novelraw Chapter 71: Sandy
Chapter 71: Sandy
Emily was clearly delighted to reunite with Sandy, though Sandy’s affectionate hug left her struggling to breathe. She quickly wriggled free from Sandy’s arms.
“Sandy, this time I brought my friends to see you. This is Abigail, and this is Leon.”
“Hello.” Sandy gave Emily a slightly regretful glance before warmly greeting Leon and Abigail.
“I’m Sandy, owner of the Oasis Store.”
“Hello, Sandy.”
Leon and Abigail replied in unison.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any visitors from Stardew Valley besides Emily. Did you come because the bus from Stardew Valley to Calico Desert has been fixed?”
After the brief introduction, Sandy’s curiosity got the better of her.
“No, we still drove here,” Emily answered first.
“I see. That’s a pity. Since it’s rare to see new faces, I’ll have to treat you well.”Sandy spoke cheerfully, taking Emily and Abigail by the hand and leading them to the lounge area inside her shop. Then she returned for Leon, gently pulling him along before heading to the tea counter to prepare refreshments.
“Sandy’s shop has a lot of Calico Desert specialties. If you’re interested, you can buy some to take home,” Emily said while Sandy busied herself.
Abigail was intrigued, but since it was her first time here and Sandy had invited them for tea, it felt impolite to wander off and browse.
Leon, on the other hand, simply sat quietly, thinking about asking Sandy whether there was a stone pillar altar in this oasis.
Sandy worked quickly. Before long, she returned carrying a large tray. She set it down, dividing its contents into three portions and handing them to each of her guests.
“This is iced camel milk, a signature drink of Calico Desert. This is coconut ice cream, made with the flesh and juice of an entire coconut. And these are fresh prickly pears. Please, try them.”
She introduced the refreshments enthusiastically, her eyes full of expectation as she waited for Leon and Abigail’s reactions.
Abigail never said no to good food, and she eagerly dug into the desert-themed treats.
Leon, however, only took the iced camel milk and pushed the coconut ice cream and prickly pear toward Abigail and Emily.
“You don’t like our desert specialties?” Sandy asked, puzzled.
“I’m not fond of sweet things,” Leon quickly explained. “And I’m not really hungry. I think it’s better if Emily and Abigail enjoy them.”
“I see.” Sandy let out a small sigh of relief. So it was just a matter of taste, not dislike.
Emily chuckled and passed Leon’s coconut ice cream to Abigail. She wasn’t very hungry either, and Abigail was famous in Pelican Town for having a bottomless stomach.
After a big gulp of camel milk, Abigail wiped her mouth and sighed in delight. “This is delicious! I didn’t expect Calico Desert to have such unique food. Looks like I’ll be coming here more often.”
“As long as you enjoy it.” Sandy nodded with a smile, clearly pleased.
Seeing Sandy wasn’t upset about him skipping the snacks, Leon took a sip of the chilled, creamy camel milk before speaking.
“Sandy, this is my first time in the Calico Desert oasis, so I have a question for you.”
“What is it?” Sandy turned toward him.
“Is there a set of three stone pillars arranged in a triangle here?”
“There is. Across the lake to the northeast of the shop,” Sandy answered without hesitation.
“I see, thank you.” Leon let out a breath of relief. If they existed, his trip wasn’t in vain.
“So that’s why you came to Calico Desert? Leon, is there something special about these pillars?” Emily asked curiously.
“I read in some old texts about such structures in Calico Desert. I’m interested in ancient relics, so I wanted to take a look.” Leon gave a casual, half-true answer.
“Speaking of relics, Calico Desert is a great place to find them. Quite a few treasure hunters and explorers have unearthed artifacts from the ancient desert kingdoms—mostly gold items worth a fortune,” Sandy added.
“You can find treasure here?” Abigail’s eyes lit up, and she set her food aside.
“Of course. But those treasures buried in the sands aren’t easy to find,” Sandy said.
“I want to go treasure hunting! Leon, let’s go together. If we find something, I don’t need to keep it. I just want the thrill of digging up treasure.”
Abigail’s love for adventure burned bright. The moment she heard there was treasure to be found, even the delicious food in front of her lost its charm.
Leon sighed. “Alright, but I need to see the three stone pillars first. How about you rest here, and once I’m done, I’ll come back for you?”
“I want to go too,” Abigail said, raising her hand.
“That makes me want to go as well,” Emily added. “I’ve been to Calico Desert so many times, yet I’ve never noticed anything like that.”
Sandy clapped her hands. “In that case, I’ll lead the way.”
“Uh…” Leon was speechless. He had planned to sneak over alone and see if he could offer the Prismatic Shard at the center of the pillars to obtain the Galaxy Sword. Now, with the group growing, things were going to be more complicated.
But when he saw Abigail and Emily’s eager faces, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. “Alright, let’s all go. The more, the merrier.”
As for how to discreetly offer the Prismatic Shard with so many people around… Leon decided not to overthink it. If they saw, they saw—it wasn’t exactly a shameful secret.