Side Chapter: Finding Love

Author Note:

This happens between chapters 135 and 136

It was a day with a pleasant, breezy wind.

Mike, after a long day of guiding his employees through the basics of the game, finally made his way to the village. He strolled through the village streets, taking in the vibrant atmosphere of the upcoming harvest festival. Villagers were out and about, greeting him warmly as he passed by, creating a charming rural scene straight out of a movie. So soothing.

Such a nice atmosphere… he thought to himself. The air is also good… He took a deep breath, savoring the clean, crisp air. Living in a metropolitan city meant he was used to breathing unclean air every day. After playing this game for more than a month, he realized just how different the two worlds were.

Still, I wonder if there’s a chick around here that I could hit on. Having a virtual girlfriend or two is like a dream come true! Going around the village made him feel like doing a side quest to find love. Even though it was all artificial, it was good to play around a little bit. As long as the game allowed it, of course.

Lost in his thoughts, Mike rounded a corner and smelled the fragrance of flowers. Further ahead, he could see a small, charming flower shop. The shop was filled with an array of colorful blooms, their colors vivid and inviting. Behind the counter stood a young girl about sixteen to seventeen years old, with brown hair and a freckled face. She was arranging a bouquet with a gentle smile, though her eyes held a hint of sadness that tugged at Mike’s heartstrings.

Mike quickly straightened his clothes and fixed his hair before stepping inside. “Hello there,” he greeted. “These flowers are beautiful.”

“Thank you,” the girl replied softly, looking up. “I do my best to keep the shop neat.”

Mike glanced around, noticing the variety of flowers neatly arranged to attract potential customers. “If luring customers is your goal, then you sure have done a fantastic job.” He gave her a thumbs up. “The only thing lacking here is a girl with a smile.”

She blushed. Mike’s words seemed to have lightened up her mood. “Oh, you,” she said, her voice a bit brighter.

Huh? My charm actually works? Mike found it weird that a simple compliment had such an effect. After all, any female player would be disdained over such a cheap, sweet word that he used to utter at them. The devs must have designed the NPCs to act according to the setting, or in this case, a Medieval Ages setting, to fully immerse the players.

But then, she appeared to have a realization and quickly said, “You… Are you one of the mages who followed Sir Astralium? The hero and the new lord of this village?”

“Me?” Mike pointed at himself in surprise. “I am no hero, missy. I am just your ‘friendly neighborhood mage.’”

She giggled. “You’re funny, Mister Mage. Our village head warned us to watch our words when talking with mages, but you seem to be a friendly exception.”

“Haha, of course. You can trust me!” Encouraged by her reaction, Mike continued, “So, do you run this place by yourself?”

She nodded, her smile fading slightly. “Yes. This shop was my father’s. He passed away recently… during the attack.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” Mike felt guilty for asking as his expression turned sympathetic. “That must be incredibly hard.”

“It is,” she admitted, her voice tinged with sadness. “But I want to honor his memory by keeping the shop going. Originally, my father ran the store because it was my late mother’s shop. As such, it is only right for me to continue running it.”

“Whoa, cool. That’s very admirable. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Actually, there might be something.” She turned to look at the flowers and continued, “We’re preparing for the harvest festival, and I could use some help setting up a flower stall in the plaza. Although, I don’t have a lot to offer in return…”

A mission?

Mike awaited a mission notification from his Shadowlink Mark, but even after a few seconds of waiting, nothing appeared. Did the mission fail to generate, or was there a criterion that didn’t trigger it?

“Mister Mage?” She tilted her head in concern. “If this bothers you, please don’t feel obligated to accept. All I can offer you is five silver coins.”

“No, no, no! I’d be happy to help!” Mike exclaimed with a smile. “In return, I want to know your name. And maybe a date for the harvest festival. Just kidd— Huh?”

“Sure.” The girl smiled at him with a slightly flustered expression.

Hearing her answer shocked Mike to no end, but he quickly regained his composure. Though he didn’t know what else to say.

“My name is Maria. And thank you, Mister Mage. I’ll be glad for any help you can offer.”

Mike grinned, feeling a mix of excitement and determination. “It’s Mike. Let’s make this flower stall the highlight of the festival, Maria.”

***

The preparation to set up the stall took three days because Mike had to help craft the stall itself from scratch. It seemed that the previous one her family used to have was destroyed by the bandits. Fortunately, his other party members were planning to stay in the village until the end of the festival, so he wouldn’t be left out.

Mike worked tirelessly alongside Maria, hammering nails, sawing wood, and painting the stall in bright, inviting colors. The villagers occasionally stopped by to offer assistance or bring refreshments, making the work feel less like a chore and more like a community effort. One time, his party members tried to look for him, but after finding out what he was doing, they didn’t disturb him and left with a knowing smile. Of course, what made the work enjoyable for him was Maria — her gentle laughter and encouraging words kept Mike motivated.

Finally, on the third day, the stall was complete. It stood proudly in the plaza, adorned with fresh flowers that Maria had painstakingly arranged. Mike stood by the flower stall, admiring it thoughtfully as he held his chin. Maria approached him with an excited face, saying, “Mister Mage, we did it. The stall looks amazing.”

He smiled at her. “Sure did. It’s the best-looking stall in the whole festival.”

As the sun set, casting a warm glow over the village, the festival began.

The plaza came alive with music, laughter, and the tantalizing aroma of various foods. Lanterns hung from trees, casting a soft light over the festivities. Quite a few players had joined the lively atmosphere. In the middle of it all was a bonfire, with a table full of offerings just in front of it, seemingly placed there for the deceased.

Many people came to their stall to buy flowers for their deceased family members, and it wasn’t until the sky turned completely dark that the last customer came and went. Maria’s flower stall was not the only one in the plaza, but it was the best-selling reason. One of the reasons was Mike’s eccentric expertise in promoting stuff. He didn’t know that it would come in handy now, of all time. Heck, he even got praise from Maria.

“Mister Mage, you’re so talented as a vendor.”

“Haha, this much is nothing for me,” Mike bragged, causing Maria to giggle.

Soon, couples began to take to the center of the plaza, dancing to the rhythm of a lively folk tune. Maria watched them with a wistful look in her eyes.

As a self-proclaimed man of culture, Mike, of course, noticed it and extended his hand. “Care for a dance, Maria?” Despite his best efforts to hide his embarrassment, he could feel that his back was trembling.

She looked at him in surprise, then smiled shyly. “C-Can I?”

“Of course!”

“Then, I’d love to.” She took his hand.

After that, they joined the dancers in the plaza, and Mike found himself moving to the beat, his hand gently holding Maria’s. For one thing, his dancing experience was limited to his high school prom, where his date had left him midway out of embarrassment because he was terrible at dancing and kept spouting nonsense. But he was no longer the same person now. Or was he? Even Mike himself didn’t know.

Even though he struggled at first, he quickly got used to it by following Maria’s lead. The music swirled around them, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people there. Maria’s laughter was infectious, and Mike couldn’t help but smile as they danced.

The villagers clapped along with the music, some cheering for the dancing couples. Maria’s beautiful, freckled face was illuminated by the lantern light, and Mike felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn’t expected.

As the song ended, they both stopped, breathless and laughing. Maria looked up at Mike, her eyes sparkling with joy. “Thank you, Mister Mage— No, Mike. This has been the best festival ever.”

He grinned in response. “The pleasure is all mine, my lady.”

They then walked back to the flower stall, to which Mike’s party members had gathered, quietly watching them with their stupid grins. Zero, Storm, SuperNova, and Prominence waved him over, their expressions were very funny like he would without a doubt be teased a lot later. Damn, I can already imagine the teasing… If my employees knew about this, it’d be even worse.

“Looks like someone’s been busy,” Zero teased.

“Am I watching Cinderella or something?” SuperNova was awestruck.

“Yeah. To get a cutie like her to like you…” Storm shook his head in mock despair. “Why is it not me?”

“Pfft, with a face like yours, even your mom would not acknowledge you as her child,” mocked Prominence.

“Why, you!”

Mike snorted but noticed that Maria was blushing upon hearing Storm’s initial comment. All of a sudden, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled his face closer to hers. A small peck touched his cheek before Maria quickly scurried away like a kitten. Mike could hear his friends’ shocked responses, but he paid them no mind.

Did she just… Mike thought as he gazed at the fleeting Maria, still feeling the lingering warmth on his cheek. Over this, Mike was sure of one thing: This world was more than just a game