Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 127

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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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127. The Reason That Count Went to Heuji (1)

“A legendary Sword Master. They really exist?”

The guide looked at the Princess while trying to suppress her trembling voice.

Serena narrowed her one remaining eye.

In the darkness of the sewers that the orb of light couldn’t fully illuminate, her orange eyes glowed mysteriously.

“Are you trying to connect the absurd rumor of someone conquering an 8th-level dungeon alone with a traitor of the Heuji royal family?”

“No! Of course not! Even if they’re a Sword Master, conquering an 8th-level dungeon alone is impossible! Ahem!”

Olive, realizing her slip of the tongue, desperately denied it.

Of course, the Princess’s inner thoughts were the complete opposite of her interrogating attitude toward the guide.

‘It’s Richard. If it’s that bastard, it’s possible.’

Logically speaking, even a Sword Master conquering an 8th-level dungeon alone would be impossible.

‘But Richard is different. If he dies in the labyrinth, he can return to a specific point in time, and he can also use teleportation magic circles.’

Though the shop window was said to be applied from this labyrinth onward, the sealed door in the leader’s chamber had existed from before.

If it’s Richard, he would have sufficient power to face monsters in the deep layers of the labyrinth alone.

Food and equipment could be handled through the teleportation room, and the labyrinth’s twisted paths and traps could be solved through regression.

‘He was conquering labyrinths across the continent before returning to Heuji? But why?’

The guide, unaware of the secret shared by the cousins with orange eyes, continued trying to cover up her slip of the tongue.

“Other labyrinth adventurers must have gone with him! Since he killed all the monsters by himself, it got exaggerated into rumors like ‘conquered the labyrinth alone’~ something like that, right?”

“So you think that rumor is connected to that unfilial child of Huaim?”

“Well…”

Olive, who had been frantically waving her hands while explaining, stopped and scratched her cheek.

“I have heard of a genius labyrinth adventurer who appeared like a comet in the adventurer industry, you know?”

“A genius adventurer who appeared like a comet? That sounds really cool.”

“Yeah. No one knows his name or hometown. No one knows his past, but there was an adventurer who suddenly appeared in the labyrinth industry, conquered difficult layers and labyrinths, then mysteriously disappeared.”

Olive sought agreement from Count Randy and the quietly sitting Ying.

“Count and Zero must have heard of it too, right? Right?”

“I know.”

“I’ve heard of it too.”

Ying answered briefly as always, but Count Randy’s attitude was somewhat suspicious.

While answering, wasn’t he subtly gauging Serena’s reaction?

‘What’s this?’

Serena, thinking she had nothing to lose, shot a suspicious look at the count.

The count’s shoulders flinched, then he made a gesture with a slightly pitiful expression, indicating he would explain later.

‘He knows something.’

As they say, the guilty party gives himself away.

If Count Randy was revealing himself, it would be appropriate to press him and extract what he was hiding.

‘Let me finish listening to Olive’s story first.’

The Princess turned her attention back to the guide’s story.

“I happened to be inside a labyrinth at that time, so I only heard rumors after the rookie adventurer disappeared~ I only know about the rumor that an 8th-level dungeon was conquered and that the Empire was desperately searching for that rookie.”

Ralph tilted his head in puzzlement.

“Why was the Empire looking for that comet rookie?”

“Well, obviously to scout him. Even if only half of half the rumors were true, his abilities would be amazing.”

The Empire scouts labyrinth adventurers separately from operating special forces for labyrinth conquest.

The very existence of a wanderer whose past was shrouded in mystery would have been concerning too.

Olive winked at Ying.

“Zero, don’t you know anything?”

“I don’t know.”

“Right. You’re not the type to listen to rumors anyway. What about you, Count?”

As Olive knew, when in trouble, the easiest way to escape a situation is to push someone else into the predicament you’re facing.

Even if you can’t step on them and escape, it’s less miserable since you’re not alone.

Would an outstanding guide nicknamed “Wind of the Wilderness” miss the exchange of glances between the Princess and the count?

Olive pointed at Count Randy without a moment’s hesitation.

Count Randy couldn’t answer immediately and hesitated.

“Um, well, you see…”

“If you know something, just say it. Why can’t you speak right away? Suspicious~”

“It’s not like that! So, well…”

Count Randy was hesitating, thinking of someone who wasn’t present rather than the Princess right beside him.

It was obvious whose feelings he was considering, so Serena helped him speak more easily.

“I understand the count’s feelings about Philia well. I don’t want any unnecessary misunderstandings, so please speak honestly.”

“Mmm. Understood, Lady Serena. I should have told you from the beginning, but I apologize for not saying it earlier.”

Count Randy confessed the truth he had been hiding along with his apology.

“The reason I visited the Kingdom of Heuji two years ago was to find and scout the rookie adventurer who appeared like a comet and then suddenly disappeared.”

***

The 1st floor lobby after the conquest team left for the 6th floor.

Lavenda went to the herb garden to rewash clothes that wouldn’t lose their stench no matter how much she scrubbed them, and Philia went to tend to the tree that would become her master’s staff.

The two Empire men remaining in the lobby had a more relaxed conversation than usual.

“Wil.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve been quiet thinking it wouldn’t be good to rush the cursed child. But aren’t you being too lazy?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to be more active in anything I can do in the lobby.”

“Not those useless things!”

Grey scolded the prince who was making a ridiculous mistake.

“I mean Princess Serena! You should be building favorability while the Princess stays in the lobby!”

Prince Willow sighed upon hearing those words.

“Now is not the time for that.”

“Not the time! Love can bloom anytime, anywhere. Rather, because it’s a labyrinth like this, bigger and more splendid flowers bloom! You have no spirit for someone so young.”

As Grey was about to seriously scold the prince, his young ears caught the sound of footsteps in the corridor.

Grey immediately lowered his voice.

“Tsk. If you won’t step up, I’ll have to step up myself. Watch what I do carefully.”

Grey patted his cheeks to put on an innocent child’s face and scurried toward the lobby door.

“Auntie, Sister Lavenda! Welcome back!”

“Did you come out to greet us? Thank you, young master.”

“Miss Lavenda. Let me help you with the laundry.”

“It’s okay. The laundry smells, so I’ll handle it.”

Prince Willow didn’t back down despite Lavenda’s refusal and helped by taking half the laundry to spread near the campfire.

Grey clicked his tongue inwardly.

Helping with work was good, but there was something more important, and he found the prince pathetic for not knowing that.

“Auntie.”

“I’m not climbing the stairs anymore today.”

Philia, who had been going up and down the stairs to the 2nd floor for physical training, declared that today’s exercise was over.

Grey followed the escaping Philia with a smile so forced his cheeks cramped.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m curious about Her Highness the Princess.”

“Lady Serena?”

Countess Randy, who had been earnestly avoiding her nephew(?), stopped in place.

Talk about her master was always the best topic to capture Heuji Jeolmi’s attention anywhere, anytime.

“Our beautiful, wise, and benevolent Princess Serena and our devoted, righteous, and witty Prince Willow have marriage talks going on, right?”

“That’s over.”

It was completely ruined because of the page boy(?) who was grinning foolishly in front of Philia.

But Grey, unaware of this fact, misinterpreted the maid’s words to suit himself.

“Of course it’s not confirmed yet. But it’s likely, right? So I have something I’m curious about.”

“Speak quickly.”

“What kind of person does Princess Serena like?”

Philia answered confidently without a moment’s hesitation.

“Me.”

Grey momentarily forgot what to say at such tremendous confidence.

‘Really, these young ones these days. They don’t know the virtues of modesty and humility.’

Though he himself had lived a life far from modesty and humility, Grey didn’t care at all.

Anyway, Grey brought back the smile that had almost disappeared from his face and fawned like a sycophant.

He didn’t like the maid’s answer, but what could he do? He was the one in need.

“Of course, Auntie, you’re Princess’s close friend, so you must receive Her Highness’s favor. But my question isn’t about that—I mean Princess’s taste in men.”

Cough.

Lavenda, shocked by the reality of a young child asking about the Princess’s taste in men, choked while hanging laundry.

Prince Willow tried to pat the mysterious stranger’s back, but Lavenda refused with a stern expression.

“Serena’s taste in men?”

“Yes. Auntie, you’re Her Highness’s close friend, so you naturally know, right?”

Philia recalled the example answer her master had taught her to give for such questions.

“Serena has no interest in romance until she marries and produces an heir.”

It was the model answer for royalty who had to enter political marriages.

It wasn’t the answer Grey wanted.

“Not that kind of thing. It’s just between you and me, Auntie, so you can speak more comfortably. What kind of person does Princess prefer? For reference, if you’re going to mention our Prince Willow—”

“That’s over, I tell you.”

“Of course, Her Highness was appointed as an apostle by the Minotaur God, so conditions have changed a lot. But still, our Prince Willow is not lacking anywhere—”

“That’s over—”

“Excuse me!”

It was already sad that time with her master had decreased, and Philia’s words, trying to reveal the reason for the marriage talks’ failure because she was annoyed by her bothersome nephew, were drowned out by Lavenda’s scream-like exclamation.

Lavenda, who had been hanging laundry while half-listening to the Prince’s words and focusing on the conversation between the Countess and the strange young master, remembered the Princess’s request and intervened.

‘Be careful with your words in front of Grey and the Prince!’

Actually, Lavenda didn’t know about that problematic rumor.

Since it was a scandal about a foreign dignitary, the rumor had only circulated within the Royal Palace.

But the mysterious stranger, who had experience hearing all sorts of secrets from guests whose guard was down because they were naked, sensed it intuitively.

‘If I don’t stop the Countess’s mouth now, it’ll be dangerous!’

Lavenda first shouted to stop the Countess’s mouth, then panicked.

‘What do I do now?’

Lavenda’s lavender-colored pupils trembled slightly.

It was good that she had stopped the Countess’s mouth, but when the gazes of the two noble persons reached her, she was speechless.

‘Get it together, Lavenda! Remember the Princess’s orders!’

She might not know about outside the Labyrinth, but at this moment in the Labyrinth, Princess Serena was king.

Lavenda mustered courage and changed the subject.

“I’m more curious about the story of the Countess and Count than that! Usually noble people have political marriages, but how did you two meet and bloom love? The Count and Countess are even from different countries!”

The meeting and love between the Empire’s genius alchemist and a beautiful woman who would have claimed the continent’s greatest beauty if born in the Empire.

Since she was actually curious, Lavenda’s rambling words contained sincerity.

Perhaps that sincerity moved the beautiful woman’s heart.

A smile appeared on the lips of the Countess, who wouldn’t even glance at anyone other than Serena and her husband.

Gasp.

Grey and Prince Willow groaned as if someone had grabbed their windpipes.

The beautiful woman’s smile as she recalled happy memories was more effective at stopping people’s mouths than Lavenda’s scream.

Philia elegantly walked over and sat on the chair Prince Willow had made, searching through her memories.

“Hoohoo. How Mark and I met, you ask. Since you seem curious, I’ll tell you. Consider yourself lucky.”

Since this was the first time she’d been asked such a question, Philia chattered excitedly.

“Our meeting was truly fate gifted by chance. I went to play at the lake near Hujichen with Serena, and accidentally encountered Mark—that was our first meeting.”

Philia recalled her first meeting with her husband, which was ecstatic and romantic just to think about.

“A full moon rose over the lake, and a gentle breeze distorted the moon reflected in the lake while the waves reflected the moonlight. While Serena briefly stepped away, I strolled along the lakeside and met him, who was also walking lonely along the lake like me.”

Everyone pictured Philia walking along the moonlit, quiet lakeside with her silver hair fluttering in the gentle breeze.

She was as beautiful as a moon fairy or lake fairy.

Though it was very embarrassing to think about this beautiful scene.

‘There’s no way it was a coincidence!’

Everyone suffered, unable to reveal the truth to Philia.

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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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