Chapter 480: Good Student Kayn
A few days later, at a noble manor in the Immortal Fortress.
"Commander Lester, have another drink." The owner of the manor gave a look, and the servant standing by with a bottle came forward respectfully and slowly filled a glass of wine for Lester.
Lester was a little tipsy, but he still drank the wine happily.
He was born poor and had never studied wine, but the difference between good wine and cheap stuff was obvious and could be tasted.
"General Tomelli, how much is this thing?" Lester asked in a vulgar way.
"Not worth much." General Tomeli smiled calmly, "They are all products of our own winery."
"We are old comrades. If you like it, I will ask the butler to send two carts to your house tomorrow. Please enjoy it slowly."
"Haha..." Lester certainly knew that the "cheap home-brewed wine" mentioned by the old nobleman must be very valuable.
That's two cars for one delivery. If converted into market price, this would probably be enough for the leaders' cadres to meet Mr. Tam.
Although Lester is not a leader, he has been strictly holding himself to the standards of a leader over the past year.
Not to mention two carts of famous wine worth thousands of gold coins, he would not accept even a favor of one gold coin. Even if he accepted it, he would immediately give back a gift of corresponding value to show that he clearly distinguished between public and private matters.
So when General Tomeli offered to give him two truckloads of good wine, his first reaction was to refuse. But...
"I'm already a sinner, what else can I do?" Recalling Swain's cold and resolute words, Lester couldn't help but laugh at himself in his heart.
Compared with the atrocities he committed in the past, what was collecting two truckloads of wine?
Anyway, he won't be able to keep his position in the future , so he might as well live life to the fullest and be his true self.
"Thank you, General Tomelli," Lester said.
"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Tomili's eyes.
He took a sip of red wine and said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Hey, Commander Lester, please don't call me general anymore."
"I can't even see my own regiment now. I eat, drink and have fun in this manor like a useless person every day. How can I be considered an imperial general?"
In order to maintain domestic stability, Swain, after wiping out a group of rebels with thundering means, unceremoniously offered "imperial capital housing benefits" to the leaders of those independent war groups who were like local princes.
Almost all the leaders of the independent chapters were forced to leave their own territories and move to the Immortal Bastion with their wives and children, becoming nominal central officials under Swain's nose.
Although Swain did not take things too far, the territories and warbands under their names are still managed by their families who stayed behind.
But it is obvious that if their family members who stayed behind in the territory are not quiet and want to cause trouble again...
As the heads of the families, they, along with other family members who came to the capital with them, would be immediately imprisoned by Swain, and experience the complicated feelings of being sent to the Noxian guillotine by a "filial son and virtuous brother" from afar.
"Alas. If I continue to be idle like this, I will become too fat to ride the dragon lizard!"
"Haha..." Lester laughed fakely and didn't respond.
General Tomili secretly observed his expression and continued to talk "drunkly": "Actually, it's not bad to drink tea and wine every day and have a leisurely life."
"But I'm worried that if this continues, we may not even be able to drink the wine in this glass now."
"What?" Lester frowned and became wary.
"It's those leaders." General Tomy's "drunk talk" became more and more explicit: "These Zaun people have already infiltrated Noxus in an overwhelming manner. Even the serfs in my winery have been instigated by them, clamoring to me for personal freedom, rent reduction, interest reduction, and clearing of old debts..."
"Alas! If this continues, won't Noxus be torn apart by these poor fellows?"
"I don't know what Commander Swain is thinking. Why hasn't he..."
"Ahem!" Seeing that his old comrade's words were becoming more and more dangerous, Lester interrupted him with a light cough.
Then, he said seriously: "Grandmaster Swain has his own considerations. We have the power of two ancient demons, and we don't need to fear the Wind Leader."
The Fire Demons and Shadow Demons left behind by the Black Rose are now openly the power of the Noxian Empire.
Just as Demacia promoted Galio as a "weapon of decisive battle" to appease the hearts of the pro-war factions, Swain has also been advocating the power of these two demons to stabilize the situation.
This statement could fool many people in the past, but as time went by, the nobles became more and more anxious, and now...
General Tomyli took a big gulp of wine and questioned directly: "Really? Commander Swain really has a way to deal with the Wind Leader? Is he really considering how to deal with the Wind Leader?"
"Why do I feel like...Swain is leading him, and I feel like I am the leader!"
"You?!" Lester's pupils shrank.
These nobles have already noticed it?
He was about to say a few polite words to oppose such treasonous remarks, but General Tomily seemed to have given up and continued to speak "drunk words" in front of his disciple, the commander-in-chief: "Commander Lester, don't you feel it?"
"Most of the mid- and high-level officers promoted by General Swain in the past year are young people who are leaders in their own right."
"They are honest and incorruptible, they don't use privileges, they don't accept bribes, they don't do business, they don't own property, and they behave better than the leaders..."
"Look, do they still look like generals of the empire?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Lester retorted calmly, "Can't the generals of our empire be honest officials?"
"Captain Swain has been very kind to us. We must repay him by constantly examining ourselves and striving to make progress."
"Like me... I haven't been greedy or taken anything in the past year. Could it be that I have become a leader too?"
"Haha." General Tomiley laughed drunkenly, "You?"
"No, I know you too well. You're definitely not."
Lester: “…”
This seemed like recognition, but also like ridicule. In short, it sounded very harsh to him.
"That's enough! General Tomyli, stop talking nonsense. How can Grand Commander Swain be the leader?"
"You are making such malicious assumptions about the commander-in-chief. Aren't you afraid that I will report your words to the higher-ups regardless of our friendship?"
Lester made a serious expression as if he wanted to distance himself from it, and looked very serious.
But Tomeli observed his expression carefully, and still said under the influence of alcohol: "Sorry, I said the wrong thing."
"However, Commander Lester, I think you can understand my feelings... Perhaps we are on the same path."
"Huh?" Lester frowned, looking very unhappy.
But General Tomily's words hit him hard: "Many of the officers and generals replaced by Commander Swain in the past year are your friends and confidants."
"It seems that the commander-in-chief doesn't trust you very much, Commander Lester."
Lester looked grim and remained silent.
"So, I wonder if you are also against the Wind Leader's war faction, which is why Commander Swain treated you like this."
Lester still didn't say anything, as if he agreed to this.
"You can see that no matter what Lord Commander Swain thinks...if this drags on, we probably won't have a chance of defeating the Wind Leader."
"No one knows whether the two so-called demons can defeat Goddess Janna. But one thing is certain:"
"If we lose, everything we have now will be wiped out with the arrival of the leader."
"The spirit of Noxus will die. Those weak and incompetent bastards will trample on our heads. Our past achievements will become shameful crimes overnight. We will be sent to prisons, labor camps, or even gallows and guillotines, and judged by those bastards who should have kowtowed before us..."
General Tomile sighed again with genuine emotion.
"..." Lester was silent for a long time, and finally said: "Yes!"
He also sighed deeply and said, "But what can we do about it?"
"I can't change the mind of Commander Swain. And we can't change the status quo with our own strength, and we can't defeat the rising leader."
"They have the goddess Janna, and we are just mortals."
"That may not be the case..." Tomili said in a subtle tone.
"Oh?" Lester looked over, his eyes full of inquiry.
But Tomily gave another careful fake smile: "Haha. I was just thinking, it would be nice if we had our own gods."
"My own...God?" Lester's heart skipped a beat.
This is exactly what he had been thinking about.
Over the past year, every sleepless night, every time he tried to suppress his reluctance to play the role of a good guy in front of those untouchables, he couldn't help but think...
It would be great if they also had the protection of gods.
If there are good gods like Janna in the world, why can't there be evil gods who protect the nobles?
"Such a god..." Lester looked thoughtfully at the drunken General Tomelli: "Is there such a god?"
"Maybe." Tomeli answered without any mistakes.
Then, he insinuated, “I heard that Volibear, the demigod of the Freljord, is an evil god who dislikes human civilization.”
"But unlike the outliers like Janna, the gods are all proud. Volibear slept for thousands of years and rarely set foot in the mortal world."
"To see the legendary 'Volibear', believers must show determination."
"What resolution?" Lester asked.
"The determination to completely betray the past." Tomili looked far away in the direction of the Immortal Fortress and asked meaningfully.
"Are you so determined, Commander Lester?"
Lester was silent for a while.
Finally, he said: "The determination of believers has always been given by God."
"The reason why the bear people believe in Volibear and are willing to leave the human race is because they have witnessed Volibear's power and know the greatness of the god."
"If there really is a god in the world who opposes Janna... I think I might have the same determination."
There was a delicate silence.
Tomily observed his expression carefully, then laughed: "Hahahaha... Look at us, both of us are drunk, and we are both imagining that a god will come to save Noxus. Haha..."
He looked at the sky outside the window and said, "It's getting late. I've drunk too much and I want to rest."
"Commander Lester, I will not continue to entertain you."
"This..." Lester frowned slightly.
But then, General Tomily said meaningfully: "If you are free tomorrow night, please come to my place again..."
"I will call a few reliable friends to entertain you."
…
Lester said goodbye to General Tomelli and slowly walked out of the reception room, reeking of alcohol.
God, the god of their nobility...
The "crazy words" that Tomeli said while half drunk were still lingering in his mind.
It's like an unrealistic hope, it's so illusory and hard to believe, but it makes desperate people instinctively want to believe it.
Should he believe it then?
Will he come tomorrow?
I don’t know if it’s the effect of alcohol or something else, but Lester’s mind is in a mess now.
"Teacher Lester?" A call interrupted his chaotic thoughts and brought him back to reality.
He was a young man with a stern look, his student, Siddhartha Kaiin.
Although Kayn had only followed Lester for more than a year, he was far less trusted than his other confidants in the army.
But Kayn was an orphan he had promoted from the youth camp. It could be said that he had completely changed Kayn's life and destiny, and he had infinite gratitude towards Kayn.
Moreover, this kid is less than 12 years old this year, still a half-grown child. Children's minds are easy to control, and it is not as difficult to distinguish between loyalty and treachery as adults.
Lester has been training Kayn in the same way as he trained old imperial officers, and has not told him the truth that Noxus has been secretly controlled by the Wind Leader.
And according to his secret observations and repeated tests, in the more than a year that he had followed him, Kayn had not shown any yearning for the Leader's ideas, nor any sympathy for the poor and the weak.
At the same time, with his deliberate indulgence and encouragement, Kayn never missed a single day of the material enjoyment that the upper class people should have.
This kid had completely escaped his background as a wandering orphan and was successfully trained by him to become a new noble of the empire.
Therefore, compared with those military confidants who became his subordinates after they reached adulthood, the young and immature boy Kayn, the black seedling that he personally nurtured, made Lester feel at ease.
He has always treated Kayn as his personal disciple and carefully cultivated him, and always kept the boy by his side as his adjutant.
Kayn was gifted, intelligent, and loyal. As time went by, he really regarded Kayn as his own half-son.
Just now, when Lester was drinking and having a secret conversation with General Tomelli, Kayn had been waiting outside the reception room.
Seeing him coming out, Kayn took the initiative to follow his steps and asked in a low voice: "Teacher Lester, what's the situation?"
"Did you gain anything this time?"
"I..." Lester was speechless for a moment.
He knew that Kayn asked him this so that he could write the regular investigation report for Swain.
Yes. General Tomeli, his old comrade, was one of the people on the investigation list that Swain gave him.
Did he gain anything this time? Of course he did.
The nobles' last hope, a true god who was suspected to exist - what General Tomili secretly revealed this time was a very extraordinary news.
Should he report the matter truthfully and tell Swain about it?
He wanted to tell the leader that the nobles might still have hope of turning things around, and that there might be help from the gods?
"Teacher Lester?" Kayn once again gave him an inquiring look.
"Nothing." Lester came back to his senses and answered inexplicably: "It's the same as before. We didn't talk about anything useful."
"That guy just complained a little behind my back and invited me to continue drinking tomorrow."
"I understand." Kayn nodded naturally, "Then I will say in the report that nothing happened."
"Hmm..." Lester nodded guiltily.
"Then will we come again tomorrow?" Kayn asked again.
Lester was silent for a while.
He gazed at the towering Immortal Fortress in the distance, the pinnacle of power of the Noxian Empire.
He once thought that as long as he fought hard, he could gain a place there.
But now...
"Kayn." Lester asked suddenly without thinking, "Do you want to be a noble?"
“This…” Kayn was stunned.
Then he said sincerely, " Of course. Every day I spent in the slums, I wanted to be a noble."
"But what if someone doesn't want you to be the boss?" Lester asked.
“I will clear all enemies on my way.” Kayn replied coldly.
"Including me?" Lester asked jokingly.
Unexpectedly, Kayn answered seriously: "Including you. If you want to kill my dream."
“…”
"Haha. You and I are really alike, Kayn." Lester laughed. He got the answer he wanted.
He took a step forward and walked forward without saying a word.
"Teacher Lester? Then tomorrow..." Kayn hurriedly followed and asked the same question.
Lester didn't look back.
"Come back tomorrow."
