Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 181
181. Mari-nee and The Further News
After our initial mission, we treated the members of the church, repaired their equipment, and distributed food. Their faces showed signs of tension and deep fatigue, likely due to their relentless investigation efforts. However, the food seemed to lighten the atmosphere, and their complexions improved slightly.
As I felt relieved, Graham-san, holding a teriyaki sandwich, began to report on the situation.
“We continued our investigation after sending Bart-kun to the royal capital, but we still haven’t seen any large monsters in the area.”
“That’s puzzling… I saw them in Liberta, and they’re massive, right? And there seemed to be hundreds of them. Where could they have disappeared to?”
“From the traces we’ve followed, it seems they haven’t headed toward Caldia.”
At those words, I couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. While it might be too soon to relax completely, it seemed that we weren’t in an immediate crisis.
After a short break, we confirmed once more that there were no large monsters in the area, and then we hurried back to the royal capital. Graham-san suggested this, reasoning that accurate information would help the king decide on the next course of action.
Despite their lingering fatigue, Graham-san and the others remained calm. When they all bowed their heads as soon as we met, it made me dizzy, but I had to acknowledge that they had indeed changed and were no longer the same as before.
It wasn’t just me who felt this way; even Gils didn’t show any signs of rivalry. I savored the sense of normalcy as we ran through the forest. Though, truth be told, I mostly rode on Gils’s shoulder since I couldn’t keep up with their pace…
Soon, we emerged from the forest and onto the road. We continued without stopping, and as the royal capital’s walls came into view, we noticed several carriages traveling southward from the eastern road.
At first, the carriages seemed ordinary to me, but Mareus-san and Kanna-san had different reactions.
“Those carriages are quite sophisticated.”
“Yes, they barely sway even at this speed. And although they appear modest, the materials used are top-notch.”
I was impressed by how they could discern such details from a distance, a testament to their expertise in production.
As I marveled at them, one of the carriages suddenly stopped, and its door opened. Out stepped a woman with distinctive clothing and scarlet eyes…
“Wait, is that Roulette-san?”
As she waved and ran toward us, we approached her as well. Roulette-san closed the distance in no time, her speed astonishing.
Once she reached us, she began speaking without even catching her breath, a smile on her face.
“Something troublesome has come up, so I’m glad I ran into you here, Maria-san.”
“Troublesome? What happened?”
I couldn’t immediately see the connection between Roulette-san being in the carriage and this “troublesome” matter. Though I wanted to ask more, she seemed keen to avoid drawing attention, so we decided that Graham-san and the others would continue to the royal capital while I joined Roulette-san in the carriage.
Since Mareus-san and Kanna-san also showed signs of fatigue from the healing and repairs, they returned with Graham-san and the others.
Escorted by Roulette-san, I entered the carriage, which began moving as soon as the door closed. Once seated, I heard a voice address me as if waiting for the right moment.
“Meeting you on the road like this is a stroke of luck. I was in search of accurate information.”
“The king?”
I was surprised to see the king in his usual crimson attire, which had been replaced with black. He was wearing a hood and had a matching cloth covering his mouth, reminding me somewhat of the woman I had seen in Liberta.
“I apologize for summoning you suddenly on your way back, but time is of the essence. Please forgive me.”
“That’s alright, but what exactly has happened?”
I had expected that Roulette-san would have informed the king about the strange occurrences in the “Great Magic Forest,” but the direction we were headed and the clandestine nature of our journey made no sense.
The king’s answer to my question was unexpected.
“A messenger came secretly from Liberta, pleading for help to save their country.”
“To save their country…”
The sudden scale of the issue caught me off guard, and I struggled to process it.
“They claimed that doing so would also save Caldia. But considering the information you provided, I’m suspicious.”
Caldia and Xenoa are separated by the “Great Magic Forest,” largely due to the many large monsters that lived there. However, those monsters have now vanished.
A vague sense of unease took hold of me, and I couldn’t shake it.
“Previously, I advised you not to get too involved with Liberta. But, though it may be selfish to say this now…”
I shook my head, cutting off the king’s words. Adapting to changing circumstances is natural, but after all the lectures I’d received, I felt it was only fair to push back a little.
I glanced at Zagreus-san that was nowhere to be seen for confirmation, but as usual, there’s no response. So, I indulged in a little lighthearted conversation with the king for a while.