Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 132
132. Mari-nee and the Counterattack of Peace
While browsing other shops, feeling exhausted from the quickly raised flags, I stumbled upon some rice.
I hadn’t seen any in Caldia. Perhaps it’s because rice is bulky and heavy but relatively cheap. Spices, on the other hand, are easier to market as exotic and have higher unit prices. In reality, they can be bought cheaply now, but historically, spices were three to four times more expensive than rice.
Given the limited cargo capacity of ships from Yamato, it makes sense to prioritize spices over rice. There wasn’t much rice for sale, so I bought it all without hesitation. Now I can make Japanese food, I thought to myself.
A bit further down the street, I noticed a crowd gathered around a building. The shopkeeper in the center was shouting loudly.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the awaited items have arrived from Caldia just recently!”
“Finally!”
“Show us, show us now!”
“I brought all my money just for this!!!”
Judging by the timing, the ship must have been the one we traveled on. Curious about the excited crowd, I decided to take a closer look.
In front of me was a familiar, heavily sealed wooden box. Wasn’t that the box loaded onto the ship with us? I had imagined it contained expensive liquor. But when the seal was broken and the contents revealed…
“Heh, heh heh… So that’s how it is. The flag I felt earlier was just a decoy. The real one was waiting for this…”
Inside the box was a wooden mini divine statue.
Seeing it, I almost fainted, realizing that these were not only in Caldia but had spread to other countries as well. Graham and the others were acting strangely.
“Uh, is something wrong?”
“Holy Founder-sama… it’s nothing major, but those statues over there… they seem different from the ones in Caldia’s church.”
Indeed, it wasn’t a big deal to me, but Graham-san’s reaction suggested otherwise. He seemed to be struggling to restrain himself from grabbing the mini statues in front of him. His fists were clenched tightly, to the point where they might start bleeding if left unchecked.
I overheard the murmurs of the church members.
“Is it a limited edition for Liberta?”
“The flowing hair… definitely made by craftsmen, not children.”
“Look at that serene smile, the Archaic smile.”
You guys sure know a lot…
Before I could take any more emotional damage, I tried to leave, but the church members couldn’t move. More precisely, it seemed they couldn’t move even if they tried.
“Are you alright?”
Worried, I asked them.
“””We are fine!”””
They were clearly not fine. Their hesitation was evident even in their words. Feeling a bit sorry for them, I suddenly had an idea.
“While I’m glad people in Liberta are interested, I’d be happier if these went to the church members who take care of me.”
Saying this, I handed a considerable amount of money to Graham-san.
“Holy Founder-sama!?”
“I’m here as a representative of the King, but it’s just in name. So, Graham-san, please don’t worry too much. Plus, we have Gils and Vel with us.”
Gils, with his arms crossed, silently conveyed that I could rely on him. Vel, perched on top of Gils, tried to mimic his posture but struggled due to his wings.
Reluctantly, Graham-san and the others were literally pushed forward by Gils. Since it seemed to be an auction, this allowed them to focus entirely on the mini statues without any reservations.
Graham-san and the others kept glancing back at me worriedly, but as the auction heated up, they did so less frequently. Taking advantage of this, I gradually increased the distance between us.
Eventually, I was completely out of their sight, and I let out a big sigh. Now, I could explore without standing out, and considering both our intentions, it was a win-win situation.
Happy ending… or not.
I know, it’s just escapism. I’m fully aware of that…
My peace didn’t last long. In fact, the transition to unease was way too fast.
Zagreus, could you tighten the conditions a bit more?
I spoke to myself in my mind, but no reply came… ever.