Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 180
180. Mari-nee and the Captain’s Revival
We decided to fly to the “Great Magic Forest” on Vel’s back, considering the gravity of the situation, with Bart-san guiding us.
Joining us were Bart-san, who knew the location of the church members, Kanna-san, our healer; and Mareus-san, who could repair weapons and armor. Roulette-san stayed behind to inform the king.
As a result, the number of people remained the same as when we returned from the royal capital via a small hill.
This also meant that the problem of who would ride on the saddle arose again.
Having learned from the previous experience, Mareus-san cautiously observed the situation.
Bart-san stared blankly up at Vel, while Kanna-san, after glancing between the two, made her decision.
“Bart-chan, I’ve decided it will be you!”
“Haa?”
Not understanding what was happening, Bart-san’s status changed from blank to confused.
“Wait a minute!”
Mareus-san, clearly panicked, responded. It seemed the experience of being carried by Vel was terrifying for him.
However, seeing Bart-san turn pale at the thought of being carried in a princess-carry position, Mareus-san struggled internally, his face contorting with conflict.
What would be the correct decision in this situation?
If I asked Zagreus-san, he would probably derive the optimal solution with his strength… or at least, I hope so…
During the journey, Bart-san was astonished by Vel’s growth.
It was understandable, but when he learned that Vel could now carry us all in flight, he was beyond shocked, his eyes wide open.
We mustn’t forget the fact that Kanna-san, being carried by Bart-san, was looking at him with a dreamy expression.
Once we arrived at the “Great Magic Forest,” we were ready to take action… except we had to wait for Bart-san’s soul to return after our terrifying flight with Vel and for Mareus-san to recover from his nausea.
Bart-san’s consciousness returned quickly, awakened by Kanna-san, who worriedly peered into his face.
Mareus-san, however, couldn’t recover, so Kanna-san carried him as we proceeded.
Bart-san led the way, with the now stronger Gils easily taking down any monsters that crossed our path.
Kanna-san and I followed closely, while Mareus-san trailed behind, scattering… bait.
At one point, I thought I saw one of the monsters, just before disappearing, give Mareus-san an encouraging look. I probably wasn’t mistaken…
After running for several minutes, we finally saw Graham-san and the others in the distance.
“Graham-san!”
“Huh? Maria-san?! What are you doing here?”
Graham-san, surprised, quickly relayed the information to the members of the church.
“Formation!”
In an instant, the scattered church members moved with precise, coordinated actions, quickly forming a circle.
The excessive tension I had felt from them earlier was now completely gone.
Everyone moved efficiently and accurately.
Kanna-san and I stood in the center of the formation, facing Graham-san. We explained that we had come to support them after hearing the situation from Bart-san.
“First, please treat your injuries and restore your MP and fill your stomachs. We brought as much as we could before leaving the capital.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry for causing you concern once again.”
“N-no, please don’t worry about it.”
Despite my words, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Graham-san’s reaction was strangely normal.
What had happened…?
His behavior was drastically different from the Graham-san I remembered.
Noticing my confusion, Graham-san explained the changes he had undergone.
“During the retraining in Legios, I realized how weak I was at heart. Now, I can finally accept Jade’s criticisms with an open mind. I was so immature as a person.”
“Graham-san…”
“And after facing my weaknesses, I have gained the strength I sought. I swear I will never again show such a disgraceful side in front of you, Maria-san.”
Graham-san knelt on one knee and lowered his head, and the other members of the church followed suit.
I don’t doubt that Graham-san worked hard.
So I could never think of him as disgraceful.
But right now, I can’t help but feel embarrassed by this situation.
Kanna-san, in fact, had taken a slight step back and was watching with a warm, slightly awkward smile.
As I stood there, my emotions in turmoil, Vel rubbed his head against my leg, as if to comfort me.
His gesture reminded me of Nero, and I quietly shed a tear in my heart.