Hateno Village’s Dirty Little Secret: My Underground Scoop on Reede’s Strange Behavior

Let me tell you, when I first rolled into Hateno Village in 2025, I thought it was just another cozy, post-Upheaval settlement trying to get back on its feet. The fields were green, the school was running, and everyone was obsessed with this whole mayoral election between Cece and Reede. It seemed quaint, almost boring. Man, was I wrong. The real drama wasn't on the campaign trail; it was hidden in a shed, beneath a well, and involved a mayor-to-be whispering to vegetables. Talk about a plot twist!

The whole thing started when I bumped into Clavia, Reede's wife. She was pacing outside their house, which sits north of the village, looking utterly stressed. "Oh, Link! Thank Hylia you're here," she said, pulling me aside. "It's my husband, Reede. He's been... acting strange. Locking himself in his shed at all hours, muttering about 'secrets' and 'the future of Hateno.' With the election coming up, I'm worried sick. Could you... find out what he's up to? Discreetly, of course." She gave me that look—the one that says 'I know you're the hero who saves kingdoms, but right now I need you to be a nosy neighbor.' How could I say no?

So, my mission was clear: uncover Reede's Secret. The shed was easy to find, right next to their home. But getting inside? That was a whole other story. The door was locked tighter than a Treasure Chest in a shrine. I circled it a few times, feeling like a total amateur. Then I remembered Clavia mentioning he was in there at night. Bingo! I needed to catch him in the act during the day when he was out campaigning about "traditional values."

My first thought was to just Ascend through the ceiling, but the shed floor was too high off the ground. Then I spotted it: the Hateno Village North Well. A lightbulb went off in my head. If there's one thing I've learned exploring Hyrule, it's that wells and caves often lead to the most unexpected places. I marked it on my Purah Pad and made a beeline for it.

Jumping down that well was like entering another world. It was damp, dark, and eerily quiet. Using Ultrahand, I moved a few pesky boulders blocking a tunnel. This wasn't just a water source; it was a secret passage. I followed the tunnel, my Sensor blissfully silent for once. According to my map, I was walking directly under Reede's property. The irony wasn't lost on me—the candidate preaching about old-fashioned, above-board farming was literally hiding his activities underground.

I finally reached a spot where the ceiling looked... right. I activated Ascend, and with that familiar blue swirl, I phased up through the earth and the wooden floorboards. I emerged right in the middle of the shed. And let me tell you, what I saw was not what I expected.

Forget secret affair or shady deals. The place was a makeshift lab! Scattered notebooks detailed cross-breeding experiments. There were trays of soil with tiny sprouts and diagrams that would make a Sheikah scientist proud. Reede's big secret? He was trying to create a new, hybrid vegetable! The man who stood in the town square talking about preserving Hateno's "tried-and-true" ways was secretly pioneering agricultural science in his backyard shed. The hypocrisy was almost beautiful. He wasn't a villain; he was a gardener with a massive conflict of interest, terrified his progressive experiments would ruin his conservative image.

I snapped a few pictures for the Compendium (for research, obviously) and hightailed it out of there before Reede returned. Clavia was waiting anxiously. When I told her the news, her reaction was priceless. She went from worried to utterly baffled, then burst out laughing. "All this stress... for tomatoes?" she sighed, shaking her head. As a thank you for calming her nerves (and probably for not finding something worse), she handed me a basket. "Here. Take these. Maybe you can make something of them."

The reward? Ten plump, perfect Hylian Tomatoes. Not exactly a pile of Rupees or a fancy weapon, but in its own way, it was perfect. These weren't just tomatoes; they were a symbol of Hateno's hidden heart—tradition on the surface, innovation bubbling underneath.

Completing this quest was a wild ride. It's one of those classic Tears of the Kingdom moments where you think you're on a simple fetch quest, and it turns into a mini detective story with social commentary. It also tied directly into the larger Mayoral Election side adventure, which has you running all over Hateno Village dealing with Cece's fashion secrets and other town gossip. To fully resolve the election, you gotta complete both 'Reede's Secret' and 'Cece's Secret.' Talk about messy local politics!

So, what's the moral of the story? In Hateno Village, and all across Hyrule, everyone has something they're hiding. Sometimes it's a terrifying power, and sometimes it's just a passion project they're scared to share. My job, as a traveler and occasional hero, is to uncover these truths—whether it saves the world or just saves a marriage. And hey, if I get some fantastic tomatoes for a killer pizza recipe out of it? That's what I call a win-win. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with some dough, cheese, and these suspiciously innovative tomatoes. Time to cook!