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"Vodka, Daiwa Scarlet, go!"
The impossibly thin, translucent slice of magical fish meat Special Week had generously brought out at the cafeteria noon lunch made absolutely everyone even more certain that Spe was hiding a massive, delicious little secret. That specific, flavor-exploding slice of fish was simply not something current Earth culinary technology or agriculture could biologically achieve.
It made Gold Ship—whose brain was already wired uniquely to a completely different, chaotic frequency, and who had always firmly believed in the undeniable existence of extraterrestrial aliens—get completely, violently hyped up. She was incredibly eager to aggressively use the heavy burlap sack currently clutched tightly in her hand. After finally, agonizingly enduring the grueling sprints until the absolute end of the afternoon track training, she made her swift, tactical move before Special Week could even reach a secluded spot near the lockers.
Black sunglasses, surgical masks, a rough burlap sack, and a muffled, aggressively struggling Special Week being effortlessly carried on the strong shoulders of three sprinting horse girls.
If this terrifying, chaotic scene were literally anywhere else in the normal world, absolutely anyone seeing it would immediately pull out their smartphone in a panic and dial the police. But within the eccentric, high-energy walls of Tracen Academy, since it was specifically these notorious horse girls doing the dark deed, the other students on the track just blinked, went "oh," collectively realized it was just the chaotic Team Spica members acting out again, and then completely ignored it to go back to stretching.
Arriving at the secluded Team Spica private training room without a single obstacle or intervention, Special Week experienced the terrifying, disorienting kidnapping process all over again, feeling exactly like when she had first forcefully enrolled in the team.
The sack was yanked off her head. She looked helplessly from the floor at the three masked, habitual offenders towering in front of her, and then looked over at her gentle Senior, Silent Suzuka, who was cowardly hiding behind them, looking incredibly guilty and rather embarrassed by the whole situation.
"Spe, confess honestly. Have you contacted some strange aliens? What's the deal with that delicious fish meat! And those boxes under your bed—I specifically went to confirm with Administrator Shunkawa Tazuna this afternoon, and you haven't bought any packages lately."
Gold Ship violently slammed her hands on the table, leaning forward, the so-called 'evidence' she gathered this afternoon rattling. Her golden eyes were flashing wildly with absolute, manic excitement from behind her cheap sunglasses. She genuinely felt like the glowing gates to a massive, sci-fi new world were finally opening to her; this mundane world really wasn't that simple after all!
"What are you talking about, Senior? Those things were all sent to me by my mother, and the fish meat was sent from home too."
Special Week's heart skipped a terrifying beat, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead, but she stubbornly continued to argue her flimsy cover story. This was a highly classified, magical little secret between her, the divine Three Goddesses, and the generous Store Manager; it absolutely couldn't be exposed just like that to her crazy teammates!
"But Spe, how come your mother doesn't know about this? You haven't joined some evil organization, have you? Wait there, Mother is coming to the academy to save you right now!"
A familiar, highly panicked voice suddenly rang out loudly from a smartphone speaker. Silent Suzuka held the phone out sheepishly; on the glowing video screen was Special Week's poor, worried mother back in the country, who was currently frantically packing her suitcases in the background and looking very anxious.
Sorry, Spe, Suzuka mouthed silently, looking down. I was genuinely worried about your health too. The way you furiously sneak massive amounts of food in the middle of the pitch-black night every single day really makes it look like you've picked up some bad, dangerous underground habits.
"Don't! Don't! Mom, you don't need to come. I'll talk!"
Not wanting her sweet country mother to worry and actually board a bullet train to Tokyo, Special Week's shoulders slumped in absolute defeat. She had absolutely no choice but to confess everything. She tearfully told her mother exactly what happened over the video call, explaining the interdimensional delivery, and even reluctantly showed the glowing, magical chat records on her own phone screen as concrete evidence to the camera.
Although online usernames and nicknames can easily be chosen at will and fake chat records can be fabricated by scammers, true deities fundamentally possess an inherent, passive "everyone under heaven recognizes the lord" aura effect that absolutely no mortal technology can fake.
Through the screen, the moment the mother laid eyes on the chat logs, a wave of profound, divine peace washed over her. After instinctually confirming the undeniable, holy authenticity of the Three Goddesses' digital presence, Special Week's mother finally, slowly put down her heavy luggage on the tatami mat and breathed a massive sigh of relief.
Since it was a magical shop officially recognized and vetted by the revered Three Goddesses themselves, there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Previously, when Spe had frantically called home crying, desperately asking for so many live farm animals, her mother had been terrified the child had gotten involved with violent campus loan sharks or underground syndicates, and had been sick with worry for a long time. If an anonymous benefactor hadn't already paid the massive bill, she would have absolutely come directly to the academy to check on her daughter's safety.
"Oh oh, I found this shop too. It really is the same!"
Gold Ship, who had been aggressively typing on her own smartphone in the corner while Spe confessed, suddenly cheered. She had successfully searched the hidden app store for the Stardew Valley 'Universal Shop'. Sure enough, she found the glowing green icon. She didn't buy anything yet, but her fingers flew as she clicked directly on the customer service chat icon and aggressively sent a direct message.
Little Gold Ship: "Boss, boss, are you an alien! You're the one who gave Spe those things, right?"
Meanwhile, in another universe...
On the quiet, peaceful porch in Stardew Valley, Leo was currently meticulously stuffing his upgraded Iridium tools, bombs, and climbing gear into his heavy canvas backpack to prepare for tomorrow's grand nautical exploration of the newly risen Spring Island.
Suddenly, he felt his smartphone vibrate heavily in his pocket. When he clicked the screen open, he immediately made a deeply disturbed face, looking exactly like the classic 'old man squinting at a glowing phone on the subway' meme.
What kind of chaotic, unhinged mess was this message?
Leo immediately, logically guessed that the overly energetic username "Little Gold Ship" was actually the notorious Gold Ship herself, but this sudden "alien" identity accusation... how on earth did Special Week clumsily describe him to her team?! How did he get his basic, Earthling human status suddenly revoked across dimensions?!
Leo: "Hello, customer. I am human, at least for now. Is there anything you would like to buy?"
"He replied! He replied!"
Back in the Team Spica training room, a massive, chaotic group of horse girls immediately crowded tightly around Gold Ship, bumping shoulders. Seeing Leo's polite, exasperated reply pop up on the glowing phone screen, they immediately cheered as if they had just made first contact with UFOs.
Only Special Week, who was still awkwardly holding the video call with her relieved mother, sat in the corner with her horse ears flattened miserably against her head. Her precious secret was totally exposed; from now on, the generous Store Manager's amazing, stat-boosting good stuff would absolutely no longer be hers alone to hoard.
"I want carrot juice! I want to taste alien carrot juice!" Daiwa Scarlet demanded, her eyes shining with competitive fire.
"I want fish meat! You know how delicious that floral fish meat from noon was!" Vodka countered aggressively, stepping into her rival's space.
Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet glared and fiercely exchanged a look of pure lightning. Good, their culinary opinions differed. As expected of lifelong, eternal rivals! Let's go out to the track for a brutal lap right now, and whoever wins, we'll force the alien to listen to their order!
Little Gold Ship: "Store Manager, Store Manager, I want a spaceship!"
Leo: "No spaceships! If you keep causing trouble, believe it or not, I'll reach through the Gap and slam your head onto the keyboard fdsfgsaga."
Leo, sitting on his porch, now desperately, intensely longed for Joon Yorigami to be found. As Shion's younger twin sister, her divine ability was naturally not a positive one for the victim; she had the terrifying, absolute power to forcefully make others recklessly spend their money, and magically make them entirely willing and happy to spend it directly on her. However, she herself was always a massive, careless spender, a typical live-for-today type of goddess. After all these thousands of years, she hadn't saved a single penny of her wealth except for her flashy, expensive jewelry and designer outfits.
Such an incredibly useful, financially manipulative ability was practically a natural-born, god-tier talent for modern live-stream sales and e-commerce! The entire reason Leo had formally commissioned Aya to frantically look for Joon was specifically to invite the Pestilence Goddess to be the official, glamorous spokesperson for the Stardew farm and exclusively handle the live-stream sales channel, so he absolutely wouldn't have to personally face all these tricky, insane questions from unhinged customers anymore.
BANG!
"You lot! What are you doing here after school? No one is allowed to stay in the training room!"
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the Spica room were pushed violently open, and the imposing, authoritative figure of the Student Council President, Symboli Rudolf, walked in, flanked by her strict Vice President, Air Groove.
To strictly prevent overzealous horse girls from getting seriously, physically injured while training secretly and dangerously without a licensed trainer present after school hours, the strict academy rules stated that absolutely no one could stay in the training grounds or club rooms after hours. The Council rigorously checked the halls every single day after school.
While passing by the Spica hallway, Rudolf's sensitive ears had heard the massive, screaming commotion inside and came in to enforce discipline.
"President, President, is our summer training camp this year going to be held at that Stardew Valley?!"
Gold Ship completely ignored the scolding, turned around, and raised both hands high in the air, practically vibrating. She was so incredibly excited; finally, finally, she could travel through space and physically meet a real alien!
Hearing Gold Ship's loud, specific words, Rudolf froze. She raised an elegant eyebrow, her smile tightening, and looked sharply back over her shoulder at Air Groove.
This interdimensional matter should have been classified, absolute top secret. She herself only knew the logistics about it after receiving a highly secure, direct message from the Three Goddesses regarding a cross-world training partnership. In the entire Tracen Student Council, absolutely only she and her trusted secretary Air Groove officially knew the details. Now it had actually been leaked to the most chaotic team in the school?!
Air Groove exchanged a dark, understanding look with President Rudolf. She calmly took two steps back and firmly, silently closed the heavy training room door, locking it with a click. This volatile matter absolutely couldn't be spread to the general student populace yet; the Student Council's budget and security logistics simply weren't ready for a mass interdimensional panic.
"Gold Ship, could you gently tell me exactly how you found out about this?"
Rudolf showed a very kind, terrifyingly serene smile. She walked slowly, imposingly behind the vibrating Gold Ship, raised her hand, and—neck twist!
With a swift, painless, and perfectly executed martial arts chop to the pressure point on the neck, Gold Ship crumpled. Chop, chop, chop. Just like taking out the little Peanut, 'neck twist' times four.
Working with terrifying, silent efficiency together with Air Groove, they easily carried the four chaotic horse girls who had completely collapsed limply and unconscious onto the ground out the back door. Regardless of the mess, they absolutely had to take them back to the secure Student Council room for interrogation first; this flimsy club room wasn't secure enough for classified academy secrets.
Back in Stardew Valley...
"Eh? No reply for so long. Did Gold Ship die?"
Leo sat on his bed with his packed backpack, staring at his silent phone screen. He waited for a long while without getting another manic message or spaceship request from Gold Ship, and finally tilted his head in genuine, tired confusion.