Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 10

1-10. Mari-nee and Name

Checking my status, it was around the time I learned the skill <Puppeteer>.

In the forest where the moonlight couldn’t reach, sunlight began to pierce through the darkness as if dispelling it.

“Somehow, it’s already become the time when morning breaks.”

Along the way, I started enjoying the battles, forgetting the passage of time.

“Just as my item box is getting full, maybe I should head back once.”

This wasn’t because enemies generously dropped items; it was due to the Black Wolf I had “captured.”

The reason being that portable food and potions were displayed as multiple items within one item slot. However, the captured Black Wolf occupied one slot for each individual.

At present, my item box is dominated by captured Black Wolves, taking up about 60%.

Did I capture too many?

Let’s not think about how long it will take to dismantle them for now.

Until I exit the forest, the opponents changed from Black Wolves to Boars. However, perhaps because I had gotten used to Black Wolves, defeating them felt quite easy.

The level of Black Wolves might have been relatively high.

Entering the town after leaving the forest, the sun had completely risen, and the residents had begun their busy work.

At the Adventurer’s Guild, adventurers were bustling around, with calls for party recruitment, requests, and reports echoing everywhere.

To request dismantling, I headed towards the counter where Allen was.

“Good morning, Allen-san.”

“Good morning, Maria-chan. You’re up early.”

“Actually, I’ve been fighting in the <Trial Forest> all night, so it’s not that I’m up early.”

“You went to the <Trial Forest> at night? Alone, by any chance?”

“Yes, but what’s wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong is… Well, at night, there are troublesome monsters called Black Wolves that ambush you from the darkness and coordinate attacks. Adventurers tend to stay away because it’s not very rewarding for the effort. Even more so if you’re alone.”

“Indeed, it was tough at first, but once I got used to it, it was fine. They attacked more frequently than Boars, and thanks to that, my level went up.”

“I see… Maria-chan is surprisingly bold, or should I say, has a strong nerve.”

Allen’s face twitched subtly.

“Well, I’d like to request dismantling again.”

“I don’t mind. However, from this time onwards, there will be a dismantling fee. Payment can be either 10% of the total dismantling cost in G, or offset with items obtained through dismantling.”

“Then please offset it.”

I don’t particularly need any specific materials, and I don’t want money to be a problem.

“Understood. Well then, can you show me your catch?”

Nodding, I selected all the captured Black Wolves stored in my item box and took them out.

By the time I thought about whether it would fit on the counter, it was already too late. A cascade of Black Wolves had overflowed towards Allen from midway.

“Wait-!!”

He wanted to say something, but his words were swallowed up by the pack of Black Wolves, and communication ceased.

“Um… Are you okay?”

“…”

In the end, Allen lost consciousness from the impact, and the surrounding staff came to his rescue.

And I, harshly scolded for not being considerate enough, learned to choose a better location when unloading a large quantity of items.

That was definitely a lack of consideration on my part. Lesson learned.

Since the dismantling quantity was large and they said it would take a day, I left it as it was. I sold the obtained fur and claws to them.

It was satisfying to get a better price than the Boars.

I kept the meat for cooking. Though it had less fat than Boar meat, it had stiff tendons, making it unsuitable for grilling.

Well, that’s okay. It has its uses.

Leaving the Adventurer’s Guild, I bought tomatoes, dried white beans, carrots, celery, onions, a generous amount of each, at the morning market.

My destination was the church.

The children seemed to still be asleep, but Estelle was awake, cleaning the church.

“Good morning, Estelle-san.”

“Maria-san! Good morning!”

Estelle ran towards me with a smile.

Whether it’s my imagination or not, her skin and hair seemed to have a better gloss than before.

Could it be because of the forced Taste and Sight? The effects seem to be too quick, but this is a game, after all.

In that case, I should have Estelle eat more.

“May I borrow the church kitchen?”

“Of course. If you’d like, shall I help too?”

I hesitated for a moment at her offer. While I could quickly handle the vegetable chopping with my <Thread Manipulation>, tasks like peeling onion skins or removing celery strings weren’t my forte.

Considering I planned to make around twenty servings, it might be a good idea to ask for assistance.

“Well, if you have some free time, could I ask for your help?”

“Yes!”

After putting away the cleaning tools, the two of us moved to the kitchen. I asked Estelle to handle the preparation of the vegetables, while I began to work on the Black Wolf meat.

Though tougher and more sinewy than Boar meat, I effortlessly cut it into bite-sized pieces using my controlled threads.

After sprinkling salt, I added the meat to a large pot on the stove, where the wolf fat was sizzling. The pleasant aroma of the cooking meat filled the air.

Estelle finely chopped the celery she had cleaned of strings and added it to the pot, sautéing it together with the meat.

Once it had cooked through, I added the white beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, and onions.

After adding water along with herbs, I increased the heat. Skimming off any foam that rose to the surface, I seasoned it with salt, poured in red wine, covered it, and let it simmer.

Now, all that was left was to let it cook for a while.

Ideally, with a pressure cooker, it would be done quickly, but would it be ready before the children woke up?

Next to me, Estelle was kneading and making bread dough with rye flour.

Watching her knead the dough with strong force, I thought, “Yeah, that’s a task beyond my capabilities.”

Feeling a bit idle, I took out the plush cat I received from Roulette.

“Oh, what a cute cat… a stuffed animal, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Roulette-san gave it to me when she came by the other day. It’s amazing, right? At a glance, it looks just like a real cat.”

I could understand the pause for a moment. The craftsmanship, the vertically elongated pupils in the yellow eyes – it was so realistic that even if someone said it was real, you might believe them.

Extending a thread toward the plush cat, I activated <Puppeter>.

Before me, the transformation was dramatic.

The plush cat sniffed the scent of my palm, rubbing its head against it with a gentle thump!

“”Cu-cute!””

Huh? The voices overlapped, and I realized Estelle was leaning forward.

Is Estelle also a cat lover? Since she seemed to appreciate this moment, as if understanding my intention, the cat itself approached Estelle and rubbed against her.

Oh, clever.

Could it be that my thoughts are getting through?

Estelle, who was melting at the cuteness of the cat, looked different from her usual motherly expression. She appeared younger than her actual age.

Maybe this is Estelle’s true self. Feeling warm inside, I enjoyed the scene, but then the children started waking up.

Upon discovering the cat, they showered it with affection, rumpling its fur.

If it were real, it might resist and scratch, but it behaved well.

“Maria-san, aren’t you going to give this little one a name?”

“A name? I didn’t really care since it’s just a stuffed animal, but now that you mention it, it would be odd without one.”

When I looked, the cat’s eyes seemed to be directed at me, as if expecting something.

“A cat, white, with yellow eyes… Nyanko.”

“U-uhmm… Well, everyone, what kind of name do you think suits it?”

She said a few words, but it was totally ignored, right?

Estelle, you looked like you gave up on something!?

“Shiro!”

“Nekosuke!”

“Tama!”

“Those are all good names. But, it’s almost as common as Maria-san’s name, so let’s think of something a bit more unique.”

Was that a subtle diss!?

Well, my naming sense is what it is.

The naming contest, which took a considerable amount of time in the morning, continued until the Black Wolf stew was ready. In the end, we settled on “Nero.”

My opinion? Was there any room for it to intervene?

The stew, similar in taste to the beef stew I had during my part-time job, was well-received by everyone.

Yeah, I’ll do my best in cooking. Thanks to that, my skill level has improved.

At that time, I still saw <Puppeteer> as a skill that allowed things to move like real ones, a comforting skill that could be manipulated at the puppeteer’s will.

The dream of having a pet animal unexpectedly came true, and I was innocently delighted.