Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 41
41. Mari-nee and the First Official Event (Ease Up)
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When I woke up, I thought I must have respawned.
However, the surroundings were unusually noisy.
It wasn’t in the city, but still in the <Plain of Beginnings>.
As I stood up, the nausea I felt moments ago had slightly improved.
“…Where is this?”
It was a plain for sure, but adventurers were in the midst of building what seemed like a makeshift defensive encampment.
Kanna-san, with her low and husky voice, responded to my muttered words resembling those of a protagonist with amnesia, but raised her pitch.
“This is a makeshift defensive position set up right near Eden’s west gate. More importantly, Maria-chan, are you okay? Using continuous consumption skills with zero MP is reckless.”
“Um, what do you mean?”
“If your MP just drops to zero, you’d feel a bit unwell. However, when you simultaneously use some continuous consumption skills, occasionally your MP is treated like negative data, and you’ll feel extremely unwell.”
I see, so that’s what that discomfort was about.
Understanding that, I felt a bit relieved.
“But why am I here? I didn’t return through the portal, and why didn’t I die? Oh, and what about Roulette-san, Nero, and Cougar?!”
“Calm down. I’ll answer one by one.”
Restraining my excitement, Kanna-san slowly explained.
“First, for an easier explanation. Roulette-chan is safe. Thanks to Maria-chan stopping her, she’s currently unable to move much due to the recoil from being in the Queen of Massacre mode, but she’ll recover soon. Nero-chan and Cougar-chan are also safe.”
“I see…”
I was really relieved that the three of them were safe.
“Uh, what about the adventurers who were following behind me?”
To my rapid-fire questions, Kanna-san looked a bit amazed.
“I’d like you to be more concerned about yourself. Well, let me explain. Most of them are safe. Thanks to Maria-chan literally breaking through and creating an opening, they followed. The actions of Maria-chan were not in vain.”
Wait a second…
“Kanna-san, you said ‘most’?”
A foreboding feeling made my expression tense.
“Yeah, that’s related to the answer to your question about ‘why you didn’t die.'”
“Huh?”
“There’s a group of people or a crowd who carried the fallen Maria-chan and others here. Thanks to them, Maria-chan and the others were safe. But, Maria-chan, and particularly Cougar-chan, has a large body, right? The movement speed inevitably slowed down, so to attract the attention of the ogres and create a diversion, some people volunteered to act as decoys. The ‘most’ part is because some of the decoy actors ended up respawning.”
At the last words, blood drained from my face.
They died and respawned to help me…?
“No way! It’s my fault then!”
“No, that’s not true.”
The one who spoke was a male adventurer in his thirties with a bow on his back, appearing next to Kanna-san.
“Not true?”
“Yes. We were saved by you, Maria-san, at the risk of your life. They simply repaid that favor. In fact, when we were recruiting decoy actors, there were too many volunteers. I was one of the first to raise my hand, but I was scolded thoroughly with ‘It’s absurd for the leader to take on the role of dying first, it’s fine in movies, but it’s a bad move considering leadership afterward, idiot.’ It’s embarrassing, ahahaha.”
Ahahaha your forehead, it’s not something to laugh about.
And what does he mean by too many volunteers for the decoy role?
Moreover, what the heck is this “group” he’s talking about?!
Whether my inner outcry got through or not, he bowed and introduced himself.
“I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Graham. I serve as the humble leader of a certain group, and my job is a hunter…cough cough. I’m in charge of the group’s educational affairs.”
There was a somewhat unpleasant ring to his words, as if I had a very bad premonition…
Despite my skepticism, Graham knelt down and aligned his eyes with mine.
“Please, don’t worry too much about them. …But I guess you won’t be satisfied without an explanation. In that case, could you offer them a word of encouragement when they return?”
“?”
“Your questioning gaze tells me you won’t be convinced otherwise. Well then, once they come back, just say a word of appreciation.”
Graham directed his gaze to a few adventurers coming towards us from the west gate of Eden.
They were probably the people Graham mentioned as those who had died and respawned.
When they reached me, before I could open my mouth to express my gratitude, they spoke.
“Thank you for helping us!”
“I’ve always wanted to try that ‘Leave me behind and go ahead!’ kind of thing. My dream came true!”
“Thanks for the thrilling and intense situation!”
Wait a minute, why are all three of them thanking me?!
There must have been hardships, complaints, and more they want to say.
Yet, they’re thanking me, it’s unfair.
I should be the one thanking them.
Oh no, I can’t hold back my tears.
My tear ducts, once breached, won’t return to normal.
Panic-stricken me, and bewildered them.
Then,
“””GUOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!!”””
A deflating sound echoed…
“Ah, no, it’s more like…”
“There was no death penalty, but it seems like our hunger meters took a big hit.”
“Darn it, why now of all times, my stomach! My stomach!!”
Come on, it’s unavoidable. There’s no need to worry that much.
“And don’t punch your stomach!! …Ah.”
Involuntarily scolding, the room fell silent for a moment.
“Pfft.”
First, it was Kanna-san.
“Kuhaha.”
Next was Graham-san.
“Ahahahaha!”
Finally, the three who respawned.
“Why are you all laughing!?”
“Well, because Maria-chan is just so ‘Maria-chan.’ Right?”
“That’s right, truly.”
“Absolutely agree.”
In the relaxed atmosphere that suddenly emerged, the serious me seemed to have run away somewhere.
Enough already…
Gathering my composure, I bowed slightly.
“Thank you so much for helping me. And not an apology, of course. As a token of appreciation, please have these.”
I took out some <Forest Deer Jerky> and distributed them to everyone.
There seemed to be other members of the group, so three pieces each.
Kanna-san, why are you trying to take them so naturally? You bought 50 from me, didn’t you?
As everyone simultaneously put the jerky into their mouths, I felt a bit tense.
It was well-received by Mareus-san and the others, but how about these people?
“As long as it suits your taste, so?”
Before I knew it, Graham-san and the three adventurers had stopped moving.
But their mouths continued to chew, as if they were different creatures altogether.
Uh-oh, a bad feeling.
“””Delicious!!!!”””
“What a rich flavor!”
“Ugh, why don’t I have any alcohol right now! Someone, give me some sake!”
“It’s too hard to finish eating! The taste that seeped into my saliva alone is enough for plain rice!”
“This deliciousness is practically a drug! No, is it actually soaked in drugs!?”
“I’m not using any drugs!!!!”
Please don’t talk about my jerky like it’s something dangerous.
After swallowing the jerky, Graham-san made a sound as if he couldn’t understand.
“Hmm, I just chewed the jerky. Strange, there are only two left!”
“Captain, you ate one, so…”
“No, there were three to begin with, so naturally, you ate one, right?”
I wonder who will be blamed for my involuntary outburst.
“Eat jerky, jerky decreases…”
Graham’s vacant gaze turned towards the jerky meant for the absent group members.
“With this, get more jerky… I can eat more jerky… Delicious…”
“Scary, scary! It’s scary, so stop it!!”
In the end, the situation was resolved by offering more of my jerky. However, the cost was significant, and only a few pieces remained.
I was happy that they enjoyed it, but the loss of the jerky, a sense of déjà vu, and the fact that I hadn’t properly assessed the situation left me feeling exhausted.