Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 3

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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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3. The Fall (3)

‘It hurts.’

The first sensation she recognized was pain. Discomfort and cold followed.

‘Cold. And sticky.’

After pain and touch returned, she became aware of thirst.

‘Someone come here.’

Serena naturally gestured to call for someone. Since being reborn, it was natural to call for people when she was thirsty or hungry.

Even as her hand elegantly swept through the air, no response came back.

‘Right, the earthquake.’

The world was as dark as if it had become night. Then Serena realized she had her eyes closed.

Serena carefully opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry, so she couldn’t see her surroundings well.

There was a slightly damp and stuffy smell. For Serena, who had been raised delicately, this was an environment she was encountering for the first time in this life. Thanks to memories from her previous life, she could judge it was similar to the smell of earth.

As she continued blinking, her blurry vision became a little clearer.

‘It’s dark…’

It wasn’t darkness where she couldn’t see an inch ahead. Light was coming in hazily from not far away.

Serena slowly opened and closed her eyes wide to secure her vision. Even so, lying face down on the ground, all she could see was the dirt floor.

Serena pressed against the ground and struggled to get up. It seemed like she had fallen endlessly from a very high place, but surprisingly her body was intact. Her whole body ached and throbbed, but there were no visible injuries.

Serena checked her body for any hidden injuries while simultaneously surveying her surroundings.

The place where she had awakened looked like a cave. There was moss on the walls, and the walls and floor were uneven. The floor was thinly covered with dirt and moss, but solid stone lay beneath.

“It’s a cave.”

Serena frowned. She searched her memory.

‘Something like a sinkhole formed and I fell.’

It was a sinkhole massive enough to swallow not only Serena and Philia, but all the surrounding buildings as well.

Or it could have been cracks in the earth caused by the earthquake.

Either way, it wasn’t an ordinary occurrence.

‘Was there such a space beneath Heuji City? Even 1000 years ago, it would have been common sense that the capital’s foundation should be solid.’

They would have reinforced the foundation when building the palace in the first place. If there had been caves in the process, they would have discovered them. Yet Serena had awakened in a cave that seemed quite substantial in scale.

‘Was it actually a cave located very deep down? The cave area rose up due to the earthquake…’

If Serena had fallen very deep, her body couldn’t possibly be intact, so it was easier to accept that the cave had risen up.

‘Ah, this wasn’t near the palace but near the shops. Then it would be the expansion area…’

Heuji City, the capital of Huji, had gradually expanded as the population grew. There was also the possibility that the foundation of the expanded areas was riddled with holes.

Serena frowned and looked around. She could immediately see the hole she had fallen through.

“It’s blocked.”

The hole where Serena presumably fell was completely blocked with massive rocks and debris. Serena casually knocked on the rocks. Without needing to knock, they were tremendously solid.

“Hah. Right. Where’s the part that didn’t get crushed.”

If she had been crushed by these rocks or debris, Serena would have become an unrecognizable corpse.

If even a part of her body had been crushed, she would have suffered serious injuries. It was extremely fortunate that nothing had been crushed anywhere.

As Serena was feeling relieved, she remembered the maid who had fallen with her. Her heart suddenly sank.

“Philia!”

Since they had fallen holding hands, she couldn’t be far away. Serena hurriedly examined under the rocks. It was completely blocked and nothing could be seen.

“Don’t tell me she’s buried here… No, she can’t be.”

The final moments of the beauty that the Kingdom of Heuji was proud of shouldn’t be so tragic.

Still, just in case, she sniffed the air. There was a strong smell of wet earth. There was no smell of blood.

“Philia!”

Serena called the maid’s name again. No response came back.

“Damn.”

Serena adjusted her shoes. Oil, dirt, and dust were disgustingly stuck together, making even taking one step an ordeal. Dirt had gotten in, making them gritty.

Serena shuddered. Having lived as a princess since birth, the current situation felt very unfamiliar and frightening. It was truly horrible.

“Get it together, Serena. It’s better than being barefoot. How fortunate that the heels are low.”

With the uneven floor, if she had been wearing high heels as usual, she would have had to walk with broken heels or barefoot.

Serena fixed her thinking in a positive direction.

‘There’s no point staying here forever.’

Though it was a cave of unknown origin, the path within sight was straight without any forks. With one side blocked, the direction to exit was determined.

‘Since light is coming from that direction, it must be connected to the outside.’

Serena grabbed the hem of her long dress and walked carefully, then held it with both hands and ran. She had spotted a hazy white object collapsed on the ground.

“Philia! My goodness! Thank you!”

Fortunately, Philia was not crushed under the rocks.

Serena ran to the maid in one breath. Even while giving thanks to all the gods that existed in this world, a small anxiety wouldn’t leave her.

‘What if she died from the shock of falling… No, no. Let’s not think unlucky thoughts.’

“Philia!”

Serena sat beside the maid and first checked her pulse. Her skin was soft and warm, and her pulse beat vibrantly. Her breathing was also stable.

“This time I’m really grateful! Thank you!”

Serena once again gave thanks to the countless gods of this world that she had never believed in before.

“Philia. Can you hear me? Philia! Wake up!”

“Mmm.”

After calling desperately several times, Philia awakened with a groan.

Serena stopped the maid from trying to get up. Though she also looked fine on the surface like Serena, just in case.

“Don’t move and stay still. Is there anywhere that hurts? How many do you see? Can you hear my voice clearly? Do your eyes, ears, nose, everything seem to be working properly?”

Philia seemed confused, rolling her jewel-like eyes around, then suddenly sat up. Serena tried to press her down saying not to get up, but was overpowered and ended up being embraced.

“Oh my goodness! Lady Serena! Are you alright?”

The awakened Philia hugged Serena and clung to her. Serena sighed.

They say beauties are lovely even when crying, but Philia’s face after lying collapsed on the ground and waking up was grimy with tears, sweat, dust, moss, and dirt.

‘Still pretty though. Amazing.’

She had chosen her as a maid because she was pretty, and she really proved her worth. Not for a single day, not even an hour had her beauty been damaged. Amazing.

“Huhuhu, I thought I was going to die.”

“Philia, calm down. Stop crying. Is there anywhere that hurts?”

“No, wahhh.”

“Don’t answer carelessly and respond seriously. Check properly if there’s anything strange. Right now you might not know you’re hurt because you’re excited.”

Philia sniffled and released Serena from her embrace.

She bent her delicate fingers as if carved by a master craftsman, slowly got up from her spot and even stood on tiptoes.

Serena also got up and snapped her fingers near Philia’s ear. Fortunately, Philia also seemed to have no injuries like Serena.

“Can I hug you now?”

“No.”

When her master refused, Philia started tearing up again. Serena ignored the beauty’s tears and asked about Philia’s memory.

“There was a sudden earthquake and I grabbed your hand tightly to die together with Lady Serena… Huh!”

“What?”

“I was definitely holding your hand tightly, so why were we separated? I had no intention of letting go even if I died!”

“You probably lost strength when you fainted.”

“Even if I faint or die, I won’t let go of Lady Serena’s hand.”

“At this rate you’ll say you want to enter the same coffin.”

“If it’s with Lady Serena, I’d be happy to be buried alive with you.”

“What a horrible thing to say.”

It was an unwelcome joke in a situation where they might really die if this cave had no exit.

“Let’s go this way for now. That way is blocked.”

“In situations like this, shouldn’t we wait until people come? You always told me, Lady Serena. To stay put if anything happens.”

‘That was something I only said to you.’

She had told the maid to stay put because she was worried the maid, who looked pure and innocent but was actually close to being a troublemaker, might cause bigger accidents.

Now the situation was different.

“Normally that would be right, but the earthquake was quite big.”

Serena swallowed dryly with a heavy heart. It was an earthquake of such magnitude that adults were thrown from the ground, buildings collapsed, and the earth split apart.

Moreover, since the earthquake occurred in the kingdom’s capital, she couldn’t imagine how extensive the damage would be. Just thinking about it made her feel dizzy and gave her chills.

‘The entire capital must have been affected. How many people died? Is Seraph okay?’

Serena trembled as she recalled footage of earthquake damage scenes she had seen in her past life.

An earthquake in the capital during the monumental 1000th anniversary of the nation’s founding. It felt as if they were cursed.

‘Wait a minute.’

Serena furrowed her brow seriously. She also pursed her lips.

‘Is it really a curse?’

In her past life, she would have scoffed, saying “what cursed nonsense,” but where was she now?

Reborn as a princess in a fantasy world. A world that had everything—gods, magic, monsters, even labyrinths.

Look at the tragedy of Huji that occurred 18 years ago. Back then too, though the location was different, an earthquake was the cause.

Before the 1000th anniversary of the founding, the royal family had all mobilized, including the collateral branches, to visit ancestral graves, and everyone except the king died.

Thanks to that, Serena’s father, who was hated by the king and couldn’t participate in the grave visit, became crown prince.

‘No. The scale is too large to be a curse. Don’t tell me this is an earthquake zone?’

The terrain seemed strangely enclosed—could it actually be an earthquake zone? What if the high, rugged mountain range surrounding the country was actually formed by tectonic plates colliding?

“If you’re going to establish a nation, you should do it in a proper place that’s not an earthquake zone.”

Serena grumbled without realizing it.

“Lady Serena?”

“It’s nothing.”

“If you’re cold, please wear my cloak.”

Philia, thinking Serena was trembling from cold, took off her cloak. Serena returned the cloak to her loyal maid.

“I’m not trembling from cold, so you keep it on. You’re sensitive to cold.”

“I’m not cold at all!”

“This isn’t the time to waste time like this, so just wear it.”

“Yes.”

Whether it’s curses or earthquake zones, survival comes first. The disaster that struck Heuji City was something to worry about after getting out.

“It’s bright over there, so there must be something. Let’s move while our bodies aren’t too exhausted.”

“Understood.”

After moving along the wall for what felt like less than 3 minutes, something that shouldn’t exist in a natural cave appeared.

It was a statue.

The light illuminating the cave came from the space behind the statue. Though it was hard to see clearly due to the cave’s low ceiling and the statue blocking the view, it was obviously artificial at first glance.

As they approached closer, behind the statue there were clear traces of human hands. After passing through a stone passage, there was a wide space. There was even something like a fountain in the center.

‘A fountain?’

Serena examined the statue first, wondering if she could learn information about the space behind the cave.

‘It’s ugly.’

The size was roughly up to Serena’s chest. It looked clumsy, as if an unskilled person had tried to carve extremely hard stone and given up.

Still, the reason it could be recognized as a human sculpture was thanks to the faintly remaining vermillion-colored pupils. Without those, she would have thought someone was trying to make a stone tumbler doll.

‘I don’t know what material it is.’

As Serena placed her hand on the statue’s head to check the texture, Philia spoke.

“There are people over there!”

“Be quiet.”

Serena immediately covered Philia’s mouth and crouched down, hiding behind the statue.

As Philia said, two people appeared and wandered around near the fountain.

“Where is this place? What about you, soldier?”

“….”

“If you don’t know, just say you don’t know. Do people have to die before you’ll answer?”

“….”

“This is maddening.”

The two who appeared in the square were the City Guard and peddler that Serena had seen just before falling.

Philia brightened upon seeing the soldier and tried to go out. Serena immediately held her back and covered her mouth.

“Shh.”

“Mmph?”

“He’s armed.”

The guard was armed as befitting a guard. There was no guarantee that the spear in his hands wouldn’t be pointed at Serena or Philia. Though not visible from their current position, he would also have a sword at his waist.

Even if he’s armed, he’s still a soldier, so why be wary?

Philia, who was pure nobility to her soul, was puzzled, but Serena, whose soul had a high commoner content, disagreed. There was nothing wrong with being careful.

“Can I go get my cart?”

“You must not act alone!”

“That’s all my assets.”

The soldier seemed startled by the sudden situation and was extremely tense.

The peddler appeared relaxed in contrast to the soldier. Whether he was truly relaxed or just hadn’t grasped the situation was unclear.

‘Where did those two come from? Ah, there’s a passage in the back.’

There was a passage directly in front of Serena’s direction. She hadn’t noticed it immediately because it was hidden by the fountain. The two seemed to have come from there.

“P-people!”

Another person was added to the square. Someone popped out from the shadows of the passage Serena had belatedly discovered.

“Soldier? That’s a City Guard uniform, right?”

The voice sounded familiar, and it turned out to be the masseuse from Vieta who had massaged Serena just over ten minutes ago.

Serena didn’t step forward immediately and observed the reactions of the soldier and merchant.

“What’s going on? Do you know, soldier?”

Lavenda hurried toward the soldier.

“Halt! Who are you!”

The soldier pointed his spear at the masseuse. Lavenda stopped midway, startled by the menacing atmosphere.

“I’m not a suspicious person.”

“Who are you! If you’re not suspicious, reveal your identity!”

“I’m just a masseuse! I came from Vieta! I have my passport here too, I’m not a suspicious person! Competition is fierce in Vieta, but my boss lured me saying I could make tons of money in Heuji City! It’s true! Even the princess comes to my shop! She came today too!”

Lavenda seemed very frightened and poured out words no one had asked for. She desperately waved the passport she pulled from her inner pocket.

“I closed the shop early and went to the boarding house behind the shop, but my body shook! When I opened my eyes, I was in a strange place and was so surprised. I came looking for people.”

Lavenda’s desperate passport waving paid off. The soldier lowered his spear and gestured.

“Come this way.”

“Yes!”

The soldier’s manner of speaking was still strange. Lavenda didn’t seem to mind and walked quickly.

‘They say Vieta has good public safety. She trusts soldiers quite a bit.’

Philia also trusted soldiers, so perhaps Serena was just overly suspicious.

“Where is this place?”

The soldier didn’t answer.

“It’s useless. He’ll only listen when he’s dead.”

“What? Um, can’t we get out by going down that path?”

Lavenda pointed in the direction where Serena and Philia were.

“Haven’t been that way yet.”

“Lead the way.”

The soldier turned his body as if doing formation training. Walking with his knees bent at 90 degrees, he seemed quite tense.

‘At this rate, I’ll get stabbed to death by a spear thrust in surprise.’

Since there were familiar faces now, it was time to come out.

Serena emerged from behind the statue.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ve already checked this place.”

“Who are you! Reveal your identity!”

The soldier was startled breathless again this time and thrust his spear forward.

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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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