Gandharva Ville Snack Street

Though Tighnari still had plenty of little question marks in his head, Lin Feng did not linger. After answering some questions in terms Tighnari could understand, Lin Feng, who for the time being did not want any contact with the Akademiya due to Nafis's return, bade Tighnari farewell.

To keep the Akademiya from noticing anything unusual about him, Lin Feng reminded Tighnari once more not to deliberately conceal ordinary information such as his work history. Having no information at all would only seem more suspicious.

After teleporting away from Tighnari's cottage and finally settling everything at hand, Lin Feng felt a long-forgotten sense of relief.

Since no one in Gandharva Ville besides Tighnari knew Lin Feng's true strength, after all the travel, the Withering's erosion, and the underground digging, Lin Feng could finally stroll through the market near Gandharva Ville in a relatively relaxed state.

Strength was undoubtedly the best sedative. Only by possessing power on the level of an Adeptus could Lin Feng have even the slightest chance of transforming from a pawn at the mercy of others into a player moving pieces across Teyvat's chessboard.

Feeling the abundant power within him, Lin Feng experienced an unprecedented sense of security.

Since he had only slept underground for around twenty days, he still had plenty of time left to deal with the Withering.

With his appetite awakened, he planned to sweep through Gandharva Ville's snack stalls before considering anything else.

Only now, after gaining at least some means of protecting himself, did Lin Feng remember that he had originally had another dream—to take Xiao Bai around Teyvat and eat all its delicacies.

Although Xiao Bai probably would not feel hungry again for quite some time, Lin Feng still intended to properly explore the food street around Gandharva Ville.

Do not underestimate the food street of this small settlement.

Gandharva Ville might not have been large, but it had many passing merchants, as well as quality customers such as Akademiya students—foolish, wealthy, and gluttonous—so its snack street had developed early on.

Moreover, unlike the single-category, fixed-vendor food stalls Lin Feng associated with small villages, Gandharva Ville's food scene was full of regional specialties that appeared at random thanks to the frequent traffic of traveling merchants.

The Padisarah Pudding he had brought Lesser Lord Kusanali before had been bought from a newly arrived Sumeru City pastry chef. To encounter such a high-level dessert maker in a place like Gandharva Ville had truly been a stroke of incredible luck.

Back when Lin Feng had still been a Forest Ranger, he had loved coming alone to browse this snack street on days without assignments.

Even if he did not eat anything, merely smelling the various aromas drifting through the air and watching the bustling crowd around him could ease the tension that had built up after several busy days.

Carrying an inexplicable sense of anticipation, Lin Feng turned off his passive Dendro Element perception and immersed himself in the fun of opening blind boxes.

—Green juice crispy balls with a suspicious smell. Blacklisted food. Eliminated immediately.

—Sumeru-style curry Meat Rolls. The meat was nicely red, the heat was just right, but the aroma lacked impact. Clearly, the seasoning needed work. Eliminated.

—What was this? Inazuman eel ochazuke? Made with desert Quicksand Eels? A rare merchant! He had no choice but to give it a try!

And so, off to a great start, Lin Feng continued browsing the tiny market while enjoying the freshly packed ochazuke.

Just as he was reveling in the joy of discovering a rare merchant, an energetic greeting pulled Lin Feng back to reality.

"Hey! Over here, over here!"

"Forest Ranger Lin Feng, look this way!"

Turning around, he saw the youthful and lovely Nasrin waving at him from the other side of the market, with a brown-haired boy about half a head shorter than him beside her.

"Oh, isn't this Nasrin? Long time no see."

"As for this little guy beside you, could he be the younger brother you were always talking about?"

Lin Feng was also very happy to suddenly see his former colleague. Since he and Nasrin had partnered up for a time, he had heard her mention her younger brother, who wanted to become an adventurer.

"Hey, I'm not a kid anymore!"

"I admit you're taller than me, but you can't be that much older than I am, right?"

Before Nasrin could reply, the brown-haired youngster beside her looked at Lin Feng with obvious dissatisfaction for treating him like a child.

"Ah, sorry, my brother, he—"

Noticing her brother's poor attitude, Nasrin immediately prepared to apologize.

But halfway through, Lin Feng softly interrupted her.

"It's fine, no need to apologize. I seem to remember you saying he's about the same age as me. Then he really doesn't count as a child anymore."

After saying that, Lin Feng looked at the flustered boy and spoke earnestly.

"Sorry, that was my fault. I shouldn't have called you that," Lin Feng said bluntly.

"Actually, in your sister's eyes, you're already an adult capable of standing on your own. When she was at work, she often praised you to me."

—Those were Lies. Nasrin only ever complained about her useless younger brother when she saw other people's children—specifically Lin Feng.

But seeing at a glance that the boy before him had the awkward temperament of adolescence, Lin Feng decisively told a well-intentioned lie.

"Ah? Um... it's fine. I didn't really care that much."

Having never been treated with such respect before, the youngster was clearly at a loss.

"..." Nasrin, standing beside him, shot Lin Feng a warning look.

"Um... I'm very sorry!! It was my fault. I shouldn't have been so rude just now!"

Intimidated by Nasrin's authority, the boy immediately folded.

"But... that fierce sister who's as violent as a Long-Bearded Tiger? She actually praises me? Really?!"

Lin Feng: "..." Kid, you were unstoppable.

Truly a master in the field of conversation. With just a dozen or so words, the boy had made Nasrin's eyes gleam with ferocity. Lin Feng could only Shook His Head at the sight. Who could possibly save you now? You're in for it when you get home.

"Ahem. Since the misunderstanding is cleared up, let's not talk about that for now. Nasrin, want something to eat?"

"I just found a newly arrived stall. The owner's eel ochazuke is an absolute delicacy. Want me to take you there for a meal?"

"Really?! Where, where? Take me there already!"

Though Lin Feng had merely meant to change the subject, Nasrin was clearly an authentic foodie as well. Just hearing about an unfamiliar dish made her eager to try it.

"It's by the purple food cart on the left side of the suspension bridge. Come with me. There are quite a lot of people, so be careful not to get separated."

Seeing the atmosphere completely relax thanks to the topic of food, Lin Feng led the expectant siblings toward the vendor's stall.

While eating, Lin Feng chatted idly with Nasrin. Through her introduction, he finally learned her younger brother's name—Francis.

Leaving out every supernatural element, Lin Feng merely shared some of what he had seen during his travels, and the boy's eyes lit up as he immediately demoted himself to little brother status.

Finally, upon hearing that Lin Feng could even deal with the Withering on his own, the boy could no longer hold back the question he cared about most.

"Hey, big brother, how strong are you? Are you even stronger than the strongest Forest Ranger in Gandharva Ville?!"

Thanks to Kareli the Jester for the tip~