After all, Rasmodius always carried himself in public as a mysterious and imposing figure. Almost no strangers knew that beneath the image of this upright and noble guardian, he was actually a petty man in private.
“Hahaha, just like Welwick said, Leon, you really are interesting. Let me introduce myself—my name is Camilla, and as you can see, I’m a witch.” The self-proclaimed Camilla gave a slight curtsey, her posture elegant and ladylike.
“I was drawn here by the sound of you activating Yoba’s Crafting Altar, so I decided to drop by and take a look. I wasn’t trying to scare you on purpose.”
After introducing herself, Camilla also made sure to explain why she had appeared here.
“You’re a witch? So magic really exists in this world?” Protected behind Leon, Abigail couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
“Of course, child. Didn’t you know? After all, you—”
“Ahem.”
Before Camilla could finish, Leon gave a light cough, cutting her off. “Different arrangements. Different arrangements.”
“Oh? Alright then. I guess I can’t satisfy your curiosity, child,” Camilla replied with immediate understanding, her tone carrying a hint of apology toward Abigail.
Abigail looked at Leon in confusion and complained, “What exactly are you hiding?”
“Me? I just don’t want someone to find an excuse to mess with me for ‘interfering with his plans.’ Better the neighbor than me, as they say.” Leon replied helplessly.
“Don’t blame him. There are some things you’ll understand when you’re able to take part in them,” Camilla said, helping Leon smooth things over.
“Mysterious as ever,” Abigail muttered, then stopped asking questions.
Seeing this, Leon breathed a sigh of relief before asking, “Then, Lady Camilla, is there anything else you needed?”
“No, I just wanted to say hello.” Camilla shook her head, then looked from Leon to Abigail with a mischievous smile.
“Oh? Are you saying I interrupted the two of you on a date? My apologies, my apologies, I didn’t realize. Looks like I really should get going. Goodbye!”
With that, Camilla vanished before their eyes, disappearing without a trace—just like Rasmodius’s teleportation magic.
Leon couldn’t help but envy her. If he could learn that trick, life would be so much more convenient.
But he also felt a bit resentful. She could have just left quietly, but no—she had to drop a parting line like that. Now Leon could see Abigail’s face turning so red it looked ready to drip blood.
His original question had simply been to see if Camilla had anything else to say besides a quick greeting. Who would have thought she’d misunderstand? Or maybe it wasn’t a misunderstanding at all, and she’d deliberately dug that pit for him out of pure mischief. Leon had a feeling he’d guessed the truth.
“Ahem… witches don’t think like normal people. Just take it as a joke. Besides, we’re like siblings, right?”
But since Camilla, the culprit, had already slipped away, Leon could only clean up the mess she left behind himself.
“Mm.” Abigail’s reply was rather listless, giving Leon a headache. He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, it’s almost lunchtime. How about I take you to try some Calico Desert specialties?”
“Sure.” Abigail’s tone was much more normal this time, and her expression had calmed.
Seeing that, Leon felt relieved and led her toward Sandy’s Oasis Store.
On the way, Leon thought Abigail might ask him about witches or magic, but she stayed completely quiet. He had no idea what to say either, so he just walked beside her in silence.
Thankfully, the desert street stalls near Sandy’s Oasis Store caught Abigail’s attention. Faced with the rare desert specialties seldom seen in Stardew Valley, her shopping instincts came alive.
“Hey, Leon, try this date fruit! The flavor’s so unique!”
“I know. I had it last time I came.”
“Leon, do you think this sun hat looks nice? Should I get one for my mom as a gift?”
“Sure.”
“Wow, look at this sand sculpture! How do they trap the sand inside the glass and still keep it shaped like a camel?”
“…”
Watching Abigail weave through the stalls, buying whatever caught her fancy, her energy fully restored, Leon could only smile.
Some of her questions he couldn’t answer either. Luckily, the desert traders were enthusiastic—whether it was Abigail’s smile or her spending power, Leon wasn’t sure—and they often filled in the answers for him.
By the time they stepped into Sandy’s Oasis Store, Abigail was carrying three bags full of Calico Desert goods.
“You again?” Sandy, who was sorting her ledger at the counter, gave Leon a look of mock disgust.
“Just passing by,” Leon replied, then asked, “Have you eaten? Let’s get some food—my treat.”
“No, but if you’re offering, forget it. The boss won’t care if I take a few extra portions anyway.” Sandy shook her head, then turned to Abigail with a much warmer smile.
“Abigail! We meet again.”
“Hello, Sandy. Sorry to bother you.” Abigail greeted her politely, then handed her bags to Leon.
Leon understood immediately, storing everything into his System Backpack—just like he had done before with Abigail’s Galaxy Dagger.
Sandy’s eyes lit up with interest at the sight, but unlike Camilla, she didn’t stir up trouble. She simply rested her chin in her hands, studying the two of them with an amused “auntie smile.”
After helping Abigail put away her purchases, Leon explained, “I was actually meeting Emily, but she had other things to do, so she couldn’t join us. She told me she’d come visit you next time on her own, and she asked me to say hello for her.”
“No problem. Tell Emily she’s always welcome here.” Sandy smiled.
“Mm, but honestly, you writing each other letters would be much more personal than me passing messages,” Leon teased.
“But if we just wrote letters, Emily might feel like it’s missing a certain… special fun,” Sandy replied meaningfully.
“…”
What could Leon say? Silence was the best way to deal with Sandy’s hints.
As for the issue with the Galaxy Watermelon Knife—well, it’s not something that can be changed for now. When Ginger Island is open and I can get to the Volcano Forge, I’ll redesign it.
As for the word count, it’s only two extra characters. You can check for yourselves—each chapter is billed at 200 words, but most of my chapters include 150+ extra words for free. If I were padding for word count, those free extras wouldn’t be there. I simply like the Galaxy Watermelon Knife because it’s genuinely useful. Along with the folding stool, it’s one of my perfect weapon choices.
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