Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 105

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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105. Prince Willow Became a Companion (2)

They say smiling brings good fortune, but smiling doesn’t make sins disappear.

The remaining party, who were either thoroughly angry or worried due to the assault taking a whopping 9 days, were curious about why the conquest took so long.

Olive awkwardly smiled while playing dumb.

Ralph made a dejected expression and spoke honestly.

“I’m sorry. It’s all because of me.”

“What did Ralph do wrong? I want to hear the details!”

“Actually, we finished conquering the 4th layer easily thanks to the princess. I got a magic sword, would you like to see it?”

“I’ll appraise it later. If the conquest went smoothly, why were you late?”

Any boy would definitely love a magic sword.

Thinking this, Ralph pulled out his magic sword to divert Grey’s attention, but Grey didn’t fall for it.

“Since we finished conquering the 4th layer quickly, I suggested we go down to the 5th layer and just look around near the stairs.”

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

“As soon as we arrived at the 5th layer, we were transported somewhere on the 5th layer without any light or magic circle. The party was scattered in all directions, and the stairs going up were at the very depths of the 5th layer. That’s why it took so long.”

Grey was shocked.

“A forced dissolution gimmick? That’s something that only appears after the 30th floor! And it appeared on the 16th floor?”

“Yeah~ I was shocked too.”

Olive grumbled that if she had known, she wouldn’t have gone down to the 5th layer.

“So that’s why it took 9 days. We were really worried when you didn’t come back even after a week passed.”

It was worrying that the party was scattered, but since everyone returned safely without anyone missing, they must have conquered it successfully.

Lavenda seemed to think so and felt relieved.

Of course, there were others who didn’t feel the same way.

“The party was scattered? You mean Lady Serena wandered the labyrinth alone?”

Philia was horrified at this earth-shattering news.

Countess Randy complained of dizziness and looked ready to faint, so Serena quickly supported her maid.

“Philia, get a grip. Look at me. I’m healthy, right? All limbs intact, two ears, two eyes, one nose, one mouth all attached.”

Serena only had one eye, but since it was like an idiom, she naturally said two eyes.

Philia leaned into Serena’s embrace and looked up at her master, then was terrified.

“You’re, you’re missing one eye!”

“I never had that one! You said I lost it when father hit me.”

“Huh? Did I? I did. I’m sorry, Lady Serena. I must have been too shocked. It must be a memory you don’t want to recall.”

Philia felt something was off but quickly adapted to reality.

Serena quickly added to reassure her maid.

“As soon as I was separated from the party, I met the priests and traveled with them. I never traveled alone, so there’s no need to worry.”

“With the priests? That’s a relief.”

Philia sighed with relief, then clenched both fists tightly.

“But it was still dangerous! If you end up traveling alone again, there’s no guarantee you’ll meet the priests then too!”

Could there be better grounds for Philia, who opposed Serena’s labyrinth conquest, than this?

Philia excitedly shouted.

“Lady Serena must not conquer the labyrinth anymore! Leave the conquest and finding an escape method to them and stay in the lobby!”

‘If I don’t go, it seems like we’ll never get out.’

From the crystal that wasted a whole day just by changing the lighting, to the vicious layer that dropped party members one by one just by going down the stairs.

It was obvious that the assault team would all die if Serena didn’t risk her life to learn the conquest methods.

‘Even if it’s hard, I have to see it myself and die. I can’t stand the frustration.’

Serena would have immediately become a believer if there was a god of sloth, but rather than repeatedly watching the party get wiped out without knowing anything, she preferred knowing the cause and reason even if it was damn difficult.

“Philia. I’m sorry, but I must conquer the labyrinth. God wills it.”

“That can’t be.”

In a world where gods actually exist, using god as grounds makes you invincible.

Philia was so shocked that she staggered and sat down on the spot.

“How could he give such a cruel command?”

“Hey, Countess. It’s not that cruel~ The Labyrinth God also tells the princess the conquest methods. Thanks to that, we cleared the 4th layer quickly too.”

“It’s all my fault. I suggested looking at the 5th layer’s atmosphere, but actually!”

Ralph squeezed his eyes shut and confessed his wrongdoing.

“I wanted to test my newly acquired magic sword! I’m truly sorry!”

To suggest going to the 5th layer because he wanted to find someone to swing his magic sword at.

The hot-blooded young knight must have been really excited and happy to receive a magic sword as a treasure chest reward.

“Lady Serena must conquer the labyrinth…”

Philia repeated the same words in a daze. Count Randy comforted his shocked wife while consoling her.

“My dear, I’ll risk my life to protect Lady Serena. Don’t worry. The Labyrinth God will also watch over Lady Serena.”

“Lady Serena, into danger… without me…”

“Don’t be sad. You know Lady Serena better than anyone. She’ll definitely be fine.”

“That’s right, Lady Serena will do well. That’s why I’m even sadder. I can’t follow her! Sob!”

Philia buried her face in her husband’s chest and wept sorrowfully.

Serena just stood there quietly, but the other people were clutching their chests and feeling sad together.

“Hmm~ We do need to address this though. It felt like about 4 days to us? But 9 days passed, which is a bit worrying. It might get worse as the labyrinth gets deeper.”

“That’s still okay for now.”

Serena released information to ease people’s worries.

“There’s a crystal on the 4th layer that changes the layer’s lighting with light and darkness, isn’t there.”

“Yes, there is.”

“There’s such a thing! So what, Your Highness?”

“Every time you change the lighting with that crystal, time passes in the lobby. Hit it twice and a day goes by.”

Everyone was shocked at this shocking news.

“What?”

“Is that so?”

“Wow, amazing! How do you know that, Your Highness?”

Grey stared at Serena with an innocent face.

Serena thought Grey’s acting was a bit exaggerated and gave her invincible answer.

“After finishing the 4th layer conquest, God told me.”

“Tsk. I was relieved there were no side effects from touching the crystal. But there was actually a really scary side effect hidden?”

Olive trembled as she recalled hitting the crystal to check if traps were activated.

“Me! Actually, I thought it was fascinating and fun how the light and darkness switched back and forth, so I wanted to hit it wildly! I held back because the princess seemed reluctant, but if I had done that, months could have passed in the lobby!”

“Actually, I also really wanted to hit it to the beat because the crystal’s ringing sound was clear and pretty! I’m glad I held back!”

The guide and knight were truly relieved that they had held back well. Ralph was so shocked that his eyes even welled up with tears.

‘You guys didn’t hold back. You hit it excitedly.’

Saying they felt a strange rhythm in the changing lighting, Ralph had indeed hit the crystal to the beat.

“Then the calculation roughly matches. Almost no time difference, right?”

Adding the days that passed meaninglessly due to the crystal and the perceived days, the assault team and remaining party’s time matched up.

“So you were late not because space-time got twisted, but because of the labyrinth’s gimmick. That’s at least fortunate.”

“Right. It’s about time for space-time to get twisted though. No matter what, if the time difference doubles, we can’t conquer the labyrinth.”

“The other gimmicks are also serious.”

The day-night crystal that harbors fatal side effects that aren’t noticed during conquest.

A layer with a forced party dissolution gimmick that appeared twice as fast as other labyrinths.

“As expected, this labyrinth’s grade is.”

Grey’s ashen eyes swept over the people in the lobby.

The child, who sometimes showed maturity beyond his age, spoke like a judge announcing a verdict.

“Grade 8.”

The lobby fell silent at Grey’s declaration.

“Hiccup.”

Even Philia, who had been crying in her husband’s arms, stopped crying and fell into thought.

That was understandable since it was Grade 8.

As far as Serena knew, the highest difficulty labyrinth humanity had successfully conquered was Grade 7.

There had never been a record of successfully conquering a Grade 8 labyrinth in all of history.

“Then are we all going to die here?”

Lavenda turned pale. Her pleasant voice soothed the Mysterious Stranger.

“Don’t be too afraid. A rescue team will come before that happens.”

Prince Willow, who had been quietly listening to the group’s conversation, began to speak, starting by comforting Lavenda.

“Also, there’s no need to fear a Grade 8 labyrinth. It was kept secret as imperial classified information, but a few years ago, the Empire’s Grade 8 labyrinth was conquered.”

“Ah~ That! I thought it was just a rumor, but it was real? Yo!”

“Besides, the purpose of the people here isn’t to conquer the labyrinth but to escape. We only need to conquer the labyrinth until an escape magic circle or magical tool appears, so don’t worry. I, Willow Paine Astra, will lead you all to safely escape the labyrinth.”

Prince Willow wore a charming smile and seduced the crowd with his pleasant voice, making eye contact with each person using his mysterious blue-gray eyes.

Ralph and Lavenda’s expressions brightened at his protagonist-like behavior from a heroic tale.

Olive also whistled saying “Wow! Cool!” but her eyes weren’t smiling.

The Guide, noticing the Princess’s gaze, made sure to act with his eyes as well, pretending to smile perfectly.

“Our Prince Willow has even helped conquer the Messa Labyrinth!”

Grey squeezed between people and stirred up excitement.

‘That guy is the same age as me and went into the Messa Labyrinth? Isn’t that child abuse?’

Even if the country itself couldn’t exclude labyrinths, still. Putting a minor into a Grade 9 labyrinth? And helping with the conquest?

Serena re-examined Prince Willow’s achievements.

Except for saving Serena’s group, there was nothing that could be called an achievement.

‘He was incompetent though?’

There were many parts she wanted to criticize, but let’s endure it for now. If you endure three times, even murder can be forgiven.

Serena, who had been enduring like that, recalled another truth that enduring too much was also not good.

Prince Willow, who had been looking at the crowd, turned around and knelt on one knee in front of Serena.

When he asked for her hand and she gave it, he gently took the Princess’s hand.

“Of course, Your Highness Serena. I will also share in the trial that the Labyrinth God has given you. Please trust only me.”

Prince Willow pressed his forehead against the back of Serena’s hand.

“Oh my!”

Lavenda let out a scream filled with joy. She was about to faint from happiness seeing a real prince and princess recreating a scene she’d only seen in plays.

Ralph’s eyes also sparkled brightly.

If you endure three times, you can avoid murder, but if you exceed three times, you become a pushover.

Serena belatedly recalled the truth she had realized in her previous life and regretted it.

‘These humans are trying to take for free what I achieved while dying?’

The initiative, influence, and status within the labyrinth that Serena had achieved through deadly hardships (she actually died).

Prince Willow was aiming for the position of Serena’s spouse, subtly trying to steal everything Serena had achieved.

‘Wow, what should I do about this? Should I hit him once and regress?’

She should have saved as soon as she arrived at the lobby. She regretted delaying the save to comfort Philia.

‘I was careless. These Empire guys are quick-witted. They’d steal your nose while your eyes are open.’

For the party’s morale, she shouldn’t argue or respond here, but should just laugh it off.

Serena immediately added Prince Willow and Grey to her watch list.

Grey got an additional out, making it two outs. Prince Willow also got one out.

‘Three outs and you’re changed.’

If you endure three times you can avoid murder, so if you get three outs you might die. Wouldn’t that be right?

Of course, half of Serena was a common citizen who loved peace, forgiveness, and coexistence. Murder was a last resort.

‘It’s not like he has 1/100,000th of the character that Lucas has.’

How could she draw a line with Prince Willow and also humiliate him?

When conquering the labyrinth alone would be insufficient, why did she have to fight for dominance too?

‘I hate working and using my brain the most. Since you made me use my brain, you’ll have to pay the price, right?’

Serena devised an excellent plan to punish the arrogant Empire bastards, but.

She woke up to find Prince Willow dead, so she scrapped it.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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