marketplace, Logan and Jinx kept chatting.

A banquet...

The first thing Logan thought of was a suit. But he also felt his councilor attire wasn’t bad—white on top with a neat white flower at the chest, deep-black pants. Black, white, and gray never went wrong.

Still, what Logan cared about most was what Jinx was going to wear.

Thinking about tomorrow...

Yeah. He couldn’t deny it.

He was getting excited.

// 20 Chapters today! I hope you enjoy it. The cover change is temporary, it’s just to attract new readers and also show a little love to Ahri fans (I know it’s not Spirit Blossom Ahri, it’s just that she’s more recognizable in her normal state). As always, thanks for the Power Stones!

//Check out my P@tre0n for 10 extra free Chapters //[email protected]/Razeil0810.