Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 246

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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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246. The Priests’ Visit to the Lobby

Knight Marin, who had become a temporary 1-star for a week, vigorously opened the treasure chest.

An axe emerged from the chest. It was similar in size and form to Knight Marin’s armament.

The Fire Knight frowned as soon as he picked up the axe.

“This… has ice attributes imbued in it.”

Knight Marin threw the axe at the cave wall. The area around where the axe struck froze solid.

It was already a sufficiently good magical axe with just the ice attribute, but it had one more magic enchantment.

“Return.”

At the Knight’s single word, the axe embedded in the wall returned to the knight’s hand. Low’s eyes widened as if they would pop out upon seeing the magical axe that was several levels above his own short spear.

The hunter looked around with an aggrieved expression before whispering in the Imperial Knight’s ear.

“Is that so. That would indeed be enviable.”

If it had been Olive, she would have shared what Low said with everyone, but the upright Count Alpha kept it as a private conversation. Though the content could be guessed, it was somewhat disappointing.

Having opened the treasure chest, Serena proceeded to unseal the sealed door.

Originally, she had planned to step forward after everyone else had tried, but her sibling got irritated, so she had no choice but to act immediately.

She had worried that something other than a transfer room might appear behind the sealed door, but fortunately, a transfer room emerged.

The priests, seeing the Princess unseal something for the first time, were amazed.

“Haven’t Seraph or others successfully unsealed any doors?”

Count Randy, curious about other parties’ exploration activities, questioned the priests.

“The Prince once opened a sealed door with a key obtained from a chest. This is the first time I’ve seen unsealing like the Princess does.”

“Ugh. The deity of corruption really seems the worst.”

“Everyone. Now we need to decide who will go to the lobby first. Though the Prince is here, I’ll make a proposal as the elder.”

The High Priest of Earth gathered the party members with a gentle but authoritative voice.

“First, Knight Marin is in a weakened state, so it would be better for him to stay in the lobby. Priest Muffin also heard news of family, so he should go to the lobby first.”

High Priest Hazel looked at the Priest of Light with an apologetic expression.

“Priest Rihua, could you wait here with me? Depending on the situation, I’ll ask for Priest Rihua to rest in the lobby as well.”

“I’m fine, High Priest. I can’t cause any more trouble.”

Rihua, still shaken by the memory of nearly killing her companions due to drowsiness, declined the easier path.

Serena agreed with the High Priest’s statement that Knight Marin and Muffin should go to the lobby. Serena wanted to add one more person.

‘I want to show High Priest Hazel the blocked exit.’

If they were going to see it anyway, wouldn’t it be better to check quickly?

However, if High Priest Hazel also went to the lobby, only Seraph and Priest Rihua would remain on the 10th floor—the two weakest members of the party.

‘They need escorts. Escorts, that is.’

Serena looked with her single eye at the Imperial Knight who was deliberately hardening his handsome face to create a serious impression.

‘Should I take High Priest Hazel to the lobby and leave Count Alpha? It feels a bit insufficient.’

Setting aside that Count Alpha belonged to someone else, she felt reluctant to leave only Count Alpha behind due to the harsh environment of the 10th floor.

Serena’s gaze naturally shifted to the hunter who had guided the assault team to the summit.

‘Should I ask Count Alpha and Low?’

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. As Serena was about to ask the two to remain on the 10th floor to escort the Prince and priest, Count Alpha accepted before she could speak.

“I shall obey your command.”

“Do you know what command I was about to give?”

“The command to remain on the 10th floor and take charge of His Highness the Grand Prince’s escort—I shall carry it out.”

Count Alpha’s ready compliance made Serena feel apologetic instead.

“Will you be alright? Strictly speaking, you’re not even a citizen of Huji.”

“I understand why Your Highness the Grand Princess wants to take the High Priest of Earth to the lobby. I know that securing an exit is the most urgent matter, so please don’t worry.”

Count Alpha was strong, loyal, wise, and even maintained his integrity—truly an exemplary model of a desirable knight.

‘If only he weren’t someone else’s knight.’

Serena hoped the growing Young Knight would emulate Count Alpha rather than bad senior knights as she approached the hunter.

Low, having heard the conversation between the knight and princess, bowed his head repeatedly before words could emerge.

“Yes. This humble one will also remain.”

“Are you really alright? You worked the hardest this time—aren’t you tired?”

“Hehe, it’s nothing. If I get exhausted by something like this, how could I navigate the deep layers of labyrinths without transfer rooms? Hehehe. It’s as easy as the mountains back home.”

Low rubbed his palms together slyly while grinning, then looked back at Duri.

“Duri likes mountains too, right? Want to stay with your brother?”

“Grrrrrrrr.”

Duri bared her fangs and growled. Low immediately averted his gaze and changed his words.

“Hehehe, just kidding.”

Having the knight and hunter agree to stay by her sibling’s side was very reassuring.

Serena finally looked at the archer just in case. Ying noticed the Princess’s gaze and slowly shook her head.

“Princess. Could you leave plenty of supplies just in case?”

“Of course.”

Low’s request was reasonable. Serena left not only consumables like potions and food but also some of Count Randy’s attack potions and cup noodles.

While handing over the cup noodles, the Princess felt regretful inside.

‘I was planning to eat them at the summit.’

Since she was already giving Low a bunch of recovery potions, Serena gestured to Priest Rihua.

“With three men alone, wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for Priest Rihua to stay by herself? We have plenty of recovery potions, so how about Priest Rihua comes to the lobby with us?”

“What? Would that be alright?”

“We have plenty of spare potions too, so there’s no need to stay. Go.”

Seraph pushed the hesitating Priest of Light’s back with an indifferent voice. Priest Rihua entered the transfer room with a bewildered expression.

Serena checked the people who had entered the transfer room.

Ying, who had positioned herself expressionlessly in a corner; Duri, excited about meeting her siblings; Count Randy, who kept touching his chin as if some difficult problem had arisen for unknown reasons; Muffin with his head down and fists clenched, and Priest Rihua comforting Muffin; Marin touching his necklace with sorrowful eyes, and the reliable High Priest Hazel.

And even the High Priest of Effort, who had boldly joined the group without saying a word.

Just before entering the transfer room and selecting the 1st floor, Serena gave instructions to the three who would remain on the 10th floor.

“I plan to take people down to the 1st floor to check the time difference and return. Don’t go far.”

“So talkative. Just hurry up and go.”

Seraph scrunched up his pretty face and waved his hand dismissively as if telling her not to be bothersome. Serena glared at her sibling before selecting the 1st floor.

Light flowing from the magic circle enveloped the people in the transfer room. In an instant, they arrived at the 1st floor of the 1st level of Huji’s Labyrinth.

“Everyone get out. Ying will come with me to visit the 10th floor.”

Serena confirmed everyone had exited and moved to the 10th floor with the archer. In front of the transfer room, the three people stood looking much the same as when they had parted.

“You returned immediately after leaving. There seems to be no time difference.”

“That’s fortunate. Just in case, I’ll check every morning.”

Count Alpha and Low were trustworthy, but her sibling died so often that daily checks were essential. Serena gave her real farewell and returned to the 1st floor.

On the 1st floor of Huji’s Labyrinth, the priests had finished introducing themselves to the lobby people. The priests were waiting in line for insecticide spraying to enter the lobby.

Among the priests waiting in line, only the Pink-Haired Girl was nowhere to be seen. She had been the first to get sprayed with insecticide and enter the lobby.

Muffin stood before the grave of the dead knight. Fortunately, he wasn’t alone. Countess Nex, as thin as a tree branch that would break with just a little snow, supported her nephew.

“Is this our family’s sword?”

“Muffin…”

“The tombstone has my brother’s name and birth year written on it?”

“Shullen is…”

“I was hoping Serena was lying to get Seraph to the lobby. But that wasn’t it, was it? It’s real?”

Priest Rihua’s eyes reddened as she listened to Muffin’s tearful words. It was particularly noticeable against her pale skin. High Priest Hazel also genuinely felt sorry and slowly closed his eyes.

In contrast to the priests’ sympathy, those who knew of Shullen’s actions before his death wore complicated expressions.

“We found the body and a sword fallen beside it while conquering the 8th floor. It seemed he was killed by a monster, so we recovered the body and buried it in the lobby.”

Serena deliberately raised her voice so everyone in the lobby could hear. She had decided to hide the dead knight’s betrayal from Muffin and Seraph.

“He was killed by a Shadow Tiger, right? That’s the only monster capable of killing my brother. We also used fireworks to avoid them.”

Muffin surprisingly deduced Shullen’s cause of death quite perceptively. The Priest of Corruption kept wiping away overflowing tears with his sleeve and sniffling.

“Sob. Serena. Thank you for recovering my brother.”

“Miss Muffin, are you alright? There’s no need to force yourself.”

“Sob. No. I’m fine now. The dead are dead, and the living are living.”

The lovely girl with pink hair smiled brightly. Though she too had grown up like a hothouse flower as a noble family’s daughter, she grasped reality quickly.

“Thanks to Serena finding the body, my brother didn’t become undead. *sniff* And I’ve been thinking about something.”

“What is it?”

“Even if we bury him in a tomb, we can’t let our guard down in the labyrinth. How about I completely decompose my brother’s corpse?”

Despite always talking about flowers, water, or other deities, a Priest of Corruption was still a Priest of Corruption. Muffin’s sensibilities were quite unique. Serena was considerably flustered.

The Priest of Corruption clenched her fist, confident she could decompose corpses.

“I can ask Corruption to properly decompose it. Completely, without leaving a single bone or strand of hair.”

She wanted to handle the corpse according to the family’s wishes, but showing a headless body was out of the question.

“That’s something to consider when we leave the labyrinth. It’s not an appropriate topic to discuss right now.”

“Ugh. That’s true. My brother would prefer to decompose naturally outside rather than rotting through divine power in the labyrinth.”

‘Was she always like this?’

Until this incident, the Muffin Baker that Serena knew was a girl with lovely pink hair, and both her personality and appearance were as lovely as her hair, but her words were somewhat eerie.

‘Was this always her personality but she never had a chance to reveal it? Or did her way of thinking change because she’s a Priest of Corruption and thinks about her deity?’

Then Serena reconsidered. It only seemed eerie because she was talking about corpses decomposing, but wishing for a family member’s body to decompose well without being damaged was everyone’s wish.

As a Priest of Corruption, Muffin could actively participate in the process, so she stepped forward proactively, but the content of her words itself was ordinary.

“Princess. May I examine the exit?”

“Of course. Please do.”

High Priest Hazel, who had been waiting for Muffin’s mourning, asked the Princess for permission and moved toward the cave.

At the news that none other than the High Priest of Earth was going to examine the exit, everyone except the Prince who couldn’t move from the lobby headed to the cave.

“Everyone keep your distance.”

When Serena ordered everyone except the key personnel to keep their distance, they all stepped back. The Old Man didn’t step back and his eyes sparkled brightly.

“Your Highness! Can’t I watch from up close? Please? Please? Please?”

“You are your master’s representative, so watch and listen carefully to report everything to your master.”

“Yes!”

Grey, having achieved his goal, smiled brightly. Among those who didn’t step back was also the High Priest of Effort.

Since the High Priest of Effort could cast buffs, Serena didn’t say anything particular.

“How is it? Can you clear the stones and debris with Earth’s blessing?”

If it was the High Priest of Earth who could create stairs on cliffs and mountains, couldn’t he also clear the massive rocks and debris blocking the labyrinth entrance?

The Princess’s heart swelled with anticipation.

High Priest Hazel examined the rocks with a serious expression and looked around the surroundings blocked by debris.

“I’m sorry, Princess. I cannot clear it.”

“Is it impossible even with effort?”

Serena pointed to the Bald Priest who had followed along for no reason and was observing the rocks. The High Priest of Earth clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“This isn’t a problem of rocks and debris. It’s a problem of space.”

“Space? Why space?”

Grey immediately interjected as if this was exactly what he had come for. High Priest Hazel didn’t scold the impudent Old Man and explained calmly.

“The rocks and debris blocking the labyrinth’s exit span across the boundary between the labyrinth and outside the labyrinth. If they weren’t spanning the boundary, I would try to clear them with the power received from Earth, but since they span the boundary, it’s impossible to borrow power from Earth.”

“Why is that?”

“The boundary between the labyrinth and outside the labyrinth has distorted space. That’s why people can enter the labyrinth, but monsters inside the labyrinth can’t go outside. That’s the hypothesis my grandfather established.”

High Priest Hazel, hearing Grey’s words, smiled kindly and patted the Old Man’s head.

“Your grandfather must be a distinguished scholar.”

“Yes. He’s a very famous person.”

The Old Man squinted his eyes and endured the High Priest’s warm praise.

“The distortion of space between the labyrinth and outside is the labyrinth’s authority. The power of other celestial beings cannot change this.”

“Me, me! I have a question! Won’t magic work either?”

“Magic might work. But to open the exit while preventing additional collapse would require someone at the level of a Grand Mage of the continent.”

“Then there’s absolutely no way to open the exit?”

“From outside the labyrinth, externally, it might be possible to clear the debris and rocks by borrowing celestial power, but it’s impossible from inside. Even if we clear it with human strength, probably…”

High Priest Hazel thought deeply, then squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.

“Even if we gather our strength to break the rocks and clear the debris, the spatial distortion would restore the rocks and cleared debris. This is a labyrinth, after all.”

The Princess’s plan of gradually opening a path with more people and the High Priest of Earth to support the collapsing earth crumbled completely.

The Old Man seemed to have had a similar plan to Serena, as he was visibly disappointed. Grey muttered quietly, then suddenly raised his head.

“High Priest! You can hear the voices of the great celestial beings, right? Could you perhaps request through prayer for them to rescue us from outside?”

High Priest Hazel’s face, which had always worn a kind smile, turned cold.

“How dare a mere earthly child presume to use celestial beings as messengers?”

Hiccup. Grey was so startled he even hiccupped and gaped his mouth.

“That’s what grandfather would have said. I didn’t mean it.”

A merciful smile returned to High Priest Hazel’s face.

“Sometimes deeply learned people harbor arrogant delusions. You must study hard to help your grandfather avoid such mistakes.”

“Yes!”

The Old Man, who had nearly been buried alive for one wrong word, dragged his weakened legs back to the lobby.

High Priest Hazel bowed his head to the Princess.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help, Princess.”

“No. It can’t be helped.”

“I’ll return to the Prince’s side now.”

Though she had slightly hoped he might join the Princess’s party, the High Priest of Earth intended to follow the Prince even after seeing the lobby with its bread trees, fruit trees, fountain, washing machine, sacred toilet, hot spring, and vending machines.

‘It can’t be helped since it’s the deity’s will.’

Serena expressed her regret and recommended rest to the High Priest.

“Seraph has agreed to check every morning. You must have accumulated fatigue, so please rest comfortably.”

“Thank you. I’ll gratefully accept your hospitality until tomorrow.”

Recruiting the High Priest of Earth had failed. Serena wasn’t disheartened. There were still the Fire Knight, Priest of Light, and Priest of Corruption remaining.

Serena glanced at the High Priest of Effort as she returned to the lobby.

“Don’t you have any orders from your deity?”

The Bald Priest narrowed his eyes, looked at the Princess, then smiled slyly.

“I’m already carrying them out.”

‘As expected.’

The Priest of Effort had undoubtedly also received an oracle regarding the Huji royal family.

Since the conversation with High Priest Hazel just before the Bald Priest’s appearance had been impressive, Serena subtly pressured the priest.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten that I rescued you from the snowy mountain.”

“It won’t bring harm to the Princess.”

The High Priest of Effort smiled broadly.

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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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