Chapter 152: Kennedy’s Time Closet
The evening banquet at Sea Cliff Castle was spectacular.
Duane was stunned right from the start of the banquet by the opening magical performance, cast in unison by ten Mages.
The dancing flames in the air, the massive magical bird with a wingspan of over ten meters soaring past, and the Kennedy Clan’s sail crest insignia formed from the dazzling lights of various Elements—it was all simply breathtaking.
However, in Count Kais’s words, these were just little trinkets developed by the family’s Mages. Despite their stunning effects, they didn’t actually possess much offensive power.
Even the giant bird soaring through the air with a wingspan of over ten meters was just a simple arrangement of Elements. If used to attack an enemy, its power would probably be less than that of a Level 2 Fireball Technique.
Be that as it may, Duane knew what it meant to have independently researched Spell Models.
The Kennedy Clan must have a sizable team of Mages.
After the magical performance, the guests watched several dances and listened to a few musical pieces and poetry recitals before the main dinner began.
As the host, Count Kais gave a brief speech. The core of his message was to reveal that the Kennedy Clan would be partnering with Black Forest Island to develop the Hot Spring Mountain Tea project.
At the same time, thanks to Moer’s arrangements and Natalia’s introductions, the young Mages and children of the Nobility attending the banquet all got to drink this special beverage.
This special beverage, which enhanced the effects of Meditation, immediately drew a great deal of interest.
It particularly piqued the interest of the Mages loyal to the Kennedy Clan, many of whom expressed their desire to purchase it.
Watching everyone drink the tea, Duane understood. ’This whole segment was obviously planned in advance.’
This meant that even before their discussion, Count Kais had been confident he could reach an agreement with Duane regarding the Hot Spring Mountain Tea.
This event served as the first step in promoting the Hot Spring Mountain Tea, spreading the word within this small circle.
After the main dinner, Count Kais excused himself, leaving the banquet to the "younger generation," with his daughter Natalia taking over as host for the remaining events.
Everyone had heard of Duane’s Archery skills. Certain individuals, in particular, had embellished the story of him crushing Elwin in Archery, hyping his abilities to an unprecedented level.
Thus, at the crowd’s urging, Duane began a solo performance.
Fortunately, his Archery had already reached the level of Perfection, so stationary and moving targets were no challenge for him at all.
He was even able to perform the rumored Nine-shot, giving the crowd quite a show.
Of course, there was also a painting segment.
At the request of Zelina and a few other young ladies, Duane drew a picture for them on the spot, earning him many admiring glances.
The lively banquet concluded with a display of magical fireworks.
It was already past midnight by the time Duane returned to his guest room.
The banquet had been held mainly to welcome him, so he had experienced what it was like to be the center of attention, which left him quite exhausted.
At a servant’s arrangement, Duane took a comfortable hot bath.
However, just as he was about to lie down and rest, there was a knock on his door.
Duane opened the door to find a maid standing outside.
"Baron, Miss Natalia and a few of her friends would like to see you. I was wondering if you are available?"
Duane was a little puzzled. ’What could they possibly want this late at night?’
"I am."
He said with a smile, "I’ll just change my clothes."
"Very good. They are waiting for you in the first-floor drawing room."
This was a detached guest house, fully equipped with a lounge area, an activity area, a reception area, and so on.
Soon, Duane arrived at the first-floor drawing room. Besides Natalia, there were two men and another woman.
They were Derek, son of Baron Cruz; Zelina, daughter of Baron Jick; and Sharp, son of Knight Marles.
Duane had met them all at the banquet earlier.
Derek and Sharp had made a particular impression on him, as both of their fathers were Celestial Tier Warriors.
"Is there something you all needed from me so late at night?"
The four of them stood up, and Derek and the others looked toward Natalia.
She smiled and said, "My father says you have a mind far superior to ours. Why don’t you take a guess?"
In private, her demeanor was rather casual.
"How can you take the Count’s polite words seriously?"
Duane pondered for a moment. "You didn’t come to see me about clothing, by any chance?"
At the banquet that had just ended, Duane had made several drawings, two of which were for Zelina and Sharp.
For the former, he had drawn a layered skirt, and for the latter, whose father was the Legion Commander of the Kennedy Fleet, he had drawn a double-breasted naval greatcoat.
Both were unique styles, and the two of them had loved them.
"The Baron’s intuition is as sharp as ever!"
Natalia’s smile faded as she adopted a more formal tone. "Just now, Zelina came to me, hoping to open her own clothing factory to produce these new designs of yours."
She had previously been hesitant about whether to produce the Lolita Dress.
But tonight at the banquet, after seeing Duane draw several more new clothing styles, she had made up her mind.
It would be too much of a waste for all of Duane’s designs to remain only on paper.
So, when Zelina and the other two came to her with this idea, Natalia agreed immediately.
"We just had a brief discussion. I’ll provide the funding and the premises for the clothing factory. Derek will be in charge of personnel and business management, Zelina will handle finances and materials, and Sharp is keen on managing transport and trade."
Natalia finished, then turned her gaze to Duane. "Duane, you’ll be in charge of the designs. What do you say?"
Duane had thought Natalia might produce the Lolita Dress, but he never expected she would actually start her own factory.
After all, to make a single dress, one didn’t need to open a whole factory; the Kennedy Clan’s existing facilities would have been more than enough.
Duane looked at the four people before him. They had already divided the labor, which indicated they each had certain abilities in their respective areas.
’Well, to be honest,’ he thought, ’of the five people in this drawing room, I’m probably the one with the humblest background.’
"I do have some of my own ideas for clothing design, but I have a lot on my plate right now and currently lack the time and energy to open a clothing factory myself."
Duane said with a smile, "But since Miss Natalia and you three are so intent on it, I’d be happy to join you!"
These four were all children of the Nobility, and Natalia was a Count’s daughter. They were all prominent figures in Grant Province.
By partnering with them, Duane wouldn’t have to worry about issues like premises, funding, or operations at all.
Moreover, through this collaboration, both he and Black Forest Island would forge closer ties with the outside world.
For one thing, he wouldn’t have to worry about finding a market for the expanded cultivation of linen and silk on Black Forest Island in the future.
Seeing Duane agree, joyful expressions appeared on all four of their faces.
"That’s wonderful!"
Zelina seemed very interested in starting a clothing factory and was acting particularly enthusiastic.
"With your unique designs, I’m sure the clothes we produce will be loved by many people!"
"It’s my honor to be able to let more people see my work and wear the clothes we create together."
Duane said sincerely, "We need a name for this clothing factory."
"Right!"
The others all agreed. This was their first business venture, and everyone was full of enthusiasm.
Next, they spent an hour discussing a name for the factory.
There were suggestions like "Dreamwear," "Charm City Clothing," and even "The Five Tailors"...
After much deliberation, Duane offered two suggestions.
First, it should highlight a sense of the future, since they were designing brand-new styles of clothing that had never been seen before.
Second, it needed a resonant brand name, one that would let people know at a glance that it was something special.
After a few more rounds of brainstorming, they finally settled on the name "Kennedy’s Time Closet."
The Kennedy name was well-known, "Time" highlighted the futuristic feel, and "Closet" was simple and clear.
All five of them were very satisfied with it.
Duane also learned a few things from this naming process.
For example, Sharp’s imagination was limited; Natalia and Zelina were more sentimental and liked to dream big; Derek, on the other hand, offered quite a few suggestions and had a more active mind.
"Everyone," Duane began, "since we’ve settled on a name for the factory, let’s discuss the profit-sharing."
Seeing that no one else had brought it up, Duane took the initiative.
Natalia and the others nodded. Although this was their first business venture, they had all been exposed to such concepts in their daily studies and lives.
Since they had decided to partner up, the things that needed to be discussed had to be clarified beforehand so they could move forward smoothly.