Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 207: Willy’s Secret

After drying himself off, Leon put his clothes back on. Though the salt still clung faintly to his skin without a freshwater rinse, water was precious out here on the sea. He figured he could endure a little discomfort rather than waste it.

Gus had already set up a small coal stove and was frying the cod they’d caught earlier. The scent of sizzling fish oil drifted to Leon’s nose, making his mouth water. He stepped closer, glancing at Gus’s cooking. Aside from oil and salt, Gus had added no other seasoning to the thick cuts of cod in the pan.

“Sea fish have a natural sweetness. That’s the best seasoning there is. Too much spice just ruins it,” Gus said with a grin, reading the curiosity in Leon’s eyes.

“So it’s the old rule—good ingredients only need simple cooking,” Leon teased.

“That’s a fine way to sum it up.” Gus nodded, clearly liking the phrase.

“We just have to wait for the food now, Leon. Want to take a look at this directional compass?” Willy, now dressed, hooked an arm around Leon’s neck and pulled him aside. Like showing off a treasure, he handed over a small compass.

“Why call it a directional compass?” Leon asked, taking it.

He noticed two letters engraved on its casing—HS. It looked like the initials of Old Hans.

“Because it only points to one place,” Willy explained.

“These compasses are made from a pair of special magnetic stones. One piece is placed in the location you want to anchor, and the other is made into the compass needle. It’ll always point toward the anchored spot. Out at sea, most pirates have one of these, so they can always find their base.”“A permanent pointer? At this rate, if you told me there were devil fruits in the ocean, I wouldn’t even be surprised,” Leon muttered.

“What’s a devil fruit?” Willy asked in confusion.

“Never mind—just a joke.” Leon waved it off, not bothering to explain.

Willy didn’t press. Instead, he chuckled and said, “If you ever run into pirates, take one of their compasses. You might find their hideout, take all the treasure they’ve hoarded for years, and get rich overnight.”

“Knowing it could expose their base, why would pirates even make these things? Isn’t that just asking to be found?” Leon countered.

“Because many small islands aren’t fixed. Currents can carry them far from where they started. Without a compass like this, most pirates wouldn’t be able to find their own settlement,” Willy replied.

“Large islands don’t have that problem, but they’re usually full of dangers. Pirates might be desperate men, but bullying common folk is one thing—facing monsters or ancient creatures on those islands is just suicide.”

“Interesting.” Leon smiled. More knowledge gained.

“You don’t have any other questions?” Willy finally asked when Leon didn’t follow up.

“What do you think I should be asking?” Leon smirked.

“For example, how I found this compass,” Willy said.

“Everyone’s entitled to their secrets, aren’t they?” Leon replied with a grin.

“That’s true… but I was ready to tell you, and now you’re not even asking. It’s killing me,” Willy complained, shrugging.

“Then just tell me,” Leon said, exasperated.

“Alright, since you insist—actually, I got help from the local sea mermen,” Willy said mysteriously.

“Sea mermen? Those fish-headed, human-bodied guys?” Leon asked.

“You’ve seen them?” Willy was surprised. “That’s strange. You didn’t even know you could open your eyes underwater.”

“Was that a jab at me?” Leon shot back.

“Haha, no, no. It’s just odd. Around Stardew Valley, it’s rare to see sea mermen. I was only curious where you’d met them. Sorry if I made it sound bad.” Willy patted his shoulder.

Leon didn’t take it to heart. In truth, he really was a novice when it came to the ocean.

“This is a long story, but I do want to ask—how did you get them to help you?”

“Remember my tackle box?” Willy asked.

“Yeah.”

“It was something my great-grandfather learned from the mermaids. That’s where our family’s story comes in. You see, besides his wife and children on land, my great-grandfather had another family… with the merfolk,” Willy said, looking slightly awkward.

“I can understand that,” Leon said. He’d met mermaids himself, and aside from the elders, the younger ones were all breathtakingly beautiful. For a sailor at sea most of the year, resisting that temptation would be a miracle.

“My great-grandfather nearly drowned in a sea tornado once, but a mermaid happened to save him. He stayed with her for a while, and… well, certain things happened,” Willy continued, clearing his throat.

“So that’s when our family first made ties with the merfolk. He came back to shore a few times, but by then, he’d changed—he wasn’t suited for life on land anymore.

“To make it up to his wife and children, he taught them special techniques he’d learned from the merfolk. The tackle box was one of them. He also gave his son—a shell necklace that can summon and command sea mermen as a life-saving tool at sea. That necklace became a family heirloom, passed down through the generations, until it came to me.”

Willy reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a string of shell beads, his eyes thoughtful.

“I’d planned to pass it on to my son one day. But my ex-wife didn’t like my work. She divorced me and took our son away from Stardew Valley. I’ve no plans to remarry or have more children. Other than sending them living expenses each month, we barely talk anymore. Now… I don’t even know who I should give this necklace to.”