Espada was still working away by the time we returned. The sound of hammer against steel rang through the air with the golden glare of the setting sun descending on the many blades Espada had crafted. The four of us approached, and I knocked against the top of her stand.

“We’re back!” said Cannoli.

Espada turned her head and grinned. “Ah, good timing. Was just finishing this up.” Espada held up an axe that was definitely more appealing to the eye than my crummy starter axe. It was double-bladed, with chaotic gold and black marks arranged like a thunderstorm. I could practically see myself in the edge, and as I reached to touch it, Espada pulled it back. “Don’t hurt yourself, boy. This is going to do the damage you need.”

“Sorry,” I said, retracting my hand. “It just looks so damn good.”

Espada laughed. “Thanks. I take pride in my work.”

“It shows,” I said. “Not that I’m trying to be pushy, but do you have an ETA?” Espada raised a brow, and I realized she’d probably never heard the phrase. “I mean, do you know when it’ll be done?”

“Yeah, about ten minutes. Just putting the finishing touches on it now. You in a rush?”

“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “We were just thinking we might have some more work for you.” Seeing how beautiful the axe was, I wondered if we really could afford this thing. “I’m afraid to ask. How much is this weapon going to cost?”

“You have enough,” she said, looking away.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Please? How much?”

Ravyn snickered, and I glowered back at her.

“Easy, boy, I’m not going to rob you.” She ran a finger across the blade, drawing a thin line of blood from her finger. She squinted in satisfaction. “Very good. Well, Matt! This baby is going to cost you fifteen hundred of your precious Bells. Are you willing to part with them for this monster of a weapon?”

I passed looks between the girls. “Are we alright with this?”

“Yes, yes! Absolutely!” said Cannoli.

“Still asking permission. Well, at least you’re getting more considerate,” mused Ravyn. “Sure.”

Keke intertwined her fingers in my hand, and her face flushed. “Absolutely. Get it.”

Still not used to displays of public affection, I scratched the side of my chin nervously as my cheeks grew hot. “A-alright.” I looked Espada directly in the eyes. “We’ll take it. Please.”

“Great! Just give me a bit.” With that, Espada dipped the blade into a vat of oil, pulled it back out, then sat down on a small stool, reaching for one of the many strips of leather on a nearby table.

“Well, might as well just stick around,” said Keke.

“I suppose you’re right,” I said.

“Say, Matt, what are we going to do with the sword you received from… uh, that girl?”

To be honest, I had completely forgotten her name. Holy shit, dude, way to remember your one-night stand. I remembered her eyes, her hair, and that mouth, but goddammit, not her name. Think damn it.

“Appear, iPaw,” I murmured. I hope this works.

Fortunately, the girls couldn’t see what I could. I scrolled through the numerous menus and made my way to the [Items] screen. There it was in all its cursed, unholy glory. Myrun’s Family Sword.

“Oh, you mean Myrun,” I said in what I thought was a perfectly natural reaction.

“Yeah, her!” Cannoli said back.

Ravyn raised a brow and snickered.

Does anything get past you?

“You got a sword?” asked Keke.

“Yeah, look.” I parted from Keke’s grip and reached into the [Cat Pack] around my waist. “Ah, there you are.” I pulled out the long, ornate sword from inside the pouch and held the sheathed blade before the girls. Ravyn approached and leaned in, so her face was only inches from mine. “Personal space?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Ravyn scanned the length of the scabbard. Ball Gag mimicked her gaze with one bulbous, birdy eyeball.

Does the bird even know what it’s looking at?

“This looks like it was made on San. Interesting.” Ravyn took the tip of her nail and poked at one of the jewels.

“H-hey! Be careful!” I said, pulling the sword back.

Ravyn beckoned me with one of her fingers. “Bring it back, numbskull. I’m still looking at it.”

I breathed a deep sigh and held it back in front of her as Keke rolled her eyes. After some time, Ravyn drew away and said, “Let me see the blade.”

I pulled the blade from its scabbard and held it sideways.

Ravyn came closer once again and grunted. “Eck. I wouldn’t pay ten Bells for this piece of trash.”

“Easy there.” I could feel my blood pressure rising. Even if it wasn’t a great weapon, it was still a gift, and I had my doubts that Myrun would intentionally give me a sword born inside a Cracker Jack box.

Ravyn seemed to have caught on and smirked. “The scabbard is pretty. The jewels are real,” she said as she straightened her posture. “Whether the sword is meant to go with it though, well that’s up for debate. Might be able to get a pretty Bell for the scabbard, at least.”

“I’ll ask the expert. H—”

I turned, but seeing how focused Espada was on her work, I refrained from bothering her. I wanted to make sure the axe was perfect, and she deserved the respect of being undisturbed while she worked on my commission. I’d ask her once she was done. Perhaps she could give the sword a proper appraisal.

I grumbled beneath my breath and put the sword away. “Way to smack talk a gift.”

“If it quacks like a duck,” Ravyn said with a shrug.

“I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean—”

“Hey! I got an idea!” Cannoli clapped her hands together with the sparkle only she could manage in these weird situations. “Why don’t I cook up your catch? You did catch something, right?”

Keke went blank-faced, and for a moment, a line of drool began to fall from the corner of her mouth. She quickly wiped it away, her face alight with red. “Only the best!” Keke reached for Cannoli’s hands, pushing me aside like yesterday’s garbage. “We caught a violet ryba!”

“A hwah?” Cannoli’s eyes widened, and I could see her pupils dilating in real-time. “Matt!”

“Ah! Yes, yes!” Suspecting what Cannoli’s next choice of words were going to be, I reached back into my [Cat Pack] and pulled out the fish. It was still somehow alive, but it seemed to have given up the struggle some time ago. Its mouth opened and closed, and while I was mildly disturbed, I had to admit it would taste better fresh.

“I’ll take that!” Cannoli said with an almost crazed sort of grin. In an instant, Cannoli released her grip from Keke and stole the violet ryba in a flash, pocketing it into her own [Cat Pack]. “I must be off now. If this is to taste proper,” What an interesting choice of words, “then I must start the oven pronto!” Cannoli gave an exaggerated salute and ran off in the direction of her house, practically singing on her way out.

“I… didn’t mean for her to steal it like that.” Keke turned to me with a frown that told me she was just as surprised as I was with her reaction. “Sorry, Matt.”

“I mean, I was gonna give it to her anyway. So hey, one extra step avoided.”

“I’m done,” remarked a voice from behind us. There, Espada held out the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Yes, more beautiful than Myrun, more tantalizing than Yomi, more striking than Ke—well, maybe not her, but what I felt when I held that axe in my hands was almost emotional. My first upgrade was finally complete. I didn’t just receive a new weapon or a dumb fucking hat. I got a full set of armor! And a weapon! I curled my fingers around the shaft of the heavy metal, surprising even myself that I could hold it without much issue.

“Espada, thank you. I mean it. I’m not sure you realize how much this means to me.”

Espada shrugged. “Just doin’ my job. Just don’t go losing your head over it,” she said with a laugh. She held out her hand, and I set the axe on the counter, reaching for a couple bags of Bells. After a short time of counting, which might I add hurt me a little bit when she bit one of the coins for authenticity, Espada threw the bags under her counter and smiled wide. “You did good. Got anything more for me?”

“I do, as a matter of fact.”

Keke, Ravyn, and I spent some time discussing what we needed and what jobs we had ahead of us. We spoke about Cailu’s quest to find the remaining men, my need of a shield, and whether or not the sword was worth anything. Turns out, Ravyn was right about the sword. The scabbard was valuable—worth a good chunk of Bells if someone was vain enough to pick it up. On top of it, the sword was designed to fit the scabbard as well, though Espada was as convinced as she was that it was top-tier garbage. Goody.

A few minutes later, we had a plan. The price for a commissioned shield was too much to bear, so I purchased a ‘gently used’ model from Espada’s cart. Unfortunately, it also turned out that Espada wasn’t too knowledgeable in the way of bows or wands, so my girls were left without any new weapons. Even so, there were some valuable ores that could be crafted into bows or wands. Even if she didn’t know the methods, she at least knew the materials and was adamant about joining us for the adventure.

“It’s a tad dangerous where I’m thinking of,” Espada remarked. “Let me tag along, and I’ll show you where some of the good foraging spots are.”

“Tomorrow then?” I asked.

“Tomorrow,” she said with a nod.

With that, we departed on our way to Cannoli’s house, waving to Espada on our way out.

Maybe we really can do this.

Matt has gained: Espada’s Axe of Crushing!

“We’ve been gone for a while. I don’t think Cannoli has very many vegetables to go with the fish,” Keke said, tapping one finger to her chin.

“If we buy some fruit, too, I’ll make desert,” Ravyn added.

Keke and I stared at Ravyn. She looked between us and frowned. “What?”

“Just the thought of you cooking anything is strange. Dessert is on a whole different level,” I said.

“Baka! I like cooking! Fuck me for trying to do something nice, right?” Ravyn barked.

“No, I don’t think he meant it like that,” Keke laughed. “I’d love to try anything you make.”

Ravyn crossed her arms over her chest. “You sure? I might poison it.”

Keke bumped her shoulder into Ravyn’s. “I trust you.”

To my immense surprise, Ravyn blushed and looked away. “Mm. Where’s that farm stand?”

Don’t worry, Ravyn. Keke has the same effect on me.

“This way.” Keke gestured with a grin.

I closed in on Ravyn and elbowed her arm, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “Nice having friends, eh?”

Ravyn grimaced and made a gagging noise. “How dare you.”

We made our way to the edge of the shopping district, and a familiar pair of brunette cat ears hopped forward to greet us.

“You guys! Praise the goddess! It’s so nice to see you!” Saphira’s smile sparkled in the setting sunlight.

“Hey, Saphira. Looking good as always.” I waved.

She turned beet red beneath her freckles and braided a section of her hair. “Y-you remembered my name!”

“Of course, I remembered.” Sorry, Myrun. “We could use your help picking out some vegetables for dinner.”

“R-really? You want my help?” She looked positively giddy with excitement. Her fluffy tail swished behind her so quickly it was a blur. “Okay! What are you having?”

“Violet ryba,” Keke said, eyes in the distance as if she’d found a picturesque fantasy.

Damn, Keke, favored item is an understatement.

“Oh my goodness! I haven’t seen one of those in a long time,” Saphira clasped her hands over Keke’s. “That’s your favorite, right?”

“Ahaha, yes,” Keke laughed. “You have a sharp memory.”

Saphira shrugged. “I love knowing as much as I can about my friends.”

My stomach twisted. And I thought Cannoli was wholesome. “So, what goes well with violet ryba?”

“Cannoli’s cooking, right?” Saphira bounded behind her stall and poked through her offerings with one slender finger.

“Well, she certainly wasn’t letting any of us cook it,” Ravyn grumbled.

Saphira giggled. “She’s very possessive of her cooking.”

Wow, she really does remember everything.

“That’s a word for it.” Ravyn smirked, picking through the boxes of fruits to our left.

“Can you tell me what all of these are called?” I recognized the nyapples, and I was sure I’d eaten at least half the things that Saphira was offering. I remembered the death-spiral romanesco from Cannoli’s forest foraging. But, the girls usually ordered for me with an idea of what I liked, and it was hard to remember what everything was called. Let alone know what the hell it looked like in its original form.

“Of course!” Saphira nodded enthusiastically. “So we have yellow squish and red squish here—”

Squish? Like squash?

“—green and red onyans, rubenesco, meozuna greens, pak choy, sea beets, spiny potatoes, and carrots!”

‘And carrots,’ she says. “Okay, let me try.” I repeated back the names, only tripping up on the meozuna and pak choy. I did call them squash, to which Saphira replied by pressing one finger into the vegetable and showing me that it does, in fact, squish.

“Nice job, Matt!” Saphira praised.

“Mm, I can already taste the ryba,” Keke said, still half-dazed. “Cannoli’s cooking is the best.”

Earth to Keke.

Saphira procured a basket from beneath her stall and began to explain. “So for Ryba, I suggest an onyan of each color, a sea beet to bring out the flavor, one spiny potato, and two carrots. That should be enough to feed four of you and will balance with the fish.”

“Wow, you know a lot about all of this,” I marveled.

“I’ve been a farmer practically all of my life. I love it.” Saphira set the basket in front of us. “It kind of goes hand-in-hand with cooking, if you think about it.”

“That makes sense,” I agreed.

“Hmm,” Ravyn hummed as she mulled over the fruit options.

“Buy it all! Hurry up! Squawk!” Ball cried from her shoulder.

Ravyn shot him an angry look, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“He’s so cute!” Saphira crooned. She skipped down to where Ravyn stood. “Hello, there!” Holding one arm out toward Ball, Saphira clicked her tongue.

“Bally doesn’t really like peo—” Ravyn started.

Ball hopped from her shoulder to Saphira’s hand and preened his feathers. Saphira held up a slice of a red vegetable, and Ball happily snapped it in his beak.

“Thanks, pretty lady! Pretty lady!”

Saphira giggled. “He’s sweet, too!”

“I will fry you in oil,” Ravyn hissed between her teeth.

Saphira was too occupied with her newfound friend. She sweetly asked, “What are you making, Ravyn?”

“A pie,” Ravyn replied.

“What kind of pie?” Saphira peered over her shoulder.

“One that doesn’t suck.” Ravyn glanced up at Ball Gag. “Maybe parrot pot pie.”

Keke snickered.

Saphira’s smile didn’t so much as quiver. She stroked the side of Ball’s head as she continued. “The pawmegranates grew very well this season and taste delicious. So do the bananyas, nyapples, and nineapples.”

Ravyn sighed. “Yeah. Alright. Pawmegranates it is. I’ll take four.”

“Coming right up!”

Ball Gag returned to Ravyn’s shoulder and brushed his cheek against her face.

“Sucking up to me now that I’ve threatened to cook you, eh?”

“Squaawk! I love you!”

Saphira totaled us out, and we paid for our vegetables and fruits. As we turned to leave, Saphira laid a hand on my shoulder. “Matt? Can I talk to you?”

“Yeah, sure. Here, take these to Cannoli, and I’ll meet you there?” I handed the small basket of vegetables to Keke.

“Alright.” Keke’s eyes flashed between Saphira and me.

Ravyn pressed Keke’s elbow, urging her forward. “Come on. Loverboy’ll be home soon.”

“What’s up?” I asked once they were out of earshot.

“W-well. I, um… I—” Saphira breathed deeply and closed her eyes. “I was wondering if m-maybe you and I could spend some time together. If you’re not too busy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I would really l-like to get to know you better. Since you’re Ni’s protector and all.” Saphira clenched her hands in front of her, and her ears flattened against her head. “I-I mean if you want to. I know you have a lot going on.”

How was I supposed to resist that face? And she had a point. Ni was my island; it only made sense to get closer to the girls that were on it. Especially since we’d have to leave again to find the other guys soon. “How about tomorrow night?”

Saphira’s eyes lit up, and she held her hands beneath her chin. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. It’ll be later on, if that’s alright? I can come find you.” I was surprised by my confidence. Two months ago, I would have melted to the ground and stammered like hell. It felt good.

“Okay! Yes! Thank you!” Saphira clapped her hands together and bowed repeatedly. “Thank you, Matt.”

I placed a hand on top of her head between her ears to slow her bows. Her hair was silky and thick. “You don’t have to thank me. It’ll be fun.”