Novia

Early the next morning, Jiang Chuan went to the blacksmith the Proprietress had told him about. The place was in the heart of Bilgewater's Upper City, where ordinary upstarts couldn't afford to live. Everyone who lived here was a powerful, prominent figure. Even if this blacksmith had made Bilgewater's finest cannon for Gangplank, surely that alone wasn't enough to earn him such a privilege.

Jiang Chuan knocked on the door of an unremarkable-looking house. "Master Noah, good day. They say you're the finest blacksmith in Bilgewater, but I don't believe it. I've come to challenge you today!"

A child opened the door and looked at Jiang Chuan. "That's the most common excuse people have used this month. Can't any of you come up with something original? Never mind. Follow me."

Jiang Chuan followed the child with a dark expression. After they passed through a narrow passage, they came to a hall, where an elderly man sat on the sofa, watching Jiang Chuan.

"You must be Master Noah. I've come to ask you to make something for me."

Noah shook his head. "Gangplank wrung all the talent out of me. I don't want to make anything anymore."

Jiang Chuan smiled. "If you made something according to my designs, Gangplank's cannon would be nothing more than a work of art with somewhat impressive lines and patterns."

Noah looked at him with disdain. "Why should I believe you?"

Jiang Chuan placed a roll of blueprints on the table. "Because I can mass-produce steel."

That made Noah laugh. "A single high-quality steel ingot takes a worker three days of nonstop hammering to beat the impurities out of an iron ingot and turn it into steel. And you're telling me you know how to mass-produce it?"

Jiang Chuan smiled. "I have plenty more technologies that will astonish you. Steelmaking is only a small part of it. Just look at this parchment and you'll understand."

Jiang Chuan wasn't making empty boasts. If he could build a steam engine in Bilgewater, it would be extremely useful for powering ships and mining. But producing steel was difficult with the technology they had at present. Jiang Chuan could hardly manage the extreme temperatures and chemical reactions required for large-scale steelmaking. Still, the blueprints he had shown Noah were for machinery that was part of the steelmaking process.

Noah picked up the parchment and examined it carefully. According to the plans, it was possible to produce steel on a large scale, but there were many techniques and terms he had never heard of!

Noah said calmly, "Mr. Roland, the method in your blueprints could indeed make large-scale steel production possible. But how do you intend to generate such high temperatures?"

Jiang Chuan smiled. "Master Noah, we're in a world of magic and technology. If manpower can't do it, what about magic?"

Noah closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "Even with a Mage's help, the profits from selling steel probably wouldn't be enough to hire one."

Jiang Chuan pulled out another roll of blueprints. "I can take care of the Mage. In the meantime, have a look at this machine. I call it a steam engine. One machine can do the work of many people, and it can be used on ships. Just imagine how much of a stir a ship that can maintain high speed with or without wind would cause in Bilgewater."

Jiang Chuan's words had deeply captivated Noah. He unrolled the blueprints, and an oddly shaped machine seemed to reach out to him from the page. Noah stared at the plans for a long time, unable to calm himself. If this machine really could be built, the man before him would soon become a thorn in the side of the nobles—but he would also become the richest man in all of Bilgewater. Plenty of captains would surely bankrupt themselves to buy one.

Noah said weakly, "I'm just a weaponsmith."

Jiang Chuan had expected the old man to try that trick. He pulled out another roll of parchment and tossed it to Noah.

Noah unrolled it again. This time, what he saw was a giant war beast: a fortress cannon!

Although the cannon in Jiang Chuan's plans was only a smoothbore, it was still a terrifying machine in Noah's eyes. This world already had smokeless powder, so it wouldn't take much to adapt it for shells. If that proved impossible, they could use the design of shotgun shells to make a grapeshot cannon. Either way, it wouldn't be difficult for Jiang Chuan.

Seeing the astonishment on Noah's face, Jiang Chuan knew his blueprints had piqued the man's interest. From here, things would be much easier.

Jiang Chuan smiled. "Well, Master Noah? What I've described isn't impossible to build. A single shot from this fortress cannon could sink a ship, and this is only a small part of what I have to show you."

Noah thought for a little while, then said, "Give me an address. I'll get my things in order and come find you tomorrow."

Jiang Chuan stood and bowed with a smile. "Then I'll await your arrival on Bloodfang Island, Master."

After leaving Master Noah's residence, Jiang Chuan went to The Tavern and asked the Proprietress, "I need detailed information about Soul Night. How much will it cost?"

The Proprietress smiled. "When black mist blankets the sea, the undead come to Bilgewater from within it. No one knows where the mist comes from. Some say it comes from the distant Shadow Isles, where countless undead creatures dwell. Anyone who goes there will be devoured by greedy undead creatures and demons. The stories are terrifying, but I've survived Soul Night many times. During Soul Night, you only need to stay home, light Queen's Grass, seal your doors and windows, and pray."

Jiang Chuan asked in confusion, "That's it? Just stay home and pray?"

The Proprietress brushed her hair back. "What else? Do you think you should go out and hunt the undead? The creatures that come during Soul Night aren't just one or two; they come like a tide. Even Titans stay underwater and don't come out. Ordinary undead are frightening enough. If you run into Hecarim, even offering your soul to Lady Beard won't help you."

Jiang Chuan asked, puzzled, "Who exactly is Lady Beard?"

The Proprietress said solemnly, "Illaoi calls Lady Beard Naga Kaboros."

Jiang Chuan laughed. "Aurelion Sol, the supreme god of the known universe; Naga Kaboros, the supreme god of the unknown universe. If I weren't wary of the Titan Race, I'd have summoned the Dragon King long ago."

The Dragon King's backstory mentioned that the Titan Race had controlled him with a crown. If Jiang Chuan really summoned the Dragon King, the Titan Race would surely notice him too. At that point, he'd probably have no choice but to obediently become a lab rat.

Jiang Chuan said, "From the sound of it, some people go out to hunt undead during Soul Night?"

The Proprietress smiled. "Of course. Very few of them survive, though."

Jiang Chuan asked, "Can those undead creatures be preserved?"

The Proprietress replied, "There are specific methods for preserving them. And there are always nobles willing to collect all kinds of strange things, thinking they'll be safe as long as they lock them up. Only fools do that."

The Proprietress suddenly smiled. "You're not Roland, are you? Who are you?"

The words made Jiang Chuan's hair stand on end, but he kept his composure. "Proprietress, what are you talking about? I'm Roland."

The Proprietress smiled. "Then do you remember my name?"

Jiang Chuan smiled. "Of course. Novia."

The Proprietress's eyes narrowed almost to slits. "During the last Soul Night, Roland caught an undead creature. And now you're asking me for information about Soul Night? Besides, wouldn't Roland, a harpooner, know the distance from Bilgewater to Demacia?"

Jiang Chuan stood up and looked the Proprietress in the eye. "I am Roland—the Roland who brought you wealth. Isn't that right, Novia?"

Novia looked at Jiang Chuan and smiled. "It seems there isn't a single secret in all of Bilgewater that I don't know."

Jiang Chuan said calmly, "If you've become all-knowing in Bilgewater, why not become all-knowing in the entire world?"

"Or better yet, I could help you deal with LeBlanc. You'd become the new leader of the Black Rose."

That left Novia shaken. She had come to Bilgewater alone, and ever since arriving, she hadn't contacted anyone in her organization. So why had the man in front of her seen through her identity?

Novia looked at Jiang Chuan and smiled. "I think we have a much bigger deal to discuss."