Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 106
106. Mari-nee and The truth she didn’t want to realize
The king arranged for someone to deal with the magic on the shackles and chains later, and then he returned to the castle through a secret passage.
“So he really came here just for this…”
He adjusted his duties and came all the way here just for this? If he has time to do things like this, I wish he would spend more time on himself.
Although it ended up helping, and I’m not blaming him, it does make me a bit uneasy because it reminds me of my past.
…No, no, thinking like this is why people call me a saint.
Besides, I still haven’t accepted that title, “saint”!
As I continued this monologue in my head, Kanna woke up.
“Where am I? Who am I? Where is my king?!”
With that last sentence, it’s obvious she knows who she is, Kanna…
Sighing at Kanna’s unwavering nature, I replied.
“This is ‘Luna Maria Home,’ and you are Kanna, a skilled carpenter.”
“And by the way, the king has already returned to the castle.”
“He also said he’d send someone to deal with the magic. So he left the physical part to you.”
“How terrible, Roulette! Everyone! Knowing about my relationship with the king!!!”
No it’s not-… No, it’s better not to argue.
Looking around, it seemed Mareus and Roulette also decided to ignore her.
When I looked at Joshua, he seemed overwhelmed by everything happening at once.
It’s understandable, I felt the same way at first.
But don’t worry.
You’ll get used to it.
Even if you don’t want to…
“Well, it’s fine that Kanna is being Kanna, but we should get started. Even though Maria tricked a merchant to get Joshua out, we can’t keep him forever.”
You’re not wrong, but isn’t that a bit harsh?
“We could make less burdensome shackles and chains ourselves, but considering we might need more in the future, it’s tricky. Plus, we need to spend time on ‘that’ too.”
“Indeed… For something like this, why not leave it to those kids?”
“Those kids?”
I was puzzled by Roulette’s suggestion,
“The design is simple, and it might be just right for them,” Mareus nodded, thinking it was a great idea, and headed outside.
Roulette also followed, dragging Kanna along.
Isn’t she a bit too rough with Kanna?
My question remained unanswered as I wondered what to do next, and Joshua’s sympathetic glance towards Kanna left a strong impression.
Following the three—or rather, the two—leaders, we went to the back of the church built on the adjacent vacant lot.
In front of the church, the line of people had grown longer than before.
But what caught my attention wasn’t the increase in people, but rather that many of those leaving the church were carefully holding something about the size of their hands.
I wanted to take a closer look, but for now, I needed to focus on not being seen.
Considering the commotion in the square, my concern didn’t seem unwarranted.
Although it felt self-conscious and annoying, I hid behind Gils and walked stealthily.
Fortunately, we reached the back of the church without being noticed, where a wide log cabin-style house stood.
Peeking inside the house, I saw several members of the Production Guild, whom I met through my connection with Roulette and the others, teaching children various skills.
They were teaching how to shave wood, sew fabric, and shape copper plates with a hammer.
“What is this… and when did they build this place?” I wondered aloud.
Kanna, who was brushing dust off her suit as she stood up, answered my question.
“Maria, you’ve been distributing meals to the children in the outer city regularly, right? One of the Production Guild members saw that and said they wanted to do something to help too. So, they gathered volunteers, and quite a few people joined. It started with the idea of teaching some skills, which led to the need for a teaching space, and eventually, they decided to build this place. And here we are.”
I understood the flow, but building an entire structure like this was so typical of these people.
“Although, there aren’t many things that children can do,” Mareus commented.
“Even so, Mareus is the most dedicated among the three of us, coming here regularly to teach,” Roulette added with a teasing smile.
“Hey, Roulette!!”
Mareus’s face turned red as he protested, but he fell silent, perhaps realizing that any further comment would only lead to more teasing.
He shouldn’t be embarrassed.
Or rather, maybe it’s more accurate to say he’s not being honest.
As I pondered this, two familiar children ran towards me from inside the building.
“Onee-san (-chan)!!”
The ones calling out to me were Emma and Roma, the siblings I first met in the outer city.
They seemed a bit healthier than before.
Their clothes, while still simple, were no longer tattered, and they even wore rudimentary shoes made of fur tied with strings.
“We have them help with our chores while teaching them, so it’s like a form of compensation,” Roulette explained, seemingly reading my mind.
Knowing that they’re needed and seeing tangible results must be motivating.
Especially if they’re rewarded for it.
The two excitedly told me about what they’ve been working on and what they’ve learned to do, their faces beaming with pride. This made my heart warm.
The guild member who had been teaching them was also watching from inside the building, smiling warmly.
This is nice, I thought.
“Alright, everyone, let’s make something new,” Kanna said, clapping her hands. Emma pointed towards the building and asked.
“But Kanna-sensei, what about the things we’re making now?”
“Uh, well…”
Kanna faltered at Emma’s question.
As I tried to look towards the building, Kanna shuffled to block my view, attempting to obscure my line of sight.
…This is way too suspicious.
At this point, a dreadful premonition rang alarm bells loudly in my head.
But ignoring it now would only lead to more regret later.
My past experiences have taught me that, and I’ve never managed to stay blissfully unaware of such things.
Resolving myself, I decided to take a forceful approach.
“Gils, restrain her.”
Understanding my intention immediately, Gils tied Kanna up with the mithril thread I had provided him.
“Ouch! That hurts! Not there! Ah, ahn…!”
Please don’t make weird noises while writhing around.
The contrast between her appearance and her(his) deep voice was too much, causing Mareus to collapse to the ground.
Roulette, on the other hand, covered Emma and Roma’s ears and shielded their eyes to prevent them from seeing Kanna.
As expected of Roulette, this really is a scene where a mother would say, “Don’t look!”
Leaving the writhing—though suspiciously so—Kanna with Gils, I headed into the building alone.
The building was divided into three sections, and I stepped into the room Emma had pointed to on the right.
As soon as I entered the room, I was struck by a strong scent of wood, similar to hinoki cypress.
While it made me want to take a deep breath, I was immediately drawn to the sight before me.
The floor was covered with roughly hewn cubes, about twenty centimeters in diameter.
Though still in the process of being carved, they had a vaguely human-like shape…
And then I realized—I noticed.
“I see, so that’s how it is…”
I should have questioned this earlier.
That idol.
Even to me, it bore a striking resemblance to myself, Maria.
Who could have created such a thing?
Considering the size and the detailed replication of even my hair, the creator had to be highly skilled and very familiar with my appearance.
And there’s only one person like that in this world.
When I confronted Kanna, who was still writhing in Gils’s grasp, she confessed easily, perhaps too dazed to resist.
She revealed that the king had commissioned her to make the idol.
During the process of teaching the children, they decided it would be beneficial to have a goal, leading to the idea of making small items for the church.
The church—likely Estelle—had then requested miniature versions of the idol.
And when some of the churchgoers wanted those items, they started selling them.
So, that’s what those people were carrying out of the church…
If you look only at the purpose and the results, it’s a noble endeavor supporting the children and generating revenue.
But it doesn’t include my peace of mind… Well, my peace of mind left a long time ago, so this isn’t a new development.
Later, knowing I would regret it, I asked Kanna a question.
How many had been made, and how many were already distributed?
“After subtracting the stock from the total produced…”
When Kanna quickly calculated and gave me the number, I deeply regretted asking.
So many mini idols were already spread throughout the capital.
Imagining people in the capital praying to those mini idols at home… I previously asked them to “watch over me,” but I’m sorry, I take it back.
Can you just take me with you, Nero, Kuuga…?
(Maria: Marionette Master Lv 20)
Karma (Capital) 150,000 ? 17……
Enough with the status increase already!!!