After half a day of handover work, the Freedom's crew could finally relax. Under Wilknitz's lead, they rushed toward a tavern in Davao City.
Those receiving the immigrants were staff from the Davao City Immigration Office and the East African military. Davao City was a typical dual-use military-civilian port. From here, one could continue eastward to Palau Island, New Guinea, and other East African colonies farther east in the Pacific Ocean, making Davao City an important strategic node.
"Edeltar, how has business been lately?" Wilknitz, his face weathered by time, asked a middle-aged man polishing wineglasses as he entered the tavern.
"Wilknitz? It's actually you, my friend. You're not easy to see, are you?" The tavern owner, Edeltar, said as he set down his work.
Wilknitz said, "This time, I've brought you a big piece of business again, you old rascal."
He then introduced Captain Hilda and the others to Edeltar, who greeted every one of them warmly.
"In Davao City, it isn't easy to run into people from back home. Aside from those in the government and military, most people here are immigrants from heaven knows where around the world."
"Only sailors running the mainland-Davao route come here often to spend money, so I won't charge you for the first round. It's on me. Of course, I can only treat you to local liquor. Mainland liquor is still quite expensive by the time it gets here."
Edeltar enthusiastically poured each of the Freedom's crew a large cup of liquor.
"This is a new brew you developed, isn't it?" Wilknitz asked his old friend.
"That's right. It's banana wine brewed from local bananas. I got the brewing method for banana wine from a sailor from North Great Lakes Province, who told me how it was made in his hometown. So