Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 131
131. Mari-nee and the clouds are suspiciously peaceful
After spending a relaxing day on the remote island, we decided to gather some volunteers and head to the main island of Liberta for a stroll through the town.
Those who decided to go were me, Roulette-san, Kanna-san, and Graham-san. Not everyone joined us because some people still wanted to take it easy, especially Mareus-san, who had been seasick and was still recovering.
We boarded a ship and first landed at a bay. From there, we walked inland until we saw stone buildings. Although the buildings were made of stone, their white exterior contrasted beautifully with the blue sky and sea.
I wondered if the buildings were coated with lime like those along the Mediterranean coast. The white color reflects light, preventing the interiors from heating up too much under the strong sun.
As we marveled at the exotic scenery, lively voices reached us from ahead.
“Just imported from the land of Yamato! You won’t find this anywhere else!”
“Freshly stocked fire liquor from Legios! One sip burns your throat, two sips ignite your stomach, and three sips set your body ablaze—it’s the finest quality!”
The sales pitch seemed rather dangerous, but the liquor was selling quickly. Some people from the church, clearly intrigued, were watching the sales with bated breath. They were trying to restrain themselves since they were on guard duty.
Although I was here as the king’s representative, it was just a formality. They didn’t need to stick strictly to their roles as guards. But with Graham-san keeping a watchful eye, it was hard to act freely.
So, I turned to Roulette-san.
“Roulette-san.”
“I understand. Leave it to me.”
Without needing further explanation, Roulette-san slipped away and returned with the nearly sold-out fire liquor.
“How did you know what I wanted with just that?”
Feeling both surprised and pleased, I asked her.
“It’s just the kind of thing Maria-san would think of.”
Her response was a bit ambiguous, but I guess I was that predictable.
But I’ve also started to understand Roulette-san’s thoughts a bit. I knew that besides fulfilling my request, she also wanted some of the liquor for herself. There were three bottles in her hands, but I received only two after paying.
Well, as long as she enjoys it responsibly.
I put one bottle aside to use in cooking for making flambé, and handed the remaining bottle to a disappointed church member.
“Holy Founder-sama?”
“In stories, there are often scenes where the protagonist offers drinks to their guards. We’re in town, so it might be a bit out of place, but here you go.”
“Oh, thank you so much!!”
He accepted it eagerly, showing just how much he wanted it. But then…
“You’re not planning to drink it all by yourself, right?”
“This was personally bestowed by the Holy Founder-sama. Its value has just skyrocketed.”
“Exactly. It’s practically a different entity now. In fact, it’s ‘Aqua Vitae,’ the water of life.”
No, it’s not!
“Considering the Holy Founder-sama’s attributes, shouldn’t it be called ‘Holy Water’ instead? Huh? Holy water… which means if we abbreviate it, it’s…!”
Huh? What does it abbreviate to?
“””!!!”””
The church members erupted in excitement.
I was left out of the loop.
Although I didn’t understand the reason, my intuition warned me that it was better not to know.
Okay, I’ll just follow my instinct here.
The chaotic situation was eventually calmed by Kanna-san’s mysterious words: “If you want it so badly, I’ll give you mine.”
I have no intention of delving into what those words meant. Nope, not at all…
As we continued further into the town, the slope gradually inclined upward. The higher we climbed, the whiter and more magnificent the stone buildings became. The shops’ merchandise also became more expensive.
Earlier, we saw adventurers who had chosen Liberta, but now there were hardly any. The items here were so pricey that when I first started MWO, I would have immediately turned back, fearing I might accidentally break something and have to pay for it.
Nowadays, thanks to the sales from my cooking and the restaurant, I have a bit more financial freedom. Even so, the prices here made me wince.
Among the items were materials from monsters I’d never seen before, priced way beyond what most adventurers could afford. Particularly, the weapons and armor from Yamato had shockingly high prices.
The two top craftsmen showed keen interest in these items.
“These are of such high quality that I can’t even guess how they were made. And the equipment attributes are impressive,” said one.
“There are many unknown effects with high efficacy. We can’t afford to lose,” said the other.
It seemed that even these skilled craftsmen were impressed. I thought Roulette and her colleagues were the best craftsmen I knew, but there were clearly others with superior skills.
Apparently, some items made by the locals had unique attributes or specialized performance that even Roulette and her team couldn’t match.
The shopkeeper approached the two craftsmen, who were intently examining the items.
“How about it? These items took years of negotiation to finally acquire. Would you be interested?”
Before he could finish, they interrupted him.
“Show us everything you have that’s of similar quality! And any materials too!”
“Don’t worry about the cost!”
The shopkeeper, while maintaining his smile, visibly leaned back in surprise at their enthusiasm.
It’s impressive how he maintained his professionalism, but it’s equally impressive how these two could overwhelm even a seasoned shopkeeper.
I quietly wished the shopkeeper good luck and asked the two craftsmen to let me know when they were done. Then, I continued my exploration.
“Graham-san, if you see any shops that interest you, feel free to take a look.”
“No need to worry about us. Our duty is to guard you, Holy Founder-sama!”
Though his earnest smile made me happy, his loud voice drew too much attention.
Isn’t it counterproductive for guards to make their charge more noticeable?
I was wearing a hood for a bit of disguise, and considering the strong sunlight, I didn’t think I stood out too much… personally.
“Do not let any suspicious individuals approach the Holy Founder-sama!”
“Roger that!”
Again, I don’t think I’m standing out… at least, I hope not…