"Oh, what's the issue?" Kyoji asked.
"Well, due to having to add the shape-shifting element into the fabric, a lot of other materials had to be reduced or even removed completely. That led to its low defense level," Grandmaster Vellian explained.
"Oh, that won't be much of an issue then," Kyoji muttered casually.
"Well, that's great to hear," Grandmaster Vellian said with a smile as he tapped on the wristband he wore.
"For the entire attire—excluding the Mimic Weave—it would cost eighteen million E₵. But since James here is an old friend of mine, I'll offer a twenty percent discount. As for the Mimic Weave, I'll consider it a gift since it's not an official product yet. So, that brings the total cost down to fourteen million four hundred thousand E₵," he said, glancing up from his wristband.
"Oh," Kyoji muttered again, slightly furrowing his brows.
While the offer sounded good, he didn't appreciate receiving a "free gift."
It wasn't that he disliked getting things for free—but with people like Grandmaster Vellian, nothing ever came without a price. Accepting it would mean owing him a favor, and that was something Kyoji didn't like.
As if reading his thoughts, Grandmaster Vellian chuckled and adjusted his monocle.
"You don't have to worry about owing me anything. What I owe James here is more than I could ever repay. So, think of this as my small way of paying him back," he said with a light chuckle before turning his attention back to his wristband, no longer looking at Kyoji.
Kyoji turned toward Butler James, who gave him a small nod.
"Well, I think we have a deal," Kyoji said calmly.
"Great," Grandmaster Vellian replied as he turned and left the room, followed by Butler James, who went ahead to handle the transaction, leaving Kyoji alone in the room.
Kyoji took the opportunity to get dressed.
He removed the tight clothes he had worn before and used the Mimic Weave to form a simple outfit—a plain white pair of pants matched with a loose, plain white shirt.
Just as he finished dressing, a knock came at the door.
"You can come in," Kyoji said softly, and the next moment, Sera and a few other staff members from the House of Stellan walked in. They moved straight to the clothing rack and began packing the clothes meant for Kyoji.
Moments later, Butler James and Grandmaster Vellian returned to the room. It seemed the transaction had been completed.
"Well, looks like everything's packed and ready to go," Grandmaster Vellian said with a satisfied smile as he looked around the room.
"Yes, seems like it," Butler James replied.
There was a short pause before Grandmaster Vellian asked, "So, are you taking everything with you now or...?"
"Yes, we are," Butler James answered before immediately contacting Charles to bring the car to the entrance.
Grandmaster Vellian then motioned for the staff in the room to take everything to the car.
Without delay, Sera and the other staff obeyed, carrying the clothes—now packed into luxury shopping bags marked with the House of Stellan crest—while Kyoji, Butler James, and Grandmaster Vellian followed them out, stepping into the hallway as they moved forward and entered the open showroom.
The place was still buzzing with a few wealthy customers browsing through the items, accompanied by staff.
As their group walked in, all eyes turned toward them. Murmurs quickly began to spread—this time not because of Kyoji, but because of Grandmaster Vellian's presence.
Many couldn't help but wonder why someone of his status was personally attending to them.
Most of the people there were from rich and influential families or organizations. Even then, none of them ever dreamed of meeting Grandmaster Vellian in person, let alone being served by him directly.
Even the most powerful figures in the shelter would still show respect to anyone with "Grandmaster" in their title.
Some would go as far as trying to curry favor from such individuals—and yet here he was, personally serving Kyoji.
With Kyoji's recent rise in popularity due to the recent events in the shelter, most of these families and organizations had likely already looked into his background. And what they found wasn't all that impressive—just some kid living off an inheritance, nothing more.
Since no one could come up with a proper explanation, they started drawing conclusions.
Maybe it had something to do with the recent events. After all, Kyoji was now being seen as a hero within the shelter.
In fact, one could say he was currently one of the most talked-about people in the shelter. Maybe the House of Stellan was just trying to ride the wave.
Treating the shelter's hero with respect—especially by sending their highest-ranking tailor, a Grandmaster tailor at that, to personally attend to him—would shine a good light on the House of Stellan. It would also benefit the Stellan Guild that backed them. In the end, it was a good business move.
Unaware of the theories being passed around, the group made their way to the entrance, where Charles had already pulled up and was waiting for them.
The staff, under Charles' direction, placed all the packages carefully into the car before heading back into the building. That left only Kyoji, Butler James, and Grandmaster Vellian standing outside.
Kyoji, not wanting to waste time, walked straight to the car where Charles was already holding the door open for him.
Meanwhile, the two older men, now left alone, turned to face each other.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye then," Grandmaster Vellian said with a small smile.
"Yes, I guess it is," Butler James replied with a knowing smile. "Till we meet again," he added, then turned and followed Kyoji into the car.
Charles shut the door behind them before heading to the driver's seat and settling in.
"So, are we heading home straight, or are we taking another detour?" Charles asked as he adjusted his seat.
"No detour. Head straight home," Butler James replied firmly.
"Sure. Right away, sir," Charles said as he started the car. With that, they drove off, leaving the House of Stellan behind.
Meanwhile Grandmaster Vellian remained at the entrance, watching the car drive away. A mix of emotions briefly flashed in his eyes before he let out a soft sigh and turned back to enter the building.
---
Back in the car, silence filled the space. Butler James seemed lost in thought while Kyoji stared out the window, watching the beautiful sights of the inner city pass by.
Though the scenery wasn't new to him, with the extra ten years of memories in his head, it felt like a lifetime ago.
In his previous life, he spent most of his time locked away in his lab. He didn't visit home often.
In fact, it had been years since he'd even seen this view.
Kyoji let out a soft sigh at the thought, turning away from the window and leaning back against the car seat. The soft leather was comfortable. He slowly closed his eyes as the car smoothly moved forward.
Some time passed before the car gradually came to a stop, making Kyoji open his eyes.
They were here.
From the window, he could see it—his home.
A grand mansion stood tall before him, its design radiating an aura of elegance and power. The wide front lawn stretched across the land, a perfectly trimmed sea of green dotted with beds of colorful flowers. In the center of it all was a large fountain shaped like a lantern, bubbling softly as water flowed within, surrounded by bright blooming flowers.
"Home sweet home," Kyoji muttered, though his tone was distant and emotionless.
It had been a long time since he stepped foot in this place—around six years, if his memory was correct.
He stared at the huge mansion, his expression unchanged. He felt oddly distant, like he was watching someone else's life.
Just then, Charles stepped out of the driver's seat and walked over to open Kyoji's door.
A soft breeze rushed into the car, carrying the scent of flowers and memories, but even then, his expression stayed the same. He took a slow, deep breath before stepping out, taking a moment to scan his surroundings.
The sun was already setting, casting a warm glow across the area, but there was still enough light to clearly see the details around him. Kyoji stood silently, observing everything before his eyes landed on the front entrance.
"Some things never change," he muttered under his breath as he stared at the familiar sight.
# #
[A/N_ Hello everyone, it's your author here! I know the recent chapter releases have been a bit slow, and I'm sorry for the delay. I promise things will get back on track soon… hopefully.
In the meantime, don't forget to leave a review or comment to let me know how you're enjoying the story. Your support really means a lot and helps keep me going.
Thanks so much for reading!]