In the end, Ed bought nothing. After all, it would have cost several Silver Snakes, still a bit expensive. Spending one coin on his stomach was acceptable, but on a weapon? No way. And even if he wanted to, he would first talk with Sigurd, who would know if the salesperson was trying to rob him with a fake price.
As for how they knew Ed was wealthy? It was because he was a "homelander," and every homelander was supposedly a rich guy. Though it made no sense to Ed, that was the salesman's reasoning.
"Sir, how can I help you?" a good-looking girl greeted Ed as he entered her shop.
Ed looked at the girl, who appeared to be around 22 but had a prominent belly. With a sigh, he looked around at the clothes in the shop and said in a gentle tone, "I'd like to buy a nice, comfortable, and beautiful dress for my girlfriend. She's about 1.7 meters tall, with DD-cup breasts and a slim figure."
"I'm sure we can find something. Please come this way, sir. I have a perfect dress that will surely make your girlfriend happy," Said the saleswoman, leading Ed deeper into the shop. She showed him a one-piece dark blue dress hanging on a hanger, adorned with handmade floral designs.
"This is made from Drakesilk, making it not only very comfortable to wear but also strong enough that it won't break easily. Even if you used all your strength, it would take considerable time to tear it. The color is natural and won't fade easily... What do you think, sir? Do you like it? Although we have finer dresses, they might not meet all your requirements."
As the saleswoman spoke, Ed walked over to the dress, rubbing its edge between his finger and thumb. It was indeed very soft, and when he tried to tear the edge with a slight pull, it felt remarkably strong. The dress seemed to be the real deal, and the saleswoman wasn't just spouting nonsense to make a sale.
"How much does it cost?"
"Three Silver Snakes, sir. Because of the special material used, the price is a bit high. Otherwise, even the most expensive dresses made from ordinary materials wouldn't cost one Silver Snake," Though the saleswoman tried her best to appear calm, she was already sweating profusely. After all, three Silver Snakes were a significant amount for her.
After a moment of silence, Ed looked at the salesperson, who was wiping sweat from her forehead, and nodded with a smile. "I'll take it. Please wrap it in a gift box."
"Of course, sir! Please have a seat. I'll wrap it up in just a minute," The saleswoman was so happy she wanted to jump with excitement, but remembering her pregnancy, she restrained herself. She replied with a smile, gesturing for Ed to sit on the chair by the counter before walking to a cabinet to fetch some colorful wrapping papers.
"By the way, do you have comfortable innerwear for ladies? You know, it's very troublesome and time-consuming to wrap those ribbon-like clothes around... private parts," Ed felt deeply embarrassed saying this to a stranger, but remembering Raila's daily struggle to wrap cloth around her breasts and crotch, he pushed his shame aside. He asked without changing his expression, glancing at the other dresses in the shop. Thankfully, there were no other customers; otherwise, even with ten times the courage, he wouldn't have been able to ask.
"Huh? Ah, about that... hehehe, I can understand your girlfriend's feelings. It really is very troublesome to wrap those cloth ribbons. But you've come to the right place! Just recently, someone from afar brought a permanent solution to this problem. They're called Silkenbreasts and Etherwraps," The saleswoman quickly ran back to the cabinet, retrieved a wooden box placed beside it, and brought it over to Ed, placing it on the table.
"Aren't these bras and panties?"
As she opened the box, what appeared before Ed was an old-fashioned version of bras and panties. They were simple, made of soft cloth, with no variety like padded bras. All of them were plain, without much design, featuring two straps to tie at the back. The panties were even simpler, shaped like underwear with strings to wrap around the waist.
Ed picked up a purple bra. It was soft, comfortable to hold, and the straps were long enough to adjust according to breast size. However, the one he was holding was definitely not for Raila, as her breasts were larger than the cup size. As for the panty, the maker had given more thought to its water-absorption quality, likely for menstrual periods. Still, it was comfortable, and compared to wrapping cloth, it was a hundred times better.
After checking the entire box, Ed chose five different-colored DD-cup bras. There were no erotic or printed versions, so the color didn't matter much, though he still preferred to see different colors each day. He also picked ten panties. The reason for the double quantity was that whenever he met her during the day, they often rushed to a nearby forest or secluded spot to make love.
By the time he reached her lower area, her panties were often already wet. Since panties were used more frequently and needed washing more often, he decided to buy extras.
"Sir, here are all your items. The total is four Silver Snakes: three for the dress, ten Copper Swallows for the Silkenbreasts, and fifteen for the Etherwraps. Will there be anything else?" The saleswoman took the four shiny Silver Snakes from Ed, her face beaming with joy.
"No, thanks, that's enough for today. I never expected raising a girlfriend would cost me this much. I've never spent this much money on myself," Ed said with a helpless smile, shaking his head as he headed toward the exit.
"Don't worry, sir. I believe that after your girlfriend sees these, she'll definitely reward you wonderfully. You're a caring person, you'll surely find the money well-spent once you return home," The saleswoman hinted at something naughty as she waved her hand, making Ed chuckle.
Given Raila's playful and mischievous character, he believed that after receiving these gifts, she wouldn't let him leave the house for the next few days, making every coin worth it.
...
After this minor episode, Ed continued strolling around for a while. Since he had already spent a considerable amount, he merely bought a few detailed maps at a grocery store, which cost him more than ten Copper Swallows, and decided to call it a day.
Ed soon found the White Sailboat Anchor after asking passers-by for directions. The store, located near the port, covered a large area. It was a two-story building with a spacious storefront and what appeared to be warehouses and other rooms in the back.
Ed peeked inside and saw that it was a shop selling various canvas, locks, and other boat tools.
"Ed? Brat, is that you?"
A middle-aged man wearing a short shirt, his slightly chubby belly showing, noticed him peeking in like a thief and called out while looking at him from inside the store.
Hearing his name, Ed turned around, memories flooding back.
"Uncle Obe? Why are you here?"
"Brat, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? This is my store, of course, I'll be here. But why are you here? Did you finally sneak out? Let me tell you, Marcy will go crazy when she finds out, and believe me, it won't end peacefully; at least a few of your bones are going to be broken."
"Haha, don't worry, you bastard Obe. Ed came with me. Otherwise, how could a brat like him sneak out under Marcy's nose? You're underestimating her far too much."