The Prelude to War

"Welcome, my friend!"

This time, Jessica showed even greater enthusiasm, completely abandoning the aristocratic airs that had been subtly present throughout. Instead of pressing her hand to the chest or shaking hands, she gave Herren a big hug.

He deliberately tried to build rapport using the Freljordian way he remembered, but little did he know that Harren was not a "pure" Freljordian.

Herren was a little uncomfortable, but he responded with an equally enthusiastic hug, as if the two brothers were as close as one.

"I've been looking forward to your arrival, and I haven't forgotten my promise... I'm so glad you haven't forgotten either, you actually came in person!"

"Of course, I can't wait to taste Noxus wine!"

Finding a trading post is quite simple; just find the most suitable place to live. The Noxians were the first to occupy this place... a low-lying mountain pass, flanked by towering mountains. Although it is within the territory of Freljord, the biting cold winds keep it out.

This trading post maintained the typical Noxian style: the interior was not luxurious, but the external defenses were excellent, and the personnel were well-organized, making it more like a military camp.

The halberds that were delivered were inspected and stored one by one. The "merchants" in charge of storing the weapons also handled them very professionally.

While chatting with Jessica, Herren kept glancing around the place out of the corner of his eye. He was now certain that this was no ordinary private trading post, but rather an outpost officially supported by Noxus.

The Noxians were very well disguised, and Herren couldn't figure them out in just a few glances. However, he had never seen anyone dressed in a wizard's robe who looked threatening at a glance.

Jessica set up the banquet in the open space in front of the main building, with long tables in the Noxian style arranged closely together. Servants were constantly bringing food and drinks, while Herren himself was invited to the second-floor balcony of the main building.

This location offers a panoramic view of the open space, allowing visitors to enjoy the festive atmosphere while retaining a degree of privacy.

At this table, there were only Herren and Jessica. Jessica brought out her treasured wines and high-end cigars from Piltover.

In his previous life, Herren smoked, but he wasn't sure if he could handle cigars, so he declined Jessica's offer. However, he was very interested in this Piltover product.

"Does your caravan still trade with Twin Cities?"

"Twin cities?"

Jessica paused for a moment, then smiled and said.

"You mean Piltover? I didn't know you were so knowledgeable, even knowing about a backwater like Zaun."

"Ha... I've heard that Zaun's technology is also very advanced."

"Really? I haven't heard of that. Maybe, but Zaun doesn't have a port. Our business is all done through Piltover."

Hearing this, Herren finally asked his question indirectly.

"How do you source goods from Piltover in the southeast when you're in the east? Do they have some special transportation methods?"

"Ha, of course we can't do it, but there are people in Noxus who do it. The Middarda family runs the business there. The Piltover goods I have here are all bought from China. Damn it, we have to pay them a huge amount of taxes."

Herren nodded knowingly. It seemed that Piltover had not yet established Hextech Gates, and Hextech technology had not yet been invented... So, in terms of timeline, it should be before... the First Noah War? Or it was still in progress.

This happened much earlier than Herren had imagined. At this point in time, most of the well-known heroes had not yet had the opportunity to grow.

For example, the rumors about Jarvan IV that Heron told Sejuani... At this time, Jarvan was most likely not yet an adult.

While absentmindedly accepting the drink Jessica offered, Herren looked down at the celebratory scene and asked a question.

"Your caravan may seem formidable, but Freljord is no easy place... Aren't you worried about accidents happening while running such a large business?"

"Ha, Herren, just ask whatever you want to know, we're all on the same side..."

Jessica naturally understood that Herren wanted to probe the truth, but she didn't mind. If she were Herren, she would definitely be more cautious.

Moreover, he has already decided to improve relations with the Claws of Winter, so showing some of his "power" might allow him to cooperate better with these power-obsessed barbarians.

"To be honest, the Empire is not without achievements in the east. The Northern Legion is stationed not far away, ensuring the stability of the Empire's borders."

"The Northern Legion? An entire legion? How many people would that be?"

"Haha, I can't reveal that, but I can tell you that the logistics personnel of just one legion are more than the entire population of your tribe... And such a powerful legion is led by our empire's rising star general, Darius, you probably haven't heard of him."

"..."

Herren didn't reply, and Jessica continued talking to herself.

"He's really something, I admire him. He came from a poor background, yet he was awarded the title of Hand of Noxus this year... It's a real honor. But that's Noxus for you, as long as you have the ability, you'll never lack opportunities to rise to the top."

After saying that, Jessica changed the subject.

"It's clearly a waste of your talents to be stuck in a place like Freljord with a craftsman like you..."

"Good grief, you've actually tried to win me over?"

Herren laughed it off, taking it all as a joke.

After that, the two didn't talk about anything important, but just chatted about some trivial matters.

The two found themselves getting along quite pleasantly, and Herren belatedly realized that Jessica was intentionally accommodating him, which subtly revealed his intentions...

But as the drinking session progressed, the situation changed. Herren was able to drink without getting drunk, but Jessica, who was drinking with him, couldn't keep up. As she became more and more confused, Jessica also became more relaxed, but the two got along better.

Fueled by alcohol, the two finalized their collaboration.

Expanding the weapons trade is Jessica's new demand. Based on this, the Black Raven Merchants won't mind if Winter's Claw tries to win over other tribes. Their needs are simple: they need weapons no matter what.

Herren also tried to subtly inquire about the situation in Noxus, but Jessica remained silent.

However, Herren already had a guess...

The current timeline is early 984 in the Noxian calendar... Although it is the Noxian calendar, because Noxus is so prominent, even its arch-rival Demacia often uses this calendar to record events on the continent of Valoran.

Although Herren has forgotten the exact time, all signs seem to indicate that the first all-out war between Noxus and Ionia is about to break out.