Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 204
Check my other translation works for other interesting stories
Naoya : AION Mall Otherworldly Store
Ouren/Yuuzen : I Was a Small Fish
204. Mari-nee and The Usual Scene
With the clan members all gathered, I decided it was time to explain why I had been away from Mebius for a while.
They already knew I had been worried about Jade-san and had withdrawn into myself.
However, there were many personal aspects connected to my real-life self, so there were things I had no choice but to leave unsaid…
I’m glad I consulted with Masato and Maki beforehand about how much I should reveal.
If it had been just me, I might have ended up telling everything as it was.
What I did share was that Jade-san and I knew each other in real life.
It was through that connection that Jade-san started Mebius, and for my sake, he worked tirelessly between Xenoa and Liberta. In the end, he gave his life to bring things to a close… literally, he risked his life.
I also mentioned that I had been informed of these facts by his family and that I needed time to face those deep feelings.
After I finished speaking, no one made any move to open their mouths, remaining silent.
Just as the silence began to weigh on me, Roulette-san let out a big sigh as if to change the mood and casually took out a bottle of alcohol from her item box.
That familiar alcohol was something we had bought while strolling through the streets of Liberta before.
Then, as if understanding her intention, Kanna-san brought out some beautiful lacquered sake cups for everyone.
Roulette-san filled three of the cups with alcohol and poured coconut juice from the island into the remaining one.
There was no need to say who the juice was for.
Following the three who raised their cups, Mareus-san spoke up.
“To Jade!”
“To Ojii-sama!”
“To Jade-san!”
“…To Jade Mikage-san!!”
One by one, we all called out and drank.
After that, as we reminisced about Jade-san, Kanna-san suddenly seemed to remember something and said:
“Oh, right, I almost forgot. The reward for calming the chaos in Liberta has been decided. We chose a rare material that can only be harvested in Liberta, but it seems that Maria-chan’s is different.”
“Just for me?”
It wasn’t just me who contributed to the success in Liberta, it was everyone.
It was thanks to Graham-san that we could stabilize the situation, and it was Roulette-san who fought fiercely against Leon and his group.
Supporting them were Kanna-san and Estelle-san, and it was Mareus-san who literally acted as a shield, enduring the monster attacks.
If anyone had been missing, we wouldn’t have achieved that result.
If I had to say who contributed the most, it would have to be…
“You, of all people, wouldn’t think to celebrate first.”
A dignified voice came from somewhere.
Well, the moment I heard that voice, it was obvious who and where it was coming from.
Contrary to me, who was giving a sidelong glance toward the small room, Kanna-san’s eyes were sparkling.
As expected, the one who appeared from the opening door was the king.
Once again, he made an entrance as if he had planned it all along.
I really hope there isn’t another divine revelation coming this time, right?
“As soon as you arrived, I asked Kanna to inform me.”
The king revealed his hand as if he had seen right through my doubts.
I felt relieved that the reason was more subdued than before, but for some reason, I still couldn’t quite shake the feeling.
After thinking it over for a bit, I realized it was probably because I felt a bit “sold out” by Kanna-san’s excitement.
No, no, it’s not right to hold such an impression when all she did was give notice… She really just informed him, right??
“The reason your reward is being treated separately is because individual will was prioritized in Liberta’s resolution.”
In that battle where everyone contributed, there was only one person who stood out enough to have their individual will respected by the nation.
“As you’ve guessed, it was Jade who had informed Shahel Herel beforehand. He said, ‘If any reward or recognition is to be given to me for this incident, I want all of it to go to Maria-jou-chan.’”
“Jade-san…”
Jade-san started Mebius because of me.
But now I realize that I still didn’t fully understand the depth of his feelings.
I desperately held back my tears as they threatened to spill.
If I started crying here, it would make it hard for anyone to rest peacefully.
I forcibly calmed my heart, took a breath, and turned to face the king.
The king nodded in satisfaction and took out a square box, about 20 centimeters in diameter, from his coat.
“Take it. Only you can fulfill this.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and accepted the offered box.
Thank you, Jade-san.
I whispered in my heart, reflecting on everything that had happened, and gently hugged the box to my chest… but then.
“So, what’s inside?”
Mareus-san’s blunt question froze the atmosphere.
All the emotions and lingering sentiments everyone was feeling… were shattered.
“Mareus-chan.”
A voice like it came from the depths of the earth escaped Kanna-san’s lips.
“You don’t have any last words, right?”
Roulette-san asked, her smile terrifyingly severe as she simultaneously made a declaration.
“Even I cannot protect you from this one.”
With the king joining in, Mareus-san finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
More precisely, the danger to his life.
“Do you prefer it all at once or spread out over time?”
Realizing there was no escape, Mareus-san weighed which option might be the lesser evil.
Though I didn’t think the result would be much different, his serious deliberation made me hesitate to interrupt.
In the end, Mareus-san chose the former.
Maybe he figured if he was going to suffer, he might as well make it as short as possible.
However, Roulette-san and Kanna-san were not the kind to let such naive expectations slide.
“Clench your teeth!”
“It probably won’t help, though!”
Right after those warnings, Kanna-san and Roulette-san’s high kicks struck Mareus-san’s head.
“Nuryakapeh!?”
A two-person simultaneous attack.
And it didn’t end with just one strike—punches, kicks, more punches came in a relentless chain.
Finally, they finished him off with a grand kick that sent Mareus-san flying into the ceiling, after which he collapsed to the floor, ending the scene.
The whole thing lasted less than a minute, but if I had to describe Mareus-san afterward in one word: wrecked… utterly battered.
Though, seeing him write “The culprits are Kan-Roul” in blood letters suggests he might be tougher than he looks.
In this familiar, almost typical scene, the king burst into laughter, and before I knew it, I found myself laughing as well.