Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 49
49. Mari-nee and the First Official Event (Companion)
“Thank you. Thanks to everyone, I feel like I can hang in there a little longer.”
When I lifted my face, I’m sure I managed to smile convincingly.
“Maria-san…”
Thank you for worrying, Estelle-san.
“You did well. All of us really understand that. So, it’s okay now. If you push yourself any further, both your body and mind will go haywire.”
Vanessa-san…
It’s tough to hold back what wells up when you receive words like that, you know?
Because she’s straightforward, the words hit straight and it’s really troublesome.
So, I deliberately responded with a bit of mischief.
“Vanessa-san, am I considered family right? Would you abandon your family just because danger is approaching?”
“Well…”
It’s a harsh question, I apologize.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine. Even with this, I’m still your big sister.”
This time, as I was about to ride on Cougar’s back and head towards Nemesis, I was unexpectedly obstructed.
Yes, literally obstructed.
By Estelle-san, who spread her arms wide and showed strong determination in her eyes.
“…Please tell me one thing. You really have to go, don’t you?”
It was a strong tone I had never heard before.
It had the sound of reproach, yet there was also a desperate plea for me to deny it.
“I’m going.”
Then, let me say it decisively too.
Unexpectedly, Estelle-san said something I hadn’t anticipated.
“Understood. In that case, let me fight alongside you.”
“Huh?”
For a moment, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“I don’t want Maria-san to push herself any further. But if you’re alone, Maria-san will surely overexert herself. So, I’ll go too. If I’m with you, Maria-san won’t overdo it, right?”
“Well, that’s…”
Certainly, with Estelle-san around, I can’t overexert myself.
B-but?
I want to protect Estelle-san and the others, so isn’t it dangerous for the person herself to jump into danger!?
Unable to voice the scream in my heart, Estelle-san pressed on.
“Also, that song that reached the town, filled with resentment and suffering. To me, it sounded like a voice seeking salvation. If someone seeks salvation, God will answer. I’ll make sure to answer!”
Estelle-san, making sure to answer…
Isn’t that quite a bold attitude towards God? I wonder if she won’t get scolded.
“Don’t worry! As long as I’m here, that singing won’t torment Maria-san anymore!”
With conviction, Estelle-san said.
Certainly, if that area-of-effect attack can be prevented, the MP consumption can be kept low, but my MP is low after the resurrection.
Even if I manage to avoid using ‘Wind Roar’, if the battle drags on and my MP runs out halfway, I won’t be able to protect Estelle-san.
In hesitation, Estelle-san placed a small bottle in my hand.
It had the same shape as an HP Potion, but instead of red, the liquid inside was blue.
“What’s this?”
“It’s said to be a potion that restores magical power. I asked Allen-san, and he graciously obtained it for me from the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Restores magical power, meaning it’s an MP Potion?
This is something we haven’t confirmed among players.
“Oh, is this potion very expensive?”
“Is it? Allen-san gladly gave it to me when I asked.”
Looking at Estelle-san, who tilted her head with a determined expression, I could imagine Allen-san handing over the MP Potion with a smile, despite the potential cost.
I better not think about how many months of Allen-san’s salary this might be… Yeah, it’s scary, so I’ll refrain from pestering more.
“Can I really use this?”
“Yes, please, Maria-san.”
Halting Estelle-san, who was about to make me drink it herself, I hesitated for a moment and then boldly drank the MP Potion.
A refreshing scent, somewhat minty, and a slight bitterness.
By the time the aftertaste faded, my MP had recovered to about 80%.
Thanks to this, the discomfort disappeared, and I felt refreshed.
“This is amazing.”
“Now, Maria-san, with this, I can accompany you without any worries.”
Seemingly aware of everything, Estelle-san said with a beaming smile.
Strange, was Estelle-san always this assertive…?
But, there’s no use in worrying about it any further.
Time won’t wait, and Nemesis certainly won’t.
“If it gets dangerous, promise me you’ll get back.”
“Yes!”
Creating a saddle with ?String Manipulation?, I placed Estelle-san on Cougar and Nero, then we began to run.
Heading at full speed toward the western gate and into the plains, Nemesis was closer to the city of Eden than I had anticipated.
If we had been a few minutes later, the city might have been within the range of Nemesis’s long-range attacks.
Nemesis, realizing our approach, suddenly opened its mouth, preparing to sing.
When I and Cougar and Nero faced it, it was an unpleasant pattern from the beginning, where MP would be drained off.
“Estelle-san!”
“Leave it to me!”
Immediately after, Estelle-san took action, and she was also singing.
Beautiful, pure, yet somewhat shadowed singing spread around us.
It felt like the singing was closer to us than a simple hymn, as if… yes, it was like a requiem.
As the singing reached Nemesis, it responded by emitting a groaning sound instead of singing, writhing its serpent-like lower body.
The area-of-effect attack through singing didn’t happen.
“Estelle-san, amazing!”
She only nodded in response to my voice, and Estelle-san kept on singing.
Although she described it as neutralizing the song, looking at Nemesis’s condition, it seemed to be more effective than that.
In fact, there was no room for it to even attack with a halberd.
As a precaution, I continued to have Cougar run, but if we just waited like this…
At that moment, I realized I had unwittingly set a flag for something.
“HGRYAAAAAA!”
Nemesis let out a roar, shuddering, and the scales on its lower body fell apart and dropped to the ground.
The scales that fell to the ground bubbled and foamed, transforming into Ogre Legions, each about 2 meters in height.
There were approximately fifty of them created in just that moment.
And as soon as they were born, they headed towards us.
“Just when I thought I could somehow deal with Nemesis…”
Is this the result of a momentary flag?
While keeping an eye on Estelle-san, I ran away from the Ogre Legions.
Even during that time, we didn’t ease our vigilance against Nemesis, but the problem was that Ogre Legions were being created rapidly.
I don’t think defeating them is impossible, but with Estelle-san here, I want to avoid it as much as possible.
Unable to make a clear decision, the delay in moving on to the next action was unfortunate.
Overlooking the newly born Ogre Legions, in my panic, I didn’t have time to choose a route ahead, and I hurriedly had Cougar run in impulsively.
As a result, we ended up surrounded by Ogre Legions, which increased in number, forming a thickening wall around us.
While Cougar, in the state of deploying Wind Roar at top speed, might have been able to handle this, now it was completely stopped, and there wasn’t enough distance to accelerate.
If I threw Estelle-san out of here when we collided, maybe she alone could break through the encirclement, but at that moment, I wouldn’t know how the freed Nemesis would react.
At that moment, when I was contemplating becoming bait to disrupt the encirclement, several Ogre Legions approaching from behind flew past us and collided with the Ogre Legions in front of us.
What happened? Before I could think and turn around, orange light ran at the edge of my field of vision, and then, resolutely, someone stood up against the Ogre Legions.
Long hair with a gentle wave, strong and supple limbs.
Is this timing intentional? Hey, Roulette-san.
“We apologize for the trouble. Now it’s our turn to help Maria-san.”
Wearing her trademark spinning glasses, Roulette-san delivered a severe kick to defeat the Ogre Legions despite her usual gentle words.
Huh? Us?
“Here we go! Now is the time to show the determination of our Production Guild!”
Following Roulette-san’s rallying cry, Mareus-san and his comrades appeared.
While Mareus-san attracted attention with ?Provoke?, several people dealt with each Ogre Legion one by one.
“Acting all cool, but you were just a chicken who didn’t come out until Maria-chan hung in there. Oh, by the way, the people from the second city we rescued are safe. Don’t worry, Maria-chan, we’ve thoroughly healed them.”
Thank you, Kanna-san. Thanks to you, one worry has been alleviated.
“Seriously, you guys are reducing them too quickly! Consider the burden on the support roles a bit!!”
Worries increased with Kanna-san’s hurried words.
However, as if to dispel my worries, arrows and magic rained down simultaneously, and Mareus-san’s group systematically wiped out the Ogre Legions they were dealing with.
“Our leader, Maria-san, must be protected! There shouldn’t be anything to harm that person any further!!”
Graham-san… It’s nice, but didn’t you have a weird attachment when calling my name?
Hey, you had one, right!? (shame)
“…Really. Honestly, everyone is so unfair.”
Suppressing the sting in my nose, I burned into my memory the reliable figures of everyone, my comrades.
Compared to when we were fighting alone, the plains were now filled with enthusiasm.
The battle was finally entering its final stage.