Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 221

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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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221. There Are No Strange Magics in the World (2)

Grey, who had been sleeping well but was awakened by the Princess’s summons, rubbed his eyes as he emerged from the capsule.

In the past, he suffered from increasingly short sleep, but lately he suffered from too much sleep. Drowsiness was washing over him, and he couldn’t hold back a yawn even in front of Serena.

Countess Nex was more intact than Grey while simultaneously not intact at all. She originally had insomnia, but the changed environment and accumulated stress seemed to have worsened her symptoms.

Seeing the sickly woman’s sunken eye area and bloodshot whites, Serena thought she should give her a sleep mask.

“Yawn. What’s the matter, Your Highness? Did more undead appear? I didn’t sense anything.”

“Neet has learned a new magic.”

“What? Did she finally master fire magic?”

At those words, Grey’s eyes became bright and alert as if his sleepiness had vanished. Countess Nex’s eyes, which had been hazy due to dry eyes and sleep deprivation, also cleared up a bit.

“That’s not it. Actually.”

Serena informed her fellow incompetent adults of the truth.

“What did you say?”

Grey shouted so loudly that the lobby seemed to shake. The old man raised his voice and scolded the child.

“Why didn’t you tell us!”

“Cough. I’m, I’m sorry, young master.”

“Grey Ash. Isn’t it because you’re shouting like this that Neet was too scared to speak?”

Serena first blocked the mouth of the old man who seemed to have much to say.

“Since you only talked about fire magic and other 1st circle magic, she thought she was definitely doing something wrong if she learned magic you didn’t mention, so she hid it. She thought she was wrong and was scared.”

“No! The gracious Mystery granted her magic! There’s no way I, I would be angry that she learned other magic!”

“Neet didn’t know that.”

“Ugh.”

Grey brought his hand to the back of his neck and swallowed his anger.

In this world, magic was the exclusive domain of the wealthy and educated.

Even if Duke Pein of the Empire was self-made, the Duke’s starting line was fallen nobility.

It was extremely rare for a vagrant like Neet to have her magical talent recognized and be taught.

The very fact that a Grand Mage from fallen nobility was teaching magic to a vagrant was close to a miracle. Without the labyrinth, the two would never have even known of each other’s existence.

“I’m sorry, Neet. I almost ruined the talent that the Great Knowledge recognized due to my inadequacy.”

Grey, who seemed about to fall backward, regained his balance and apologized to Neet.

Countess Nex also clutched her solar plexus and regretted in a hunched posture.

“I’m sorry… When we brought up other attributes, I should have listened to your story in detail, but we only talked among ourselves and missed what was truly important.”

After confessing her wrongdoing to the Princess, she ended up receiving apologies from the brother and aunt who had been teaching her magic.

Neet couldn’t understand the current situation and just widened her eyes.

The same went for the people who woke up thanks to Grey’s shouting that shook the lobby.

One by one, they came out of their capsules to assess the situation. Even Philia rubbed her sleepy eyes and came out to take the seat next to Serena.

“What’s happening?”

Ralph, who had been on night watch and heard everything, kindly explained.

“Neet is amazing! The God of Magic personally decided what magic she should learn!”

“What!”

“How wonderful, Neet! You’ll become a Grand Mage!”

The Empire’s alchemist was shocked, and the Empire’s prince smiled proudly as he praised Neet.

“As expected, Lady Serena’s insight is remarkable!”

Countess Randy praised her master’s insight in recognizing the makings of a Grand Mage.

Though they had been sleeping well but were awakened, everyone was smiling happily at the good news, but Neet’s family – Hana, Duri, and Sesi – couldn’t smile.

It wasn’t that they didn’t smile at all. They did smile.

“I don’t know what it is, but did Neet learn new magic?”

“She kept being sad about not being able to learn magic, so it’s good if she learned something new. But is this really something to be this happy about?”

“Huh?”

Why were complete stranger adults happy and congratulating our sibling for learning magic?

“Wow, the bandaged kid wasn’t ordinary!”

Even the senior from the underworld industry was happy.

Serena personally spoke up for the Number Siblings, who like Neet lacked common knowledge.

“The God of Magic doesn’t recommend magic to just anyone. He only personally recommends it when there is definite talent in that attribute.”

“The Great Wisdom residing in heaven has taken notice of this small child living on earth. What greater honor could there be for a mage?”

Neet’s expression, who had been shrinking her small body in confusion, gradually relaxed.

Even with bandages on, it was obvious that Neet was smiling brightly.

“Cough. Did I hit the jackpot?”

“Not just any jackpot. You can be promised a position as the Empire’s court mage and enter as a Grand Mage’s disciple. I’ll guarantee it. I’ll stake Grandfather’s name on it too.”

Prince Willow tried to stamp the Empire’s seal on this valuable talent. Serena considered hitting the prince’s round back of the head but held back.

‘Right. These kids are Imperial citizens.’

The Number Siblings legally belonged to the Empire. Of course, nationality could be changed.

That alchemist rubbing her eyes next to Heuji Jeolmi also acquired Heuji nationality because of love.

‘If you put it that way, did we steal Imperial talent first? No. The Count has dual citizenship.’

Countess Nex, perhaps not wanting to lose valuable talent to the Empire, stepped forward before Serena.

“Im, Imperial court mages have to do many dangerous things. Heuji is peaceful, so there’s less work and it’s easier. There’s lots of time for personal research. Come to Heuji. I’ll be your guardian.”

Setting aside that Heuji City had been consumed by the labyrinth, the fact that the gaunt and sickly Countess Nex was saying this made it less convincing.

Grey snorted.

“If you’ve learned magic, you should play in big waters. Neet. The Empire is the answer. Look at Aunt. If she had been from the Empire, she would have been praised as the continent’s greatest beauty, but being born in Heuji, she’s only called Heuji’s greatest beauty. A Grand Mage of Heuji and a Grand Mage of the Empire are on different levels. Which one will people think is stronger in the future? Obviously the Empire’s Grand Mage.”

Even if people knew the truth in their time, when it became history, the truth would be buried and only words would remain. Grey’s words weren’t wrong.

If there were Heuji’s greatest beauty and the Empire’s greatest beauty, it was human psychology to think the latter would be prettier.

“If Neet comes to Heuji, I will guarantee the position of Heuji’s court mage. I will swear by the Minotaur God.”

Serena mentioned a god to shut Grey’s mouth, then brought up the real main topic.

“But Neet. What magic did you receive from the God of Magic?”

What attribute was Neet specialized in that the God of Magic prevented her from learning even simple magic like fire?

Neet fidgeted with her bandaged fingers while reading the faces of the adults, especially Grey and Serena.

“Cough. Is it really okay? Even if it’s strange magic? Cough cough.”

“Neet. Among the wisdom that the merciful Mystery has granted us, there is nothing strange or useless. That’s what Grandfather said.”

According to the Empire’s Grand Mage, there are no strange magics in the world.

Encouraged by Grey’s assurance, Neet opened her mouth.

“Magic to communicate with the dead. Cough.”

“You can talk to lions? Is it possible with tigers too?”

Lions were Ralph’s favorite beasts, and tigers came next. As Ralph imagined playing with bears, lions, and tigers, Neet shook her head.

“No. Not that kind of lion, cough.”

The child’s gaze moved to the tomb area in one corner of the lobby.

“Magic to talk with dead people. Cough cough.”

Communication with the dead.

Not only the Reincarnated One, but the Empire’s Grand Mage and genius alchemist. A royal court mage of a nation, an educated prince, and even labyrinth adventurers who had experienced all sorts of mysterious things in the labyrinth.

Everyone was shocked and amazed by the unexpected magic.

Serena failed at managing her expression. It was okay to fail. Grey had also failed and was gaping with his mouth wide open. Countess Nex was also too surprised to close her mouth.

“Neet, you.”

“Were you a necromancer?”

“No wonder… You’re worthy of the Great Wisdom’s attention.”

The mages were too shocked to close their mouths, while those with shallow magical knowledge felt repulsion.

Necromancer. A mage who turns corpses into undead to command them.

Just as the perception of undead was bad, the perception of necromancers who commanded undead was the worst. Wandering beggars would be more welcome.

“If she’s a necromancer, isn’t that a bad mage? Neet is good! That can’t be!”

“That’s right! Neet is kind, so she’s not that kind of bad mage!”

“Yeah!”

The Number Siblings embraced their precious youngest and surrounded her protectively.

“Ahem.”

Grey cleared his throat to draw attention. For Neet’s sake, he needed to quickly correct the misinformation.

“Let me make this clear first. The necromancers you’re thinking of are different from real necromancers. The death attribute magic that Neet learned is magic created by the God of Magic after seeking permission from the God of Death. It’s the complete opposite of the crude sorcery and dark arts that deny or flee from death.”

In this world where the God of Death actually exists, there are various reasons why undead occur.

First is when they avoid death’s touch due to resentment. Corpses involved in battlefields, plagues, or crimes easily become undead. That’s why murderers in this world commonly dismember or burn bodies after killing.

Second, they can become undead due to strange funeral rites, odd burial locations, or displeasure with the burial site.

When the deceased had desired funeral procedures that weren’t followed. Or as mentioned above, when many corpses were buried together in one place due to plague. Or when someone died in an accident but no one recovered the body, they could also become undead.

Up to this point, these are naturally occurring undead, so they’re easy to handle unless it’s a large-scale undead outbreak. People gather their strength to drive them into pits, then set them on fire to eliminate them.

Artificially created undead fall into two main categories.

Either an evil sorcerer uses dark arts to hide from death’s eyes, or they petition death honorably to postpone the collection of souls.

‘Complete opposites.’

So in this world, evil undead and holy undead coexisted.

This was because respected priests or heroes sometimes asked death or other gods to postpone their death in order to complete their given missions.

Of course, death cannot be postponed forever. Even holy and good undead gradually lose their mental strength and become corrupted, unintentionally becoming evil undead.

Generally, the undead that ordinary people encounter are mostly naturally occurring ones that hate the living, or undead controlled by evil villains through dark arts.

Naturally, the perception of undead and the sorcerers who control them wasn’t just rock bottom—it was as low as a hole dug for a grave.

“Somehow those vile villains came to be called necromancers. But originally, true necromancers were mages who learned death attribute magic from the God of Magic.”

“Why did it turn out that way?”

Grey frowned.

“Talented mages with death attributes are rare. Evil sorcerers are abundant, but real necromancers appear maybe once every hundred years, so anyone who controls undead came to be unconditionally called a necromancer.”

Only then did people’s expressions brighten. The Number Siblings, who had been tightly protecting their youngest, lowered their guard while still looking puzzled.

Count Randy supported Grey’s explanation.

“Don’t think too badly of it, everyone. Stories of loyal undead and grateful undead are told in every region.”

The loyal undead. A child went over the mountain to fetch a doctor from the hospital for his sick sibling, but slipped on a slope and died.

The dead child continued moving for his sibling’s sake, reached the hospital, guided the doctor home, then collapsed.

Moved by the child’s devotion to his sibling even in death, the villagers held a thanksgiving ceremony for death, who had granted the child a brief reprieve, and held a grand funeral for the child.

It’s a sad and beautiful tale widely spread across the entire continent.

Many picture books were made of it, but the trend of depicting the undead child running through the night path in a scary way also made it the culprit behind many children losing sleep.

‘Seraph couldn’t sleep alone for a while because he was scared too.’

Serena coldly refused when her sibling asked to sleep together, then heard complaints about how she might as well die and become undead.

Anyway, most undead hate and attack the living, but occasionally there are exceptions.

People seemed to realize this point and calmed down. Instead, objection came from one mouth.

“How can undead be loyal? That makes no sense.”

It was a very famous tale, but the Number Siblings seemed to be hearing it for the first time.

“Lord Willow will tell the story of the loyal undead in an entertaining way.”

“Me?”

Grey ignored the Prince’s question.

“The talent is certain. The problem is.”

Grey tapped his shoulder with his staff and furrowed his brow.

“People with talent for death attributes are so rare that even Grandfather never met one. No theoretical texts remain, so I don’t know the theory either. This means there’s no one to teach Neet.”

“It’s magic but you don’t know it either?”

Count Randy was shocked when Grey admitted his ignorance.

“If it’s just theory, I know a little.”

Viscount Nex, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, carefully spoke up.

“My master once taught me theory, saying that since I was sickly, I might have talent for death attributes. It was long ago, but I clearly remember up to the 3rd tier.”

“What does it mean that being sickly indicates talent?”

Viscount Nex rubbed her solar plexus and looked at the Princess, who had once been her student.

“There’s a folk belief that those close to death learn death attribute magic more easily. I thought it was just superstition, but seeing Neet, it seems to be true. Being sick like me wasn’t enough.”

Neet lost her mother as soon as she was born and had been close to death throughout her short life.

That such a Neet had talent for death attribute magic was, in a way, natural.

Viscount Nex asked Serena’s permission and called Neet forward. Neet came out from her siblings’ embrace and stood before the middle-aged lady who looked talented in death attribute magic.

“Conversation with the dead. The basic 1st tier death attribute magic. Have you learned and used it before?”

At Viscount Nex’s question, Neet nodded slightly. Viscount Nex’s face darkened.

“Have you also conversed with spirits?”

“Cough. Yes.”

Viscount Nex’s face grew even darker. Though alive, she looked like a corpse.

“There must have been spirits nearby. Which dead person responded to you?”

Neet fidgeted with her bandaged fingers.

“Cough. Grandmother Krom.”

Following Neet’s necromancer declaration, this was a shocking statement that made the Heuji’s Labyrinth starting members doubt their ears.

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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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