Chapter 386: Beloved City Lord

The three of them arrived at the eatery and took a vacant seat by the side.

Soon after they sat down, a girl about fifteen or sixteen hurried over.

Her cheeks were flushed, as if warmed by the stove fire or naturally healthy, and her face bore an unfeigned enthusiastic smile; her voice was crisp:

"Older brothers and sisters, what would you like to eat?"

She deftly wiped the table and said, "Our dishes are all fresh, harvested this morning from our own fields outside the city! The flatbreads are baked on the spot—so fragrant! And also............"

While smoothly reciting the menu—nothing more than fern soup, roasted tuber chunks, a few unnamed green wild vegetables, and mixed‑grain flatbreads—she couldn't help but curiously glance at Yu Lin.

After all, Yu Lin's markedly different appearance from the locals made him a rarity in this city.

Yu Lin listened patiently, then took a pristine silver coin from his bosom, placed it on the table, and said gently, "We're newcomers and don't yet know what suits our palate."

"How about this: just serve us the best dishes your place makes, in portions for the three of us."

"If it's not enough, we'll ask for more. Do you think this is sufficient?"

The girl froze for a moment, looking at the silver coin on the table, evidently beyond the amount she usually handles.

But she showed no greed; instead, she weighed the coin carefully, then untied a small leather Tool Bag from her waist, took out a finely sharpened knife, and cautiously split the coin into a large and a small piece.

She pushed the larger piece back to Yu Lin, still smiling, "Guest, this will be enough."

Yu Lin looked at the returned silver, did not reach for it, but gave the girl a slight smile and said earnestly,

"No need to take it back. We may have more questions later; consider the extra as our consultation fee, you can keep it."

The girl, hearing this, shook her head firmly again, pushed the silver toward Yu Lin once more, her smile now even sweeter yet unwavering, "I can't accept it; it's too valuable!"

"Besides, they're just a few questions; if I know the answers, I'll tell you anyway—how could I charge extra?"

She seemed afraid Yu Lin would persist, quickened her speech, and carefully tucked the small silver piece away:

"Alright, I'll go prepare your food now! See you in a moment!"

With that, she turned and hurried toward the stove like a startled fawn.

Watching the girl's light footsteps fade, Luoer couldn't help but whisper, "If this were back home... not to mention they actively hunt for change; they wouldn't call it 'kindness' unless they drained the last piece of silver from you."

"Even asking for directions or gathering information costs extra money."

He shook his head, his tone complex, "The people here... hmm, they're good, really good."

But then his brows furrowed slightly, his voice lowered, tinged with a hint of worry:

"Only... if they stay like this and leave this city for our side... what then? They would meet a terrible fate..."

Kindness and order, in the cut‑throat outside world, can sometimes be the most lethal weakness.

Bei Shen nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the other quiet, peaceful diners, "I think the same way."

"So I'm now even more curious about the person who made it like this."

"How exactly did he do it?"

Yu Lin simply listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the rough wooden table, his gaze thoughtful.

Before long, the girl returned carrying steaming dishes and a few char‑golden flatbreads.

She set the food down neatly, and the aroma instantly spread.

Having done that, she didn't leave immediately; instead she pointed to the empty seat beside Yu Lin and asked shyly,

"Um... I'm not busy right now; may I sit here? You said you have questions to ask, right?"

Yu Lin nodded and made a gesturing of "please":

"Of course, we should thank you for being willing to answer."

"Thank you." The girl sat on the stool, her hands neatly placed on her knees.

She seemed to perceive Yu Lin's party's background and doubts, and without waiting for them to ask, she spoke up, her eyes bright:

"You... must be wondering why this place differs from the outside, right?"

Yu Lin raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised, "Oh? Do you know what the outside is like?"

"Of course we do!" the girl nodded vigorously, a hint of "that's normal" on her face.

"In fact, many people in our city have fled or migrated from outside. Hearing their descriptions of the outside is terrifying! So we know exactly what's out there."

"Then..." Luoer couldn't help interjecting, leaning forward slightly:

"How did you manage it? I mean, how did you keep this place... hmm, free of so many evils?"

He chose his words carefully, trying not to offend.

Upon hearing the question, the girl's face instantly showed unabashed admiration and a hopeful light from within.

She involuntarily turned her head, her gaze crossing the noisy eatery toward the city center—specifically, the modest stone building at the end of the street.

"That's because..." the girl's voice was gentle yet tinged with pride:

"We have a Good City Lord!"

She paused, then added for emphasis, "The Lamai City Lord."

"He has been tirelessly maintaining order here, protecting all of us."

He noticed the subtle flicker on Yu Lin and the others' faces when they heard the name "Lamai."

They immediately thought of the tyrannical Lamai of Enoch City.

Cain, standing nearby, also looked over and thought to himself, "Didn't I deal with him a few days ago?"

"How can there still be a Lamai?!"

The girl clearly knew that Lamai as well, quickly gesturing to explain, a trace of resigned pride and slight disdain on her face:

"Ah! The Lamai City Lord I'm talking about is not the evil fellow from the sinful city in the east! It's just... just a coincidence of the same name."

She complained with a childlike tone:

"Sharing a name with our beloved Lord of the City is simply the biggest... hmm, blemish of our City Lord!"

"Our City Lord teaches us martial arts, teaches us farming, teaches us how to pray............"

"I also want to become a person like him in the future!"

She said brightly.

The words left Luoer and Bei astonished, and they also saw the emotion reflected in each other's eyes:

"Both are called Lamai."

"Why is the difference so big?!"