According to Sofia, there would be an exam held by the Tin Saint School in half a month.
It's worth mentioning that the exam was primarily aimed at members of smaller schools under its affiliation, or rather, suitable members from its own subordinate small schools.
Only then did it apply to those external wizards who were holding tokens.
And the content of the exam mainly focused on basic wizard knowledge.
In addition, for Advanced Wizard Apprentices, there would also be an assessment of at least three areas of advanced knowledge they excelled in.
As for the entry requirements of other schools... Colin took it as an opportunity to broaden his knowledge.
After all, even the cheapest tokens... According to Sofia, started at at least thirty to forty thousand Magic Stones when purchased on the black market.
Moreover, schools like the Yista School simply didn't accept outsiders like him.
The only acceptance was for ordinary children who fulfilled various requirements and had not yet started wizard training.
Clack.
The white porcelain teacup was gently placed on the counter by Sofia, who paused before continuing to ask:
"Mr. Colin, do you need to inquire about any other information?"
Now that the Magic Stones had been paid and the information was provided, if there was nothing else, she was going to go back to her reading.
Colin looked up at Sofia, pondered for a moment, and then continued to ask:
"Can you recommend any reliable trading markets nearby, or auction houses, pawnshops?"
"One Magic Stone."
"Okay," Colin nodded.
Sofia organized her thoughts before beginning:
"Whether you're looking to buy or sell, I recommend that you go to Copper Rose district. There, on the central street, you can find anything you need."
"Furthermore, the area is under the control of the Yista School. The commodity prices and commission fees for selling items are higher than elsewhere, but correspondingly, the reputations of their guilds and auction houses are excellent, and there's never been any malignant incidents."
Colin nodded, handed over a Magic Stone to Sofia, and after freely inquiring about the address of the Copper Rose district, left the inn and headed towards it.
In Neustadt City, flying was prohibited throughout the city... Rapid dashing was also banned unless one had special permissions.
Otherwise, the penalties ranged from a fine in Magic Stones to expulsion from the city or imprisonment.
Perhaps because of this, there were many public coaches in the city, which were almost seen everywhere on the streets.
Colin casually flagged down one.
"How much for a ride to Copper Rose street?"
"Half a Magic Stone, sir."
The coachman with a dark complexion replied respectfully from in front of the black canopy.
"Let's go," Colin nodded as he boarded the coach.
The price was reasonable and not as expensive as the accommodation costs... Colin raised an eyebrow slightly.
Speaking of which, last evening when Renee went out to buy groceries, she also mentioned the price of food in Neustadt City... Roughly estimated, it seemed to be about twice that of Bananka Island.
It seemed expensive, but compared to accommodation costs, it wasn't really expensive.
It seemed, Neustadt City... was mainly expensive in terms of accommodation.
The coach proceeded with a steady pace, the scenery flashing by rapidly. In a trance, Colin found himself unexpectedly reminiscing about his past life as a young adult striving in the north.
The headaches over accommodation were somewhat similar to back then.
Shaking his head, Colin gathered his thoughts.
The reason why accommodations, or rather housing prices, were so high in Neustadt City was probably tied to its high concentration of Magic Power.
An hour and some minutes later.
Tinghai Trading Company.
Colin stepped in.
This was the trading company he discovered that would take commissions to sell vessels like ships.
He planned to ask about the specifics.
After all, Neustadt City wasn't just any small town, and finding a suitable buyer without knowing anyone was not an easy task...
Professional matters should be left to professionals.
As for trading companies that would directly buy ships, perhaps due to Neustadt City not being by the sea, he hadn't found any.
After explaining his intention, the attendant at the front desk led him to a meeting room inside.
A long-haired middle-aged Wizard Apprentice received him.
"Sir, would you like to commission us, Tinghai Trading Company, to consign a vessel?"
"Yes," Colin nodded and asked, "What is the specific consignment process? For example... valuation and commission fees."
The long-haired apprentice nodded and said:
"Well sir, our Tinghai Trading Company typically charges a commission fee ranging from two to five percent for consigning vessels, varying based on the type of vessel and different selling prices."
Colin nodded slightly; if the markdown wasn't too great, the commission fee of two to five percent was somewhat acceptable.
After all, consigning through the trading company could save him a great deal of time and energy.
And he could spend the time bought with Magic Stones preparing for the Tin Saint School exam.
"If you are agreeable to this commission fee percentage, then we can proceed to the next step," the long-haired apprentice continued.
"If I may be so bold to ask, did you bring the vessel you wish to consign?"
"If so, please follow me to an appropriate location to retrieve it, after which we will have a professional Appraiser estimate its market value."
He spoke while standing up.
Despite politely asking if Colin had the ship with him, he virtually was certain that the vessel was carried by Colin.
After all, Neustadt City lay deep inland, and within the city, there were no rivers large enough to accommodate the ship that Colin described to the reception attendant.