The morning sunlight rose higher, warming the streets of the Erthland Empire's capital which was now fully alive with the activities of its citizens. Calian and Wolvin continued walking down the commercial district. The aroma of freshly baked bread from small stalls mingled with the scent of spices and flowers, creating a very soothing atmosphere.
Throughout the journey, Wolvin's eyes continued to sparkle. The Night Wolf teenager stared in awe at the rows of shops lined up neatly on the left and right sides of the street. Unlike the stiff and oppressive Yornvast Empire, the buildings in the capital of the Erthland Empire were designed in such a way to accommodate various races. The shop doors were made taller for large-bodied races, and some eateries even provided special comfortable seating for large-tailed beastfolk.
After walking past two blocks of shops, Calian's steps slowed. The purple-haired teenager's gaze was fixed on a two-story building made of dark wood. Above its door, there was a signboard that read "Three Leaves Tailor Boutique" carved with the emblem of a needle, thread, and a pet's footprint.
What made Calian sure that it was the right place was a pair of wooden mannequins in the glass display window. One of the mannequins displayed fabric pants with a special design. A neat slit at the back sewn with an extra layer, clearly intended for beastfolk races who had tails.
"It seems we have found it, Wolvin." Calian said, stopping his steps and pointing at the shop's display window.
Wolvin turned his head, following the direction of his husband's index finger. As soon as he saw the beastfolk-shaped mannequin, a wide smile immediately bloomed on his face.
"Wow, you are right, Darling! Let's go in!" Wolvin exclaimed enthusiastically, slightly pulling his husband's hand to step inside immediately.
Cling!
The small brass bell hanging above the door rang loudly as Calian pushed the wooden door. As soon as they stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by the aroma of clean cotton fabric and the soothing scent of forest wood. The boutique room was very spacious, filled with rows of clothes in various sizes, rolls of silk fabric, and racks of pants neatly arranged by race type.
"Welcome to the Three Leaves Tailor Boutique!" greeted a friendly and deep voice.
From behind the fabric cutting table, a large-bodied, middle-aged man emerged with round, brown-furred ears on top of his head. The man was a beastfolk from the bear clan. He put down his fabric scissors and walked over to the two teenagers with a warm smile.
"I am Kael, the owner as well as the head tailor at this boutique." the bear man said politely. His friendly eyes looked at Calian and Wolvin alternately. "Is there anything I can help you with, young Masters? Are you looking for clothes for an official event, or casual wear for everyday use?"
Calian released his grip on Wolvin's hand and took a step forward.
"We are looking for comfortable casual long pants for daily activities." Calian answered in his signature calm tone. He then turned slightly towards his spouse. "Specifically, pants designed for the Night Wolf race. Too many of my pants have become casualties because they had to be forcefully pierced."
Hearing the honest and straightforward explanation from his husband, Wolvin's face instantly turned red. He lowered his head slightly, feeling embarrassed because his habit of tearing Calian's pants was revealed just like that in front of someone else.
Uncle Kael fell silent for a moment, then let out a crisp laugh that echoed inside the boutique.
"Hahaha! Ah, a classic problem for cross-racial partners! You have come to the perfect place, Sir!" Uncle Kael said in a slightly teasing tone. The bear man then looked at Wolvin with an understanding gaze. "Young Master Night Wolf, please follow me to the left aisle. I have a collection of special pants that are very flexible and durable. Our design features a hidden zipper and a layer of elastic fabric at the back, so your tail can move freely without the fear of tearing the stitches."
Wolvin's eyes sparkled again. "Really? Will the size fit me?"
"Of course. If anything is a little off, I can adjust it in a matter of minutes!" Uncle Kael answered as he walked, guiding them toward a row of clothing racks on the left side of the room.
The bear man deftly picked out a few pairs of dark-colored pants, black and navy blue, made of premium cotton material. He handed one of those pants to Wolvin.
"Please try it on in the fitting room over in that corner, Young Master!" he directed politely.
Wolvin nodded enthusiastically. He took the pants and immediately hurried into the fitting room, leaving Calian and Uncle Kael outside.
While waiting, Calian took the time to look around at the many clothes hanging nearby, assessing the stitching quality of this boutique, which was indeed very neat and sturdy. No wonder his mother advised them to pay attention to the quality and prices in the empire.
After only a few minutes, the wooden door of the fitting room opened. Wolvin stepped out with a very bright expression.
He was wearing one of the pitch-black pants. The cut perfectly wrapped the Night Wolf teenager's long legs, neither too tight nor too baggy. And most importantly, Wolvin's bushy black tail could now stick out perfectly from the special slit at the back of the pants.
Wolvin twisted his body slightly, wagging his tail to the left and right freely. The fabric around the slit did not stretch or tear, but rather followed the movements of his tail smoothly.
"Darling, look at this!" Wolvin exclaimed joyfully, walking closer to his husband. "These pants are absolutely incredible! The back doesn't feel tight at all, and I can move my tail very freely. What do you think?"
Calian looked his spouse up and down. The cut of the pants indeed made Wolvin's body proportions look better and neater compared to when he had to wear Calian's baggy, forcefully pierced pants.
"Those pants suit you perfectly, Wolvin." Calian answered with a sincere, faint smile. "You look neater."
Hearing the brief yet meaningful praise from his husband, Wolvin's heart fluttered again. His tail wagged even faster.
Finally, I have my own pants that are nice and fit my body perfectly! My husband even said I look neat. Wolvin thought, his pride bubbling up.
"We will take the pants he is currently wearing, and will buy a total of ten pants!" Calian decided, turning towards Uncle Kael. "Besides that, please also pick out five pairs of casual clothes for the two of us. Materials that are light and easily absorb sweat."
"A truly excellent choice, young Master!" Uncle Kael replied with a wide smile, immediately hurrying to gather the clothes requested by Calian and bringing them to the checkout counter.
After Wolvin changed back into his clothes and placed his new pants on the counter, Uncle Kael began to calculate their total purchases.
"Everything comes to 20 pieces of premium quality clothing. The total is 22,250 Lens, Sir." Uncle Kael said politely.
Calian recalled the financial lesson he had just received from Hera at the Merchant Guild. The purple-haired teenager turned to Wolvin, giving a signal with his eyes.
Understanding his husband's intent, Wolvin channeled a bit of mana into his dimensional space necklace. In an instant, he took out two gold coins totaling 20,000 Lens, and twenty-five large copper coins each worth ten Lens. Wolvin placed the coins neatly on the desk.
Seeing the practical payment method using a dimensional space artifact, Uncle Kael only smiled understandingly, realizing that these two teenagers were no ordinary customers.
"The amount is exact, young Master." Uncle Kael said after confirming the number of coins. The bear man then placed their clothes into a neat cloth bag and handed it to Wolvin. "Thank you very much for your visit to the Three Leaves Boutique. May the clothes last long and be comfortable to wear."
"You are welcome, Uncle." Calian replied politely.
After Wolvin placed the shopping bag into his dimensional necklace, the married couple walked out of the boutique. The brass bell rang once more, accompanying their steps back under the warm morning sunlight of the capital.
"Well, the matter of clothes is settled." Calian said, looking at his spouse who was now walking with a smile that would not fade. "Are you ready now to go to the central Adventurer Guild as Mother suggested?"
"Of course, Darling!" Wolvin answered enthusiastically, reaching for his husband's hand once again. "I can't wait to see what kind of jobs we can take there!"