It was already evening, and the sunset neared the ocean surface.
"Liii—Liii—"
White seabirds flapped their wings overhead in the dimming sky, heading toward their nests. Their intermittent cries made the brilliant sunset clouds on the distant horizon seem even lonelier.
The rich orange and yellow glow of the sunset illuminated the area.
On a street, Colin strolled slowly, listening attentively to Mod, who was walking beside him, explaining in detail.
"...So, to sum up, there are three vessels of the same class as the Sea Swallow among the second-hand ships, and I personally recommend the first one to you," Mod said.
Colin nodded absently and asked,
"Tell me in detail about the reasons you recommend the first second-hand vessel."
He looked at the gradually setting sun distantly, seemingly listening to Mod's explanation, but his mind was somewhat preoccupied with what he had heard earlier at the auction house.
A moment later.
"Sir, sir?" Mod's call brought him back to reality.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
"I've finished explaining my reasons for recommending the first second-hand vessel."
Mod replied with a hint of helplessness, paused, then took the initiative to say,
"Sir, let me go over it once more."
At this point, he emphasized,
"Please make sure to listen carefully this time; I have other matters to attend to later...
"Perhaps I won't have time tomorrow or the day after," Mod added.
"Alright," Colin agreed, nodding without asking why there was no time.
After all, Mod was not his servant; they simply had a business relationship.
He set aside his concerns about the Law Enforcement Team and focused on listening to Mod's explanation.
"The first vessel, I recommend it for three reasons—wear, price, and warranty."
Clear and orderly words reached his ears, and Colin nodded in satisfaction internally.
This was also why he continued to employ Mod's services.
"First is the wear and tear. On the surface, the first vessel has been in use for six years, one year more than the third and three years less than the second.
But in reality, the first vessel was for private use, whereas the other two have been used as passenger ships, and as far as I know, they have been used more frequently than the first one."
"Besides that, there are no major differences between the three vessels, none of them have undergone major repairs, and there would be no significant refitting required after purchase."
Colin nodded in agreement.
Then Mod carefully explained the other two advantages.
He concluded—
"So the first second-hand vessel is the best when it comes to wear. In terms of price, it is only 800 Magic Stones more expensive than the cheapest second one.
Regarding warranty, it is the only one among the three ships built by the reputable Danlan Shipyard. The other two were made by smaller factories."
Colin nodded, agreeing with Mod's assessment.
All things considered, the first one was indeed the best ship relative to the others.
"Did the owner say there could be a further discount?" he asked after a brief pause.
"They did not say there could be a discount," Mod shook his head, then added, "But I guess, if you, Sir, are willing to take some time to haggle, you might save another five hundred to a thousand Magic Stones."
"Hmm, when can it be ours at the earliest?" Colin nodded somewhat reluctantly.
The price for the first second-hand vessel was a solid ten thousand Magic Stones, not cheap given its quality.
After all, it was a ship that had served for six years, and although purportedly in the same class as the Sea Swallow, its fittings were somewhat inferior.
He sighed inwardly.
If it wasn't for the fact that he currently did not know how to deal with the Law Enforcement Team and planned to leave early to avoid trouble,
He would have preferred to spend some time and effort on negotiations to save those five hundred to a thousand Magic Stones,
Or perhaps, he would simply spend more to buy a brand new Sea Swallow.
After all, on the upcoming voyage of tens of thousands of miles, on the vast ocean, the ship would be the support of his life.
And since ships tend to hold their value, once he arrived on the Siya Continent and sold the Sea Swallow, he wouldn't lose much of the Magic Stones he spent.
"If you wish, Sir, I can take you to meet the seller tomorrow.
If things go smoothly, you could take possession of the ship on the spot," Mod pondered briefly, then replied.
"I thought you were busy tomorrow?"
"If it's for your matter, Sir, I can attend to mine after we're done."
"Hmm," Colin nodded, "When is the earliest time?"
Mod considered for a moment and said,
"Probably around nine in the morning, I'll wait for you at the dock."
"Hmm. Let's plan on that," Colin agreed, nodding.
Then he bid farewell to Mod and hurried away.
Meeting Mod at this time was already a bold move.
But from the intelligence he had gathered, it seemed the Law Enforcement Team members were only apprehending him as a favor to the Haiya Gang.
He didn't expect them to put in too much effort.
And as long as they didn't,
Just the Haiya Gang alone, as long as he was careful to conceal himself, wouldn't be able to find him immediately.
What he intended to do was take advantage of this window of time. If he could quickly purchase a vessel and leave before the Haiya Gang found him, he could escape the ensuing trouble.
'After all, there's no loss at the moment. Being alone and with limited strength,
When faced with such matters, it's best to avoid conflict as much as possible,'
he consoled himself while walking home.
Yet, he always felt somewhat displeased,
Observing the sky growing darker by the minute.
He pondered for a moment, and ultimately, he suppressed the urge to turn back.
Bananka Island did not have as strict a curfew as Blackstone Island,
But the guard forces at night were not to be compared with those during the day.