Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 101
Sorry, I’ve been sick
101. Mari-nee and can’t run away from her
The day after I endured the torturous time of being endlessly shown a video of myself, sandwiched between my younger siblings.
When I logged into the world of Mebius, I summoned Gils and descended from the second floor to the first.
The dining hall was relatively quiet, perhaps because the initial rush of business had subsided. Now, Retya was attending to adventurers who had come to buy weapons and armor, while Ryle was diligently cleaning up the dishes.
Incidentally, the sales of cassoulet were doing well, with the time it took to sell out gradually shortening.
While this was good news, it was curious that someone had started timing how long it took from the start of sales to sell out. This person kept daily records and would shout, “Sold out in X minutes today!” causing a bit of a stir among those who heard.
Isn’t this a dining hall? Why are people timing it as if it were an eating contest? It’s better not to think too deeply about these things.
Whatever the reason, Retya and Ryle had become more efficient in their serving and cleaning tasks. Even now, Ryle was efficiently clearing the dishes left on the tables, moving with the precision of someone far beyond a child helping out.
I considered helping out myself and turned to face Ryle, meeting his eyes.
!?
Ryle’s movements stopped for a moment, and he quickly looked away. Huh? What’s wrong?
He seemed to be blushing, but he was working energetically, so it didn’t seem like he had a fever.
Since he went to the back of the counter, I decided not to pursue it and instead went outside.
Recently, Retya had told me about a shop that sold Japanese seasonings and ingredients, which I was looking forward to. My stock of white miso, which I had exchanged for points from an official event, was running low, so this was perfect timing.
Just as I was about to leave and reached for the door, someone placed a hand on my shoulder from behind.
“Maria~san? How about we have a little chat?”
Turning around awkwardly like a rusty tin doll, I saw Roulette smiling, but I could tell her eyes behind her glasses weren’t smiling at all.
There was no strength in the hand on my shoulder, yet I felt I couldn’t escape…
Even Gils seemed intimidated by her presence.
The talk was undoubtedly about what really happened at the deepest part of the “Cave of Vows.”
After the celebration, I hadn’t gone into detail about the events because thinking about losing those two made me emotional. Roulette had been considerate enough not to ask until now, but it was understandable that she wanted to know eventually.
After all, Nero’s creator was Roulette.
Resigned, I followed Roulette to a small room that had become quite exclusive for the king’s use.
Inside, Mareus, Kanna, and Graham were already seated.
Am I trapped!?
Just as I thought of trying to leave, Roulette had already closed the door. The sound of the lock turning echoed quietly, sounding to me like a judge’s gavel.
I recounted what happened at the deepest part of the “Cave of Vows” in chronological order: the conversation with the Empress, the arrival of imperial soldiers and adventurers, and Mephistopheles.
Various schemes had intertwined, leading us to fight against the adventurers.
During the battle, we lost Nero and Kuuga.
This caused Gils to awaken and defeat the adventurers.
When I mentioned that Leon and his group were among them, the already tense atmosphere among the four people in the room turned dangerously hostile.
I continued, explaining that the souls of the two were now housed within Gils and the black egg that Mephistopheles entrusted to us at the cost of his own being. I recounted everything Mephistopheles and the Empress said afterwards as accurately as I could remember.
After I finished, Roulette seemed somewhat composed, perhaps because she had anticipated much of this. However, her tightly clenched fists were trembling with excessive force.
The most reactive, surprisingly, was Mareus.
“Notify everyone in the Production Guild! Use the trading board to exclude sales to Legios and Zenoa!!”
He shouted, slamming his hands on the table.
I recalled that Mareus had named Kuuga.
“They’ve gone too far. I’ll reach out to those in potion production through my contacts.”
Things seemed to be escalating quickly.
“……..”
In contrast, Graham remained unusually quiet. His profile looked unchanged from before I started talking.
Given his usual behavior, I had expected Graham to be the first to lose control. Perhaps I should reconsider my assumptions. Sorry about that.
As I leaned forward to grab my cup, I glanced at Graham’s other side and regretted my apology.
The side of his face I glimpsed was completely different from what I had been seeing: his eyes were wide open, his canine teeth bared, and a ferocious smile twisted his lips.
It was as if his face was split down the middle, displaying two completely different expressions. This was not a look a human should have.
My impression of his calmness was merely the result of his anger being so intense it had come full circle to quietness.
As I subtly signaled Gils, Graham sprang up and tried to dash out of the room. Almost simultaneously, Gils managed to restrain him.
“Let me go! I won’t rest until I use the full force of the Small Saint Church to hunt down and punish those who hurt the star of our cult!”
Startled by his alarming declaration,
“Calm yourself, fool. Use your head for once!”
Gils’ calming words resonated with my intentions.
As for me, I wanted no more conflicts.
“If we are to go to another country, we must be fully prepared!”
…Huh?
“I’ll handle the equipment. The Production Guild will give its all to craft the best gear for you.”
“Better stock up on healing items. I’ll try something about it.”
“I’ll arrange transportation. Of course, I’m going too.”
Uh-oh, this is getting out of hand.
“It’s not enough for them to atone. Those who hurt Maria will regret ever being born…”
I take it back. Gils, you completely misunderstood my intentions.
The situation was eventually defused by Retya, who had come in worried about the commotion. However, I realized I needed to have a serious talk with Gils later.
But for now, I was relieved it didn’t turn into a major incident.
If something were to happen to their souls here, I’d lose my place to return to.
At that moment, I let my guard down.
And I would later deeply regret it…