Spring 35
The first rays of morning had long since passed, and the clock struck seven as the door to Anthony's room clicked open.
Anthony lay sprawled across the bed. Despite its large size, one of his pillows had fallen to the floor.
Mel crossed the room and opened the curtains, letting the morning light drape over the room.
She then turned to shake him awake.
"Mmhm..."
A few shakes were all it took. Anthony sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes.
Seeing him awake, Mel took her leave.
Eventually, Anthony left his room, rinsed himself, and sat down at the table.
Breakfast was already prepared: a pile of omelettes paired with fruit salad and vegetable soup.
Having failed yet another attempt to help, he remained seated, one hand propping up his head as he drank his coffee and scrolled through his phone.
"What are your plans for the day, Master?" Mel asked once she had finished cleaning.
"Nothing much. Maybe tour the farm a bit. Oh, why don't you accompany me?"
"As you wish."
"Mhm. Let me take a quick shower before we head out," he remarked, noticing Mel's fresh scent. She had likely already bathed.
The bathroom was quite spacious. Not as spacious as the one in the villa or the manor, but far larger than the bathroom in my previous life.
The tub was wide enough to stretch out in. So much so that it could probably accommodate two people at once.
However, since I'd be touring the farm anyway, a quick rinse should do. I could take a more thorough bath afterward.
Taking off my clothes, I faced the wall mirror, which reflected my upper body.
"It feels weird seeing the disparity between this body and my previous one."
Western features, a far cry from his Asian face in his previous life. Most of his facial features were sharper.
If anything, his eyes were the only ones that retained their naturally intimidating look.
His black hair had turned dark brown.
His skin was noticeably tanned in certain areas.
His eyes were no longer brown, but a deep red.
"These eyes are really cool, but eerie."
His body hadn't really changed much. He was still quite healthy, albeit a bit thinner.
"I much prefer this version. No offense, me."
His height was practically the same, perhaps a few inches taller.
"Speaking of inches..." He looked down.
"Thank you, Lord Yoba." He smiled widely.
No wonder he was loved by the ladies in this life.
After a quick shower, Anthony dressed and got ready.
Mel stood nearby, carrying a tote bag almost a third of her size.
"You packed quite a lot," I remarked, eyeing the bag.
"It's all the essentials we might need, Master."
"Hmm? How about I carry that?"
"No need. It's not heavy."
"...All right."
Stardew Valley had many aspects that could be customized, one of which was the layout of the farm.
I played up to version 1.7, and from what I could remember, there were eight farm types: Standard, Riverland, Forest, Hill-top, Wilderness, Four Corners, Beach, and the newly added Meadowlands.
I couldn't say I'd played all of them, but I did remember some of the distinct locations and features of each map.
As we walked away from the farmhouse, I took the opportunity to survey the land more carefully. The place was much larger than it had appeared from the terrace, with patches of overgrown grass, scattered trees, and plenty of space that would need clearing before it could be put to use.
Mel followed a short distance behind me, carrying the tote bag she'd packed earlier.
"So, Master, where would you like to start?"
"Let's take a look around first. I want to get a feel for the place."
"As you wish."
We made our way around the house, taking in the surrounding land. I paid particular attention to the terrain and the bodies of water, trying to recall whether any of the farm layouts I'd played matched what I saw.
For example, this farm could already cross out Riverland and Beach, seeing how few bodies of water were nearby.
In fact, there was only one I could see so far: a small pond by the house.
I stopped at its edge, peering into the water. It wasn't particularly large, and the surrounding land was mostly solid ground.
"Something wrong, Master?"
"Nothing. Just checking something."
I crouched briefly, picked up a small stone, and tossed it into the pond. The ripples spread across the surface before gradually disappearing.
Riverland was out. The farm wasn't broken up by a network of rivers and islands, and there certainly wasn't enough water to make up most of the land. Beach was even less likely. There was no sandy shoreline, and I hadn't seen anything resembling the vast stretch of beach that would define that map.
Two down.
I stood and continued walking.
It was safe to say this wasn't Wilderness either. We'd researched the farm before coming here, and there had been no reports of monsters appearing on the property or around town. While that wasn't absolute proof, it was enough to put the possibility aside for now.
Four Corners was unlikely too. I looked across the land again, searching for any obvious signs of the farm being divided into separate sections. Nothing stood out. The terrain didn't seem to have the clear subdivisions I remembered.
I hoped I wasn't wrong. I hated that map.
"Master?"
"Hm?"
"You've been looking around as though you're searching for something."
"Am I?"
Mel gave me a quiet look.
"...Just trying to understand the layout. It's a big place, and I don't want to start working without knowing what I'm dealing with."
That wasn't entirely a lie.
She seemed to believe me, never further voicing her doubts, and turned her attention back to the farm. We continued along the edge of the property, passing patches of grass and trees that would eventually need tending to.
I tried to picture the other layouts in my head.
Standard. Forest.
I might have been wrong, but neither seemed quite right. I remembered the placement of their ponds differently, and the small body of water near the farmhouse didn't fit what I had in mind. If my memory served me correctly, the pond should have been farther away.
Of course, I wasn't exactly an expert. My memories of the game were mere approximates. I'm not some psycho keeping track of every tile around whilst playing.
Still, something felt off.
We reached a slightly more elevated section of land, and I glanced toward the area behind the house. There was higher ground in that direction, perhaps even mountains farther back, though the farmhouse itself certainly wasn't sitting atop one.
Hill-top was just not it. The farmhouse should have been on top of a mountain, and when we'd arrived, most of the farm had appeared relatively flat.
I glanced back at the house.
Nope. Not that one either.
Mel stopped beside me, following my gaze.
"Is there something you would like me to look into?"
"No, not yet." I shook my head. "I'm just thinking."
She nodded, making no further inquiries.
That left Meadowlands.
I wasn't familiar enough with that map to rule it out based on every little detail, but I remembered two things about it: the free coop and the blue grass. Neither had appeared anywhere nearby.
I scanned the area once more, just in case the grass was farther from the farmhouse.
Nothing.
I couldn't completely dismiss the possibility. We'd only explored a portion of the property, after all. But I already had an inkling about what kind of farm this was.
But it never hurt to check myself, rather than rely on what we've researched.
I let out a quiet sigh and resumed walking, with Mel following behind.
This farm wasn't any of the vanilla maps.
I'd already prepared myself for that possibility. Mel's research had contained plenty of details about Pelican Town, including the names of several townsfolk. Some were unfamiliar, while others sounded vaguely familiar, though I couldn't remember exactly where I'd heard them.
But two names had stood out.
Sophia.
Claire.
Romanceable characters from a certain mod I'd played before.
I slowed my steps.
The thought had been lingering at the back of my mind ever since I'd read Mel's findings. At first, I'd dismissed it as a coincidence. My memories of Stardew Valley were already incomplete, and I couldn't expect every name or detail to come back to me.
But the more I thought about it, the harder it became to ignore.
"This isn't just Stardew Valley," I murmured.
Mel turned her head. "Did you say something, Master?"
I looked at her.
"It's nothing."
I faced forward again, letting my gaze wander across the land that was supposed to become my farm.
"It's expanded."
The words settled in my mind with an odd sense of certainty.
While I might have played this mod before, I couldn't rely on my past memories to carry me through. The vanilla content alone was already stretching what I remembered. After all, I'd never even finished that game, let alone this expanded version.
Whatever knowledge I had was useful, but it wasn't a guidebook.
And if this world followed the mod's content, there was no telling how much more I didn't know.
I looked at the farmhouse once more, then at the land beyond it.
Well, I'd wanted a purpose.
I supposed I had my work cut out for me.