Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 161

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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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161. 2nd Group Preparation (1)

 

The lobby people who had built trust, bonds, and intimacy through nearly two months of sharing hardships together.

 

Four wandering troupe members suddenly added to their group.

 

In extreme situations, it’s common for established stones to oppress rolling stones.

 

Fortunately, perhaps because the Number Siblings were young and had pitiful circumstances, the lobby people easily opened their hearts to them.

 

The Number Siblings also seemed to regard Serena as their lifesaver, actively trying to help the existing people.

 

Thanks to this, the Number Siblings smoothly blended into the lobby without major resistance.

 

On the seventh day after the Number Siblings joined the lobby.

 

The Princess finally lowered her guard against the newcomers.

 

For the past seven days, Serena had suspended labyrinth exploration and watched the Number Siblings adapt to the labyrinth.

 

‘I chose them, I brought them here, so I must monitor and take responsibility for them.’

 

Hadn’t undead been released in the lobby, a safe zone, because she let her guard down?

 

Even if the Number Siblings had no hostile intentions, accidents could happen due to ignorance, so she continued monitoring the siblings for a while.

 

Hana, unaware of the Princess’s thoughts, urged her to quickly explore the labyrinth.

 

“When explore labyrinth? Must do quickly. Will find monsters diligently.”

 

Serena understood Hana’s impatient feelings.

 

‘Neet’s magic learning speed is slower than expected.’

 

Initially, people were optimistic about Neet’s magical progress.

 

‘Well, of course. The child is a genius.’

 

Neet possessed amazing memory that never forgot anything seen or heard once.

 

Especially, she had photographic memory that could remember what she saw like a photograph, something you’d only see in detective comics.

 

Moreover, Grey was giving her private tutoring.

 

An excellent teacher with an outstanding student.

 

Everyone was optimistic that Neet would learn magic similarly to Serena, no. Even faster than the Princess, showing the makings of a Grand Mage.

 

But what was this?

 

Over the past week, the only magic Neet had mastered was the light orb creation spell.

 

“This is strange. Neet is smart, so shouldn’t she learn magic quickly like the Princess?”

 

“Everyone’s common sense seems to have collapsed from watching the Princess learn magic whenever she needs it. The Princess is the strange one!”

 

“Neet is smarter than me, so even with mana operation problems, shouldn’t she learn similarly?”

 

“Memory and intelligence are different things! Does the Princess want to be called a genius by comparing herself to an eight-year-old?”

 

“Cough, I’ll work hard!”

 

Even if Neet cast light orb magic until the lobby became a Christmas tree, it was like eating a bowl of rice grain by grain with chopsticks.

 

Just as eating that way wouldn’t fill your stomach, casting magic that way wouldn’t reduce her mana.

 

For Neet to use mana more freely, she needed cursed magical tools that reportedly appeared as rewards beyond the 30th floor.

 

It would be even better if they found an escape magical tool and left the labyrinth entirely.

 

For a week, Hana, Sesi, and Duri received lessons from Olive and Ying to explore the labyrinth.

 

The siblings were enthusiastic, but perhaps because they lived lives far from theoretical education, they couldn’t adapt to the Guide and Archer’s verbal lessons.

 

“Just avoid all monsters! Let us go to labyrinth!”

 

“Uwoong!”

 

“Duri unnie will tear apart all the monsters! And our Koni will tear them all apart too! Right, Koni?”

 

Sesi petted the objectively ugly Labyrinth Condor as if it were cute.

 

The Labyrinth Condor, having lost its hostility, tilted its head with a somewhat stupid-looking face lacking spirit.

 

Chicken came over and pecked at the Labyrinth Condor’s leg. Even when the Golem Chicken pecked its leg, the condor remained docile.

 

“Look at this, Princess! These kids have lost all sense of fear, haven’t they?”

 

Olive clicked her tongue at the siblings who didn’t know to fear the labyrinth.

 

Ying nodded rapidly beside her.

 

Serena pressed her forehead looking at the Number Siblings whose courage had swollen beyond their bellies.

 

‘A newborn puppy doesn’t know to fear tigers.’

 

Fear usually comes from ignorance, but sometimes when ignorance is severe, it can mask fear.

 

That’s exactly how Hana, Duri, and Sesi were now.

 

This kind of ignorance could be eliminated through experience, but unfortunately, that was impossible in the current situation.

 

‘We’ve perfectly conquered the 1st and 2nd layers, and the 3rd layer’s difficulty has increased, making it too hard to build experience.’

 

Throw newcomers who don’t know to fear the labyrinth straight into the 3rd layer to gain experience?

 

‘That’s murder. A death sentence would be cleaner.’

 

Since the practical environment wasn’t favorable, adults who knew the labyrinth’s dangers tried to diligently pass on theory, but the students were only enthusiastic about practice and avoided theory.

 

What on earth should be done about this?

 

As the Princess agonized, the Guide, who was also troubled, made a suggestion.

 

“Princess. Let’s give them a test first.”

 

“A test?”

 

“We’ve definitely been trapped in the labyrinth for over a month, maybe two months? By now, the treasure chests on the 1st and 2nd floors should have been restored. Let’s make recovering them a test.”

 

“The monsters and traps wouldn’t have been restored, so wouldn’t that be too easy?”

 

Olive waved her head and hands together.

 

“No way. Finding your way in the labyrinth is surprisingly difficult. I’ll bet 1 gold that everyone except the smallest child will wander around in circles on the same path because they’re all stupid.”

 

Serena raised one eyebrow.

 

If money-loving Olive was willing to bet money, she must be confident of winning.

 

“Is it that bad?”

 

“Yes. So I think it’s a good test question where they can draw maps themselves and realize how stupid and death-prone they are!”

 

“Agreed.”

 

Perhaps having built up some dissatisfaction with the overly enthusiastic students, Ying voiced her agreement aloud.

 

“Then we’ll do as you say. It would be dangerous to send just the three, so someone knowledgeable about the labyrinth should accompany them as a test supervisor.”

 

Olive crossed her arms diagonally to form a large X.

 

“I don’t want to! I’ll die of frustration!”

 

‘Hana is the guide, Duri is the warrior, and Sesi’s condor is also a warrior. The party lacks a ranged attacker.’

 

When Serena looked at Ying, even deeper darkness settled in Ying’s already dark black eyes.

 

“….”

 

It was a passive expression of unwillingness to go voluntarily, though she would follow orders if the Princess commanded.

 

“I’ll supervise.”

 

A clear and cheerful voice came from beside the contemplating Princess.

 

Grey tapped his shoulder with his staff that had a skull added to the blunt weapon and spoke.

 

“I happen to have business at the pond on the 2nd floor. I’ll go along while I’m at it.”

 

“Are you going fishing?”

 

“Not that, I decoded the cipher found on the 1st layer. Something seems to be hidden in the 2nd layer pond, so I want to check.”

 

This was completely unexpected news.

 

“Wasn’t the 2nd layer perfectly conquered? God acknowledged it.”

 

“They call it perfect conquest from 90 percent onward. There was still a hidden 10 percent.”

 

Serena was amazed listening to Grey’s logical explanation.

 

‘What kind of labyrinth never truly ends even when it ends.’

 

They say to check extinguished fires again, but apparently you have to recheck perfectly conquered labyrinths too.

 

“Young master! You decoded that strange cipher that wasn’t even writing? Then I want to go too!”

 

“Olive noona said she didn’t want to go. I’ll go. Even though it’s hidden, it’s just the 2nd layer, so it won’t be anything major.”

 

But it was worth investigating.

 

Even if the reward was minimal, this kind of information accumulates to become important information.

 

“Hmm. Yes. If it’s you, Grey, you have sufficient knowledge about the labyrinth and plenty of experience, so that would be appropriate.”

 

“No. I’m only going as a supervisor. The Princess should be the ranged attacker.”

 

“Me?”

 

“There might be Sealed Texts in the hidden location. Naturally the Princess should come too, ow!”

 

“You rascal!”

 

Philia pinched and pulled Grey’s ear.

 

Grey, who had never had his ear pinched in his entire life, was flustered by the unexpected ordeal and followed wherever his aunt pulled his head.

 

“Aaaaah!”

 

“How dare you make such unnecessary noise when Lady Serena is resting! What a naughty child!”

 

Philia was about to sternly scold Grey when she saw her husband shaking his head vigorously and strode forward.

 

“Let’s go to the herb garden!”

 

She understood Count Randy’s opposition as meaning not to scold the child in a crowded place.

 

Grey couldn’t even think to shake off Philia’s hand and was dragged out of the lobby.

 

Philia’s behavior was also an example of ignorance covering up fear.

 

Prince Willow clapped his hands in admiration.

 

“His Imperial Majesty only thinks about pinching Grey’s lips but doesn’t dare put it into practice, yet Countess Randy actually does it! She’s the most beautiful and brave lady on the continent!”

 

After some time passed.

 

Grey returned to the lobby with a face that looked like half his soul had been drained.

 

“I’ll do both supervisor and attacker…”

 

His grey eyes, which had hidden their cunning and sharp gaze with false innocence, were now dazed.

 

Serena wondered just how Philia had scolded him to make the old man lose his spirit, so she asked for the secret.

 

Heuji Jeolmi answered proudly.

 

“Since Lady Serena said I shouldn’t hit him, I held both his hands tightly and faced him while telling him not to be rude until he understood.”

 

The Princess understood all the pain Grey had endured just from hearing this.

 

‘He couldn’t handle Philia’s beauty.’

 

It would have been better if the old man’s body matched his mental age, but having to face Philia with a young body must have been bad for his heart.

 

Serena patted the head of her maid who had worked hard.

 

Philia closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying her master’s touch.

 

After praising her maid, the Princess declared to the labyrinth’s greenhorns who knew nothing but shouted for real combat.

 

“From now on, you must explore the 1st Floor and 2nd Layer while completing the map and recovering rewards from treasure chests. Grey will accompany you as supervisor and ranged attacker.”

 

Serena held up three fingers.

 

“To pass the test, you must meet three conditions. First. Reach the 5th Floor of the labyrinth’s 2nd Layer without any seriously injured. Serious injury is defined as wounds that cannot be healed with low-grade healing potions. Second. Find all treasure chests. We already know the number and locations of all treasure chests on the 1st Floor and 2nd Layer, so tricks won’t work. Finally, third. Create a map that anyone can understand.”

 

“Leave it to us! We’ll be back from the 5th Floor in no time!”

 

“Woong!”

 

“I’ll tame all the monsters we meet!”

 

The Number Siblings burned with enthusiasm.

 

Duri was even more enthusiastic, excited to have her bear hide back.

 

“Cough, sisters. Be careful out there. Cough. Please be very careful.”

 

“Don’t worry. We’ll avoid all the monsters.”

 

Serena patted the newcomer’s head just like Hana was patting Neet’s head.

 

“Cough. Young master too. Be careful. Cough.”

 

“Don’t forget to practice magic every day. Ask Her Highness the Princess if there’s anything you don’t know.”

 

Grey found the sick child who worked hard endearing and tried to pat Neet’s head, which had almost no hair.

 

Neet shrank her shoulders and lowered her head, so Grey’s hand patted the back of her head instead of the crown.

 

“Do you dislike me touching you?”

 

“Cough. No. I’m embarrassed because, cough. I have no hair.”

 

“If you can learn to control your mana, your hair will grow too.”

 

Grey gently patted Neet’s crown and left the lobby with Hana, Duri, and Sesi.

 

Serena saw off the exploration team with an average age in their thirties.

 

‘I hope this experience teaches them how scary the labyrinth is, down to their bones.’

 

“Everyone will return safely. For Neet’s sake too!”

 

Ralph, who wanted to go along but couldn’t join the Number Siblings’ party due to opposition from Olive and Serena, spoke hopefully.

 

Serena earnestly prayed that the Number Siblings would grow steadily and relieve the exploration team’s accumulated fatigue.

 

The Princess returned to the lobby and sat in the chair the Prince had made while asking the guide for his opinion.

 

“What do you plan to do if they pass the test?”

 

“The 3rd Layer’s paths are too dirty, so I’m thinking of skipping it and teaching them how to find traps on the 4th Layer.”

 

“Wouldn’t the 4th Layer be too dangerous?”

 

“Princess, you only see bears as rugs, so you don’t know.”

 

Olive spoke with infinite seriousness.

 

“Bears are fucking strong. They crush skeletons and stuff in one hit.”

 

“Olive is right. Bears are really strong. I heard that a knight who was an acquaintance of Sir Haro, my master, died after being flattened in a head-on fight with a bear.”

 

“Why would you fight a bear head-on? Was that knight stupid?”

 

Serena waved her hand to cut off the story that was veering in another direction.

 

“I know bears are strong. The problem is their mental fortitude. I don’t think they can handle the miasma or negative energy that undead emit.”

 

“True. They just trembled without even thinking of fighting after seeing a mere zombie.”

 

“They were probably more scared because they didn’t know that corpses easily become undead in the labyrinth. Now they have the purpose of saving Neet, so they’ll be fine. I believe in them!”

 

The young knight spoke with hopeful and bright wishes again, but.

 

“Waaaah. Koni! He’s dead!”

 

“Groan.”

 

“We failed. Can we retake the test?”

 

He felt deflated seeing the failures who returned to the lobby that very evening, not even lasting a day.

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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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