Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 90
90. Mari-nee and the Empress’s thoughts (Part 1)
Back at the “Lake of Tears,” all the water in the lake had frozen, and numerous pillars of ice had transformed the area into a different world.
“It’s so cold!”
Shivering from the extreme cold, something softly draped over my shoulders.
It was a tattered black vest, barely recognizable in its original form.
“Wear it. I’m a puppet, I don’t feel the cold,” said Gils, revealing a similarly battered gray shirt.
Though his wounds seemed to have healed, the tattered shirt bore witness to the intensity of the battle. I tightly wrapped the vest around myself, struggling to hold back the emotions welling up inside.
I couldn’t afford to cry here, it would only cause unnecessary worry.
In return, I grasped Gils’ restored left hand.
Gils looked at me in surprise.
He probably thought it would only make him colder if I touched him, but that didn’t matter.
“Gils isn’t just a puppet. You are my precious family.”
As I held his hand tightly, my heart had been warm since earlier.
As if in resignation, Gils eventually grasped my hand in return.
“I see… It seems I cannot easily say we are safe. What happened?”
Carefully walking across the frozen stone stage, the king approached us.
His appearance hadn’t changed since the last time I saw him.
Thank goodness, Mephistopheles had kept his promise.
When questioned by the king, I hesitated for a moment on how much to reveal, but ultimately decided to tell him everything.
Even if I tried to downplay it, I’m sure this king would see through it.
Besides, right now, Nero and Kuuga who had been with me, were not by my side…
“I… I failed miserably, causing you distress. I can offer no excuse except my apologies. There are no words beyond that. I’m sorry.”
Kneeling down, the king bowed his head to me.
I’m not well-versed in dealing with people of high status, but I don’t think powerful people easily bow their heads.
Yet, here was the king, the most powerful in Caldia, kneeling for us.
I don’t think the king is to blame at all.
Even so, this young king, like this young man, feels responsible…
“M-Maria!?”
Unconsciously, I embraced the king’s head.
Trying to pull away in a panic, but I wouldn’t allow it.
It’s a good opportunity to make the king understand properly.
“As I said before, please don’t bear everything alone. This incident also had its roots in me.”
“But Marie, you and Nero and Kuuga—!”
“They are here. They’ve become my new family, serving as Gils’ eyes and still watching over me. And though I don’t know in what form they’ll return, Mephistopheles promised they’d come back as a new family.”
I believe Mephistopheles’ words from back then are true.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have entrusted me with the egg or told me not to hesitate.
I moved away from the king and showed him the black egg.
“Half of each of their souls is inside this.”
I explained the conditions for the egg to grow, the need to provide weapons and armor.
“I understand. Those three in your clan will likely create the weapons and armor needed. In that case, I’ll provide the funds for purchasing the necessary materials.”
For some reason, the king started to offer money.
“Um, you don’t have to worry about that, Your Majesty…”
“If that’s not enough, I won’t hesitate to use the country’s funds. Considering your contributions so far, there shouldn’t be anyone opposed. And if there is, they’ll face consequences as one of my subjects.”
“It’s okay! You really don’t have to go that far!!”
Why do the people around me always go overboard when their concern is about me?
Remembering Gils standing beside me, I decided to introduce him to the king.
“This is Gils, who has become a new member of my family. He’s really strong, you know? He single-handedly repelled the empire’s adventurers and protected me.”
“Hmm, such adventurers… I missed hearing their names before due to a prank of the wind, but Gils, is it? It’s a good name.”
It feels like the first time my choice of name has been praised.
As I trembled with emotion, the king stood up and addressed Gils.
“Gils, can you make one promise to me? No matter what happens in the future, I want you to only think about protecting Maria. Don’t worry about others, even if that includes me.”
“Your Majesty…”
Despite my confusion at the unexpected words, Gils responded without hesitation.
“There’s no need to say it. ‘We’ll’ protect Maria, that’s all.”
Perhaps sensing something in Gils’ heterochromatic eyes, yellow and green, the king smiled faintly.
“A reliable family. There’s much to discuss, but first, let’s explain the current situation.”
“Yes. The frozen lake, the pillars of ice… What exactly happened?”
“To explain that, let’s first hear from the person responsible for causing this situation.”
Guided by the king, the empress headed towards the direction of the “Lake of Tears.”
On the way, as we observed the pillars of ice closely, I noticed that people were trapped inside.
Clad in blue armor, they were likely soldiers from the empire who had attacked us, but their numbers were unusual.
“This is…”
“These are the soldiers who plotted rebellion. They underestimated the tales of Wilhelmina. Pitiful. Though they may still be in a state of suspended animation, their time is limited until their lives expire.”
“Tales?”
“In the meritocracy of the empire, Wilhelmina became empress through sheer strength. This was because she defeated a monster of national calamity at the time…”
The king’s hesitant words were heavier than I had imagined.
“When she defeated the monster, Wilhelmina was the only survivor. It’s said that all the soldiers who went to defeat it died. Wilhelmina never spoke of what happened then… but seeing this situation, I understand.”
The king sighed once and continued.
“Wilhelmina is strong. It might even be appropriate to say she’s too strong. In terms of sheer martial prowess, there may be no equal on this continent. That’s why I wonder. When she defeated the monster, did her strength turn against her allies? It’s just my speculation.”
“Why would these people oppose someone so strong?”
“I’ve heard that since Wilhelmina became empress, she has rarely exerted her power. Strong individuals are often judged by their behavior, but immature individuals within the military may have harbored discontent. And leading them was her brother, Nager von Legios*. He was incited by Mephistopheles, who also proposed to me the idea of using this opportunity to eliminate internal dissidents, including adventurers.” (*ネイガー・フォン・レギオス)
Beside a particularly massive pillar of ice, without even turning back, the one who continued the king’s words was Empress Wilhelmina von Regios…
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