Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 121
121. Mari-nee and the words that came on the wind
Mareus-san, whom I had been secretly worried about, regained consciousness on our way back to the royal capital.
Apparently, he had blacked out when Gils hit him, so luckily, he didn’t remember anything that happened afterward.
I considered telling him what had happened, but I had learned that sometimes it’s better not to know certain things, so I decided against it.
I gently placed Vel on Mareus-san’s shoulder and, seeing the slightly pleased expression on his face, I kept the truth to myself.
With the unanswered question of what it means to be companions…
Like children tired out from a school trip, the congregation members were quiet on the way back, and I enjoyed a moment of peace.
However, upon reaching the capital and parting ways, someone said, “We must spread the Founder’s words to the gentlemen and ladies of the world,” which changed everything.
How many times will peace betray me before it’s satisfied?
…By the way, the world is just this place, right?
You don’t mean the real world, do you??
I had a feeling that this would somehow turn out far from what I wished for…
A few days later, after more leveling up, I reached level thirty.
While making the now-routine cassoulet, I noticed Gils, who usually helped with cooking, were nowhere to be seen.
“Where did he go?”
There were no plans to go out today, and I had told Gils and Vel to spend their time freely after summoning them with Moira’s Thread of Blessing.
Even so, Gils had never left my side until now…
As I simmered the cassoulet and finished it with a mid-level acceleration spell, I looked around feeling somewhat concerned, and was approached by Retya-san.
“Is something wrong, Maria-san?”
“Retya-san, I can’t find Gils and Vel. Do you know where they went?”
“They were heading towards the building behind the church a while ago.”
The building behind the church is where the children learn their trades.
But both of them together—what could they be doing…?
“Thank you. The cassoulet is ready, so I’ll go take a look.”
“Understood. By the way, Maria-san, the seasoning from Yamato you bought is running low.”
“Already? While it’s good that so many people are enjoying it…”
“Yes, it’s a good thing, but really…”
When our eyes met unintentionally, I noticed the light had faded from Retya-san’s eyes.
I’m sure my eyes looked the same…
Ever since a church was built next to our home and more people started visiting, the demand for cassoulet had increased.
Even before, the cassoulet often sold out by noon, but now it was gone almost immediately after opening.
We decided to increase the quantity we made after hearing the complaints from regulars who couldn’t get any despite multiple attempts.
As a result, the preparation time drastically increased.
Retya-san, Ryle, and I worked desperately to keep up, but eventually, members of the guild and the children learning from them stepped in to help, allowing us to manage.
Honestly, without their help, we might have had to implement a lottery system to decide who could get cassoulet each day.
By the way, we made sure to pay the guild members and the children who helped us.
Setting the pay a bit higher seems to have led to the children competing to help now.
As a result of these circumstances, we began making larger quantities, and the consumption of seasonings increased proportionally. Consequently, I found myself visiting the shop in Liberta, where I first met Joshua-san, more frequently.
I always ask Joshua-san to carry the goods for me, and he seems much brighter compared to before. Additionally, through Joshua-san, I’ve been able to help a few others in similar situations by swapping their fake chains and shackles.
“Everyone feels like they’ve regained themselves,” Joshua-san had said.
When I shared those words with the children and others who helped, they were genuinely happy as if it were their own achievement. That made me really happy too…
“Well, I’ll go look for those two and then head out to buy some supplies,” I said, wanting to talk to Joshua-san.
“No, this time, let me go,” Retya-san interjected. “As your employee, Maria-san, I can’t keep sending you on errands like this.”
“But that’s…” I started to say it was no big deal.
“Also, I want to take this opportunity to learn about procurement more thoroughly,” she added with a smile.
Was it my imagination, or did I see the market people trembling in fear at that smile?
And when she mentioned the Yamato products, I could almost hear myself telling them to “Run! Run for your lives!!” It must have been my imagination, right…?
With those thoughts in mind, a customer arrived, so I parted ways with Retya-san and set out to find Gils and Vel.
Leaving through the main entrance would likely attract attention from the people visiting the church, so I circled around through the side passage.
Inside the log cabin-like building, I saw the children diligently working. Their expressions were serious, and the guild member instructing them was quite enthusiastic.
Seeing them like that made me a bit envious, reminding me of my own school days when I tried to rest as much as possible during classes to prepare for my part-time job afterward.
Thinking about bringing them some sweets later, I quietly left without disturbing them.
“Where could those two have gone?” I wondered, looking around but not finding them anywhere.
After searching high and low, I stepped out from behind a building. The sunlight was so bright that I raised a hand to shield my eyes, and then I saw them.
There, sitting on the roof of the church, was Gils with Vel perched on his shoulder.
I was about to call out when I heard Gils say something that made me stop in my tracks.
Carried by the wind, I clearly heard the word,
[Useless.]
I’m sure that’s what he said…