Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 155
155. Mari-nee and the Confided Feelings
After parting ways with Joshua-san, I headed to the outer city with Gils and Vel.
As soon as the children in the city saw us, they quickly spread the word. By the time I finished preparations in front of Bruta-san, almost all of them had gathered.
Their expectant gazes were fixed on the large pot.
We used to make apple barley porridge, but now that the children have become more accustomed to it, we’ve switched to rabbit meat stew.
The vegetables include sweet carrots, onions, and a generous amount of potatoes instead of barley.
Even with minimal fat, the rabbit meat provides a rich flavor.
For those who find it lacking, we have chopped cheese available for them to add as much as they like.
This was a big hit with the children, many of whom piled on so much cheese that it covered the stew.
I considered adding the cheese directly to the stew from the start, but seeing the children happily adding the cheese themselves made me reconsider.
I realized that having the freedom to do it themselves was meaningful.
Gils is in charge of adding the cheese, which is why the children call him “Cheese Onii-san.”
Seeing his wry smile whenever they call him that warms my heart, though I keep that to myself.
Vel is in charge of returning any fallen cheese to the bowls.
It might look like he’s sneaking bites, but for his sake, I assure you he’s not eating any.
While our usual routine resumed, some things did not return to normal.
This included Roulette-san, who remained withdrawn even after returning from Liberta.
Our conversations were minimal, and she would disappear from the home without going to the separate building.
Following Kanna-san’s advice, I refrained from asking her anything, but I wondered if this was truly okay…
Despite my concerns, time passed without any answers.
***
Two weeks later.
The moment came without warning.
When I woke up in my room at home and opened the door, there stood a very serious-looking Roulette-san.
“Roulette-san…”
Though she didn’t seem calm, it didn’t matter.
She was ready to share what she’d been holding inside.
And she chose me as the one to share it with.
I nodded, and after a brief pause, Roulette-san spoke.
“There’s a place I want you to come with me, Maria-san.”
The last time I heard her speak without extending her words was when her “Queen of Massacre” mode deactivated during the event.
This alone told me it was serious.
But I didn’t hesitate to answer.
“I’ll go with you, Roulette-san.”
As our words closed the distance between us.
When I looked up and smiled, the tension around Roulette-san eased a little…
In preparation for being away for a few days, I informed everyone about my absence in advance.
Retya-san, being well-prepared, checked the stock of cassoulet and immediately reassured me there was no problem.
She really is dependable… I should give her a raise.
She’s been taking care of Mareus-san and the children as well.
The last time we considered a raise, how many times was it?
Maybe I should just go ahead and raise it tenfold.
She might protest again, saying, “I can’t accept this much!” but if I say it’s for Ryle’s future, it should be okay.
Next, I headed to Estelle-san.
“Just a liiiiiitle bit, I feel a heavy heart.”
I recalled the exchange when I was leaving Liberta.
I had asked her to take over my daily tasks, and she knelt before me as if she had received a divine oracle.
So did the general public who were visiting the church.
A way to get her to accept calmly… hmm, there isn’t one.
Instead of overthinking, I’ll just be honest.
Avoiding prying eyes, I snuck in through the church’s back door and searched for Estelle-san.
I ran into Van, who was about to take the children outside, and he told me Estelle-san was in her room.
Estelle-san’s room was on the second floor of the church, at the very end.
From the location of her room, it was clear that Estelle-san held a significant position within the church.
As I was about to knock, I noticed the door was slightly open.
Thinking it might be inappropriate, I peeked inside.
Estelle-san was on her knees, hands clasped in prayer before the bed.
She was praying fervently to a miniature deity statue on the bed.
And this statue wasn’t made of wood but metal.
It gave off a silver glow, with even the flow of hair intricately detailed.
Such a meticulously crafted piece could only have been made by one person I knew.
Well then, I wonder what kind of entertaining explanation Mareus-san will provide… yeah, let’s go to him next.
Just as I decided to prioritize Mareus-san, Estelle-san’s prayer reached my ears.
“…Ma-…”
“Huh?”
Her voice was soft, so I leaned closer to the gap to listen…
“Maria-anee-sama, Maria-anee-sama, Maria-anee-sama, Maria-anee-sama, Maria-anee-sama, Maria-anee-sama, Maria-sama, Maria-sama, Maria-sama, ah, Maria-sama, Maria-sama, Maria-sama…”
Without making a sound, I left the spot.
Yep, I didn’t hear anything.
I definitely didn’t hear her omitting the “anee” part and uttering those ecstatic murmurs.
Not informing Estelle-san now will surely cause future me a lot of trouble.
But since current me is already dealing with quite a bit, I hope she forgives me.
I just hope future me doesn’t end up staring into the distance in despair…