novelraw Chapter 18: Wizard Rasmodius
Chapter 18: Wizard Rasmodius
Just as Leon was pondering the age-old question of what to have for lunch, a crow burst through the curtain of rain, landed right in front of him, and—after shaking the water from its feathers—spat out a small, crumpled note.
Then, with a flap of its wings, it was gone.
Leon stared at the direction the crow had flown, puzzled, before picking up the soggy note it had left. The damp paper was rather unpleasant to the touch, but curiosity got the better of him, and he unfolded it.
“My sources tell me you’ve found something interesting in the old Community Center. Perhaps I can offer you a bit of help. If you’re interested, pick a suitable time to come to the tower at the far west end of the forest. I’ll be waiting.”
That was all it said. The moment Leon read it, he felt a spark of excitement—because this was exactly the important figure he’d been waiting for.
“So it was a crow delivering a letter… and here I was, feeling disappointed this morning when I checked the empty mailbox,” Leon muttered. He read the message again carefully, making sure he hadn’t missed any details, then tossed the damp scrap aside into the dirt.
“But before I head out, I need to eat something.”
Instead of rushing to meet the sender, Leon went back into his cabin and pulled out the bread he’d bought earlier. After wolfing down two pieces and washing them down with a large glass of water, he felt the fullness in his stomach return. Only then did he head back outside, donning his raincoat and boots before making his way toward the farm’s southern exit.
To the east of the farm lay the main road to Pelican Town, to the north was the path to the mountains, and to the south—the forest. The west was a dead end, nothing but cliffs.
Leon had wanted to explore the forest for a while. Stardew Valley was blessed with remarkable natural scenery, and wild plants and animals thrived here. Even if one didn’t farm, with some diligence and a bit of foraging knowledge, you could easily gather plenty of edible wild plants.The only reason he hadn’t gone before was the sheer size of the place. Judging by the farm’s own scale, Leon could guess the forest to the south was vast, and a trip there might eat up half a day. And unlike in the game, he didn’t believe for a second that the forest would be perfectly safe—there were bound to be wild animals out there.
But now he had an invitation. If the mysterious figure had already taken notice of him, then surely, should Leon encounter danger on the way, that person wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing.
The rain-dampened forest was dark, but there was one comforting detail: a reasonably well-kept dirt road ran along the border between farm and forest.
From where he stood, Leon could already see the tall barn in the distance—Marnie’s ranch, no doubt. But his destination lay to the west, so that was where he headed.
Contrary to what he’d imagined, the forest here wasn’t overly dense. There were signs of human care—like a wooden dock jutting over a lake, a massive ancient tree fenced off with timber, and multiple well-trodden paths winding through the undergrowth.
That made walking far easier. With the open view ahead, it wasn’t long before Leon spotted a stone tower built into the hillside.
That was his destination: the home of Stardew Valley’s reclusive, mysterious figure—Wizard Rasmodius.
With the wizard’s tower as a clear landmark, the path forward was obvious.
Now and then, Leon came across weeds or fibrous plants blocking the way, but his scythe made short work of them. In the process, he gathered a few extra fibers.
He didn’t see any of the seasonal wild plants he’d hoped for—like leeks or wild horseradish—which was a bit of a disappointment.
When Leon reached the base of the tower, he found a staircase leading up to it. Step by step, he climbed toward the entrance. Before he could knock, the door swung open on its own.
“Greetings, farmer. I am Rasmodius, seeker of the arcane, mediator between reality and the supernatural, master of the seven elements, guardian of Saint—ah, never mind, the title’s too long. All you really need to know is that I am a wizard who wields supernatural power.”
Leon stepped inside to find an old man with long purple hair and beard, wearing a traditional pointed hat, wizard’s robes, and a black cloak. He had just stepped away from a magic circle inscribed on the floor.
“Hello, Wizard Rasmodius. I’m Leon, a farmer. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Leon smiled, but his eyes couldn’t help wandering over the interior of the tower.
Who wouldn’t be curious about the powers of magic? This was the real reason he had looked forward to meeting the wizard—he wanted to learn some flashy spells himself.
“Hehe… Leon, I foresaw your arrival. Don’t worry about my tower for now—come, I’ll show you something.”
The wizard beckoned him forward, then noticed the mud on Leon’s boots.
“Oh, it’s raining outside. I didn’t account for that. My apologies for making you come in such weather.”
As he spoke, Leon felt a sudden, astonishing change: the mud on his boots vanished into thin air, the rainwater soaking his coat evaporated, and even the faint smell of sweat from his work earlier was gone. It was as if he’d just bathed and changed into fresh clothes without ever stepping outside.
This little display was clearly meant to impress—and to ease any doubts Leon might have had.
Leon couldn’t help but envy it. “Magic really is amazing.”
The wizard glanced at him and smiled. “You have very little talent for the arcane, Leon. Best not to dwell on it.”
Leon’s face stiffened with embarrassment. The man really did see right through him. Without another word, he stepped up to see what the wizard wanted to show him.
Noticing that Leon had given up on the idea of learning magic, the wizard gave him an approving look, then pointed to the magic circle.
“At the Community Center… did you happen to see this kind of creature?”