Chapter 2: Kardia's Friendly Citizens

I woke up out of bed, moaning and rubbing my eyes. I stood up and planted my feet on the wooden floor. I checked the clock on the desk next to my bed. It's 8:00. I haven't been sleeping long at all, but I feel a bit more energized than before, thanks to the bread and water Mist gave me, and even 1 hour of sleep. I couldn't help wondering how am I going to grow my own food when I have never done anything like that before. I have amnesia, so I have no idea what my original skills used to be. Fortunately, I discovered a manual inside the side table drawer next to my bed where my lamp light sits on top of, and I checked it. As luck would have it, it is a manual that tells the reader the basics on growing fruits and vegetables on a farm. It seems simple enough.

Step 1: Till the soil and then plant your crop seeds.

Step 2: Use a bags of Greenifier on the number of seeds you want to have upgraded.

Step 3: Grow and harvest the crops as normal.

I have no idea what Greenifer is, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. I placed the manual back into the side table drawer then I put on my shoes, grabbed my wooden water pot, garden hoe and bag of seeds and headed out the door. When I stepped outside, I stood still to bask in the warm sunlight and take a deep breath while stretching my arms. My body already felt energetic again after absorbing the nutrients from the water and bread Mist gave me, I no longer felt hunger pains, and my arms and legs don't feel numb and weak anymore. I may not remember who I really am or where I was going, but for right now, my name is Raguna, and I'm living in Mist's old farm for the time being. I headed to the garden and dropped my tool, examining the garden trying to think of a good place to plant the seeds. I looked behind me over my right shoulder and looked at the lowercase "n" shaped pond behind me. I decided that I need to plant the seeds as close to the pond as I possibly can.

So, without hesitation, I grabbed weeds, yanked them out the ground and tossed them aside on the ground where they will wither and die under the sun's mild heat. The brown, dead weeds still rooted to the ground were very brittle and they crumbled as soon as I touched them. After getting rid of the weeds in the soil where I will plant my crops, I went back to where I dropped my tools and used my garden hoe to till the soil. I don't know if I have experience farming before I lost my memory, but I seem to have a knack for this. After softening the ground enough with my hoe, I grabbed the bag of seeds attached to my belt around my waist, opened the bag and sprinkled the seeds on the soft soil. Then I went to the pond with my water pot, scooped up some water and came back to where I planted the seeds and watered them, causing the soil to turn light brown to dark brown. After that, that's all I can do here. I had half a mind to visit Mist and say good morning, but I decided not to since we aren't fully acquainted yet. Instead, I decided to explore, and go into town. I crossed the bridge to the left of my house, going down the path I arrived from hours ago.

After crossing the bridge, I noticed to my right is a cave called Toros Cave. I never noticed it before when I was starving to death. The sign next to it says that anyone who wishes to enter the cave needs permission from Godwin, the mayor of Kardia. Ignoring the sign, I continued walking down the trail listening to the sounds of birds chirping and other wildlife making various noises I can't describe. I walked a few steps forward and realized after looking at my map that this is not the way to Kardia's town! It's north from my house! I returned to the vicinity of my house and headed north. After walking along the path for several minutes, I then found myself in a street filled with many houses and buildings around me. Ahead of me is a large archway and a road leading further into town.

"Wow... So this is Kardia..." I whispered.

I headed left, looking around. The place seems very quiet. No surprise- it's still morning, not everyone has woken up yet. I headed down the path to my left. I came up to a shop that had the signpost with the word "PARTS" labeled above the door. I was considering entering the building until I noticed the sign board next to the door to my left that explained business days. This shop is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but is closed indefinitely on holidays. Today is a holiday, so no dice, the shop is closed today. I continued walking until I came across a building with a large, blue cross above the door.

"... I'm guessing this must be the hospital..." I wondered to myself, considering if I could come in.

Meanwhile, inside the building that I was about to enter, a woman and two men were in a conversation in a room to my right when I came inside, but the entrance to the room isn't near me, though. But I could hear their voices as I searched for a way into the room.

"You look a little pale, are you okay?" a woman named Lara asked the man who is Godwin himself.

Lara has bright violet colored hair, she has long bangs that cover the sides of her face and extend down to waist, and she's a nurse, judging from her clothing and nurse hat. Godwin has long light gray hair, reaching down to his shoulders and he has a sharp, triangular beard and solemn eyes.

"What? I'm just a little tired, Lara... err... Dr. Edward?" Godwin replied as he tried to keep himself awake.

Edward's bright brown hair is a bit longer than Godwin's. He wears glasses, and has a very stylish mustache. He nodded at Godwin.

"Yeah, you really do seem tired. Being the mayor must really take it out of you. Look after yourself, okay?" Then Edward turned his attention to Lara. "Lara, fetch me the usual nutrition drink, could you?"

"Okay," Lara nodded and walked towards the doorway southeast from where Godwin is standing which probably leads into the hospital's kitchen.

"Thanks, Dr. Edward. You always help me out. And not just that, everyone in the town is thankful you came here."

At that compliment, Edward closed his eyes and smiled.

"When I came to this town, I finally felt like my true self for the first time. I believe that it's vital for us to live in harmony with the earth... I'm the one who should be thankful."

"I'm so happy to hear that. Okay, that's it for today," Godwin nodded modestly at Edward.

"Take care," Edward shook Godwin's hand, then Godwin left, heading for the exit.

He walked by me as soon as I walked in, but he didn't notice me or said hello to me at all. I guess he is just too sleepy to say hello. So instead I went in the room where Edward and Lara is. Lara gave Edward his nutrition drink and the noticed me as soon as I came in.

"Hello, I've never seen you in these parts before. Are you a traveler?" Edward asked me by way of greeting me.

"Yes, my name is Raguna," I shook his hand.

"I'm Ed. I'm the town practitioner if you're not feeling well, come see me right away," Edward replied.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind, thank you," I nodded.

"My name is Lara. I'm a nurse," Lara chimed in.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Raguna." I shook her hand as well, but Lara's eyes lit up as if she suddenly had an idea or recognized my name somehow.

"Hey, you're the guy who came to Mist's farm! Mist told me about you! It's so nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you." I said.

"Mist has you working as a farmer? What is that girl thinking?" Edward asked me in confusion and drank more his drink.

I sighed and shrugged. "I have no idea, but I'm not complaining. At least I got place to stay in, and I'm able to grow my own food," I said, choosing to look on the bright side of my situation.

"It's hard working on a farm, just to let you know, Raguna. Don't push yourself too hard, or you may collapse from exhaustion!" Lara warned me.

"I'll be careful. Anyway, I should go. Ed. Lara." I nodded at them and they nodded back and I left.

I headed back towards the large archway in the middle of the section of town I was at, and I found the Pub Spring Rabbit. It opens at 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., except on Mondays. Next to the pub, I found Kardia's hotel. I decided to come inside. Inside, I saw a woman at the reception desk who seems to be several years older than me, probably in her early 30's, by my guess, but she still looks young and attractive. She has a long black ponytail that arches down to her back, shaped like a very long sickle blade, her eyes are as blue as mine, coconut colored earrings, a short dark blue skirt that is cut open on the sides to partially reveal her legs, a leather belt around her waist, crimson colored boots that almost reach up to her knees, a small dark blue vest that leaves her slender belly exposed and a shirt over her vest that leaves her shoulders exposed, but not her biceps and forearms.

"Hey! Zavier, wash your face, now! You too, Tori!" She called up to her kids upstairs.

Just then the boy named Zavier came downstairs with an annoyed look on his face. He wore goggles over his silver hat which is made of soft cotton with a wide, downwards-sloping brim, he wore a sleeveless bright green shirt under his gray colored vest and he wore sleeves detached from his clothes but held together by belts softly strapped under his elbows, covering his forearms but leaving his biceps exposed. He seems to be around my age if not a couple years younger, judging that he is tall as I am.

"What is it...?" He asked his mother in weary annoyance.

"Didn't you hear me just now, Zavier? I need you and Tori to wash your faces, on the double!" His mother explained sternly.

Zavier got even more upset.

"But... I'm going to Carmite Cave right now, so I've no time to wash my face," Zavier protested then stormed off before his mother could say anything else, bolting past me and shutting the door.

Almost immediately, Zavier's sister appeared as well. Unlike Zavier and his mother, Tori has blonde hair, and a casually pretty pink dress. She also wears wide frame glasses glasses and has blue eyes that are more deeply blue than her mother and me. She also appears to be my age too, or maybe younger than Zavier, I can't tell for sure.

"I... I washed it th... three times already... Mummy! See you later," she stammered out meekly before leaving.

Zavier and Tori's mother gritted her teeth in frustration after Tori left, then she rested her elbows on the surface of the reception desk and buried her face into her hands in depression and frustration.

"Those kids of mine!" The woman behind the reception desk groaned.

Then she noticed me standing there looking kinda lost.

"What? A customer was here? You didn't hear what was going on just now, did you?" She asked me.

I felt the need to be honest instead of lie. Lying is not the way to go when trying to make a good first impression.

"I'll just say that I only heard half of it. Don't worry," I said as I approached the desk.

The woman took a long look at my face.

"You're an unfamiliar face. Traveling through these parts? You're welcome to stay at me inn if you'd like," she offered.

"Thanks, but I already have a place to stay," I said politely.

"Oh, it's you! You're the one living with Mist, right?"

Wow, news travels fast. Has Mist been telling everyone in town about me while I was asleep all morning?

"That's right. My name is Raguna," I replied.

"I'm Lady Ann," she shook my hand. "I have a son and daughter about your age. I'm sure they'd love to meet you!" Lady Ann said.

"Were their names Zavier and Tori? They seem like a handful, but good kids," I admitted.

Lady Ann smiled warmly at me while resting her arms on the desk and leaning towards me.

"Zavier will talk your ear off, but Tori's the opposite."

"I get it. One is talkative, the other is quiet," I remarked.

Ann nodded. "Although it can be tough raising those two together..." She said, brushing the tuft of hair over her forehead.

"Mind if I look around?" I asked Lady Ann.

"Sure," She nodded.

I went into the kitchen area, where hotel guests can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. All the dinner tables were empty except for one. A guy in strange clothing and carrying a strange staff was the only person in here. He was eating boiled egg and masu trout meat for breakfast. He wore a dark blue hat with a white line on the rim and red dots in the line, and dark blue clothing that makes him look like a priest or cleric. His staff is dark orange colored, and the top of it is shaped like a capital "T" with the edges bent down a few inches.

"Hello. Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm new in town." I apologized to him when he looked up at me.

Much to my relief, he wasn't angry that I disturbed him at all. He just casually rose up out of his chair and approached me.

"The name is Lukas. I'm a traveler, a poet, and a messenger of love. Don't forget it!" Lukas greeted me with a friendly smile and warm handshake.

"Uh... my name is Raguna. Nice to meet you," I nodded, caught a bit off guard by the sudden handshake because for one second, his hands were gripped on the fork and knife, then suddenly, he's shaking my hand.

"You too. Are you thinking of settling down in this town?"

Giving his question some thought, I thought long and hard before shrugging and saying: "Well, who knows what tomorrow's gonna bring. I could be here a while though. What about you?"

"I'm traveling the world right now, and this is the best place I ever stayed in! I could settle down here, but there are too many pretty girls in other countries too," Lukas said.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes," Lukas said with a confident smile. "It's good to talk of love. Love... Is this love? La la la..."

I didn't have the time to hear his singing, so I cut him off.

"Sorry, Lukas, I gotta go. I'll see you next time if you're still in town, okay?"

"All right then. See you some other time," Lukas waved bye as I left.

A few minutes later I found myself standing in front of a shop where you can buy swords or have the blacksmith make weapons for you. Too bad Sword Leo Smithery is also closed on holidays. As I continued walking further down the empty street, I noticed to my left a small archway leading into the next area of town and a flight of stairs ahead of me leading to the beach. I decided to head down to the beach. As I headed down the stairs to the beach, I saw a huge seashell in the middle of the beach surrounded by 4 purple colored spiky objects. Once my feet hit the sand, I headed over to the seashell.

"Hmm... What's this thing...?" I asked myself as I approached it.

The seashell had a large hole, as if I could go inside it. As I inspected the seashell, I saw a girl heading towards me. Like Mist and Lara, she also seems to be several years older than me, mid or late 20's, I think. She has aqua blue colored eyes and semi long blue hair reaching down to her shoulders, she wars a necklace made out of small seashells, and she wore a small, white top that is either designed to or cut off to reveal her midriff, she has white cloth tied to the bicep of her left arm and she wore dark red skirt that is partially revealed under her longer dark blue skirt, and she wore a belt around her waist, crimson colored bracers on both of her arms, and sandals.

"Bet that huge seashell surprised you!" She said with a smile that doesn't show her teeth.

I looked up at her, startled by her sudden remark and appearance.

"It sure did. Uh... who are you?"

"I'm Sabrina, I run that seaside shack over there," she said, pointing over at the shack behind her a few yards away from us.

"My name is Raguna."

"Oh, you're the one Mist caught hold of," Sabrina remarked.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

Sabrina laughed. "Don't worry, Mist isn't a bad person. Anyway, that mysterious shell over there is connected to other worlds! Apparently you can exchange messages and items with people from those other worlds. But don't ask me how. I've never figured it out!" She said, concluding with a hearty laugh.

(She sure is cheerful...) I thought to myself.

"If you want, though, feel free to try it out! See you around!" Sabrina turned around and headed for her shack, leaving me alone with the big seashell.

I continued inspecting it for about 31 seconds, but I never went inside it. Who knows what's in there?

Later, at 10:57 a.m., I heard some kids talking nearby. I looked over near the shack to see a blue haired little boy and little girl talking. I noticed that the girl is holding a small, beautiful stone in her hands, so I got curious and I walked up to her. She has short peach hair with braided forelocks, her eyes are green colored and she also wears a purple bandana. As for her clothes, she wears a white dress with light blue fabric and dark pink vest, and she seems to be younger than me, 8 or 9 years old by my guess, including her friend. She saw me coming and giggled. The boy ran off to get something, I think.

"Hee hee! Isn't this round one great?" She asked me as she held the stone in her hands up at me so I can get a better look at it.

"That's a cute stone. Is that your treasure?"

"Yup! My name's Cecilia. But everyone calls me "Ceci." What's your name?"

"My name's Raguna."

"That's a nice name. It's nice to meet you, Raguna. You know what? I like to collect all kinds of stones. Hee hee! If you find any good ones, give 'em to me, okay?"

"Okay, sure," I nodded.

Cecilia's friend came back. He's obviously the same age as Cecilia, his blue eyes are darker than Sabrina, Lady Ann and mine, including his hair. He wore a thin band around his head which held red tipped feathers on the side, and he wore a shirt with a shoulder strap that drooped off his left shoulder, but he never bothered to put the strap back on his left shoulder though.

"Who are you?" He asked me curiously.

"I'm Raguna. And you are?"

"Nicholas. Nice to meet you." He smiled and shook my hand.

His hands were soft but full of energy.

"Nice to meet you, Nicholas."

"You too. So, where are you from, Raguna?" Nicholas asked me.

I scratched an itch out of my head.

"Actually, I don't remember... Right now, Mist is letting me stay on her farm."

"Really?" Nicholas tilted his head to the right in mild disbelief.

"Yep," I nodded without hesitation.

"Hey, Raguna, are you into fishing?" Nicholas asked me.

"Huh? Umm... I'm not sure..." I said, trying to remember if I loved fishing or not.

"Don't worry! I'll talk Sabrina into teaching you how to fish! Until then, wait over there!" Nicholas said, pointing over at the dock.

I nodded and headed over there.

I stood at the edge of the dock, looking out at the vast ocean, wondering if I'll ever remember who I am, what I like, what I hate, and what I was doing.

"Do you like fishing?" Sabrina's voice nearly startled me.

I turned around to see her smirking cheerfully as she approached with an old fishing rod in her right hand.

"I don't know how it works, but it sure looks fun!" I admitted.

"Do you have a rod?"

"No, not yet," I shook my head.

Sabrina made her smirk grow wider as she offered me the fishing rod she brought.

"That's okay. You're welcome to use one of my old models."

"Really?"

"Sure! Here you go!" She handed the rod to me and i took it into my hands, examining it.

"Thank you!" I said ecstatically.

Then, for the next 30 minutes, Sabrina taught me how to catch fish. She told me that the key to catching fish or other types of seafood is patience, that you can't expect them to come to you at the snap of a finger. Just throw the line out and wait patiently while watching the floater ride the gentle waves, and if it dives underwater, that means I got a bite. Believe it or not, I caught 3 squids and 2 sardines in the 30 minutes Sabrina trained me, so she was amazed that I managed to catch a few things on my first try. Afterwards, I came back home to put the small box containing the squids and sardines I caught in the container where farm products are held for someone to pick up, then returned to town to visit the Pub.

Meanwhile, inside the Pub, the bartender was talking to Lady Ann.

"What happened to you? Is something wrong?" The bartender asked her.

Lady Ann gave the bartender a very serious scowl. "Has Zavier been in? He missed work again and went off somewhere."

"No, he's not been here," the bartender replied, polishing the bottles of wine with a clean rag casually.

Lady Ann raised her left eyebrow, still looking serious.

"Oh really? Let me know if you see him," she said.

"Sure will. So, what'll you have? Want a drink?" The bartender asked while cleaning a wine bottle with a clean rag.

"I'd love to, but I gotta find Zavier. See you around," Lady Ann said, her hard expression softening up a few notches.

Just before I could enter the Pub, Lady Ann came out before I could touch the door, said hello to me and told me to let her know if I see Zavier and headed back to the Inn. When I entered nobody was inside except the bartender.

"Is the coast clear?" I heard Zavier's voice as soon as I stepped inside, closing the door behind me.

"Yeah..." The bartender sighed, setting the wine bottle he was polishing back on the shelf.

Zavier stepped out from the back room door, sighing in relief.

"Thanks, Emmett," Zavier smiled gratefully at Emmett then closed the door he was hiding behind shut.

"That's the last time I let you hide here!" Emmett warned, but still keeping his friendly smile.

Zavier nodded.

"Okay, got it. Thanks. Catch you later!" Zavier headed out the back door of the Pub as I headed towards the bartender to say hello.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Emmett, the owner of this bar."

"my name is Raguna. Nice to meet you too," I shook his hand.

Emmett's eyes lit up for a second.

"Ah, you're the guy who came to live on Mist's farm. Or so the rumor has it," he said.

I couldn't believe word about me is spreading so quickly. I scratched my head, smiling sheepishly.

"Yes, that's me. Ha ha..." I chuckled softly.

"It seems that she likes you a bit, too. Well, good luck!"

"Thanks, Emmett. See you later," I turned around and headed back outside.

"Come back and try my strawberry wine next time!" He called before I shut the door.

I headed for the small archway near the flight of stairs leading to the beach. I passed under it, climbed a few steps ahead and found myself in the middle half of town. I found myself standing in front of another small archway with an emblem of the sun marked on it. Next to it appears to be the church, to my left. I decided to go inside and see if I can meet anyone else new. As soon as I came in, I saw Cecilia and Nicholas with the priest of the church at the far end of the aisle near the altar. I never noticed this about Cecilia before, but around this time I noticed how pointy her ears look, which means either she is an elf, or half-elf, I don't know which. As for the priest, he seems to be a middle aged man. He wore a large, weird rectangular hat and church clothing that looks thick and uncomfortable to wear during a hot summer.

"What? Where's my holy book gone?" He asked the kids with a distressed look on his face.

Nicholas simply laughed and said: "I don't know!" with an innocent smile.

Cecelia too.

"I don't know either. Ha ha ha!" She giggled.

She immediately put the book back on the alter then she and Nicholas ran out the church, running past me without saying hi.

"Phew... I'm pleased you're happy, but I wish you wouldn't play such tricks!" The priest was saying to the kids, but since they were already gone, he may as well be talking to himself.

As I walked down the aisle between the rows of benches the priest noticed me and he greeted me.

"My name is Wesley. I'm a priest of the church," he said.

"My name is Raguna. How do you do?" I replied when I walked up the small steps, meeting Wesley up close and shook his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you. I hope to see you at church on holidays," Wesley said.

"Thank you," I nodded.

"Let us pray together today," Wesley offered.

How could I say no? It would feel impolite to me if I did. We prayed for 5 minutes, then I had to go.

"Thank you for the prayers, Wesley. I'll see you next time," I said as I walked down the red carpet to the exit.

"Please try to lead a meaningful life, Raguna. It's the most important thing you can do," Wesley said.

Outside, to the left of Welsey's church is Camus' Farm. It's also closed on holidays. After passing by the house I found myself standing in front of the largest archway in town. unlike the others, it isn't made of stone- mostly. The lower parts are made of stone, the top parts are made of brass metal and in the middle of the archway is a large clock that shows what time it is. Beyond the archway is a 100 yard long beautiful pathway leading to the next area of town, but I'm not ready to go to that area yet. To the far left, opposite from Camus' Farm is Neumann's Farm. Also closed for the holidays as well. Between the farm and another building I met a man who was checking his inventory of vegetable seeds.

"Hello," I said as I came up to greet him.

"Are you a traveler? I'm Camus. I run a farm here." Camus seems to be 31 years old, I guess, he has piercing black eyes, dark silver hair, and the clothing he wears is hard for me to describe. All in all, he looks like the kind of guy who is an expert on handling swords, spears and javelins.

"My name's Raguna. Nice to meet you!" I said.

Camus nodded with his mouth partially open and eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, so you're the one Mist got her clutches on," he said.

I felt embarrassed that I started scratching the back of my head.

"Uh, yeah..." I said uneasily.

"She's a real character, isn't she? Don't worry, she's not that bad once you get used to her."

"Okay," I nodded.

"On the bright side, Mist's farm is pretty big. Take good care of it!" Camus said.

"Okay," was all I could say with a courteous nod, keeping his advice in mind.

Camus was about to turn his back on me and continue checking his inventory but he changed his mind at the last minute because he had something else to tell me.

"Oh yeah, and if you plan on catching any monsters, you'll need to build some monster huts. If you want any built, just let me know. I'm pretty good at it."

I nodded in agreement and decided to walk away so that Camus can get back to checking his inventory. After talking to Camus for a while, I headed back to the archway with the town's clock on it, walked under it and headed to the next section of town, walking down a pathway lined by the farming fences on both sides. Walking down that path was pretty breathtaking for me because walking between Camus and Neumann's farm, seeing how large and beautiful their fields are fills your eyes with wonder. I reached the next section of town. Ahead of me is a long pathway lined up by nearly a dozen tall but crooked metal poles bent to face each other. I assumed the pathway leads to the part of town where festivals are usually celebrated. I'll check that area later. I headed right, walking towards a man with gray robes, glasses and dark lavender colored hair. He's about 2 inches shorter than me.

"Hi. My name is Russell. I'm the head librarian here. Who are you?" He asked me.

"Hi, I'm Raguna," I reached out with my right hand and shook his right hand firmly.

After shaking my hand, Russell smiled, then brought his right hand's index finger and thumb up towards his face and gently adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Nice to meet you. So you must be the one who came to Mist's farm."

"Yes," I nodded.

"We also sell books here at the library. We have a variety of interesting titles, so please drop by now and then. We also carry magic books, although they don't come in as often. You'll find them on the back shelf in the library," Russell told me.

"I'll pay a visit sometime, but not today. I'll see you then," I began to walk away from Russell, heading back towards the center section of this part of town.

"Pleasure meeting you, Raguna," He waved bye at me as I walked away.

I looked back at him as I was walking and waved goodbye in return. To the left of the long pathway leading to the festival grounds, sitting at one of the park benches, I met a man who has the same hair color as Russell. His hair is a bit long with two thick rubber bands binding two thick ropes of hair that extend down from in front of his ears to his shoulders, his jacket is tan colored and thicker, he carries a stick in his right hand.

"This town is a great place." He said to me cheerfully as I walked close enough to hear him.

I finally took notice of him. "I agree. Kardia is something," I nodded with a modest smile.

The man stood up from his bench and took two steps towards me.

"Hello. My name's Ivan. I'm a traveling salesman," he shook my hand.

"My name is Raguna. How are you doing?"

"Fine. Nice to meet you, Raguna. I have plenty of interesting things for sale here. I'm here on the holiday every weeks. So come along anytime, eh?"

"Yeah, okay," I nodded and walked away.

After meeting Ivan. I continued my tour around town. It didn't take me long to realize that I've explored every place in town and met almost everybody in town. So I returned home with my cheap hoe and got to work tilling the soil, picking up herbs that I found in the garden and putting them in the shipping chest. I don't know who picks up my shipment yet, though.

At 4:00 p.m., I got so tired, my arms were aching.

"Phew... I am so tired... I hope there's a good place for me to take a bath at," I said to myself.

I returned to town, and in the middle section of town, where Camus and Neumann's farms are, I met a girl I've never met before. She seems to be a teenager like me, she has bright, long, golden blonde hair, a white shirt with sleeves that do not cover her forearms and a short tan skirt, she wears red shoes and her eyes are ruby colored. And she had a modest smile on her face when she saw me.

"Oh, hello. I don't think I know you. I'm Rosetta. What's your name?" She asked me.

"I'm Raguna." was my reply.

Rosetta smiled a bit.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Raguna! Where are you staying?" She asked me while looking into my eyes with an intensity that I didn't pay much attention to.

"I'm staying at Mist's farm."

After I replied, Rosetta gasped in surprise. "What? That old rundown place?" After she said that, her shocked expression changed into a sly smirk. "Oh, so you're the one she suckered into staying with her."

Rosetta's remark didn't sit well with me.

"What do you mean "suckered"?" I asked in concern.

"Let me guess... She told you, "I think you have talent," right?" Rosetta asked, still wearing that sly look on her face.

I wasn't sure if Rosetta's guess was pure luck or not.

"Hey, how do you know that?" I asked.

"I know because that's what she says to everyone!" Rosetta replied.

I felt unsure if whether Rosetta is lying to me, or she knows something about Mist that I don't. In the end, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. I am in no position to be suspicious of anyone. Besides, why would Mist play me for a fool when I have nothing of value? It makes no sense!

"Well, I didn't have anywhere else to stay, so I'm grateful she took me in," I said, hoping that Rosetta isn't hinting that Mist is playing some kind of practical joke on me.

Rosette scoffed, still smiling at me and looking into my eyes. Actually, she never took her eyes off of me, not even for a second.

"Since you're staying at a farm, you could probably use some supplies. My house is an item shop, so feel free to stock up on things," Rosetta offered."

"Thanks," I nodded gratefully.

"Oh, and I'll go pick up the shipping boxes at your house, Raguna. I'll come by at 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, so be sure to fill up the boxes by then," Rosetta advised me.

"I'll be sure to. By the way, where's the hot springs? I'm beat," I asked Rosetta.

"Down that way. Melody runs it," Rosetta pointed behind me, to the building next to Neumann's farm.

"Okay, thank you, Rosetta." I said with a thankful smile.

Before I turned my back on Rosetta, I saw her wave goodbye at me, still smiling, and I thought I saw her face blushing red a bit. I never took that as a sign that Rosetta finds me attractive, but its true, she does, I just did not realize it.

When I entered the spa, I looked around. No one was at the reception desk. To the left is the women's side of the hot springs bath, and to the right is the men's. I headed to my right, when I entered the room with hot, steaming water, I saw a girl cleaning out the tub with a rag and a bucket full of soap water. She wore a large red hat which resembles the kind of hat witches stereotypically wear. She seems to be 3 years younger than me, her eyes are the same color as mine, and her hair is pink colored.

"Splash, splash in the bath. My skin is so shiny! This is happiness," She said to herself cheerfully as she scrubbed the tub clean with the rag wet with soap water.

I began to approach her cautiously, I don't want to interrupt her work, but I need to know if the spa is open even in the holidays.

"Um, hello," I called.

The girl stood up and turned in my direction.

"Ho ho ho! Hello there! My name is Melody! I run a bathhouse here."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Raguna," I shook her hand.

Her hand felt very smooth and soft.

"Hey, Raguna. The bathhouse is open every day. Come and have a soak anytime you like," Melody said.

"Hm. speaking of which, I need a bath right now."

"Thank you! I love it when people come and take a bath here. That'll be 10g." She said, then I handed her the money I had in my pocket. Fortunately I had enough to pay for the service.

"Thanks! Enjoy your bath!" Melody said with a cheerful smile, then she left to give me some privacy.

Once she was gone, I stripped off my clothes then jumped in the hot, soothing water. Ooh, man the warm water felt so good on my skin. I stayed in there for 20 minutes, letting the warm water clean the dirt off my body.

"Ooooh... This feels so nice!" I sighed in relief.

After relaxing in the hot springs, I returned home and tilled more soil with my garden hoe. I found a few red, white and green herbs. I decided to keep them with me for now. I also found a bamboo sprout. Later, at 8:50 p.m., I fell asleep after eating some more bread and drinking more water.

To Be Continued...