Chapter 45

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Chapter 45: For Him

Clearly, the small teams going on adventures did not have much success.

"The ocean under Padre Port is empty, but in the farther areas, the sea creatures are normal," Allen said about their exploration results.

"Like this cup," Sandy said, drinking the juice from the cup on the table, "It looks clear, but inside and outside are not the same; the inside has been drunk."

Lin Lin’s gaze fell on the translucent glass cup, and she proposed an idea.

"If the ocean of Padre Port has been so greatly affected, does its City Lord know about it?"

Everyone’s gaze turned to Lin Lin.

"We only learned about it today," Lin Lin pointed to Sharon, "The City Lord of Padre Port is quite responsible, and he handles many matters."

Actually, from the guard’s questions at the city gate and the unified fairy tale decorations inside the city, one can see traces of the manager’s presence in the details; however, there are too few such managers, so no one reacted immediately.

"So, should we give it a try?" Sandy spoke up, a smile shining from the brave one under the dim light of the inn.

Very bad. Lin Lin had to admit that she now understood this brave warrior to some extent, so when he spoke, she knew what Sandy was going to say.

Sandy’s eyes lit up, "Just go ask the City Lord if he knows anything about the ocean."

Great, just as Lin Lin thought, he was a reckless warrior.

Sandy’s suggestion was agreed upon by Allen; the two of them usually thought alike.

"If he doesn’t know anything at all, then he is not a qualified City Lord," Allen said with a smile as he put his arm on Sandy’s shoulder.

Lin Lin understood Allen’s hidden message; they had more reason to take over the fish market here.

Lin Lin was now sure that the orcas were actually more interested in solving the problem than in taking over the fish market. But Allen needed a good excuse to stay united with the warrior.

"Should we reconsider the plan…?" The most cautious accountant among them spoke up.

Lin Lin saw the eager looks on Allen, Sandy, and even Sharon’s faces.

"Alright," Lin Lin swallowed her worries, "then you all be careful."

Cheers came from the inn.

The three very happy people walked in front, while Allen and Sandy were discussing their exciting plan to punch the City Lord in the face if he turned out to be useless.

"In that case, we will be kicked out of Padre Port," Lin Lin said from behind, pouring cold water on their plan.

The others had already gone upstairs, and Lin Lin slowly stepped onto the first stair.

Second stair, third stair.

Just as she stepped on the wooden stair that made a slight creaking sound, someone grabbed her arm from behind. Lin Lin turned around and saw Arthur.

He hadn’t gone up yet.

Sometimes, because the others were too noisy, Lin Lin would forget where Arthur was.

Although she knew that the two orca brothers were not always together, Lin Lin couldn’t help but feel that Arthur should be right next to Allen.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Lin turned around.

The dim light in the hotel shone on his profile, casting a shadow on the other side.

After Lin Lin stopped walking, the act of grabbing her arm, which was meant to make her stop when he couldn’t speak, lost its meaning. But Arthur did not let go of her arm.

He was taller than Lin Lin, and when she stood on the third step, she was slightly higher than him.

Arthur raised his face slightly.

In his cold expression, his slightly cool single eyelid lifted a bit as he gently sniffed the side of Lin Lin’s face.

Orcas have a similar body temperature to humans, and their warm breath brushed across Lin Lin’s cheek.

However, Arthur’s gaze was cold.

Lin Lin felt a little confused. She gently tilted her head to the side. She had not made any moves to back away yet, but Arthur’s grip on her arm grew stronger to stop her from escaping.

This was not the first time.

The last time it rained, when she stepped back, Arthur tightened his arm around her waist even more.

They stood on the stairs as light rain fell in the dark night outside. A small crack in the window let in a damp breeze that brushed against their skin.

Lin Lin realized that Arthur was balancing on a fine line. If she stepped back, he would become much more forceful.

For him, stepping back was a signal to attack.

So Lin Lin did not move.

The grip on her arm slowly loosened, and warm breath swept across her neck, her chin, the side of her face, finally resting on her fluffy hair.

Lin Lin sensed that Arthur was checking her breath.

Compared to the sticky entanglement with Allen, it felt more like keeping personal space, but occasionally checking for anything unusual, like a killer whale that circles a person with its tail.

He needed to know who comes in and out of this small circle.

The personalities of killer whales are not the same.

Arthur did not catch any other scents, but the feeling of hidden danger still lingered.

Arthur furrowed his brow slightly; he stepped up a level and lowered his head to sniff the top of Lin Lin’s hair.

There were still no other scents.

Arthur let go.

Lin Lin moved her arm a little and looked at Arthur’s deeply set features, which did not look good; the animalistic sense of aggression he just had faded away.

"So what? Is there a problem?" Lin Lin believed there was a reason for Arthur’s actions.

Arthur was usually quiet; he gently shook his head.

Arthur’s actions made Lin Lin feel unsure of herself. She raised her arms and smelled her palms and forearms to make sure she really didn’t have any smell.

Maybe humans and orcas have different noses.

Lin Lin was not familiar with the cultures of different races, but most of the time, she found their behavior very interesting.

She looked at Arthur, who was still deep in thought, and reached out to tousle his short hair, making his slightly messy strands become smooth.

Arthur looked down, his dark eyes gazing at Lin Lin.

She showed him a gentle smile and said, "Let’s go up together."

–

"Why won’t you take me! It’s too dangerous outside; you should take me with you!"

The majesty flapping his wings in midair is already causing a fuss.

But your strength is enough to fight with a squirrel, Lin Lin did not say her true thoughts.

"Didn’t I take you out yesterday?" Lin Lin comforted him.

"That’s different, yesterday was just eating and drinking," it seems the majesty is still somewhat sensible, "today you will meet the City Lord."

Yes, after sending the application to rebuild the statue of the God of Light, Lin Lin and the others did not expect to receive an invitation to meet the City Lord.

Although they did not know why they were meeting, it was still very exciting to see the City Lord through proper channels.

"After all, he is an important person; if he thinks I’m a weirdo with a keychain on my shoulder, I will make a bad impression," Lin Lin spoke honestly.

Your Majesty the Demon King was struck down, becoming a thin layer that floated down like a maple leaf onto the bed.

Already changed, Lin Lin said goodbye to him before leaving, "Please continue to watch over the house."

Sharon was already waiting for her on the first floor. When Lin Lin came downstairs, Sharon checked the time and said, "It seems we are a bit early."

"I hope they have prepared some special tea for their esteemed guests in the waiting room?" Lin Lin joked.

The joke became real.

Even though they had seen the City Lord’s mansion from a distance, when they entered, Lin Lin realized once again that the mansion looked too much like an amusement park.

Whether it was the children’s play equipment, the fountains, or the statues, it felt as if a dozen small children would really have a party there.

Lin Lin and Sharon were treated to desserts, juice, and even toys by the butler in the waiting room.

It was not they who were going to meet the City Lord, but rather the City Lord who was coming to meet them.

When the door was knocked on, Sharon was playing with a Rubik’s cube while Lin Lin watched her, her empty mind offering no suggestions.

Then the door was pushed open, and a slightly overweight, middle-aged man with light brown hair walked in, followed by the competent butler.

"You must be the two little girls who noticed the problem with the church statue," the City Lord said, his round face smiling kindly.

He shook hands with the two of them and asked, "Are you both believers?"

Lin Lin shook her head and then pointed to Sharon.

The City Lord’s gaze fell on Sharon’s golden pigtails, "I’m very sorry. Since we have very few believers at our port, we did not notice this situation right away."

No, this problem just appeared in the last few days, Lin Lin thought.

Wanting to make a good impression in front of the believers of the God of Light, the City Lord repeatedly assured Sharon that a larger and more majestic statue would be moved in soon, and that the broken windows and doors of the church would also be repaired.

The door was actually damaged by the believers standing here. Lin Lin remained silent.

Lin Lin guessed that the City Lord was being so serious because he feared complaints from other believers of the God of Light, which showed a proper understanding of the world.

The whole process did not take up much of the City Lord’s time; he was clearly very busy with other work to do.

This city took too much of his heart and soul.

"Excuse me," Lin Lin spoke before the City Lord left, "What does the statue of the girl holding the instant camera mean?"

Before, the City Lord’s attention was mostly on Sharon, but after Lin Lin spoke, his gaze turned to her.

He seemed very patient when talking to the girl.

"Is it because I saw this statue in the city center and also in your mansion?" Lin Lin’s voice became a little softer, and after the City Lord’s smile paused for a moment, she realized she might have asked a not-so-good question, "You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to."

"There’s nothing to avoid; most of the old people in the city know who she is," the City Lord showed a somewhat lonely expression, "That is the statue of my daughter; she passed away at that young age due to a small accident."

Although she guessed a little, Lin Lin nodded gently with sympathy.

"Back then, Padre Port didn’t have magic potions like this," said the City Lord, "I always thought, if she had the power to protect herself, and if I made the city more fun, maybe she would have been much happier."

"Your city is quite beautiful." Lin Lin tried to ease the sad topic, bringing a light laugh from the City Lord.

"Little girl, even though I don’t want to admit it, time will heal everything," the City Lord said, handing Sharon the Rubik’s Cube she had just been playing with, "I have now learned to let go of the past."