Chapter Seven Bilgewater

It's been over twenty days since we set sail.

The captain of this ship is now sitting by the ship's railing, holding a fishing rod.

"Captain, it's here."

Jia Ruo emerged from the lower deck, carrying a wine barrel.

Thump!

He placed the wine barrel on a small table next to the captain.

A small pot was set up on the table, heated by fuel made from animal fat. Beside it were some bottles and jars of seasonings, and several cups.

Additionally, a sharp little knife was stuck into the tabletop.

Splash~

Jia Ruo pulled out the stopper from the wooden barrel and casually picked up a cup from the small table.

Gulp~ gulp~ gulp~

The white foam of the pale ale quickly rose to the rim of the cup.

"It's biting!"

At the same time, the captain suddenly swung his fishing rod, bringing up a sea fish about a foot long.

"Heh heh, you came at just the right time, kid. Let's have a little treat."

The captain said with a laugh, pulled out the small knife stuck in the table, and in a few swift movements, gutted the sea fish, removed the entrails, and tossed them into the sea.

Then, with a flip of his wrist, he put the cleaned fish into the pot that was already boiling, casually sprinkled in some seasonings, and added a ladleful of fresh water.

"What are you standing around for, you brat? Pour yourself a drink too."

Jia Ruo snapped back to attention, poured himself a cup, and pulled over a crate, sitting down opposite the captain.

The captain washed his hands with seawater from the barrel and leaned back in his chair.

"Sigh, look at this sunset. Every time I see it, I feel like I'm getting old."

He said to Jia Ruo, gazing out at the horizon.

"Unlike you, you brat, who has the energy to jump around every day."

Jia Ruo chuckled sheepishly and clinked cups with the captain.

The captain greatly appreciated these two young lads. They were completely different from the sailors, working with quick efficiency.

Unlike those old hands who liked to slack off.

And they would also keep themselves very clean: did the two of them jump into the sea to bathe every day?

Even though that Sea Smell would only get stronger the more they washed with seawater.

But they were still so much better than those sailors who only washed away their sweat and stench when the Captain roared in displeasure.

The older of the brothers also took good care of his younger brother, always helping him with more of the chores.

The Captain recalled the scene from many years ago when his four brothers set sail together.

But now, only he and his crippled elder brother remained.

The elder brother who had lost his right arm was fortunate, for he was still alive and content to be a Local Landlord in the countryside.

As for the Captain himself, he was still sailing the seas. The old ship beneath him had spent more time with him than anything else in his life.

It was still more comfortable on the ship.

He had grown accustomed to life at sea.

Jia Ruo picked up the wooden bucket and refilled the Captain's beer.

Heh, this kid is quite sharp.

Holding the large wooden mug, which was banded with wooden planks like a barrel, Jia Ruo felt it was a bit sticky—the wine stains between the wooden strips were hard to clean.

"Captain..."

Jia Ruo spoke, "Why are we passing through the sea between Noxus and Bilgewater? Both places seem unstable."

"Then what do you suggest, brat?"

The Captain asked with amusement.

"If it were me, I'd go around the east of Bilgewater."

Jia Ruo took a tentative sip, finding it not great, very bitter.

"I wouldn't even go near Bilgewater. I've heard it's very chaotic. What if something happens to the merchant ships?"

He added.

"What damn pirates, what damn imperial rule, they're like flocks of sheep in front of that Miasma."

The Captain cut a large piece of fish with his knife and put it directly into his mouth.

"That Miasma isn't just a legend to scare you to sleep. When the Undead crawl out of the Miasma to face you, don't say I didn't warn you."

Bah!

The Captain spat out a fish bone.

"They're not like me, they spit out bones."

Right, there's a bunch of Undead big shots on the Shadow Isles too, Jia Ruo shivered.

Can't afford to offend them, it's best to stay far away.

"Pirates and imperial warships can escape if they meet, run away if they can't, negotiate if they can't run, and play dirty tricks if they can't negotiate. But that Miasma is different, the Undead inside only want your life... I encountered the Miasma once before."

The Captain narrowed his eyes, recalling how his elder brother, after being tightly grabbed by the Undead, wailed for him to cut off his own arm.

He lost interest.

The Captain stood up: "Brat, clean up this mess for me."

With that, he took his fishing rod and returned to his captain's cabin.

As he left, many sailors who had been dozing against the ship's railing came over.

On board, fresh water was a precious resource, let alone beer, and the sailors were very thirsty.

Besides, the Captain wouldn't let his sailors be in a drunken stupor all the time.

"Jia Ruo! Where's my damn beer?"

The Captain roared: "I just praised you for being clever a moment ago!"

Jia Ruo hurriedly sent the wine barrel and cups into the captain's cabin...

After tidying up the things on the Captain's small table, Jia Ruo returned to his and Neeko's room—it used to belong to the First Mate, but that First Mate never returned to the ship after cashing in an advance on his salary.

And the Captain couldn't be bothered to assign any damn First Mate, as he was always the one in charge on this ship anyway.

Now, he had specially approved for these two brothers to live here.

"You're back~"

Neeko was already lying on the worn-out bed, flipping through an old map.

(She) pointed to the Sea of Conquerors on the map: "We are here."

Neeko's slender fingers slid across the map, stopping at Ionia in the upper right corner.

"What about them, where might they be now? Are they getting enough to eat?"

Neeko was referring to the members of the Wu Wei Clan.

"Get some sleep."

Jia Ruo patted Neeko's head and squeezed into bed.

Although they didn't have to squeeze into the large dormitory with the other sailors, the room wasn't big.

Besides a cabinet and this bed, there was no room to even place their feet.

Neeko hugged Jia Ruo from behind. On this dirty, noisy ship, only Jia Ruo could bring her a sense of familiarity and security.

Jia Ruo lay on his side, but didn't fall asleep immediately.

He was still communicating with the magic elements within his body, allowing them to grow stronger with each breath while also improving his physique.

This was a new use for his magic he had recently discovered. Although the effect was minimal, it was better than nothing.

Moreover, it also improved his control over the magic elements.

The next morning, just as the sun was only half-revealed, Jia Ruo was woken up.

"Get up, you lazy bums."

The First Mate, holding a crowbar, banged it against the walls of the cabin. "We're almost at Bilgewater. Get those damn cannons out here."

The Captain was still fast asleep.

But his right-hand man, this loyal First Mate, had already started assigning tasks to the sailors.

"Here!"

The First Mate shoved the crowbar into Jia Ruo's hand.

"Get those cannonballs out and let them dry. It'd be a damn shame if they're damp when we need them."

The other sailors were straining to pull heavy cannons out of the cabin and secure them in the round holes along the ship's railing.

Dealing with the people of Bilgewater required skill.

Although the Captain had long-standing connections with the local bosses there—to put it plainly, they paid protection money every time they came ashore for supplies—

—they still had to put on a show. After all, the people of Bilgewater were the best in the world at turning their backs on you. If you didn't display some strength, they'd think you were easy prey.

You know, in Bilgewater, schemes and betrayals were commonplace.

The sailors cleaned the barrels of the cannons and oiled them.

Then, they began checking the flintlocks on their waists, to make sure they wouldn't jam at a crucial moment.

That's right, cannons and flintlocks.

Even in Runeterra, a land brimming with magic, there were still those who used these unsophisticated thermal weapons.

For the pirates and sailors at the bottom, this was the quickest way to gain military strength: it didn't require much money, nor did it require talent.

At this moment, on the distant sea horizon, a piece of land came into Jia Ruo's sight.

That was the Blue Flame Isles, where Bilgewater was located.