Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 182
182. Mari-nee and Reunion at the Sea
The carriage arrived in the port town where we had previously set sail for Liberta. The town visible from the carriage window was as lively as ever, with bustling crowds.
However, the carriage didn’t head towards the bustling pier where many ships were docked. Instead, it went towards the outskirts of town, where it was quieter. There, large wooden buildings stood, likely used for ship repairs.
The carriage stopped at the smallest building, facing the coastline. Inside, a ship was prepared and ready to set sail at any moment. If Kanna-san were here, she would probably understand the details better.
But with my limited knowledge, all I could describe was that it looked like a large boat without sails. As soon as the carriage arrived, people around the ship hurriedly gathered and lined up neatly.
“Such well-trained movements… They’re not just mechanics, are they?” Roulette-san remarked with a serious expression, contrary to her usual gentle tone.
“You’ve noticed immediately. They are the elite of the Caldia Navy, assigned to protect me and the ship ahead of the meeting.”
“A meeting? You already spoke with the people from Liberta, right?”
“The envoy was just a precursor. We will confirm the detailed discussions directly with the one who sent the envoy.”
“That’s why we’re using a ship. It’s perfect for secret talks in the open sea where there are no people around.”
“Exactly. Discussions that involve inter-nation matters, especially if something is to be decided in secret, should be conducted with as few people around as possible.”
After boarding the ship from the carriage and while waiting for departure, I relayed the information entrusted to me by Graham-san and the others to the King. It turned out that no large monsters were discovered, and there was no trace of them heading towards Caldia. However, the crucial point of where they had gone remained unknown.
“Thank you for the precise information. But if they haven’t headed towards Caldia, then they must be…”
“By process of elimination, I believe they’re in Xenoa.”
“That seems likely. Although they could have passed through Legios, I doubt they would deliberately cross those deep snow mountains. I’ve also heard that monsters as powerful as those in the forest live there.”
Graham-san and the others came through such a dangerous place… While I’m impressed, I also wish they wouldn’t take such risks. It’s not like I can talk, given how many times I’ve died and come back during events.
“If this incident wasn’t a coincidence, the people from Liberta we are about to meet might tell us something. In case of emergencies, I will take as many guards as possible. Maria, you should also be careful.”
Roulette-san stepped forward, placing her hand on her chest, and Gils puffed out his chest. Both of them wore confident smiles, and though Vel couldn’t mimic their gestures, he tried to match their expressions, though his smile was undeniably cute.
Thank you, that eased my tension.
“I see, that was a needless question.”
The King stopped his next words. Silence descended for a moment, broken only by the King’s command.
“Set sail!”
The soldiers responded to that single word with action. The anchor was raised, and the ship, seemingly propelled by magic, smoothly glided out to sea.
The ship sailed along the coast, heading towards a cape away from the town. We passed by a few small fishing boats, but by the time we rounded the cape, there were no more in sight. The ship continued away from the land, heading further offshore.
Eventually, a ship-like silhouette came into view, and the deck became suddenly busy. It seemed that was the ship we were aiming for.
From a distance, it was hard to see, but as we approached, I noticed that the ship looked similar to ours. The King carefully maneuvered our ship to line up alongside the other, with the sides facing each other.
There was no particular response from the other side. After our anchor was dropped, a rope was thrown from our ship to the one from Liberta. Once they received it, both sides secured the ropes to their ships.
After repeating this process, the seawater suddenly rose, seemingly manipulated by magic, wrapping around the ropes and freezing to create a bridge.
A red carpet was then laid down, and a pair of men and women crossed over from the other ship, unfazed by the unstable footing. Their flowing attire was the traditional Gandura and Abaya of Liberta. However, both were in gray, and there’s only one person I know who would meet the King in such attire.
The two, after crossing over, placed their palms together in front of their chests and slightly bowed their heads to the King. The unexpected visitors from Liberta were Shahr, one of the three merchants representing Liberta, whom we had met during the signing ceremony.