Entering the Blue Shipyard.
In the wide building constructed of a steel frame, a sales representative with a Fu Manchu mustache, dressed in a black waistcoat, was slowly leading Colin around on a tour.
"…our Blue Shipyard is the biggest shipyard on Bananka Island!
The recent successful launch of the Seagull, a huge vessel, was a birthday gift we made for the 500th birthday of Lord Wizard of Bananka!"
Colin listened and nodded slightly in response.
It was his second day on Bananka Island.
Following the recommendation of the middle-aged guide he had hired upon arriving on the island yesterday, he had come to the island's biggest, the Blue Shipyard, to get an understanding of the steamship market.
"The Seagull is 128 meters long and 32 meters wide, a true giant of ten thousand tons."
The Fu Manchu sales representative continued to explain enthusiastically.
"This kind of giant vessel can only be built by us here on Bananka Island with our technology."
Colin's lips parted as he was about to ask about the price, but he suppressed the impulse in the next second and swallowed his words.
Instead, he asked, "Do you have reliable and durable ships that are easy to operate? It's okay if they are a bit smaller."
"It would be best if it could be operated by two or three people," he emphasized.
In his previous life, in a world without any extraordinary powers, usually, the bigger the ship used for ocean voyages, the better.
Large vessels' capability to withstand storms and their capacity for carrying supplies couldn't be compared to that of small boats.
The bigger they were, the safer they were against potential dangers at sea and increased the safety of ocean voyages.
But in this world, the existence of witchcraft made the size of the ship less important for ocean voyages.
The capability to withstand storms and cargo capacity did not necessarily require a large ship; there were other solutions.
"Of course, sir," the salesman responded without hesitation to his request.
"This type of vessel is the best-selling type in our shipyard, apart from the giant ships!"
Here, the Fu Manchu salesman paused, then added, "After all, as you know, having more people onboard isn't always better for sea voyages."
"Crew members with poor skills only become a burden during long ocean voyages.
And maintaining crew members with great skills isn't a small expense."
Colin nodded in agreement.
"May I know what is your general budget?" the Fu Manchu salesman asked, then added, "We have ships of that type ranging from 500 Magic Stones to 150,000 Magic Stones."
"Please introduce them all to me," Colin replied calmly.
"Alright," the Fu Manchu salesman nodded promptly and added:
"Let me first take you to view our introduction brochures. Once you see something suitable and we have the actual ship in the dock, I'll take you to have a real look and experience it. Does that work for you?"
"Hmm," Colin nodded in response.
The two walked side by side to the nearby reception room.
…
Half a day later.
Colin walked out of the Blue Shipyard.
Thinking back over everything he had seen that half-day, he felt it had been quite an eye-opener.
The inclusion of witchcraft had completely deviated ordinary ships from the firm notion he had in his mind.
Take, for instance, the small to medium-sized vessels he saw that ranged from ten to twenty-five meters in length.
Some high-end models among them could not only sail on the sea but also under the water and even in the sky!
Of course, the prices were beyond what he could afford, easily reaching up to a hundred thousand Magic Stones.
It was these vessels that opened his horizons, making him think that traveling to the Siya Continent might not necessarily need to be by sea...
Air travel might be a better choice.
After all, his decision to buy his own ship rather than board someone else's was more about having a retreat at any time on the vast sea.
But soon, he dismissed such ideas under the guidance of the salesman at the Blue Shipyard.
There were many reasons.
But they can be briefly summarized in two words—
No money.
Thinking of this, a wry smile couldn't help but appear on Colin's face.
"I need to sell the Golden Four-leaf Clover as soon as possible."
In the past half-day, he had selected three ships that he liked.
Hmm... or rather, one ship he really liked, and two cheaper alternatives.
The ship he liked was called the Sea Swallow by the Delan Shipyard.
The shipyard currently had no available ships, but according to the catalog—
The Sea Swallow was about eighteen meters in total length, with two decks, and an open-air lookout tower at the very top. The ship's body was made entirely of a lightweight alloy steel specially crafted by the Delan Shipyard.
This alloy gave the Sea Swallow a lighter mass, and along with its streamlined shape, it had the lowest energy consumption among ships of its type.
At the same time, its sailing speed was also quite impressive—under favorable winds, it could reach a maximum speed of 35 knots, with a typical cruising speed of about 32 knots.
Such speed.
It meant that the Siya Continent, which previously took nearly half a year to reach by a three-masted sailing ship, could now be reached in just under a month aboard the Sea Swallow!
Moreover, the Sea Swallow also integrated a large witchcraft device known as the Sea Demon's Heart, which gave it the ability to self-steer, resist waves and prevent capsizing, scout, and even hide itself to a certain extent.
Thus, with the assistance of the Sea Demon's Heart, the Sea Swallow could be fluently controlled by just one person.
As for the downside.
Perhaps it was the price.
Colin sighed and walked aimlessly.
In the ship catalog, the printed price of the Sea Swallow was 16,000 Magic Stones.
The mustached salesman offered a discount price of 14,999.
Both of those, whichever, were sky-high prices for him.
The other two cheaper steamships either had bodies made of regular steel or lacked the Sea Demon's Heart and required more crew members to operate.
Although they weren't too bad, if he had a choice, he still wanted to buy the Sea Swallow.
After all, the longer the journey of thousands of sea miles, the better the ship, meaning he would be safer.
Moreover, once he arrived at the Siya Continent, he could sell the Sea Swallow and transform it back into his own resources.
Thinking this, he had unwittingly reached near Blue Shell Street.
Just as the middle-aged apprentice guide had said.
Blue Shell Street was the most bustling commercial street on Bananka Island.
Bookstores, Witch Tool Stores, Magic Crystal Stores, all kinds of shops were available.
Of course, there was also no shortage of auction houses.
Walking through the alley according to plan, Colin headed towards the auction house he had chosen early on.
Now that he knew the market prices of the ships, naturally, the next step was to sell the McIntosh Golden Four-leaf Clover.
If the McIntosh Golden Four-leaf Clover had a considerable value...
Just then.
Tap tap tap—
A tall, bald figure slowly emerged from the narrow black brick lane ahead.
Colin, hurriedly traversing the alley, slightly furrowed his brows and gradually stopped walking.
He glanced back.
As expected, another figure had appeared behind him. Dressed in a gray vest, his bare chest displayed a large expanse of Magic Tattoo.
It seemed to be a ray fish.
But with fierce fangs and a terrifying form, different from the usual ray fish.
These two wizards were probably what the middle-aged guide had mentioned yesterday—the "Sea Dogs."
A colloquial term for wizards from Gang Schools on Bananka Island.
"Don't be nervous, friend," the bald strongman in front spread his hands and smiled.
"We mean no harm, just that business at the School hasn't been booming lately, so we wanted to ask for your patronage..."
Swish!
Before he could finish his sentence, his expression suddenly changed, and he took a slight step back.
Clang!
A metal Cone Bullet embedded itself in the cobblestone at his feet, producing a deep pit with extensive cracks.