"Harvey! I had no idea you were… were so smart!" You trail off lamely.
Harvey chuckles, causing you to give him a reproachful glare.
"What Abigail means to say is, thank you Harvey, for healing me and coming up with such a brilliant potion," I laugh, and add, "But really Harvey, that's amazing. Which mushrooms go into this potion? I'll try my best to grow them on the farm and forage for them if I can."
"There are four as I said before. Red and purple mushrooms are found underground, but purple ones are far rarer, and is generally the limiting ingredient. I personally buy them from Marlon from the Adventurer's Guild. As for the other two: morels can be foraged in spring, and chanterelles in fall. If you can find a way to grow any of the four, especially purple mushrooms, that would be amazing!"
I make a quick mental note while you jump in and ask,
"Harvey, do you have more life elixirs? I would love to buy some."
"I only have a couple remaining right now. Take one for emergencies, and I'll keep one… That's OK! You don't have to pay for this one." Harvey stops you as you open your mouth to protest.
"Just help me keep an eye out for those mushrooms, and we can worry about payment later. And Abigail… just because this elixir works seemingly flawlessly, doesn't mean you should be reckless when you go exploring, understand?"
Harvey puts on a professional doctor's tone, and even manages to tame you briefly as you meekly nod and put the life elixir into your pocket gratefully.
"I have one last burning question, Harvey," I ask, my brows furrowed, "Why not tell people about this? Wouldn't the residents here, and maybe the whole world, potentially benefit massively from what we have here?"
You nod fervently in agreement, as you grasp the implications of what we discussed today. Harvey looks hesitant as he answers.
"Ah, yes… of course, I need to address the elephant in the room. Of course, my initial thoughts were like that of yours, Ash. This could change the world! But there are a couple of main reasons I kept this quiet.
"First, I've done some testing with curious results. The magical properties completely vanish when used outside Stardew Valley. Also, they don't seem work on anyone who doesn't reside here either, so I can't bring patients here to treat them, for example."
This is absolutely wild, especially the fact that it won't work on anyone but residents of Stardew Valley. Perhaps the magic is intrinsically tied to this land in some way?
"The other reason is for the benefit of Pelican Town. The residents here seem happy and content with their way of life. Imagine if outsiders discovered the magical potential here and tried to exploit it: Joja, for example. They would do their utmost to overcome those limitations I just mentioned, and should they succeed, what would happen to the peaceful way of life here?" Harvey pauses, deep in thought.
"Then again, who am I to deny the world such a discovery? I have been struggling with this dilemma for a while and so chose inaction, at least for now."
"What do you think, Abigail?" I look to you. "You've lived here longer than either of us."
You look surprised that we are asking for your opinion.
"Hmm… I think… Harvey might be right. There's no telling what may happen to Stardew Valley if word got out. Can you imagine the rich trying to move in so they could live without illness? Besides, from what Harvey is saying, there may be so much more about the magic here that we haven't discovered yet. And maybe it is up to us to find out." Your eyes shine brightly as you look back at me. Except this time, they didn't just carry an impulsive urge to roam the mines; the look is of passion and determination.
"What you said makes a lot of sense, Abigail," Harvey says. You look affirmed by Harvey's approval.
"Okay, so you have kept quiet, but what's stopping someone like Maru from sharing her findings with the world? And any others that have the potential?" I query Harvey. I can't imagine Harvey is the only person in the Valley who is capable of such observations, especially since the magic of the Valley isn't exactly hiding itself.
"Maru is too invested in her own work and is disinterested in sharing it. Not out of secrecy though. She just doesn't find it worthwhile," Harvey says.
"She's very hands on and likes to do everything herself," Harvey adds, with… somewhat of a proud tone? Maybe I'm just imagining it.
"As for others, Maru's father Demetrius is also a scientist, interested in the flora and fauna of Stardew Valley. He, however, may have been led a little astray by someone…" Harvey coughs suggestively, and continues,
"…to look at seasonal population patterns and develop complex mathematical models for them, rather than explore any properties of the plants and animals themselves.
"Marlon, as a monster hunting veteran, must know something about any magical monsters that live down in the mines. And finally, the wizard, Rasmodius. Ash, he lives near your farm, if you didn't know already. No one really knows what he gets up to.
"Marlon and Rasmodius are both a mystery to me, and I'm not really keen on having extended conversations with them, especially since it seems they keep entirely to themselves. But they can both be wildcards or great sources of information. I'll leave you to figure those two out." Harvey concludes with that vague remark and leans back into his seat.
You and I sit in contemplative silence for a while, nursing our coffees which are now getting cold. My mind traipses through a thicket of thoughts… Perhaps Marlon is a good starting point for some information about the mines. But what will we find in the mines, and more importantly, how will it be of benefit? Harvey has managed to create life-saving potions. What will magical monsters teach us? As for the Wizard, I haven't met him yet, and this is a good excuse to pay him a visit.
The silence is broken when your stomach grumbles. We are brought back to reality as we realize it is way past lunch time.
"Hey, how about we grab a quick bite from the Saloon?" I ask you and Harvey. The Stardrop Saloon is the town pub and restaurant. It is run by Gus, a capable chef.
Harvey nods while you spring out of your seat, evidently just noticing your hunger. As we exit Harvey's clinic, you turn to him.
"Harvey, thank you for patching me up, and for trusting us with all this information. I promise I'll be mindful with everything you've said today."
"You're welcome. Just doing my job! As for what I've told you both, I think it's good that we are all on the same page." Harvey pauses, the corners of his moustache twitching, and adds,
"Abigail, it's uncharacteristically mature of you to promise to be mindful."
"Shut up Harvey! I won't punch you only because of what you did for me today." instead, you gently whack Harvey on the arm.
"In any case, I'm glad you and Ash seem to be getting along nicely. I hope the Valley and Pelican Town is treating you well, Ash," Harvey says, while still smiling.
"Thanks Harvey, and for everything else today. You are truly a reliable doctor! Fish tacos on me!"
We arrive at the Saloon and grab a couple of fish tacos each, and head back out into the afternoon sun, where we say our goodbyes to Harvey, who heads back to his clinic. After finding a bench on which to enjoy the nice spring weather, we munch on our tacos and discuss our eventful day.
"Ash, thanks for today. You really saved my ass back there with the slime."
"Don't mention it. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Mhmm!" A faint smile appears on your face. "What do you think about what Harvey said?"
"Honestly? I'm excited. Far more excited than I've ever been since I've moved here, or maybe even as far back as I can remember. I assume you feel the same?"
"Hell yes. I mean, I've always wanted to explore the mines, but now it's like it serves a greater purpose, you know? Like we're going to discover something. Something big."
"I doubt your parents will approve though? We did say we wouldn't talk about the magic of the Valley to anyone else, at least for now. And even if we do, would your parents accept that as a good enough reason?"
"Forget about my parents," You wave your hands dismissively, accidentally spraying me with bits of fish and salad. "All they want me to do is learn to be a housewife and find a good home to marry into. They just have me doing chores around the house, like I need more practice or whatever. Don't worry, we'll have time to go to the mines."
"Speaking of, what do you do in your spare time? Do you work or study?" I ask, brushing the food off my pants.
"I help Dad around the store for a bit of pocket money. But I'm also enrolled in online college right now! A course on archaeology and ancient civilizations," you reply, while watching some pigeons approach cautiously, pecking at the specks of food.
"That sounds cool! How are you finding it?" I pick off little crumbs of taco shell and throw them at the pigeons.
"I'm getting a little bored of everything being online. Only learning theory, writing assignments… but hey, I bought some models of famous artifacts a while ago after I heard about them in class. Wanna come and see?" You ask enthusiastically.
"Sure, why not?" I know exactly why not, but I want to procrastinate planting cauliflower seeds for a bit longer.
We get to our feet, scattering the small crowd of pigeons that was starting to form.
"Oh, no... I have to deal with Mom when I get back, don't I? Ash, please help me out. I don't want her to know about what we did, especially about me getting injured." You suddenly remember this morning's events.
I hesitate, not really wanting to lie, but not wanting to be berated by Caroline when I've only met her once.
"Hmm… okay Abigail. But I would prefer not to make a habit of lying, alright?"
"Done!" You smile brightly, "And Ash, call me Abby. All my friends do."