Chapter 402 Swain's trump card
Before I knew it, nearly another month had passed.
Under the leadership of the Leader, Ionia is moving calmly towards change, while Noxus on the other side of the ocean is becoming increasingly turbulent due to the changes taking place in this distant land.
That night, outside the Immortal Fortress, at a noble manor.
If outsiders had not seen it with their own eyes, they would probably not dare to imagine that in the center of this imperial capital where every inch of land is valuable and in the heart of the empire where one can see the Immortal Fortress just by looking up, there is actually someone who can own such a vast manor.
How luxurious, generous and enviable the owner of the manor must be!
Lester made this exclamation when he was a teenager.
When he fought desperately on the battlefield and became a glorious junior officer of the Empire, but after returning he still could not afford even a shabby rental house outside the Immortal Fortress, he would always think of the noble manor in the center of the city.
Later, he had a deeper understanding of the problem.
He knew that the owner of the manor was a great nobleman in the empire.
These wealthy nobles hold the highest power in the Noxian Empire and enjoy nearly unlimited high-quality resources. However, they always put their own private interests above state affairs and regard their own interests as more important than the interests of the empire.
Then, Lester gradually understood——
The extravagant life of these people is not worth envying, but only worthy of anger!
The rich and powerful only know how to be proud of their family background, but few people care about the country. The wealthy and powerful boast about their wealth without thinking about the country and the people!
They must die!
Lester thought so and did so, and he succeeded in the end.
此时此刻，莱斯特就住在这座他曾经只敢远远眺望的贵族庄园之中。
The original owner of the manor was ruthlessly liquidated after Swain came to power, and the manor was given to his good student Lester as a reward for his meritorious service.
Lester's dream has come true. He has become the owner of this manor.
However, after living in the manor, he was not as happy and satisfied as he had imagined. He...
"You're scared, aren't you?"
Leblanc slowly walked to Lester's side and looked out the window with him at the vast and beautiful garden:
"You are afraid that you will be dragged out of this house without dignity like the previous owner, put on a prison van and sent to the execution ground amid the laughter of passers-by. In the end, everything you have worked so hard to gain will completely disappear the moment the guillotine falls... It's as if you are still the slum boy who had nothing 30 years ago."
"So you are not happy living here. Because you know very well that as long as the Wind Leader is not eliminated, this manor will never truly belong to you..."
"That's enough!" Lester interrupted her angrily.
He didn't want to chat with this uninvited woman: "I told you, I won't meet you again. You..."
"Don't worry." Leblanc smiled and sat down by the window. "There are no Swain's crows here. You can speak freely - I promise you."
"We have nothing to say, please go." Lester's words were still tough, but his tone had unconsciously softened.
Loveland seemed to have seen through his thoughts. Instead of leaving, she sat down at the long table nearby.
"I said it last time." Lester frowned, "I agree with the strategy of resolving the hidden dangers of the Wind Leader first, and I am willing to persuade Mr. Swain to temporarily put aside his prejudice and cooperate with you to fight the enemy."
"But this doesn't mean that I am on the same side as the Black Rose - we can never be on the same side, do you understand?"
"Haha." Lester was firm in his attitude, but Leblanc just smiled slowly and said, "It seems that you have guessed why I came to see you today, General Lester."
Lester remained silent.
Yes, he knows.
Swain made a promise to the generals who radically requested war a month ago, and tomorrow is the expiration date of this promise.
Swain said that he would reveal the answer at this moment, revealing his true trump card of not fearing the leader.
"Of course I would like to believe that General Swain is prepared for this." LeBlanc was also looking forward to Swain's trump card.
Swain is a wise general after all. Except for the time when he was backstabbed by Black Rose, he was able to give his opponent a fatal blow almost every time.
If he said he had a way to deal with the leader, then everyone would definitely be willing to believe that he really had the way.
"But we have to prepare for the worst." Leblanc said meaningfully: "If by tomorrow, Commander Swain still refuses to reveal his plan to everyone, and still refuses to launch a decisive battle against the Wind Leader, then we... may have to take some necessary measures to make Commander Swain give a clear explanation."
Lester had a complicated expression.
Although LeBlanc just said that Swain must give an explanation tomorrow.
But if these subordinates have the ability to force Swain to give an explanation, then can they force Swain to do other things? And if they really do so, can the relationship between Swain and them return to the past?
If not, will they just accept Swain's reckoning in the future, or will they just go all the way...
This is a dead-end road with a cliff in front. Once you take a step forward, you will never be able to stop.
"You are instigating us to abdicate!" Lester revealed the essence of the matter in one sentence.
"Teacher Swain has been very kind to me." He clenched his fists quietly. "Even if I die outside or am buried alive in this garden, I will never betray him!"
"Really?" Leblanc smiled and took out an ancient golden candlestick with intricate patterns. She carefully played with it in her hands. "The royal candlestick of ancient Shurima... Tsk tsk, was this copied from the Du Kekao family?"
"When you took this thing back to your home, did you ask for your teacher Swain's permission?"
"There's no need to report such a small matter to Teacher Swain." Lester remained calm.
God knows, he only took away 30% of the money from the confiscation, and he had to share 20% with his fellow officers. In the end, he only got 10%, and he could ensure that 70% of the money was handed over to the national treasury intact.
He paid seven times the price for one thing. When has there ever been such an honest official in the history of Noxus?
Didn’t you see that after knowing the truth, Teacher Swain also praised him for having a bottom line in doing things?
Lester didn't think it was a betrayal. He deserved these good things.
"Okay, then consider this your legal privilege." Leblanc looked over with a smile.
The Deceiver's eyes were so deep that they seemed to be able to see through his soul: "It's pleasant to enjoy this kind of power, right?"
"I..." Lester was stunned subconsciously.
Yes. Very pleasant.
He no longer had to look at the faces of the old nobles, nor did he have to kowtow in front of the masters in the command. In the Noxian Empire, apart from a few generals such as Swain and Darius, he was the most respected.
Today, he holds the highest power in the empire and enjoys the best resources in the empire——
He has become the kind of master he hated the most back then.
Then Lester realized...it felt really good.
"But the more joy you have now, the more painful it will be when you lose it." Leblanc said, "And now, every minute and every second, you are getting further and further away from your hard-earned power."
"I'm sure you know what happened in Ionia recently."
"The Windleader has formed an alliance with Master Karma of the Temple of the Immortal. With the support of Irelia, the Order of the Kinkou, and the Vastaya... they have completely taken control of the situation in Ionia."
"It is no longer possible to expect the masters of Ionia to delay the progress of the Wind Leaders. The faith of the Wind Leaders is now like a prairie fire, spreading wildly in Ionia along with their great victory..."
So, LeBlanc couldn't wait any longer.
She must get an explanation tomorrow.
"Your situation is actually similar to mine, isn't it?" Leblanc asked, "Do you really have the patience to keep waiting?"
Lester: “…”
"And compared to me, you have no way out." Leblanc said sinisterly: "I have something that the Leader wants, so they will not kill me no matter what."
Give it a try, if you win, the world is yours, if you lose... at worst you can just go and pedal a sewing machine for 1,000 years.
乐芙兰是做好了这种最坏的心理准备的。
"And what about you? General Lester, do I need to remind you how many crimes you have committed in the past few decades of war?"
"Your life is only a few decades long... Can you accept being asked to operate a sewing machine?"
There was a hint of uneasiness in Lester's eyes.
He had done a lot of dirty work for the Empire in the past. He liked to use young soldiers as cannon fodder, just like the perverted and bloodthirsty Amistan, and was notorious among the generals of Noxus.
The leader would not tolerate him. Even if he surrendered now, he would probably end up in a long-term labor camp.
Although I'm still alive, what's the point of living like this?
"I..." Lester looked out the window at the beautiful garden.
This is his estate! He doesn't want to lose it and go back to his previous life of having nothing.
He hoped that his children could grow up in this beautiful garden, instead of being trampled under the feet of the people in this manor for most of their lives like he had.
"But..." Swain's face quietly appeared in his mind again. He didn't want to betray his teacher. Of course, he didn't dare to betray him instinctively.
At this time, Leblanc dropped a bombshell: "Actually, you don't have to worry too much, General Lester."
"I came to you this time not because I want you to lead everyone into battle tomorrow. I just need you to show your support for us and not hinder our actions."
"After all, when the time comes... General Darius will naturally lead the charge."
"General Darius?!" Lester was extremely shocked: "How could he..."
It has only been two months, and that Noxian Hand with thick eyebrows and big eyes has become a retainer of three surnames?
"He has agreed." Leblanc confirmed calmly, "Otherwise I wouldn't be so confident in making such preparations."
With General Darius leading the charge, and Lester and other close associates betraying him, Swain was almost completely sidelined.
He was now alone and could no longer mobilize any troops. The only thing he had to worry about was his personal strength.
The only thing Swain relies on in terms of personal strength is a hidden demon from ancient times.
"Its power is not stronger than the Shadow Demon I control." Leblanc promised, "If you cooperate, I am fully capable of taking control of the Hidden Demon."
"When the time comes, we will gather the power of the three-headed demon, together with the elite extraordinary army of the Noxian Empire, and we will be able to fight a decisive battle with the Leader."
"Of course..." This was when Swain refused to declare war on the Wind Leader and the two sides had completely torn their faces apart.
LeBlanc also emphasized this point. If Swain can really show some trump card to deal with the Wind Leader tomorrow, she is willing to cooperate with him wholeheartedly.
"You..." Lester looked interested.
But he still hesitated and tried: "You revealed so much information to me, even told me about General Darius. Aren't you afraid that I will report it secretly to Commander Swain?"
"I'm not afraid." Leblanc said calmly, "Because we share the same main contradiction. General Lester, you don't want the Wind Leader to grow to the point where he can easily crush us under Swain's connivance, do you?"
"Besides, General Darius has already expressed his stance. At this point..."
"Even if you tell Swain about it, so what? Darkwill knew that the nobles were plotting against him, but what could he do? Could he just kill everyone who opposed him?"
When all the nobles opposed the emperor, the emperor was in fact in a desperate situation.
"Now that General Darius has clearly sided with us, the storm is brewing."
This means that there are only two options for Swain's ending.
First, he could really take out the trump card he promised, which was said to be able to defeat the leader, and calm the restless military morale in one fell swoop.
Second, he couldn't come up with the so-called trump card. Then he could only abdicate in time due to "physical reasons" like Darkwill.
Regardless of which of these two paths leads to, Leblanc is happy to see it. Anyway, it would be great if she could start a war with the Leader as soon as possible.
"I see." Lester took a deep breath.
Going to war was the general trend and the will of the people. He was just going with the flow.
"As long as the leader is not eliminated, the empire will not be at peace. Therefore..."
"For Noxus..." Lester shook Leblanc's outstretched hand.
“为了我们的漂亮庄园。”乐芙兰揶揄地笑道。
The two hands were clasped together: "Happy cooperation."
…
"Hurry and inform Commander Swain and tell him that I have something important to tell you!" Not long after seeing off Leblanc, Lester appeared in the Immortal Bastion.
Yes, he came to tell tales.
Lester was indeed persuaded by Leblanc, but he knew Swain better and knew how terrifying this man was.
As time went by, two months had passed since Swain took office, and everyone began to doubt whether Swain really had a way to deal with the Leader.
But Lester still had faith in his teacher's abilities.
He believed that Swain must be hiding something that he was waiting to reveal tomorrow, two months from now.
This trump card must be very powerful, so Swain is not afraid of the threat from the Leader and can proudly reject the Black Rose's invitation to cooperate.
As for what this trump card is, why did Swain have to wait two months before revealing it...
Don't ask. Asking is part of the plan.
This was obviously a blind trust. But as Swain's student and confidant, Lester had this kind of blind faith in this once invincible man without any reason.
And if that's the case, if he firmly believes that Swain has a trump card that allows him to be fearless against the Windlord and LeBlanc, then he certainly won't betray a man who holds such powerful power.
So, here comes Lester.
"Teacher Swain!" Under the guidance of the guards, Lester arrived at Swain's office as he wished.
Swain was sitting at the table reviewing documents, his expression serious and calm, as if he was completely unaware of the undercurrent surging beneath the Immortal Bastion.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, Lester said: "You are here."
"You are the third one to show your loyalty, so you are not slow to come."
"Huh?" Lester was shocked and a layer of cold sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead.
“Don’t be nervous.” Swain said calmly: “Although you haven’t really kept up with my pace, at least you have shown enough loyalty.”
"This..." Lester was a little confused. What does "really keep up with him" mean?
Teacher Swain...where is he heading?
Lester was puzzled, but facing the teacher's calm face, he felt relieved for some reason:
Sure enough! Teacher Swain really knew everything that was going on in secret!
But Swain remained calm. It was obvious that he really had a trump card!
I came to the right place this time!
Lester was thinking excitedly, and asked cautiously: "Do you know everything about the conspiracy that Leblanc is secretly planning?"
“Almost.” Swain put down his pen and paper and looked up calmly. “I have delayed for two months without any reason.”
"Even without Leblanc's secret connection, you guys would be restless. Right?"
"Teacher..." Lester lowered his head in shame.
Hearing the meaning of knocking from Swain's mouth, he quickly made up for it and said, "Teacher Swain, I also got an extremely important piece of news from Leblanc--"
"General Darius has secretly reached a cooperation with the Black Rose. If you fail to launch a war against the Wind Leader as promised, they will prepare to launch a 'Second Reform' against you at tomorrow's Trifari Conference... ahem, launch a rebellion!"
Darius is going to take the lead in forcing the emperor to abdicate. This is indeed fatal news.
But Swain remained calm: "It doesn't matter."
"Darius's decision to join LeBlanc is just part of my plan."
"Otherwise, without him taking the lead...how many of you cowards would dare to jump out?"
"This..." Lester broke out in a cold sweat.
Wow, even Darius is Swain's man!
This farce from beginning to end was a trap set up by Siwei in order to cleanse the "unstable factors" within the organization!
He chose his side just in time this time. He almost stood on the wrong side.
"The road I'm going to take is very difficult." At this time, Swain sighed and said, "I know that not everyone can keep up with me."
"But it doesn't matter if you can't keep up. I don't ask you to have ideals. If you don't have ideals, I can cultivate them slowly in the future."
"But I am your teacher after all, your superior for so many years. If anyone were to disregard the teacher-student friendship and loyalty for so many years for his own selfish interests, then..."
Then he is no longer just an ordinary reactionary. He must be dealt a heavy blow.
Such ungrateful people will never be successfully transformed by the leader. In the future, they will definitely become enemies.
So Swain planned to take this opportunity to eliminate the most uncontrollable potential enemies in these teams first.
“As for you guys…” Swain looked at Lester meaningfully: “At least you are willing to listen to me now. I hope you can keep this up in the future.”
"Hmm?" The more Lester listened, the more he felt something was wrong.
Why did Mr. Swain say that? It was as if he was going to do something big that would provoke strong opposition from his subordinates.
“Lester.” Swain then revealed the answer: “You’ve always wondered why I’m not afraid of the Wind Leader, haven’t you?”
"Hmm!" Lester's attention was immediately drawn to this topic.
He wanted to know in his dreams what hidden card Swain had that allowed him to remain so calm in the face of threats from the Windlord and LeBlanc.
After all, his life and happiness now depend on Swain's card.
"I'll tell you." Two months later, Swain's delaying tactics could no longer delay time. And after rapid growth, the leader no longer needed to fear Leblanc's desperate moves.
So he is not afraid to reveal the answer in front of his students.
"The reason why I am not afraid of the Wind Leader is simple." Swain spread out his palm, and a whirlwind condensed in his palm: "Because, I am..."
"President of the Noxus branch of the Wind Leader Association."
Lester: “???”
