There were two paths to the blacksmith.
The first led east, toward the bridge near JojaMart, before turning south to the smithy. The other went south through the town square, then east past the graveyard and across a bridge toward the museum, close to our destination.
Both routes seemed about the same distance, but I always remembered the former feeling faster in the game. The latter had its uses, though, especially when I had errands to run at the residents' houses.
After a moment's deliberation, I chose the shorter route.
We passed the clinic and Pierre's store once again before I suddenly stopped.
'I forgot.'
I turned around and retraced a few steps, stopping in front of a noticeboard.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary community board, with a calendar and various advertisements pinned to it. But those weren't what I was looking for.
Among them were several requests.
Crops, animal products, fish, gems, minerals—each accompanied by a reward and a deadline.
The quest board.
Usually, the game only posted one request every few days. Here, however, there were four already waiting, each with its own conditions and rewards.
I couldn't help feeling excited.
Not because the rewards were particularly useful, but because these requests could prove valuable for my plans.
"Master?"
Mel raised an eyebrow, looking curious at her master's sudden enthusiasm.
"Hm? I'm just checking the board. Let's go."
Whatever ideas had come to mind could wait until later.
We continued along the road, passing two residences near the bridge.
The house on the right was quaint, with a blue-and-white color scheme and a dark roof. It belonged to an elderly couple and their grandson.
The one on the left was considerably larger, more of a manor than an ordinary home. Its green wooden walls and dark brown roof made it stand out from the surrounding buildings.
Olivia's residence.
I remembered that she'd been quite wealthy before retiring to Pelican Town with her son. Beyond that, my knowledge of her was limited. She might have been a marriage candidate in the mod, but she wasn't really my type, so I'd never paid her much attention.
We passed both houses without incident and eventually reached the bridge.
To our right stood another residence, though calling it a house might have been generous. It was more like a trailer, parked beside the river, seemingly unmoved from its spot.
Ahead, JojaMart came into view.
The large building's light blue and white exterior was hard to miss.
And standing outside was a familiar figure.
Morris.
He appeared to be waiting for something—or perhaps someone.
The moment he noticed Anthony and his maid approaching, his face brightened with that practiced smile.
He started toward them, evidently eager to greet his newest opportunity.
Morris, however, wasn't the only one watching Anthony.
Behind them, near the residence they'd just passed, a woman with curly hair and a pearl necklace had been observing the pair.
Distaste was plain on her face.
She turned sharply and headed toward the general store, her steps hurried.
"Welcome, Mr. Ashbelle!" Morris greeted me with the same wide grin he'd worn yesterday.
"Why don't you come in? We have all you could ever need."
"Do you have any Stardrops?"
"That—Mr. Ashbelle must be jesting. Those are far too hard to come by."
"Then it appears your words were an exaggeration. What I need are Stardrops."
Morris's smile faltered. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he struggled to find an answer.
Seeing him like that, I couldn't hold back my laughter.
"Hahahaha! I'm indeed jesting. Why don't you show me what's in your store?"
"YES! Come on in, Sir Ashbelle! Our items are affordable, but never lacking in quality!"
He practically ushered us inside.
The first thing I noticed was the cold air. JojaMart's air-conditioning was strong enough to make the difference in temperature almost startling.
There were plenty of people inside, including several employees wearing similar blue uniforms and matching hats.
Among them were the two we'd encountered earlier. Claire was manning the cashier, while Martin stood farther back, sorting items on a shelf.
The others were unfamiliar, save for one.
He had dark hair and a rather disheveled appearance. Though he wore the same uniform as the others, his eyes seemed barely open, as if he were struggling to stay awake.
Shane.
He was most famous for being the town's resident drunkard, and judging by his current appearance, he looked like he was nursing quite the hangover.
Morris led me toward his office, offering to show me a list of the products they had in stock.
The room wasn't nearly as luxurious as I'd expected, though that was hardly a fair judgment. I'd never actually visited JojaMart in the game, let alone stepped into Morris's office.
I settled onto a black sofa, with Mel standing behind me, and began perusing the list.
One thing immediately stood out.
The prices.
They were considerably cheaper than Pierre's. Take parsnip seeds, for example. Pierre sold them for 40 gold, while Joja offered them for only 20 gold per pack.
Curious, I looked up from the list.
"How many seeds come in one of your packs?"
"That—five, Sir Ashbelle."
There was a brief pause before he answered. His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, as though he wasn't sure why I was asking.
If that was true, then Joja's prices really were cheap. No wonder Pierre struggled to compete.
'But Joja was oddly more expensive in the game. This change feels strange, yet somehow fitting, considering what Mel found in her investigation.'
"Show me one pack of these."
I pointed to the same seed varieties I'd ordered from the General Store. I wanted to see for myself what, if anything, made them different.
Morris excused himself and left the room to fetch them.
With him gone, Mel finally spoke.
"Master, are you planning to buy from here?"
Her tone was neutral, but I could guess what she was thinking.
"Hmm, that depends. I'd rather not if I have to, but we can never say never."
I turned toward her with a smile.
Mel nodded without commenting further.
A few minutes later, Morris returned with the seed packs. I examined them with my Appraisal Eyes, and sure enough, something was different.
[Note: Basic Quality only]
'So the seeds are cheap because they'll only ever produce crops of basic quality? Interesting.'
Basic-quality crops might sell for less and be valued lower than their higher-quality counterparts, but they were still crops. Besides, quality usually wasn't much of a concern during the early game, when the Farmer's Farming level was still zero.
Then again, I wasn't exactly a farmer, and I had no skills to level up.
Still, that was a genuine incentive to buy from Joja.
And yet, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wouldn't stoop that low. Joja could expand wherever it wanted, but not here. Stardew Valley was better off without a corporate giant hanging over its neck.
Though, I could afford to think that way because of my money and family support. Without those advantages...
Perhaps I might have already sold my soul.
I paused, reconsidering my own reasoning.
'Wait... what if I'm thinking about this all wrong? Morals or whatever aside, I plan on kicking Joja out eventually anyway. Why not milk them for all they're worth before then?'
It wasn't as though I had to support their long-term plans just because I bought something from them. If anything, I could take advantage of their prices while I still had the chance.
...Was that really so different from what I was condemning?
I leaned back against the sofa, staring at the seed packs.
I didn't know.
And this wasn't the place to figure it out.
Throughout my deliberation, Morris had remained silent, watching me with a patience that felt more calculated than polite.
I finally looked up.
"Honestly, your prices are cheap. I might've bought from here, but I've already got what I need for now."
Morris's smile weakened slightly.
"But tell you what, I do like this."
I pointed to an item on the list and showed it to him.
"Wine. I'm quite the collector, you see, and I've heard quite a lot about this particular product."
Starfruit Wine.
Three thousand gold.
Well, it wouldn't hurt to try a bottle, would it?
I'd made up my mind. Joja could supply my hobbies, but when it came to farming and the like, I'd keep my distance.
Besides... leaving with this particular item might prove useful.
"Very well! How about two for five thousand gold?"
"No need. One is enough."
I couldn't help but be impressed. Morris certainly had a talent for taking a mile when given an inch.
"Of course, Sir Ashbelle! Please come again! We'll be sure to prepare more unique wines for you!"
He bowed as he saw us off at the entrance of the Mart.
His theatrics drew the attention of everyone nearby.
'Just what I wanted.'
I smiled faintly.
Then Mel and I left for our actual destination, paying little heed to the looks that followed us.