Malphegor
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Arcane: TTB: Ch. 69
🕑 Added 2025-03-13 16:24:19 +0000 UTCMel and her personal assistant waited at the harbor dock.
She stood with perfect stillness, while her mind calculated the many implications of her mother's arrival.
"The harbor master says her flagship has been spotted. Three escort vessels," Elora said quietly, breaking the silence.
"Of course. She never could resist a dramatic entrance," Mel replied.
"The Council will expect a report on this visit."
Mel's lips curved into a tight smile. "And they'll receive one. Carefully edited."
The last time something was important enough for her to do this, it was for Lester. This time, it was for her mother.
From the time Mel was very young, Ambessa knew her daughter's temperament was not suited for Noxus. Personally, she cast her out, sending her to Piltover.
Officially, it was an exile. In truth, it was protection.
Mel unconsciously adjusted the heavy gold necklace at her throat, which was symbol of her success and independence from Noxus.
She still held resentment toward her mother. For years, there had been no letters, and no inquiries.
Ambessa had let her fend for herself in Piltover. The only time she ever remembered she had a daughter was when she needed money.
To Mel, her mother was nothing more than a cold-blooded war machine, one that only saw value in profit.
Now, Ambessa had come to Piltover.
This was the direct consequence of the failed hostage situation with Camille. The moment she appeared, Mel realized she had lost control of the Council.
In name, she was still a councilor. In reality, she was a puppet. Decisions were being made above her. And she didn't like it.
Camille's presence made it clear, the true rulers of Piltover were the Clan Ferros.
With power slipping through her fingers and financial troubles not far away, her mother's arrival was unsurprising.
She didn't have to wait long.
Several warships emerged from the canal, flying not only the Noxian banner but also the crest of the House Medarda.
Escort ships swiftly docked, securing the port as a burly man with a thick beard led a squad of Noxian elites to establish control.
A flag signal was raised to confirm safety, and the flagship slowly pulled into the harbor.
Noxian soldiers, clad in black and red armor, stood in disciplined rows, long blades in hand, unmoving as statues. The iron force exuded an aura of blood and steel.
The burly man's efficient hand signals directed the silent deployment of soldiers who moved like robots, making even routine docking feel like a military operation.
A sharp metallic hiss cut through the air as the flagship settled into place. The hatch opened with deliberate slowness.
From the shadows and mist emerged a woman.
A cape draped over her right shoulder, her left hand resting at her waist. Her stride was casual, as if strolling through a garden.
Each footstep on the gangplank hit with a heavy sound, bringing the raw smell of Noxian leather and steel.
Silver strands touched her hair.
Her build was broad and powerful.
A face marked by deep scars told a story of iron and blood.
Ambessa. She was a woman forged in war. At ten years old, she had already scavenged weapons from the dead.
The moment Mel saw her, her expression darkened.
She had never had much patience for her mother, and if she was here in Piltover, it was undoubtedly bad news.
Ambessa's gaze first swept over the wealth-drenched heart of Piltover. She wasn't admiring its beauty but assessing it like a battlefield, noting defensive weaknesses and valuable targets with a single sweep.
Then, she turned to her daughter, and smiled as she waved her left arm in mock cordiality.
"Mel, Elora, no need to come out just for me. Though I'm touched by such devotion."
Mel frowned. She knew exactly what her mother was doing. "Why are you here, Mother?"
Ambessa spread her hands, feigning innocence. "Why wouldn't I be? Can't a mother visit her only child without an interrogation?"
A dry laugh escaped Mel's lips. "You must have crossed half a continent just to visit your daughter, not to show off the fleet carrying enough soldiers to occupy half our harbor."
Ambessa smiled. "I've heard Piltover is quite hospitable, must be wrong."
This was precisely why Mel hadn't brought Jayce to meet her mother. If Ambessa was feeling particularly 'traditional,' she might just treat him like one of those local delicacies.
"And where is this brilliant partner of yours? The one who's revolutionizing magic through technology?" Ambessa asked, noticing his absence.
"Occupied with business," Mel replied flatly.
"Pity. I've heard so much about him. In Noxus, we value innovation... when it serves strength."
"Which is precisely why he's elsewhere. Your way of 'valuing innovation' often leaves the innovator bleeding out."
"Hahaha!"
Ambessa laughed, then studied her daughter's face, noting how the years had hardened her features.
"Five years, Mel," she mused as she stepped past her daughter.
Mel turned her head slightly, watching her mother walk behind her. "Since the day you exiled me."
"Oh? Still sulking about that? I thought I raised you stronger," Ambessa immediately recognized the resentment in her daughter's voice.
But she wasn't worried. She knew her daughter's potential. One day, Mel would understand what it meant to be a wolf, to take her rightful place as leader of their house.
"You raised me to recognize when I'm being used. Then you sent me away because I recognized it too well."
"This is what you think? I sent you here to oversee the family's profits, to temper you. And you succeeded beyond expectation."
"I succeeded despite your methods, not because of them."
"Results matter more than methods. That's the lesson you never quite embraced."
Turning slightly, Ambessa cast a rare glance of approval at her daughter, her gaze holding a faint trace of something softer, pride perhaps.
"You were the one who said it yourself. That I was too sentimental, and maybe I'd be better off overseas, mixing with those spineless idealists." Mel shrugged, unimpressed by her mother's words.
"You really take after your father with that memory of yours. Holding onto every slight, every harsh word."
"And cataloguing every broken promise. He taught me that too."
Ambessa's expression softened unexpectedly. "Yes, that's right. He would be proud of what you've built here. Though he'd never admit it out loud, another trait you share."
She suddenly leaned in, wrapping an arm around Mel's shoulders, a teasing grin on her face. Mel neither leaned into it nor pulled away.
"Save the flattery for someone who buys it," Mel scoffed, rolling her eyes. She wasn't falling for this act.
"Mel~" Ambessa's voice stretched out in a playful, almost affectionate whine.
"Not this either." Mel cut her off.
With the formalities over, the two walked along the coastline. Seagulls wheeled overhead, their cries echoing across the waves.
No outsiders were around. It was finally time to speak seriously.
"That Camille Ferros who appeared in Piltover isn't as simple as she seems. We've all underestimated the Clan Ferros," Ambessa remarked.
"Even you couldn't deal with her?" Mel asked, surprised.
She hadn't welcomed her mother's arrival, but a part of her had hoped it would mean war. What Camille had done had given them the perfect excuse. But now, it seemed Ambessa had no intention of starting one.
"Piltover is our territory. Zaun belongs to Swain," Ambessa explained.
"Since when does the House Medarda share anything?" Mel asked incredulously.
"Since it became more profitable to cooperate than compete."
"So this is about money after all."
"It's always about money. And power. The two flow together like blood and water."
"Before Swain sent Lester to Zaun, I made an agreement with him. Camille caused a mess there under the Ferros name. In principle and politics, I owe Swain a response."
"My original plan was to use this as an excuse to crush the Clan Ferros with our private military. But guess what happened?"
She stroked her chin.
"What? They bought protection? Does the Clan Ferros have a powerful backer?" Mel frowned. She had dealt with them for years, and aside from Camille's recent emergence, she had never noticed anything unusual.
"You guessed right. Several Noxian warband commanders sent letters in support of the Clan Ferros. One of them even came from General Du Couteau's wife herself."
"But I could tell, that's not their true backer. Whoever's really behind them is someone we can't afford to provoke," Ambessa said.
"General Du Couteau? So we're just letting this go?" Mel was taken aback. He was one of Noxus' deadliest assassins, and his family was among the most feared in the empire. Even for the House Medarda, they weren't an enemy to take lightly.
"Let it go? Hahhahaha!" Ambessa suddenly let out a booming laugh.
"In Noxus, mistakes must be paid for."
"The Clan Ferros' backers may have saved their lives, but their wealth? Not a single coin will be spared."
"I've already reached an understanding with Swain. By the end of this, we'll take at least fifty percent of the Clan Ferros' assets."
She clenched her fist, a wolfish grin curling at her lips.
