Ellen froze on the spot. He looked at the sacred hammer glowing with holy radiance in Byron's hand and shook his head helplessly.
Ellen knew perfectly well that without a merchant ship from Rowan, it would take him at least ten days to make his way back to Boralus.
He simply chose to stay.
When Miss Lucille had sent Ellen on this trip, she had specifically instructed him to keep a close eye on Rowan.
"All right, I'll stay," Ellen said calmly.
Rowan thoroughly approved of Byron's method of "persuasion." Once he saw that Ellen was staying, he left the council chamber.
Hearing Ellen's answer, Byron lowered his warhammer in satisfaction. He walked over and threw an arm around Ellen's shoulders as though they were old friends. "I've actually always wanted a Stealth User as a teammate."
"Why?"
"I entered a 2v2 tournament at the arena in the Expedition Grounds in Boralus before, and all my teammates were Warriors. Damn it, it was bad enough that I charged straight in, but those idiot Warriors charged in too. I'm actually pretty good, but my teammates just couldn't coordinate with me. I need someone flexible, preferably someone who can fight or retreat as needed. Oh, right, what specialization do you focus on?" With his arm around Ellen's shoulders, Byron steered him out of the council chamber.
Ellen gave a few awkward chuckles before replying, "You specialize in Protection? But I remember Protection Paladins don't learn the Crusade talent."
"Right, right, I specialize in Retribution. Protection talents don't suit me. I don't like getting hit." Byron gave Ellen a knowing look.
"Your results weren't very good, were they?" Ellen thought that arena matches were all about coordination, focused attacks, and control. A Retribution Paladin who knew nothing about ability rotations or wearing opponents down and only knew how to charge was far too inflexible.
Byron asked in surprise, "How did you know?"
At five in the morning, the clear clang of hammering rang out from the Blacksmith Shop by the coast. Rowan had Kande pay each blacksmith one gold coin as overtime pay.
They had to forge all the Steam Engine's parts within the next two days.
Rowan urgently needed a Steam Engine capable of propelling a Sailing Warship.
The blacksmiths had heard about the previous day's pirate attack, and they were seething too. Those damned pirates had plundered a merchant ship carrying cargo right outside the Morris Shipyard and killed more than twenty sailors.
Daring to run wild on the Norwington Family's territory was not merely an insult to the family, but also an affront to its industry. Disrespecting the Norwington Family's businesses meant disrespecting its workers.
Although the Shipyard had no wind runes or blessings from the Tidesages, Young Master Rowan was right: the strength of a handful of blacksmiths could rival that of those lofty Tidesages.
Kobi and his son were especially eager to see the large Steam Power Engine in action now that they understood how the Steam Engine worked.
The blacksmiths stepped up their hammering, while the Shipyard's workers followed Young Master Rowan's blueprints to modify the compartment beneath the stern, leaving openings and mounting structures ready for the Steam Power Engine.
The workers had all seen those brazen pirates bombard the cargo ship. If the pirates came to Morris Town, there was not a single warship in the whole sprawling town that could sail out to meet them. The townspeople would be at the pirates' mercy, just like the dead sailors.
The Shipyard's workers had built Sailing Warships for years, yet they had never seen a warship that could put to sea without wind runes.
But the workers had no other choice. They could only pin their hopes on the novel machine Young Master Rowan had developed, hoping it could accomplish this unprecedented feat.
As Rowan inspected the progress of the ship's internal modifications, he could keenly sense the workers' fear.
When the workers saw Rowan, they forced stiff smiles onto their worry-ridden faces. Rowan told himself it was nothing. As long as he could install the Steam Engine in the warship, everything would get better.
Yet that was not the truth, and Rowan could not convince himself otherwise. As the mayor who held real authority in Morris Town, he could not give the people of his territory peace of mind. That filled him with a sense of failure.
Time passed quickly. In just a day and a half, the blacksmiths finished forging every component needed for the Steam Power Engine.
Rowan released a Magic Messenger Pigeon to ask Jaina for help.
At present, Rowan had no flame-welding skills that could compare with Jaina's, so he still needed her help to weld the iron plates.
After Jaina arrived in Morris Town, she soon learned what had happened over the past few days.
"What? The cargo ship was seized? I deliberately avoided using the local Merchants' Guild to keep this secret. Why were there still pirates intercepting our cargo ship?"
"Damn those pirates! Tell me where they are. I'll make them pay in blood."
"What? You're going to lead a fleet yourself to wipe out the pirates? Are you insane? You're just an ordinary person now. What can you do? Let me go back and have my father send troops to destroy them and recover the Iron Smelting Blast Furnace while they're at it."
Jaina kept control of the conversation throughout. She had never even considered letting Rowan lead a fleet against the pirates.
This time, however, Rowan stood firm and rejected Jaina's concern and kindness. Indeed, if Jaina brought the First Fleet's warships, destroying these pirates prowling the inland sea would be effortless.
But I can't spend my whole life under Jaina's protection. My dignity as a man is at stake.
"Jaina, trust me. If I need your help even to take revenge, what right do I have to become the sea's son-in-law? Besides, if the First Fleet sends troops to recover the Iron Smelting Blast Furnace, your forged magical assistance agreement will be exposed. I was the one who asked you for help. I don't want you to help me only to end up being punished under the laws of Kul Tiras." Rowan took Jaina's hand and spoke with a solemn expression.
A soft light shone in Jaina's bright eyes. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, and she lowered her head. "At a time like this, you're still worrying about whether I'll be punished."
For some reason, Jaina suddenly found that the feeling she had known as a child had returned. Back then, whatever she did, she always followed Rowan. As long as she was with him, she feared nothing.
He really is back.
Happiness from Jaina +200.
"It's still early. Let's get started on building the Steam Power Engine as soon as possible."
"Mm. To speed things up, I brought several bottles of Potion of Clarity. Besides that, I'm planning to use my Mirror Magic talent to help you finish welding the machine as quickly as possible." Jaina followed Rowan into the Blacksmith Shop.
The Mirror Magic talent? As Rowan recalled its effects, Jaina spread her slender arms wide, and three more Jainas, each looking exactly like her, appeared before his eyes.
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