novelraw Chapter 117: You’re Acting Strange
Chapter 117: You’re Acting Strange
Emily didn’t notice Clint’s disappointment. Leon did, but with Emily right there, he didn’t know what to say.
Luckily, Gus rang the bell from the kitchen, reminding Emily to serve the food. While she stepped away, Leon turned to Clint.
“Thanks, Clint. Once I’ve got the money and ingots ready, I’ll be counting on you to upgrade my tools.”
“Sure. Come by the blacksmith shop anytime you’re ready. I’ll deliver the furnace recipe to you tomorrow.” Clint nodded, though he didn’t sound very enthusiastic.
“Alright. Oh, by the way, I should tell you… the straight sword you gave me? I passed it on to Abigail.” Leon looked a little embarrassed but decided to be upfront.
“What will you do if you run into monsters in the mines?” Clint didn’t seem concerned about the sword being gifted away—after all, it was Leon’s to handle as he pleased. What worried him more was how Leon would deal with the monsters in the abandoned mines without a weapon.
“I’ve got something better now. Ever heard of the Galaxy Weapon?” Leon replied. Clint’s generosity made Leon feel that this honest, good-natured blacksmith was someone worth befriending.
“Of course. The most powerful weapon in existence—granted only as a reward from Yoba to worthy followers, the pinnacle armament wielded by those of exceptional talent.” As a blacksmith, Clint was naturally familiar with the Galaxy Weapon.
Then he realized the implication in Leon’s words. “So… you got your hands on a Galaxy Weapon?”
“Yep,” Leon nodded. “That’s why I gave the straight sword to Abigail. Not because I’ve grown tired of it, but because Abigail loves adventure. She didn’t have a reliable weapon, so I figured giving her a well-crafted sword would help her handle danger better.”Hearing this, Clint smiled. “It’s fine, Leon. Once I gave you the sword, it was yours to do with as you liked. Honestly, giving it to Abigail might be a good thing. She’s come to my shop several times asking for a weapon, but because of Mr. Pierre’s warnings, I couldn’t help her. By giving her that sword, you might have solved a problem for me.”
“So, what you’re saying is, I gave away a sword for free and might still get an earful from Mr. Pierre?” Leon hadn’t known about that and immediately felt a headache coming.
“That, I wouldn’t know.” Clint chuckled over his beer.
“Forget it. I’ll take things as they come. Pierre and I work together on seed purchases—he probably won’t give me grief over this.” Leon shrugged, already thinking he should drop by Pierre’s General Store sometime.
Partly to see if Pierre had noticed Abigail’s new weapon, partly to greet Abigail’s mother, Caroline. After all, Leon was curious about her private tea room.
Coffee didn’t interest him much, but tea was a staple in his past life.
“What were you two talking about?” Emily returned, carrying Leon’s hash browns and fried fish, noticing how he and Clint had seemed to be chatting happily.
“Nothing special,” Leon said casually.
Clint glanced at Emily, hesitated for a moment, then quietly returned to his usual corner to drink alone.
Watching Clint leave, Leon sighed. With a personality like his, Clint’s chances of winning over a girl were close to zero.
But Leon didn’t plan to meddle. Even if he did, it probably wouldn’t help. He still remembered what Emily had said during their trip to the Calico Desert.
Emily knew Clint had a crush on her, but as far as she was concerned, Clint wasn’t her type at all.
Unrequited feelings, plain and simple.
Summing up Clint’s situation in his heart, Leon picked up his knife and fork and focused on eating.
The hash browns, made from fried potatoes, were crispy, and paired with freshly fried small fish, they made for a satisfying meal.
This carb-and-fat combination was the perfect remedy for a day of eating nothing but bread. Leon wasn’t worried about gaining weight—life on the farm meant he burned off everything he ate, and he was never one to sit idle.
“What are you looking at?” Sated, Leon noticed Emily staring at him and asked curiously.
“Nothing.” Emily quickly looked away.
“You heading home to rest after this?”
“Yeah. After a long day, I need to wash up and get to bed early so I’ll have the energy for tomorrow’s farm work,” Leon replied.
“You should rest well. By the way, can you come by my place tomorrow?” Emily suddenly asked.
“What for?” Leon looked at her in puzzlement.
“It’s like this. The roof at my place—Haley’s and mine—has a small leak. Neither of us knows how to fix it, so I was hoping you could help,” Emily explained.
“Fixing a roof? Why not just ask Robin?” Leon countered.
“Because it’s just a minor issue. We only need to replace a few tiles,” Emily said. “Of course, as thanks, I’ll cook you a big lunch.”
“You’re acting strange.”
Leon eyed her suspiciously. If it was just a few tiles, anyone could manage it. Offering a feast for such a small favor? That was like making dumplings just to serve the vinegar.
“Hm?” Emily tilted her head, not understanding what he meant.
“I’ll head over after I finish my work on the farm tomorrow, then.”
Figuring it was a chance for a good meal without cooking himself, Leon agreed. He was also curious about what Emily was really up to.
“Great. I’ll be waiting. My place is at 2 Willow Lane, right next to Jodi’s. If you head south from Pelican Town Square, you’ll see it. We have a sun-shaped ornament hanging by the door.”
Hearing Leon agree, Emily quickly gave him her address.
Leon nodded, committing it to memory. After paying the bill, he said goodbye to Emily, rode his bike back to the farm, hooked up the hose under the eaves, stripped down, and showered thoroughly.
Freshly dressed, he lay down on the bed.
As for the things in his backpack, he decided to sort them out tomorrow after Clint delivered the furnace recipe.