Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

Chapter 255: Information on Exclusive Bait

“Rasmodius, you’re underestimating me now. Sure, I’m a very affectionate person, but I do have my principles. A man shouldn’t hang himself on just one tree.”

Leon spoke righteously, looking Rasmodius straight in the eye.

“What if I told you that among the merfolk, a man can have multiple wives—as long as he has the ability?” Rasmodius replied calmly.

“Then maybe living in the ocean wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Leon said, stroking his chin.

“…”

He had only meant to tease Leon, but the guy actually seemed to be considering it. Rasmodius’ expression darkened instantly. “Then I wish you a pleasant life in the sea.”

“I was just saying ‘maybe’—I haven’t decided yet,” Leon quickly explained, steering the conversation elsewhere. “By the way, Rasmodius, is your daily job to watch over Stardew Valley? How come you always show up so quickly whenever something happens?”

“That’s not called watching. It’s called guarding. Besides, when a mermaid appears in Stardew Valley, how could I possibly miss it? The commotion from teleportation magic might be undetectable to ordinary people, but to an arcanist, it’s like a lighthouse in the dark—hard to miss, wouldn’t you say?” Rasmodius replied without a hint of shame.

“Uh, that makes sense. But what about times when there’s no special event—how do you still know when we’re talking about you?” Leon had been wondering about this for a long time. Now that the topic had come up, he was determined to get an answer. Otherwise, having someone always watching over him would feel… weird.

“Mages have contracts with the elements, so every mage’s name contains magical power. When someone speaks a mage’s name, that mage automatically hears the call.” Rasmodius explained patiently.“So if I used another name for you, you wouldn’t hear it?” Leon pressed.

“That’s right. That’s exactly what I wanted to tell you—if you offend a magic user, the first thing you should do is avoid calling them by their true name.” Rasmodius nodded.

“I see.” Leon breathed a sigh of relief. No wonder every time he badmouthed Rasmodius or gossiped about him, the wizard always responded so fast. Now he knew—next time he’d just use a nickname.

Seeing Leon’s thoughtful expression, Rasmodius didn’t need to guess—he already knew what the young man was thinking. He knew Leon far too well.

If he hadn’t worried that Leon might suspect him of spying on him 24/7, Rasmodius wouldn’t have told him this at all. Giving Leon this knowledge meant giving him a way to avoid detection in the future. That would make it harder for Rasmodius to catch him in the act and warn him in time.

Still, Rasmodius let it go. Aside from special cases, Leon almost never talked about him in front of the townsfolk. As long as Leon didn’t expose anything serious, Rasmodius didn’t care how the brat saw him.

After all, Leon was the son of an old friend, practically a junior. He could do as he liked.

Thinking this, Rasmodius sighed helplessly, then used teleportation magic to leave.

His departure left Leon feeling awkward. He rubbed his nose, having clearly heard that sigh and seen the complex look in Rasmodius’ eyes.

It was a familiar look—like the one his parents used to give him when he caused trouble as a kid. The look of someone who hated that the iron wouldn’t turn to steel.

At least Rasmodius wasn’t as impulsive as his parents, who would beat him with the elder’s stick right away. That alone made Leon’s impression of the wizard shoot up. Elders who knew when to hold back really scored points with him.

Unfortunately, Rasmodius left too quickly. Leon had been planning to ask him about the Mermaid Queen’s little schemes and bad habits, and what they had to do with him.

Guess that would have to wait. He had a feeling that if he went to the Wizard’s Tower right now, he’d be in for a rough time.

With Rasmodius gone, Anya sent back, and Willy still not returned, Leon stayed sitting on the dock. His legs dangled over the edge as he cast his line into the sea again.

It was nearly lunchtime when he finally saw Willy ambling up the dock.

“Oh, Leon! What are you doing here?”

As Leon spotted him, Willy also noticed Leon and quickened his pace. “So, how’s the fishing? Any luck?”

“Just sardines and anchovies,” Leon replied, reeling in his line and standing up. “Not a single big one.”

“Hahaha, well, those two are the most common. But if you want to catch big fish, you might want to consider exclusive bait. Aside from the usual types, there are custom baits designed for specific species. If you’re interested, I can help you order some.”

Leon’s eyes lit up. “Oh? There’s such a thing? Is there one for a legendary fish?”

If there was bait specifically for a legendary fish, then he could use his special ability with the first three fish each day to challenge one on a rainy day.

Willy froze for a moment at the question, then scratched his head. “I wouldn’t know. The most common custom baits I’ve seen are for largemouth bass, tuna, and squid. Never heard of one for a legendary fish.”

“Uh, fair enough. So how are these exclusive baits made?” Leon realized it was a silly question but kept the topic going. If he could make them himself, he’d definitely skip buying.

“They’re made by high-tech machines that use a live fish to create bait exclusive to that species. For example, if you put in a tuna, it produces tuna bait,” Willy explained.

“Isn’t that… cannibalism? Can you really catch fish with that?” Leon couldn’t help but complain. In nature, not many creatures liked eating their own kind.

“That’s not it. I’ve read reports—it’s about pheromones and attraction. Very advanced stuff,” Willy clarified.

“I see. So where do you get such a machine?” Leon asked.

“You’d have to order it from the Fishing Association. I’m not sure of the details—it’s a brand-new invention, still in testing. Most of the exclusive bait on the market right now is experimental. The results aren’t stable yet. I’d guess they’ll only hit the market officially once the research is done.”

“In that case, forget it. I’ll wait until they’re for sale.” Leon lost interest immediately. If it wasn’t in mass production yet, it probably wasn’t reliable. Rather than spend extra money on unstable bait, he’d rather rely on regular bait and luck.

(In truth, there really is exclusive bait for legendary fish. If you unlock the bait-making machine at Fishing Level 6 in version 1.6, you can try putting a legendary fish in it. It will produce exclusive bait—but don’t save your game. The five legendary fish only spawn once a year, so this is just for fun. In the late game, though, you can play around with it as much as you like.)

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