Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 152
152. Mari-nee and Journey Report
Upon entering the king’s carriage, it was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside.
The width was enough to comfortably seat three people, and its length was reminiscent of a limousine I’d only seen on TV.
The seats were adorned with lion motifs, all gilded, and the floor was covered with a crimson carpet.
Though it was very extravagant, the craftsmanship gave it a sense of dignity.
When the King and I sat in the front, Roulette-san and the others sat in the back.
Mr. Mareus, who still couldn’t get up, and Kanna-san, who had just fainted, were lying down and taking up a lot of space, but the King pretended not to notice.
“Occasionally, it’s good to leave the castle like this. Staying cooped up in my room working all the time is quite depressing,” the King said, waving to the residents who continued to cheer around the carriage.
When I glanced at his profile, his complexion seemed better than before.
Though he still had dark circles under his eyes, they were faint enough not to require makeup to hide them.
Feeling relieved about that, the words “occasionally going out” lingered in my mind.
I felt like I saw him quite often outside the castle, specifically in the small room at my home…
The King met my gaze head-on, as if to say, “What of it?” without flinching—truly befitting of a king.
Before long, the carriage started moving, and soon the cheers faded away until they could no longer be heard.
“Now, we can talk calmly,” the King said, straightening his posture and changing his tone.
“First, I must apologize. I thought it would be good to send you to Liberta, but it ended up causing trouble. That was my mistake. I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t worry about it. Besides, I might have involved everyone myself.”
“Jade, right?”
“Yes.”
Not knowing how much had been conveyed, I began recounting everything from when I first met Jade-san.
“I see. A slave adventurer, called a traitor by the people of Xenoa.”
“I didn’t find out why he’s called a traitor, though.”
After telling him everything, the final words lingered.
They were simply ambiguous, and I hesitated to speak of them.
The King silently watched me.
His gaze was not pressing, but rather, it felt calm.
After a moment’s pause, I decided to speak without hiding anything.
“Jade-san told me, ‘Do not get involved with this country anymore. If you do, you’ll be forced to make a major decision.'”
“A warning, then. Lacking in specifics, but the point is the word ‘forced.’ It must be a highly probable prediction in Jade’s mind. And then, the Judas you just met… I’ll investigate further. You should heed the warning and avoid getting too involved.”
“Quite the stern warning… Do you not trust me that much?”
“Considering your history of ignoring my orders and venturing into the space Mephisto prepared at the innermost area, do you really need to ask again?”
“…I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t retort.
While I felt I had no other choice at the time, I realized once more that my actions did not always align with the King’s intentions.
As I reflected on my actions, the King, who had clearly harbored his frustrations, began expressing his thoughts and criticisms towards me.
This continued all the way until we reached the capital.
By then, I was sitting in a formal kneeling position.
I don’t quite remember when I had shifted into this posture, but the journey to the capital felt endlessly long.