Chapter 1
The bus ride into the valley felt like breathing again for the first time. After years surrounded by grey walls and blue light from a monitor, the sight of actual
blue sky and
green hills hit me harder than I expected. Stardew Valley was only half a mile ahead when the bus slowed, dust rising in lazy spirals behind us.
When the doors hissed open, I stepped out onto the roadside and let the warmth of the rural air settle on my skin.
“Hello! You must be Eric!” a cheerful voice called out.
I turned to see an energetic woman with bright orange hair and a welcoming grin.
“Er—sorry, who are you?”
“I’m Robin, the local carpenter,” she said. “Mayor Lewis sent me to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He’s already there, tidying up for your arrival.”
“Oh! Lewis! He was one of my grandfather’s friends.”
Just saying it made something warm flicker in my chest.
“Alright, lead the way.”
When we reached the farm, my excitement was immediately met with… a forest. And a rock garden. And possibly a cryptid or two hiding in the grass.
The place looked like nature had declared squatters’ rights.
“My grandfather really let this place go,” I muttered. “He moved out decades ago but… wow.”
“Eh? What’s wrong?” Robin glanced at me. “Sure, it’s a bit overgrown, but there’s good soil under all that!”
“Robin, I don’t think soil is the problem here,” I groaned, surveying a boulder roughly the size of a small car.
She laughed lightly. “Ah, with a little dedication, you’ll have it cleared up in no time!”
Yeah. I wondered how far “dedication” was supposed to stretch.
The front door of the cottage creaked open, and a familiar voice called,
“Eric?”
“Lewis!” I hurried forward. “It’s so good to see you. I haven’t seen you in forever.”
He smiled, the wrinkles on his face deepening with recognition.
“Ah, Eric, you’ve grown so much. I still remember when your family visited for the summer celebration. Your grandfather was a good man… though it’s been so long that most folks only remember bits and pieces now.”
“That means a lot,” I said quietly. “Really.”
Lewis gestured to the weathered cottage.
“So, you’re moving into your grandfather’s old place?”
“Yeah. It’s… a bit smaller than I remembered.”
“Heh. You were young the last time you were here. But it’s held up well! A fine piece of rustic real estate.”
Behind him, Robin coughed lightly.
“‘Rustic’ is one word for it. ‘Crusty’ might be closer.”
Lewis spun around, scandalized.
“Oh, don’t listen to her, Eric. She’s just trying to coax you into buying one of her upgrades.”
Robin glared at him, betrayed.
Their bickering felt oddly comforting.
Homey, even.
Lewis dusted off his hands.
“Well, you must be tired after that long trip. Get some rest, and tomorrow I suggest exploring the town and saying hello. People love meeting newcomers—especially ones with a connection to the valley.”
“Yeah. I’ll do that.”
He nodded, satisfied, and started toward the gate. Then he paused suddenly.
“Oh! Almost forgot. If you’ve got anything you want to sell, just toss it into that shipping bin over there. I’ll pick it up each evening.”
I stared at the wooden box.
“…Oh. That’s what that is. I thought it was a recycling bin.”
Lewis chuckled all the way down the path.
I woke early the next morning—6:00 AM, according to the old clock above my bed—and found a small package waiting near the door.
Inside were fifteen parsnip seeds and a note in Lewis’s steady handwriting:
“Here’s a little something to get you started.
—Mayor Lewis.”
A good man, that one. Still looking out for my family all these years later.
I stretched the sleep out of my limbs and turned on the TV. For a moment, I wondered if a place like Pelican Town even
got a TV signal. Turns out it did… sort of. Three channels:
Weather Report,
Fortune Teller, and
Livin’ Off The Land.
I started with the last one.
“Welcome to ‘Livin’ Off The Land!’ We’re back with another tip for y’all. Todays for all you greenhorns: chop wood and forage while waiting for your first harvest!”
Foraging sounded fine. Chopping wood? In
my overgrown disaster of a yard?
That was going to be a whole workout plan by itself.
Next was the fortune teller.
“The spirits are somewhat annoyed today. Luck will not be on your side.”
Figures. Bad luck on day one. Not ominous at all.
Weather last:
“Clear and sunny all day.”
Great. Sunshine was exactly what I needed.
With the morning ahead of me, I stepped outside to face the…
monstrosity that Grandpa had left behind.
“What can I even do to clean this up?” I muttered.
Then it hit me.
Grass. Grass was the easiest part.
“I’ll start with the grass. Might get some seeds out of it, too.”
And surprisingly, it didn’t drain too much energy. Stones and logs slowed me down, but grass? Grass didn’t stand a chance.
By the end of the quick cleanup, I’d gathered around 200 fibers, 11 mixed seeds and a couple stray pieces of wood and stone
And the full realization that my wallet contained a grand total of 500 gold—barely enough to buy lunch, let alone supplies. I’d have to be careful.
Curious about the surroundings, I headed north.
That’s where I met him.
A weathered man, grey beard, thick coat. He looked up as I passed.
“A stranger? Hello. Don’t mind me. I’m just minding my own business.”
I blinked. A homeless man? In a town this small?
Not sure what to say, I nodded awkwardly and moved on. Odd guy.
The mines were next, but a giant boulder blocked the way. A worker was trying to break it down, but he didn’t seem to hear me when I asked what was going on. So, I left it alone for now.
Farther along, I spotted a man standing by the cliff’s edge, surveying the valley with an analytical gaze.
“Greetings!” he said brightly. “I’m Demetrius—local scientist and father.”
“Eric,” I introduced myself. “Just settled into the farm east of here. My grandfather owned it.”
“Thanks for saying hello! I’m studying the local flora and fauna. Have you met my daughter Maru? She’s quite excited to meet you.”
“Oh? She is? I’ll keep an eye out.”
I stopped by Robin’s carpentry shop, hoping to find her daughter, but only found Robin herself.
“Have you met everyone in town yet?” she asked. “That sounds exhausting.”
“Not really. Just two people: the weird homeless guy up north and a guy named Demetrius.”
“Demetrius? Oh, you mean my husband!”
“Oh! …Right. I didn’t realize.”
“Most people don’t,” she laughed. “Don’t worry about it.”
Before I left, she added, “Sebastian’s downstairs if you want to say hello, but he says he’s busy.”
Considering the tone, she said it in, I decided not to bother him.
By the time I checked the time again, the sky was dimming. 6 PM already. Not the best hour to meet townsfolk, but maybe the saloon was still buzzing.
Inside, I found a older blonde woman, a middle-aged man tending the bar, a blue-haired waitress and a grumpy man hunched in the corner with a drink.
The bartender waved me over.
“Come in! Welcome to the Stardrop Saloon! I’m Gus—chef and owner. Can I get you something?”
“Eh, not in the mood for anything.”
A raspy voice called from the side, “Not even a tea?”
“Pam,” Gus sighed, “take it easy. It’s his first day.”
The blue-haired woman lit up the moment she saw me.
“Oooh! I can read it on your face—you’re going to
love it here in Pelican Town. If you’re ever looking for something to do in the evening, stop by! I work here.”
I couldn’t help smiling.
“Thanks. I’m Eric.”
“That’s a lovely name.” she said, beaming. “I’m Emily.”
I already liked her energy.
The blonde woman clinked her glass. “Name’s Pam. Nothin’ like a sip o’ the good stuff to warm these old bones…”
“Nice to meet you, Pam. And who’s that guy over there?”
“Oh… that’s Shane. Hey, Shane! Come introduce yourself!”
A growl from the corner.
Gus added, “Come on, Shane. Be polite.”
Shane stood, reluctantly. He didn’t look pleased about it.
“Hello. Name’s Shane.”
“Nice to meet—”
“Okay, you finished? Quit bothering me.”
“Shane!” Gus scolded. “Be a good sport!”
“Whatever. I don’t care who he is.”
And he marched back to his corner.
Well. That killed the mood.
“Ah, don’t take it personally,” Gus said apologetically. “He’s like that with everyone.”
Emily rolled her eyes.
Just as I was about to leave, a tall man walked in.
“Hey, Clint!” Gus called. “Meet the new farmer!”
Clint blinked at me. “Oh. You’re the new farmer?”
He shifted awkwardly. “Uh… hi. I’m Clint. Blacksmith.”
“Eric,” I replied.
“Cool.”
And that was that.
“Alright, Gus. It’s getting late—I should head home.”
“Glad to meet you, Eric! Come by again. The saloon gets lively at night!”
Outside, the night air felt crisp. I hurried back to the farm to chop a bit of wood—just enough to craft a storage chest. Without a decent backpack, space was going to be a problem, and I’d heard the general store sold a larger one.
I didn’t know how much it cost, but based on everything else in this town, I suspected it wasn’t cheap.
With the stars above and the faint glow of the cottage window, I worked until my arms ached—then finally, finally, crawled into bed.
Tomorrow would be another long day. But at least it felt like my life was moving somewhere new.
