Glimmer barked loudly, scampering in circles as if it understood the conversation between the two men. Thomas suddenly remembered: "Oh! And this little guy. This pup was taken in by Jack in his final days. After he passed, I came here every day to look after it for him. Now that you're here, if you're taking over the farm, please care for it too. It's very smart and will help you with lots of things." Thomas said, patting Glimmer's head.
"Yes, Mayor, don't worry! I'll take good care of Glimmer!"
"You've already named it? So, what will you call this farm?"
"Let's call it Solace Farm!"
"Great! Tomorrow, I'll ask Gotz to replace the farm's sign for you, free of charge, as a welcome gift. For other repairs, contact Gotz. He's the best carpenter here—actually, the only one! By the way, do you know anything about farming?"
Luis shook his head.
"I'll guide you through the basics tomorrow. For now, I need to prepare for tonight's festival! Would you like to join?"
Luis's stomach growled loudly. Before he could answer, Thomas continued: "Tonight, six o'clock, come to Rose Square! There'll be mochi for you!"
With that, the mayor turned and headed back to town, leaving Luis alone with his newly inherited farm. He considered touring the property, but the day's events had left him exhausted. He checked the time on his wristwatch.
4:00 PM.
Two hours until the New Year's Festival. In the game, players typically couldn't attend this event in their first year, as they only took control of the character starting on 2-Spring. The game's events were opportunities to build relationships and familiarity with the townsfolk. Except for a few special characters, nearly everyone attended the town's events.
But in a real world like this, Luis had little desire to mingle with too many people. Life experience had taught him: the more relationships you have, and the deeper they are, the more likely trouble will arise. In his old world, people no longer fought nature to survive—they fought each other, grappling with moral standards and social responsibilities. He'd escaped that society. Was he now to dive into a new quagmire? No way. He'd stay here, build a thriving farm, and only connect with others when absolutely necessary. He'd restart his life on his own terms. Here, everyone was a stranger. No one would force him to do, say, or become anything. He'd do what he wanted.
"Let's go, Glimmer! Time to clean the house!" he said enthusiastically, excited for the days ahead in his new life, like a child preparing for their first big trip.
Cleaning didn't take long. The house, though small, was well-equipped for one person. However, he noticed it lacked food storage and a kitchen. This was a critical issue. In the game, the protagonist's eating was simplistic: a single meal in the morning, sourced from who-knows-where, without needing to spend money. To restore stamina, players could eat crops, cook, forage in the forest, or buy food at the town's inn. Right now, Luis had no kitchen or crops, so he'd likely have to forage for fruits in the forest to get by. Whether that would fill him up, he wasn't sure. But today, he didn't need to worry about food—the mayor had promised him mochi at the event.
While cleaning, he realized this body's stamina was lacking. Though free of the chronic ailments of his old body, it wasn't suited for the heavy labor of farm work. He'd need to improve this body's strength and endurance, or he wouldn't be able to handle the farm's demands.
The quickest way wasn't exercise—farming was already physical work, and exercising on top of that would be absurd; he wasn't an office worker anymore—but finding power berries, hidden fruits scattered across locations and events in the game. Power berries boosted stamina instantly. If this world mirrored the game, he knew where to find them. The easiest was in the overgrown garden on his farm. Digging it up would yield one berry. Others were harder to obtain but achievable as the game progressed.
Additionally, eating and soaking in the game's hot springs restored stamina. Whether those worked the same way here, and to what extent, he didn't know. He'd have to experiment tomorrow.
For now, he needed to hurry to Rose Square for his first event in this world. Luis followed a map he'd found on the bookshelf. The shelf held two useful maps: one of the entire town, including the mountain area, and one of his farm. Thanks to the town map, he arrived at Rose Square on time.
Rose Square was a spacious, stone-paved plaza, lined with lamps for nighttime activities. It bordered the beach, offering a stunning view. The sea breeze blew invigoratingly inland, lifting his spirits.
When he arrived, Rose Square was packed. The entire town had gathered to make mochi and celebrate the new year. Some faces were familiar, but others he'd never seen in the game. That made sense—this was a real town. If a real-world town were as small as in the game, its society would've collapsed long ago.
Long tables were set up for everyone to make mochi together. In the game, players never truly experienced this event or saw how the rice cakes were made. After the event, they simply received a plate of mochi as a gift. Luis didn't care much about the event itself—just the mochi. He was starving.
He wove through the crowd. Acquaintances gathered in groups, chatting lively. Luis found an empty bench in a quiet corner and sat down. His eyes scanned the plaza, searching for key figures who could help develop his farm. His old work habit kicked in: gather information, analyze the situation, then plan and act.
As he focused, a man in a white shirt, neatly combed hair, and a red bow tie awkwardly pushed through the crowd toward him. Panting, he leaned forward and said: "Hi… huff huff… I heard from the mayor… you're… the new guy!"
"Yes! I'm Luis, the newcomer! Take a moment to catch your breath before continuing!"
The man stood upright, patted his chest, and swallowed to steady himself. Once composed, he continued: "I'm Jeff! Welcome to Mineral Town. Great to meet you!"
"Great to meet you too, Jeff! I'm Luis, inheriting Jack's farm. I'll be counting on your help going forward!"
In truth, Luis knew he'd need Jeff's help a lot. Jeff ran the largest supermarket in Mineral Town, where most crop seeds and cooking ingredients were sold. Jeff's daughter, Ann, was also a kind and lovely girl.
"No, no! I'm the one looking forward to a promising new customer!" Jeff said with a shy smile, then continued: "Mayor Thomas told me about your situation. He asked me to assist you in your early days here. I'll provide some basic food daily—rice balls and bread. Each morning, Harris, the town's policeman, will deliver them to your mailbox. Wait, wait, don't get the wrong idea! We're not pitying you or anything!" Jeff stammered nervously. "We just want to help a bit. I'll still charge for the items. When you start earning from the farm, you can pay me back. I'll keep a detailed record of the debts. That's all. So… do you accept this help?"
Jeff looked at Luis with unease, as if offering assistance was deeply embarrassing.
Luis smiled warmly and nodded: "No misunderstanding here. Your help, along with the mayor's and the policeman's, is a huge support. I'll work to pay off the debt as soon as I have farm income. Thank you so much!"
Jeff gave a faint smile. The man overthought things, always worrying about how others perceived him, but he was genuinely kind.
Thwack!
Jeff jumped.
"Ha ha ha!" A tall, burly man slapped Jeff's shoulder. "Happy New Year, old pal! Checking in on your potential customer, eh? Ha ha ha!"
Luis recognized him. A muscular man with a flat-top haircut—unmistakable. It was Zack, Mineral Town's transporter, who would collect and pay for his farm produce. Zack came to pick up goods daily at 5:00 PM, paying on the spot. Later, Luis could sell to Won, a cunning Chinese merchant, for higher prices, but that required building rapport. For now, Zack was crucial to his early farming career.
Both the seed seller and the produce buyer were here. Mayor Thomas was clearly looking out for him.
Zack, still chuckling, said: "Hey, newbie! You're taking over Jack's farm, huh? Since he passed, the town's lost its source of quality produce. I was thrilled to hear you'd arrived! I'll collect your crops and pay you, so work hard, alright? Or I'll snap your neck! Ha ha ha!"
Jeff frowned: "Hey, don't scare him! He's just arrived! Guide him properly!"
As the two bickered, Thomas stepped onto the stage, announcing the start of the event.