Starting Today I'll Work As A City Lord

Just after Ryan left with Liza and his family, people from the other ships began to disembark one after another. They were all from different cities. 

Some were merchants, others were commoners, and there were even a few beastkins hiding among them. The good reputation of Sedona City, which spread after it supported Sakura City and eliminated the bandits, made many people naturally fond of Sedona City.

Additionally, with James secretly spreading stories about Sedona City, many people were intrigued and willing to give the city a try. Ships like the one arriving today came to Sedona City at least once a day, with passenger numbers ranging from a few to dozens.

"I say, old man, what made you think of coming here?" 

A huge fat man, about two meters tall, waddled down from the ship. His belly shook with every step, and his face was full of fat, with his chin and neck practically merging. Just after stepping off the ship, he was already gasping for breath and said,

"Whoo… whoo… We should go check out Lockwood City. That city is quite bustling too. Maybe we could get some news about the White-haired Enchantress."

Beside the fat man was a man in his fifties. He was very thin and short, about 1.56 meters tall, with a frail, dried-up appearance, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

"Hal, could you be a little more thoughtful? If you were a wanted criminal with a bounty on your head, would you stay in a bustling city or come to a remote small town?" Peter scratched a few sparse hairs on his chin.

"It would probably be a big city. You can eat a lot there." Hal patted his large belly as he spoke, sending ripples through his fat.

"Cough, cough..." Peter choked at Hal's response, rolling his eyes in frustration. His fat partner always seemed to think that eating was the most important thing.

"Am I wrong?" Hal turned his gaze toward Peter, who only came up to his waist, and slowly added, "Fine, thinking isn't really my thing. I'll leave that to you."

"Exactly, you just focus on catching people." Peter, carrying a small burlap bag on his back, had come to Sedona City after hearing rumors that the city was unusually fair in accepting beastkins. That got him thinking—could the White-haired Enchantress, the elf they were after, have come to this city as well?

Either way, it was worth a try. At the very least, they could experience this unique Sedona City. Peter was already impressed by the flat, stone-like hardness of the dock beneath his feet. Even the work on the dock was in process.

The two of them followed the crowd to a checkpoint, where a wooden fence had been set up. Everyone was queuing, and soon it was Peter and Hal's turn.

"Is this your first time in Sedona City? Are you merchants, tourists, or looking for work?" Asked the clerk sitting on the other side of the fence.

A few meters away, more than a dozen soldiers in armor stood watch. This made Peter's expression grow a bit tense. If any conflict arose, he figured they'd be turned into corpses within seconds.

This was a simplified version of a customs checkpoint. There weren't any formal facilities or customs duties yet, just a basic process to inform newcomers about Sedona City and restrict large quantities of weapons from entering.

"We're tourists." Peter responded smoothly.

"Alright. Here's a sheet with some information about Sedona City. Enjoy your stay!" The clerk handed them a piece of leaf paper.

Peter and Hal took the leaf paper, puzzled, but behind their backs, the clerk jotted down a few notes, 'A two-meter-tall fat man and a skinny old man about 1.5 meters tall—both highly suspicious.'

Tourists? At the start of winter? The likelihood of something shady going on was about fifty percent. The clerk planned to pass the information along, which would ensure that someone would keep an eye on Peter and Hal.

Peter glanced at the leaf paper and mumbled as he read, "One copper coin can be exchanged for ten steel coins, a carriage ride only costs three steel coins per person... Sedona City prohibits public defecation or urination..."

"What is this nonsense?" Hal said, snatching the leaf paper from Peter's hand. He crumpled it up and tossed it into a patch of dry grass beside the road. "They're worried about people defecating and urinating in public? Why don't they worry about hunger instead?"

"You and your temper," Peter rolled his eyes. He hadn't even had a chance to study the thin leaf paper yet, but it was clear that it was far superior to parchment in terms of recording information.

"I'm hungry, and that puts me in a bad mood." Hal grumbled. After drifting on the ship for two days and eating all the food he bought in Sakura City, he was feeling quite irritable.

"Alright, let's get into the city quickly." Peter flagged down a carriage and handed over a copper coin, getting four steel coins in change as instructed by the leaf paper.

Before long, they arrived at Sedona City. They got off at the city gate, and after walking only a short distance, they heard a surprised exclamation nearby.

"Wow! Ryan, is this the Sedona City you were talking about? The roads are so wide, and there are even beastkins here." Liza exclaimed like a curious child, looking around and calling out excitedly.

"Alright, we'll come back later to explore. For now, let's go home and put away our things." Ryan gently advised. As the kind-hearted city lord had given him a day off to spend time with his family.

"..."

"Beastkins?" Peter followed Liza's gaze and saw a goat-beastkin leisurely strolling with a few young beastkin children.

"Grandma Mary, are we going to buy some tasty vegetables?" One of the little beastkins tugged at Mary's sleeve, speaking in a high-pitched voice. "The pizza that Sister Helen bought the other day was so delicious."

"Grandma Mary, are we going to buy pizza? I heard it's really expensive, and you need a copper coin to buy it."

"Yes, today we're going to get some meat dishes from Drunken Night Restaurant for the little girl's birthday," Mary responded kindly. "We'll get a pizza for you on your birthday next time."

"Yay, yay…"

On a day like this, it was something she could hardly imagine. The orphans over six years old had all gone to school, leaving only a few younger beastkin children under six.

Today, she planned to take two or three of the little beastkins out to buy some good food. She had heard that the Drunken Night Restaurant had some reasonably priced meat dishes on the first floor, and she wanted to bring some back for the children's birthday celebration.

Although the orphanage received food supplies from Lucas, it was up to Mary and a few others to cook. The quality of the food was predictable, so to give the children a memorable birthday experience, Mary decided to buy a few meat dishes from the Drunken Night restaurant.

"Wow, we're getting meat!" One of the little beastkins exclaimed joyfully.

"Don't run off, come here…" Mary guided the little beastkins away.

"..."

Peter stared vacantly at Mary's receding figure. He couldn't shake the feeling that she reminded him of his late wife, though of course, the goat horns were a distinct difference.

"Old Peter, what are you daydreaming about? It's just an old beastkin." Hal said, jiggling his belly.

"Hal, do you believe in love at first sight?" Peter looked up at the mountain of a man, his eyes filled with deep nostalgia.

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