On the way home, we ran into someone unexpected.
With his iconic suit, large red bowtie, and round glasses, there was no mistaking him. It was Morris, the manager of JojaMart.
"Hello there, friend," Morris called out.
His smile was the widest I'd seen all day. You had to admit, the man had a knack for finding opportunities.
"If it isn't Morris. What brings you here?" I greeted him.
Seeing that I'd recognized him, his smile widened even further.
Creepy.
I wasn't particularly keen on seeing him, but I understood why he was here. My words had drawn him in.
"Mr. Ashbelle, I truly feel for you. It's heartbreaking to be treated so poorly." He spoke with what seemed like genuine pain.
"Heh~. What would you know?"
"I, too, am not quite fitting in, you could say."
"Interesting. Unfortunately, Mr. Morris, I'm not quite in the mood right now. Perhaps we can talk some other time."
I cut him off, deliberately letting my irritation show. My expression hardened, and I made sure to look angry enough that he wouldn't question my desire to end the conversation.
Of course, I wasn't actually upset. I simply had no intention of entertaining him today.
"Very well. But please, you may simply call me Morris, Mr. Ashbelle."
He bowed before taking his leave.
Once he was gone, I relaxed my expression.
I might use Joja as a threat, but I'd never actually advocate for them. Perhaps that was hypocritical coming from someone born into a wealthy family, but who cared? This wasn't about money. It was about what Joja would do to this town.
I might not remember everything they did in the game, but two things had stuck with me.
Going down their route against the Community Center would eventually ruin the natural beauty of this town.
The other was the mining incident. During the early game, the mines remained locked until Day 5 because Joja's illegal mining had caused a landslide, blocking the path.
Mel's investigation had already confirmed that the incident happened here, too. And while I couldn't blame Morris personally for Willow's death, the timing bothered me. She'd gone to the mines the day after the blockade was cleared. Something about the whole situation felt fishy.
I wasn't sure whether I wanted my suspicions to be right or wrong. After all, no answer would change the fact that the previous farmer was dead.
"Mel, can you run a background check on Morris... and the previous farmer?"
Mel nodded.
With that settled, I resumed walking home, with her trailing beside me.
Back at home, I checked my daily quest. Seeing that it was still only halfway complete, I decided to head outside again for a walk.
"Where are you going, Master?"
"Hmm? Just going for a walk," I replied casually.
"...Are you bothered by their words, Master?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
She'd misunderstood. Still, I couldn't help smiling. This was one of the few times her emotions were so easy to read.
"Hahaha, it's nothing like that. I just want to explore a little more. Maybe inspect the nearby land for farming."
I might not have any farming experience, and I doubted my system would help much with that. Still, I could at least make use of the walk to finish my quest.
"Hmm? There's no need. Besides, you're already busy making lunch."
"You are not imposing."
Her tone was only a little stronger than usual, but I knew that was about as close as she'd get to insisting.
"...All right," I relented.
I knew her well enough to realize that arguing would only delay her further.
We left immediately. I wanted to get this quest over with.
An hour later, noon was approaching. Thankfully, the cloudy weather kept the heat at bay, and the fresh breeze made it a pleasant day for a walk.
I stared blankly at nothing—or at least, at something no one else could see.
The daily quest was complete. It should have been, anyway, but...
'10.2 km/10 km.'
How interesting.
Before I could think further, Mel called out to me.
"Master?"
Her voice brought me back to my surroundings.
"Let's head back. It's getting late. Sorry for dragging you along."
"It's no problem, Master."
I shelved the matter for later. Whatever was happening could wait.
Back home, Mel returned to the kitchen while I went to my room. I didn't want to bother her with my little experiments.
It was around one in the afternoon when she called me out for lunch.
I glanced at the system panel as I made my way to the table.
[10.8 km/10 km]
My progress had slowed considerably, but that was to be expected. I couldn't walk as far or as fast indoors.
Lunch was creamy carbonara, with some fruit salad on the side.
I ate two portions. Even a leisurely walk had worked up an appetite.
It was past three when I found myself watching television. Eventually, I remembered something I'd meant to do earlier.
'I forgot to inspect the land. Eh, whatever.'
I'd leave it for tomorrow. There wasn't much point in heading out again now.
Returning to my room, I found myself uninterested in anything on television once again.
I opened one of the desk drawers. Inside lay the deed to Greenwood Farm, alongside a few other items. Among them was a thick journal.
Ever since I'd regained my memories as Luke, I'd been recording whatever I could remember. Even the smallest details might prove useful someday.
I opened it to the first few pages.
Haley.
Of course, I'd started with her.
She'd been one of my favorite characters, after all. And since I'd romanced her in the game, I probably remembered more about her than anyone else.
Her favorite gifts included sunflowers and coconuts. She disliked prismatic shards, which added a touch of charm to her, considering how it was one of the few universally liked gifts.
There were notes about her personality, her family, her birthday, and other little details I'd picked up over the years. Nothing too elaborate, just enough to keep my memories from getting muddled. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping(.)com.
Her birthday was coming up this Friday.
I paused, tapping my pen against the page.
There were ways to get closer to the townspeople.
Haley came to mind.
A birthday gift, perhaps could pave the path...
I jotted down that possibility, then stared at what I'd written.
"..."
I crumpled the page.
I was disgusted at myself.
Still, I couldn't simply give up.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.
'This is really harder than I thought.'
After some time, I returned to the journal, recording a few more notes—particularly about how the prices here differed from those in the game.
I needed to make plans for the farm, too. There were seeds to plant, land to inspect, and a dozen other things I hadn't even begun to consider.
But no matter how many plans I made, my thoughts kept returning to the town.
They might have rejected me today, but that didn't mean I should stop trying.
Tomorrow, I'd go back.
I couldn't get rejected until I tried, right?
Later that evening, someone knocked on the door.
When no answer came, the visitor waited a little longer before opening it.
Mel stepped inside.
What little light the evening sun had streamed to illuminate her master, absorbed in his work. Crumpled pieces of paper littered the surrounding area.
She froze for a moment, uncertain what to make of the scene. After collecting herself, she called out to him.
There was no response.
Only when she came around behind him and gently shook him did Anthony finally notice her presence.
Unfortunately, she'd caught a glimpse of some of the writing on the discarded papers, as well as the journal on his desk. She recognized a few of the names and words, but she chose not to ask about them.
It wasn't her place to pry.
After a while, the two went to have dinner.
Anthony remained somewhat distracted throughout the evening.
Mel, meanwhile, couldn't shake her concern.
Her master was truly a liar.