Malphegor
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Arcane: TTB: Ch. 34
🕑 Added 2025-02-05 16:41:11 +0000 UTC"Vander, what are you planning to do? You can't just let yourself be a bartender or some construction worker forever."
"Why not? The work is honest enough."
"Because Zaun needs more than just honest work now."
Determined to solidify Zaun's stance against Noxus, Silco mulled it over and decided he needed to give his old friend a hand.
After resolving their past grudges, he hoped Vander could contribute to the progress of the Undercity.
The Black Lanes was originally built by Vander himself, forged with his iron fists. Zaun's rise to glory should naturally include his contributions.
Not as he was now, an ordinary worker, wasting his extraordinary combat skills.
"Old man, I've already thought it through."
"Zaun's economy is already on the rise, and our armed forces are sufficient for self-defense. What we need now is to strengthen our spirit. Only then can the days ahead keep improving."
"I plan to have you serve as Deputy Mayor, promoting Zaun's guiding philosophy, addressing the livelihood issues of the people, and improving the public's recognition of Zaun's governance."
"For now, you'll take the role of chief instructor at the Police and Military Bureau, handling the daily training of enforcers and dealing with some of the more troublesome individuals."
Cipher spoke with confidence. He had long since planned where his father-figure would be best placed.
Vander's generous, righteous nature and his immense charisma had earned him great respect in the Undercity. His presence alone could calm a mob or inspire a crowd.
Having him handle social welfare while helping to arm Zaun's citizens with a strong spirit was a perfect fit.
"Strengthen the spirit? You mean that 'spiritual wealth' you keep mentioning? But that's something intangible, can it really be that important for you to emphasize it so much?"
"Faith doesn't fill empty bellies."
Silco, curious, wanted to hear Cipher's understanding of this so-called "spiritual wealth."
"No, but it gives people the strength to fight for full ones," Cipher said. "It's absolutely important!"
The most crucial step in driving a revolution was establishing a guiding philosophy, followed by arming oneself and building a solid base among the people.
Without belief, strength was just violence.
Cipher, however, had been lucky.
Using advanced technology from the Apex world and a stroke of fortune, he had accumulated massive investments, bypassing the initial steps of the revolution and fast-forwarding directly to building armed forces.
But skipping the groundwork without addressing it later would lead to disaster.
Without firm belief or understanding of the cause, the masses would falter in hard battles and easily succumb to corruption. Zaun's economic development, no matter how robust, would only turn it into another Piltover, a city of luxury with no purpose, meaningless in the grand scheme of change.
To truly become a progressive light of the world, Zaun had to arm itself spiritually under a clear guiding philosophy, step by step evolving into a lighthouse for all.
He planned to set up communication towers and begin citywide wireless broadcasts to clarify Zaun's guiding principles.
"Think about it. Why does Piltover, a far wealthier city, dare to strike Zaun with such a heavy hand while cowering before Noxus? And yet, Zaun, weaker by comparison, shows no fear toward Noxus?"
Cipher posed the question, leaning forward across the worn wooden table.
"You already answered this before, didn't you? The Piltovans are born into lives of milk and bread. They don't want to risk their necks. We on the other side don't even know if we'll get a warm meal tomorrow. We've had to fight for everything we have, so of course, we're willing to risk it all." Sevika took a swig of her drink, frowning as she replied.
She remembered Cipher's explanation clearly.
"And because they're soft," she added. "Born to comfort, afraid to lose it."
"Right, but that's only part of the answer. Piltover's weakness isn't just inherent, it's also deliberate."
"Piltover's geographic location is excellent. It's protected on all sides, sea, mountains, and chaos. They're flanked by the sea on two sides, with the northern mountain range acting as a barrier against Noxian armies. To the south, the Shuriman Empire has long since fractured into chaos."
"And Noxian gold," Silco added quietly.
"Exactly. They're not just weak, they're owned," Cipher confirmed. "The Piltovans are exceptionally skilled at commerce. They established a well-functioning trade system with their neighbor, Noxus, early on."
"The House Medarda of Noxian warlords, through their member Mel Medarda, not only have a seat on the Piltover Council but are also the wealthiest in Piltover."
"With the backing of the Iron Wolf, coupled with the complex trade interests between Piltover and Noxus, Piltover has never truly faced an external threat."
"As long as they're willing to sell out their interests and bow to Noxus, they can maintain their security."
"Nominally, Piltover belongs to its people, but in reality, it's a sheepfold managed by Noxus. As long as they can shear the wool every so often, Noxus is willing to protect Piltover."
"And that's the deep-rooted reason Piltover can't stand up to Noxus, they're not an independent entity at all. Everything they have depends on Noxus."
Cipher continued discussing Piltover politics, pointing out that in the original story, if it weren't for the estranged relationship between Mel and her mother, Ambessa, and the latter's attempt to manipulate Jayce into creating Hextech weapons, Ambessa could have taken control of Piltover effortlessly.
The Piltover Council members were essentially comprador capitalists, no different from the corporate oligarchs of other nations, all bowing to the same master.
"So, what should we do? As much as I hate to admit it, Piltover is stronger than us," Silco said, carefully analyzing Cipher's arguments and finding no flaws in the logic.
Piltover had seven council members in total, and Heimerdinger was little more than a figurehead mascot who avoided any real responsibility.
From what he knew, including Councilor Medarda, at least three council members had business interests directly tied to Noxus.
And that was just on the surface, who knew how many council members really had covert trade dealings with Noxus?
"The issue with Piltover is that its council members are, in some sense, puppets. They lack the authority to defy Noxus."
"Piltover isn't truly owned by its people. So, how many Piltover citizens would genuinely be willing to die for it? Would you count on that bunch of overweight, self-serving councilors? When it comes to high-stakes war, they'd be the first to run."
"But we are different. Zaun belongs to its people, all of them," Cipher declared, his voice rising with passion.
"And what does that mean in practice?" Vander asked, his attention fully focused now.
"It means everything we build, we build for everyone," Cipher answered. "Here, it's the people of Zaun who decide what happens."
"The establishment of Zaun's governance represents the Zaunites standing up for themselves, taking control of their fate."
"Our government protects them, fights for their rights, and provides them with bread and milk."
"We will build schools and hospitals, ensuring that Zaun's children receive education and proper healthcare."
"Soon enough, our children won't have to breathe poisoned air. They'll have clean water to drink, safe food to eat, a real childhood to enjoy, and schools to attend."
"And a warm place to die of old age."
"What we need to do is tell all Zaunites that our government is not the same as the Chem-Barons of the past."
"It doesn't belong to the 'House Vander' or a handful of individuals, it belongs to everyone in Zaun."
"Fighting for Zaun means fighting for themselves, for a brighter future for their families."
"And that's the role of spiritual empowerment. I'll handle the slogans, speeches, and promotional material, but the actual execution will fall to you, old man."
"You'll need to provide a path forward for those in desperate circumstances, those with nowhere to go, or those struggling to stay alive."
"It's a heavy burden you're placing on these shoulders," Vander said. He looked around the tavern, his home, filled with the family he'd built piece by piece.
"We've got your back, old man," Vi declared, punching the air with enthusiasm. Next to her, Powder nodded vigorously, her pigtails bouncing.
"Someone's gotta keep the streets in line," Mylo added with his trademark smirk, while Claggor gave a solid thumbs up.
Ekko, the youngest of their bunch, grinned from ear to ear. "And I can help with the technical stuff! Been learning a lot!"
"Tch," Sevika clicked her tongue, but her lips curved into a small smile. "At least the paperwork won't punch back."
Silco placed a hand on Vander's shoulder. "The Undercity has always been your home. Now you can make it a home for everyone."
Vander looked at each face in turn, the family he'd found, fought for, and would do anything to protect.
Maybe this is what Cipher means by spiritual wealth.
"I know it'll be a tough job," Cipher said softly, "but that's why we're all here. Together, as a family, we can make Zaun rise."
He planned to establish enough self-defense capabilities for Zaun, equipping the enforcers with explosive rounds, before launching a newspaper and library to spread reformist ideas.
Through these channels, he would explain why the people of Zaun had suffered so much in the past, identify who was exploiting them, and clarify who their real enemies were.
Finally, he would outline what Zaun needed to do and how to wield their blades against their oppressors.
