Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 203

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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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203. Origin of the Scroll

The Princess’s hands trembled.

Seeing this, the Guide took Serena’s right hand and massaged it.

Feeling it would be unfair to only massage the right hand, she signaled to Ying to massage the left hand as well.

If the Mysterious Stranger knew the locations of acupoints, blood vessels, muscles, and tendons in the human body, so did Olive and Ying.

The former for massage purposes and the latter to identify vital points, but either way, the hand massage they provided was very refreshing.

Serena nodded lightly to express her gratitude and answered Count Randy.

-I cast the spell with writing instead of speech.

-This is the first time I’ve heard such a story. I never heard of it even when learning magic from my Master.

-Is such a thing possible? It’s not even a scroll?

‘How do I explain this?’

It would be quick to explain verbally, but writing it out would take a long time and hurt her hands.

Serena eventually postponed the explanation. Finding the stairs to escape the labyrinth and reach the next floor was more urgent than satisfying curiosity.

-I’ll explain later.

-Princess, can you use magic now?

Serena reflected on the sensation of her recent success and asked herself.

Possible?

Yes! Possible!

-1st tier and Ice Arrow should be possible. However, Ice Arrow takes some time. And I need paper from labyrinth books.

Count Randy took out golden scales and materials from his subspace bag and traded them for a writing board.

The Alchemist fixed labyrinth book paper to the completed board and presented it to the Princess.

-This should make writing more convenient for you.

-Thank you.

-Do you perhaps need a golden pen as well?

She had an intuition that using a pen made of gold or silver with ink made of gold would make magic casting more effective.

However, Serena shook her head.

The 8th Layer was manageable with their current strength. There was no need to cast magic while using gold.

With Serena now able to chant spells with writing instead of speech, the party’s labyrinth exploration became much easier.

When Tooth Books blocked their path, they simply had to fix the chains with Ice Arrow magic.

Labyrinth books and labyrinth rats were no match for the party to begin with.

The occasional labyrinth traps were quickly detected and either dismantled or avoided by the Guide.

As a result of consistently choosing directions with boring books at crossroads.

Heuji’s Labyrinth 1st Group attack team discovered the stairs leading to the next floor.

[You have discovered stairs leading to the next floor. 1 shop coin has been awarded.]

Next to the stairs leading to the 29th Floor, sofas, armchairs, and a wall-less fireplace were arranged just like on the 26th Floor.

‘Is this a lounge?’

Anyone could see it was a space with the same purpose as the lounge on the 26th Floor, but one must never let their guard down in a labyrinth.

Olive went first to examine the furniture and gestured to call the group over.

“Oh my~ I thought I was going to suffocate to death~”

The Guide complained about the agony of being unable to speak, saying she thought she would die from suffocation. Since chatting was possible in the lounge, the Librarian didn’t appear.

“Uaauaaaauaa.”

Ralph must have been quite frustrated too, as he stretched extensively while making strange groaning sounds.

Count Alpha caught his breath while quenching the thirst he had been enduring.

Ying, who originally loved silence, wasn’t particularly frustrated and stood guard while the other party members relaxed.

Serena also sat on the soft sofa and sighed, when Count Randy approached.

“How did you do it?”

“Right. I’m curious too. You didn’t make a scroll on the spot.”

“I don’t know what it was, but I can tell the Princess did something amazing!”

“I’m also, a little curious.”

“As I explained earlier, I chanted with writing instead of speech.”

“I ask again, but I’ve never heard from my Master that such a method was possible. If it’s alright with you, please provide a detailed explanation. I’ll listen carefully.”

Serena repeated the explanation that a sickly royal mage had given her long ago, when she was suffering from protagonist syndrome, while coughing due to esophagitis.

“Does anyone know the origin of magic scrolls?”

Everyone shook their heads with blank expressions. Since Count Randy also shook his head, Serena was quite surprised.

“If you had known, the explanation would have been shorter. What a pity. Then I’ll explain from there.”

Magic scrolls. Useful magical tools that contain magic on paper, allowing anyone to use magic by tearing the paper or reciting an incantation.

They have the problem of being expensive and rare for single-use items, but they’re so useful that they’re worth whatever price is asked.

Up to this point, there wasn’t much difference from the magic scrolls Serena had encountered in various media in her previous life.

However, the magic scrolls of this world had one thing that distinguished them from the scrolls Serena knew in her previous life.

That was the origin of magic scrolls.

“Long ago, very long ago. This is a story from before Heuji was founded. Somewhere on the continent lived a Mute Mage.”

Spell chanting is necessary to cast magic.

The combination of mute and mage seemed like mismatched puzzle pieces, causing everyone to stir slightly.

Still, since no one asked how a mute mage was possible, Serena smoothly continued her explanation.

“That Mute Mage was said to be sensitive to mana and excellent at mana manipulation. He was also highly intelligent, overcoming his physical disability to rise to the position of administrator. However, he was a mage who couldn’t use magic. Because he was born unable to speak and couldn’t chant spells.”

How did such a person come to be called a mage? Curiosity and questions appeared in the party’s eyes.

“In the mental world where he communed with the God of Magic’s thoughts, he could freely use magic without being constrained by physical disabilities. Since physical disabilities don’t restrict mages in the mental world. But no matter how much magic he learned or how high-tier spells he mastered, he couldn’t cast even a single 1st tier basic magic in reality. Because he couldn’t speak.”

“Oh my.”

The Young Knight sighed as if truly feeling sorry.

“Even when he organized magical theories with his brilliant mind and gained recognition from other mages, he was ultimately only recognized theoretically and not acknowledged as a proper mage. Mockery followed, calling him a deficient mage or the Mute Mage.”

“What truly mean-spirited people!”

“Then one day. While diligently writing a letter to send to a friend, the Mute Mage thought. If he could convey his thoughts through writing instead of speech, there was no reason he couldn’t chant spells through writing instead of speech.”

Count Randy nodded enthusiastically.

“Sometimes writing can be better than speech. It can be preserved long-term and conveyed to people far away.”

“From then on, the Mute Mage began research on chanting spells through writing instead of speech. All his fellow mages criticized it as impossible and foolish, and some even accused him of blasphemy against the God of Magic. But the God of Magic is said to have encouraged the Mute Mage to research freely. Gaining courage from the god’s support, the Mute Mage didn’t give up and continued his research, finally.”

“Finally? What happened?”

“The result is obvious. He succeeded, which is why the Princess could follow his method.”

“Hey! Olive! Don’t spoil it!”

“Even knowing the ending, it’s still interesting, so Princess, quickly.”

“Olive is right. The Mute Mage succeeded in casting magic by chanting spells through writing instead of speech.”

Clap clap clap clap.

Ralph and Count Randy applauded the desirable plot where hard work is rewarded.

Count Alpha also seemed pleased with the story’s ending, closing his eyes and nodding solemnly.

“So the Princess followed that method?”

“Listen to the rest. The Mute Mage continued his research and expanded its scope, inventing a magical tool that could contain magic on paper and allow non-mages to use magic if they had the paper.”

“Don’t tell me that’s the origin of magic scrolls?”

Count Randy was startled.

“That’s right. This is the origin of magic scrolls as passed down in our Heuji.”

Just as the party members liked the story’s ending, Serena also liked this story. That’s why she remembered it well.

“The tradition must have been lost in the Empire.”

“I know how to make scrolls, but this is the first time I’ve heard of their origin. Truly befitting the Millennium Kingdom Heuji. To think that traditions from so long ago are still passed down… Amazing!”

“Wow. The Millennium Kingdom where history and tradition are alive!”

“As expected of the Kingdom of Heuji. Many records that have been lost in the Empire and other nations remain here.”

The party members competed to praise Heuji for preserving ancient records and traditions well.

‘But the capital was devoured by the labyrinth. What happened to the ancient books?’

Serena remembered when she first died and escaped the labyrinth as a soul, witnessing the devastated Heuji City and the giant tower built above it, the labyrinth.

Were the ancient treasures that Heuji City had preserved really still intact?

Thinking about it made her feel uneasy. The more praise she heard, the more uncomfortable she became.

‘Wait a minute. The 8th Layer aside, we’ve been going down continuously, but I saw a tower soaring into the sky. What’s going on?’

Could it be a meaningless spatial distortion as labyrinths always have?

As Serena wondered, Count Randy called to her.

“Lady Serena. Would it be alright to tell my master about this story? He would be absolutely delighted.”

“Listen to Countess Nex for the details. I also heard this story when I was learning magic from the Countess.”

“The Countess is the Princess’s magic tutor, right? To possess both wisdom and courage! How wonderful!”

“Countess Nex’s specialties are scroll creation and magic circle maintenance. I heard this story with interest during a magic history lesson. When I needed to find a way to use magic without making sound, I naturally remembered the old story I had heard.”

I thought there was no harm in trying, so I attempted it. Fortunately, I succeeded.

For now, even Serena was proud of herself. She was overflowing with willingness to listen favorably if flattered at this moment.

“There aren’t any proper mages in the labyrinth industry, but writing magic is really the first time I’ve seen it. Yo. Princess, you’re a genius!”

“Indeed, it’s said to have been abandoned because it was less efficient than speaking. Instead, it’s fortunate that scrolls became widespread.”

“Have you ever tried it when learning magic?”

“No. This is my first time. Countess Nex has demonstrated it before though.”

Count Randy’s eyes filled with shock, then he praised the Princess with a trembling voice.

“Lady Serena! You’re amazing! To succeed so easily on your first attempt! Your talent is astonishing. It’s dazzling!”

Though the Princess usually didn’t enjoy flattery, there were times when she occasionally wanted it. Count Randy recalled his wife’s words that he must not miss such moments and flattered earnestly.

“Don’t praise me too much. If you fly too high, it hurts when you fall.”

Serena stopped Count Randy’s flattery, but didn’t lower the corners of her mouth that had risen slightly.

“To find wisdom to overcome current difficulties from old stories! You’re like the protagonist of an adventure tale!”

“Count Ralph, you stop too. I don’t want to be a protagonist. If anything, I’d rather be a princess who gives rewards to protagonists who have finished their adventures.”

What’s important here is a princess who ‘gives’ rewards, not one who ‘receives’ them. This is important, so I emphasize it.

“Your Highness’s talent is truly remarkable. In the Empire, there’s a joke about calling young people with overflowing magical talent candidates to be Duke Pein’s disciples. But Your Highness seems like you’d become not just a candidate, but the top disciple.”

It was flattery, but she didn’t like the content. Serena’s raised corners of her mouth slightly lowered.

“The Countess is a magic scroll expert? Then from now on, will the Countess make magic scrolls for us? Yo?”

“Well. The materials and environment are insufficient, so I’m not sure about that. I’ll ask the Countess when we return to the lobby.”

“Even simple magic scrolls would be reeeally convenient! Princess, you must ask. Yo. Pro! mise!”

“Yes, I promise.”

Serena moistened her dry mouth with water and pointed to the stairs leading upward.

“To do that, we need to safely explore the remaining floors and return to the lobby. Let’s get moving.”

Assault Team 1 of Heuji’s Labyrinth headed toward the 29th Floor of the 8th Layer of Heuji’s Labyrinth.

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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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