After confirming Caitlyn's decision, Cassandra no longer hesitated. She directly took out her communication device and contacted Mel.
Whether this gamble could move forward depended entirely on whether Mel was willing to take a seat at the table.
As for Jayce, he was completely ignored by her in these calculations. He simply wasn't equipped for this.
He could serve adequately as an executor of decisions, someone to implement policy and provide technical expertise, but he was definitely not someone fit to complex schemes from behind the scenes.
"Is this Councilor Kiramman?"
Even though it was already close to 1 AM, Mel answered the call within seconds.
Just like Cassandra, she hadn't even attempted to rest yet despite the late hour.
With such a major incident occurring during Progress Day, and with Jayce rushing to find her in panic about the explosion, there was absolutely no way she'd be able to sleep tonight.
Sleep was a luxury none of them could afford.
[Jayce should have told you everything about tonight's events. What do you think of our... situation?]
It was late, and Cassandra didn't waste time with pleasantries, she got straight to the heart of the matter.
This high-stakes gamble couldn't succeed with just the House Kiramman's resources and influence. The House Medarda's participation carried massive political value, and more importantly, made their plans actually executable rather than merely theoretical.
"You're calling me at this hour instead of waiting for morning. Haven't you already made your decision about which direction we're heading?"
Mel smiled. Contacting her at this late hour was already a clear expression of intent and urgency.
"I agree with Jayce and Caitlyn's views. Piltover is no longer progressing, if anything, we're regressing into something uglier than what we once were. As councilors, it's our responsibility to purge the parasites that are slowly destroying Piltover from within."
Mel didn't bother speaking in riddles, she stated her position directly.
In truth, her stance had already shifted toward Zaun the moment she received that letter from her mother.
The real power behind Piltover, the Clan Ferros, was aligned with the Black Rose.
But Mel's family were sworn blood enemies of the Black Rose. The Black Rose was hunting the Medardas down relentlessly across multiple continents and had nearly succeeded in assassinating her brother Kino.
Her mother was currently leading the remnants of their once-proud family on a desperate voyage to the Piltover and Zaun to seek refuge, and more importantly, to obtain weapons they needed.
Those weapons were their only hope to destroy the Black Rose and return to Noxus.
Among Piltover and Zaun, Ambessa had made it clear she favored Zaun the most. Zaun was entirely under the protection of Swain, their most valuable political ally, making it a far safer and more reliable choice.
Now that the House Medarda had taken significant losses, they couldn't even be confident they could hold their own against the Clan Ferros in Piltover.
If it hadn't been for the incredible strategic value demonstrated by the Hextech technology, making it worth the effort to win them over, Ambessa would have already told Mel to defect and seek asylum in the Undercity.
[With just our strength, it won't be nearly enough to accomplish what we're discussing. Do you have any ideas about how we might... expand our capabilities?]
Cassandra tested the waters, she wasn't surprised by Mel's attitude, having anticipated this response.
After all, Mel had bet everything she possessed, including her own life and future, on Jayce. She had rarely opposed anything he did, though the specific implementation and execution had to follow her directions.
What Cassandra really wanted to gauge was her stance regarding Zaun and the possibility of closer cooperation with the Undercity. Because what she truly intended was to lead her family to defect to Zaun.
It wasn't difficult to foresee that war would soon break out between both cities. All the smart people in Piltover's upper circles could see the storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
But Cassandra's situation was different from Mel's position. The House Kiramman, while wealthy and influential, was far weaker than the Medardas in terms of military connections and international reach, they couldn't afford even a single major miscalculation.
Her original plan had been to hedge her bets on both sides without fully committing to either faction. That way, even if there weren't great rewards, at least the losses wouldn't be too bad.
The burden she bore was responsibility for her entire family, so she had to be cautious.
But once she realized that Caitlyn was politically naive to the point of being completely useless for complex maneuvering, her mindset changed.
Rather than waiting until she was pushed aside and her family was slowly devoured, it was better to take a gamble while she still retained the ability to influence events.
Go all in: either lose everything in spectacular fashion, or seize it all and rise alongside a new nation.
"You can consider yourself an early angel investor in Zaun's most promising new venture."
"Jayce and Caitlyn are close friends. There's really no need for our houses to maintain such formal distance."
Mel chuckled lightly. She clearly understood Cassandra's intent and immediately gave her some reassurance.
Though young, her political acumen and strategic thinking were considerably sharper than Cassandra's, honed by years of navigating Noxian power struggles.
Her family's formidable military power also allowed her to thrive in Piltover with ease. As long as Camille didn't show up, Mel was effectively the highest authority in Piltover.
---
"And what approach do you suggest we take?"
A trace of joy appeared on Cassandra's face, she knew this partnership was as good as finalized now.
"Since this all started with the indentured labor system, let's begin there."
With their alliance now confirmed, Mel immediately began drafting an initial strategy. In truth, her thinking aligned closely with Cassandra's.
[And how exactly should we proceed?]
Cassandra pretended to ask, though she already had a plan of her own, but revealing strategy too eagerly could damage alliances.
Some things were better left understood without being said out loud, speaking certain truths aloud could hurt partnerships.
Casting a discreet glance at Caitlyn, who was watching with hopeful eyes, Cassandra gave a small smile.
Let everything appear to unfold naturally. At the very least, her daughter must not be allowed to realize what was truly happening.
[The indentured labor system is a malignant disease, Piltover is already terminally ill from this infection.]
[We apply gentle pressure at first, then administer the necessary harsh medicine when the moment is right. Maybe then, Piltover can still be saved.]
[Therefore, I believe our first step should be to bring the labor management system under our control.]
[We become the new overseers ourselves. On the surface, everything remains exactly the same to outside observers.]
[This way, we won't prematurely alarm Piltover's entrenched interests or spark unrest, and we can eliminate the old, exploitative overseers while returning some benefits to the indentured workers.]
[Without the overseers' cruel exploitation and profit-skimming, even the workers can live decently.]
Mel spoke calmly and smoothly. Much of what she said carried multiple layers of meaning, only experienced politicians like Cassandra could fully understand.
For example: Piltover has suffered under parasitic leadership for far too long, when Zaun's liberating forces finally arrive, the oppressed people will welcome them with celebration and gratitude.
Because of that ambiguity, she wasn't concerned if Jayce or Caitlyn managed to pick up on their real intentions.
"I'm not optimistic about this plan. Piltover currently has hundreds of thousands of indentured workers spread across dozens of facilities."
"Eliminating all the existing overseers and taking over direct management ourselves, that won't be easy or quick to accomplish."
"This isn't something we can safely delegate. It must be executed by our own people, and frankly, we don't have enough suitable candidates with the necessary skills."
"Also, those overseers maintain their control through brutal private security forces and hired thugs. Getting rid of the overseers means we'll have to deal with their violent enforcers too, it's going to be extremely messy and dangerous."
"And we absolutely cannot mobilize the Wardens for this, too obvious and traceable. People would immediately start asking questions."
Cassandra seemingly rejected the proposal, listing every problem and obstacle. But she wasn't truly refusing the plan, she was allowing Mel to voice the solutions that she herself couldn't suggest aloud.
Some ideas had to come from the right person to maintain plausible deniability.
[Caitlyn would be perfect. Her reputation for justice is known throughout every district of Piltover. If she replaced the overseers in the name of reform, no one would question our intentions.]
[The corporate executives would just dismiss it as another moment of youthful idealistic rebellion from a sheltered noble lady. As for removing the dangerous thugs, we'll arrange for friends to quietly provide the necessary assistance.]
As a seasoned politician, Mel easily understood what Cassandra truly meant and smoothly said the solution for her.
"Absolutely not! I will not allow Caitlyn to take that kind of risk!"
Cassandra suddenly stood up from her chair, her face full of anger.
She had the speaker on, so Caitlyn could hear every word of the conversation clearly.
"I'll do it!"
Caitlyn also rose to her feet immediately, her expression resolute, her passion burning bright. For the sake of justice, she feared nothing. She would not back down from this duty.
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