Arcane: The Gods Want Me to Pick a Route-Chapter 150: Fine, You’re a Decent Person

In the end, Old Rog gave up trying to compete with Sarah for the right to host Logan.

But when the drinking finally broke up and everyone was about to leave, he still pulled Logan aside to say a few words—basically that he hoped Logan would come find him before leaving Bilgewater, because he wanted to properly treat him to a meal and repay the favor.

In truth... Logan himself didn’t really care that much. What happened with Old Rog was nothing more than a small kindness to him. After all, buying someone’s goods was buying someone’s goods.

If anything, it was that Logan was almost too gentle. He still kept offering goodwill, and he hadn’t really thought about what his "goodwill" meant now that he had this kind of status.

Maybe... that was because he’d been around Jinx too long.

—

Bilgewater’s upper district was divided into several areas. Sarah’s territory was sizable, located in the northern part of the upper district—a lavish manor.

"Bilgewater has places like this?" Jinx murmured, hand on her chin as she leaned forward at the stone placard, staring at the manor in fascination. "And the landscaping looks better than Zaun’s..."

"You like it? Then I’ll give it to you," Sarah said from behind her. She’d been standing with one hand on her hip, introducing her turf to Logan—but the moment she heard Jinx’s comment, she immediately ignored Logan and turned to Jinx instead.

The ignored Logan: "..."

It was hard to imagine Jinx being this popular. Back in Zaun, he was the one everyone liked most.

In Zaun, aside from Vander and Silco, there really weren’t many people who liked Jinx that much.

Logan smiled as he looked at Jinx’s visibly irritated expression. Jinx waved at Sarah, puffed her lips, and blew her bangs out of her face.

"I’m telling you again, pirate—I don’t like women."

"You’re misunderstanding something, Jinx." Sarah sighed, looking helpless at how guarded Jinx was. "I’m just trying to show my gratitude. You fixed my guns. And we’re going to be partners going forward. This gift is nothing."

Did Sarah like women?

Of course she did. Who wouldn’t like bright, lively, cute, pretty girls?

But Sarah’s "like" and the "like" Jinx meant were obviously not the same thing. Sarah understood perfectly what Jinx meant—Bilgewater was extremely open about that kind of thing, progressive to the point of absurdity—but Sarah didn’t have those intentions.

She was normal. Painfully normal.

Yet no matter how she explained it—saying she’d been too excited earlier and that was why she’d kissed Jinx, asking Jinx to forgive her—Jinx only ever answered with a look of pure contempt.

"Logan, I’m hungry! I want dinner!" Jinx ignored Sarah and strode right into the manor.

Long legs, gliding steps—she walked in like she owned the place.

"Didn’t you eat a ton of snacks at the tavern?" Logan followed, puzzled.

"How do snacks fill you up?" Jinx snapped. "I didn’t eat anything you cooked all day. At noon on the ship I ate two apples, and in the evening I only had some jerky and salty fish. Of course I’m hungry!"

Logan thought about it and realized she had a point.

Jinx’s appetite was the complete opposite of her appearance—she looked thin and delicate, but she could eat an insane amount.

"Sarah, where’s the kitchen?" Logan asked.

Sarah pointed, and she watched as Jinx and Logan immediately headed that way.

They walked into the manor’s kitchen as naturally as if it were their own.

Sarah exchanged a look with Rafen. Rafen snorted and laughed.

"Do Zaunites have something wrong up here?" her first mate joked, tapping his temple. "If I remember right... this is your place, Captain."

Sarah laughed too and shrugged. "It’s fine. I wasn’t joking—if she really likes it, I’ll give it to her. Besides, I’d rather sleep on my ship than in this stuffy manor."

"And with Zaun’s cooperation, Rafen... we can speed up what we’re trying to do."

"But we still don’t have any news about Gangplank," Rafen said, his smile fading.

With Zaun’s help, that plan really could move forward.

Money had always been their biggest problem. If Zaun was willing to sponsor them, they’d finally be able to act without worrying about their backs.

Gangplank’s violent rule over Bilgewater was already a thing of the past. Thanks to Sarah’s efforts, his reputation had weakened a great deal.

And if the plan succeeded... then in the future, these waters would no longer have Gangplank. Everyone would witness his fall. Sarah had been planning for years.

She’d bet everything—stood on the knife’s edge again and again, walked the line between life and death—just to make it happen.

Rafen, and all of Sarah’s people, knew this. And they followed her willingly, ready to die for her.

"And there’s another problem, Captain."

"Say it."

"What about the Buhru Truth Bearer?" Rafen frowned. "Gangplank’s relationship with Illaoi is common knowledge."

Sarah fell silent.

Rafen was right. A lot of people in Bilgewater knew that Gangplank and Illaoi had once been lovers.

Gangplank was strong—cruel, ruthless, and cunning—but that alone wasn’t enough to become the king of the sea.

A big part of why he’d been able to rise that far was because the Buhru had pushed him from behind.

And Illaoi was the highest-ranking Truth Bearer among the Buhru.

"Let’s take it one step at a time," Sarah finally sighed. "They were lovers once. They aren’t lovers now."

The list of things that needed dealing with... was getting damn long.

And the worst part was, Sarah didn’t believe Bilgewater would magically get better just because Gangplank was gone.

When it came down to it, she’d still have to fight those bastards scrambling to seize power. The real war for Bilgewater wasn’t toppling that thief-king—

It was what came after. Once the Pirate King fell, how do you keep Bilgewater balanced?

Every sailor knew this: when a whale dies, the sea doesn’t become calm. It becomes frenzied. Big fish and small fish alike rush in to take a bite. Even the tiniest fish go mad, trying to seize their moment.

Thinking of it, Sarah sighed again.

"Alright, stop sighing." Rafen chuckled. "You know this? Today was your sixteenth sigh."

"That many?"

"I’m your first mate. I pay attention to you. If anything, it’s more."

Sarah smiled and didn’t respond.

Rafen nagged her a couple more times, then left.

Sarah clasped her hands behind her back, holding her two pistols, and walked toward the kitchen.

Before she even reached it, she heard voices inside.

"Logan, can you eat this fish head? This little thing looks so fancy!"

"No. Eat the meat. Why would you eat the head?"

"I’ve never had this kind of fish! Look at the eyes—like lightbulbs! And the mouth—those teeth are so sharp!"

"If you really want to eat it, I’ll cook it separately for you."

"Oh."

Sarah stepped into the kitchen with a smile—and immediately saw Jinx holding the fish head, lifting the lid of the bubbling pot on a lit stove, sneaking the fish head toward the steam like a thief.

"Jinx." Logan had obviously noticed. He called her name with a tired, exasperated tone.

Why did Jinx always want to eat weird things?

Mutant bog-frog meat, Blackwater rat meat, and now this slimy, gross-looking giant fish head.

"I didn’t put it in!" Jinx insisted, somehow still sounding righteous. "I’m just—just roasting it a little!"

Sarah laughed and asked, "Mr. Logan, does dinner include me?"

"I haven’t eaten a hot meal in ages. In Bilgewater, people can drink themselves full."

"This isn’t a stew," Jinx said, still holding the fish head. "It’s a seafood boil."

"A seafood boil?" Sarah raised an eyebrow.

Logan, busy prepping ingredients, explained, "You get everything ready, then you toss in whatever you feel like cooking as you go."

Sarah nodded, still not quite getting it.

Wasn’t that just... cooking fish?

But she understood very quickly.

Logan finished the broth, then added seasonings he’d brought from Zaun. Right in front of Sarah, he lifted the pot—its rim flushed red with heat—and placed it onto the stone table in the middle, where someone had stacked iron plates into a little stand.

The pot sat on the stand. Inside the iron plates, charcoal burned with a steady flame.

Sarah had never seen people eat like this before.

Jinx, meanwhile, had already sat down like a pro.

Jinx didn’t get this often, either—Logan usually only made it on big holidays. Whenever he did, Isha would be thrilled, and once Silco heard about it, he’d show up to mooch dinner.

Vander sometimes wanted to come too, but Jinx wouldn’t let him.

Because Vander didn’t even need to eat.

He was only there to join the fun—and if that were all, Jinx wouldn’t stop him. He was basically her dad, after all. But every time Vander came, he’d eat a ridiculous amount, claiming it was "for drinking."

Seriously?

Do you even have taste buds? "For drinking"?

You can’t feel anything except getting woozy!

Maybe because of Vander, Jinx absolutely loved this kind of meal.

She opened their travel bag and pulled out her blue kitty three-piece set: a blue bowl, a blue plate, and a blue kitty cup.

Then she rummaged deeper, pulled out the cat-ear hat, and walked over to Logan to put it on his head.

"You carry so many weird things," Sarah said, staring at the cute blue dishes.

"I mean... we’re traveling," Jinx replied, satisfied after patting Logan’s hat into place. "If we don’t bring this stuff, what do we bring?"

Sarah swallowed the question she really wanted to ask—Traveling? Of all places, why would you travel to Bilgewater?—and sat down at the stone table, looking into the boiling pot.

The broth bubbled hard. Beneath the milky surface, bones rolled with the churn of the bubbles, along with vegetables and herbs.

Sarah sniffed, and her eyes lit up.

"That smells amazing."

Jinx glanced at her, then went to help Logan, carrying over platters piled with meat and various fruits and vegetables. One plate after another landed on the table, and Sarah’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Logan wiped his hands with a cloth, but they still felt sticky.

He couldn’t help it. Freshwater in Bilgewater was even more precious than it was in Zaun. Washing your hands with clean water was basically impossible. Logan had checked earlier—there was freshwater in the kitchen’s barrel, sure, but it was crawling with bugs.

So he’d cooked using only the drinking water from their bag.

"Sarah, just toss in whatever you want," Logan said. "This meal is supposed to be casual. No need to be stiff."

"Okay," Sarah nodded, taking the wooden chopsticks he handed her. Then she hesitated. "But... do I not get a bowl?"

Logan froze, then laughed. He slid his own bowl over to her, then grabbed Jinx’s blue cat-paw plate instead.

Jinx didn’t stop him. She was already working—picking up thin slices of fish, dipping them into the bubbling broth. After five or six seconds, she pulled them out, blew on the curled fish slices, and stuffed them into her mouth, immediately making a dramatic face.

"Hot—so hot!"

"If it’s hot, why not let it cool?" Logan said, exasperated.

Table manners were never going to be part of Jinx’s life. She ate like a starving ghost. Between her and Vi, the sisters’ signature style was: do whatever you want.

Sarah copied Jinx—dipped a slice of fish until it curled, blew on it, then ate it.

As she chewed, her eyes shone and a smile crept onto her lips.

"This is delicious."

The fish was tender and silky, with a salty-sweet taste, and a faint, lingering heat.

So many special spices...

Sarah realized Jinx hadn’t been lying.

These two really were traveling.

Otherwise, why carry so many seasonings and cute dishes?

She grabbed a vegetable and ate it, then discovered she liked it even more than the fish.

The flavor was stronger—richer.

Without thinking, she put the chopsticks she’d had in her mouth back toward the pot to grab another piece.

Jinx immediately started grumbling.

"Please don’t put chopsticks in your mouth," she complained. "Or if you do, use a different pair when you grab food!"

"Hm?" Sarah looked confused.

"Hm what?" Jinx said seriously. "Your spit is in the pot now! Are you trying to make us eat your spit?"

Logan, hearing that, glanced at the pot... then at Sarah.

Because of the steam and the way she leaned forward to eat, Sarah had tied her red hair up behind her head.

And without her coat, Sarah was basically the definition of "sexy." Forget the explosive figure—just her pretty face, her pale neck with a few loose strands of hair, and her sharp collarbones were enough to make people imagine all sorts of things.

Honestly... Logan didn’t really mind.

That line was something Jinx had learned from him, actually. One time when Marsen came over to mooch a meal, Logan had told him to use two pairs of chopsticks—because Marsen liked smacking his food and loved putting chopsticks in his mouth.

So... in the end, it was all about looks.

Of course, Logan wasn’t saying that out loud. If he did, Jinx would start a fight.

She was the textbook definition of jealous—she’d get moody over the smallest things. But hey, he’d chosen her.

Logan thought it was funny.

Sarah’s cheeks reddened at Jinx’s scolding. She pulled her chopsticks back with an apologetic look, picked up another pair, and actually did what Jinx said.

"I don’t really know these rules," Sarah admitted with a smile. "It’s my first time eating like this. But it’s really good... and sitting together like this feels nice."

"Meals like this are best when it’s loud and lively," Logan said, dipping a slice of lamb.

"Sarah, later you can send someone to Zaun. Once Silco reads the letter, he’ll understand."

"Okay." Sarah nodded, then asked, "How long are you and Jinx staying in Bilgewater?"

"A few days, then we leave," Logan replied. "Bilgewater isn’t our final stop. We’re going to Ionia afterward."

"Ionia?" Sarah frowned. "That place just finished a war, and from what I’ve heard, the locals are extremely hostile to outsiders. You can go, sure, but people on the islands hate foreigners right now."

"The war destroyed their homes—and it changed them. There are plenty of people in Ionia now who don’t care about peace anymore. They’re chasing violence."

She picked up a piece of meat as she spoke. "Bilgewater’s been getting Ionians lately. There are quite a few working down at the Slaughter Docks."

"It’s fine," Logan said. "We’re not going there to deal with locals. We just want to see the scenery, handle something we need to do, and have a little fun."

"Want me to send people to escort you?" Sarah offered.

She asked when they were leaving because once Zaun’s money arrived, she’d be moving.

If possible, Sarah didn’t want to drag Zaun into it—especially not drag Jinx into it.

If she went to war with Gangplank, Bilgewater would explode into chaos. Sarah might not even be able to protect herself, let alone spare people to protect Logan and Jinx.

There was also one question she desperately wanted to ask: how did these two dare to travel alone?

There were still Noxian soldiers lingering in Ionia. The large-scale war might be over, but small conflicts never stopped. If Logan and Jinx went there, it would be dangerous.

Still, hearing that they’d be leaving Bilgewater in a few days made Sarah breathe easier.

She’d been afraid they planned to stay a long time.

She smiled. "Then I hope you enjoy it."

Hearing Sarah say that, Jinx—who’d still been a little annoyed with her—lowered her head, then looked up.

"Alright. I don’t really like you... but you’re actually not bad."

Trying to give her a whole house, lending her the kitchen—plus Sarah, in a way, gave Jinx a faint feeling of Vi.

And more importantly, Jinx had realized Sarah really wasn’t trying to seduce Logan.

So she decided to forgive this reckless woman for kissing her.

Jinx’s personality was simple: if you’re good to her, she’ll be good to you. Even if the whole world turns against you, she’ll stand at your side and fight the world for you with a fish skeleton in her hands.

As for why the world is against you... don’t ask. It’s definitely not Jinx’s fault.

Anyway, the blue-haired little lunatic’s world was genuinely small—so small that once someone fit inside it, that person became her entire world.

And now, Jinx decided she’d let Sarah in—as the first friend she’d made on this trip.

"When Logan and I get married," Jinx said seriously, setting down her bowl, "you’re allowed to come."

Logan covered his face, both amused and helpless.

Marriage, marriage... ever since Jinx started treating this trip as their honeymoon, she’d been saying "marriage" nonstop—like she was afraid Logan wouldn’t marry her.

As if.

If Logan didn’t marry her, who would he marry?

They’d already kissed. Everything that could be touched had been touched. Not huge, but round and springy—calling it "nice to touch" wasn’t an exaggeration at all. And Jinx had thoroughly explored Logan too, top to bottom.

"When’s the wedding?" Sarah asked, nodding.

If she was still alive by then, she’d go.

Jinx had fixed her guns—she was a benefactor. Sarah repaid her debts. That was also why her people were willing to die for her.

Sarah wouldn’t let them suffer. Even if they died, she would avenge them.

"When Logan and I get back to Zaun," Jinx said.

Yes—inside Jinxie’s head, the moment they returned to Zaun after traveling was the moment they got married.

But... who takes a honeymoon first and gets married afterward?

Isn’t it usually: get married, then go have your private little world together?

At the end of the day, Jinx just didn’t understand those rules.

Logan kept eating and didn’t say a word.

But silence was an answer all by itself.

"Then I’ll be waiting," Sarah said with a smile.

Sarah was in a great mood today. She thought she ought to go down to the docks and make an offering to the Bearded Lady, thanking her for bringing good fortune.

Today really was her lucky day.

Her funding problem was solved. Her mother’s keepsakes were repaired. And she’d gotten to eat such incredible food.

Thinking that, Sarah stood, left the kitchen, and came back carrying two bottles of liquor.

She smiled. "Let’s call this an early ’congratulations’ on your wedding. Also, food this good deserves something to drink. Whatever they serve at Black Firestone can’t even be called liquor. Try this. Tonight—no one goes to bed sober."

"I drink too?" Jinx pointed at her own face and looked at Logan.

"Not too much," Logan said after a moment.

"Oooh! Yes!" Jinx hopped up, dashed to Sarah, and snatched the bottles.

Sarah set out cups and began pouring. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Even she found herself acting strangely. She was normally cautious—she wouldn’t have survived in Bilgewater otherwise—but she just... liked Logan on sight. He felt safe to deal with, like someone she could relax around. She couldn’t explain it, but she had a real fondness for him.

And when she looked at Jinx... she saw a shadow of herself in her—reckless, fiery, fearless—so she couldn’t help feeling fond of her too.

In the end, Sarah suddenly realized something:

Getting to know someone—befriending them—wasn’t about time.

It was about... a click. A feeling.

When fate arrived, time didn’t matter at all.

And right now, fate had arrived.

Drinking, eating the meat they kept tossing into the pot, then washing it down with a bowl of rich, milky broth, Sarah smiled.

Bearded Lady—since you’re taking my offering money, do your part.

Let me win this war.

Let us meet again in the future.

"To fate," Sarah said loudly, raising her cup.

"Woo!" Jinx didn’t care about fate or anything else, but if there was alcohol, she was always ready to cheer.

Outside, the night wind of Bilgewater blew. The manor was dark, but the kitchen’s oil lamp glowed warmly through the window.

The sea wind was salty and rank.

But inside, it was full of heat and fragrance.

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