Chapter 211 The Royal Capital of Sorrow
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
One month ago, the crown officially announced the death of Princess Marina. For the nobles of the Princess faction, this was a reality they refused to acknowledge. Yet, in the month since Marquis Aprelton had been sentenced to house arrest, the trail of Princess Marina remained cold, despite the King and the Princess faction’s exhaustive efforts to search the middle layers.
In the vacuum of her absence, the Marquis returned to the social stage, and the Prince faction surged back to power. Because the Princess had failed to appear in the middle layers – an area where only her supporters were permitted – the whispers that her survival was a lost cause grew louder by the day. King Valentio was trapped by the political facade of neutrality; he could not appear to favor one faction too heavily without risking a civil schism.
The Marquis and his allies exploited this, pressuring King Valentio to stop clinging to a survival he couldn’t prove. They argued that national stability should not be held hostage by a father’s private grief. Ultimately, even the King could not withstand the weight of their “counsel,” and he was forced to stop delaying the official rites.
After another month of stalling, the search was formally abandoned, and the date for a state funeral was set. The Prince faction pushed to reopen the middle layers, but their “precautionary search” was a transparent excuse to send assassins. Using the lingering distrust left behind by Fried, the Princess faction narrowly managed to keep the blockade in place.
Three months had passed in total. Today was the day an empty coffin would be sent to the grave. While a state funeral was mandatory for a royal, many had hoped the long preparation time would yield a miracle. In the end, it had been nothing but a fleeting hope.
”It’s almost time. Are you ready?”
”Yes, dear…”
The funeral procession was scheduled to leave the royal castle before the morning sun reached its peak. The nobles were tucked away in their assigned chambers, waiting for the signal to move to the Great Hall. Baron Confianza and his wife, Roeni, sat in one such room, watching the clock.
”Roeni,” said Silcro. “Just as we cannot prove Her Highness is alive, the Marquis has ensured that his own web of conspiracies makes it impossible to prove Her Highness is dead. All we can do now is prepare so that we can welcome Her Highness back the moment she returns. For now, we must attend this ceremony with dignity. We cannot give the Prince faction another inch of ground.”
”I know,” Roeni replied.
Anyone with an eye for politics could feel the rot beneath this funeral. Yet, because it was a matter of national prestige, no one dared to object. Roeni, who firmly believed the Princess lived, had to choke down her fury. Silcro caught her eye, his gaze a silent warning. She felt a sting of shame for her lack of composure. (I need to keep it together…)
A soft knock at the door broke the silence. A valet peeked in to report that Count Alegria had arrived. Seeing a fellow believer in the Princess’s survival was a relief, yet Roeni felt a surge of the very emotions she was trying to suppress.
”I am glad to see you are holding up, Baron,” said Count Alegria. “Forgive the intrusion. And Roeni-dono¹, I am sorry we haven’t had the chance to speak lately.”
”Not at all, Count,” Roeni replied. “We know how busy you’ve been.”
The Count sat down, his usual aura of authority intact, though his face looked thinner than Roeni remembered. The strain of mourning a Princess while his own daughter remained missing was clearly taking its toll.
”The day has finally come,” the Count said.
”Yes…”
With time running out, they spoke quickly. Since the Marquis’s release, private meetings had become dangerous. The Count had come to gauge the truth: how much hope was actually left?
”I know some of our own are starting to give up,” said Count Alegria. “I haven’t forgotten the knights who fell, but I know for a fact that at least three people – including my daughter – were alive when they escaped from Fried. Roeni-dono, you said they could last a month. It’s been three. What is your honest assessment?”
”Well,” Roeni began. “Based on everything we know, the destination for a Random Warp² on the twenty-seventh floor is limited to the middle layers. My people reached the fifty-seventh floor – the absolute bottom – and found nothing. The odds are much lower now. Honestly, if it were just about staying alive, Yuuri could keep them going for years. But Her Highness is driven. It’s hard to believe she would stay hidden for three months if she had a way back. That leaves two possibilities: they overreached trying to return and met with disaster, or the Random Warp actually connects to the deep layers.”
Rationality dictated they were dead. But Labyrinth Guides were taught that survival was the only rule.
”Is it possible they saw the search party and hid, mistaking them for assassins?” asked Count Alegria.
”Unlikely,” Roeni said. “None of them have detection skills. Unless they were in a wide-open area and ducked into a Safety Area³ long before the scouts arrived, our searchers would have found them. And Yuuri knows my people. He would have reached out.”
”I see,” the Count said.
”However,” Roeni added, “the Princess took Yuuri’s advice before. She told him to speak plainly regardless of rank. A woman who trusts a professional wouldn’t throw her life away on a reckless gamble.”
The Count’s expression lightened. “True. I know Her Highness. If Ashley and the others trust this man, and you vouch for him, then I have to believe they are simply pinned down, waiting for us.”
Bolstered by the conversation, the Count thanked them and hurried toward the King’s quarters.
”I hope that helped,” Roeni said.
”It did,” said Silcro. “He chose to hope. Now, we should go. It’s the curse of being a Baron; we can’t afford to be late to a party we don’t want to attend.”
They navigated the castle halls, led by a royal page. Their seats were positioned near the neutrals – a perfect map of the Baron’s current precarious standing.
”Well,” Silcro whispered. “I certainly won’t be shaking hands with the Prince faction’s clients today.”
Confianza was now firmly in the Princess faction’s camp. By crushing the Marquis’s plot, they had become a target for the Prince’s allies, who had promptly cut off all business ties. It was a massive financial blow, but Silcro had already begun pivoting, establishing new trades with the neutral lords who were now eager for labyrinth resources.
”Ah, Baron Confianza!” called out a noble from the aisle. “Our last trade was excellent! And Madame, you look… radiant today!”
Silcro’s gamble was paying off, but the stability was brittle. If the Princess faction collapsed, so would their new market. Roeni watched her husband work the room, wishing the Princess would return and end this charade.
Silence fell as the front rows filled. King Valentio was approaching. Roeni looked at the heavy, ornate coffin sitting near the dais. It was empty – a hollow box for a hollow ceremony. A bitter, self-deprecating smile touched her lips as she prepared to pray for a woman she knew wasn’t there.
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Summary:
The kingdom prepares for the state funeral of Princess Marina, despite a lack of physical evidence of her death. Marquis Aprelton has successfully pressured King Valentio into abandoning the search to maintain political stability. Amidst the somber atmosphere, the Confianza family meets with Count Alegria to reaffirm their secret belief that the Princess and her companions survive deep within the labyrinth.
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Trivia:
- The mention of ‘Deep Layers’ suggests the Random Warp may have sent the party much further than anyone initially suspected, raising the stakes for their return.
- The blockade of the middle layers prevents the Prince faction’s assassins from finishing the job, but also limits rescue efforts.
- Silcro’s shift toward neutral nobles shows a pragmatic survival strategy that could build a third power base in the capital
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Character Insight:
Silcro and Roeni have moved from being mere merchants to the ‘vanguard’ of the Princess faction. Their relationship remains a grounded anchor, with Silcro managing the political sharks while Roeni provides the technical hope that keeps their allies, like Count Alegria, from despair.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The labyrinth’s mechanics, specifically ‘Random Warps’ and ‘Safety Areas,’ are shown to be the defining factors of life and death. The politics of the capital are heavily influenced by the accessibility of labyrinth resources, making the Baron house a key player.
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TL Notes:
The honorific ‘-dono’ was retained in dialogue as it denotes a specific level of respect between peers of high standing, whereas royal titles were localized to Western standards for readability.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
• Valentio – The current King of Restea. A large, imposing man with sun-gold hair and a crown, he commands authority, though his current actions reveal a deep-seated agitation, likely due to the political crisis and the uncertainty surrounding his daughter, Marina’s, fate. Looks like King Bradley from certain series.
• Roeni – Guild receptionist, former adventurer, now a baroness—mentor to Yuuri. The wife of Baron Silcro Confianza, and effectively manages the labyrinth exploration business which is the foundation of their house’s power. She is a former adventurer, which gives her a practical, no-nonsense approach to problems. Look like Lisa from certain game, brown hair but neat hair.
• Silcro – The Baron Confianza, the quiet genius whose family’s survival depends on their exploitation of the Royal Labyrinth. He is short and round, a look that sometimes causes people to underestimate him, which he uses to his advantage. He is utterly devoted to his wife, Roeni, who he sees as his greatest asset and love.
• Count Alegria – A distinguished noble and a key figure in the Princess Faction. He is known for his strict outward demeanor but possesses a kind heart and a fierce loyalty to his only daughter, Ashley. He has short, neatly trimmed silver hair and wears exquisitely tailored, dark three-piece suits and look like like Vayne Solidor.
• Yuuri – The Master, a masculine‑identified protagonist of the Workshop, commands Suzuri and Yui with high‑level garment and creation skills. He treats his wives and servants possessively, wielding an arrogant, dominant aura and an erotic skill that grants powers through sexual acts.
• Ashley – The Count’s daughter, a poised royal attendant in elegant noble attire, secretly admires Yuuri and is noted as a possible aide for future dressing duties.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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