Chapter 1058: The Value of Equipment
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1058: The Value of Equipment
I looked over at Maritis, sensing her curiosity.
The Tailor Society was also a member of the United Club, though not a core one. As a "small" club, it played a significant role within the United Club, such as designing unified uniforms for its members and creating distinct combat attire for the various combat sequences.
Cleveland had mentioned this to me before, and I still remembered it.
The Tailor Society was no ordinary club; the clothes they produced were certainly not just simple garments. Now that I was standing here in person, its complexity was even more apparent.
When Sister Bai and I entered earlier, the closed door wasn't a sign of them acting like divas; they truly weren't accepting walk-in customers. They bore the responsibility of designing and overseeing the uniforms and combat gear for the entire United Club.
However, after we entered, Chushi Bulei didn't breathe a word about that, which showed how much she valued our visit.
I turned back to Maritis and asked directly, without wasting words, "Are you here for the United Club's combat attire?"
"Exactly! Teaching Assistant Xiao Han, as you know, our First and Second Combat Sequences suffered an incident recently. To ensure such a thing never happens again, we decided to redesign and manufacture new combat uniforms for our members. The Tailor Society is one of the top-tier clubs in the Witch Academy for this sort of thing. Leaving it to them gives us peace of mind, and it's the responsible thing to do for our combatants."
"I see." Maritis's explanation matched my guess. It seemed we had just happened to run into each other.
"Indeed. And you, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han? Are you just here to ask Senior Sister Chushi Bulei to design some clothes?"
"Yes. I've been wearing the same few outfits for a while, so it's time to expand my wardrobe. Since I have some free time, I decided to come by."
"Oh? Is that so? Speaking of new clothes, what do you think of the United Club's uniform, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han? I asked Cleveland about it, but she always said you didn't have a need for it at the moment."
"Right. Cleveland did mention it to me back then. I really didn't need it, so I declined."
"Well, how do you feel about the United Club's uniform now? We only require a unified style; the specific design can be modified according to personal preference. Since I've run into you here, we could have a personalized design made for you at the same time. We can just put it on the Jack-of-all-trades Club's tab. I can make the call on this one..."
"There's no need for the Jack-of-all-trades Club to spend money on this. This is a personal matter," I said, waving off her enthusiasm. I didn't want to owe a favor over such a small thing.
"Alright, I apologize for overstepping. However, the United Club uniform shouldn't be considered a personal matter. How about I go back and discuss it with Miss Cleveland? Since you're already here ordering clothes and Chushi Bulei is the lead designer, adding a few sets of uniforms wouldn't be much trouble. After all, you've done so much for the United Club; we can't fail to provide you with even a few uniforms~"
Maritis apologized quickly, realizing she had been too pushy, but she pivoted gracefully. If I didn't want to talk about personal affairs, she would switch to official business.
"Fine, I appreciate the sentiment. However, I likely won't be participating in many of the United Club's future operations."
"Understood, understood. You're so busy, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han. The minor issues the United Club is currently facing naturally don't require your intervention," Maritis said hurriedly.
While this wasn't something she could interfere with, she understood that after the United Club had suffered that retaliation, the person standing before her had become a strategic deterrent. As long as she was around, the United Club was unlikely to encounter a second blood sacrifice incident of that magnitude.
As Maritis was speaking, Chushi Bulei came back downstairs with her full set of equipment.
Seeing her, Maritis stepped forward to briefly discuss the uniforms before bidding us farewell.
"Shall we start by taking your measurements?" Chushi Bulei suggested, holding a soft measuring tape. "What kind of style are you looking for, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han? What elements do you like for the main design? What's the maximum level of 'exposure' you're comfortable with? If you haven't decided yet, I have a few templates here you can look at."
"I'll take a look at the templates. I don't know much about this; I'll leave the professional work to the professional," I said.
Even though I could spout plenty of technical terms through the Tree of Great Knowledge—and could even make demands that Chushi Bulei might find unfamiliar—I hadn't actually studied the subject much.
"Then let's measure you first~"
"Alright." I nodded, offering no resistance. It was just a measurement, after all.
Chushi Bulei proved herself a professional fashion designer. In a short time, she had collected all the necessary measurements, and the entire process didn't feel "invasive" in the slightest.
Afterward, Chushi Bulei picked up a blank mannequin from the side.
"Hm? This is..." I watched her with curiosity. The power she wielded was quite peculiar; her mana transformed into threads that manipulated the mannequin, making it move as if it were alive.
"This? Allow me to introduce myself again. Besides being the President of the Tailor Society, I am also a puppet manipulator from the Puppeteer branch. Dynamic puppets give me infinite creative drive and desire. They are like real people who cooperate with me perfectly, showcasing the dynamic beauty of a garment on a person in various poses."
"A Puppeteer... oh~" Listening to Chushi Bulei's self-absorbed explanation, I quickly found the information regarding this profession.
Puppeteers were quite niche in the Witch Academy, much like Body Cultivation used to be. After all, the complexity of controlling puppets and learning the series of arts related to them was far higher than practicing with a spellbook to cast spells.
"That's a very promising career choice," I remarked.
I truly admired people who dared to challenge niche professions and Beyonder arts. The price they paid was much heavier than those who walked the common paths.
"It is indeed promising. I had quite a few mentors for Puppet Mastery. Back when it was time to choose a mentor, several of them even got into a physical fight over me. In that year's class, it seemed only a dozen or so people, including myself, chose this path. In the end, I was the only one who stuck with it," Chushi Bulei said with a smile.
"So you're essentially the sole successor of your year?"
"Indeed. But compared to Puppet Mastery, I still prefer designing clothes. Puppetry... is just a convenient craft I learned to make my designing easier."
"That's quite willful of you," I marveled.
"Several of my mentors said the same thing," Chushi Bulei replied. "But I might have disappointed them."
"I wouldn't call it a disappointment. After all, you did learn the true art, didn't you?" I watched as the puppet in her hands gradually took on my form, marveling at the magic of it.
These puppets seemed to be refined from very precious Beyonder materials, allowing for incredibly subtle movements in every limb. However, no matter how much it changed, it was still just a puppet frame.
"There~" Chushi Bulei attached a custom label to the puppet. After posing it in what she considered an elegant stance, she stepped back in front of me.
"Now, let's discuss the design style and your specific requirements for the garment components in detail. Although I think it's unlikely, I'll ask as a matter of course: the clothes you're ordering aren't just ordinary garments, right?"
"Naturally not," Sister Bai said, stepping forward. "Every component is to be manufactured to the highest specifications of Beyonder Equipment Grade."
"Huh?" I hesitated, tugging at Sister Bai's sleeve. "What exactly does 'Beyonder Equipment Grade' mean?"
"Beyonder Equipment Grade means that while the design style is the priority, the components themselves are manufactured using the techniques for creating Beyonder equipment."
As she spoke, Chushi Bulei picked up a garment component from the side.
It was a pair of silk long-sleeve covers that could be pulled all the way up to the upper arms. The fingers were exposed, with only rings on the palm and middle finger to keep them in place, ensuring the flexibility of the fingers.
"Look at this piece. Although it looks like a pair of sleeves, it is essentially a piece of protective equipment. It has a massive resistance to spell damage, and its physical properties are extremely stable. Even an elven arrow couldn't fully pierce it."
"It has multiple spell effects and special enchantments solidified onto it using unique weaving techniques. You could say its functionality is very comprehensive. The only downside is that it's difficult to repair, making it a consumable item. However, there's been a breakthrough in the manufacturing process, so the price is quite attractive. The main cost is concentrated in the special weaving technique."
Chushi Bulei's rapid-fire explanation was solely to introduce the powerful functions of the sleeves, and she even shared their pros and cons without reservation.
I gained a much more direct understanding of the fact that such low-key, luxurious configurations actually existed in this world.
From hair accessories to necklaces and collars, to every part and structure of the clothing—on the wrists, there weren't just sleeves, but also various jewelry and rings. It was the same for the lower body.
These weren't just clothes!
This was arming oneself from head to toe with equipment!
Was I really this ignorant?
After I got the Change of Clothes Spell spellbook, I had been worried that if such spellbooks became common, the clothing stores in the academy would lose business. I never expected that high-end custom clothing had already evolved into this competitive arena.
"Don't be too surprised. Equipment is part of one's personal strength. Not every student in the academy has combat power like yours, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han—strong enough to ignore such gear. For the average person, the combat power provided by any piece of equipment is a guarantee of their own safety."
Chushi Bulei had witnessed my astonishment throughout the process, which was why she spoke up to explain.
I hadn't hidden my emotions at all. Constant suppression wasn't the best way to practice Emotion Body Cultivation, and besides, I truly hadn't understood this behavior.
Through Chushi Bulei's perspective and tone, I briefly put myself in the shoes of an ordinary person.
Thinking back... the first Beyonder items I received were the Witch Four-Piece Set given upon enrollment. Although the effects of those items were weak, I did feel their help at the time—especially the hat, which helped with concentration to some extent.
As for the rest?
They were mediocre. Whether it was the wand, the cape, or the chest badge for the basic Fireball Spell, I hadn't used them much.
"She's right; equipment is very important," Sister Bai chimed in. "If it weren't for the fact that spellbooks also carry a legacy, the value of Transcendent equipment would sometimes be higher than a spell of equal value. However, spellbooks are unique to the Witch race, so generally speaking, equipment is more valuable and more popular."
"..."
"I know this might be very different from your way of thinking, but you can't deny that compared to self-mastered power, equipment can basically be converted into personal strength the moment you get your hands on it. Ignoring its nature as an external force, it truly makes a person stronger and raises their combat ceiling. This is very attractive to those who chase power."
Although Sister Bai's words were directed at me, Chushi Bulei was also listening.
The clash of different ideas can indeed be troubling. It was like how I would question if the power of equipment was only temporary, or wonder why anyone would think that equipment—which was a form of one's own power—would be looked down upon.
Could this be the difference in logic between ordinary people and the legendary genius before them?
Chushi Bulei didn't dare to interrupt anymore. One of the two before her was a Transcendent Mentor with an exalted status, and the other was a legendary little witch with peerless combat power. She couldn't afford to offend either of them.
She was just a lowly tailor... for the first time, the thought that she was "just a lowly tailor" crossed her mind.
"Um... shall we discuss your requirements further? There's still a lot of room for me to work with, but I don't know enough about your preferences yet. That makes it difficult to design the clothing."
After regaining her composure, Chushi Bulei plucked up the courage to speak again.
She held a sketchbook in her hand. Although the requirements mentioned so far were few, she had already used her solid drawing skills to create a simple framework.
She loved the occasional sparks of inspiration that flew during conversations with others. That uncertainty, combined with recorded inspiration clashing, intertwining, and compromising with a pre-designed framework, would lead to masterpieces she couldn't even predict!
She was quite addicted to it. Some said she was a weirdo for it, but she didn't care. She called it individuality!