The giant ships slowly docked at the harbor to the east of the city.
It was thanks to the docks that extended deep enough into the sea, or else, to board these behemoths we might have needed to take additional smaller boats.
Whoosh!
While Colin was silently observing the giant ships near the docks, a blaze of flame suddenly erupted from the mountain peak behind him!
In the blink of an eye, it reached before the giant ship.
The blaze dissipated, revealing the back of a wizard in a gray robe, floating in front of the figurehead at the bow of the central ship in the fleet.
It was Wizard Lap!
Two figures, who also seemed to be Official Wizards, flew out from the main ship, and together they welcomed Wizard Lap aboard the giant ship.
Then, all of a sudden, a voice emanated from the figurehead of the main ship, styled like a young ball-carrying maiden:
"Cough cough, dear wizard friends from Blackstone Island, we are the Black Pearl Trading Company!"
"Our ships will remain in the island's harbor for seven days, during which time, we welcome everyone to come and shop in the Ship Market!"
"Knowledge, materials, slaves… You can buy everything you want here!"
With these words, figures began bustling about on the armored ships, and soon after, enormous chain ladders were placed between the ships to secure and connect them.
"It's all thanks to Teacher Lap… Sixty years ago, these trading fleets didn't look like this," Luke remarked nostalgically. Though he had not experienced it himself, what he had heard was enough to stir sentiment.
Sixty years earlier, before Wizard Lap had come to the island, the island's Blackstone Family only had deceased Official Wizards.
Back then, these trading fleets were not so courteous.
Trade only happened between parties of equal standing.
In some places, these trading fleets were also known as pirates!
Colin remained silent. After all, the serene life that they, the weak, were now enjoying was wholly dependent on the shelter and order that Wizard Lap had established on the island.
Click, click, click.
At that moment, from the giant ship nearest to the docks, the sound of mechanical gears clashing filled the air, and the next second, a gray-black steel staircase on its side lifted and accurately aligned with the dock.
The steel staircase was roughly five or six meters wide with railings on both sides, akin to the boarding stairs of an airplane from his previous life.
Without a doubt, this was the entrance to the Ship Market.
Colin stepped forward, intending to go to the market, only to have his sleeve tugged by Luke.
"Let the adults go first." Luke gave an imperceptible reminder, hinting with his eyes for Colin to notice Regina and the other Advanced Wizard Apprentices nearby.
Colin's footsteps paused briefly.
Only after Regina and the other Advanced Wizard Apprentices had passed by did he and the others continue to move forward.
Stepping onto the steel staircase, it appeared shaky and fragile, but felt surprisingly stable underfoot… surely reinforced by witchcraft.
The steps produced a dull and sturdy thud as they were trodden upon.
The staircase was not short. The Advanced Wizard Apprentices had already flown up, leaving only those like himself, the Intermediate Wizard Apprentices, and a few Basic Level Wizard Apprentices who had been brought along to gain experience, as well as the recently Advanced Regina, who were still climbing.
Before long, Colin finally finished the climb and stepped onto the deck.
The sight that met his eyes was a grey-black expanse with neither masts nor sails, only three enormous chimneys jutting out like spines, with wisps of light grey smoke slowly rising from within.
In the bridge superstructure in the middle of the ship, several crew members dressed as sailors were moving things onto the deck in succession, apparently preparing to set up stalls.
"The stalls out here don't have much of interest," Luke said, looking back over his shoulder at Colin as he expertly led the group toward the nearby bridge. He continued to explain:
"The Black Pearl Trading Company consists of fifteen ships. When docked at Blackstone Island, the main ones open to us include this flagship and four auxiliary vessels beside it."
"During this week, the decks of these five ships will be filled with stalls, usually without anything noteworthy, but it's still possible to have a look and see what you can find."
"The real ship market is actually hidden on the first deck below, which is just like Wizard Alley on the island, with all sorts of shops."
Colin nodded, recognizing that these details were obviously intended for his ears, being his first time here.
It had to be said that while Luke might be smooth and worldly, he knew just how to strike the right balance without becoming tiresome.
Following Luke down the narrow stairs to the deck below, the din reached their ears even before they fully descended to the next layer.
A few more steps and they were faced with a grey corridor that could be considered spacious aboard a ship.
The corridor was wide enough for four people to walk side by side, with identical cabins on both sides. Each cabin's door was very narrow and, despite being open, it was difficult to discern the specific type of shop from outside.
Fortunately, each shop had a sign hung on the wall outside, which saved some trouble.
"I'm going to buy a few Great Knight slaves. Anyone else want to go to the slave area? We can head there together," Luke asked, turning back.
"I'm going."
"Anyone going to buy bloodline materials?"
"What about witch tools?"
The members of the School talked among themselves, forming into groups and departing.
"Colin, if you haven't decided what to buy, want to go check out the slave section?" Luke said, noticing Colin still standing in place, calling out to him before leaving.
Colin shook his head with a smile: "I plan to wander around on my own first."
"Well..." Luke nodded, paused for a moment, and then lowered his voice, "On the ship, it's generally best to avoid conflicts with the wizards from the Black Pearl Trading Company as much as possible."
"Of course, if they're only Basic Level Wizards, then there's no need to be polite. But with Intermediate ones, you need to gauge your strength, and be mindful if they have companions..."
"As for those above Intermediate..." he patted Colin on the shoulder, "You don't need me to say more, right?"
Colin nodded.
On the island, the Lap School was the undisputed ruler, and their Apprentices, while not necessarily able to throw their weight around on a daily basis, effectively had little difference.
But on the ship, it was no longer the School's territory, and the power of the Black Pearl Trading Company was clearly not inferior to the School, necessitating caution in this new setting.
Of course, having a Lap Wizard around meant they didn't need to be overly cautious; they just needed to be aware. After all, if a conflict occurred, as long as it didn't escalate too far, neither an Official Wizard from the Black Pearl Trading Company nor a Lap Wizard would likely care.
In such instances, if trouble came knocking, it would all come down to personal strength. This was also why most, like Luke, chose to stick together.
While the deck below seemed to only have this single, long corridor, it was actually riddled with many branches, extending in all directions. In the blink of an eye, Luke and the others disappeared from view, leaving only Colin at the entrance.
But he wasn't worried about losing his way.
In a wooden box to the right of the entrance, a stack of printed black and white maps of the lower deck were neatly placed, with detailed annotations for the primary goods and locations of the different area shops.
Suppressing his curiosity to explore around first, Colin took a map from the box, searching for shops that purchased Magic Crystals.
He wanted to exchange his Bright Crystal for Magic Stones first!