Colin's Workshop, Inside the Studio
"Mr. Colin!"
Standing by the door, Duke shut it behind him and looked toward Colin, who stood with his back turned at the workbench, gazing at the scattered tools.
"Duke!!"
"Yes, Mr. Colin!"
"What you did today was reckless beyond belief, do you even realize that?"
Colin turned around, holding a small wrench in his hand. His eyes were filled with anger. Duke instinctively shrank his neck. Yeah, the man looked seriously pissed.
To be fair, Duke had acted on impulse earlier. The moment he saw that prosthetic, a thrill ran through him, and driven purely by instinct, he had taken it apart and reassembled it.
If a similar situation came up again, Duke figured he'd probably still do the same thing.
He just couldn't help it!
That insatiable urge to understand something new, something he'd never seen or touched before, it was too strong to resist. Not dissecting it, learning its inner workings, and drawing insights from it would've been a waste of his Iron Man system template.
And it wasn't like there'd been no gain, at the very least, his mastery of clockwork tech had just advanced from novice to proficient. Going further would only require continuous refinement and innovation.
"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Colin." Though inwardly dismissive, Duke wore an expression of genuine remorse. Keeping up appearances mattered, he was still just a workshop apprentice here, after all.
"Sorry?" Colin slammed the wrench onto the bench. "Do you understand what kind of consequences your actions could've brought?"
"If anything had gone wrong during your disassembly or reconstruction, who do you think would be responsible for the damage?"
"You've been working here long enough to know the cost of a prosthetic arm! You think your paltry wages could ever cover that?"
As Colin went on with his tirade, Duke kept his head lowered, eyes fixed on his toes, but in his mind, he was retracing the steps of the disassembly just now.
In this timeline, Hextech hadn't yet emerged publicly. Camille didn't count, she was a unique case, powered by raw Hex crystals, which were rare to begin with. Basically the crystallized hearts of Brackern creatures.
Those crystals were scarce and usable only by individuals with innate magical talent.
Artificial ones didn't count.
Chemtech was still in its infancy. Chem-enhanced bodies hadn't entered the scene yet. Currently, Piltover's prosthetic market was almost monopolized by Colin's workshop.
Clockwork tech had its own clear advantages, after all, who could go through life without encountering some accident?
And rarity came with value. Clockwork prosthetics were expensive, and enhanced models even more so.
Even if Duke sold himself, he couldn't afford to pay for one!
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Colin!"
If you mess up, you admit it. Stand up straight and take the heat. Just don't give the other party any more reason to criticize you. Besides, he'd probably make the same mistake again next time, so might as well get through this round first.
"Hmph!"
Colin snorted and pulled open a drawer, yanking out a thick notebook and slamming it onto the table. Duke glanced up, this was clearly Colin's personal handwritten manual.
"How far have you come in understanding clockwork systems?"
"I've grasped most of it… I just don't know what tier I fall into."
"Then show me." Colin pointed at the nearby toolbox. "Make something simple. Let me see where you stand."
"Got it!"
Duke obediently walked over to the toolbox, carefully selecting a few parts. He grabbed some tools and began assembling as Colin watched closely.
Duke glanced at Colin but didn't pay him much mind. He turned his full attention to the jumble of gears, springs, and screws in front of him. Screwdrivers, wrenches, and hammers flew into action, each movement smooth and confident, with an elegance of its own.
As the device gradually took shape, Colin's gaze shifted to one of astonishment.
This kid had given him a huge surprise.
Maybe… maybe Duke could be involved in that other secret project of his?
Before long, a small music box sat completed on the workbench. Duke wound the spring, flipped the switch, and a soft rendition of "Jingle Bells" echoed through the workshop.
"Not bad," Colin said, his face still stern, though his tone had softened. He handed over the notebook and said earnestly, "This is a personal journal I kept during my academy days. It contains my insights and thoughts on clockwork engineering. It's a bit dated, but if you dive deep into it, it'll help."
"You've heard about the evaluation event at Bluewhisper Manor. If you can come up with something impressive, I'll recommend you to participate."
"Yes, sir!"
Duke accepted the notes with both hands and bowed slightly before leaving the workshop. Colin leaned on the table, looking down at the music box. As he wound it again, a thoughtful smile crept across his face.
"Guess I really am getting old."
"But there's still room to grow… Clockwork enhancements, that'll be my next area of study. Enhancing prosthetics until they surpass human limits…"
Listening to the cheerful chime of the music box, Colin muttered to himself:
"Maybe even develop artificial organs using this tech one day..."
"But where do I start?"
"Maybe Duke can help me. When I first took him in, I'd already thought of raising him like a son. Perhaps… it's time to pass on the torch."
,
Outside the workshop, Duke was stopped by Orianna. She eyed the book in his arms in disbelief.
"My dad gave you his old academy notebook?!"
"Just how far have you gotten with clockwork tech?"
"Farther than you, that's for sure," Duke smirked, flicking her forehead. "Anyway, what's for lunch?"
"You're seriously thinking about lunch right now?"
"Why not?"
"You've got guts, I'll give you that!" Orianna clasped her hands behind her back and circled him like a cat studying her prey. Finally, she clapped him on both shoulders and grinned, "Well, since you asked, let's have something good. Consider it a celebration, Dad finally acknowledged you!"
"Sounds great!"
While Duke smiled on the surface, his heart remained calm. This was only the beginning.
Clockwork engineering had been insightful, there was still so much to absorb before he could truly develop his own tech system.
Besides, the prosthetics here seemed… flimsy. If they could be enhanced, it'd be a different story. Like the Clockwork Maiden...
Suddenly, his expression froze.
Clockwork Maiden?
"Orianna…?"
Wait a second.
Could it be… that Orianna was the precursor to the Clockwork Maiden?
In this timeline, she hadn't yet been altered by Zaun's chemical gas. Clockwork engineering was still in its infancy.
And yeah, that made sense, Vi was still just a teenager, Caitlyn was still in the academy, Ezreal was probably off somewhere chewing on wax, and Ekko was still just a precocious brat.
Of course the Clockwork Maiden hadn't emerged yet.
But if that's the case… where were the veteran heroes?
A chill crawled up Duke's spine.
Just because they weren't out in the open didn't mean they didn't exist. Many heroes in Piltover and Zaun had been around for a long time.
Take Camille, Janna, or Heimerdinger, they were all powerful, long-standing figures.
Feeling the cold creep up his back, Duke shivered.
"Guess I really can't afford to act rashly right now. I can show a bit of talent, sure, but until I have enough strength to protect myself, I'd better play it safe."
"I need to get stronger. And to get stronger, I need money!"
With a goal in mind, Duke clutched the notebook tightly. It might offer some help, but his top priority was still earning cash!
Ding-a-ling!
The bell at the door rang, interrupting his thoughts. Orianna stopped listing out lunch options and walked to the entrance.
Standing there was an enforcer in a blue Piltover uniform. He gave a polite smile and handed over a scroll:
"This is a summons from the Council."
"A summons?"
"That's right. Tomorrow, there'll be a trial for Jayce Talis."
"Wait, Jayce? What did he do?"
Orianna, as a student at the academy, was naturally familiar with Jayce's reputation. The enforcer shook his head with a helpless expression.
"That's not something you need to know. Just be sure to give this summons to your father, tell him it's mandatory attendance."
"I still have more houses to visit. Take care!"
With a tip of his hat, the officer left Colin's Workshop.
"Looks like the plot's finally kicking off."
Duke glanced at the scroll in Orianna's hand, then turned and went upstairs.
It was time to study.
Not even a full-power Pantheon ult could stop him now.