Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 322

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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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322. Sprout

‘You really believe that?! You said it yourself! What’s with the sudden change of stance?!’

“Hoot. The princess is still young.”

The High Priest of Darkness, with a black bandage wrapped around his left arm and dressed entirely in black, looked at Serena with a genuinely amused smile.

“You shouldn’t believe everything people say.”

It was the tone of a relative elder teaching life lessons to a child.

Hearing this, Serena’s blood pressure shot up.

Serena finally couldn’t hold back and grabbed Ying by the collar.

“Aaaah! Lady Serena, please calm down! Then why do you wear that confusing black bandage around?!”

Count Randy pulled Serena away while protesting to Ying.

Ying’s lips curled up.

“Because it looks cool.”

“Count, don’t stop me! I need to grab his collar and shake him at least once!”

“Aaaah, Lady Serena! Please maintain your dignity! Th-then you have no connection to the labyrinth adventurer with a black bandage recorded in the Empire’s history?”

“They were pioneers of style.”

What’s 200 years? Even if a thousand years passed, it seemed unlikely that Ying’s pursuit of style would ever become popular with the masses.

Serena calmed her excitement and caught her breath.

‘So he’s going to stick to his character setting.’

If the Loyal Servant of Darkness kept his mouth shut and insisted, there wasn’t much Serena could do about it.

As Serena gave up on getting Ying to talk, the Archer’s black eyes gleamed.

“If you change your deity to Darkness, I’m willing to have a long conversation.”

“When the Labyrinth has bestowed grace upon me, how could I follow another deity?”

“I too am loyal to Gold.”

The Princess and Alchemist immediately shouted “Not buying it, don’t believe it!”

***

Serena took a nap and only woke up in the evening to hear Grey’s report.

Grey had even prepared a written report to present to the Princess. The 5th Layer complete conquest schedule was neatly written in chronological order.

“From interpreting the patterns, we also discovered that one of the pitfall traps on the 4th Layer leads directly to the 5th Layer. This should be a great help for the 2nd Corps’ labyrinth exploration.”

“That’s good news.”

There wasn’t much else of note. With Olive alone being reliable, and Grey joining in, it was only natural.

“I was planning to gradually start participating in labyrinth exploration from this point, but I’m going to step back. Lobby security is important too, and it would be better to meditate and gather mana instead of spending time on labyrinth exploration.”

Unfortunately, Grey’s labyrinth exploration turned out to be a one-time thing.

Despite installing two doors and paying attention to lobby security, it seemed insufficient in Grey’s view.

“Do as you wish.”

Given the Ghostly Voice incident, Serena accepted Grey’s resignation.

Next, Prince Willow stepped forward to report what had happened in the lobby.

The Prince first bowed his head. He didn’t just bow to Serena, but to everyone in the lobby.

“I’m deeply ashamed.”

“Anyone can be enchanted by a Ghostly Voice. It’s not only the Prince’s fault. If we’re talking about that, my mistake in bringing you to the lobby without considering the possibility of the Ghostly Voice following is greater. Let’s end this discussion.”

Thinking Prince Willow might apologize at length like Knight Marin, Serena firmly concluded the conversation.

‘If I don’t end it here, Lavenda and Count Alpha will apologize in a chain like sausages.’

Tracing back the fault, it was Serena’s mistake for not listening to Low’s advice and waiting at the mountain lodge for more than 7 days, and going further back, it was Sesi’s constitution of being easily startled.

Prince Willow looked unconvinced, but since Grey was satisfied, that was enough. The Prince reported what had happened in the lobby.

Aside from purchasing sausages and herbs that came out of the vending machine, nothing special happened in the lobby. But while reporting, Prince Willow smoothly stepped back.

‘Why is he doing that?’

As Serena raised one eyebrow, Countess Randy took the Prince’s place.

“Countess Randy. Do you have something to report?”

“Hoho, nothing special happened in the lobby. But there was something in the herb garden.”

The herb garden had been torn up not long ago, but had the plants already been restored?

As Serena looked puzzled, Philia smiled broadly.

“Count Ralph will especially like this.”

At those words, Ralph overcame even Heuji Jeolmi’s smile and brightened up.

“Have sprouts emerged?”

“Go see with your own eyes, Count. Hoho.”

“Wooooah! I’m going to the herb garden!”

Excited Ralph held back his urge to immediately charge to the herb garden and looked for someone to go with him. Many volunteered.

‘Sprouts came from the seeds Ralph planted? Really?’

Serena was also curious, so she got up from her chair.

“Those who are curious, let’s all go together.”

The remaining group had already seen the sprouts, so they didn’t need to see them again, but the smile of the Young Knight looking at the sprouts was worth following to see.

Not only Lavenda, but Grey and even Neet accompanied them to the herb garden.

Everyone left the lobby.

“Oh my. Even knowing they’ll return soon, it feels empty.”

Prince Willow, who couldn’t leave the lobby due to his curse, felt melancholy in the empty lobby, then smiled brightly upon seeing someone who had stayed.

“Oh, Lady Krom! Did you stay for poor me? I’m touched.”

“If the Empire’s Prince is pitiful, how do other people live being so pitiful? Stop talking nonsense and exercise. The grey-haired young master and the pretty knight told me to watch you.”

The stairs to heaven were over. Now it was the era of infinite ladders with no end no matter how much you climbed.

Prince Willow forgot his dignity and climbed the ladder while sniffling.

***

Serena, who went to the vegetable garden disguised as an herb garden, smiled warmly at the sight of small light green sprouts poking up from the soil.

Newly born and growing life, whether plant or animal, brought peace and happiness to people’s hearts.

“Sprouts really came up! Wow, wooow!”

Ralph excitedly prostrated himself in the field. He caressed the sprouts more carefully than when handling chicks.

It was behavior unbecoming of a knight, but no one scolded Ralph. Everyone smiled.

“Hmm. Were the seeds purchased from the vending machine special? Or was the fertilizer good? Or perhaps there’s another reason…”

Count Randy, knowing that labyrinth farming had failed, was curious about why Ralph’s garden had half-succeeded (the beginning is half the battle).

Olive, who had been patting the soil around the sprouts as if they were cute, said playfully.

“Hey~ These guys grew because they wanted to see the Countess’s beauty too.”

“Countess! Thank you for watering them even though it must have been difficult!”

Ralph bowed politely to Philia. Philia shook her head vigorously.

“It wasn’t difficult.”

‘So she asked Philia to water the field. Well, since she waters the trees daily while tending to them, she would have given water consistently.’

To not forget and fulfill someone else’s request other than Serena or Count Randy. Serena was proud of her maid and patted her head.

“Even with the pond nearby, carrying water to sprinkle evenly must have been heavy and difficult. Well done.”

“No, it really wasn’t difficult.”

Philia repeated the same words again. Serena was slightly surprised.

‘Oh, now she even has a modest attitude.’

Look at Philia’s slender arms. Even though she had watered the field with barely enough strength to lift a watering can full of water with both hands, saying it wasn’t difficult was very admirable.

Serena was proud of her friend’s growth and patted her head again. Happy that the Princess had reached out first twice, Philia linked arms with Serena.

“More than that, Lady Serena. Look at that staff. It’s becoming more and more staff-like. Right?”

Serena looked at the magic-imbued tree that Philia was growing with utmost devotion, filled with desire.

As Philia said, it was growing in the shape of a staff to the point where one might wonder if it was okay for it to grow like this.

“If it continues growing like this, it will really become a good magic staff. Even treasure chests in the labyrinth depths would have difficulty producing a better staff than this.”

Since Grey acknowledged it, that said it all. Philia smiled proudly while stroking the staff.

Seeing this, Sesi quietly said to her sisters.

“It’s fortunate that the Chicken Leader didn’t touch the staff.”

“If the staff had broken, Sesi would have been killed by the Countess.”

“Ugh!”

Even though it hadn’t happened, just imagining it made Sesi dizzy and she trembled.

“Lady Serena, dear. I’ll return to the lobby now.”

Count Randy, who had been happily gazing at his wife’s delighted expression, managed to pull himself out of heaven by his own strength. Not because he wanted to.

“From Sesi’s medicine to armor and potions. There’s a lot to craft.”

It was because he had many things to do.

“Don’t overwork yourself. The Count’s health comes first.”

Serena advised the precious alchemist to take care of his own body first.

Perhaps worried about her overworking husband, Philia left her master’s side and linked arms with her husband.

“I’ll help too.”

“My wife is going to help! I feel all my fatigue disappearing!”

The Count Randy couple returned to the lobby, boasting their rust-proof marital harmony like gold.

Serena slowly reviewed the labyrinth conquest schedule.

‘I need to consider rest time after all the crafting is done. There’s plenty of time left until we conquer the 12th layer?’

It would be wise to spend that time practicing magic or perfectly conquering other layers.

She excluded the 3rd layer from the candidate layers. It was too vast and the paths were complex, plus movement was inconvenient, so the effort and time to perfectly conquer that place would be better spent conquering other layers.

‘Then the next would be the 4th layer. It’ll be annoying to move half in light and half in darkness.’

There was no point worrying alone. As Serena was about to hear the opinions of the labyrinth experts first, the Old Man blocked her path.

“You’re thinking about the next conquest schedule right now, aren’t you?”

At his tone suggesting Serena’s thoughts were obvious, the Princess almost reflexively tried to argue but stopped herself.

Denying it out of petty rebelliousness would only be her loss. Didn’t her sibling always lose out that way?

“Yes. What do you all think?”

Instead, Serena rebelled by asking for everyone’s opinion rather than responding to Grey who had hit the mark.

“Me! I think it’s time to perfectly conquer the 4th layer now! Yes!”

Olive raised her hand high and shouted. The Guide shared the same opinion as Serena. The other labyrinth adventurers, the Archer and Hunter, also nodded in agreement.

Then Grey narrowed his eyes as if troubled.

“Hmm. Actually, I’d like you to visit the 8th layer.”

“The 8th layer?”

Displeased with the layer Grey mentioned, Serena also narrowed her one eye.

The 8th floor of Heuji’s Labyrinth is a massive library.

It was an excellent place where one could obtain everything from commonly available books to long-lost documents, various forbidden texts, and even books of uncertain authenticity that hadn’t been published yet, as well as knowledge from other worlds.

However, despite having membership cards, Serena and her party couldn’t use this wonderful library.

The library rules about not speaking were troublesome, and the Shadow Tiger that came when rules were broken was too frightening.

The biggest problem was that the party had built up resentment with the Book-Eating Fox spirit.

This fox spirit held such a proper grudge that whenever the party went to the 8th layer, it would appear like a ghost and try to bestow a curse-like blessing on the party.

It was a blessing that added fire attributes to all physical attacks for a certain number of battles.

To ignore the blessing and explore the 8th layer…

‘If we accidentally set a book on fire, the Shadow Tiger gets summoned immediately.’

For this reason, Serena had completely erased the 8th layer from her mind.

‘Knowing all that, you’re telling us to visit the 8th layer?’

“Weren’t you the one who said the 8th layer was dangerous because spirits remember grudges for a long time? Have you perhaps found a way to avoid the spirit’s resentment?”

Serena recalled the information that spirits were weak to beautiful women and quickly added.

“We can’t take Philia.”

Grey made a sad face as if he really had been planning to suggest taking Philia.

“Can’t we just show the spirit Sister-in-law’s beauty?”

“No. It’s too dangerous on the 8th layer since we can’t use magic either.”

Even though Serena could cast magic through writing, it was just as dangerous since the casting speed was slower than chanting spells verbally.

“But. Hmm. I guess it can’t be helped.”

The Old Man clicked his tongue and said to Serena.

“Let me show you what I’m currently researching with the Count, then I’ll speak again.”

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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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