Finished Clothing

Those wildly inappropriate and thoroughly ungentlemanly words made Yi Chen instinctively take half a step back.

Besides,

It was impossible to determine the other party's gender completely from their voice and clothing alone.

"That's not very appropriate..."

Yi Chen immediately refused.

"Tsk~ I thought you'd be an interesting person. I didn't expect you to be as boring as those gentlemen.

Being too restrained isn't much fun. We don't live very long in this world to begin with... If we still have to be shackled by all kinds of rules, that would be even more miserable than the lions in a circus, wouldn't it?

By the way, how do you know Mr. Ivan?"

Just then,

the sound of a concealed door opening came from the second floor,

and Yi Chen naturally had no time to concern himself with the strange person before him. He hurried upstairs as quickly as he could.

However,

the youth wearing the Seven-Colored Mask followed along as well, keeping almost exactly the same pace as Yi Chen... Even their footsteps completely overlapped.

Shopkeeper Ivan emerged from the concealed door, leaning on his cane and looking somewhat weary,

the half of his face not covered by the mask looking noticeably more haggard than yesterday.

His gaze immediately fell on the other person as well.

"Jin, are you also one of this year's examinees?"

"Yes, I am~ Mr. Ivan.

When I moved into the temporary dormitory yesterday, I had a minor conflict with one of my roommates. I accidentally severed the tendons in his hands and feet and caused severe bleeding... The aftermath was rather troublesome to deal with, and it wasted an entire day of my time."

"Oh...

You'll have to wait a moment. Mr. Berens was introduced to me by a good friend. His clothes have just been completed, but he still needs to undergo the final 'finished-clothing fitting.'

If anything is unsuitable, I'll still have work to do."

"No problem. I'd also really like to see just how special the First Gentleman's Skin is. Why don't you change outside?"

"Jin, rein it in a little..."

Shopkeeper Ivan gestured for Yi Chen to follow him alone.

The youth known as Jin could only tilt his head and wave goodbye.

Click~

The concealed door locked.

This was also Yi Chen's first time visiting the Tailoring Room.

The tungsten lamp installed overhead buzzed like a mosquito, providing luxurious illumination.

The interior was nothing like the high-end, spacious room he had imagined. It was merely a narrow, elongated room.

Every usable space was filled with tools, equipment, and various fabrics.

1. A perfectly balanced sewing table made from some ancient wood. Running his fingers over it, one could feel the excellent texture of the wood. It could remain in prolonged contact with skin without producing any sweat.

Various kinds of scissors and measuring tapes hung horizontally from wall hooks in front of the sewing table for easy access,

2. The wall cabinets were packed with all kinds of fabric, along with some rarely used special tools,

3. At the other end of the room was a sink-like countertop, similar to one used for developing photographs.

Various bottles of unknown reagents were arranged neatly,

and a thin cord stretched across the upper part of the countertop, from which hung several pieces of specially soaked and processed skin. They would serve as important raw materials for making the clothes.

4. Several slender humanoid statues also stood here. Their heads were still covered with white cloth, while their arms had been sculpted with extraordinary precision. One could even see the pores and the details of their uneven fingernails.

They seemed to serve as Shopkeeper Ivan's assistants here.

"It seems a little cramped..." Yi Chen had to turn sideways to move slowly through the room, afraid of bumping into some important tailoring tools.

"Cramped spaces can compress the brain, heightening concentration, reducing the probability of errors and mistakes.

Follow me~ Your clothes are farther inside. Don't keep 'it' waiting."

Unexpectedly, another concealed door was hidden behind the wall cabinets of the Tailoring Room,

"Finished Clothing Fitting Room"

A square, enclosed room of about ten square meters,

with candleholders set in all four corners,

and a large oval mirror with a gold frame hanging on the wall directly opposite the entrance.

At the center stood a sculpture whose body shape, height, and even finger, navel, and backside measurements were exactly the same as Yi Chen's,

except that

the sculpture still had no facial features. A ring of 'swirls' had been carved into its face instead, with the Book Emblem corresponding to the depths of the swirls.

The clothes worn by this sculpture were the finished garments ultimately made from the "Gentleman's Skin."

They consisted of:

1. "Shirt": A standard white shirt with a rounded collar, adjustable cuffs in an evergreen ivy design, and a pair of black sleeve garters.

2. "Waistcoat": An essential garment of vintage British style. Its original purpose had been to cover the shirt, but it had now become an indispensable part of a gentleman's outfit.

Made of Morata wool, dark gray between black and white, with an inverted-triangle structure.

3. "Trousers": High-waisted, single-pleat trousers with alternating black and gray stripes. They supported the waistcoat and perfectly connected the gap between them.

4. "Outerwear": The most important part of the outfit, with two choices: "suit" or "overcoat."

Both were black.

The "suit" was generally used for daily activities, such as traveling around Zion, attending classes, and participating in meetings. Its material could effectively purify the mind and increase mental vitality, making it more conducive to establishing and displaying gentlemanly character.

The "overcoat" was primarily used for investigations outside and battles against Pathogens.

Its material could effectively isolate the effects brought about by infection. It could also complement the individual's combat style, and generally used the most "Gentleman's Skin."

Of course,

this was not completely fixed. There were also gentlemen who primarily wore suits while conducting external investigations, exploring the Gray Domain, and even rushing to the very front lines.

As for leather shoes, socks, belts, ties, bow ties, and other external accessories, they were not included in the tailoring service and could be chosen according to the occasion.

Shopkeeper Ivan gave a simple explanation:

"I focused the design of this outfit for you on the 'interweaving of life and death' and 'the importance of knowledge.'

"First, I used alternating black and white, complemented by gray, to highlight the boundary between life and death.

"Then there was the most important aspect, knowledge—the path of growth you chose.

"I put considerable thought into incorporating knowledge into the suit's design.

"I used the classic Ivy style: narrow natural shoulders, a straight cut without darts, and a widely spaced three-button single-breasted front. I personally recommend fastening only the middle button.

"Since you brought enough 'Gentleman's Skin,' I used half of it to make the suit, helping to bring your profession's characteristics into play to the greatest extent.

"As for the overcoat,

"considering your origins, I designed it in a cemetery style.

"It combines a black wool called 'Son of Lucifer' with Gentleman's Skin, using a design style that blends ruggedness with concealment. I also slightly increased the coat length and fabric thickness.

"Try them on.

"The suit and overcoat need to be tried on separately.

"I believe that such an almost perfect outfit will take root and grow flawlessly on your skin like a rash, leaving you unable to tear yourself away from it."

"Okay..."

Yi Chen had already been unable to hold back from the moment he stepped into the fitting room and saw the finished garments.

While changing,

he felt the fabric glide over his skin, as though a maiden's fingers were gently brushing across it, fitting perfectly against him.

If the ready-made clothes Yi Chen had bought temporarily in Easton Town after leaving the cemetery had already been comfortable enough,

then this fully customized finished outfit

far exceeded the greatest extent that the word "comfortable" could describe.

Every polished section of fabric and every folded seam was incomparably perfect, impossible to criticize.

When he put on the outermost suit,

the outfit immediately began to "resonate" with Yi Chen as its host.

It was as if the threads woven through the clothes had formed deep connections with the blood vessels, nerves, and muscle fibers in his body, creating a single whole.

His brain was also activated by the clothes surrounding him.

The Book Emblem formed by the cerebral sulci at the back of Yi Chen's brain, together with his heart and the entire outfit, began to beat at exactly the same frequency.

"This is!"

Rows of "Ancient Script" appeared in his field of vision, moving as though swimming.

Yi Chen was certain that this was the first time he had ever seen such writing, yet he could understand its meaning.

At the very top, the most conspicuous and boldest line conveyed important information:

Profession: Student (Student)

While writing this chapter, I looked up some references on suits and felt as though I had returned to my agonizing school days.