If this pirate fleet operating in the inland sea had truly only wanted to seize the Iron Smelting Blast Furnace being transported by the Vikress Merchants' Guild, they would have long since shipped it out of their stronghold and found a buyer.
But the pirates clearly had not done that. Their orders had not simply been to steal the Iron Smelting Blast Furnace.
The Pirate Council of Freehold had given them a broadly defined mission: operate in the areas around Morris Town and Cape Town.
Thinking it over, Rowan began trying to work out what that buyer had in mind.
Rowan considered a hypothetical scenario. If he had come seeking revenge today with nothing but three Sailing Warships, without steam power or watertight bulkhead compartments, would he have met his end here?
The answer was yes. The Sailing Warships moored in the harbor could only be fitted with twelve cannons, and those cannons were not particularly good. They were A2 Rapid-Fire Cannons from years ago.
Moreover, Rowan's fleet had no Tidesages to assist them. Once the fleet was enveloped in sea fog, they would lose visibility and become targets for the pirates.
The more he thought about it, the more chilling it became! Although the pirates had not received explicit orders to kill Rowan, killing him was very much built into their mission.
The buyer behind all this was far too devious.
Thank goodness I'm a transmigrator, and the warships I built completely outclassed the pirates' vessels. Otherwise, if some other family's heir had come to Morris Town, seen all the sailors and crew slaughtered by pirates, and charged off in a hotheaded, stubborn rage to wipe them out, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Although all these scenarios were Rowan's own conjectures, people could be vicious. Everything needed careful consideration.
With some things, it was better to assume they were real than dismiss them outright.
The feeling of being targeted left Rowan deeply annoyed.
Today, it might be a small pirate vessel. Tomorrow, it might be a large pirate fleet. The day after that, it might be a well-equipped group of high-level professionals.
I was just a young master who spent eight years as an idiot. I don't even know what I did to offend you.
After grumbling inwardly for a while, Rowan suddenly realized that a rich man's life was not nearly as easy as he had imagined.
After all, you never knew when you might encroach on someone else's turf, threaten their interests, and earn their hatred.
At that thought, Rowan looked at Jaina seriously and said, "I think I have to become a mage. If I'd faced a squad of high-level professionals today instead of a bunch of pirates, you might never have seen me again."
Jaina froze. She looked at Rowan with mixed feelings, unsure how to respond.
Mage was a very special profession. It depended heavily on talent-in other words, one's affinity for arcane energy.
Some people were born with a unique affinity for the arcane. Even without studying the theory of Arcane Magic, they could still draw on the arcane energy floating in the air and guide its currents into mischievous deeds like stealing cakes. Jaina was one such person.
Most people, however, had no affinity for arcane energy at all. Some were even born completely incompatible with Arcane Magic, and no amount of effort later in life could make up for it.
That was why the Dalaran Magic Kingdom searched different cities and towns every year for children with an affinity for magic and devoted special attention to training them.
Some people were born with the makings of a fine mage, while others could spend their entire lives without learning a single Fireball. For most people, magic was simply that unfair a profession.
And so, in Azeroth's human kingdoms, anyone who was a mage was respectfully addressed as a master mage.
With his constitution, Rowan clearly belonged to the latter group. His affinity for arcane energy was absolutely zero.
Not only that, Rowan was already past the ideal age for learning magic. Most of Dalaran's magic apprentices were only seven or eight years old. While other children were still mixing mud with their own pee, the children of Dalaran had already begun reciting cumbersome magical theories and drawing and memorizing complex spell models.
Viewed that way, the world was actually quite fair. Once children possessed an affinity for magic, their lives were no longer their own. They would lose their childhoods and their parents' companionship, becoming tools for Dalaran.
If they were fortunate enough to enter the Kirin Tor, they might not get to return home even once a year, as they went out on missions to maintain the stability of magical activity throughout the region.
"Jaina? Jaina!" Rowan took Jaina by the wrist and gave it a shake. He had noticed her mind wandering.
"I'm right here. Why are you shouting?" Jaina pouted and rolled her eyes at Rowan.
"Didn't I just tell you I wanted to become a mage?" Rowan repeated.
Jaina did not want to discourage Rowan, but she did not want to lie to him either. "Could you choose another profession to train in? Paladin, Stealth User, or Warrior would all suit you."
"I like dealing explosive damage from a distance. I don't like close combat. Besides, learning magic would help me build ships. We may be good friends, but I can't keep troubling you to come help me." Rowan explained.
Jaina shook her head slightly and said reluctantly, "Rowan, the truth is, you can't become a mage. Your affinity for arcane energy is zero. That means the mage profession will be out of your reach for your entire life."
Out of my reach? Fuck me!
Rowan was at a loss for words. He remembered how certain pills in novels could change a person's constitution. Perhaps Azeroth had similar items that could improve his magical affinity. After all, he had money now.
"Is there anything that can improve arcane affinity? Potions, for example?" Rowan pressed.
"No," Jaina answered firmly.
"I see," Rowan said dejectedly.
Seeing the disappointment on Rowan's face, Jaina hurried to comfort him. "Just focus on building the Second Fleet. Leave the magic to me, all right?"
Honestly, I just wanted to be a laid-back commander, build a fleet, kill some pirates, and protect my homeland.
But this is Azeroth. There are countless threats awaiting Azeroth in the future.
The Burning Legion, the Scourge, the Void Old Gods, and Deathwing-which of them isn't capable of destroying the world?
Jaina is certainly a powerful mage, but even the Jaina of the normal timeline couldn't keep everything under control.
I'm doing this so I can protect you better too, Jaina.
No. My fate is mine to decide, not heaven's. How can I be the protagonist without facing a few setbacks? I will become a mage!
"Thank you, Jaina. I'll find a way myself." Rowan did not continue the discussion. He turned and called to Leonard and Byron with a smile, "Check the hull structure. If there are no problems, we'll dock."
Jaina felt hollow inside. Seeing Rowan force a smile made her heart ache.
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