Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 236

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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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236. Mountain Climbing

Perhaps it was thanks to drinking the honey water. Serena woke up briefly in the middle of the night, but she rose feeling refreshed.

“Mmph.”

The Princess stretched languidly. Normally, her whole body should have been aching just from breathing, but thanks to the muscle pain medicine, she only felt a slight soreness.

‘The medicine really works well.’

The fatigue recovery effect must have been considerable too, as despite climbing the snow-covered mountain yesterday, her mind was as clear as if she had slept soundly and woken up refreshed.

The Genius Alchemist had once again lived up to his reputation. Serena smiled brightly and was about to praise the Count’s achievement when she was startled.

“Count. What’s wrong with your face? You look terribly tired.”

The alchemist’s face looked extremely haggard. He looked like someone who had stayed up all night.

“Oh, oh, it’s nothing. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I had a sleepless night.”

Since Serena had also woken up during the night yesterday, she could relate to his situation.

“Oh my. You should have at least drunk some warm water.”

“W-well, I’m used to staying up all night anyway, so my body has adapted and I just stayed awake. Haha. It’s nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious, my foot. How can you go mountain climbing when you’re that tired?”

“Rather than moving around carelessly, it would be better to stay at the lodge. Shall we rest for one more day?”

“No! I’m fine! I can just take more medicine!”

Count Randy declared he couldn’t be an obstacle to the expedition and pulled muscle pain medicine from his bag, downing it in one gulp.

“The summit is waiting for us!”

‘Something’s a bit strange.’

Serena looked at the Count with suspicious eyes, but soon dismissed her doubts. It was possible because it was Count Randy, not someone else.

Whether Count Randy knew he had earned the trust of the suspicious and wary Princess or not, he hurriedly opened the lodge door and was struck speechless.

Due to the blizzard that had struck during the night, snow had piled up to knee height.

Today would be an even more treacherous mountain climb than yesterday.

The party steeled their hearts and stepped into the snow.

***

Meanwhile, in the lobby, Heuji Jeolmi was looking at the vending machine and sighing repeatedly.

“It was nice being able to know whenever they cleared a floor.”

When his beloved master went to conquer the labyrinth, how delightful it had been when the product change button on the vending machine lit up before even a day had passed.

The 10th floor couldn’t provide such joy. Philia glared at the vending machine resentfully. Others might say it was just one day, but for Philia, each day separated from her master was like hell.

“We’ll be going now.”

Since both Duri and Low were absent, the second expedition team was taking a break. However, since resting would dull their senses, Grey had ordered them to go to the pond on the 2nd floor to catch some minnows.

“Be careful. If it’s dangerous, run away immediately.”

“Miss Lavenda is right. I’m worried about sending just you girls.”

“It’s okay because we have Clucky!”

Sesi’s blue eyes sparkled as she petted the Labyrinth Chicken. This Labyrinth Chicken was scheduled to be slaughtered the moment a dealer joined the second team.

The Prince, who couldn’t leave the lobby due to the curse, saw the Odd Sisters off to the door, while Lavenda went as far as the stairs to bid them farewell.

“Did you have a conversation with the deceased today as well?”

“Cough. Yes. Today I heard stories about their hometown.”

Countess Nex and Neet were in the middle of magic lessons. Grey was meditating and practicing magic on the magic circle he had obtained by pressuring Countess Nex.

After seeing off the Odd Sisters, Lavenda moved busily to handle her accumulated tasks, and Prince Willow picked up a saw, hammer, and nails for the first time in a while.

“I hadn’t thought about making additional chairs since Her Highness Serena seemed satisfied sitting alone in her chair, but Countess Nex seems uncomfortable with floor sitting. It should be fine if I make it lower than Her Highness’s chair.”

Without back and abdominal muscles, it’s difficult to sit on the floor. Prince Willow began crafting a chair for the noblewoman who looked so frail she might blow away in the wind.

Olive also took the opportunity to lay out her dagger and lockpicking tools for maintenance while resting.

Everyone was busy. Everyone had something to do. Everyone had goals.

Only Ralph had nothing to do.

Physical training was only interesting for a day or two. Training alone was boring. Even when he tried to help Lavenda with her work, he was only told to rest.

‘What should I do?’

It felt like an invisible giant wall was blocking not just the front, but also the back and sides, trapping him in a narrow space.

While it was true he was trapped in a labyrinth, this was the first time since falling into the labyrinth that he truly felt trapped.

Usually when his heart felt this stuffy, sword training would make him feel refreshed.

But Ralph had been advised not to practice swordsmanship for the time being.

‘My enemy. What is my enemy?’

Ralph’s life had been simple until now. Born into a moderately wealthy farming family, he had spent a well-fed childhood eating three meals a day plus snacks and late-night meals.

His older brother, who had become a soldier at the lord’s castle, was Ralph’s pride.

When he went to visit his brother at the lord’s castle, he caught the eye of Count Hau, a knight, and was selected as a page, which caused some strain in his relationship with his brother.

But that improved when his brother passed the capital guard exam and married his sister-in-law.

His brother, who became the father of quadruplets, had matured enough to cheer on his younger brother rather than being jealous of his superior abilities.

Page life was hard and difficult, but it was bearable when he thought of it as a process to endure to become a knight.

While training under Count Hau, he gradually learned that knights were different from the knights in stories. Still, a knight was still a knight. They served their lord loyally, protected the weak, and punished evil.

‘Evil. And enemies.’

When dealing with someone like Lucas, it was actually simpler. Lucas had openly committed evil acts and even betrayed the lord to whom he had sworn loyalty. Lucas was undoubtedly Ralph’s enemy and Serena’s enemy.

Dealing with monsters was fine too. This was a labyrinth, they were trapped in the labyrinth, and the labyrinth’s monsters were fake monsters, so he felt no guilt when killing them.

‘I thought I was working hard. But I guess it’s not enough in Count Alpha’s eyes.’

Ralph looked at his hands without gauntlets. The calluses he had gained from training were the Young Knight’s pride, but they were far inferior compared to Count Alpha’s.

‘What if I get expelled from the expedition team like this?’

Serena would have said “What nonsense are you talking about?” if she knew, but Ralph was serious.

‘Count Alpha is cool and strong. Duri is also cool and strong.’

Ralph couldn’t close his mouth when he heard the story of conquering the 9th floor. Duri had defeated the Minotaur one-on-one, the same Minotaur that they had barely managed to defeat on the 2nd floor even using Lucas.

‘How could she beat that thing.’

Comparing Duri and Ralph, Duri was overwhelmingly stronger. Even Ralph would prefer Duri for the expedition party if he were Serena.

Ralph became increasingly anxious.

‘I thought I was a decent knight all this time, but seeing Count Alpha, it seems I wasn’t. In the first place, I didn’t even receive proper knighthood through the proper procedures. I became a knight haphazardly thanks to the Princess’s mercy. If Count Alpha had been there then, I wouldn’t have become a knight.’

If Serena had known, she would have shouted, “You! Have! Five! Stars! I! Already! Called! Dibs!” but the Princess was currently climbing the mountain with determination while getting snowed on.

“Sigh.”

As the Young Knight’s anguish deepened and his sighs increased, the adults only sent him warm glances, following Count Alpha’s advice to give him time to think alone.

But there’s always someone who wants to meddle in other people’s affairs. Prince Willow, who had finished designing the chair, sat down next to Ralph.

“Count Ralph’s anguish seems deep. Won’t you tell me about it?”

“Oh my, Your Highness.”

Olive, who was sharpening her dagger blade with a whetstone, answered faster than Ralph.

“The Princess doesn’t like it when you approach the knight. Sir.”

“Even so, I can’t just leave a young man in distress alone.”

If Serena had heard this, she would have said, “What the hell are you talking about with only a 2-year age difference?” But there was a fact that Serena, being a reincarnated person, had overlooked.

A 2-year age difference during adolescence is significant. Indeed, as soon as Prince Willow started talking, Ralph spilled out everything he had been worrying about.

It would have been better if he had opened up to Serena instead of holding back, but Ralph had his reasons.

‘I can’t show such an embarrassing and inadequate side of myself to the Princess!’

Unlike Serena, who had an unapproachably noble and dignified atmosphere, Prince Willow felt approachable.

It was precisely this quality that made Serena wary of the Prince, but in any case, Ralph, who had unburdened his worries to the Prince, smiled with relief. The Prince also smiled back with a charming smile.

“I see. Count Ralph is still pondering the advice that Sirius gave.”

“I really don’t know. I can’t get a feel for it.”

“If it’s difficult to find an answer, how about training in something that doesn’t require you to decide on an answer?”

“Pardon?”

“Shield techniques. Would you spar with me?”

“Is that really okay?”

“Since it’s not swords, it should be fine. I’ve also been feeling stiff from not using my body lately, so please be my sparring partner for a bit. First, we need to make some space.”

Even after several expansions, the lobby was cluttered with increased facilities. Prince Willow and Ralph moved the movable equipment, excluding the fixtures attached to the lobby, to create space. Countess Nex, Neet, and Lavenda moved to the herb garden.

“As you probably know, most traditional martial arts are designed for fighting monsters. In the past, monsters were humanity’s mortal enemies that threatened their lives. Oh, I recommend wearing armor as well.”

Why would he need to wear armor when he had a shield? Ralph was slightly puzzled, but he followed the Prince’s advice.

“Then gradually, martial arts adapted for humans began to develop.”

Prince Willow picked up Lucas’s sword instead of his own magic sword.

Even with the same longsword, the length, weight, and balance were slightly different. Ralph was about to recommend that the Prince use his own sword, but the Prince beat him to it.

Prince Willow swung his sword before signaling the start of the sparring match. Though his stance was proper, it was an ordinary attack, so Ralph blocked the sword with his shield.

‘That’s too much. To launch a surprise attack.’

Ralph harbored complaints inwardly. Regardless, Prince Willow continued swinging his sword relentlessly.

“Hey, that’s too much, Your Highness. You said you’d help the Knight with shield techniques, but you’re just relieving your own stress?”

“Huh? I’m fine.”

Ralph was secretly thinking the same thing, so he was startled by Olive’s words.

Prince Willow smiled broadly.

“Haha. Moving around after so long does feel refreshing. Shall I continue what I was saying?”

The Prince readjusted his grip on the sword. Grey frowned.

“Your Highness. Don’t tell me.”

“I don’t know about Heuji, but the Empire’s swordsmanship, especially the Imperial Family’s, developed quite uniquely. The enemies of the Imperial Family were special, you see. Count Ralph.”

Prince Willow looked directly at the Knight with his smile gone.

“If you can’t block it, you’ll die.”

‘But this is a magic shield. And I’m wearing armor too.’

So Prince Willow was a spiteful person when Princess Serena wasn’t around. Ralph felt mildly displeased when the Prince moved.

Ralph concentrated on blocking the Prince’s sword with his shield.

The Prince lifted his foot. The sword moved. Ralph tried to block the sword’s predicted path with his shield, but the Prince’s figure disappeared.

Prince Willow had charged faster than Ralph expected, without considering the safety of his noble body.

The sharp sword tip stopped just before Ralph’s philtrum. Seeing the sword close enough to feel his breath, Ralph’s spine went cold.

As soon as Ralph saw the Prince’s new attack, he realized it. The Astrom Empire’s Imperial swordsmanship was a deformed technique that abandoned personal safety to focus only on attack.

Considering that the practitioners of this swordsmanship were the Empire’s Imperial Family, it was truly bizarre. When Ralph expressed his confusion with his eyes, the Prince who had distanced himself and returned to position shrugged his shoulders.

“Even though the Astrom Empire reveres martial arts and the Imperial Family participates in Labyrinth conquests, we’re still royalty in the end. How often would royalty directly wield swords in battle?”

Prince Willow carefully stroked the blade to avoid cutting his hand.

“So the enemies of royalty like me are predetermined to be human. Betrayers, traitors, and assassins are my enemies.”

Grey, who had been frowning deeply, provided additional explanation.

“Rather than showing the disgrace of protecting oneself as royalty of the continent’s strongest nation, it’s better to take as many companions to the afterlife as possible. That’s the spirit of House of Astra.”

So the Empire’s royalty abandons their own safety to focus on attack. With the spirit of trading flesh for bone, they aim only for vital points with killing intent.

Olive, who had watched the Prince’s attack with great interest, spun her dagger and commented.

“Like an assassin.”

“Sister Olive is right. It was derived from the techniques of those wicked assassins who target royalty. The greatest advantage is catching people off guard by exploiting the preconception that royalty wouldn’t use assassin methods. But to reveal it all. Haah.”

And it had to be discovered by the one assassin in their group. Grey sighed as if the ground would cave in.

Olive, who had imagined assassinating the Prince and the old man several times a day, shrugged her shoulders.

‘Good thing I didn’t try it!’

Unlike the Prince in her imagination who died without noticing an assassin’s approach, the real Prince would not only notice an assassin’s approach but also attempt to counterattack.

Olive dropped her smile and narrowed her eyes.

“Well, look at that. You were quite dangerous when charmed by the Dryad, weren’t you? His Highness was hiding something tremendous.”

The Prince had been holding his magic sword at that time too. If they had fought without knowing the Prince’s martial prowess, at least one person might have died.

“If you had attacked like that while holding your magic sword, I would have died even with shield and armor.”

Ralph also realized what Olive had noticed. The young boy’s face, which had shown slight displeasure due to poor expression management, became serious.

Prince Willow smiled pleasantly seeing Ralph’s changed demeanor.

“All royalty learn this way, so I don’t know moderation. Hold tight to both your mind and shield.”

“Yes! Understood!”

To block the Prince’s attacks, he had to give his all. Realizing this fact, Ralph’s eyes sparkled brightly.

The Prince, who had taken his stance again, charged like a gale.

If Serena had seen it, she would have questioned “Why is that only 3-star?” – it was such excellent skill.

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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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