"Really? That's so strange. Zuzu City is part of the Ferngill Republic. I can't believe you wouldn't have heard of the war with the Gotoro Empire."

"We've always been at war with the Gotoro Empire."

"... I think?"

(has Oliver in fact heard of the Gotoro Empire?)

No...

"I haven't, actually, heard of any such place as a Gotoro Empire."

"You're kidding! That's very surprising! They are our nearest neighbor to the south, just across the Gem Sea. What do you think is just across the Gem Sea?"

(...has Oliver ever heard of a GEM SEA ever?)

Oliver previously lived in Zuzu City, the biggest city in the Ferngill Republic. Which, as previously described, occupies the northern island of what might be called New Zealand on another version of earth. But in the world Oliver remembers, New Zealand was just smaller. It only took up the southern island.

The body of water Emily is calling the Gem Sea would be known, in Oliver's memory, as the Cook Strait, and it would not feature the pleasant archipelago Emily knows as the Fern Islands.

"In my reality--which, be it clear, I am not claiming was ever your reality, or the reality we're in right now--the waters to the south of us are the Cook Strait, and on the other side of it is a normal and pleasant and peaceful democracy known as New Zealand.  No one in my memory has ever spoken of an Old Zealand, and perhaps there was never such a place."

"So... you're not at war? You don't have to send troops? You just... live?"

"Before I thought we had it better here, because nobody here starves, but now I'm less sure."

"There's always some war on or other but not here."

"Does Gotoro send airplanes that occasionally bomb Ferngill cities, in this version?  Or is it--people with guns, or spears, having infantry battles on the borders and naval battles on the seas?"

"You know... I'm not really sure? We don't think or talk about it much here, it's such an unpleasant topic. I guess I sort of imagine it's people with guns. Definitely nobody ever bombs us."

"Well, with any luck, it's not really happening or nobody involved is awake enough to hurt."

"I can't promise that's actually true, and if Gotoro is said to not be a local threat but just the reason why a kid misses his father, then there may be no direct way set up to end the war from inside of Pelican Town."

...Oliver wonders if he could call the Gotoro Empire on the phone and wake up a series of secretaries by talking to them until he wakes up the Gotoran Emperor, but he is not going to try this on Day 2.  It doesn't sound like he's due to get bombed or drafted.

By now the pair has crossed the bridge across the river and are walking down the beach. They've passed a small cottage on the left, and Emily is angling them across the beach to the pier. Oliver sees a couple of clam shells lying on the beach that look pick-up-able.

Oliver will be taking ALL the 20-G bills that lie on any visible street!

"Wow, do you think we could try to end the war? I thought you were just going to come up with wild new ways to make money and help me become a fashion designer, but you seem to be thinking bigger than that."

"I'm not ruling out this early that there's a way to become God!  It worked in--actually I shouldn't say the title, it's a spoiler and I've got it on my Kindle and that means people could possibly read it."

"If by become God you mean like competing with Yoba, that seems pretty arrogant! Maybe you mean something else!"

Emily's face looks like he'd better mean something else.

She wonders what a Kindle is but doesn't want to let Oliver's extremely questionable statement slide past.

"Yoba can totally keep his job if he's been good at it!"

Emily feels like something is deeply wrong with this line of conversation but really can't think where to take it next.

Fortunately, they've arrived at Willy's shop!

Oliver, cheered by thoughts of apotheosis as always, will stride gainfully in!

"Ahoy there! It's nice to see young folk movin' in to the valley. It's not very common these days."

Willy's shop is wood-paneled and features a variety of bait and other fishing-related items.

But no Mayor?

Alas, no.

"Young people themselves aren't too common, I'm afraid.  People in the outside world mostly gave up on having kids."

"How would I go about making money fast by fishing?"