Chapter 15 - Mere formality

At the top of Piltover's north side stands a massive building complex.

It perfectly blends the turquoise-blue polished granite, bronze grids, countless mechanical gears and the clear, flawless glass, presenting a unique style that is elegant and solemn.

This is the center of Piltover's ruling power. Representatives of the six major families and Piltover University serve as members, and the council meetings are held here.

The setting sun in the morning poured over the earth, and the cool winter wind blew away the smog that spread to the uppercity at night.

In the ring-shaped round table in the center of the parliamentary hall in Piltover, the members who have arrived early are busy with their own affairs.

"Your birthday present, Councilor Hoskel."

A tall, dark-skinned, elegant, and beautiful young woman put a cylindrical metal box in front of a stocky old man with a bushy beard and a shiny bald head.

"Oh! Mel, you are too kind!"

With a happy expression, Hoskel took the small box on the table and examined it carefully.

Mel smiled, "I heard this gadget is specially designed for sharp-minded people like you."

At this time, another tall, thin young man with yellow hair who was leaning on the table and eating snacks heard their conversation and stared at the small cloth bag in his hand for a moment of hesitation.

Afterwards, he walked quickly to Hoskel's side with a smile on his face, and handed the small cloth bag with snacks in front of him:

" Hoskel, I also brought you some roasted ginkgo nuts..."

"Ah! Councilor Salo, don't you know that I'm allergic!?" Hoskel pushed the yellow-haired Councilor's hand away with disgust. "What did you pay attention to? Do you want to murder the old man?"

"It's a shame not to taste such delicious food."

Salo pouted himself, picked up the small cloth bag that had fallen on the table and returned to his place, raised his fingers and squeezed a roasted ginkgo fruit into his mouth.

Hoskel, who heard the irony in his words, changed his expression, "Hey!"

"Don't be angry, Councilor Hoskel, I don't think Councilor Salo means harm."

Mel put his hands on Hoskel's shoulders and kneaded gently, quenching the arrogance that had just risen in his heart.

"Hm, I'll let is go this time." Hoskel continued to play with the little toy in his hand, "By the way, Mel, when was the last time we held a meeting"

"Five days ago, we discussed the arrangements for the Progress Day event," Mel said patiently.

"So, haven't we finished discussing the event? Why did Councilman Kiramman convene a meeting again?"

"I heard that her daughter was attacked by gangsters yesterday."

"What?! Someone dares to attack the family of the senate? Outrageous!"

Hoskel's tone suddenly became excited, attracting the attention of everyone present.

Mel's face is still the same smile that has never changed, "This should be the reason why Councilor Kiramman gathered us today."

A yordle of yellow fluff with white beards around his lips said sharply:

"I remember Councilor Kiramman's daughter is named Caitlyn? She seems to have a good relationship with one of my students."

On the other side, a bald woman with mechanical gears on her neck, golden nails on her fingers, responded:

"Yes, I heard that your student is the youngest genius recognized by the entire academy... Of course, compared with you, Mr. Heimerdinger, he is still far inferior."

"Oh, hey, you are too kind, Councilor Shoola." Heimerdinger blew his beard in a good way.

Several members complimented each other for a while, and as the door of the parliament hall opened, everyone turn to the door at the same time.

Cassandra walking in front with a solemn expression, followed by a young man and woman behind her.

One of them was Caitlyn, the daughter of Kiramman.

Their focus, however, was on the youth with an Ionian face.

Who is this?

Why would Kiramman bring an irrelevant person here?

Questions arose in the minds of several members at the same time.

Cassandra turned back and whispered a few words to let them stay where they were, then walked straight to her seat and sat down by herself.

"May the gears turn, Councilor Kiramman." Mel greeted her with a smile.

Cassandra nodded slightly to her, then moved her eyes and swept around the six people seated.

"Everyone must have heard of it." Her tone was calm. "My daughter, Caitlyn Kiramman, was attacked by five gunmen yesterday."

"There was a gun?" Councilor Bolbok, who was completely covered in metal and looked like a robot, said in surprise, "This is a highly regulated item."

"Is Miss Kiramman all right?"

"Has the gangster been caught?"

"It must have been a premeditated attack... Did the magistrate find out who did it?"

For a while, apart from Medarda and Heimerdinger, all the others flooded with concern.

"This is what I'm going to discuss in the meeting today." Cassandra raised her voice to suppress the others, and the entire hall fell silent again.

Medarda, who was observant, took the opportunity to ask, "An who might this young man be?"

"Lilin, our newly recruited craftsman."

Newly recruited craftsman?

There was a thoughtful look in Medarda 's eyes.

However, Cassandra obviously didn't want to get too involved on this topic, and immediately changed the subject: "He carried an invention of his yesterday and saved my daughter's life."

"What a heroic gentleman." Medarda praised with a smile.

"He is a witness and knows everything that happened at that time." Cassandra beckoned to Lilin and made him stand in the center of the ring table, "Lilin, please tell everyone what you saw at that time."

"Okay, Councilor Kiramman."

Lilin's eyes stayed on Heimerdinger for a while, then looked around and took a deep breath.

"Yesterday we..."

He spent a few minutes "retelling" the scene with more detail.

In the alley, five gangsters armed with Mauser rifles fought fiercely with them.

Fortunately, Lilin carried a newly invented weapon with him, which enabled them to survive the assault.

This speech was rehearsed with Caitlyn last night.

Not only that, this morning, Mrs. Cassandra specifically asked him to speak of the severity, in exchange for more freedom to research facilities in the Kiramman family.

Although Lilin was reluctant to be a bargaining chip in the game between the families, but this wouldn't have much impact on him, and he could reap the favor of the Kiramman family, so he agreed.

"A new type of weapon?" The gears on Bolbok's metal face turned, making a deep metallic voice.

Vosladen was very interested in the weapon Lilin said, "Can you describe its purpose in detail?"

"Why do you want to develop weapons, young man? What we need is peace..." Heimerdinger also agreed.

"Everyone, I don't think we should focus on this, right?" Medarda noticed Cassandra's increasingly bleak expression, and hurriedly spoke to help Lilin.

Immediately afterwards, she turned her attention to Cassandra and asked softly, "Did Councilor Kiramman investigate who sent those gangsters?"

"The Odilenke family is the mastermind behind this attack." Cassandra slowly said a name.

When Hoskel heard it, he categorically denied: "They? No, no, no, how is this possible, they are very good friends of..."

Halfway through his words, Medarda gazed at him, and his voice stopped abruptly.

The Kiramman family is bound to take this opportunity to attack a family of opposition. Coming out to defend that family is simply asking for trouble.

Thinking of this, Hoskel no longer dared to contend for the Odilenke family.

"Since the Odilenke family dared to perpetract against my daughter, they are challenging the authority of the council."

Cassandra coldly, "I propose to sanction the Odilenke family. All in favor?"

The six members present looked at each other and made simple eye contact.

Then, everyone slowly raised their hands.

...

...

In the dark room of a mansion in northern Piltover.

"Mr. Odilenke, you have failed." An androgynous voice echoed in the room, "I have advised you to not take action against the family of Councilor Kiramman for the time being."

"It's a godsend opportunity, how can I give up!?" A gray-haired old man shouted angrily, "You can't blame me that your mercenaries are this incompetent!"

"Don't blame other people for your stupidity and ineptitude."

The mysterious voice sneered:

"I have prepared everything for you, but you screwed it up... Although the Kiramman family may not know that this is what you did, as their mortal enemy, you should know what will happen next. "

When he thought of the enforcers who went in and out of Kiramman's house as reported by his subordinates last night, the face of Odilenke instantly turned pale.

"You must help me! I can't be taken to prison by the magistrate, or the Odilenke family will be finished!"

"Of course, of course, I will help you." The mysterious voice chuckled, "After all, we are allies..."

"My most sincere gratitude!" Odilenke relieved a little, "They should be coming soon, what would you like me to do..."

Before the sentence finished, the dark room was briefly lit by a flash of light.

The flash illuminated Odilenke 's horrified expression and a patterned metal mask.

The gunshot echoed in the secret room, and the old man with a puncture in his temple fell to the ground.

Accompanied by the sound of soft footsteps, the person walked up to the dead Odilenke and squatted down, gently placing a pistol into his hand.

"The head of the Odilenke family committed suicide because of the kidnapping of the daughter of Councilor Kiramman..."

A slight smile under the mask, "Very reasonable. No?"