"What a truly beautiful city this is!"
As their descent slowed, Duke could finally take in the splendor of the city with his own eyes.
From above, the harmony of geometry and mathematics unfolded before him — residential districts seamlessly intertwined with lush greenery. Duke raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.
"The urban landscaping here is exceptional. I'm finding myself liking this city more and more."
As a scientific researcher, Duke naturally had a fondness for symmetry, geometric elegance, and mathematical beauty. The city of Ixtal satisfied all three in perfect balance.
"But… it seems the locals aren't exactly rolling out the red carpet for us."
He noticed the ring of road guards closing in. Duke took a small step back, making way for Qiyana, the Yuen Alai of Ixtal — their princess.
With her status alone, Qiyana could wander the entire city without hindrance.
While manipulating Qiyana to deal with the guards, Duke also retrieved the gifts he had prepared in advance from his inventory. His attendants began unloading them, ready for the upcoming royal audience.
"Stand down. These people are my invited guests — envoys here to meet my father."
Qiyana's voice was stiff, her expression carefully blank, but in her eyes lingered a deep, unshakable fear — fear of Duke's magical talent. The power to grant life to inanimate matter, to pour magic into it and control it…
Even demons could not resist the magic Duke infused.
Heimerdinger's evaluation of Duke's magical gift — a miracle among miracles — was not mere flattery, but true, unvarnished praise.
"But, Your Grace… this is highly irregular…" the captain of the road guard glanced from Duke's group to Qiyana, his face darkening. "The rules!"
For over a thousand years, Ixtal had never allowed an outsider to set foot within its borders — much less welcome an envoy delegation.
This defied every tradition the city had upheld for millennia.
But Qiyana was Yuen Alai, among the most noble of Ixtal's bloodline. A mere guard captain had no authority to refuse her.
"I am the rules."
Qiyana's eyes flashed with sudden arrogance as she strode forward. The captain stepped aside quickly, wary of committing an offense.
Seeing her so overbearing, the captain shot Duke a helpless glance before lowering his voice.
"Then… allow me to clear the way for you, and for our honored guests — so that none may offend you along the road."
Qiyana waved dismissively. Duke followed with an amiable smile. On his shoulder, Neeko perched quietly, while Jinx, predictably, made a loud fuss as they headed toward the city gates.
To make Qiyana's movements appear more natural, Duke refined his control over her. A wooden, expressionless princess would draw too much suspicion.
He animated her facial expressions and body language, even as her consciousness screamed curses at him in the mental realm. Her vocabulary was limited, but her repetition was endless — enough that Duke was getting bored of it.
He decided to multitask — controlling her more finely while filtering out her protests.
Right now, Qiyana was nothing more than his puppet. He would compensate her later… probably.
Searching through her memories, Duke discovered that although she had grown up in seeming luxury, her life was far from enviable. Her privileges amounted to servants on call and fine meals — comforts most could never dream of — but nothing compared to Duke's own life in Piltover.
In her world, cooling a room required laborers; in his, he could conjure an air conditioner with a flick of his fingers.
Seeing her so rattled, Duke decided to share a memory of his time with the Ferros family, letting her experience the outside world through his eyes.
As she saw his life unfold, her curses faded. She compared it to her own existence… and realized that her so-called "privileged" life was worth less than dirt.
Following Qiyana into the city, Duke began to notice details missing from the official histories.
Ixtal had woven elemental magic seamlessly into daily life — what they called the "Primal Axioms."
The city merged forest and architecture perfectly.
Roofs, streets, alleys, balconies — every surface bore flourishing plants.
It was as if a lush woodland had been seeded with buildings, rather than the other way around.
Every stone looked untouched by tools, shaped as if grown naturally from the earth — a result of their mastery over the Primal Axioms. In truth, the city itself had been grown from the ground.
In Ixtal, everyone was a mage. Even laborers on construction sites could use magic.
With the Sixteenth Axiom, a stonecutter could carry a boulder as if it weighed no more than a bag of feathers.
Metalsmiths needed neither charcoal nor bellows; their own flame-breath kept the forge blazing.
A skilled elementalist could carve stonework in minutes, work that would take an ordinary sculptor hours.
Messengers, like the one who had earlier warned Ticoras, used the Fifth Axiom to ride the air faster and amplify their voices.
Even street vendors used simple spells in their trade.
For Duke's group, the journey was a feast for the senses. If Demacia had banished magic entirely, Ixtal had embraced it into every corner of life.
At last, after climbing a long staircase, they arrived at the Supreme Tower. At the far end stood the throne — the seat of absolute authority.
The wide hall had a single gold-trimmed red carpet on pristine white stone. The Yuen Tal elders sat in rows on either side, with the Yuen Alai seats behind them.
One chair at the far end was empty — Qiyana's.
"Father!"
Duke made Qiyana offer a greeting to the current Yuen — the king. The monarch's stern gaze swept over Duke's party.
"Qiyana… you brought them into Ixtal. Do you have an explanation?"
"She…" Qiyana began, but Duke stepped forward. Her task was complete — now it was his turn.
"Your Majesty," Duke bowed with his right hand over his chest.
The king's anger softened slightly. While outsiders were unwelcome, formal courtesy had to be maintained.
"Welcome, traveler. I trust my wayward daughter hasn't troubled you?"
The king smiled faintly. The elders, however, were less gracious.
"Hmph. Outsider."
"Ignorant fool."
"How could they even find Ticoras?"
"Perhaps the outer cities have grown lax — they need tightening."
Duke ignored them. Centuries of isolation had made Ixtal's devotion to tradition unshakable. Breaking through would take effort.
But…
He glanced at the foremost Yuen Alai — expressionless, a blanket over her lap, unable to walk.
Qiyana's defiance had been reckless… but it had given him an opening.
"The most honored Yuen Alai welcomed us warmly, introducing us to much of your land," Duke said smoothly. "But before we begin our true discussion, I would like to offer Your Majesty a gift."
"A gift?" one elder scoffed. "Ixtal holds all of Ixtal — gemstones, pearls, rare delicacies — we lack nothing. What could you possibly bring us?"
"To me," Duke replied with an easy smile, "those are mere stones on the roadside. What I bring is something you have never seen — the first chapter of a new era."
"A new era?" another elder sneered. "Our heritage predates your history. Don't overestimate yourself, outsider."
"Indeed. Ixtal stood before the Sun Disc rose — and you speak to us of 'eras'?"
"True or not, you'll know soon enough," Duke said lightly, clapping his hands.
Servants brought forward the first gift, a silk-draped chest. Duke whisked away the cloth — revealing a Hextech Rune Base.
"What is this?"
The king's eyes lit with curiosity. As a master of elemental magic, his interest was immediately caught.
"This," Duke declared, "is a Hextech Rune Base — the opening act of a brand-new age."
His smile widened, a gleam in his eyes.
The show was about to begin.
Thankyou everyone!!
Your support keeps Jinx and Duke's adventure alive, powering every twist, battle, and revelation.
We've come a long way together, but the real storm is still ahead. ⚡ The journey isn't over yet, and I'd be honored to have you with me right up to the final chapter.
Let's see this through, side by side, all the way to the end of their epic story. 💥
Stay in the game. Stay on the adventure. The best is yet to come.