Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

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Compared to his biological parents, whom he had never met, he cared more for the close family members who had raised him. Since his aunt did not wish for him to know the truth, he had always pretended to be unaware.

"Auntie, I've told you several times, just handle the money yourself, whether you incorporate it into the household accounts or use it as a dowry for Ella, I have no objections." Winters strongly opposed Aunt Kosha's resolute stance on not using a portion of the property held in his name.

Kosha might have been worried about gossip from outsiders, but in Winters's view, no amount of gold could ever repay the effort it took to raise a baby into adulthood.

"Silly boy, you still have to establish a family and a career, and there will be many occasions where you'll need money. I exchanged your mother's dowry for property in the Harbor District, and it has appreciated quite a bit in the past twenty years." Kosha's eyes became moist as she spoke, and with maternal love, she straightened Winters's hair, "My dear nephew has grown into a fine young man. Elizabeth [referring to Winters's mother, who shares a name with Winters's cousin] must be very pleased to see you all grown up in heaven. When I meet her again, I'll proudly kiss her cheek."

During their conversation, the carriage came to a stop, and the coachman informed them softly, "Madam, we've arrived at the Merva residence."

Kosha wiped away her tears and resumed her authoritative tone, "Thank you, Mr. Bato."

Winters got out of the carriage first, then assisted Kosha down.

The carriage stopped in front of a charming storefront which occupied about five meters of width amidst a row of stone buildings.

The door had been painted black, so clean that it seemed one could smell the fresh paint. A scissors and a sewing kit were depicted in gold paint on the door, with the words [Merva Brothers] written in sweeping cursive below the image.

The most eye-catching design, however, was not the storefront itself, but the walls to either side.

Flanking the door, instead of brick walls, were small panes of clear flat glass held in wooden frames. Behind the glass, wooden mannequins displayed elegant readymade outfits. The window primarily featured extravagant women's attire, with elegant men's wear as a secondary focus.

This type of small clear glass pane was not cheap, and most ordinary citizens could only afford to purchase a few for windows, with wooden shutters still being the predominant choice for most households. Using such fragile material for walls was a bold and imaginative move by the designer.

Using gold paint for the sign was equally lavish, and they had used gold powder, not gold leaf. Winters, although not versed in painting, knew that gold color could not be achieved without using gold powder, a rather expensive material.

The grandeur of the Merva Brothers' tailoring shop left Winters speechless. He couldn't help but wonder if the owners ever feared that thieves might strip the storefront at night.

"Isn't it impressive?"

"But won't all these glass panes and pigments end up being paid for by the customers?"

"Come on," Kosha took Winters by the left arm, dragging him inside the shop.

The bell above the door jingled as they entered, where several elegantly dressed ladies and young women were picking out fabrics. Compared to them, Winters no longer found his aunt's attire to be exaggerated. This place was not so much a tailor's as it was a fashion battlefield.

An attractive young man with the look of a tailor approached them quickly; he had a tape measure draped over his shoulder and stood out in his uncommonly simple work clothes among the competitive sea of colorful garments.

Greeting Kosha with an earnest smile and a doff of his hat, he spoke with a faint tone of reproach, "Madam Serviati, it's been far too long since your last visit to our modest establishment. Without seeing you, my inspiration runs dry."

If an ordinary person had said this, it might have seemed insincere and nauseating. However, the dashing youth's expressions, posture, and tone were just right. Even knowing the flattery was merely courteous, one couldn't feel any aversion.

Kosha was unmoved, smiling as she retorted, "Then your sources of inspiration must be plentiful. How many ladies have you said that to?" She had quite a high tolerance for such bootlicking.

"But you are the most beautiful among them." The tailor, one of the Merva brothers, undeterred in moving to impress Serviati, shifted the focus of his praise to the young man by her side, "And who is this handsome young man with you? He's got a natural build for suits."

Winters blushed at such a comment, but the young tailor managed to say it with a sincere tone, showing just how hard life could be.

The flattery worked wonders, though, as Kosha beamed with joy, "This is my nephew, fresh out of the Federated Provinces' military academy, and now working at the Army headquarters."

The young tailor heaped clever compliments on them, delighting Kosha while Winters, noticing several ladies in the shop casting covert glances his way, felt even more embarrassed and quickly interjected, "Aren't we here to get some clothes made?"

"Right, let's start with your measurements." The young tailor led Winters to a quiet, small room at the back of the shop and began taking his measurements.

Winters, always observant, noticed the shop was mostly frequented by female clients, suggesting that another female tailor likely did the measuring. Yet, there was only one male tailor at the front, with the rest appearing to be apprentices. He heard a faint sound of cloth cutting from inside the shop and mused to himself that perhaps the Merva Brothers was actually Merva siblings.

"What kind of suit would you like to have made?" the young tailor got straight to the point, asking Kosha instead of Winters.

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