The strange look on Kael’s face didn’t escape Jonas’ notice.
The Vice President slowly turned his head, studying him for a few seconds before the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Get your head out of the gutter, boy."
Kael blinked.
"...Huh?"
"I’m taking you to get cleaned up before we head to where we’re actually going. Right now you look like a homeless man I picked up off the side of the road."
Kael instinctively lowered his head to inspect himself.
His clothes were covered in dust from the underground arena. There were scorch marks left behind by Scarlet Fist’s blazing heat, several tears where the fabric had failed to withstand the battle, and faint patches of dried blood still clung stubbornly to his shirt. Looking at himself objectively, he had to admit Jonas wasn’t exaggerating.
"...That actually makes sense."
Kael wisely decided to keep his thoughts to himself after that and simply turned his attention toward the window.
The scenery outside immediately caught his eye.
The city they were passing through looked nothing like any district he had seen before. Towering buildings reached into the clouds, their crystal-like exteriors reflecting the afternoon sunlight until they shimmered like jewels. Wide roads stretched endlessly through the district without the slightest crack or stain upon them, while rows of carefully maintained trees lined both sides, their leaves dancing gently beneath the breeze. Crystal fountains decorated intersections every few hundred meters, surrounded by flower gardens so meticulously maintained they looked as though each petal had been arranged by hand.
Luxury cars silently glided through the streets one after another. There was no unnecessary noise. No honking. No crowded sidewalks.
Everything possessed an orderly elegance that made the entire district resemble a city taken straight out of a dream.
Even the Second District, which Kael had once thought unbelievably luxurious, suddenly seemed ordinary by comparison.
’Is this... the First Tier District?’
Before he could think any further, Jonas’ voice interrupted him.
"You like what you see?"
Kael nodded honestly without taking his eyes off the passing scenery.
"It’s beautiful."
His gaze lingered on another magnificent skyscraper before he continued.
"And grand."
Jonas smiled faintly.
"It should be."
"We’re currently inside the Zero Tier District."
That sentence immediately pulled Kael’s attention away from the window.
"The Zero Tier District?"
A look of surprise crossed his face.
"I didn’t even know something like that existed."
Jonas chuckled.
"That’s because, technically speaking..."
"It doesn’t."
Kael frowned.
Now he was even more confused.
Seeing the puzzled look on his face, Jonas patiently explained.
"The ranking of every district is determined by Ambient Mana density. The lower the tier number, the lower the Ambient Mana concentration."
Kael nodded.
That much he already knew.
"So if a Zero Tier District genuinely existed, it would naturally have even less Ambient Mana than a First Tier District."
Jonas shook his head.
"But that’s not what happened."
"The Association simply took a portion of the First Tier District, separated it from the rest, then marketed it under a different name."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"...That’s all?"
"Pretty much."
Jonas shrugged as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"They added a few extra features."
"Mana filtration systems."
"Enhanced security."
"Restricted access."
"More luxurious public facilities."
"Then they gave it a fancy title and sold the surrounding land at several times the original value."
Kael stared at him for several seconds before finally asking,
"...Isn’t that just a scam?"
Jonas laughed.
"No."
"The wealthy have always needed something that separates them from everyone else."
"They enjoy creating distance between themselves and ordinary people."
"For them, status is worth paying for."
"If owning property inside a so-called Zero Tier District makes them feel more prestigious, they’ll gladly spend the extra money."
He gestured casually toward the streets outside.
"And to be fair, we weren’t exactly dishonest."
"There really is a Mana filtration system operating throughout the district."
"It filters Ambient Mana."
Kael looked at him expectantly.
Jonas smiled.
"Just... an extremely tiny amount."
"So little that nobody could realistically notice the difference."
Kael couldn’t help staring at him.
"...Seriously?"
Jonas simply nodded without looking embarrassed in the slightest.
"Security is also on an entirely different level. Association Headquarters is located here, which naturally means the safest place in the country is the area surrounding it."
"Add prestige."
"Add exclusivity."
"Add security."
"That alone is enough to justify the name in the eyes of the people living here."
Kael remained silent for a while before finally shaking his head.
"The elite..."
He couldn’t help chuckling to himself.
"They really know how to create classes within classes."
Looking outside once more, he could already imagine the terrifying price of living here.
Every road looked as though it had been cleaned only minutes ago.
Every building appeared flawless.
Even the greenery looked too perfect to be natural.
The entire district felt less like a place people lived and more like a giant advertisement screaming wealth.
Eventually, Kael leaned back into his seat and stopped paying attention to the scenery.
The sedan continued moving smoothly through the district before gradually slowing down.
Several moments later, it came to a gentle stop before an enormous building.
Kael stepped out alongside Jonas and instinctively raised his head.
The structure towered dozens of stories into the sky, its elegant architecture blending polished black marble with towering crystal windows that reflected the surrounding city. Suspended above the entrance was a simple yet unmistakable logo.
D&W.
The two letters appeared to have been stitched together by a silver needle and thread, with the thread itself elegantly forming the ampersand between them.
One of the guards immediately hurried around to open the rear door before stepping aside respectfully.
Jonas walked toward the entrance with Kael following closely behind.
The moment they approached, the massive glass doors slid open automatically.
Waiting just inside were two exceptionally beautiful women.
Both wore matching black and crimson uniforms that hugged their figures perfectly. The tailored jackets accentuated their elegant posture while the short skirts stopped just above their knees, revealing long, slender legs wrapped in sheer black stockings. Every detail of their attire had clearly been designed to leave an impression while still maintaining an image of professionalism.
’These people definitely know what they’re doing.’
The instant Jonas stepped inside, both women greeted him with dazzling smiles.
"Mr. Vice President."
"Welcome to D&W Luxe."
"We’re at your service for anything you may require."
Kael’s eyebrows rose slightly.
’...That sounded a little suggestive.’
Judging from Jonas’ expression, he had noticed it as well.
He simply chose to ignore it.
Pointing toward Kael, he calmly said,
"I’m here to have him fitted."
Only then did the two women finally shift their attention toward Kael.
Until that moment, they had looked straight past him as though he hadn’t even existed.
Kael noticed.
He simply sighed inwardly.
’If I’d walked in here by myself...’
’I’m willing to bet they wouldn’t have even let me through the front entrance.’
That was exactly why he disliked places like this.
Everything revolved around status.
Who you were.
Who you knew.
How much money you had.
Without those things, you became invisible.
Fortunately, the two women immediately put on warm smiles after hearing Jonas’ words.
One of them gracefully stepped forward.
"This way, please."
"I’ll take you to the consultation room so we can determine your preferred style and take your measurements."
Kael frowned slightly.
"Do you have ready-made outfits?"
The woman blinked.
"We do, however our premium collections are usually tailored specifically for each customer."
Kael rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don’t think I have the patience to wait while a new one is being made."
He knew a place like D&W Luxe almost certainly employed Awakeners with Tailor-type Classes capable of producing clothing at astonishing speeds.
Even so, there was still measuring, discussing styles, selecting materials, making adjustments, and countless other steps involved.
After today’s events, that sounded exhausting.
He’d much rather pick something that already existed, put it on, and be done with it.