Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 103
103. Mari-nee and the chained young man
I couldn’t remember where or how I had walked, but before I knew it, I was standing in front of a store that sold Japanese ingredients.
I felt like I had lost something important, but something within me was desperately urging, ‘Don’t think about it any further.’
Yes, it seemed best to follow that instinct.
Following this kind of intuition has helped me avoid mental crises more than a few times.
Wait, but in the end, wasn’t it more often that I couldn’t avoid being swept up by circumstances…?
I shook my head and forcibly interrupted my thoughts.
Close call. I almost wasted the careful advice given to me.
Anyway, I had managed to reach the store that was my initial destination.
The store was not very different from other stores in the city, but a large noren curtain was hung at the entrance, which you might also see in reality.
The noren was dyed a light green, harmonizing well with the pale green of the stone pavement, but…
“From the outside, you can’t tell what kind of store this is at all, can you?”
I remembered hearing that large norens were also used for shade, but because of that, although people walked by the store, no one actually went inside.
Resolutely, I entered the store from the side of the noren, and inside the dim shop, kanzashi hairpins, lacquerware, and bolts of fabric were neatly arranged as if they were decorations, creating a splendidly traditional Japanese space.
Seeing such purely Japanese items had become quite rare in reality, so it felt refreshing instead.
As I was gazing at a bolt of fabric dyed a gentle cherry blossom color, a voice suddenly called out from the back of the store.
“Welcome. Is there anything you fancy?”
The person who appeared had dark brown skin and deep-set features, wearing a white robe-like garment called a gandoura, typical of people from the Middle East.
“These are all items made in the distant land of Yamato, carefully selected and procured by our maritime trading company, Liberta.”
“They are indeed beautiful.”
In fact, everything looked so high-quality that it seemed like they could charge just for letting people admire them.
Of course, the price probably matched the quality, but I had another purpose.
“But today I’m looking for food ingredients. Do you have soy sauce or miso?”
“Yes, we do. Since we can’t have their smells mixing with other products, they’re stored at the back of the shop. Let me show you.”
I was guided to a place that seemed more like a warehouse than the back of the store.
When the door was opened, a unique aroma of seasonings and fermented foods wafted out.
To me, as a Japanese person, it was a familiar scent, but the man seemed different, slightly furrowing his brow.
However, as soon as he realized I had noticed, he immediately returned his expression to normal, as expected of a businessman.
I tasted a few of the seasonings, but there were no issues.
So I made a bulk purchase of the items that caught my eye.
Due to the importation from a distant country, the payment was quite substantial, but the profits I earned from the dining hall and the trading board were more than enough to cover it.
“Thank you for your large purchase. If you like, we can deliver it to your specified location. Hey!”
When the man called out behind him, a cold, hard sound of metal clashing echoed.
A young man dressed in a hemp tunic appeared.
Judging by his appearance, he was about twenty years old.
Unlike the man, his skin color was the same as mine, but there was one big difference.
It was the shackles on his legs and the heavy chains connecting them.
The iron rings forming the chains were thick, clearly not something one would wear by choice.
“Um, who is he…?”
Half-expecting the answer, I couldn’t help but ask.
“He is a slave purchased from the demon city of Xenoa.”
“A slave…”
The answer came so bluntly that I couldn’t process the meaning of the word properly, and I repeated what he said.
“He is strong, so please feel free to use him. Make sure to carry the items here carefully.”
“Understood, sir.”
Perhaps because he was made to work at the shop, his clothes were simple, but his hair and beard were not left to grow wild, and he didn’t have a strong body odor either.
However, his eyes seemed to lack any will to live.
Those eyes simply carried out what was instructed, reflecting no hope at all.
For some reason, looking into those eyes made my chest ache terribly.
“Maria!?”
As I unconsciously clutched at my chest, Gils bent down worriedly to peer into my face.
Seeing the yellow and green heterochromatic eyes at the same level directly in front of me, I understood why my chest hurt.
It wasn’t because of the knowledge from history lessons about people suffering under such systems.
It was because his eyes resembled mine before I awoke from a long sleep and learned about the world of Mebius.
I saw my past self in him.
While Gils let me lean on his shoulder to calm myself, the young man waited for my instructions without moving.
“Thank you, Gils.”
I let go of Gils’ shoulder and took a deep breath.
It’s okay, I’m not the same as I was back then.
Telling myself this again, I felt strength return to my heart.
As I began to think clearly again, I realized the quantity of items I had bought was overwhelming.
There’s a limit to how much one person can carry, and if I left it all to him, it would take multiple trips.
I didn’t want to make him carry everything, but if I put it all in my item box and took it home, he’d just be given other work…
After some deliberation, I made a proposal to the shopkeeper.
“I bought a lot, but I actually want to visit a few other shops. Would it be possible for him to carry those purchases as well?”
I subtly hinted that this was something of a favor.
Sensing my intention, the shopkeeper readily agreed.
“Of course, use him as much as you need. Just make sure he doesn’t mess up.”
The shopkeeper said this, and the young man silently turned his gaze towards me.
“Then, please take only one jar of miso and follow me.”
As he did as instructed, I left the shop, choosing a less crowded street and walking more slowly than usual.
I couldn’t completely silence the sound of chains against the cobblestones, but I managed to reduce the sharp clanging somewhat.
After about five minutes of walking, we arrived at a small square.
It wasn’t a park with trees and grass, but rather an open space created where several streets intersected.
Luckily, there weren’t many people around at this time, but his presence, with chains binding his legs, was still very conspicuous.
The gazes directed at him were more curious than disdainful.
However, I understood, as someone who couldn’t walk unaided, that both kinds of stares equally wound the heart.
I had him sit at the edge of the square and asked Gils for a favor.
I worried he might dislike it, but Gils readily agreed.
“Sorry for asking something strange.”
“No problem if it’s a request from Maria. I’d even consider disguising myself.”
“You don’t have to go that far!”
I know he feels happy to be relied upon, but I wish he would show a bit more restraint for the sake of my soul, so it doesn’t drift too far away.
I handed the [Magic Silver Thread] to Gils and switched on my skills [Moira’s Blessing Thread] then transferred [Thread Manipulation] and [Manipulator].
After briefly confirming his ability to handle the thread, Gils gave me a single nod and then strode off in the opposite direction from us.
As I watched his reliable figure walking away, I noticed the women around us gazing at him with dreamy expressions.
Gils is tall and has well-defined features.
His heterochromatic eyes, peeking through his beautiful silver hair, seem to enhance his charm even more.
Once I confirmed that he was sufficiently far from us, he nonchalantly took out the [Magical Silver Thread] from his hands and, using [Thread Manipulation], started drawing birds and sending them flying one after another.
The sudden appearance of the silver birds caused exclamations of surprise, drawing all attention to Gils.
What I had asked Gils to do was to play the role of a jester, which is also my job.
Thanks to this, all the gazes that had been directed at the young man were now focused on Gils, allowing me to check on the young man’s condition without worry.
The worst condition was at his ankles, where the shackles touched. The wounds had repeatedly healed and reopened, and some kind of bodily fluid was still seeping out.
When I handed him a potion, he didn’t seem to understand its purpose and made no move to take it.
“Drink this. It will heal your wounds.”
I took his hand and directly placed the potion in it, speaking in a slightly firmer tone.
Probably, in his current state, nothing less would get through to him.
I don’t know if he took my words as a command, but he obediently drank the potion.
Immediately, the wounds on his ankles healed, and for the first time, I saw a hint of emotion in his eyes.
There might have been confusion, but the important thing was that there was a reaction.
“My name is Maria. If you don’t mind, could you tell me your name?”
After a brief pause, he finally answered.
“…Joshua.”
After telling me his name, he continued to murmur “Joshua, Joshua” over and over.
As if trying to remind himself of the name he had just remembered, making sure he wouldn’t forget it again…