Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 156
156. Mari-nee and An Unavoidable Sense of Déjà Vu
Having finished all the necessary preparations—or rather, convincing myself that I had—I left the royal capital the next morning with Roulette-san.
We traveled in a small covered wagon that Roulette-san had rented.
Seated on the driver’s bench were Roulette-san and me, while Gils and Vel sat facing each other in the wagon bed, engaged in conversation.
It seemed like Vel was doing most of the talking, with Gils listening attentively. From the occasional snippets of “I see” and “And then?” from Gils, I couldn’t quite grasp what they were discussing.
Meanwhile, there was no conversation between Roulette-san and me.
Her profile, as she held the reins, was thoughtful, and I hesitated to disturb her.
Yet, I didn’t feel anxious or awkward because I could be by her side.
Being able to stay close to her made me happier than anything.
All I could do now was to be my usual self and stay by her side.
To show her that she wasn’t alone and that her home was here with me…
The wagon left the royal capital and traveled south along the road to Eden, then turned west.
We changed direction to a place where there once stood a second town.
Now, there was no trace of it as a town; it had become more of a checkpoint.
It pained my heart to think that if no events had occurred, it would still be bustling with many residents.
I vowed once again to prevent such tragedies from happening again, and we left that place, heading further west.
The road extending west was much narrower than the one leading south, just wide enough for two small wagons to barely pass each other.
Moreover, the ground was poorly maintained, causing the wagon to jolt up and down.
“W-, whoa!”
“Pweep!”
Inside the wagon, Gils struggled to keep his balance, while Vel, on top of him, was even more frantic.
Every time the wagon shook, Vel bounced and landed repeatedly, almost like a comedy routine. I couldn’t help but chuckle, but I nearly bit my tongue when I let my guard down.
Roulette-san remained unperturbed, calmly urging the horses forward.
Without any issues, our covered wagon continued on its journey, and as the sun began to set, we arrived at a small village by the forest.
The village population was around a hundred people.
The air was thick with the scent of wood, suggesting that forestry was their main livelihood.
It seemed rare for outsiders to visit, as there were no inns in the village.
We had just decided to spend the night in the wagon when the village chief appeared and offered us an empty house to stay in.
Not only that, but they also gave us an abundance of mushrooms harvested from the forest.
Why are they so kind to strangers?
I thought it might be due to my karma, but it felt different from the discounts I received in the capital.
Back then, it felt like the merchants’ gratitude was enhanced by karma.
This time, however, it seemed that their goodwill came first, and the gratitude followed.
“Have I done something to be thanked for…?”
The only thing that came to mind was a past event.
However, since we were the cause of that event, and quite some time had passed, it didn’t seem to fit.
Still feeling uncertain, Gils and I headed to the village square to draw water from the well, only to be stunned by the scene at a nearby house.
“I see… so that’s why they’re grateful…”
After cutting down trees, the wood needs to be processed.
It’s not hard to imagine that woodworking skills are required for that.
And currently, a certain wooden product is selling well in the royal capital.
It’s even being exported abroad.
“When there’s demand and you have the skills to make it, you can’t help but produce it, can you…”
At the house, they were making miniature divine statues.
The faces of these statues resembled mine, just like those produced by the church.
“Even now, couldn’t they limit production to the church only…?”
For a moment, I seriously considered asking the king to intervene, but the overwhelming sense of futility made me give up.
Despite the intense déjà vu, I couldn’t help but think this way.
Whatever happens, happens??