novelraw Chapter 93: Bait for the Willing
Chapter 93: Bait for the Willing
When Leah arrived at the pier, Leon was puzzled. They barely interacted before, so why was she in such a rush to approach him? Leah spoke first.
“Are you here to fish?”
“Mm, yes.” Leon answered, knowing it was polite to respond first in a conversation.
“Stardew Valley has beautiful scenery. The lake is so clean, I bet the fish here are plump and delicious.” Leah smiled, then glanced at the fishing rod in Leon’s hand and the empty space beside him. “But… why didn’t you bring a tackle box?”
“I’m just here to take a look, not really planning to fish.”
Leon couldn’t exactly tell her that the fish he caught went straight into his System Backpack, so a tackle box wasn’t necessary.
“I see…” Leah looked a bit embarrassed and fell silent, unsure what else to say.
The awkwardness made Leon uncomfortable, so he decided to break it. “Are you here to paint by the lake?”
“Mm. You might find it strange, but I’m an art enthusiast.” Leah seemed relieved that Leon had started the conversation—she had been wondering how to ease the awkwardness herself.
“An artist, huh? That’s pretty cool.” Leon said sincerely. The idea of pursuing art always sounded impressive.“I wouldn’t call myself an artist. I have no notable works or fame. It’s just a personal hobby.” Leah lowered her head in slight embarrassment.
“You’re still young, with plenty of time ahead. One day, you’ll amaze the world with your work.” Leon encouraged her—and it wasn’t just empty comfort. In the future, he knew Leah would indeed achieve some recognition in the art world.
“Thank you. I’ll work hard toward that goal.” Leah’s eyes softened with gratitude. So far, neither her family nor her friends had supported her pursuit of art. Leon was the first to offer her such genuine encouragement.
“I believe in you. And when you’re famous someday, can I tell people I knew you back in the early days? Might be something for me to brag about.” Leon smiled when he saw her genuine, heartfelt smile.
“There’s no need to brag. You’re my friend—you can just tell people that outright.” Leah replied without hesitation.
“Friends already?” Leon was surprised. This was only their second meeting.
Leah nodded shyly. “Of course. At least I think of you as one. But… if you don’t want to, you can say so.”
“Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a beautiful woman—and a future great artist at that? I’m honored.” Leon responded firmly. There was no way he’d turn her down.
“Hahaha, you’re funny.” Leah laughed, relaxing even more. “I’m glad we met, Leon. Honestly, the first time we spoke, I felt like we’d get along.”
“Oh? How so?” Leon asked curiously.
“Because you also moved here from the city. Even though it was to inherit a farm, life in Stardew Valley isn’t as convenient as in the city. So I thought you must long for freedom and a peaceful lifestyle.” Leah explained, then looked at him a bit uncertainly. “I guessed right, didn’t I?”
“You did. I like living for myself.” Leon nodded. City life might be convenient, but it moved too fast, with crushing work pressure. Too often, he was swept along by the demands of life and money, not by his own will.
“I feel the same. Skyscrapers are cages to me, restricting thoughts and actions. Only here in Stardew Valley did I find peace again—my shackled soul finally freed.” Leah sighed.
Leon chuckled and sat down on the pier’s edge, his legs dangling over the water. “So, you’re planning to settle down in Pelican Town?”
“Yes. The scenery here is lovely, and there are so many wild plants to forage for making salads. Living in harmony with nature is my dream.” Leah set her sketchpad aside and sat beside Leon with her legs dangling, though she left half a meter of space between them.
“That’s great.” Leon said, then found he had nothing else to add. Not wanting the silence to grow awkward, he cast his hook into the lake—without any bait—pretending to fish.
But Leah had already noticed the lack of bait. Seeing him “fish” like that, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Leon looked over in confusion.
“You didn’t put on any bait.” Leah pointed out, covering her mouth so he wouldn’t see her smile.
“Ahem… I’m just testing the water depth.” Leon coughed, making up an excuse to cover the rather silly scene.
“Oh, I see. I’m not fond of fish, so I don’t know much about fishing. Sorry.” Leah believed him and even apologized for her ignorance.
“It’s fine.” Leon breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As he reeled in the line, he noticed something had snagged on the hook.
It wasn’t a fish—there was no tugging like before. It felt more like the time he’d caught a treasure chest that morning, except this was heavier, making it a real struggle to pull in.
“Wow, you actually caught something with no bait?” Leah gasped when she saw the taut fishing line and bent rod.
“It’s not a fish—just something caught on the hook.” Leon explained as he carefully reeled it in.
It definitely wasn’t a treasure chest. Those weren’t as common as weeds, and this was much heavier than the one he’d found earlier. He had to strain to pull it in.
When the object finally broke the surface, Leon saw it was a thick, rounded black log, nearly as tall as an adult.
“Sunken Wood! That’s excellent sculpting material.” Leah’s eyes lit up. Even in the market, such wood was rare and expensive.
Leon hauled the log out of the water with effort, and Leah quickly stepped in to help. Together, they pulled it onto the pier.
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