It was just before midnight. I'd retreated to my room much earlier, but curiosity had driven me to push the limits of the daily quest.
Unfortunately, I had limits.
Glancing at the panel, I let out a small sigh.
[15 km/10 km]
I'd tried my best to end on a neat number. Something about stopping at a number that wasn't divisible by five just felt wrong.
'Good enough.'
I watched as the timer ticked down, waiting to see what would happen.
Then midnight struck.
The daily quest was cleared, and a familiar line appeared.
[Reward: 15 SP]
Before I could speculate further, the panel went blank, just as it had the previous night.
And, as quickly as it disappeared, it returned.
[Daily Quest: Do 10 Pushups]
[0/10]
I stared at the new quest for a moment.
Pushups, huh?
'Fifteen kilometers for fifteen points.'
With my curiosity sated for the night, I decided to leave the new quest for tomorrow. There was no point in exhausting myself when I had a busy day ahead.
Another day awaited.
I woke up at six-thirty the following morning.
Mel had stuck to what I'd said the day before. Not that I minded, even if it was no longer necessary.
Breakfast consisted of porridge with chopped meat and boiled eggs.
Quite a hearty meal, but that was deliberate. I couldn't go to town on an empty stomach. There was plenty to do, and I had no intention of wasting the trip.
A little past eight, we left.
Having learned my lesson the day before, we took the truck.
Not just for comfort, but for convenience. Today would be the first of many bulk purchases I'd be making, and carrying everything by hand would hardly be practical.
The drive took barely five minutes.
We stopped by the roadside, near a small cluster of buildings.
One was predominantly white painted concrete, with a green cross above the entrance. The town's clinic.
The other was a general store, its light-colored wooden walls contrasting with its dark roof.
That was our destination.
Unfortunately, we'd arrived a little too early. The shop was still closed.
I didn't mind waiting, so we stayed outside the truck. With fewer people around, I had a chance to look around properly.
The decorations from yesterday's festival had already been taken down. The town looked almost ordinary again, as though the festivities had been nothing more than a dream.
Almost.
The curious stares we received were a reminder that yesterday's events hadn't been forgotten so easily.
At least, there were fewer hostile looks this time. Most people seemed curious rather than openly displeased.
I supposed that was an improvement. Get faster updates on g.com.
As nine o'clock approached, two familiar figures caught my attention.
The first was a teenage boy wearing a cream-colored striped shirt. His wavy brown hair, glasses, and freckles made him easy to recognize.
Martin.
I remembered him from Stardew Valley Expanded, where he worked for Joja. Beyond that, though, my knowledge of him was rather limited. I couldn't even recall whether he'd been a marriage candidate in the version I'd played.
The girl beside him was another matter.
Her striking orange hair was neatly tied into a bun, and she wore a green turtleneck beneath a beige cardigan. A pendant rested against her chest, catching the light whenever she moved. Her clothes struck a balance between casual and formal, giving her the appearance of an office worker.
Claire.
I remembered her rather well. She was one of the marriage candidates added by the mod, and her story had been quite nice.
Though, if I were being honest, I hadn't particularly liked how it ended.
Martin was a different story. I knew so little about him that I couldn't even recall his preferences. Claire, on the other hand, had left a much stronger impression.
As the two headed off to work, they glanced in our direction.
Our eyes met for a brief moment.
Then they continued on their way.
Nothing happened.
Well, what exactly had I expected?
I shook my head.
Checking the time, I figured it was about right. I wanted to get this done sooner rather than later.
Pierre was outside, turning the sign to indicate that the shop was open.
Our eyes met for a moment, but neither of us spoke. He simply retreated inside.
We followed shortly afterward, becoming his first customers of the day.
The store was more spacious than I'd expected. Aisles stood in neat rows through the center, while shelves lined the walls, each stocked with its own assortment of goods.
There were plenty of familiar items: cooking ingredients such as oil and vinegar, rolls of wallpaper, and even already-grown crops and potted saplings.
But my attention was drawn elsewhere.
Seeds and fertilizers.
Now we were talking.
Alongside the strawberry seeds I'd bought at the festival, I intended to purchase whatever spring crops were available. If I was going to make a proper start on the farm, I needed more than a few packs of strawberries.
I headed straight for the counter, where Pierre was waiting.
"Hey there, Pierre. Could I check your ledger? Trust me, this'll be a big sale."
He stared at me for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to take me seriously.
Eventually, though, he handed it over.
As I flipped through the pages, I noticed several items that I didn't remember from the game. That wasn't particularly surprising, but it did make me curious.
I glanced toward the counter. There were backpacks for sale, too, though a quick look through my Appraisal Eyes suggested they weren't anything special.
Nothing worth buying, at least for now.
"Are you really planning to farm?" Pierre asked.
He didn't offer any further comment.
I returned to the ledger, scanning the listed prices. They were higher than I remembered, though that wasn't much of a surprise anymore.
"How many seeds come in a pack, anyway?" I asked casually.
"Around five. They're quite cheap as they are," Pierre replied, sounding a little offended by the question.
'Five seeds per pack?'
That was quite a bit more than the single seed I'd been accustomed to in the game.
'And the price is only about double? I don't mind that. This is practically a steal.'
Well, perhaps I shouldn't have been so quick to celebrate. I'd already bought quite a lot of strawberry seeds, and that was me being conservative.
Sigh.
At least I could diversify my crops.
"Give me two packs of each spring crop, excluding rice shoots."
I never particularly liked rice shoots, and garlic wasn't available for sale yet. The flowers, tulips and blue jazz, didn't interest me for the moment, either.
Kale was another matter.
Its main redeeming quality in the game had been the farming experience it provided. But since I didn't have any farming skills to level up, there wasn't much reason to prioritize it.
Parsnips, beans, cauliflower, and potatoes were the usual spring crops. There was also cucumber, which I didn't remember from the game.
Still, I was already here. I might as well give it a try.
While Pierre gathered the seeds, I turned my attention to the fertilizers.
"How many seeds can your fertilizer cover?"
"Around five, though it depends on the crop. Some require more space, and therefore more fertilizer. Water-retaining soil and Speed-Gro work the same way."
His tone had grown noticeably more cooperative. He even explained the other types before I'd asked about them.
"Then give me four—no, make it five of each. Just the basic kinds will do."
Pierre nodded and got to work.
It took him less than ten minutes to gather everything I'd requested.
The total came to 7,740 gold.
Surprisingly, he offered me a discount, bringing the final price down to 4,000.
I wasn't about to complain.
Once we'd paid, Mel and I carried the purchases outside and loaded them into the truck. Pierre even came out to help us.
"Come again," he said as we finished.
I gave him a nod before climbing back into the truck.
Well, that had gone more smoothly than I'd expected.
Perhaps there was hope for our relationship with the town after all. Or perhaps Pierre simply appreciated a paying customer.
Either way, I'd take it.
It was still early, not even ten yet, so we decided to make another stop before lunch.
We left the truck behind and headed toward our next destination.
The blacksmith.