After confirming there were no eavesdropping devices or spells, Dao Lao relaxed, dropped his official demeanor, and sprawled lazily on a four-seater wicker chair in the first-floor hall. Rubbing his belly, he smacked his lips and said, "Where is Serwinf? We've been waiting for a while now, and I'm really getting hungry! I wonder what these elves usually eat. Do you think they have anything like roasted meat?"

Hao Yun gave Dao Lao an exasperated look and pointed out that they were in the middle of a forest. If they started a fire for roasting meat, they might set the whole forest ablaze. Moreover, this camp was meant to stay hidden. Cooking meat here might attract enemies due to the smoke.

Then Hao Yun and Dao Lao engaged in a heated discussion about how big a fire would be needed to ignite this damp forest and whether the smoke would be visible through the forest's thick canopy.

"Knock, knock, knock." Before they could delve too deeply into the topic, there was a moderate knock at the door.

"Hehehe, sorry to keep you waiting, my lords! Serwinf has brought the drinks," Serwinf announced, entering with a large basket woven from vines before Hao Yun could get up to open the door.

Struggling a bit, Serwinf placed the sizable basket on a round table in the hall. First, he spread a green square tablecloth over the table, then began slowly and methodically setting out the food from the basket, arranging it neatly.

Seeing Serwinf constantly pulling out food, Hao Yun and Dao Lao quickly put aside their reservations and approached the table. However, the tantalizing aroma they had hoped for was absent, as the food consisted mostly of cold dishes. Besides a few items resembling fruits and two large bottles of fruit wine, there was only a container that looked like a biscuit tin.

Hmm—no meat, it seemed. Hao Yun and Dao Lao exchanged disappointed glances. Still, they were grateful for the hospitality. Expecting a lavish feast was too much to ask.

Hao Yun couldn't help but regret not bringing some food supplies himself. After his recent minor power-up, another basic function of his energy tracking system had been unlocked: a space storage. Though limited in capacity, this storage could freeze items in their state when stored, making it very practical.

For example, freshly made fries or an ice cream cone stored in this space would remain as they were, hot and crispy or cold and creamy, no matter how long they stayed inside. However, when Hao Yun checked his storage, all he had were trivial items like an ear cleaner, nail clippers, underwear, socks, a towel, soap, slippers, and a roll of toilet paper. These would be useful later, but Hao Yun couldn't help but think he had wasted the storage space on such mundane items.

Despite his disappointment at not seeing roasted meat, Dao Lao, a seasoned foodie, wasted no time. He didn’t worry about whether the food would suit his still-human digestive system. After thanking Serwinf, he nonchalantly sat at the table, picked up a melon-like fruit, and prepared to take a bite.

"Wait! Shouldn't we test if there's—" Hao Yun started to warn, but he stopped mid-sentence, realizing Serwinf was still present. Accusing their host of poisoning the food would be impolite. So, he swallowed the rest of his words and continued to hint at Dao Lao with exaggerated winks.

"Hahaha, my lords needn't worry. True Goddess Elienna sincerely welcomes you, and there's no way she would poison your food. Moreover, poisoning is not our way of dealing with enemies. Such underhanded tactics are beneath the noble Light Elves," Serwinf explained calmly, understanding Hao Yun's concern.

"Hmph, only those despicable Dark Elves resort to such lowly tricks," Serwinf added with a mutter.

This was the first time Hao Yun and Dao Lao had heard about the Light Elves and Dark Elves from the locals. Serwinf's remarks confirmed their earlier suspicions: the army led by Elienna and the fallen soldiers on the slope were Light Elves. Moreover, the disdain in Serwinf's voice when mentioning the Dark Elves suggested a deep-seated enmity between the two factions, with the battlefield on the seaside cliff being a testament to their conflict.

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Hao Yun wanted to ask more about the two elven races, but Dao Lao shot him a look, signaling him to hold off for now.

Acting as if he hadn't heard Serwinf's curse, Dao Lao took a big bite of the melon-like fruit and said, "Hohoho, Serwinf is right! How could such fine food be poisoned? That would be a waste of such delicacies!"

Then, Dao Lao took two large gulps of the fruit wine, praising it heartily, "This wine is fantastic! It's rich and aromatic, yet not overwhelming. Truly excellent! Hohoho!"

Seeing Dao Lao's carefree demeanor, Hao Yun could only shake his head speechlessly. Then, in an apologetic tone, he addressed Serwinf, "Please understand, Serwinf, we are new here and unfamiliar with the place, so we tend to be cautious about everything. If my earlier words were offensive, I ask for your forgiveness."

"Oh no, my lord, please don't say that! Serwinf cannot bear such words! It's wise to be cautious when you're away from home, as the saying goes, 'a little caution goes a long way!'" Serwinf responded, bowing repeatedly and awkwardly.

Hao Yun was quite surprised to hear Serwinf use a proverb that seemed to align with his own culture. Could it be that the ancient sage Zhuangzi had some connection with the planet Aelf?

After this little incident, Hao Yun joined Dao Lao in devouring the food. The taste of the food was very similar to that on Earth, but perhaps due to the more favorable natural environment of Aelf, the fruits tasted fresher and more delicious.

Watching Hao Yun and Dao Lao enjoy their meal, Serwinf nodded in satisfaction. Taking advantage of a moment when they were chewing, Serwinf opened the biscuit tin and brought it over, saying, "My lords, don't just eat the fruits. Please try our specialty, the Aelf biscuits!"

Since the fruits on the table were juicy and delicious, Hao Yun and Dao Lao had not touched the biscuits, which might be dry. But now, seeing the biscuits up close, they looked very much like English-style cookies, dark brown and seemingly made of chocolate. Not knowing how many disliked chocolate, Hao Yun and Dao Lao certainly didn't. Accepting Serwinf's hospitality, they each took a biscuit and put it in their mouths.

Hao Yun, being a barista, had a good sense for tasting pastries that go well with coffee. So when tasting biscuits, he often found himself mentally reviewing them.

At first bite, Hao Yun was a bit disappointed. These biscuits, though resembling chocolate cookies in color, didn't taste like chocolate at all. Instead, they had a unique flavor, almost as if they had been baked with some kind of mineral essence. This distinctive taste made the Aelf biscuits strangely addictive. Despite their ordinary flavor, the natural and wholesome taste made one want to eat another after the first bite.

Hao Yun chewed slowly, finding the biscuits neither astonishingly good nor bad. With Serwinf watching expectantly, Hao Yun felt obliged to praise them, saying, "Yes, these biscuits are very good!"

Though there were only fruits, biscuits, and drinks, Hao Yun and Dao Lao were quite satisfied. Before long, they had cleared all the food from the table.

Seeing the two guests leaning back in their chairs, Serwinf swiftly and neatly cleared the table, then asked, "How did my lords find our Light Elves' simple fare?"

Dao Lao, rubbing his round belly, gave an "OK" sign with his hand and expressed his satisfaction.

Pleased with their approval, Serwinf smiled and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it! Now, Serwinf will take his leave. If you need anything, just ring the brass bell on the coffee table to summon me. I hope you have a pleasant evening."

With a respectful bow, Serwinf picked up the large basket and prepared to leave.

"Wait, Serwinf," Hao Yun called out, stopping him.

"We're quite curious about the environment here, and after such a satisfying meal, we'd like to take a walk around the camp and see the night scenery. Could you guide us?" Hao Yun asked politely.

"Oh, I see. If you wish to look around, I'd be happy to be your guide," Serwinf responded without hesitation, opening the door and gesturing for them to follow.

Though Serwinf agreed readily, Hao Yun noticed a fleeting look of caution in his eyes. Nonetheless, neither Hao Yun nor Master Gu minded much, knowing that Serwinf was also there to monitor their actions for Elienna.

As Hao Yun and Master Gu stepped out of the camp, heading towards the main gate, the guards at the entrance immediately tensed up and moved to block them. However, seeing Serwinf catch up and signal them to stand down, the soldiers returned to their posts. Still, they kept a sharp eye on Hao Yun and Master Gu, wary of any trouble they might cause.

With Serwinf by their side, Hao Yun and Dao Lao were naturally free to roam around. Of course, their so-called free roam was limited to the residential area. When Hao Yun expressed a desire to explore areas beyond the residential district, Serwinf politely declined, explaining that those areas were designated military zones. Visiting them required approval from higher-ups, who were either out on missions or busy in meetings.

Hao Yun and Dao Lao had no objections to this restriction. After all, their primary reason for wanting to take a walk was simply because they were too full from their meal.