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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The One in a Hundred Thousand (7)
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The party trudged back into the lobby, and Lavenda, reading the grim mood, welcomed them without a word of protest. She dampened a handkerchief with water and gently wiped the sweat from Chrome's and Ralph's faces.
"Lady Serena, what happened?"
Of course, she couldn't expect that kind of consideration from Philia. Serena pressed a finger to her lips, and Philia twitched her mouth but didn't pry.
"Oof."
Chrome groaned and collapsed to the floor. It was as if she'd exhausted every ounce of strength from her creakiest joints, the most worn-out in the group.
"Shall I give you a massage?"
"I'm dyin' of pain here. Ya think pokin' at it will help? It'll just hurt more."
"There are different kinds of massages, you know."
The two of them glanced at Sir Lucas. Serena deliberately nodded emphatically, and Lavenda laid Chrome down on a blanket.
As the masseuse began something like a sports massage, Chrome let out dying wails.
"I'm a goner, old lady!"
"It's working, I tell you."
Leaving Chrome in Lavenda's hands, Serena entered a meeting with Sir Lucas.
"Why didn't you attack the Minotaur?"
Wouldn't it have been simple, under Blind status, to stab its throat or gut? Sir Lucas wore a troubled expression at Serena's question.
"I once told you it takes three knights and one mage to capture a Minotaur without casualties."
"I remember."
"A Minotaur's hide is tough and leathery, its muscles like steel. Ordinary swords or spears barely scratch it."
"It definitely bounced my spear right off!"
"Yes. It deflected that soldier's spear thrust too. My sword would have fared the same."
"But a sword has cutting power—wouldn't that make a difference?"
"Unless it's an enchanted blade, no. When joining the Royal Knights, you choose between a magic shield or sword. I picked the shield."
Sir Lucas lifted the small shield strapped to his left wrist to show her.
"Impressive skill, Sir."
"Thanks to the auxiliary magic on the shield. A head strike might have worked."
Sir Lucas spoke with genuine regret.
"But the noise from you, Duchess..."
The knights in novels always took full blame for everything, but Sir Lucas was great at pointing fingers. It was true that Serena's shout had given away their position, but still.
'It's true, but it rubs me the wrong way.'
Even truth sounds bad depending on tone and attitude. Serena had a commoner's sensibilities, but Sir Lucas's continued insolence was getting under her skin.
'He's capable, so I'll put up with it.'
"Minotaurs are highly resistant to physical attacks but extremely vulnerable to magic. Duchess, by any chance..."
"Impossible. I never learned the Tier 2 Mana Bolt spell."
To cast offensive spells at enemies, one needed to master Mana Bolt for aiming and firing.
Serena hadn't learned it, so her magic was limited to stationary spells or slow-moving ones.
"Pardon? But you can use Tier 3 Ice Creation, can't you?"
"I told you. I only learned what I wanted."
"Is... is that even possible?"
Sir Lucas sounded like he was asking if one could run before learning to walk.
A quick detour to explain this world's magic system.
From Serena's reincarnated perspective, all magic here was divine magic. Because you had to learn it from the God of Magic.
Without offering sacrifices and performing rituals to the God of Magic, no amount of mana or theory knowledge let you cast spells.
If you have to learn from a god, isn't that divine magic? That's Serena's old-world view. The people here saw it differently.
In this world, the God of Magic's spells were distinctly separate from other gods' divine magic.
'Mana lets you rely on talent.'
Other gods' divine magic was god-dependent. No personal mana required. You could only use what the god granted, regardless of your talent—10 power if granted 10, 1 if granted 1.
To grow stronger, it wasn't about personal talent but faith and divine favor.
The God of Magic was cooler than the others.
He allowed anyone with talent and mana to use magic. The catch was the high cost, but no favoritism.
To become a mage, first sense your internal mana and contact the God of Magic via ritual. Success: mage. Fail: try again.
One-shot successes were one in a century. Fewer failures meant more talent. Serena succeeded on her third try and was called a genius.
Contact made? Now the real work begins.
Prepare sacrifices. Perform the offering ritual, specify the desired spell. Sometimes the god assigns one: "Learn this."
Talent comes into play again.
The God of Magic teaches, but he's no patient tutor. Few learn a new spell in one go.
Repeat rituals until his automated will says, "You've mastered it. Be off."
Fortunately,前辈 mages left theory in grimoires for prep study. But wielding mana is still personal skill.
Sacrifices cost a fortune, and you need talent plus brains, so it takes time. Mages are rare.
But mages have a huge edge. Priests are limited to their god's domain: Earth God's priests get earth spells, River God's get water.
Mages? No limits. Learn any school.
'They say the God of Magic is a super socialite among gods.'
Chummy with all, crossing domains freely? Total extrovert king.
'MBTI test would say ESFP.'
Serena shuddered at the God of Magic's greatness. As near-introvert, just imagining it drained her.
Anyway, master theory and if the god permits, you can skip to Tier 3 after one Tier 2.
Our social god's flexibility let Serena learn only Tier 2 Temperature Control, then Tier 3 Ice Creation.
'Normally you'd need more Tier 1 and 2 spells.'
Serena nodded.
"The God of Magic is generous."
"That's... impressive, in a way."
Magic shouldn't be learned like Serena did. Weak foundations mean repeating rituals endlessly.
Of course, Serena wasn't one to waste precious tax money, so she studied theory thoroughly before rituals. Nailed Tier 3 Ice Creation in two tries.
'He cried when I said I was done.'
Her magic tutor kept repeating, "Princess, you have overflowing talent! Don't stop now!" until dragged away. Not a bad teacher.
Sir Lucas seemed to think she'd blown dozens or hundreds of sacrifices on failed rituals. His once-respectful gaze after the Miracle of the Breadfruit turned insolent again.
"I see... So no magic attacks..."
"Blind like before is possible. Just needs time."
Casting on moving targets while moving requires special training.
"Has the Labyrinth God given any new revelations?"
Sir Lucas asked with a hint of hope. Serena shook her head gravely, and he nodded.
"Give me a moment to think."
Sir Lucas moved to a corner of the lobby to devise a plan against the Minotaur.
Serena rehashed the regrets she'd felt dozens of times since falling into the labyrinth.
'Should've studied magic harder!'
Thought she didn't need it as a princess. Turns out the genre was labyrinth escape! Can't foreshadow that? She figured it was psycho drama, soap opera, or political intrigue!
As Serena silently screamed, Philia hurried over.
"Lady Serena learns magic so fast—can't you just learn Mana Bolt?"
"No sacrifices."
"Would this work?"
Philia opened her pouch, revealing gold, silver, and jewels. Gems were favored by the God of Magic, but...
"He likes gems, but magic stones and mana herbs are essential. We have stones but no herbs. And can we even perform rituals in the labyrinth?"
"Good point?"
"Might just waste valuables. Failed rituals consume sacrifices anyway."
Even if contact fails, offerings vanish. Magic eats money like water if talent's lacking.
'Short on firepower.'
Serena opened her left eye to brainstorm countermeasures. Resources for pulls: still 0.
'How do you get gacha coins? What's limited coin for?'
Defeating the Floor and Stratum Boss rat earned shop and limited coins.
But no clue on getting the one-in-100,000-man pull coin or limited coin use.
'It'll come later. It will. I believe you, Labyrinth God!'
Seeing goods stirs desire, even without cash. Serena eyed the item list, mentally wishlist-ing.
"Ouch!"
A loud cry snapped her right eye open. She turned.
"Ya killin' me!"
"This'll make it feel better."
Lavenda was sitting on Chrome, yanking her legs up and arching her back.
'Is that okay? Wrestling move?'
Reminded her of pro wrestling her grandma loved in her past life.
But Lavenda was a top masseuse who'd gotten partnership offers and crossed continents. Surely part of the plan.
"Aaaah!"
"Feels good, right?"
There must be a plan.
Unable to find a breakthrough, Serena finished her supply-focused wishlist and pondered other things.
'Star count grade gaps are bigger than expected.'
Sir Lucas, whose stats she'd pegged equal to (estimated) Royal Knights based on seed stars, was stronger than thought. Star grade differences amplified abilities more than she'd guessed.
'So he's that strong?'
Serena stared hard at Ralph. This freckle-faced quadruplet's uncle was Sir Lucas's equal?
"Hanson."
"Yes, Princess!"
"Try holding a wooden sword instead of the spear."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Ralph grabbed a wooden sword beside Chrome. His transparent stars filled with yellow: two stars. As Serena predicted.
"Sir Lucas! Forgive the rudeness, but could you lend Hanson your sword briefly?"
"Pardon?"
"Just for a moment."
Even Serena knew it was rude. She bowed deeply anyway. Sir Lucas didn't hide his displeasure but unstrapped his scabbard and handed it to Ralph.
"Th-this is a Royal Knight's sword!"
Ralph trembled with awe at holding one.
'It worked.'
Three yellow stars sparkled over Ralph's head. He shook too much to swing it and returned it to Sir Lucas.
'He's equal to Sir Lucas? Really?'
Grades had big gaps, but same grade should be close. Plus Ralph had two extra gray stars.
'Two extra stars mean that much stronger? But then...'
Serena glanced at Philia, whining by the fountain about wanting to wash her hair. Without the noise, she'd be a silver fairy perched there.
One yellow star, trailed by four gray ones.
'What is she, really? Is our Philia five-star?'
Changing gear turned transparent to yellow. What changed gray to yellow?
Just in case, she had Philia hold spear, wooden sword, dinner knife. Grays stayed four.
"Should I fight on Floor 2 too? I'll protect you, Lady Serena!"
Just resolve, no change. As Serena fretted over Philia slowing them, Sir Lucas, meditating in the corner, called everyone together.
"Everyone, gather round."
