The Next Morning.
Duke, who had risen early, began his preparations. The ceremonial outfit Camille had mentioned was already on him, though Duke, wearing pristine white gloves, clearly disliked the attire.
Too tight. Too stiff. Too formal. And worst of all, it demanded he maintain a puffed chest and straight back at all times.
It was pure torture.
Nearby, Rengar in his blue uniform glared at Duke with defiance. The whetstone in his claw sparked as he sharpened his blade aggressively.
Moments earlier, the restless feline had once again tried to ambush Duke—only to be promptly pinned and thoroughly beaten down by a suit-wearing, irritable Duke.
Now, the big cat had finally quieted down.
Per their agreement, Rengar still owed Duke two more days of labor as punishment for his failure. If he tried it again, the debt would grow to three days, then stretch indefinitely.
Duke almost hoped Rengar would keep trying—he clearly wasn't good at math. If things kept stacking, this big oaf might end up being stuck under Duke's thumb for life.
He wondered just how long it would take Rengar to realize that.
Considering his personality? Probably never.
The envoy group was busy with last-minute preparations. Though Ixtal was an ancient and reclusive kingdom, their mission had to be treated with the utmost seriousness.
Once everything was in order, Duke climbed onto Pride's shoulder, donned his headset linked to Elise, and gave the command for everyone to board the airships.
Rengar remained behind as a camp guard. Neeko, however, was brought along—Duke wasn't going to let that sneaky little troublemaker disappear again.
As Pride took to the skies, the rest of the fleet followed, heading toward the coordinates marked by the beacon.
Near Midday.
The group finally arrived at the coordinates. From above, Duke looked down at the village—it was even smaller than he expected.
Compared to Bilgewater's Rat Town or even the markets of Piltover, this place was tiny.
Smoke curled gently from chimneys as lunch was being prepared, but an invisible force dissipated the smoke quickly, preventing it from serving as a visible signal to outsiders.
As soon as the airships were spotted, the village alarm blared.
Children playing in the streets ran home, women and the elderly shut doors and windows tightly. The village elders emerged, and the few Pathkeepers resting in town grabbed weapons—crescent blades and short knives—and stepped into the plaza, wary and alert.
"They're clearly not happy to see us," muttered Captain Ozrelun. "I bet if we land, they'll come at us swinging."
"Have some faith in diplomacy," Duke replied, glancing at him. "They already want to come swinging."
"But we can't blame them. Ixtal's been isolated for a thousand years. To them, the outside world is dangerous and terrifying. Let's go down and see if we can talk."
Duke patted Pride's head. The mech slowly descended. As the villagers gasped in alarm, the entire envoy landed in the central plaza.
Once stable, Duke jumped off Pride's shoulder. While doing so, he pondered whether to upgrade Pride's motorbike mode next.
His thoughts were cut off as a middle-aged man, clearly on edge, stepped out and shouted at him:
"Outsiders! What business do you have in the Ticolas Province of Ixtal?"
So this is the Ticolas Province of Ixtal? Duke's expression turned strange. In the original background lore, Ticolas attacked a Piltover logging crew, leading to the province governor's death. That governor was replaced—by Qiyana's sister.
Qiyana, in her ambition to usurp her sister, exposed the secret path to the province. Half the village was sacrificed so she could claim dominion over it.
A strange move, Duke thought. And incredibly arrogant.
"Yes," the man confirmed.
Realizing Duke knew of Ixtal, the man straightened up and barked:
"Leave at once, or we will respond with force!"
"Hm…" Duke stroked his chin, then calmly replied, "We're a survey team from Piltover. We've come a long way to establish diplomatic ties with Ixtal."
"Would you kindly relay our request to your superiors?"
He gestured upward. The man paused, turned to consult the other elders, and retreated a few steps for a hushed conversation.
"They want to establish diplomacy?"
"A delegation then?"
"How do we receive delegations again?"
"I say we don't. Kick them out."
"We've followed tradition for a thousand years! These outsiders cannot break it today!"
"But diplomacy means progress!"
"Tradition is sacred! It's our foundation!"
"Then drive them off, kill them if needed!"
"NO outsiders! NO compromise!"
While they bickered, Pride relayed everything to Duke through their deep psychic link.
Though Duke avoided using the link often—it felt like his mech was reading his mind, like those nosy parents from his past life always prying into their children's business.
Soon, the same man returned with an even colder tone:
"I, as Governor of Ticolas, command you to leave. Immediately. Or face our wrath."
Duke glanced at Ozrelun, who promptly took a step back. "You're the boss."
Duke sighed internally. "Can't count on anyone when it matters."
Still, he forced a smile.
"We came for peace, truly. To form a connection between Piltover and Ixtal. For progress. For the future."
"Believe me—we want nothing more than peace."
The governor remained unbending.
"We don't need outsider help. We have our own ways. Leave now—or suffer the consequences."
"No room to talk?" Duke opened his hands.
"At least let someone higher up decide?"
"There's no need to bother the Honorable Yun'Alai or His Majesty!"
"I can decide for myself!" the governor snapped. "Leave. Or be driven out!"
So this is why he died so fast in the original lore...
That temper. That Pride. He practically begged for it.
"No chance for diplomacy?"
"Leave!!"
The governor stepped forward again.
Duke removed his gloves, loosened the suffocating tie, and pulled out a cigar.
"Pride. WALL-E."
"RAAAWR!!"
"Boop-boop!!"
Pride roared and leapt forward. WALL-E soared into the air.
"For peace," Duke muttered, biting the cigar, "let's beat them down."
Pride charged, his crystal-plated frame glinting under the sun, unleashing a thunderous roar. WALL-E deployed his non-lethal suppression arsenal.
A sonic blast erupted across the plaza, disabling the villagers instantly—paralyzing their nervous systems, rendering them unable to resist or even organize a counterattack.
Pride followed with cages, lifting everyone into the air, suspended within prison-like orbs.
From Duke's inventory, he summoned a strange mechanical device—a meter-high unit that resembled a blender.
As it planted itself firmly into the ground, its hatch opened, releasing hundreds of micro drones into the sky.
The Interceptor Drone Factory.
A war machine built for large-scale crowd control.
The drones swarmed to the edges of the village, forming a surveillance net. Duke grabbed a loudspeaker, raised the mic, and addressed the village.
"Everyone, stay calm! Don't be afraid!
We come in peace.
No one will be harmed as long as you remain in your homes and stay put.
We'll be contacting your upper authorities shortly.
Please remain indoors and cooperate. Thank you!"
He set the mic down and walked toward the captured group.
"Who's your official message courier?" he asked.
"Tell your higher-ups we're here to form diplomatic relations. We bring gifts—and expect a respectful and open-minded response. Not blind tradition or stubborn ignorance."
He shot a look at the governor, then turned to the crowd.
A trembling elder raised his hand.
"The message courier already left when you arrived."
Duke smiled.
"Even better."
(End of chapter)
We're still in the early chapters fam! and to everyone who's joined the Patreon, thank you so much! 🙏Your support truly means the world. You're the reason this story keeps growing, chapter by chapter, world by world. I promise to give it my all! more content, more depth, more epic moments, to make sure your support is always worth it. You're part of the foundation that keeps this universe alive.
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters
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