Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 235

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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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235. Winter Mountain Climbing (2)

A log cabin discovered on the snow-covered mountain. It seemed like it would be full of romance, but the interior was empty.

There was no furniture at all, only a large hearth sitting alone in the center.

Still, it was somewhere they could escape the pouring snow and cold wind.

Every time the wind blew strongly, creaking sounds came from the walls, making them anxious, but it was still better than outside.

Low lit a lantern to brighten the cabin and looked into the hearth. Fortunately, there was charcoal, so when he lit it, the cabin became warm.

“Everyone take off your shoes and socks.”

Since Serena was lying on the floor unable to move at all, Ying took off the Princess’s shoes and socks. Ying dragged the Princess around to change her collapsed position so her bare feet could dry by the hearth.

Count Alpha saw this and did the same for Count Randy.

“I’ll go set traps around the cabin. Duri, follow me too.”

“Woong.”

The bear-sized figure went outside the cabin. Meanwhile, Ying prepared a meal. Since they had eaten dry rations on the move for lunch, they needed to eat something warm for dinner at least.

The Archer laid an iron grate over the hearth and placed a pot on top of it. When the water boiled, he poured in the dry rations.

By the time the rock-hard dry rations had swollen enough in the hot water to become mushy enough to swallow without chewing, the two who had become a snowman and snow bear returned.

“There’s a blizzard blowing. We’re lucky we got into the cabin before it was too late.”

Low shuddered and said to Duri, who had become a white bear.

“Duri, shake off the snow and transform into human form before coming in.”

“Woong!”

The Black Bear, who had been showing off his premium fur with an expression that said he didn’t know what cold was, transformed into human form. The boy wearing bear skin rubbed his face, disliking the cold air touching his cheeks, as he entered the cabin.

“Woooong.”

Duri rubbed his stomach, apparently hungry. Bears become fierce when starved.

Count Alpha, who had regained his strength while resting, received the firewood Low had brought.

“Is there nothing for me to do?”

“The floor is cold, so please take out blankets and move the Princess and Count.”

Count Alpha took out blankets, spread them on the floor, and spoke before moving the Princess and Count.

“Excuse me.”

The Princess and Count gave no response. They weren’t corpses, but were in a state just before death.

The collapsed Serena and Count Randy regained consciousness after hot, salty broth entered their mouths.

Serena was enjoying the warm broth when she suddenly came to her senses.

‘What was I doing just now?’

When she opened her eyes, it was quite a sight. Serena was being held in Ying’s arms like a baby, being fed meat broth. Whether it was her imagination or not, Ying’s deep, dark eyes seemed to be saying:

‘That’s right, good girl.’

Rather than pulling her weight, she was being attended to by a party member. This was absolutely unacceptable.

“Now that I’m awake, I’ll eat myself.”

Her voice was low and her throat was scratchy. When Serena frowned, Ying obediently moved aside.

Serena succeeded in sitting up on her own by putting strength into her waist and stomach, but when she picked up a spoon to eat the porridge, she despaired at seeing her trembling hands.

‘Why are you shaking! My feet moved, my hands were still, so why are you shaking!’

She could understand her legs trembling and not being able to move. She had suffered climbing the mountain.

But why were her arms and hands, which had done nothing but hold a staff and Count Alpha’s neck, shaking?

As the Princess glared as if she would scold her own hands at any moment, Count Alpha, who had been feeding porridge to the Count, spoke in a serious voice.

“Your Highness the Grand Princess. Mountain climbing is a full-body exercise, so it’s natural for weak muscle areas to tremble. If you overdo it now, tomorrow will be even harder, so you should rest comfortably.”

None other than the Knight who had carried Serena up the mountain was saying this. Serena didn’t insist further and obediently leaned against Ying to receive the hot broth and porridge.

She had no appetite because she was so exhausted, but she forced herself to eat.

“Temperature control magical tools consume the body’s nutrients. Everyone eat heartily.”

The others were eating well on their own. This was an order Serena was giving to herself.

Count Randy, held in Count Alpha’s arms, seemed to have no appetite, but after hearing the Princess’s words, he chewed the porridge with an expression like he was chewing stones.

After the meal that was like torture for the two with weak stamina ended, Low cleared the floor to light a campfire next to the hearth.

“Why are you doing that? Isn’t the hearth enough?”

“There isn’t enough charcoal to use only the hearth.”

“I can raise the internal temperature for a certain period with magic.”

When Serena spoke in a half-dead voice, Count Randy replied in an equally half-dead voice.

“No, Lady Serena. I will trade for charcoal.”

Count Randy took out a brilliantly shining golden scale from his bag.

Charcoal is originally made by baking wood in a kiln. He placed the wood Low had brought along with money and magic stones on one side of the golden plate and requested a trade from the Golden Deity, and the deity bestowed charcoal on the other plate.

In fact, excluding the cost of magic stones, the money placed on the plate could have purchased ten times the charcoal received in the trade, but what could be done? Originally, prices are expensive in the mountains.

Seeing the charcoal purchased at an inflated price, Low’s grim face brightened completely. He rubbed his palms together obsequiously and smacked his lips.

“Oh my. Oh my, oh my. Teleportation rooms and even alchemy. Thanks to you nobles, I’m enjoying such luxury in the Labyrinth. Right, hehe…”

Low was about to speak to someone beside him with the same smiling face, but seeing the empty seat next to him, he scrunched his expression.

It seemed he was thinking of his other half, separated due to the mountain environment.

The Mysterious Stranger seemed to feel strange as he took off his fur hat and wiped his bald head with a towel.

“Let’s sleep for today. The watch order is.”

“Low. Me. Duri. Count Alpha.”

Ying assigned the two to the best shifts for the hunter who had suffered finding the path through snow and the Imperial Knight who had suffered carrying the Princess up the mountain.

Because it was a perfect arrangement, the Party was satisfied. Serena also smiled with satisfaction.

‘If Low directly assigned himself to a comfortable shift, it could cause controversy. Thanks to Ying stepping forward, Low doesn’t have to worry about others.’

Indeed, Low’s face, which had been dark, brightened again, apparently pleased with Ying’s consideration.

“Now, now. We didn’t need to tend the fire in the Lobby. But here we really must keep the fire from going out. And there’s something more important.”

Low pointed to the windows and door in the log cabin.

“At regular intervals, you must! Absolutely! Open the doors and windows for ventilation! If you don’t follow this, you’ll die! Especially Duri!”

“Woong?”

“I trust the bear’s survival instincts. Ventilate when you think it’s time. Open the door when you feel sleepy.”

“Woong!”

Duri beat his chest with sparkling black eyes as if to say to trust only him.

Ying laid out blankets and two sleeping bags in the best spot in the cabin. It was the place for Serena and Count Randy.

As Serena was somehow trying to crawl into the sleeping bag, Count Randy, who was similarly crawling on all fours, rummaged through his bag.

“Ah, right! Everyone drink this before sleeping!”

The Alchemist handed a medicine bottle to Serena first. Inside the transparent glass bottle, turbid liquid with floating impurities bubbled. Just from the color, it looked like water scooped from the 6th Layer Sewers.

“Ahem. What is this, Count?”

“It’s muscle pain medicine!”

The Alchemist had once vowed to develop muscle pain medicine after seeing his lord suffering from muscle pain.

Back then he had attached the condition “when we go to the Labyrinth,” but it seemed he had been researching it bit by bit. It was worth buying him the Workshop.

“Don’t herbs and alchemy materials often come out of the vending machine? Since recovery potion research is sufficient, I was developing other medicines and made this incidentally. However.”

The Alchemist clicked his tongue as if regretful.

“While achieving muscle pain relief and fatigue recovery effects, the taste is…”

An explanation was added that while the desired effects were achieved, the taste was terrible, making it an incomplete product.

Just from looking at the appearance, one could tell the muscle pain medicine’s taste would be extraordinary. Serena steeled her mind and praised the Count.

“Good medicine is originally bitter to the mouth. If I can escape muscle pain, I will gladly take the medicine.”

Instead of Serena, who had no strength in her hands, Ying opened the medicine bottle cap.

Then an unexpected stench arose in the cabin that had smelled of charcoal and wood dust. Fortunately, it wasn’t a disgusting type of stench, but an intensely bitter smell.

“Krung.”

Duri, who smelled the unpleasant odor, wrinkled his face in disgust. Serena tremblingly (absolutely not because she didn’t want to drink it) brought the bottle to her mouth and tilted it.

The medicine touched her tongue. Serena was startled and stopped breathing.

‘It’s bitter!’

This wasn’t the level of good medicine being bitter to the mouth. It was so bitter that she thought the Alchemist’s neck should be cut if this was bad for the body despite being so bitter.

Even holding her breath, the viciously bitter taste invaded her tongue and mouth. Serena took all the medicine with tears hanging at the corners of her eyes.

“Puha.”

When she exhaled the breath she had been holding, the bitter taste remaining in her mouth struck the Princess’s brain. Her brain, shocked by the irresistible taste, sent strange commands throughout her body, making her body twitch involuntarily.

“Give me water.”

Serena urgently requested water, then realized the strange change occurring in her body and opened her one eye wide.

The hand that had been trembling so badly it could barely hold a spoon was now perfectly fine. When she slowly clenched and unclenched her fingers, she could feel strength returning to her hand, and her stiff feet began to move smoothly.

“Ooh!”

“As expected of Count Landriole, the rising star of the Empire.”

The Princess made an amazed expression and took small steps, succeeding in bipedal walking though slightly unsteady. The party members who saw this all exclaimed in admiration.

“I just need to improve the taste, but it’s not easy.”

The Alchemist muttered sadly, then squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed the medicine. As if he couldn’t die alone, the Alchemist handed muscle pain medicine to the other party members.

“Ugh. It also has fatigue recovery effects. Everyone take one bottle before sleeping tonight.”

How bitter could medicine really be? With exactly that expression, Low dropped one drop of medicine on his tongue, then his face went blank and he rubbed his hands together frantically.

“Hehehe, I’m used to it so I’m fine. Such precious medicine should be taken by distinguished people. Yes. That’s right. Our Sir Knight worked hard today, so please take one bottle.”

Count Alpha, who caught the scent next to Low, also added a word.

“Muscle fatigue leads to muscle growth. I’ll gladly bear it for training purposes.”

“Grrrowl.”

Duri bared her fangs and growled, then heard Low’s whistling sound.

“Hmm.”

Ying shrugged her shoulders and drank the medicine in one gulp. Even the expressionless Archer couldn’t stand the bitter taste, frowning and quickly chewing jerky.

“The mountain path will become more treacherous, so there’s no need to refuse good medicine. Count Randy. How many bottles of medicine remain?”

“Twenty bottles remain.”

“You all take it just this once. The rest will be continuously taken by the Count and myself.”

At the Princess’s insistence, not wanting to take the unpleasant medicine alone, the two big men and the bear boy took the truly beneficial medicine.

The three desperately felt the medicine’s effects and ate spoonfuls of honey.

***

Serena’s eyes snapped open. She had fallen asleep like fainting without even dreaming, but something cold touched her cheek and she woke up in surprise.

“Sorry.”

The Archer briefly apologized. He had opened the window for ventilation and some snow had come in, with one large snowflake happening to fall on the Princess’s cheek.

“It’s fine. Cough cough. Ahem.”

Thanks to the muscle pain medicine, she wasn’t tired, but her throat was completely blocked and scratchy, making it hard to speak. Ying mixed honey in hot water and handed it to her.

Serena slowly crawled out of her sleeping bag, sat up properly, and sipped the honey water. The other people were sleeping soundly.

Serena looked into the Archer’s eyes, dark and deep like the mountain’s darkness, and realized. This was one of the few good opportunities. Right now, it seemed like the Archer would answer the Princess’s questions.

‘Everyone’s sleeping, but there are still listening ears, so I can’t ask about dangerous things. Something I can ask about would be heretics?’

“Ying. Ahem. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve been satisfied just knowing that great beings reside in the Heavens. Ahem. Without taking interest, so my theological knowledge is lacking. Could you tell me what you know about heretics?”

The faithful servant of the Deity of Darkness, who had been poking at charcoal with a tree branch, looked away from the brazier at the Princess. Then he turned his gaze back to look at the brazier.

Just as she was disappointed thinking today wasn’t the day, Ying’s elegant lips opened.

“Not all children of deities become deities.”

This was a story Serena knew too. This world had countless deities, so there were tremendously many people who had deities as ancestors.

Without going far, Serena’s family, House Huaim, also had divine blood flowing through them, and Serena’s orange eyes were a symbol of divine blood.

If all children of deities became deities, not only the Heavens but also the earth would overflow with deities. Serena quietly waited for additional information.

“However, children born from the union of deity and deity sometimes become deities immediately upon birth.”

Serena understood this too. The deities of this world seemed to have a trend of having children, as their genealogies were incredibly tangled.

‘The Minotaur God was said to be a child of time and space.’

Taking Ying’s words literally, the Minotaur God, presumed to be Serena’s ancestor, was also a collaboration between two deities.

“Most children reside on earth. However, occasionally, noble children gain the qualification for ascension. There are two ways for ascension candidates to rise to the Heavens.”

Ying extended the index finger of her unbandaged side.

“One is to create a new place in the Heavens to reside. The other is.”

Ying extended the index finger of her bandaged side.

“To drive out a resident of the Heavens and take their vacant place.”

At the more terrifying content than expected, Serena made a serious expression. The content itself wasn’t difficult.

“Those who choose the latter, the ascension candidates and their follower groups, are classified as heretics.”

‘If they’ve decided to ascend to heaven while living on earth, they must have the power to do so. Naturally, followers would gather too.’

The deities of the Heavens were too distant, but ascension candidates were close. The conditions for heretics to build power were sufficient.

“A thousand years ago, the Holy Mu Empire fell, and all sects on the continent banned information related to ascension. Even a princess could be assassinated, so be careful.”

Ying drank water, perhaps because his throat hurt from talking too much. Since Serena had also finished her honey water, she returned to her sleeping bag and lay down.

‘In the end, it was a story unrelated to the Labyrinth.’

Moreover, it was information that could endanger her life if she knew it. Feeling like she’d learned something to her detriment, Serena clicked her tongue inwardly.

Tired from lying down, Serena didn’t know.

The fact that the Count lying right next to her had his eyes wide open and was listening to the entire conversation.

The head of the genius Alchemist that the Empire boasted of and the continent envied quickly combined the given information to produce various results.

‘Noble child. Could that mean the same as one who inherited noble bloodline? And the qualification for ascension?’

Count Randy’s heart beat faster than when climbing mountains.

‘Lady Serena has the qualification to become a deity? Why does the Minotaur God give special treatment to ascension candidates? Does he favor those who inherited noble bloodlines?’

As a servant who faithfully serves gold, it was a subject too frightening to dare imagine. Even knowing this, Count Randy couldn’t stop his expanding thoughts.

In the end, Count Randy, who stayed up all night with his eyes open, had to drink one more bottle of muscle pain medicine.

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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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