Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 59

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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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59. Seraph (2)

“The traps we saw on our way here. They were all made by humans.”

Olive raised the right corner of her mouth and smiled. Her eyes weren’t smiling.

“Are you talking about that colleague who erased the traces earlier?”

“This isn’t just any ordinary vicious bastard. I was careless earlier too, but this was deliberately made to activate when the wire is cut. They read human psychology. These kinds of traps don’t appear in labyrinths. Seeing how five people’s traces changed to one person’s traces, they’re deliberately staying behind to set up traps.”

Olive showed the party the dismantled trap components to support her explanation.

Count Randy admired the structure he recognized, while Ralph and Ying just stared blankly.

Serena also had some knowledge of traps and understood Olive’s explanation.

“Such a vicious bastard wouldn’t travel with the prince out of goodwill. Either the prince is being deceived by a villain, or we should be prepared that the prince might be held hostage when we encounter them.”

“Weren’t the traps made to target monsters? Hostage seems like an extreme thought.”

“No, Knight. These were made to target people, not monsters. This isn’t ordinary temperament. There’s malice in it, malice.”

Serena, who could read traps, agreed with Olive’s opinion. As the guide said, the traps were full of the installer’s malice. The malice was packed tight like grandmother’s heaping bowls of rice.

“It’s full of malice. We can proceed this way.”

“But the prince is in danger. He might be held hostage or being deceived.”

“If what Olive says is true, it would be better to be careful.”

“Lady Serena, there seems to be a dangerous criminal.”

Olive, Ralph, and Count Randy were all convinced that the one who set the traps couldn’t be the prince. Serena lamented people’s fixed preconceptions.

How could they all lack creativity and imagination! How could they conquer a labyrinth where anything could happen with this attitude!

“I spoke too late and confused you all. I’m sorry.”

Serena, like a generous princess, blamed herself for the party’s lack of imagination. The party was puzzled by the sudden apology.

“Before Seraph fell into gambling, his hobby was trap making. He was excellent at installing traps using terrain features.”

“The prince.”

“Makes traps.”

“You’re saying?”

The three who repeated what Serena said in sequence were surprised and flustered. Olive’s reaction was particularly intense.

“The prince made this? No, this isn’t ordinary skill?”

“Trap making, dungeon design. It’s a hobby that anyone from House Huaim has at least once. Seraph didn’t have proper adults to teach him so he was self-taught, but if you’re reacting like this, his skills must not be bad.”

“Even self-taught? Royalty having adults teach trap installation?”

To explain this unique hobby, she would have to recite the sad family history of unusually frequent grave robbing.

Serena postponed the explanation. They had already delayed too much time, so she wanted to find her brother quickly.

“I’ll explain slowly once we find my brother. Seraph’s skills are certain, so let’s hurry.”

“You must explain! Promise!”

Like the 1st floor lobby, the 3rd layer seemed to reflect the flow of time as it grew dark. After wandering around cliffs and caves for half a day without rest, it was deadly.

Her legs refused the brain’s commands. Whether caves or narrow paths, walking anywhere with dragging feet was dangerous. Olive’s gaze frequently fell on Serena, and finally the guide declared a forced rest.

“Princess. Your heart must be urgent, but if we push harder from here, it’ll be dangerous. It’s gotten dark too, so let’s rest now.”

“I also want to find the prince quickly, but I agree with Olive’s opinion.”

“I think so too, Lady Serena. Seeing that the bats have disappeared from the caves, they must be awake and active, making it harder to notice attacks than during the day.”

The labyrinth condors that had been wandering the sky between gusts disappeared, and the bats that had been hanging from cave ceilings woke up and went outside the caves.

Even if they could somehow proceed through stalactite caves, moving along cliffs at night was dangerous. Serena had no choice but to nod.

***

The party’s dinner side dish was bat meat. They decided to eat the condor meat when they returned to the 1st floor lobby for the picky Philia.

Ralph volunteered to handle meal preparation. Ying had defeated monsters almost single-handedly and Olive was in charge of route guidance and trap dismantling, so he felt embarrassed having done nothing.

What was Serena doing, who had truly done nothing and slowed down the party’s pace? She was diligently stretching her muscles to prevent becoming the party’s baggage by being truly unable to move tomorrow.

“Here, like this.”

“Is this right?”

“Oh my, Princess. Not here, use this muscle!”

Olive would take a position and Serena would follow. Ying stuck close to Serena’s side, correcting the princess’s clumsy posture.

“Ugh!”

“Zero, the princess is weak, so push gently.”

“Mmph, that’s fine…”

If the posture didn’t look right to Ying, she immediately corrected it with force. Serena was dying while Count Randy watched anxiously, but they couldn’t stop here.

‘Muscle pain is confirmed for tomorrow. I can’t be unable to move like last time.’

So she had to stretch her muscles in advance while receiving expert advice. Count Randy turned his gaze away as if it was hard to watch.

“I’m sorry, Lady Serena. Once we leave the labyrinth, I will definitely develop a potion effective for muscle pain.”

‘I won’t need it once we leave the labyrinth.’

Serena didn’t crush the alchemist’s development enthusiasm. Even if she wouldn’t need it, it would help someone in the future.

“It’s ready.”

Ralph served the completed bat stew with bread. It was called stew, but it was actually boiled bat soup with dried bread on the side, though the smell was surprisingly decent.

“There are also skewers. Please eat them together. Princess, please start with the stew. Your body will feel a bit better.”

The reason he bothered to make stew when skewers would have been sufficient was apparently to give Serena warm meat broth.

The knight’s warm consideration didn’t reach the princess due to the ingredients.

‘Bats.’

The pandemic that struck the world in her previous life left a deep impression on Serena. Even after being reborn and becoming an adult, bat meat felt repulsive.

‘It’s thoroughly cooked, so it should be fine, right?’

Since she saw the meat broth boiling vigorously in the pot, the stew should be okay.

Serena glared at the bat stew with sharp eyes, then warned the people picking up skewers.

“Even if it burns a little, make sure to cook it properly before eating.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

“If it’s really difficult to eat, shall I take out some condor meat?”

“It’s fine.”

“When washing the meat, I noticed there were mushrooms. Shall I go pick some?”

“No. Mushrooms are dangerous if eaten carelessly.”

Serena drank the bat meat broth to show the worried Ralph and Count Randy. It tasted better than expected. It was even better when she soaked the dry bread in it.

Seeing Serena eat, Count Randy felt relieved and began worrying about other things.

“I’m worried about whether my wife is doing well.”

“Lavenda is taking good care of her, so don’t worry too much.”

“Lavenda must be worried too. It’s her first time staying out overnight, so she must have been surprised.”

“Even if we had told her in advance, she’d still be worried. But it can’t be helped~”

When exploring a labyrinth, return times can’t be consistent. They had given advance notice to those remaining in the lobby, but from the perspective of those waiting without knowing the detailed circumstances, it would be frustrating, anxious, and scary.

‘I know that feeling.’

Serena knew better than anyone because she had experienced it. The best thing she could do for those worrying in the lobby was to quickly conquer the labyrinth and return safely.

To do that, she had to find Seraph quickly.

‘Where on earth is he?’

How nice it would be if flowers bloomed quietly like flowers should, and if trash stayed quietly in disposal sites like trash should. This damn flower-trash had legs and kept moving around, toying with the party.

“Sigh.”

Thinking of her brother naturally made her sigh. Serena drank the hot broth to disguise her inner thoughts as if the sigh came from that.

Serena was permanently excluded from night watch duty. She was too tired to even feel embarrassed and closed her eyes.

***

A rose garden where roses bloomed luxuriantly only in one season. A girl with purple hair walked briskly through the garden that was deliberately designed like a small maze.

Sniff sniff.

She moved her small steps toward the direction where a child’s crying could be heard. At the place she finally arrived, a child smaller than the girl was hiding under rose bushes and crying.

“Sniff, waaah.”

“Are you stupid?”

“Sniff.”

The child hiding raised their head at the girl’s cold voice. They looked to be about seven or eight years old.

There was a large scratch on the young child’s white cheek. Blood still trickled from the scabbed skin that hadn’t stopped bleeding.

“I told you not to go to Mother. I said it was dangerous.”

Instead of gentle comfort, cold reproach fell. Tears welled up again in the child’s eyes, who had hoped for consolation.

“I’m hurt. I’m bleeding.”

“If you’re hurt, call a priest to heal you. Or use a potion. Don’t pathetically hide in corners like this bothering people. How ugly it would look if you get a big scar on your face.”

The girl had been dragged out to find her sibling while having fun, so she was in a bad mood. She didn’t care about a sibling who got hurt for not listening to his sister’s advice.

“I’ll call someone.”

As the girl turned around, the hem of her long, voluminous dress rippled. The child reached out and grabbed the dress.

“Don’t go.”

“I was meditating and came out to find you. Let go.”

“Don’t go. Stay next to me. Comfort me.”

“What did I tell you last time? I clearly said not to let your guard down even when Mother’s condition is good. I don’t need a sibling who breaks promises.”

“I won’t do it again. Don’t go. I’m hurt. I’m bleeding.”

The child tore at the coagulated scab to exaggerate the wound. As the sealed wound opened, blood flowed freely.

“Sigh.”

The girl took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the child’s wound mixed with tears and blood. When the girl showed interest, the child’s mouth opened wide with joy. They were so happy they forgot the pain of the wound being pressed.

“Your Highness! Are you here?”

“Oh, someone came to find you.”

The happiness was brief. As the servant approached, the girl handed the child over to the servant and turned away.

“Don’t go!”

“An adult is here now, so it’s fine, right?”

“Don’t go, sister!”

“If you get beaten by Mother or Father again and hide crying, I’ll never come find you.”

“Don’t go, Serena!”

Even as the child held by the servant cried and pleaded, Serena never looked back or returned. Seraph’s crying grew louder, echoing resoundingly through the Rose Garden.

“Don’t go!”

***

Serena opened her eyes. She had dreamed of her childhood. It wasn’t a particularly good memory.

Seraph would approach Mother on his own and get beaten, then cry from sadness. He would demand the love no one gave him from his sister who could at least communicate, get rejected and angry, then cry again.

‘Was I too harsh?’

But Serena’s situation wasn’t good enough for such reflection.

‘I felt real threats to my survival because adults were either indifferent or trying to kill me. Seraph at least had people who cared for him so he didn’t worry about dying, and I took good care of him once I got older. He doesn’t even know gratitude.’

At least in an orphanage, if child abuse occurs, you can seek help from outside. The subtle child abuse that unfolded under the indifference of the king, crown prince, and crown princess—the pinnacle of the nation—had nowhere to appeal.

Serena’s obsession with seizing control wasn’t for nothing. For Serena, it was a matter of survival.

One might wonder how she could suffer child abuse when she was the only royal grandchild before her sibling was born, the precious princess of Heuji.

Surprisingly, it was possible. Even Serena wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t experienced it directly, but human malice and greed were endless and always tested people’s imagination.

“Haah.”

“You’re up early.”

Count Randy, who had taken the last night watch, handed Serena water steeped with herbs. He said it had pain-relieving effects that would help with muscle pain. Count Randy had also drunk a cup since he had muscle pain too.

“Ugh.”

Despite stretching hard before sleeping yesterday, it hurt enough to bring tears to her eyes with every movement. Her whole body ached. Even breathing hurt, making it impossible to move her body.

“Muscle pain needs to be worked out by moving. It will be difficult, but please endure.”

Ralph bowed his head apologetically, saying he was sorry he could only tell her to endure. She grabbed Ralph’s hand and forced herself up, ate breakfast, and walked while enduring the full-body muscle pain.

“I’m worried we won’t be able to catch up.”

“That’s fine. The Prince’s party is slow because they’re searching for paths, but we’re following traces so we’re faster.”

“His Highness must have rested at night too. Don’t worry. We’ll definitely find them.”

“Right.”

True to Olive’s confident declaration, Serena and her party discovered Seraph’s group not far away.

Perhaps they had decided to rest at night like Serena, as they had lit a campfire with five people lying around it.

Were they still not awake? Wasn’t it too careless for everyone to be sleeping without even a night watch?

“Hello hello! Everyone wake up!”

Olive called out loudly in advance to announce their approach, but no one got up. The Guide walking ahead stopped.

“This can’t be right.”

“What’s wrong?”

Instead of Olive who had stopped, Ying took large strides toward Seraph’s party. She knelt beside the closest person, put her hand to their neck, then slowly shook her head.

“They’re all dead.”

“What?”

Serena’s jaw dropped open.

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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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