The guards holding spears, ready to interrogate Bard, were directly stifled by Lann's preemptive questioning.
If an ordinary person spoke to the guards like that, the guards certainly wouldn't appear accommodating.
But the key is, Lann's demeanor and appearance were too… In short, not within the realm of ordinary people.
On the way to the town hall, Lann asked Bard some questions about the mayor without any context.
This mayor was very much like Lann expected: greedy, authoritarian, bullying the weak while fearing the strong, hesitant and cautious, and most concerned about gold, most of which was obtained through trade with the Woodland Kingdom.
This didn't surprise Lann.
After all, although this region once prospered, after Smaug's massacre, only two settlements of intelligent creatures remained.
The Woodland Kingdom in the Dark Forest, and this town of Long Lake.
Gold wouldn't appear together with fish when fishermen are fishing; to seek gold requires trade and dealings.
