Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 196
196. Mari-nee and the Truth
“The origin of all this,” Heler-san began, “was Ben exerting economic pressure on Xenoa, planning to make it a vassal state. Given our national interests, I, as one of the Three Merchants, had no intention of opposing this. The same went for Sahar. However, Ben aimed to encroach on the domain of the Three Merchants to elevate his power.”
Heler-san spoke without hiding her disgust.
“Power struggles are nothing new, but what exactly do you mean by ‘domain’?” asked Mareus-san, unafraid to address even those he hadn’t conversed with before.
“Liberta is a country of commerce. Given our limited land, trade is the backbone of our economy. The most significant trade is with Caldia, our main supplier of grain, followed by faraway nations like Yamato, and lastly, Xenoa, our primary source of slaves. Each trade sector was managed by one of the Three Merchants: Ben, myself, and Sahar.”
“A portion of that grain also goes to Xenoa, doesn’t it… I see, it’s not surprising that Ben would want to control Xenoa and simultaneously dominate the slave trade,” Mareus-san said.
“Exactly. If things had continued, the Three Merchants would have become two, and eventually just one. Sensing this, Sahar gathered people by advocating for the abolition of slavery to oppose Ben,” Heler-san continued.
“You don’t seem too fond of that, judging by your choice of words,” Kanna-san pointed out.
Heler-san nodded in agreement. “Sahar’s actions were driven by self-preservation and a sense of inferiority. He excelled at negotiations based on profit and loss, but he lacked a true cause… However, his moves were discovered by Ben, who then sought out Hilth as a countermeasure.”
Hilth, clad in a gray abaya, gave a slight nod.
“Hilth’s power is to control monsters. Ben sought to use this ability to solidify his conquest of Xenoa and to deal with Sahar and his followers. However, it was shortsighted of him not to consider that others might also take an interest in Hilth,” Heler-san smirked with a hint of sarcasm.
Sahar, having approached Hilth and learned of Ben’s scheme, leveraged this information to negotiate with Caldia and secure support. However, he too succumbed to greed, drawing the attention of both Judas and myself. The outcome is as you have witnessed: Sahar’s ambitions were crushed by Judas’s rampage, and Jade took care of the final act. All I did was clean up afterward.”
“How much did that old man foresee?” Mareus-san murmured in awe. “You can’t pull the final act without seeing the whole picture.”
“I believe Hilth’s advice played a part,” Heler-san replied.
“Hilth… She’s even more enigmatic than the old man. She was involved in everything, yet her motives remain unclear.”
“I’ve investigated as well, but I’ve found no trace of her background.”
After that, Heler-san excused herself, saying she was off to literally “clean up” the aftermath. Before leaving, she reassured us that Leon and the others would be taken care of.
Two days later, after tending to the wounded and providing meals at the base, Liberta’s streets were rapidly calming down under Heler-san’s command.
Rumor had it that she had been preparing for this situation well in advance. While Mareus-san marveled at Jade-san’s foresight, I thought Heler-san was quite formidable herself.
Thanks to her, we were able to tend to the wounded and prepare meals even as the supplies we brought from Caldia ran low.
With our tasks at the base nearly complete, we decided to return to Caldia after consulting with Heler-san. There was talk of a reward, but we agreed to handle it through the King to keep things simple.
Given past experiences, it seemed like this could turn into a big deal, but in this case, the person who deserved the most recognition was…
Since then, no one had seen Jade-san.
“Did something happen?”
Feeling an uneasy premonition, I began to prepare for our return.
After finishing my packing, I greeted Caleb-san and made my way to a deserted warehouse.
Officially, I was there to check for any forgotten items.
Given the amount of supplies we’d consumed, it seemed unlikely that anything was left behind, which made Gils and Vel wear puzzled expressions.
It was understandable because the reason I had come here was different.
At the back of the dimly lit warehouse, there was nothing but the floor and walls.
Feeling slightly guilty for confusing Gils and Vel, I waited.
Before long, a shadow appeared without a sound.
I recognized the way it rose from the floor, confirming my suspicion as I called out.
“Do you have some business with me, Hilth-san… or should I say, Mephistopheles?”
“…!”
Gils stepped in front of me, shielding me with a vigilant stance.
Before us, the gray abaya turned black, thinning into torn strips of cloth.
“As expected of Lady Maria. When did you realize it?” Mephistopheles asked.
“I felt something off from the first time we met, but the decisive moment was during the battle when you moved far away in an instant and reappeared. It was like you emerged from the shadows.”
“Hehehe… Your eyes are sharp, Lady Maria. But revealing my true identity this time is trivial. The circumstances for the trial have already been set.”
“A trial?”
“Yes. However, that trial has already been overcome,” Mephistopheles said with a self-mocking laugh.
“I know it was tough, but I don’t feel like I’ve overcome anything,” I replied.
This time, we were able to avoid the worst outcome thanks to everyone fighting together.
I don’t think what I did was that significant in the grand scheme of things…
“It’s understandable. To be precise, Lady Maria was allowed to overcome it,” Mephistopheles emphasized.
“What do you mean by that?”
I knew I had been helped by everyone, but if Mephistopheles was stressing it this much, I should be more aware of it.
“The trial at Legios was meant to measure your strength. In contrast, the trial at Liberta tested your resolve.”
“My resolve…”
The word struck a dull pain in my chest.
I hesitated to attack Judas-san, even though I knew it was to protect the people I cared about. I was afraid to take a life.
If Jade-san hadn’t been there at that time… thinking that far, I realized why Mephistopheles had phrased it that way.
“Ties are also a form of strength. I learned that from you, Lady Maria. I do not know how that bond with that person came to be, but with a half-hearted feeling, the outcome could never have been achieved.”
“…”
I realized I might have been more protected than I thought.
Protected by Jade-san, who treated me like a child.
Unable to fully digest that fact, I stood there in stunned silence…