Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 108
108. Mari-nee and black egg
After the tea party, I asked Retya and Ryle to handle the cleanup, and we returned home.
To the right of the home, there was a counter where the three of them sold their crafted items, but today, three unfamiliar pieces of equipment were displayed there.
Each piece had familiar characteristics, clearly crafted by the trio, but why did they seem unfamiliar to me?
As I pondered this, I realized the source of the odd feeling.
The materials used were completely different from before.
The difference was particularly evident in the colors of the crafted items.
But where did they get such materials?
As I wondered this, Kanna seemed to understand and explained.
“They were given to us by my king. For the sake of the new family member.”
“To be precise, they were sent to Maria through the king from the Empress of Legios.”
“These materials are rare here. Some of them could only be obtained through point exchanges in official events, like the adamantite we used for Gils.”
“The Empress, Wilhelmina…”
Thinking about what happened in the Cave of Oath still made my chest tighten, but the image of Wilhelmina’s sisterly expression towards her brother was vivid in my memory.
Receiving these items from her was touching.
More than the items themselves, it was the thought behind the gift that made me happy.
My family was lost due to Wilhelmina, but now a new bond was formed for the birth of a new family member.
It felt like a connection left by Nero and Kuuga, bringing tears to my eyes.
“And when faced with such materials, any craftsman would want to create. The rarer the material, the faster their skills improve. We’ve made some prototypes, but they need more refinement to be sold. But for your egg, they should suffice,” Mareus said rapidly, though his tone seemed somewhat forced.
As I noticed this, Roulette whispered to me.
“Despite what he says, Mareus feels more regret over losing Nero and especially Kuuga than anyone else.”
Ah, so this is what Maki referred to as “tsundere”?
It reminded me of how Masato struggled to express himself, which made me smile.
As I felt a warm sensation inside, Roulette’s voice turned chilling.
“But I still won’t forget about what happened to Nero… never.”
Glancing at Roulette nervously, I saw a fierce smile on her face.
Her eyes were hidden by her glasses, but her intense emotions were evident in her expression.
The adventurers who attacked us would suffer worse than they did at Gils’ hands… I was certain of that now.
“Maria, bring out the egg,” Mareus’ voice snapped me back to reality, and I placed the black egg on the counter.
“Let’s start with what I made!” Kanna announced eagerly.
I thought Mareus might stop her, but he stood back, arms crossed, looking confident.
Kanna held a slender staff. It appeared to be made of wood, but the intricately carved vine at its tip seemed almost real, with a gemstone nestled within it.
The craftsmanship was exquisite, typical of Kanna.
However, I hesitated to call it wood because it was unusually white and seemed quite hard.
“The wood for this staff comes from the Byakureiju, a rare tree that grows only in extremely cold parts of Legios. This was my first time working with it. It was as tough as the Empress herself, making it challenging to craft,” Kanna explained with a wry smile, though she looked proud.
“Alright, here we go.”
I felt a bit nervous too, but how were we supposed to give it to the egg? It didn’t seem like it would open.
As I wondered about this, Kanna also seemed to be contemplating…
“Ah, a woman’s courage!” Kanna shouted, and in the next instant, she thrust the staff toward the egg with an “heave ho.”
Hey, isn’t that a bit too reckless?
And, I’m not going to comment on that anymore, okay?
Imagining the egg being knocked off the counter, I instinctively reached for my threads, but instead, the staff seemed to be absorbed by the egg, disappearing from the point of contact.
Surprised, Kanna pushed the staff further, and it completely vanished into the egg.
Huh? Does that mean it was successfully given to the egg?
As I wondered, the egg briefly glowed from within, like a flame being lit.
“It seems to have worked, but it feels kind of anticlimactic, like there’s no sense of accomplishment,” Kanna said.
It’s understandable to feel that way when something you worked so hard on disappears in an instant.
However, judging by the egg’s reaction, it seemed to have accepted the item. If we continue this…
Images of Nero and Kuuga floated in my mind.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one thinking that way. Roulette pushed Kanna aside and handed the egg a robe without hesitation.
The robe was a loose, full-body garment in a deep blue color, just like the armor Wilhelmina wore.
I couldn’t tell what material it was, but even to an amateur, it was clear that it was of high quality.
Once again, the robe disappeared the moment it was given, and the egg glowed briefly.
It seemed slightly brighter than before.
Satisfied with the result, Roulette stepped aside, and Mareus, holding a large sword, approached with enthusiasm.
“I’ll be the grand finale!”
You’ve been aiming for this from the start, haven’t you?
The sword had a unique dark green color, different from iron or silver.
It looked heavy, and I doubted I could move it even if I tried with all my strength.
Mareus held the sword with both hands and pointed it at the egg, and it disappeared in an instant.
But instead of the egg glowing, it began to tremble.
“”””Huh?””””
Everyone tilted their heads at this unprecedented reaction, and the next moment, the sword reappeared, shooting out from the egg, grazing Mareus’s cheek and piercing through the floor.
The sword was nowhere to be seen.
Realizing that the egg didn’t seem to like the sword, everyone’s thoughts aligned, and Mareus’s face turned redder and redder.
“Why is it only mine?!”
He screamed from the bottom of his heart.
Given how confident he had been, this reaction was understandable.
As Kanna and Roulette patted Mareus on the shoulder in encouragement, I thought to myself that this was a beautiful friendship—they should stop those smirking faces, really.
Mareus muttered curses and frustrations under his breath, but with logout time approaching, I couldn’t grasp the true meaning or the inner conflict behind his words.