The morning sun bathed Stardew Valley in its golden rays as Alaric began his journey home. Choosing the scenic forest path, he breathed deeply the pure air, still carrying the night dew that glittered like diamonds on the grass. Each step was tranquil, meditative, as he appreciated the valley's serenity on this autumn morning.
His peaceful walk was briefly interrupted when he passed Jody's residence. Spotting her watering her garden flowers, he greeted her with a polite nod and a cordial "Good morning!" The reaction was instantaneous: the brunette blushed violently, her cheeks turning a tomato-red shade that almost matched her red carnations. She returned an almost imperceptible nod before turning abruptly and practically running into the house, leaving the watering can still spraying water over the flowerbeds.
Alaric raised an eyebrow, a discreet and slightly perplexed smile appearing on his lips. It seems our night wasn't as discreet as I imagined, he thought, as memories of the previous night with the sisters flooded his mind. There was something about that connection, that almost supernatural intensity, that made him question whether Emily and Haley truly had some succubus blood in their veins. The night had been truly unforgettable - not just for the pleasure, but for the strange synchronicity of it all.
His analytical mind tried to decipher Jody's reaction. Perhaps she saw us through the window during the night... or heard something, though that seems impossible given the distance. In the end, he concluded it didn't really matter. Privacy was a relative concept in small communities like this.
Continuing his path, he found Leah emerging from her lakeside cabin, clearly suffering the effects of a night of excess at the tavern. Her eyes were swollen, her movements slow and deliberate, and she shielded her eyes from the morning light as if each sunbeam were a sharp spear.
"Good morning, Leah. It seems the party was... lively," he greeted, his voice carrying amused compassion.
"Please, don't speak so loud," she groaned, holding her head as if fearing it might detach from her shoulders. "Every word is like a hammer to my skull."
With a subtle gesture of his fingers, almost imperceptible to any inattentive observer, Alaric cast a reviving spell he had perfected during his campaign years. A soft golden light enveloped Leah, and instantly her suffering expression transformed into palpable relief.
"Oh heavens! What did you do?" she exclaimed, surprised to feel the hangover fog completely disappear from her mind and the throbbing pain in her temples give way to revitalizing clarity.
Without thinking, driven by the impulse of instant relief, Leah embraced him in a warm hug, longer and tighter than socially conventional. "Thank you, Alaric! You're a true savior! I swear I'll never drink Gus's 'House Special' again!"
As he continued through the forest, Alaric reflected on the incident. Am I just lucky or is there really something about me that attracts all women? His mind wandered to his days at the magic academy, where there was always someone to share the nights with - from fellow students to instructors impressed with his talent. And then to his magic assistant during the war - the one who worked so hard and endured so many battles to care for him, who literally took blows meant for his back.
These thoughts accompanied him to the vicinity of Marnie's ranch. Tired of walking and eager to get home, Alaric decided to shorten his journey. With a whispered mental command, he invoked a levitation spell he had developed for quick crossings of dangerous terrain. His feet left the ground smoothly, and he rose into the air, flying toward his farm with the grace of a feather in the wind, the treetops passing beneath his feet like a green sea.
At home, after a revitalizing bath that washed away not only the road dust but also the remnants of the festive night, Alaric prepared a hearty breakfast. As he ate, he watched through the window the farm he had transformed in three months. An automatic irrigation system he designed himself cared for his crops, and his animals looked extraordinarily healthy and content.
His morning routine was efficient as always. He collected the animal products - dark brown eggs from the chickens, soft wool from the sheep - and checked the crops that still flourished in this late autumn. With his inventory organized, he headed to the ranch to stock up on hay for winter and acquire special heaters for his animals - winter in Stardew Valley could be relentlessly cold.
His next stop was with the traveling merchant, who appeared near the forest on Thursdays. The mysterious woman, always wrapped in her purple cloak, handed him his order with a knowing smile. For the first time, Alaric paid with money entirely from his own production - a sense of pride ran through him as he completed this transaction, so different from the early days when he depended on his military savings.
On the way to the Community Center, he encountered Emily leaving home. She gave him a particularly mischievous look, her eyes sparkling with shared secrets, before continuing on her way with a sway of her hips that was both inviting and mysterious.
In the central plaza, while passing the gazebo, his sharp senses captured the not-so-discreet glances of the other women: Olivia's frankly hungry gaze that seemed to devour him with her eyes; Jody's embarrassed yet irresistibly attracted look; and Caroline's apparently normal gaze that, however, couldn't hide a spark of almost explosive desire in her emerald depths.
His sharp magical perception allowed him to capture fragments of Abigail's thoughts - echoes of the scenes she had witnessed the previous night in the maze. This confirmed his suspicions about the rumors circulating through the village, rumors he vaguely remembered from... from where exactly?
Then came the memory - not from this life, but from that previous existence, as a player in a different world. Theories he had read on online forums, discussions among fans about Abigail's true paternity. In that life, they were just player speculations, but here, now, they proved to be concrete facts. His magical analysis, something only someone with his sensitivity could perform, confirmed this truth: Abigail was truly the wizard's daughter, not Pierre's. The magical flow emanating from her was unmistakably similar to Rasmodius's.
After greeting the women with a professional courtesy that seemed to leave them simultaneously satisfied and frustrated, Alaric stopped at the town bulletin board. He took a simple mission from Grandma Evelyn - she needed some turnips for a special recipe. The simple request made him chuckle softly as he wondered if Caroline, with her sudden interest in magic, had developed some kind of fetish for wizards or something similar.
Finally arriving at the Community Center, Alaric felt a pang of nostalgia. The place still carried the energy of the Junimos, those mischievous and adorable spirits who had worked so hard to restore the location.
In the pantry room, he methodically donated all the requested items for the remaining bundles. As if expecting his offering, the Junimos appeared en masse, their small colored forms dancing joyfully around him as he performed the completion magic. The magical creatures seemed especially happy, as if they understood the importance of this moment not just for the center, but for the valley itself.
With the rewards in hand - including some rare equipment and a generous amount of gold - Alaric returned home. The greenhouse would be his next big project. Since he hadn't found any ancient seeds at his archaeological dig sites, despite thorough excavations, he decided he would use starfruit instead. He remembered that other life - starfruit wine was one of the most profitable products he could produce, though here this information came not from online wikis, but from practical experimentation.
As he prepared for his trip to the desert - where he would buy the seeds at the Oasis and deliver a special gift to Sandy, the lonely merchant - Alaric felt deep satisfaction. His life in Stardew Valley, with all its complexities, romance, magic, and mysteries, was fitting together perfectly, and the approaching winter promised to be as interesting as the autumn now coming to an end.
---
The desert heat seemed to intensify inside the Oasis shop, stuffy and heavy. Sandy, the owner of the establishment, greeted Alaric with a look that was an open and challenging invitation, her eyes scanning his body without disguise, like a merchant appraising a rare commodity.
"Alaric! What an... interesting visit," she said, leaning on the counter deliberately, making it clear that the curve of her body against the wood was no accident.
"I need starfruit seeds," Alaric said directly. "One hundred of them."
Sandy's eyebrows rose slightly, a calculating look in her eyes. "One hundred? That's quite the investment. At 400 gold each..." She paused, letting the numbers hang in the air. "That would be 40,000 gold."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to that conspiratorial whisper. "But a man like you must know that everything is negotiable." Her fingers drummed lightly on the wood, tracing an imaginary path toward him. "Why don't we discuss the terms in the back room? It's more... private. And I hate being interrupted."
As soon as the storage room door closed, the atmosphere changed instantly. The air grew heavy and charged, full of dust and promises. Without ceremony or unnecessary preliminaries, Sandy knelt before him, her hands finding his belt with a familiarity that left no room for interpretation.
"Emily had so many praises for your... working tool," she whispered, looking up with a mix of challenge and desire. "A woman gets curious. She called it... a valuable investment."
As she freed him from his clothes, a guttural sound of approval escaped her lips.
"She was modest in her description," she commented, impressed, before proceeding with her approach. Her eyes never left his, challenging him to maintain his composure.
What followed was a demonstration of practical, focused skill. Alaric realized that, like Emily, Sandy possessed a natural talent that required no magic, a proficiency that spoke of experience and confidence. However, he decided to raise the stakes. With a subtle use of his magic, he prolonged his own pleasure beyond the ordinary, an act of pure provocation. Twenty minutes passed, and Sandy's frustration became palpable. The initial determination in her eyes gave way to slight irritation and then a spark of disbelief at her inability to bring him to climax.
It was then that she stood up abruptly, an exasperated sigh escaping through her teeth.
"Tired?" Alaric provoked, keeping his voice controlled, an almost imperceptible smile on his lips.
"I'm just... changing strategies," she replied, breathless, as she turned around. With a fluid and deliberately provocative movement, she leaned against the wall, arching her back in a way he recognized. "Some business... requires a more direct approach."
He answered the unspoken call. The sound of their ragged breathing and the contact of skin against skin filled the space until they found an intense, simultaneous climax, an agreement sealed in silence.
He leaned close to her ear, his tone now purely that of a business conclusion. "And my discount?"
Sandy laughed, a rough, satisfied sound, as she straightened herself. "Darling, after that performance..." She caught her breath, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Let's say 20,000 gold instead of 40,000. A substantial discount for substantial... merchandise. Consider this an... advance for our future transactions."