6:00 AM, 10th - Spring
Four days after the big feast at Doug's Inn, Luis still hadn't paid off his debt. Instead, he buried himself in work until late at night. Between farming and foraging, he wrapped up another harvest: 36 fat potatoes and a batch of turnips. His pockets were finally jingling with coins. After subtracting the cost of extra seed bags to avoid running to the store every harvest, he had 3,900 G left.
After tallying his cash and finishing basic farm chores, Luis hightailed it to the blacksmith's shop. Life was starting to stabilize. His next plan? Kick things into high gear and rake in more money. Top priority: boost productivity and income on the farm.
Stepping into the blacksmith's, the air hit him like a furnace, thick with the smell of sweat. The forge glowed red-hot, blasting waves of heat, while the deafening clang of hammers created a tense vibe. Two guys stood by the anvil, pounding away. One old, one young, both shirtless, muscles rippling. Neither glanced at Luis when he walked in—they were too caught up in their work. He didn't say a word, just found a guest chair and sat down to wait.
After a while, the work seemed done. The young guy came over and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"No rush, you guys just finished. Sit down, grab a drink first!" Luis pulled a bottle of wine from his backpack. He'd shelled out 500 G for it at Doug's Inn yesterday. Ann had hyped it up: homemade, guaranteed to knock your socks off or your money back.
"Sorry, we're working. Not a good time for drinks," the young guy said, shutting him down cold.
But a hand snatched the bottle, popped the cork, and took a big swig. The older man let out a hearty laugh. "Well, damn! Doug's top-shelf stuff, huh? I don't order this often—too pricey! Thanks, kid!"
"Gramps! Don't just take stuff from strangers!" The young guy shot the old man a look, clearly annoyed.
"I know this guy! I made the tools for his farm. Here to ask about upgrades, right, kid?" The old man took another gulp, savoring it like it was liquid gold.
"You know him?" the younger one asked.
"Yup, that's right, sir! I'm Luis, inheriting old Jack's farm. Thanks for the tools—they've been a lifesaver these past few days. This is just a small thank-you gift," Luis said.
"I don't like sweet-talkers, but thanks for the gift. So, what do you want? Spit it out, I'm busy," the old man said.
"I'd like to know the prices and conditions for upgrading tools."
"Gray! Fill him in. I'm off to prep the next batch of ore," the old man said, turning away without another word to Luis.
Gray sighed, then said, "First thing you need to know: upgrading tools isn't up to you—it's up to the tools."
"Up to the tools?" Luis echoed, raising an eyebrow. Back in his old world, he'd think this guy was off his rocker. Tools deciding? What, were they magical wands or something out of a fairy tale or Harry Potter story? But this world was like Harvest Moon. Tools needed heavy use before they could be upgraded. That's why he'd been chopping trees like crazy with his axe from the start.
"Exactly. Every tool from Saibara's forge has its own spirit. They decide when they're ready to level up, based on how close they are to their owner."
In short, use them a ton, and they'll ready to upgrade.
"How do I know when they're ready?" Luis asked, thinking there was no handy game interface here to check progress.
"We can inspect them for you. Inspection fee's 100 G."
Luis wanted to curse. These blacksmiths were sharp as a tack, creating a problem and then selling the solution. Was the inspection even real, or were these two just cooking up a scam to milk him dry? But with this being the only forge in town, he was out of options.
"Fine, check this axe. Can it be upgraded?" Luis set the axe on the table. In Harvest Moon, early on, upgrading the axe and fishing rod was the toughest. In the beginning, the axe needed tons of tree-chopping, and the rod burned through time and stamina.
Gray picked up the axe, acting all serious. He closed his eyes and muttered something. Luis's jaw dropped: the axe glowed, humming with soft, melodic vibrations. The light was warm, almost affectionate. Guess they weren't scamming him after all. This was the second supernatural thing he'd seen since arriving, the first being the invisible house of the Harvest Spirit. Gray opened his eyes and set the axe down.
"It says it's happy working with you! It's ready to become a copper axe. Want to upgrade now? It'll cost 3,000 G and 30 pounds of copper ore."
Luis's eyes nearly popped out. "3,000 G? 30 pounds?" That was triple the game's cost. Upgrading would wipe out his savings. And 30 pounds of copper ore? That'd take weeks of digging in the Spring Mine.
"Do you sell ore here?" he asked, suspicious.
"100 G per pound of copper ore."
Highway robbery! Luis cursed under his breath. Zack bought 10 pounds for 15 G. These blacksmiths were charging 1,000 G for 10 pounds—what a super markup! Upgrading the axe now would cost 6,000 G total. For one tool. At the lowest tier.
"Is money growing on trees?" Luis muttered, leaving the forge with a sour look.
His next stop was Gotz's small house by the forest's edge. He wasn't ready to upgrade his house yet, but fixing the chicken and cow barns was a priority. Chickens and cows gave eggs and milk daily. Eggs brought in 40 G after feed costs, milk doubled that. Sheep weren't worth it early on—low profits—but their yarn could be a goldmine later. Knowing the blacksmith's prices, he scrapped the idea of buying a yarn maker anytime soon. Stick to what's doable first.
Gotz, the town carpenter, lived in a small wooden house by the forest, surrounded by piles of lumber from the woods behind town. The lumber Luis scrounged daily was pocket change compared to Gotz's haul. He was just picking up scraps Gotz didn't bother with.
When Luis arrived, Gotz was busy carving wood, not even turning around. "What's up?"
"I'm Luis, inheriting Jack's farm. Thanks for fixing the gate the other day. I'd like to ask about the cost to repair the chicken and cow barns. Sorry to bother you!"
"Can't quote without seeing the damage," Gotz said, still focused on his work, his tone as cold as ice.
"No exact price is fine. Just a ballpark?"
"Chicken barn's about 10,000 G and 600 lumber. Cow barn? Haven't seen it, can't say." Gotz didn't even glance at him.
"What?" Luis's jaw dropped for the second time that day.
"Chicken barn's falling apart. Can't repair it—needs a full rebuild."
Luis glanced at Gotz's price board: 50 G per lumber. He'd gathered 24 lumber so far. To hit 600, he'd need to buy 576, costing 28,800 G, plus 10,000 G for construction. He didn't know if bulk discounts were a thing, but this was way out of his league. Waiting to gather enough lumber wasn't an option either—he'd need another plan.
Before leaving, he asked Gotz to check the cow barn when he had time and give an exact quote. Gotz nodded silently. As Luis left, he spotted a photo: Gotz smiling brightly with a woman and a cute kid. But the house only had a single bed, cold and covered in sawdust.
Walking away, Luis realized he'd misjudged this world. It wasn't just like the game. Today's quotes were a slap in the face. This world wasn't what he thought. He was flat broke. And here he was, dreaming of kicking back. To make his plans work, he needed to hustle for cash. Forget tool upgrades for now—he'd lean on the Harvest Sprites. One sprite wasn't enough? Get two. Two not enough? Three. Playtime was over; it was time to put them to work.
"Time to grind for the capitalist machine!" he said, laughing like a maniac as he walked off.