The Western District Court wasn't far from the General Union of Mercenaries and the hotel Feng Chou was staying at. The rental carriage took less than ten minutes to bring Feng Chou to the place.
The Western District Court was a large independent building. The building was three stories high. Outside the entrance of the building, there were six thick and majestic stone pillars that went straight to the roof. Directly above the pillars was a Barlow -style vault.
When Feng Chou got out of the carriage, he found that Zachary, who was wearing a blue silk Frac suit, a black white-rimmed triangular hat, a yellow Kyrie inside, red Kayurot pants, red stockings, and black moccasins on his feet, was already waiting outside the courthouse gate.
Not far from Zachary's lawyer, Stuart Salma was talking to a middle-aged man.
Unlike Feng Chou and Zachary, who were wearing traditional Frac suits, Stuart and the middle-aged man were wearing a new suit similar to the tuxedo on Earth.
This kind of suit had only become popular in the city in recent years. It hadn't spread to remote areas, such as Antalya County.
Even in the city, this kind of suit was only popular among the middle class. It hadn't been accepted by the aristocracy.
The so-called middle class roughly corresponded to the country's gentry, but there was a big difference. The middle class in the city didn't own land, but they had a higher income like the gentry. The middle class's annual income had to be at least two thousand five hundred crowns.
In addition to income, the middle class also had to have stable and decent jobs, such as middle and low-level government employees, lawyers, and employees of banks and large companies.
The early middle class came from the heirs of the aristocrats and gentry families who didn't have the right to inherit.
Although these people didn't inherit land and titles, they had good bloodlines and received good education.
People also used the word "gentry" to describe the middle class in the city.
But with the development of society and the rise of the middle class, most of the new middle class in the city came from the middle class itself.
Because it was mainly popular among the city's gentry, this kind of suit was called a gentleman's suit.
This kind of tuxedo-like gentleman's suit was actually a variant of the Frac suit. It was more concise and capable than the Frac suit.
The trousers of the gentleman's suit were also different from the kyurot trousers of the traditional suit. They were tight-fitting trousers, which were called "pantalon" trousers. They were straight and tight, and could highlight the contours of the human body.
The inner part of the gentleman's formal attire was also shorter than the traditional attire. It no longer pursued the beauty of colors, but instead, it was replaced with simple and elegant colors. This kind of short attire was very similar to the waistcoats on Earth.
The triangular hat or wig on the traditional formal wear was also replaced by a half top hat.
The pointy boots were also replaced by more practical round-toed leather boots.
Gentlemen's formal attire no longer pursued gorgeous silk fabrics. Instead, it was replaced by fine woolen fabrics that were popular in recent years. The colors were mainly serious black, brown, and gray. Paired with the plain Gilet, the light colored Pontarong, and the black leather boots, it gave people a solemn and dignified feeling.
Compared to the traditional gowns that were made of luxurious silk, a gentleman's gown was more practical and cheaper.
A traditional silk gown would cost at least a hundred crowns. Even the middle class would struggle to wear it. On the other hand, gentleman's formal attire, which was mainly made of fine wool and cotton, was much cheaper. It only cost twenty crowns.
The gentleman's formal attire on Shi Duhua's body was very fitting, but perhaps because his body was too strong and his clothes were too formal, it gave people the strange feeling of a gorilla wearing a formal attire.
Feng Chou sized up Shi Duhua as he got out of the carriage. He threw a one-crown silver coin to the coachman and walked straight to Zachary.
After exchanging pleasantries with Zachary, Feng Chou gestured for him to follow him and walked towards Shi Duhua, who was not far away.
Under Shi Duhua's astonished gaze, Feng Chou walked in front of him and waved the walking stick in his hand to get his attention. He said, "Hello, I believe you must be Captain Shi Duhua?
I am Leo Amborite Stuart Baron. I've sent Allen to handle a very urgent matter. I lack capable men in Casablanca, so I had to come here myself. "
Feng Chou had no intention of shaking hands with Shi Duhua. This was the attitude a noble should have when facing a commoner.
When Shi Duhua heard the title of Baron, he was slightly nervous. Although in this era, especially in a free city like Casablanca, the nobles' reputation was not as resounding as it used to be, and the newly rising capitalists were challenging the status of the old nobles, the nobles were still a privileged class above the commoners. Moreover, the person in front of him was an honorable Baron, a true noble, and not a quasi-noble like a knight or a knight.
Ignoring Shi Duhua's loss of composure, Feng Chou turned around and introduced Zachary to him. "This is Zachary from Smith's Law Firm. He will be representing me to negotiate the employment contract with you."
When he heard Feng Chou call himself Baron, the middle-aged man beside Shi Duhua was already in awe. When he heard that Zachary was a lawyer from Smith's Law Firm, he was even shorter. He quickly stepped forward, took off his hat and saluted. "It's my honor to be able to work with you. I'm Todd from Sherman's Law Firm."
Zachary nodded his head in a reserved manner and said in a cold tone, "It's my honor as well."
From yesterday's conversation, Feng Chou roughly understood that Zachary was the third son of a viscount.
In fact, not just anyone could enter a top law firm like Smith's Law Firm. To enter such a top law firm, one must first be a graduate of the Imperial Law School, and the Imperial Law School had an unwritten rule, which was that they only accepted children of nobles.
Therefore, in Smith's Law Firm, even if it was just an intern, they would definitely be of noble blood.
Of course, Todd was not a commoner. Casablanca's Law School also had an unwritten rule that they only accepted children of the gentry class and above.
After the two sides exchanged greetings, Todd pointed to a cafe opposite the Western District Court and said, "The coffee at this' Literature and Cat 'cafe is not bad. The seats are spacious and the environment is quiet. Why don't we go there to finalize the contract and then visit the judge together?"
Zachary nodded. He was also a regular at this cafe.
When the four of them walked into the cafe, a middle-aged waiter immediately greeted them. He was polite and maintained a certain distance and reserve, just like a well-trained old servant of an ancient noble family.
His gaze swept past the others and landed on Zachary. He asked softly, "Mr. Zachary, is it still room six?"
Zachary nodded slightly. "Of course."
The waiter turned sideways and gestured toward the stairs at the corner of the cafe's bar counter. "Please follow me."