Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 268

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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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268. Faithful Priest

The High Priest of Earth, who seemed like he wouldn’t budge like a rock deeply embedded in the ground, launched the first attack.

“That’s it, Hazel!”

Seraph, who had been cursing the priest restraining him until just moments before, brightened up. As Seraph drew his sword and charged forward, Muffin pushed him back and rushed forward as fast as the wind.

Thick stone walls cannot contain a Sword Master. As if proving this fact, thin lines appeared on the stone, then it fell away cut along those lines.

Muffin, who had been hiding in the blind spot created by the stones, ambushed Richard as he calmly cut through the stone and emerged.

Richard tried to slash Muffin with his sword but saw the distinctive pink hair and remembered who his opponent was.

“You are. Ah, right. Were you Seraph’s fiancée candidate?”

Duke Oren blocked rather than cutting Muffin’s arm. Muffin called upon the deity who had granted her power.

“Corruption! Show me your power!”

Richard’s clothing that Muffin’s body touched instantly rotted and fell away in tatters. Richard’s exposed body rapidly dried and shriveled like a mummy.

The Priest of Corruption didn’t question why Duke Oren, despite having one arm disabled, wasn’t attacking her. Like a diligent ant, she extended her fist toward the next target.

“Hmm.”

When Richard chose to evade instead of attacking Muffin, a fire-spewing axe embedded where he had stepped.

In the spot where he dodged the axe, the High Priest of Earth, who had somehow closed the distance, was waiting for the unfilial son.

High Priest Hazel’s sturdy arms restrained Duke Oren. Muffin corrupted the Duke’s remaining limbs.

“Fire. Please convey your warmth.”

Knight Marin lit sacred flames on the Duke’s limbs, which had become mummified rather than completely rotted, preventing the wounds from worsening.

No one could close their mouths or step forward at the performance of the three clergy members carrying out divine will.

Especially Serena’s one remaining eye opened so wide it seemed like it might pop out. She had seen everything but couldn’t believe what she had witnessed.

‘It ends like this?’

Setting aside that he was a Sword Master, was her cousin, who had been so terrifying and irritating because his true intentions were unknowable, really ending like this?

Really?

“Wh-what do we do. What do we do.”

Priest Rihua, still in a state of confusion, stamped her feet even while looking at the restrained Richard.

Muffin placed her hand on the sinner’s nape. She intended to use corruption’s power on the sinner’s neck to kill Richard.

The emotion disappeared from the face of the girl who had been lovely for being honest with her feelings like her lovely hair color. The priest who used to constantly complain to the deity who always gave her strength was no longer there. Only a faithful servant dutifully carrying out what the deity commanded remained.

“We should have done this from the start.”

Muffin tried to kill the sinner as planned. Serena objected in shock, while Seraph opposed with the intention of cutting Richard’s throat himself.

“Miss Muffin! You mustn’t kill him!”

“Stop it, Muffin! I’m going to kill Richard! That’s my right!”

Seraph, who had been frozen in surprise at the priest’s performance, finally came to his senses and raised his sword.

“Hehe.”

The High Priest of Effort, who hadn’t participated in the battle, stepped forward with a bland laugh.

“The Princess is right. You must not kill him.”

“Why are you suddenly interfering? This is my rightful revenge. Even divine will cannot stop me.”

“Hehehe. Your effort is admirable, Prince.”

The High Priest of Effort made eye contact with Seraph.

“Give up.”

“Kuk.”

The prince who made eye contact with the High Priest of Effort groaned and dropped his sword. The sword fell to the floor and Seraph collapsed as if his strength had drained away.

Everyone who saw this was shocked. Serena immediately tried to lodge an ice arrow in the baldy’s head, but the High Priest of Effort raised both arms.

“Calm down. Bindo is not an enemy. Bindo must also complete the orders received from his master, mustn’t he?”

“What did you do to Lord Seraph?”

“Allies who are not helpful are no different from enemies.”

“…”

High Priest Hazel warned the High Priest of Effort gently but firmly. The Talkative Knight silently closed his mouth and aimed the ice axe obtained from the labyrinth at the High Priest of Effort.

The High Priest of Effort paid no heed to the hostility pouring from all directions and approached the sinner who likewise showed no disturbance despite having rotted limbs, fire on his body, and his throat grasped by the Priest of Corruption.

“It is my first time meeting you, beloved of the labyrinth, effort, and countless beings of heaven. It is an honor to meet the hero most cherished by heaven. Bindo is a slave of effort.”

“I owe a debt to sacred effort. Pleased to meet you.”

Richard, who had been desecrating and antagonizing the divine throughout, showed a favorable reaction to a heavenly being for the first time.

“Hehe, I didn’t think it would end so easily. Their effort must have been exceptional. So how about giving up now?”

“That’s not something a priest of effort should say.”

“Hehe, doesn’t the hero also know the other name of great effort?”

The High Priest of Effort’s smile deepened.

“The other name of effort is giving up. The end of effort doesn’t necessarily conclude with victory, success, or achievement. There are things in this world that don’t work despite effort. Knowing this yet still making effort is not desirable. Likewise, giving up without truly making effort is also not beautiful. Only those who have truly made effort can choose beautiful surrender.”

To think the God of Effort governed not victory or success, but giving up. Everyone except High Priest Hazel and the archer was quite surprised.

Serena realized what the High Priest of Effort had done to her sibling.

‘I see. He made Seraph give up trying to kill Richard, so the strength drained from Seraph’s body.’

It was probably temporary surrender. Judging by how the priest of effort had displayed divine magic so far, extending the period of surrender would require a grand sermon.

‘Like right now.’

“Beloved of the labyrinth. Hero recognized by nearly all the gods of heaven. You are qualified to make the greatest surrender of anyone.”

The High Priest of Effort was not an enemy, as he had guaranteed. The priests and knights who had been wary of the High Priest of Effort removed their hostility and watched what the priest of effort was doing.

‘He’s trying to make Richard give up.’

Was it really ending like this?

The main characters of this place right now were the priests carrying out heaven’s will and Richard, who heaven was watching. Serena could only become a spectator, sweating in her palms as she watched.

Duke Oren chuckled.

“That’s right. I’ve made enough effort, so there were times I wanted to give up.”

“Why didn’t you give up?”

“Actually, I almost did give up. I’m sorry to Serena and Seraph, and Grandfather, but there were times when I thought living like this wouldn’t be so bad.”

Richard smiled bitterly. At the same time, he sent an affectionate gaze to his cousin siblings.

Anger flared again in Seraph’s eyes, who had been forced to abandon his killing intent.

“How dare you speak of Grandfather? How dare you!”

“I was planning to reveal the location of the labyrinth in the mountain range after the founding festival ended. Time has passed so the traps and monsters would have been restored, so I gathered labyrinth adventurers for exploration.”

The bitter smile became mockery, and eyes that had held distant sadness and resignation glittered with obsession and madness.

“A labyrinth has appeared in Heuji City. Give up? When I can achieve everything through effort, could you give up if you were me?”

“Then there’s no choice. Bindo will make effort for the hero to give up.”

“There’s no need for that. Let’s just kill him like this.”

Muffin put strength into the hand grasping Richard’s throat. High Priest Hazel shook his head.

“Priest Muffin. Heaven’s corruption wouldn’t have given orders to kill either.”

“You want us to leave such a dangerous person alive?”

“Yes, Muffin! Well done! Kill him! Then the queen’s seat of Huji is yours!”

“Ugh. I don’t need it.”

Seraph’s cheering had the opposite effect of his intention, dulling Muffin’s killing intent.

When Muffin removed her hand from Richard’s nape, High Priest Hazel created a stone cage-like prison with divine magic.

“This prison will never break as long as it touches the earth. We just need to keep him confined until we find a way to escape the labyrinth.”

“Leave the persuasion to Bindo.”

“Knight Marin, please maintain the sacred fire so the wounds don’t rot.”

The Fire Knight nodded seriously as if asking to be entrusted with the task.

“Wh-what, what do we do.”

Priest Rihua still couldn’t get her bearings. Serena was the same.

‘Should I just leave Richard to the priests like this? I just need to find an escape method? Then it’s all over?’

If she just found an escape method, she could die 100,000 times to select people and be done.

Though she hadn’t done anything, Serena’s heart beat roughly as if she were sprinting at full speed.

Everyone’s attention was focused on Richard and the priests. Rihua, who had been restlessly stamping her feet without participating in the battle, turned pale and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Ah, light. Truly.”

Priest Rihua, with her eyes tightly shut, called upon her deity.

“Light!”

Blinding light burst in the leader’s chamber. Since no one except High had been wary of Priest Rihua, the blinding light attacked everyone’s eyes.

“My eyes!”

“Ugh, Priest Rihua?”

“Are you that startled?”

Even while losing their sight due to Priest Rihua’s light magic, people didn’t suspect Rihua.

Since she had been showing anxious behavior all along, they thought the confused priest had used magic in panic.

But that wasn’t it.

What they saw when their dim eyes regained sight was an unbelievable scene.

“Hmm.”

Richard’s limbs, which had been rotted and dried like a mummy and twisted, were restored to perfect condition. Richard lightly extinguished the sacred fire clinging to his body like brushing off dust and cut through the stone prison that had confined him.

The stone prison, which was said to be absolutely unbreakable as long as it was attached to the ground, cracked. The sword energy that cut through the stone prison maintained its force and poured toward High Priest Hazel.

“Urgh!”

High Priest Hazel hastily hardened his body, but there wasn’t enough time or strength. High Priest Hazel collapsed, bleeding profusely with half his upper body cut.

“High Priest Hazel!”

Duke Oren immediately struck Muffin’s stomach with his sword sheath as she tried to grab Richard’s neck. Muffin, hit precisely in the solar plexus, vomited blood and collapsed forward.

Richard blew away the Fire Knight’s wrists and knees and stood up nonchalantly. The High Priest of Effort quickly rushed to the patients and used healing miracles.

Priest Rihua, the culprit behind all this, ran crying toward Richard’s direction.

“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry, everyone. But the Light. The brilliant Light commanded that the child of Huaim I must help is this person. I’m sorry! I’m truly sorry!”

Priest Rihua’s face was covered in tears. Seraph gritted his teeth at the most unexpected betrayal by a priest.

“Rihua! How dare you betray me?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Sob.”

A bolt flew toward Priest Rihua, who was sobbing and bowing her head, but was blocked by a bright barrier of light. The archer, still closing his eyes due to the light, spoke firmly.

“Don’t trust the Light. You’ll be betrayed.”

“The Light saved me. I’m sorry, sob.”

Serena gritted her teeth and stared above Priest Rihua’s head. The number of stars floating above the Servant of Light’s white hair was five in total. Two white shining stars had been added to the three yellow stars Priest Rihua originally possessed.

‘I see. Since a priest’s power is given by a deity, the priest’s rank also changes according to the deity’s will.’

When Richard showed no signs of further attack, Count Randy, who had been watching the situation, rushed to the patients. Count Alpha held back Seraph, who was trying to rush toward Richard and Priest Rihua.

“How dare you betray me and choose Richard? I won’t forgive you! I’ll never forgive you!”

“Hehe.”

Richard sheathed the real sword of Huaim and smiled.

“Seeing that you’re both healthy, I’m glad even though I know it’s meaningless.”

“Richard!”

“Don’t worry. I will make an effort. I’ll work hard without ever giving up and save you too. We can all meet again. Not just Grandfather, but everyone else too – we’ll meet again in good health.”

It would be understandable if he meant killing Serena and Seraph to reunite them with their deceased family members.

But Richard’s words contained genuine belief and conviction that they would truly reunite with their family.

Seraph was speechless upon hearing such an absurd story. The prince, who felt fear at the words of his mortal enemy with whom he couldn’t share the same sky, lost his fighting spirit.

“Richard. What exactly are you…?”

“I’ve dealt with the worm, so don’t worry.”

Duke Oren reached out as if to pat Seraph’s head, then gave up when he saw Count Alpha being wary.

Richard went down the stairs. High shouted toward the ceiling of the leader’s chamber.

“Ahhh! I don’t know! Olive, goodbye! Ying, goodbye too! Thank you for the princess scout offer! Please give my regards to Low!”

High, who had been hurriedly trying to follow Richard, stopped in place and grabbed the wrist of Rihua, who was crying miserably.

“Priest, if you stay here, you’ll die.”

“Sorry. Sob, sob.”

High took Rihua with him and went down the stairs. The three figures grew distant, and the sound of them going down the stairs gradually diminished and disappeared.

“Hehe, make an effort to heal your body. Make an effoooort for new flesh to grow gently and heal well!”

“Miss Muffin, are you alright? Please come to your senses.”

While only the voices of those caring for patients could be heard, Olive scratched her black hair roughly and shouted loud enough to shake the leader’s chamber.

“Ahhh! I don’t understand what’s happening at all!”

Serena, who knew half the inside story, endured the oncoming headache and began to handle the situation.

“Let’s check on the patients first.”

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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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