Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

The King's public announcement abolishing the Anti-Magic Edict shocked everyone, including Li Lin.

In his opinion, Jarvan III would have taken a more gradual approach: first, having Barrett reorganize the Mageseekers' society, then halting the persecution of mages within the kingdom to give the populace time to adapt. 

At the noble level, Jarvan III should have continuously advocated for the benefits of abolishing the edict, gradually gaining acceptance among the upper echelon of nobles and power-holders. 

Essentially, such a royal-initiated reform is a top-down transformation. While it would challenge the vested interests of conservatives, it could also create and distribute new benefits—a "larger cake," so to speak. 

However, with most of the conservative faction eliminated during the purging of High Silvermere's upper ranks, the remaining nobles were largely neutral and easily swayed. A little effort from Jarvan III to win their support would likely suffice. 

After all, Demacia, for all its traditions, is still a feudal state where the king holds absolute authority. Jarvan III's decrees set the political direction, and even the High Council follows his commands, convening or dissolving at his will. 

Thus, Jarvan III's decision was the new political reality. Witnessing his iron-fisted approach to governance, other families dared not voice dissent.

As it turned out, what Li Lin could conceive, an experienced ruler of over twenty years could, too. 

When Jarvan III announced the repeal of the Anti-Magic Edict, he swiftly introduced supplementary legal provisions before any noble representatives could voice objections. These measures included pardoning innocent mages and compensating them, rewarding the first batch of registered mages, and organizing centralized training for magically gifted citizens. Contributions to the state could even earn mages noble titles.

Of course, this transition had to be gradual. Magically gifted citizens wouldn't immediately trust the state, nor would they easily abandon their ingrained fear of persecution. 

Jarvan III's strategy was to shift the narrative by leveraging noble influence, emphasizing that the recent turmoil was Noxus's doing—a ploy to redirect domestic tensions onto mages. By portraying Noxus as the architect of Demacia's strife, public focus would shift away from internal divisions.

The next steps involved the king delivering frequent speeches, declaring that Demacia had abolished its anti-magic laws, and using Ionia's harmonious coexistence with magic as an example. Citizens would be encouraged to voluntarily register as mages until coexistence became widely accepted.

But transforming ancestral traditions is never easy, especially in a kingdom like Demacia, which prides itself on its traditional values.

The legal reforms would undoubtedly cause significant social upheaval over the next several years or even decades. Whether this transformation succeeded would depend on how Jarvan III and the Crown Prince, Jarvan IV, managed the fallout from abolishing the Anti-Magic Edict.

One likely scenario was a strategic marriage between Jarvan IV and Shyvana, blending the royal family's lineage with the elemental power of a dragon to set an example. Yet for this to happen, Shyvana would first need to win the trust of the citizens and military in Edessa—a considerable challenge in itself.

After a long and exhausting day, Li Lin received an invitation from the king to attend a private banquet that evening. 

The guest list was short, including only the council members who had participated in the High Council session that day. 

Beyond the meal itself, the banquet's primary purpose was to discuss Demacia's future development. 

The Anti-Magic Edict had been abolished, and the preliminary draft of the new laws was complete, but it was merely an initial framework. Further refinement would require the collaboration of council members overseeing various domains of power.

Jarvan III planned to issue a royal edict to publicly announce these reforms to the people of High Silvermere and the entire nation—much like how Swain had restructured Noxus' aristocracy and introduced the "Trifarix Proclamation" during his rise to power the previous year.

After dining, the king and several ministers discussed mage-related policies. 

Tiyana and Pieter were neutral, expressing their intent to follow Jarvan III's directives. After all, the Crownguard family's heir, Luxanna, was a magically gifted prodigy, and reforming the Anti-Magic Edict aligned with their family's interests.

Fiora, who had gained the king's favor by offering an alternative perspective on the mage issue, had temporarily secured the position of Foreign Minister. Unsurprisingly, she supported the reforms.

The newly appointed Minister of Land Management, Nick Geoffrey, was a staunch reformist and a fervent supporter of the royal family. He supported the king's policies unconditionally.

Barrett, whose daughter Sona was a mage, naturally wished to create a safer, less restrictive environment for her, free from constant hiding.

Isabelle remained strictly neutral, rarely involving herself in political affairs. Her participation in the High Council seemed more symbolic than substantive.

Meanwhile, Wallace and Borg were neutral but undecided. After their questions were thoroughly addressed, they reluctantly agreed to support the reforms, albeit with the condition that the legal drafts prepared by the king and Pieter required further refinement.

The king sought Li Lin's opinion on the draft as well. However, Li Lin admitted he wasn't well-versed in law and could only suggest a people-centric approach based on his understanding of public welfare. Additionally, insights derived from his AI's calculations proved highly constructive for Demacia's new phase of reform.

As the banquet drew to a close, the group raised their glasses one final time, signaling the end of the evening. 

This marked the conclusion of a tense chapter and the beginning of a new, busy era. 

Jarvan III was determined to complete this reform during his reign, sparing his son the burden of inheriting this "troublesome matter."

The next day, they would begin intensifying efforts to push forward with the reform agenda. 

As the guests departed, Li Lin approached the slightly tipsy king, who was being supported by Jarvan IV and Xin Zhao. 

"Your Majesty," Li Lin called.

"Oh, it's you, Li Lin." Jarvan III waved off his companions, standing on his own and fixing his clear gaze on the young man before him. "What is it?"

"There are a few things I'd like to discuss," Li Lin replied. "Tomorrow, I'll install the nuclear fusion reactor for Galio."

"Hahaha… there's no need to rush. Recently, the Petricite in Demacia's capital has been overflowing with magic, and it's all thanks to Galio guiding it out. He says he can keep moving around for at least another half a month," Jarvan III chuckled heartily.

"The main reason I must return is that my time here in Demacia has already been prolonged too much. It's time I went back to take care of things."

Including the weeks spent traveling here, Li Lin had already stayed in Demacia for over a month. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed. His visit to Demacia had been fruitful, with the most significant achievement being the unlocking of the orbital weapon satellite. This gave him greater confidence in dealing with Bel'Veth in the future.

In the following ten months, he needed to focus on expanding his mechanical army and constructing the Colossus Mecha Beast. 

According to the AI's calculations, at his current pace, it would take Li Lin about half a month of sleepless, tireless effort if he worked entirely on his own—practically building a Gundam by hand.

Yet having just the Colossus Beast and the mechanical titan Gaboga didn't feel secure enough. Li Lin wanted to also construct the Tyrant Mecha: Aatrox. 

If possible, the inclusion of the Arcane Mecha: Xerath needed to be prioritized as well. As the most strategically significant "living" mecha in the entire battle mecha series, only one could be produced, and it required Xerath himself as the material.

Since the ascended Xerath, having stolen cosmic power, couldn't truly be killed, defeating him would only lead to sealing him away again. 

Based on Azir's current thinking, if Xerath could be modified to eliminate his sentience and become a pure living weapon, he might agree to the plan. 

Defeating the Darkin Aatrox and the Ascended Xerath had to be added to the agenda. 

But before that, Li Lin needed to pay another visit to Shurima, seeking the aid of Emperor Azir and Nasus. 

Perhaps, with a functional mecha army and sufficient resources, Li Lin could even assist the two, who were currently overwhelmed with Shurima's governance. 

For example, by reclaiming the scattered Darkin living weapons or defeating the already unsealed and destructive Darkin wreaking havoc in various places.

The previous Twilight Aspect, Myisha, had sealed the Darkin with her weapon Chalicar. Perhaps Zoe could use it to remove the Darkin's seals, compelling them to serve Shurima once again—a win-win outcome.

Though Shurima no longer had the glory of a thousand Ascended protecting it, the imminent Void War made every powerful ally essential. The battle against the Void Watchers and the Void creatures demanded every ounce of strength they could muster.

"Do you really have to leave?" Jarvan III's joking demeanor faded as he solemnly attempted to persuade him to stay.

"In the end, I'm also a member of the Kiramman family. Without the help of Councilor Kiramman and Miss Kiramman, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"And what about Barrett's youngest daughter, Sona?"

Jarvan III raised an eyebrow. "For the past few days, you've been visiting the Buvelle household daily. Barrett has often mentioned how you and she play music together in the pavilion, enjoying each other's company.

"I must say, the two of you are a perfect match—talented and beautiful, well-matched in every way. Besides, she's almost of marriageable age. If I'm not mistaken, she'll be holding her coming-of-age ceremony in just over a year. Rumors about the two of you have already spread among the nobles. Are you planning to abandon her just because she's mute?"

"Uh…"

A large, awkward smile froze on Li Lin's face. Caught off guard by Jarvan III's words, he didn't know how to respond. 

Judging by the amused expressions of Jarvan IV and Xin Zhao, however, it was clear the king's words were just a playful tease.

"Hahaha… the moment we start discussing matters of the heart, you become a completely different person."

Jarvan III laughed, patting Li Lin on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. As long as Barrett and Lestara don't object, I won't interfere too much in the affairs of you young people. Just make sure to visit Sona often, even after you return to Piltover. I can tell that girl really likes you.

"Speaking of which, does your nano-armor have teleportation capabilities? And didn't Piltover recently develop a new technology called the Hex Gates?"

Jarvan III glanced at his son and Xin Zhao, who nodded in confirmation, ensuring he hadn't misspoken.

"That technology happens to belong to the Kiramman family. I've already authorized your family as the sole external trading partner with Demacia. You can establish a Hex Gate outside the capital, making our exchanges more convenient in the future."

"You're wise, Your Majesty."

Jarvan III yawned. "Tired, tired… getting old makes one weary." 

Rubbing his eyes, his face showed signs of exhaustion. "Anything else you need?"

Li Lin hesitated briefly before speaking. "Just one last matter."

"Go ahead."

"I have an idea—to form an international organization and call it... the League of Legends."

[End of Chapter] 

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