Amid laughter and casual chatter, the two soon arrived at the open space in front of a large mountain villa at the foot of the northern slopes.
Before Leon could escort Maru into the house, he noticed a dark figure standing at Robin’s door. If it weren’t for the moonlight glinting off the blue shirt the figure wore, Leon might never have noticed anyone was there.
That figure was none other than Maru’s father, Detrius.
The mont Leon saw him, Detrius also saw Leon. But his gaze rely swept over Leon before locking onto his precious daughter. The sight of Maru’s radiant smile instantly darkened his expression.
Maru didn’t seem to notice her father standing in the chilly mountain night, waiting for her. Her eyes were fixed entirely on Leon, and Detrius could almost feel his teeth grinding.
“Maru, your father’s here to take you ho.”
It wasn’t until Leon’s reminder that Maru noticed Detrius watching her from the doorway. She hurriedly called out, “Dad? What are you doing here?”
“Of course I ca to wait for you. It’s late, and I can’t relax knowing you’re outside alone.” Detrius quickly swapped his grim look for a smile.
“I’m an adult now. Why do you still treat
like a kid?” Maru muttered, a little embarrassed. She was used to this sort of overprotective care, but with Leon right there, she couldn’t help wondering if he might think she was being a spoiled brat.
“I’m only worried about your safety.” It was the first ti Detrius had heard Maru speak to him in that tone. His heart almost broke, but he still forced a smile.
“Yes, Detrius is only concerned for you, Maru. You’re lucky to have such a father.” Leon chid in, then reached into his System Backpack and pulled out prepared copper and iron ingots.
“Here are the tal ingots you needed. Take them inside first. I’ve got sothing to discuss with Mr. Detrius.”
“All right. Thanks, Leon. I had a great ti today.” Maru was long past being surprised by Leon’s ability to summon items out of thin air. She obediently picked up the ingots and headed inside.
Detrius had the urge to help carry the “heavy” ingots, but rembering Leon’s words, he stayed put.
Once Maru was inside, Detrius stepped right up to Leon. “Are you getting a little too close to Maru?”
“We’re friends. And I’ve got a few things I need her help with. So what if we’re close?” Leon replied with a smile.
“Maru’s a good girl, and a genius. I don’t want anyone or anything interfering with her bright future.” Detrius’ tone was solemn.
“Am I interfering with her?” Leon countered.
“What do you think?” Detrius sneered.
“Maybe. I’ve got too much free ti after tending the farm every day. But if my farm had a bat-and-mushroom cave to manage, I wouldn’t have much ti for socializing.” Leon shrugged aningfully.
“If it’s just attracting fruit bats or setting up mushroom bins, I can handle it anyti. But combining both? That’s tricky. I’ll need ti to design it.” Detrius got Leon’s point and reluctantly explained.
“In that case, maybe I should invite Maru to the farm tomorrow. I heard she’s off. She could help
check the soil nutrition.” Leon smiled as if thinking aloud.
“Fine. Tomorrow I’ll help you remodel the cave.” Detrius wasn’t stupid—he knew Leon was threatening him.
Though seething inside, he had no choice. He could tell Leon would follow through.
Seeing Detrius’ forced expression, Leon’s grin widened. “Then I’ll be counting on you, Mr. Detrius. I hope you’ll take care with the work. If the cave ends up shoddy, I might need Maru’s help to find the problems. That might disrupt her bright future again.”
“There won’t be any problems!” Detrius practically roared, already rolling up his sleeves.
Leon casually drew his Galaxy Waterlon Knife, running a hand along its mirror-smooth blade. His voice stayed calm. “Then I’ll be waiting for your arrival at Red Star Farm tomorrow.”
One look at the violet blade was enough for Detrius to rember—this young man wasn’t just any farr, but a fighter who could slay monsters. He lowered his sleeves.
“All right. Just make sure you’re up early. Remodeling will take ti.”
“Of course. Ever since I ca to Stardew Valley, I’ve been an early riser. No need to worry about that.” Leon sheathed the Galaxy Waterlon Knife and reassured him.
Detrius nodded, then turned and went inside without so much as a goodbye.
Leon could only shake his head. Still, his goal was t, and he had no real reason to keep Detrius talking—he wasn’t so clingy drama queen.
Watching Detrius’ face had been amusing, though. Leon now fully understood the satisfaction of commanding the lords in the na of the emperor.
With the promise of a new inco project for Red Star Farm tomorrow, Leon cheerfully prepared to head back. But just as he was about to leave, a stone fell from the sky and landed beside him.
He looked toward where it had co from and spotted Linus standing on the mountain behind Robin’s house, waving. The gesture seed to say, Co here.
Leon didn’t hesitate. He skirted around the east side of Robin’s house, following a gentler mountain path to reach Linus.
When he arrived at Linus’ tent, he found the man sitting by a burning campfire, a cleaned carp skewered on a stick, roasting over the flas.
“Linus, are you inviting
to so grilled fish?”
If you’re enjoying this translation, please consider supporting
on (/RomayStories). Your support helps
dedicate more ti to bringing you smooth, high-quality chapters faster!
Reviews
All reviews (0)