Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 207
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Naoya : AION Mall Otherworldly Store
Ouren/Yuuzen : I Was a Small Fish
207. Mari-nee and the Dangerous People
Graham-san regained his composure half a day later.
Half a day wasn’t an exaggeration—it was literally twelve hours.
Why did it take so long? Because in between crying fits, Graham-san would fall into hyperventilation. While I tried to care for him, he would start crying again.
To be precise, even the other members of the cult ended up in a similar state. As I continued to care for them, the ordeal stretched into a grueling twelve hours.
Exhausted just as the prophecy foretold, I stumbled out of the game and collapsed unconscious on my real-world bed.
I began to wake from a deep sleep, stirred by a faint noise.
“…Hey…”
It took me a while to realize it was a voice.
The tone was calm and measured.
That calmness, however, made it clear just how cautious the speaker was being.
It wasn’t rushed or cold, but rather full of genuine care.
And there was also a subtle effort to conceal their concern.
Of course, as their family, I could see through it completely.
“…Mari…nee…”
Once I recognized it as a voice, full awareness came quickly.
Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of Masato, staring at me worriedly.
His grown physique and mature demeanor struck me again—I couldn’t help but think how much he’d grown into a fine young man.
Although, at Masato’s age, perhaps calling him a “young man” might not sit well.
I recalled Mareus-san once getting angry when Kanna-san teasingly called him “cute” after a shower. That thinly veiled smirk didn’t help.
Incidentally, I tried asking Roulette-san what exactly was “cute,” but she wouldn’t tell me.
She said I’d understand when I got older.
I am an adult already, though—how old do I need to be to understand?
“Mari-nee!”
Ah! I shouldn’t have let my gaze wander off the moment I opened my eyes.
I refocused on Masato, who still looked worried, and opened my mouth to apologize.
“Good morning, Masato.”
“Yeah, good morning, Mari-nee… Wait, that’s not the point! I’ve been calling out to you for ages, and you wouldn’t wake up. I was seriously worried! The monitor readings showed no anomalies, but still…”
He quickly moved to check my pulse and examine my complexion.
“I’m fine. I just… stayed up late reading, that’s all,” I said, deliberately altering the truth to avoid further concern.
Masato still scrutinized my face skeptically, so I managed a faint smile in response.
“…If you feel even slightly off, tell me immediately, okay?”
He seemed to accept my explanation, though reluctantly.
Feeling slightly guilty, I let him carry me to the living room.
Breakfast was already set on the table, with Maki sitting there rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting, Maki,” I said, apologizing as Masato helped me into a chair.
“It’s fine, Onee-chan… uh!”
Before she finished speaking, Maki slammed her hands on the table and leaned toward me.
“What happened?”
Though phrased as a question, her tone made it clear she already knew something had.
So much for evading detection.
Unlike Masato, there was no dodging her.
Thus, my breakfast turned into a full-blown interrogation conversation session.
I recounted the events in the game from the previous night.
At first, the two listened with amusement, occasionally tearing up. But when I reached my exchanges with Estelle-san, the mood shifted. By the time I described Simon-san and then Graham-san’s group, Maki’s expression froze.
Her eyes, devoid of light, were now shrouded in a deep darkness.
It wasn’t just a lack of warmth—it carried a chilling coldness that sent shivers down my spine.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Masato visibly tremble.
Without a word, Maki pulled out her phone and started making a call.
It connected in seconds, as if the other party had been waiting.
“I’m sending security to those people. Cover for the route’s surveillance cameras and clear the area. Two hours tops.”
“That’s way too sudden!” a panicked voice screamed from the phone.
Internally, I agreed wholeheartedly.
Who were those people?
Why did she need to manipulate surveillance and evacuate the area?
There were so many questions, I felt overwhelmed.
Masato, however, reacted swiftly.
He reached across the table and snatched Maki’s phone in a single motion.
“Masato-niisan, give that back! Those people need to be dealt with!”
“They don’t! Stop this madness!” Masato and the person on the phone shouted in unison.
Their perfectly synchronized outburst made it clear how serious the situation was.
What followed was an intense team effort by the three of us to restrain Maki.
Fortunately, no lasting harm was done, but the person on the other end—Kanon-san—later remarked that if security had been dispatched, things could’ve gone south fast.
Honestly, I’m just glad nothing bad happened… well, except for me.
Though we successfully stopped Maki, I ended up being carried around by her for the rest of the day.
It felt a lot like when Estelle-san and I reunited after a long time.
That day, time passed agonizingly slowly for me.