Arcane: The Gods Want Me to Pick a Route-Chapter 149: Filthy Melons!

Sarah sat gracefully beside Rog. Then she lifted a hand and made a few light, nimble motions with her fingers. Behind her, the sailors dressed like pirates immediately fanned out, leaving only one middle-aged man standing at Sarah’s back.

His name was Rafen—Sarah’s right-hand man, and the ship’s first mate.

Right now, he simply stood behind her in silence, head slightly lowered, eyes narrowed, guarding Sarah without saying a word.

"Don’t mind him. That’s just how he is. Come on—let’s drink." Noticing Jinx and Logan staring at Rafen, Sarah smiled, tapped the table, and raised her glass. But her gaze never left Jinx’s face. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"What do you want to talk about?" Jinx asked, arms folded.

She wasn’t used to people—especially strangers—looking at her like that. It always made her feel... weird.

"I happen to have a deal I want to discuss with Zaun, but I haven’t had a way in." Sarah paused, then nodded toward Rog. "Rog’s right here. You know him, and he can back up what I’m saying."

Sarah continued, "My name’s Sarah. I used to be a bounty hunter in Bilgewater. Now I guess you could call me a pirate captain?" She smiled. "But I don’t do home invasions or raid towns. If merchant ships pay a tiny toll, I let them pass. I only rob my own kind. That’s how I carved out a name here."

"So I shouldn’t really have any beef with Zaun. But most people on this island hate me. They want me dead, yet they don’t dare come at me directly—so they avoid me on the surface and trip me up behind my back." She took a sip. "Because of all that garbage, I haven’t been able to get in touch with Zaun. And Zaun’s changed a lot these past few years, hasn’t it?"

"It’s not like before," she added. "Back then, you could just send a few people over and you’d agree to do business."

She drank again. Foam clung to her inviting red lips; she wiped it away with the back of her hand and smiled at Jinx.

Jinx muttered, "If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Why dump a whole pile of random nonsense on me?"

Seriously—who asked for your life story?!

She rolled her eyes, her annoyance so obvious it made Sarah laugh.

Sarah used to be like Jinx—someone whose emotions showed right on her face. But ever since she’d come to Bilgewater, Sarah’s face usually only carried two expressions: a smile, or silence.

When it wasn’t about profit, and woman to woman, Sarah couldn’t help feeling a little envy toward Jinx—and also a protective tenderness. It wasn’t strange. When a hard-edged woman sees a "soft" girl, she can’t help wanting to shield her.

Maybe she was trying to make up for the girl she used to be.

If Logan knew what Sarah was thinking, he’d laugh.

Jinx was soft?

Ha!

Other than looking cute and delicate, she was a one-track little lunatic.

Jinx’s heart really was fragile—but that didn’t mean she was weak. Someone who’d gotten Piltover to issue a top-priority bounty and had all of Zaun on edge didn’t get there by being harmless.

"I want to do business with Silco," Sarah said. "I’m short on money right now. I need his backing."

"Zaun isn’t rich," Logan said from the side.

Sarah glanced at him, nodded. "I know. But no matter how you slice it, Zaun’s still richer than Bilgewater, isn’t it?"

"So you think having money means we have to give it to you?" Jinx shot back.

Sarah shook her head. "Not give. I’m not begging. This is an investment. I want Zaun to invest in me."

"Wow, listen to you—investment, investment." Jinx mimicked her in a mocking tone.

Then she sneered. "So you’re trying to get something for nothing."

"Investment," especially investing in people, often turned into a mismatch between what you put in and what you got back. That was something Silco had taught Jinx.

Silco had invested in plenty of people—Zaunites, Pilties, all kinds.

But the cases where he truly got a return were rare. Runeterra was a chaotic place. Investing in talent usually ended one of two ways: the person died while they were rising, or they climbed high enough to grow ambitions—and stopped being controllable.

People were the most important resource of any company, city, or nation.

And also the most uncontrollable.

And the highest-risk.

"If Zaun invests in you, what do we get back?" Logan picked up a piece of fish and ate as he spoke. "If your answer is ’bigger business,’ you can stop right there. Zaun’s future trade routes will reach places like Demacia, the Freljord, and Ionia. Bilgewater isn’t Zaun’s first choice anymore."

"I understand," Sarah said. "Your alliance with Piltover is something the whole world knows about."

"Then tell me," Logan said, setting down his chopsticks and looking at her. "Why should I invest in you?"

"You... invest in me?" Sarah froze, not understanding.

Jinx immediately grinned. "Instead of Silco, you should talk to him. He’s the boss of Zaun. Silco listens to me, and I listen to him."

"...You’re the ruler of Zaun?" Sarah narrowed her eyes. Living in Bilgewater didn’t mean she knew everything about Zaun, but she wasn’t so out of touch that she’d miss news like "Zaun has a ruler."

She studied Logan, matching him to the image she’d heard from islanders who’d been to Zaun and returned.

And then her eyes lit up.

"I really misjudged the room," Sarah said brightly. "I was so focused on talking to Silco’s daughter, I didn’t realize the real authority was sitting right here."

She flashed a sweet, dazzling smile and finally started looking at Logan properly.

And the second she did, Jinx wasn’t happy anymore.

This woman’s threat level was off the charts.

Jinx had never seen anyone more sultry, more charming, more sexy.

In Logan’s words—she was a woman’s woman, the very definition of feminine.

Which meant Jinx immediately felt threatened.

She hurriedly clung to Logan’s arm and tilted her head to look at him.

Logan, meanwhile, stared at Sarah with the calmest expression in the world—like her smile and allure didn’t exist at all.

And he really didn’t feel anything.

Sultry?

Could she out-sultry Ahri?

Charming?

Did she even understand what a natural-born fox spirit was?

And besides—Ahri looked worldly, but she was actually pure and adorable, kind and sincere... sweet and tempting at the same time. The phrase "sweet-but-sexy" might as well have been made for Ahri.

So no—Logan didn’t fall for Sarah’s act at all.

"Go ahead," Logan said. "Convince me. Tell me how you plan to persuade me to invest."

"Seduce you?" Sarah covered her mouth and laughed softly. "You’re very direct."

"I said persuade," Logan corrected flatly.

Jinx glared at Sarah—then felt secretly thrilled by Logan’s self-control.

Logan really never disappointed her.

Yeah, so what if she’s got a big chest?

Big chest... big chest... big chest is kind of powerful, actually...

Jinxie lowered her head bitterly.

As a marker of womanhood, big really was... an advantage.

"I need money," Sarah said, sobering up. "A lot of it. After the Noxian-Ionian War ended, there were fewer war-supply ships to prey on, and the number of pirates roaming the sea dropped too. I haven’t had a decent haul in a long time. And on Bilgewater, I don’t have any legitimate businesses. I’m not like the other big names—who can live off their enterprises even without robbing anyone."

"I’d be fine, honestly. Worst case, I go back to my old work. Tear a couple pages off the bounty board, kill two people, get paid, live comfortably for half a year." She stared at Logan, serious now. "But I can’t do that anymore. I’ve got brothers now. They chose to follow me, and I have to be responsible for their future."

"So I want to cooperate with Zaun. Zaun invests in me, and I’ll become the biggest power in Bilgewater. I’ll take control of the city, and then I’ll form a formal alliance with Zaun."

"Bilgewater has abundant seafood. And because every kind of person gathers there, it’s full of foreign intel and secrets. I believe those are things Zaun needs. If I truly take the throne, I can guarantee Bilgewater will never betray Zaun."

"That’s it?" Logan said, thinking.

To be fair, in the future Sarah really did become Bilgewater’s queen—ruling the seas outright. Investing in her wasn’t likely to be a loss.

But there was a problem: Zaun’s progress was accelerating at an absurd rate. By the time Sarah fully conquered Bilgewater and became the empress of the sea, Logan figured Zaun would be building undersea tunnels and space elevators.

So the cost-to-return ratio still wasn’t great.

"There’s more," Sarah said after a moment. "People."

She took off her coat, revealing pale skin and lean, balanced muscle along her arms. Reaching behind her lower back, she drew two flintlock pistols and placed them on the table.

"I don’t know what Zaun lacks," she said. "But I can tell you one thing you definitely do lack."

"People."

Sarah pushed the pistols toward Logan.

"You’re short on manpower. Bilgewater has plenty."

She wasn’t wrong. If Zaun lacked anything right now, it really was hands.

Logan looked at her and asked, "I heard the Blue Flame Isles have a special kind of stone that can record voices, and it has shape-memory—showing different forms by day and by night. Can you get a large supply of that?"

Bilgewater had certain rare materials that were hard to come by in Zaun. Even with long-term trade, Zaun only had small amounts.

But for a research project Jayce and Viktor were working on, they needed a lot more. Viktor was hunting for substitute materials, but none were as good.

"You mean the stones along the Buhru coast?" Sarah frowned. She’d basically guessed what Logan wanted.

From the part about "changing shape between day and night," yes—Bilgewater had that phenomenon. The city, built from scavenged temple stone and shipwreck material, could look subtly different from day to night, especially in the upper district.

Some temples incorporated into residential areas might look blocky by day, yet at night their roofs seemed to sharpen or round into new silhouettes—because they were built with Buhru stone.

"This is one of those things that’s both easy and not easy," Sarah said after thinking. "I don’t know how much you know about the Buhru, but even in Bilgewater—where people from everywhere gather—most folks still respect Buhru traditions. Those stones on the Buhru isles might be unwanted by the locals, but stealing Buhru property without permission..."

"The consequences are severe," Rog added seriously, looking at Logan. "Logan, don’t antagonize the Buhru. And especially don’t antagonize their Truth Bearers."

"Illaoi," Rog said, each word heavy. "She’s a monster."

Logan nodded.

Sarah seemed to make up her mind. "Understood. I’ll find a way to get those stones."

"Sarah," Rafen said from behind her, frowning as he spoke.

Sarah lifted a hand—without even turning her head—and shut him down.

She needed money. A lot of money. After the war ended, Gangplank vanished. The few dozen people under her now opened their mouths every day, and every day was another pile of expenses. The cash she had left wasn’t enough anymore.

Just like she said, she didn’t have legitimate businesses in Bilgewater. Her only income source was hijacking other ships. If she wanted, she could rob merchant vessels—but she wouldn’t.

In fact, she’d even protect passing merchant ships. If they paid a small toll, they’d get Sarah’s protection.

It wasn’t because she was kind. Kind people didn’t survive in Bilgewater. She just didn’t want to drain the sea dry. Piltover’s technology had changed how the world traded, and Sarah even believed that one day sea routes wouldn’t be the main artery of commerce anymore. If Bilgewater kept acting like bandits, then in the future, merchant ships simply wouldn’t pass through.

Bilgewater would grow poorer and poorer—until it vanished from Runeterra altogether.

Sarah didn’t want that.

This place might be rotten, but she wanted to change it.

And right then, while she was still listening, Jinx suddenly reached out and snatched up one of Sarah’s pistols. She held it up, tapped it twice, and her eyes lit up.

"Whoa. This is a really nice gun," Jinx said, delighted. "Who made it?"

Sarah paused. "My mother."

"Your mom’s craftsmanship is insane." Jinx started fiddling with the pistol, and within seconds she’d found its clever trick. "It looks like an old single-shot hand cannon, but it can actually fire in bursts. And there’s a special internal slot, isn’t there? Let me see—oh, damn. This slot makes the round split. That means it can create a... bullet curtain?"

She spoke like she was talking to herself, not even noticing the stunned looks on Sarah and Rafen’s faces.

Sarah truly was shocked.

The pistol did have a hidden switch. When pressed, a section inside the barrel heated up—there was fuel stored there—along with layered steel channels that melted and sliced the projectile.

So when Sarah pulled the trigger, what came out was molten iron shot. At high speed it cooled in the air almost instantly, turning into a small, dense spray.

But she’d only ever used that in front of her own people.

Because it was the secret of these two guns.

Her ace in the hole.

Logan listened from the side, made a small sound of realization, and nodded.

Miss Fortune’s ultimate, basically.

With how Jinx described it, Logan finally understood why, in the game, Sarah could unleash that kind of bullet storm with just two pistols—there were mechanisms inside.

"Still," Jinx said, unimpressed now, "some parts are busted. You need repairs. This one’s rifling needs a fine tune or it’ll jam. And this one can’t touch water at all or it’ll misfire." She shook one pistol, puffed her cheeks, listening to the sound. "And it’s leaking fuel inside."

She clicked her tongue. "What a waste. Why don’t you take better care of them? These are clearly meant to be used. The designer built them for someone specific—there’s real heart in this work."

As she complained, her small hands started working the frame like she was about to take it apart.

"Don’t!" Sarah shouted.

Too late.

Jinx had already dismantled one of the pistols, using the nail of her right pinky to pick at the internal housing.

Sarah slammed both hands on the table, face turning ashen.

These pistols weren’t just weapons.

They were the only thing her mother had left behind.

"Relax, Sarah," Logan said, smiling. "Jinx is a weapons genius."

"And about investing in you," he added, "I agree."

"I’ll write a letter in a bit. Have your people deliver it to Zaun. Once you arrive, find the Enforcers and tell them Logan sent you. Someone will come escort your people to Silco."

"...Alright." Sarah nodded. Her anger faded, but her excitement about the investment didn’t really come—because all of her attention was locked on the gun in Jinx’s hands.

She got up and moved behind Jinx, leaning in to watch her work on the barrel.

"Got a wrench?" Jinx suddenly looked up.

"Rafen!" Sarah called immediately.

Rafen nodded and ran out. When he returned, he was carrying a box stuffed with tools.

Rog made room as Rafen set the box on the table.

Jinx glanced at it once, then reached in—her left hand deftly pulling out a wrench and a small screwdriver.

Then she pressed her tongue to her lip and bent over the gun, working with fierce concentration.

Sarah’s expression shifted from worry to delight. She watched Jinx’s hands like she was watching magic.

"Hm. This structure is really clever," Jinx muttered. "What was the maker thinking? Aren’t they worried fragments will jam and blow the barrel?"

"This part isn’t great. The idea’s smart, but they played it too safe—this channel should be..." The wrench snapped up.

Clang.

In Jinx’s hands, Sarah’s pistol visibly changed shape. Jinx murmured, "Bigger. Just a little bigger."

"That gives you a wider curtain. Less raw punch, but you can change the lethality with specialized rounds."

"And the trigger needs work too—otherwise it’s a pain to pull."

"And this part needs adjustment... I just need to think how..."

Logan rested his chin on one hand, amused as Jinx escalated from sitting on the chair to crouching on it—then eventually plopped herself onto the table entirely, legs crossed, gun parts spread across her lap while she studied the pair like a master craftsman.

Logan had always known Jinx was a genius. But he hadn’t really seen her work. And since he didn’t understand the technical side—and Jinx around him was usually all cute chaos and goofy energy—his sense of her genius had stayed in the realm of "I know it’s true," not "I’ve witnessed it."

Now, seeing Sarah’s expression, Logan understood exactly how terrifying "genius Jinx" really was.

An hour later, Jinx set the pistols down and clapped her hands, satisfied.

"Done. Perfect."

She’d bothered fixing them because they really were brilliantly made. The designer’s thinking impressed even her—and as a weaponsmith, she couldn’t stand seeing small flaws caused by the user’s neglect.

Basically... her inner tinkerer itch kicked in.

The Black Firestone Tavern had already been cleared out—Rafen had chased everyone away.

Rael didn’t dare say a word. His name sounded a bit like Rafen’s, but they weren’t brothers. Rafen kicked people out, and Rael could only watch the customers leave with sad puppy eyes.

After all, Sarah was even scarier than Rog. If you offended Rog, at worst your tavern went under. If you offended Sarah...

Jinx picked up one pistol, squinted one eye, loaded the rounds she’d pried out earlier, and aimed at a table in the distance.

Bang—

Thwip—

Fire spat. The barrel rang with a crisp crack. Under a visible spray of dark grit, the table turned into a sieve and collapsed into splinters on the floor.

The dense cluster of holes was terrifying—dozens of tiny punctures.

An old flintlock pistol, but it hit with power not far off a Hextech rifle.

That was insane.

But Jinx still looked dissatisfied. Her little face scrunched up as she muttered, "Tch. This ammo is so tra—"

She didn’t get to finish.

Someone grabbed her in a tight hug.

A rush of perfume hit Jinx’s nose. Then came an excited voice.

"Thank you. Thank you, Jinx. These guns had so many problems, but I never replaced them because my mother left them to me. And now—you fixed them."

"Thank you. Really, thank you!"

As she spoke, Sarah lowered her head and pressed her red lips against Jinx’s pale cheek.

Jinx, still in weapon-crafter mode, froze.

Then she processed what happened and let out a shriek that could crack glass.

"Huh?! AHHHHH!"

"Logan, she kissed me!"

"Get off! I told you I hate you!"

"I’m gonna black out—let go of me! Don’t smash me with your nasty, filthy melons!"

"I can’t breathe! Get away from me!"

Jinx scrambled across the tabletop to escape Sarah’s arms. Then she clapped a hand over her cheek and rubbed furiously at the lipstick mark, whirling around to glare—only to see Sarah holding the pistols again, staring at them with pure joy.

"Jinx," Sarah said, looking up. "How can I repay you?"

"Don’t repay me!" Jinx screeched.

She shouted, "I didn’t fix your gun for you! I just had an itch to work on it!"

"And you—back off! Stay away from me! I don’t like women!"

Damn it.

She actually kissed me?!

Jinx shuddered, then rolled off the table and hurried to Logan’s side, immediately hiding behind him.

Logan propped his cheek on his hand, grinning at her reaction.

Coming out here really did show him a side of Jinx he’d never see in Zaun.

In Zaun, what woman could ever make Jinx back down like this?

Caitlyn couldn’t. Vi couldn’t. Even Janna couldn’t.

Janna in front of Jinx was basically like a pet.

Jinx had zero reverence for a goddess—she’d even poked at Janna with a pen the first time they met.

But now, Jinx was tucked behind Logan, trembling like a startled kitten.

She really was scared.

If it were someone with bad intentions toward her, Jinx could kill them without blinking.

But if someone liked her—if they meant well, with no malice—then even if Jinx didn’t like them back, she couldn’t bring herself to hurt them.

That was just who she was.

If someone showed her even a little kindness, she decided they were a good person and tried to pay it back—no matter how awful they might be to everyone else.

Her way of "paying it back" could be strange, and it often went wrong...

But her original intention was always good.

Because she had the best intentions.

And Logan’s job was to make sure those best intentions didn’t get her hurt.

Sarah clearly couldn’t understand why Jinx was reacting to her like she was a horror story. Hugging her pistols, Sarah blinked, thought for a second, then beamed.

"How about this, then? Logan—why don’t you bring Jinx to stay at my place?"

Old Rog opened his mouth, thinking he’d love to build a relationship with Logan too, but when he noticed Rafen looking over, he promptly shut up.

"We can talk about cooperation," Sarah said. "I can help Zaun do plenty of things—things Zaun wants to do, but can’t do openly."

The future queen of Bilgewater smiled. This time it wasn’t a fake, business smile.

It was genuine.

A huge grin spread across her face, and her eyes overflowed with gratitude toward Jinx.

She’d had countless people try to repair these guns. Not one of them could.

Because Sarah’s mother wasn’t just a great gunsmith in Bilgewater—she was one of the greatest in the entire sea. Who in Bilgewater didn’t know weapons crafted by the legendary gunsmith Abigail Fortune?

And yet Sarah never imagined that her pair of pistols would be fixed in some random tavern—by a girl from Zaun.

How could she not be happy?

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