After several months at sea, Jiang Chuan felt he was about to go crazy. Every day, all he could see was the endless ocean, and every meal was fish, fish, and more fish. He had tried every way of cooking fish he knew. Still, the boredom had led him to draw up a huge pile of blueprints. He had several ideas for improving the steam engine, and the fortress cannon blueprint was finished. Once this deal was done, he'd return to Bilgewater and start building it.
A sailor shouted from the deck, "Land ho! Demacia!"
Jiang Chuan hurried up to the deck and gazed toward the distant horizon. A city appeared on the far-off skyline—the destination of their journey: White Cliff City!
White Cliff City was a major port in Demacia. Compared with Bilgewater, the people working on its docks moved at a leisurely pace. The entire harbor displayed Demacia's orderly prosperity, and the workers wore calm, cheerful smiles.
The children stood on deck, gazing at the homeland they knew so well, and couldn't help bursting into tears. They had suffered so much in Bilgewater and had longed to go home every moment. At last, they had returned to their native land, and they were overcome with excitement.
The ship slowly docked. Jiang Chuan told Laurie to secretly transport the steam engine into White Cliff City. He would help the children find their families there, then meet up with them. The Crownguard Family surely had some holdings in White Cliff City. Jiang Chuan really didn't want to ride in a carriage to Silvermine City again. If they could take care of both the children and the steam engine in White Cliff City, all the better.
Jiang Chuan picked Meili up and asked, "Meili, does your family have a merchant guild or some kind of branch here in White Cliff City?"
Little Meili rested a hand against her forehead and thought for a moment. "I remember now! My father runs a jewelry shop in White Fang City. I've been there before."
Jiang Chuan smiled. "Then let's get something to eat first. I can't take another day of fish after months of it."
Jiang Chuan took the children to a restaurant and ordered food. The enormous group startled the owner. A man accompanied by more than a dozen children was bound to turn heads wherever he went. But faced with Jiang Chuan's deep pockets, the owner could only keep quiet and dutifully bring out every dish.
After the children had eaten, they followed Little Meili to the jewelry shop her family owned. Along the way, they looked at everything around them, and whenever they spotted something interesting, Jiang Chuan bought one for each of them.
They soon reached the jewelry shop. Little Meili ran inside first, with Jiang Chuan and the children close behind.
A year had passed since his family died. The Dauntless Vanguard had granted Wilkoster a day off to pay his respects. Afterward, Koster planned to tally up his father's assets and have Lux manage them for the time being.
Koster had only just arrived at the jewelry shop his father had opened in White Cliff City when he saw a little girl run through the door. He was wondering whose child was so ill-mannered when she rushed over, wrapped her arms around him, and began to cry, calling him "Brother" again and again. Koster stared at the girl's face, stunned. He lifted Meili into his arms and asked in a trembling voice, "Meili? Is it really you? Meili?"
Meili sobbed. "Brother, the pirates killed Mom and Dad. I'm the only one who survived. Thankfully, the President brought us home."
Overjoyed, Koster hugged Meili and wept. "You're home now. You're home. Take me to see the President right away."
Lux was stunned, too. Her uncle's entire family had vanished during a voyage more than a year ago. Little Meili's sudden appearance today had taken her by surprise, and she wanted to know what kind of person the President her cousin had mentioned was.
After entering, Jiang Chuan had the children sit down. Then he saw Koster carrying Little Meili over, with Lux following behind, her face full of curiosity.
Lux was even more beautiful in person than in the game's artwork. Her golden hair flowed over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her eyes were the blue of delicate cornflowers. Her gaze was gentle and warm, putting people at ease.
Koster looked at Jiang Chuan gratefully. "Sir, thank you for saving my sister. My name is Will Koster Crownguard, and the woman behind me is my sister, Luxanna Crownguard."
Jiang Chuan smiled. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Roland. It was nothing, really. I'm glad I could save Meili and these children."
Lux looked at the children behind him. "Are all of them from that ship?"
Jiang Chuan turned to the children. "These children were tormented by criminals in Bilgewater. After I killed those men, I asked the children where they were from. They're all from Demacia, and they know how to get home, so I brought them here to find their families. Could you help me? It's too much for me to manage alone."
Looking at the children's young faces, Koster said, "We'll help them find their parents and relatives."
Jiang Chuan smiled. "Good. Now that Little Meili's home, I can finally breathe easy."
Lux poured Jiang Chuan a glass of water. "Mr. Roland, how did you find these children?"
Koster said sternly, "Lux, that's rude of you to ask Mr. Roland that."
Lux stuck out her tongue and smiled. "I was just curious."
Jiang Chuan waved a hand. "It's all right. I found them in Bilgewater. They were being held and trained by a local gang called the Bloodfang Gang. The boys were trained to become assassins or soldiers loyal to them. The girls, meanwhile, were groomed to become playthings for the nobility."
Koster slammed his fist on the table and said coldly, "Those beasts! I hate that I didn't get to kill the scum myself!"
Lux frowned. "And what happened after that?" She was clearly furious about the Bloodfang Gang's actions.
Jiang Chuan took a sip of water. "After that? They all went on a voyage into the deep sea. Not one of them survived."
Koster smiled. "Well done, Mr. Roland."
Lux's face paled. "All of them?"
Jiang Chuan smiled. "Yes, every last one. Everyone who took part got the punishment they deserved. That's only fair, isn't it?"
Lux knew that the man in front of her was even more frightening than the Dauntless Vanguard. Even in Demacia, only a few of those men would have survived. But he had killed every one of them and thrown them into the sea, showing no mercy.
Koster smiled. "Mr. Roland, please allow me to give you a proper welcome on behalf of Demacia. Thank you for bringing these children back. I'll report this matter to the king."
Jiang Chuan smiled. "Then I'm grateful for Demacia's hospitality. But first, we should sort things out for the children."
Lux smiled. "If they're all from that ship, then it should be easy. I remember there was a list."
Jiang Chuan smiled. "That's even better. This is my first time in White Cliff City, so I'll have to look around."
Koster smiled. "Leave the children to me. Lux, show Mr. Roland around and let him enjoy the sights of Demacia."
Jiang Chuan and Lux left the jewelry shop and walked down the street. Lux kept pointing out the fun places to visit and the delicious food to try in White Cliff City.
Watching the lively Lux, Jiang Chuan smiled. "Miss Lux, which of these two sayings do you think is right: 'Shadow Cannot Tolerate Light' or 'Shadow Follows Brilliance'?"
Lux was startled by the famous man's question. Both sayings had come from her, but she had never told anyone about her situation. How could he know? She smiled and said, "Mr. Roland, I can't tell which one is right."
Jiang Chuan said, "Then I'll tell you: both of them are wrong."
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