Exposing the Lies

Chapter 67 Exposing the Lies

Personally, Caitlin did not approve of rashly starting a conflict with Ixtal.

Putting aside everything else, the Kumangu Mountains alone are an insurmountable behemoth for Piltover.

She didn't know much about it before, but for this mission, Caitlin conducted a detailed investigation. She even stayed at the Explorers' Guild for several days and nights in a row, communicating with the senior adventurers there to determine the terrain of the Kumangu Mountains.

The more she learned, the more alarmed Caitlin became.

A massive mountain range stretches along the northern edge of the Ixtal coast, making it virtually impossible for Piltover to travel directly to Ixtal.

Although there are shortcuts, such as going through the Mang River Delta in the east and following the ocean currents, one can directly cross the Kumangu Mountains and reach the core area of ​​Ixtal's territory.

But Caitlin only thought about it briefly before abandoning the unrealistic idea.

The Manna River Delta faces Bilgewater across the sea. Although not as infamous as Bilgewater, it is still a lawless place in the literal sense and a paradise for many pirates.

The waters there are particularly complex, and a slight mishap could result in the loss of the boat and the lives of the crew.

Piltover, as a trading city-state, had a less-than-friendly relationship with pirates; they were practically ruthless. Cooperating with them? They'd be lucky if they didn't take advantage of your misfortune.

Therefore, Caitlin's only option was to forcefully carve a path through the woodland using pioneering vehicles, similar to the pioneers.

The extent of ecological damage this would cause was no longer within Caitlin's consideration.

In other words, without using pioneering locomotives, given their familiarity with the Ixtal region and the complexity of the Kumangu mountain jungle, it might take them a year to reach Ixoken.

"But it's alright————"

Caitlin thought to herself, "At least this time it's not a real declaration of war, but rather a state visit as a pretext to probe their true intentions."

Thinking this way, Caitlin relaxed a little.

At least nominally, they are not here to declare war, but to conduct a visit.

In war, envoys are not to be killed. Even if a conflict breaks out, the troops should be able to withdraw safely without much trouble.

Unless—unless someone on the other side possesses mind-reading magic? And immediately saw through my true purpose?

Thinking about this, even Caitlin herself couldn't help but laugh at her own wildly imaginative idea.

The legend of mind-reading magic has always existed, but it has never been truly proven or actually occurred.

Although some people claim to have mastered this magic, the final results of investigations are often just psychological techniques such as micro-expressions.

This is completely different from mind-reading, which can directly read other people's thoughts and memories.

Research from Piltover University suggests that the human spirit is protected by a special soul energy, leaving no room for mind-reading techniques to operate.

Rather than worrying that someone in Ixtal has mastered mind reading, we should worry that Ixtal alone could wipe out the entire pioneer team.

"Hey, Caitlin, what's with that look on your face?"

Reaching Caitlin's side, Vi patted her on the shoulder and teased, "Your expression has been constantly changing since the beginning, one minute you're nervous, the next you're smiling? Are you worried about something?"

Upon hearing this, Caitlin shook her head and said, "I'm alright, just a little restless, but I'm much better now."

As she spoke, Caitlin glanced behind her at the law enforcement officers who were armed to the teeth, high in morale, and ready to go, all for their safety.

On the other side of the law enforcement team were a more scattered and noisy group of people, whose equipment varied greatly.

These were bounty hunters and explorers who had been drawn here, including rare animal hunters who hunted deep in the jungles of the Kumangu Mountains year-round, and gem hunters employed by many nobles of the Piltover trade.

To ensure safety, Caitlin's family even hired a group of powerful Shurima mercenaries to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

This gave Caitlin a sense of security and confidence.

Just as those councilors said, no matter how powerful Ixokeng was, it was still just an empire living in the mountains, while Piltover was located at the throat of world trade, and as a city of progress, its development was changing rapidly every day.

Especially after Hextech made leaps and bounds, both personal equipment and heavy machinery have experienced rapid development.

Even if Ixtal is a secluded kingdom that has existed for thousands of years, the people living there are still made of flesh and blood and cannot withstand bullets and cannonballs.

Thinking it over, Caitlin said, "Let's speed up and try to find a suitable base before sunset!"

While Piltover and his group continued their advance, on the other side, they quickly arrived at the Green Wall on the border using the axiom spell. Although they had received permission from Skana, Tallinn did not require too many people to accompany them.

Apart from the original core members, namely Nidalee, Rengar, Neeko, and some flesh-toothed beasts, there were only Qiyana, Farin, some young Yorntals, and related Primal Axiom scholars and apprentices.

After Tarlin and his companions passed through the green wall made of vines, the Ixtalians who had not been granted permission also stopped escorting them, curiously gazing at the world before them, and seeing Tarlin and his group off into the unknown wilderness.

Most of these people were gardeners from the border region of Ixtal. They only knew that Tarlin and the others were going out, but they didn't know what the outside world was like, nor did they know what had happened deep inside the Ixtal dungeon.

Perhaps in their hearts, they were still curious about what there was to explore in the post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Or perhaps, it wasn't exploration at all, but rather—exile or something like that?

Qiyana didn't care about the gazes of the people behind her. She just glanced at the crowd around her and then looked at Tarin with some curiosity and said, "I thought you would take this opportunity to ask your father for more soldiers to accompany you. I didn't expect there to be only a few people."

And—there are many scholars too?

"Because this time your main responsibility is communication," Tarin said with a smile, looking at Qiyana. "If any problems arise that require violence—leave them to me."

Tallinn already had a plan in mind for how to deal with Piltover.

Unlike Caitlin and her group who struggled to advance through the primeval forest, the people of Ixtal seemed to have been born into this primeval forest.

Through the energy of the primordial axioms, the originally intertwined vegetation automatically spread out to both sides, opening up a smooth path.

The young scholars walked lightly, their shoes treading on the primordial axiomatic formulas outlined by Sosso, making even the slippery layer of decaying leaves feel like flat ground.

Needless to say, the flesh-toothed beasts are naturally endowed with a very strong affinity for nature, and their speed is not affected in the slightest even without magic.

Without relying on pioneering motorcycles to forcibly carve out roads, and without worrying about accidentally entering the territory of ferocious beasts, the group from Tarlin traversed most of the woodland in just two days, a distance that Caitlin estimated might take half a month to cross.

Just then, a bird flew in from the sky and transformed into human form as it approached the tower.

As she fell from the sky, Nico's face showed no panic; instead, she landed in Tarin's arms with a dazed expression.

Talin caught her steadily and placed Nico on the ground beside him before asking, "Did you find anything?"

"I've found it! I've found it!" Nico exclaimed excitedly. "It's a group of people dressed in strange clothes, holding glowing tubes, and those big metal boxes from before!"

The leader was a girl with blue hair accessories and a very clean scent.

Upon hearing this, a hint of disdain flashed in Qiyana's eyes: "They must be from Piltover. Just as rumored, they're using useless metal to put on a show."

Tallinn didn't pay much attention to this, and simply stepped forward first: "Since we've run into them, let's go and meet them."

"Chuhua, chuhua!" Neeko shouted as she transformed into a bird and perched on Tarin's shoulder. Although Neeko was forbidden from freely reading other people's shomons and transforming into their appearance, Tarin did not impose any restrictions on animals.

Meanwhile, in the camp, people were preparing to depart. Caitlin stood next to a pioneering motorcycle, her brows furrowed as she looked at the complex terrain on the map.

Vi leaned against her motorcycle, fiddling with her Hextech Gloves, muttering, "Could there really be any trace of civilization in this godforsaken place? Caitlin, do you think your mom and the others were fooled?"

Wei had barely finished speaking when a law enforcement officer rushed over, looking tense: "Captain, we've spotted unidentified figures ahead, approaching us!"

Upon hearing this, Caitlin immediately tensed up, raised her hand to signal everyone to be on guard, and instantly cocked her Hextech rifle.

Wei also suppressed her dissatisfaction, clenched her fist gloves, and stared sharply into the forest ahead.

A few moments later, the group from Tallinn emerged from the woods.

They wore traditional Ischtal clothing, with geometric zither patterns embroidered on fabrics that were predominantly cyan and blue.

Qiyana wielded the Orethal Blade, her gaze cold and arrogant, her body surrounded by the faint glow of elemental magic.

Farin had a cool and aloof demeanor, but she simply smiled as she looked at the people from Piltover. When she saw the weapons in their hands, a hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes.

The scholars and apprentices were similarly curious, gazing at the weapons and equipment of the law enforcement officers.

Standing at the very front, Tallinn gives off a very peaceful feeling.

Although she didn't speak, Caitlin could more or less confirm from the focus of everyone's gaze that the man with a bird perched on his shoulder was the core of this team.

Thinking this, Caitlin suppressed her nervousness, stepped forward, and maintained basic politeness in her tone: "I am Caitlin, the sheriff of Piltover. I have led this team here on behalf of the city-state, hoping to communicate with the ruler of Ixtal."

Before Tarin could speak, Qiyana couldn't help but sneer, "I am the princess of Ixtal. Tell me what you want to say!"

Although she said that, anyone could easily hear the malice in Qiyana's words.

Upon seeing this, Vi, who has a rather straightforward personality, immediately frowned and was about to retort, but Caitlin raised her hand to stop her.

With composure and elegance maintained on her refined face, Caitlin remained calm: "We mean no harm; we simply want to establish a connection with Ishtar, get to know each other, and avoid unnecessary conflict."

After hearing Caitlin's explanation, Tarlin slowly stepped forward, his gaze calmly sweeping over Caitlin and her group.

From the enforcers' weaponry to the bounty hunters' and explorers' haphazard gear, and the Shuriman mercenaries hidden behind the group.

Then, they turned their attention to Caitlin.

Born into a prestigious family, Caitlin's looks and demeanor were undoubtedly among the best she had ever seen in Tallinn.

Her long, deep blue-purple hair cascaded down like silk, and she wore a tall, round hat with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks, highlighting her sharp and aloof jawline.

She wore a deep purple dress with a white lace collar, her arms and legs were covered with dark brown leather armor, she wore long boots, and she held a long gun adorned with Hextech power lines made of brass.

With sharp eyebrows and eyes of icy blue, distinct lip lines, and a resolute yet dignified expression, one glance is enough to tell that he is no ordinary person.

Feeling Tarlin's gaze, Caitlin also felt a wave of pressure, but she concealed it very well and did not show the slightest impatience.

Tallinn chuckled lightly, his tone gentle, but the words made Caitlin's heart tighten: "A state visit? I'm afraid it's more than that—if it were just a visit, sending a team would be enough."

But now there are so many people, including fully armed mercenaries. Isn't this a bit too much?

Upon hearing Tallinn's question, Caitlin's heart raced slightly, but she remained outwardly composed: "You flatter us, sir. We have indeed come with the aim of friendly exchange."

Tallinn didn't say much about it, only slightly turning his head.

"Help me read her semaphore."

"No question~" Nico responded in a voice only Tarin could hear.

According to Caitlin and the others, after she finished speaking, Tarlin didn't say anything more, but just turned her head and stared.

Just as Caitlin was wondering whether to say something, Tarlin nodded as if he sensed something.

"So they wanted to use the guise of a visit to survey the terrain and military strength? That really fits my impression of Piltover."

"

Caitlin's eyes narrowed, her gaze blank.