The Storm Is Brewing

What does this mean for Freljord, or for Harren, or for the Claw of Winter? Harren couldn't figure it out; he just had a feeling that a storm was brewing.

On the bright side, Herren felt that this might not be a bad thing, because he knew that history would show Noxus getting bogged down in the war with Ionia, eventually leading to a coup.

Even if Harren provided newer weapons, he felt the outcome wouldn't change much, because ordinary weapons were completely ineffective against those who truly thwarted the Noxians...

Upon hearing the name Darius, Heron couldn't help but recall the CG he had seen in his previous life, where Darius led his troops to invade Freljord.

Noxus definitely wants to intervene in Freljord, but now is not a good time... On the contrary, Heron or Winter's Claw are in a good window of opportunity to strengthen themselves as quickly as possible while Noxus is preoccupied with other matters.

They could even profit from the war in Noxus and accumulate power...

Ultimately, although Herren and Jessica had different starting points, their goal was the same... which was to ensure a friendly relationship between Noxus and Winter's Claw.

At least for now...

To this end, the two tacitly expanded their cooperation. Herren promised to increase production and provide a larger supply of weapons and equipment. In return, Jessica allowed the exchange of goods to no longer be limited to food, but to include other necessities and even small items from Piltover.

In addition, the homemade wine that Herren brought was very well received at the banquet, and Jessica placed a large order with very generous terms and no haggling... This was clearly a gesture of goodwill he could express.

Even the next morning, when Helen embarked on his journey back to the tribe with his hungover tribesmen and carts full of supplies, the joy of returning home with a full load still could not overshadow the gloom in his heart.

The temporary good situation did not make him feel relaxed; on the contrary, it made him feel even more urgent.

He knew that his good fortune wouldn't last long, and the Claw of Winter... no, the Freljord had to seize the opportunity.

If Noxus were to eventually invade Freljord as it did in the original timeline, then Winter's Claw would be the first to suffer.

In this brief period of peace, the Claws of Winter must grow stronger as quickly as possible.

Perhaps one or two years, or even less...

……

……

In the eastern port of Noxus, one Noxian army after another arrived and, led by their officers, slowly and orderly settled down.

Not far to the south lies the Piltover River waterway, through which they can more easily transport supplies and troops.

These troops came from all over the empire; some originally belonged to the Northern Defenses, some were transferred from the western Demacian border regions, and some were even transferred from the colonial ports of Shurima.

Such a large-scale military operation is obviously a tremendous test for the army's highest commander.

But no one doubted his ability to do so, because the commander of this army had a resounding name—Jericho Swain.

Inside the army's main tent, a middle-aged general with long hair was studying a map intently.

He could have moved into the city, but he chose to stay in the barracks and share the hardships with the soldiers.

The subtle hustle and bustle in the military camp kept him constantly reminded of the arduous battle he was leading.

He is about to sound the clarion call for a full-scale war, so he must be extremely cautious in his first battle and make sure it is fought brilliantly.

Swain paced back and forth before the detailed map, his hands behind his back. Thanks to the work of the War Stonemasons, the Noxian army had a significant intelligence advantage.

With this advantage, even though it would take several months to prepare supplies, Swain was already able to begin formulating battle plans.

He pointed his finger at the location of Ionia on the map, a port town called Navori.

The reason for choosing this location is simple: the defense here is weak... or rather, there are no heavily defended places in Ionia.

Secondly, this is an important shipping route for Ionia. To conduct cross-sea operations, Swain needs to establish a stable and effective bridgehead.

Finally, there is the geographical advantage... Once Swain establishes a foothold in Navori and takes a short rest, he can gather a large army, advance a little further, and head straight for Presidium, a major city of Ionia and their holy city.

Swain was eager to take this place; he craved a quick victory. Once he captured Presidium, he was certain that the Ionians would find it difficult to mount a large-scale resistance.

He knew all too well how hastily this war had been fought... Even with his best efforts, he had only managed to buy the army a few months to prepare, but that was far from enough for him.

He could only hope for a huge tactical success to make up for the emperor's strategic blunders.

After staring at the map for a long time, and when Swain couldn't think of any additional points, he slowly turned around.

After a long silence, he sighed softly.

"Why……"

Meanwhile, far away in Demacia, Emperor Jarvan III received an urgent report that the Noxians on the border were making moves.

When he learned of this news, Jarvan III was bewildered. He held the seal in one hand, just one step away from stamping it on the decree that had just been written and whose ink was still wet.

That was a decree concerning the gradual lifting of the "anti-magic order"... and one of the few pursuits of Jarvan III during his reign.

However, the ban on magic had been in place for hundreds of years and had almost become a tradition for the Demacians. Even as emperor, Jarvan III had to make many efforts. He had to consider the acceptance of the people and take into account the constraints imposed by various nobles.

Finally, as he approached his later years, based on his prestige from years of rule and the tone he had given on various occasions, he felt that the time was ripe to implement this decree.

All these efforts seemed to have been shattered by this urgent report.

"..."

King Jarvan III remained silent for a long time before quietly putting down the seal.

People generally believe that Noxus and Demacia are evenly matched rivals, with each side winning and losing in their battles. However, in reality, Demacia is the completely weaker party.

They may have had some impressive victories in small-scale battles, but most of their fighting was on home soil, and the news of their victories was mostly about "thwarting the Noxians' actions," with few instances of them launching offensive attacks.

On the one hand, the Demacians were conservative and did not want to expand the war; on the other hand, Demacia's national strength and manpower were indeed far inferior to Noxus'.

In the current situation, Jarvan III must handle the Noxian border troop movements with extreme care.

Due to their lagging intelligence work, they were unaware that Noxus's military buildup was a safeguard for another war... At least for now, Jarvan III was forced to focus on external pressure.

Looking at the decree that had not yet been signed, Jarvan III remained silent for a moment before having no choice but to withdraw it.

"Why……"