Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 174
174. Mari-nee and the late proposal
After enjoying the sky with Vel and returning to the ground, we were greeted by Mareus-san and the others, who were visibly unable to contain their excitement.
“I thought he could fly based on his appearance, but that was beyond my imagination!”
“Really, and he flies so gracefully too!”
“He was flying higher than the clouds!”
Hearing their words, Vel proudly puffed out his chest.
Beside him, Gils raised his right hand toward Vel.
“You’re not going to lament being useless anymore, right?”
With a slight smile on his lips, Gils held out his hand, and Vel responded with a chirp, pressing the tip of his beak against it.
It was a secret conversation I had overheard between the two before.
Gils remembered, watching over Vel as a brother, believing in him.
I’m proud to have them as my family.
“By the way, were you okay with the cold up there?” Roulette-san asked as the excitement began to settle.
“I didn’t feel any cold. To add to that, I wasn’t buffeted by the wind element either.”
“Normally, you’d expect to be exposed to strong winds at that height… could it be because of Vel’s new form?”
“With Kuuga-chan’s wind magic stone and a strong will to protect, it’s not surprising.”
“Also, it might have something to do with Maria-san’s original equipment characteristics.”
The three of them started to theorize, their discussion growing more heated as they went on.
I couldn’t help but smile at how intensely the top three craftsmen were debating, when suddenly, their discussion came to an abrupt halt.
Then, almost as if I could hear a “whoosh” sound, they all turned their heads toward me.
I was taken aback by how synchronized their movements were, and before I knew it, they had closed the distance between us with such speed that it was almost as if they had teleported.
Their eyes scrutinized me from head to toe without even blinking, which was honestly quite terrifying.
After they finished their inspection, Mareus-san muttered softly.
“This is unbelievable…”
“Even though we were so focused on Gils-chan and Vel-chan, this is inexcusable.”
“We really need to reflect on this. We’ve been relying on her so much…”
Their conversation didn’t quite make sense to me.
Even though they were looking at me, their words seemed directed more at themselves.
“Um, is there some sort of problem?” I asked cautiously.
They all sighed in unison.
“The fact that you don’t realize there’s a problem is… well, it’s very Maria.”
“It’s a side effect of having such a strong family, but it’s also very Maria-chan.”
“That’s what makes Maria-san who she is.”
Exchanging words, they all nodded in agreement as if they had reached some conclusion.
Meanwhile, I was left completely out of the loop.
Words like “problem” and “side effect” were unsettling.
Unable to suppress my growing unease, I asked, “What are you trying to say?”
Mareus-san gave a brief response.
“Your equipment.”
“My equipment?”
Surprised by the unexpected answer, I asked again.
“Especially your armor. You haven’t changed it at all since that event, have you?”
“Well, that’s because I really like the armor that Roulette-san made for me, so I didn’t feel the need to change it.”
There was a pause, not because I was lying, but simply because it was a bit embarrassing to explain everything.
It’s just that I’m not used to spending money on myself, maybe because of my frugal nature…
Besides, I haven’t been in many battles since arriving in the capital.
Although, after that intense level-up grind recently, I did start thinking it might be a problem…
“No, you need to be more aware of the danger.”
“My thoughts were read!?”
“Your thoughts are practically written all over your face, Maria-chan.”
“It seems we pushed you too hard. I’m sorry about that.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize, Roulette-san…”
While I was trying to comfort a downcast Roulette-san, Mareus-san and Kanna-san continued the conversation, and it was decided that my equipment would be completely overhauled.
Starting with leveling up, it feels like I’ve just been going with the flow… but I guess it’s too late to complain now.
As I gazed off into the distance, feeling a bit overwhelmed, Gils and Vel quietly came to my side.
Their kindness truly touched my heart…