Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 28
Volume 2. Official Event and Battle
28. Mari-nee and The Goblins Clean Up
Last night, despite being late at night, I scolded Masato incessantly for being too noisy. Eventually, I reached the limit of my stamina and apparently lost consciousness in the midst of the scolding.
When I woke up, it was unusual that it was not Masato but rather Maki who came to see me. When I heard about the situation, I was in despair.
To make matters worse, Masato was the one who carried me to bed after I lost consciousness, and he stayed by my side, worrying and being fully present until morning.
Honestly, I wish I could just disappear and hide for a while…
As a result, breakfast that day was later than usual, but Masato’s demeanor, carrying me to the living room, remained unchanged.
Rather than complaining, I thought it would be better if he said something to provide closure for my feelings… I was about to think that way, but then I reconsidered.
It’s not good to expect that just because I want to feel better.
I decided to apologize sincerely, but Masato’s expression during breakfast was surprisingly bright?
Huh, Maki too??
It’s strange; I showed them an uncharacteristic side of myself, so why are their expressions becoming brighter?
Swayed by that atmosphere, I completely missed the opportunity to apologize.
After breakfast, with a break for lunch, I went through my daily rehabilitation.
After rehabilitation, Maki wiped away my sweat, and we had some free time until lunch.
I logged into MWO, and since my satiety was also decreasing here, I took out stewed hamburgers and ate them.
The number of stewed hamburgers I had at that time was four.
Whether eaten as portable food, given to Roulette-san and Ryle, or for some other reason, they were decreasing faster than I had anticipated.
“I should replenish them soon. What should I make next?”
Since stewed hamburgers were a dish I was used to making, I wanted to challenge myself with a dish I had never made in reality, preferably something with a playful aspect.
While thinking about it and looking at the item box, I found something and grimaced.
There were a large number of Goblin Ears.
Since they were stacked in one slot, the item box wouldn’t overflow with Goblin Ears, but the icon looked strangely realistic and unpleasant.
This, this is harassment, isn’t it?
“I don’t want to leave them in there, and I don’t want to throw them away. I’ll have the Adventurer’s Guild take them.”
I left the room, thanked Estelle-san for replacing the straw with fur on the bed, and then headed straight to the Adventurer’s Guild.
Upon entering the Adventurer’s Guild, Allen-san was ‘resurrected’ at the counter on the right, dealing with adventurers with a good smile.
Apparently, the cooking made by “Estelle-san” and the children had the desired effect.
Waiting for the adventurer in front of me to finish, I greeted Allen-san.
“Hello, Allen-san.”
“Hell- o…”
While reflexively returning the greeting, the moment Allen-san looked at me, the continuation of his words stopped.
And the smile he had until just now was painted over with astonishment and fear.
That reaction hurts a bit, you know?
“Hello, Allen-san.”
Once again, I greeted him with a smile.
“M-Ma, Maria-chan!? That smile, what is it this time? What did you bring back!!”
Rather, I was being treated with caution.
“Excuse me. I haven’t brought back… anything, you know?”
“Nahhh! You clearly look suspicious to me!!”
At some point, he had taken out a large round shield for adventurers, and from behind it, he was paying attention to my every move.
Even without doing such a thing, I wouldn’t bring a large quantity of Goblin Ears here, given my previous blunders.
I took out only one and showed it to Allen-san.
“I have a bunch of these. Can I sell them as materials?”
“Isn’t that just a Goblin Ear?”
“You are still suspicious of me. These are just the ears of goblins from the forest beyond the <Trial Forest>. “
“…In that case, submit them to the central counter as proof of subjugation.”
“They can’t be used as materials?”
“Goblin ears are not suitable as materials. They can’t be eaten, are not poisonous or medicinal, just dirty and smell like trash. However, since goblins attack people, the Adventurer’s Guild has no choice but to subjugate them. The proof of that is the Goblin Ears, they have no other value.”
There aren’t many beings that get such harsh criticism just for their existence, right?
Oh, it’s like the shiny black cockroaches that used to appear in the house I used to live in.
Considering that, Allen-san’s reaction makes sense.
So, what should I do about this that I impulsively bought back?
As a trial, what I put on the counter was a captured Goblin Soldier.
Allen-san’s face looked incredibly disgusted… right?
Since he seemed like he was about to go crazy if I asked him to dismantle or take it away, I quietly put it back in the item box and moved to the central counter.
The central counter was still crowded, and many male adventurers were queuing up in front of several receptionists.
There was an obvious disparity in the length of the lines, and at first glance, it seemed to be proportional to the appearance of the receptionists.
Among the receptionists, there were a few men like Allen-san mixed in, and there were female adventurers lined up in front of them.
Naturally, if you’re going to be served, you’d want to be served by a handsome man or a beautiful woman.
It’s also free.
Me? I don’t mind as long as the person is efficient and quick at their job.
So, I went to the line with the fewest people, and my turn came without much waiting.
At the counter was a woman with a slightly younger appearance than the other receptionists, with brown hair and freckles on her cheeks, giving her a squinted look.
Her nameplate at the chest said “Regina.”
“If it’s a subjugation report, show me the evidence.”
The first thing she said was not a greeting but a demand.
Moreover, the way she spoke didn’t seem suitable for customer service.
With her appearance, it reminded me of a few delinquents in school.
“This, please.”
As instructed, I quickly presented the “evidence.”
A mountain of Goblin Ears piled up.
The lady at the adjacent counter let out a short “Huh!” like a scream, but I didn’t mind.
On the other hand, Regina showed no signs of disturbance and began to process it calmly.
Goblin Ears are not only just ugly but also smelly, yet she showed no sign of aversion.
Her attitude towards her work was evident, and I had a good impression of her.
The confirmation process was finished in a flash, and after cleaning her hands at the counter, she announced the appraisal results.
“124 Goblin Ears. 500G each, so the reward is 62,000G.”
Her calculations were fast and accurate.
“Thank you.”
I received the reward and was about to yield to the next person, but Regina called out to me.
“If you leave the Adventurer’s Guild and walk east on the main street for about 10 minutes, there’s an old lady running a shop called <Witch’s Tools> She might buy ‘raw goblins.'”
I looked back, and she was already busy with the next adventurer, so our eyes didn’t meet.
Her face must be all red by now.
It’s like the feeling of seeing a delinquent child being kind to an abandoned kitten.
Feeling warm and fuzzy, I left the Adventurer’s Guild with the reward.
By the way, at the <Witch’s Tools> as recommended, there was a suspicious-looking witch-like old lady who came out, and she easily took away the captured Goblin Soldier.
When taking it away, she mumbled, “With this, I can verify the effectiveness of… a potion for the human body,” or something like that.
Yeah, if you’re going to hide it, do it properly.
More than anything, what I received as a reward was not in Gold (G) but in [Poison Medicine].
When the old lady went back into the shop, I felt like the wide-open eyes of the captured Goblin Soldier were pleading for help, but I gently averted my gaze and felt a tiny bit of sympathy for his fate.