novelraw Chapter 270: Just Being Polite
Chapter 270: Just Being Polite
“So, what exactly is a Child of the Wilds?”
Leon had wanted to ask this question for quite a while. The last time he visited Rasmodius, his concerns about the Fruit of the Devouring Star had pushed the matter out of his mind. Now that Linus happened to bring it up, Leon took the chance to ask.
“You can think of them as highly intelligent animals that possess special magic,” Linus replied without reservation. Since Leon wanted to know, he had no problem explaining.
“Every Child of the Wilds is born with intelligence far beyond ordinary animals. Guided by nature, they awaken their own unique talents and potential, eventually joining the ranks of the Children of the Wilds. These beings, sheltered by nature, stand somewhere between monsters and humans. Their social standing is similar to the Mermaids or Dwarves, but they’re rarer and generally more endearing. Most of them are friendly… except for the Hat Mouse. That little guy is clearly a bad apple—a real exception.”
“Are there many Children of the Wilds in Stardew Valley?” Leon pressed.
“As far as I know, only four. You’ve already met the Giant Bear in the Secret Woods, and you’ve also met the Hat Mouse. There are two more that you should be able to encounter in the future. These four are permanent residents of Stardew Valley. Of course, there are also Children of the Wilds from other places who might pass through, or even settle here, so beyond these four, I’m not sure. If you really want to know, you’ll have to ask Rasmodius.”
“There are still two more?” Leon was taken aback. Searching his memory, he could only guess that the third might be the large raccoon that appeared near the Sewer Drain on sunny days in the third year.
Although many liked to call it the Garbage-Clearing Bear, that distinctive raccoon tail made it impossible for Leon to acknowledge it as a bear.
This raccoon would ask the player for four specific gifts. Once it had eaten them all, it would clean up all the trash around the Sewer Drain and in Pelican Town, and even give Alex’s doghouse a much-needed renovation. (Yes, Leon did that on purpose.)
As for the fourth, Leon had no clue.“No need to go looking for them. These Children of the Wilds are generally harmless, and most don’t like being disturbed. Don’t trouble them. So, tell me—what are you here for?” Linus quickly interrupted Leon’s train of thought.
“Can’t I just stop by to see you?” Leon put on an exaggeratedly hurt expression.
“Do you even believe that yourself?” Linus ignored his feigned innocence and shot back without mercy.
“Fine.” Leon instantly dropped the pitiful act and pulled out a mutated carp from his backpack—the kind that came from the sewer.
“Old man, I wanted to ask—how do you eat this?”
“You must be really hungry if you’re willing to eat this abomination.” Linus took a half-step back in distaste at the sight of the grotesque fish.
“Is it not edible?” Leon asked. The system’s description hadn’t said it was dangerous, so he pressed for an answer.
“It’s edible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. There are all kinds of nasty impurities in that thing. Eat it and you might regret it,” Linus explained.
“I still want to try it.” Leon licked his lips, relieved to hear it was edible. “I’m really curious about how it tastes.”
“I’m not going to prepare that fish for you. If you want to eat it, you’ll have to figure it out yourself.” Linus stated firmly.
“Why not? Old man, without your cooking, I don’t dare take a bite.” Leon once again pulled the pitiful look.
“So you do know you shouldn’t dare? If I cook it and something happens to you, what then?” Linus scolded. “Can’t you rein in your curiosity? Sure, curiosity keeps life exciting and fuels your thirst for knowledge, but too much of it can get you killed.”
“I’ve got Nature’s Shelter to fall back on. I probably won’t die.” Leon chuckled awkwardly.
“Well, if you’re willing to die, I’m willing to bury you. But not today. Wait until tomorrow. After the festival’s over, I’ll cook that fish for you,” Linus said, giving up on convincing him otherwise.
“Afraid I’ll keel over and miss tomorrow’s Egg Festival, huh?” Leon asked, touched that Linus was looking out for him.
“I just want time to arrange for a doctor to be on standby,” Linus replied bluntly.
“Same thing, haha. Alright then, tomorrow after the festival, we’ll come back and cook it together.” Leon grinned, then bolted before Linus could hurl the old shoe in his hand.
Leaving the northern slopes, Leon didn’t plan to head back to the farm. Instead, he went straight into Pelican Town. There, in the town square, he saw Lewis directing a work crew setting up for the Egg Festival.
“Need a hand, Lewis?” Leon called out.
“Oh? Done with the farm work?” Lewis turned to look at him.
“Yeah.” Leon nodded.
“In that case, of course I could use help. But with Joja’s crew handling things here, why don’t you head over to the Starfruit Saloon instead?” Lewis suggested, slinging an arm around Leon’s shoulder.
“To help Gus prepare food for tomorrow?” Leon asked curiously.
“You’ll see when you get there.” Lewis didn’t elaborate, dragging Leon toward the saloon. Once inside, Leon saw Marnie, Jodi, Emily, and Haley sitting around a table covered with a soft cloth, painting colorful patterns on eggs.
“Ladies, I’ve brought you a helper! Let’s welcome our enthusiastic farmer, Mr. Leon, to the Egg Festival prep team!” Lewis announced, pushing Leon forward before he could say hello.
Clap, clap, clap.
The four women set down their eggs and paintbrushes to applaud politely. Leon felt so embarrassed he could curl his toes right through his sneakers.
Still, he wasn’t about to lose face. “Ahem. Thank you, thank you. I’m just here to lend a hand. You ladies are the real stars—just don’t blame me if I’m clumsy.”
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