One month had passed since Lux departed from Demacia Capital when she finally arrived at the Sun Gates.
During that month, Lux had traveled truly thousands of miles by ship.
Now, she and Ino had finally reached Piltover, arriving at the famous Sun Gates.
The Sun Gates are the last of Piltover's three canal locks, and also the most magnificent and grand.
This colossal gate, made of mixed materials, can withstand astonishing water pressure. The people of Piltover use gigantic power machinery to control the opening and closing of the gates three times a day, allowing ships in the canal to pass through smoothly and directly connect the Guardian's Sea and the Conquest Sea.
Of course, this process is not free; ships passing through the canal must pay a hefty toll—calculated by displacement, one gold hex per ten tons, rounded up, and no silver or copper coins are accepted.
However, considering the detour distance from the southernmost part of Shurima, countless ships still line up at the port every day as soon as the sun appears.
It is this unique monopoly trade in all of Runeterra that provides Piltover with incredibly astonishing profits, giving the people of Piltover the capital and the qualifications to realize their Whimsy.
Lux and Ino disembarked at Piltover's Northwest Port in front of the Sun Gates. After paying a personal tax, they finally entered Piltover.
Refusing the porters who came to solicit business and not renting a small van, Lux and Ino dragged their heavy suitcases from the port, ascended the steps, and quickly reached Piltover's Coastal Dam.
Watching the bustling crowds and listening to the Enforcer's whistles maintaining order, even Lux, who grew up in The Capital, was astonished by the city's prosperity.
Even Demacia Capital would probably only have so many pedestrians during a celebration, right?
As for Ino, who was born in the suburbs of Silvermere, she was completely stunned by this prosperous city. She protected her suitcase while carefully observing Piltover under the afterglow of the setting sun.
The orange-red Twilight reflected on the numerous glass curtain walls, coating the tall and artistic buildings with a layer of red gold.
Piltover's aesthetic is completely different from Demacia's.
Compared to Demacia's direct 'big is good, white is beautiful,' Piltover's artistic style, while pursuing grandeur, also puts a lot of effort into the subtle details; it can be said to be 'a tiger in the heart, yet sniffing the rose carefully.'
Many salesmen soliciting customers had been watching the port steps of the Coastal Dam. Upon seeing the surprised Lux and Ino, they waved their flyers and swarmed over, eagerly introducing their hotels.
"80% off for check-in today!"
"Breakfast and dinner included!"
"Travel guides and rickshaws available!"
"..."
"..."
A few quick-handed fellows even tried to directly pull the two girls' suitcases, and it was only when Lux's hand rested on her sword hilt and she half-drew her sword that they reluctantly dispersed.
However, Lux's actions also caught the attention of a port Enforcer—this person, dressed in a blue uniform and wearing a wide-brimmed hat, approached Lux and, in the unique accent of Piltover, grumbled a reminder: "Miss, drawing a weapon in Piltover is not a good choice!"
Through her conversations with people along the way, and given that the difference between the New shurima language used in Piltover and Demacian is not significant, Lux now clearly understood what the other party meant without Klein translating.
"You Piltover people are a bit too enthusiastic." Lux emphasized the word "enthusiastic," "It makes me somewhat at a loss."
"Piltover is a city of free trade." The other party clearly understood what had just happened, so he merely prevented the situation from escalating and did not press further. "Everyone is enthusiastic about trade."
"Then, this… Enforcer sir." Lux showed an impeccable smile, "I wonder if this enthusiastic city has a hotel suitable for a shy lady?"
"If you have enough gold hex in your pocket, then the hotels near Blue Smoked Manor fully meet your requirements." The Enforcer gave his suggestion without hesitation. "If not, then there isn't much difference in other places; you get what you pay for."
Lux nodded, and after asking for the direction and location of Blue Smoked Manor, she pulled Ino and dragged two huge suitcases, quickly leaving the Coastal Dam.
After crossing two streets and turning a corner, Lux and Ino successfully arrived at the "giant building complex at the foot of the mountain overlooking the Sun Gates" that the Enforcer had just mentioned.
What surprised Lux a little was that although the signboard indeed read "Blue" Smoked Manor, the walls of the buildings here were all red—however, the Enforcer was right; it was indeed a quiet place.
Lux and Ino casually found a nice-looking hotel and dragged their suitcases inside.
"Two… ladies." The front desk attendant saw Lux and Ino, two young girls, and after a brief stunned, quickly realized they were guests. "May I ask, do you have a reservation?"
"No reservation." Lux shook her head. "I was recommended by the Enforcer at the port; he said it was quieter here."
"That's natural." A smile appeared on the attendant's face. "Blue Smoked Manor is located north of the Sun Gates, backed by the Piltover foothills. In front are Piltover's northwest and northeast ports. Both of these are passenger ports and do not accept cargo ship moorings, so there's no roaring of cranes, making it naturally quiet."
"That's wonderful." Lux showed a satisfied smile. "Two people checking in—hmm, one room will be fine."
"There's only one double room left." The attendant looked down at the registration book. "It's a sea-view room high up in the manor, one gold hex per night."
"That's the one!" Lux nodded. "I like high places!"
"A deposit is required for check-in. The facilities in the room can be used freely, and there's an attendant on call 24 hours a day in the room at the end of the corridor… Is there any other service you need?"
"No more services, I just have a small curiosity." Lux paid for three days' accommodation and the deposit, then deftly put away the key. "Why are the walls here red, but it's called Blue Smoked Manor?"
"That's because the Lavender here is of the best quality." The attendant seemed to have been asked this question many times and quickly gave the answer. "There are also our special Lavender bath sachets in the bathroom, Miss, you can try them."
"Thank you!"
Lux nodded, again showing a perfect smile, then pulled the somewhat flustered Ino and strode into the manor.
The front desk attendant, meanwhile, maintained a polite smile while speculating about the relationship between Lux and Ino.
Hmm, they look very much like a runaway young lady and her maid!
Blinking, the attendant's gaze fell on the registration book where Lux had checked in.
"Lux… a very uncommon name!"
Klein's small class · Sun Gates:
The three massive Sun Gates sea locks stand respectively in the eastern, western, and central parts of Piltover's Grand Canal, dividing the entire canal into five sections. The three sea locks are arranged in parallel, each with a giant sea wall. These sea walls serve as both dams and bridges, connecting the two banks of Piltover's Grand Canal.