Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 176

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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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176. Is Hana a Noble? (2)

Just as the Guide had boasted that sending only three would be fine, the Number Siblings returned to the lobby with a decent map and rewards from treasure chests, without a single injury.

“Wow, there are more people and stuff.”

“Ugh, I don’t like big people.”

“Huh?”

“But Duri unnie is just bones, so she’s good!”

“Yeah!”

“Cough cough, unnie!”

“Was Neet doing well?”

While the Number Siblings enjoyed their joyful reunion, Serena quietly touched the statue.

Olive, who had been grading the map, lost her reason to jealousy because of Hana’s abilities, but it didn’t last long.

Olive quickly regained her composure and beckoned to Hana.

“Perfect timing. I needed a lookout, and you’d be just right for the job.”

“Why do you need a lookout?”

Olive explained about the vending machines to the Number Siblings.

“We need to clean out all the doll wallets on the 25th Floor too.”

As Hana listened to the story, her cheek muscles gradually twitched more and more until she started grinning outright.

“Hehe, forget being a lookout – just leave it all to me and I’ll clean everything out.”

Hana moved her fingers and wrist joints with dazzling skill, as if asking them to just leave it to her.

“Hana unnie’s pickpocketing skills are even acknowledged by the Leader! She’s the real deal!”

“Count, what’s pickpocketing?”

“I don’t know either. Seems like slang.”

“You nobles don’t even know that? Pickpocketing is stealing.”

“It means pickpocketing. Only old folks who got life sentences use that word – where did you kids learn it?”

“W-we’ve always called it pickpocketing. We’re not old.”

Sesi blushed, then realized the issue wasn’t about outdated words and spoke again.

“A-anyway, Hana unnie is really good at it!”

“Please leave it to me!”

A younger sister bragging about her older sister’s pickpocketing skills, and an older sister boldly asking to be entrusted with the job.

From the Princess’s perspective, it was a dizzying combination.

Olive looked Hana up and down and tilted her head.

“Hmm, I can’t trust that.”

“Want to test me? I’m confident this time. I’m done.”

“What do you mea- huh?”

Olive’s round eyes grew even rounder as she looked at Hana’s hands.

Hana tossed and caught lockpicking tools while wearing a confident smile.

“That’s mine! When did you steal it?”

“When Sesi was being the lookout!”

“Hehe. You’re stupid for falling for it.”

Sesi shook her red hair provocatively, celebrating her victory.

Olive’s hands trembled as she searched the pocket where she’d kept the lockpicking tools, then forced a laugh.

“Don’t tell me you’re a noble?”

“Hehehe.”

“Damn. I’m already jealous of your monster detection and trap detection abilities, and you’re a noble too? Just take everything! The world’s so unfair I can’t stand living!”

Olive grumbled while Hana smiled brightly, confident she’d passed the test.

The others heard the entire conversation but couldn’t understand the context and blinked in confusion.

Everyone understood that Hana was skilled enough at pickpocketing to successfully steal from a careless Olive.

What everyone was curious about was Hana.

‘What does it mean that Hana is a noble?’

She’d just demonstrated pickpocketing skills, so why was Olive suddenly calling Hana a noble?

Once again, Ralph courageously stepped forward.

“Miss Olive! I have a question!”

“Argh! Unfair world! Dirty world! What is it?”

“Is Miss Hana a noble? How did you know, Miss Olive?”

Ignorance is not a sin. The sin is recognizing ignorance and leaving it unaddressed.

At the young knight’s brave and precisely targeted question to actively overcome ignorance, Olive smiled brightly.

“Ah, that? It’s like this everywhere, but people love ranking others, right? In the thief industry, pickpockets are like this.”

Olive gave a thumbs up.

“If you’re a thief, you should be good at thieving, right? Pickpockets rely solely on finger skills and face targets one-on-one with just their bare hands. Next comes safe-cracking, which requires specialized skills and knowledge. The lowest are robbers. Don’t call robbers thieves because it makes the listening thieves angry.”

“So Miss Olive called Miss Hana a noble because Miss Hana is an excellent pickpocket?”

“That’s right. Even though I was careless and distracted, to cleanly pick Lady Olive’s pocket like that. That’s no ordinary skill.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing special. And you weren’t moving so I didn’t notice, but if you’d walked around, you would’ve immediately noticed your empty pocket.”

“Of course. I deliberately balanced the weight.”

“That’s amazing. Hehe.”

“You’re the one – I’ll call you an artist of fingers.”

“Hehehe.”

“Hohoho.”

The two thieves acknowledged each other’s skills and smiled at each other.

It was a heartwarming sight, but people gradually distanced themselves from the pair.

Lavenda hurriedly began sewing buttons onto her clothing pockets, while others unnecessarily gripped their pockets and wallets tightly.

Serena quickly set Lavenda as the only person who could use the subspace storage.

“Since everyone’s gathered, listen well. Anyone can put items into this subspace storage. But only Lavenda and I can take items out. Make a list when storing items, and if you need something, request it from Lavenda to have it retrieved.”

Perhaps because they’d just witnessed two thieves conspiring, no one objected or protested.

Well, there was exactly one person who protested.

“Princess, why! I want to use it freely too!”

Olive puffed out her cheeks and protested like a child throwing a tantrum.

Serena lightly ignored the thief’s protest and was about to turn away when Prince Willow blocked her path.

“Your Highness Serena.”

“What is it?”

“If Miss Lavenda handles item management too, won’t that be too much work? I’ll do it instead.”

The Prince’s words did make sense.

‘True. If Lavenda, who’s a commoner with no military power, handles item management, there might be people who threaten her with status or force.’

Even if she entrusted item management to Lavenda to establish her authority, people who would cause trouble behind the scenes would inevitably appear.

But she didn’t want to entrust something as important as item management to a prince backed by the Imperial family.

‘Having him handle cooking is enough – what more does he want to do.’

Though the Prince had taken over cooking, with the lobby personnel increasing, Lavenda still had many duties.

‘Should I just leave it to Philia? Philia could handle inventory management.’

Currently, Heuji Jeolmi’s duties were limited to being pretty, existing, watering plants, and teaching etiquette to Neet and Grey.

‘She might be happy to have work to do.’

As Serena’s mind gradually leaned toward Philia, the Mysterious Stranger stepped forward.

“I’ll do it! I can do it!”

“Miss Lavenda already has many duties. I’ll handle the storage management.”

“No! I can do it! I’m good at inventory management too. When I ran a shop, I handled all the bookkeeping.”

The Mysterious Stranger stepped forward so actively it was almost burdensome for Serena.

Since she wanted to do it this badly, it would be strange to change her mind, so Serena entrusted the important responsibility to Lavenda.

“Then Miss Lavenda. I’ll entrust it to you.”

“I’ll work hard and be thorough!”

“If anyone threatens you, report it immediately.”

“Yes!”

Lavenda responded immediately with an ambitious expression, like when she was assigned to serve a high-profile client.

Serena was about to finish the appointment but hesitated.

‘Rather than just calling her manager or supervisor in words, giving material evidence would be more certain.’

Serena gestured to Philia to bring her jewelry that had been set aside as offerings for the God of Magic.

‘What would be good. Something that won’t get in the way.’

An amethyst brooch caught Serena’s eye.

The color of the amethyst resembled Serena’s hair more than Lavenda, who was like a flower. Serena liked that aspect.

‘Don’t forget that I’m Lavenda’s backer.’

Serena personally pinned the amethyst brooch to Lavenda’s lapel.

“You are the manager of this lobby, and will become the general manager of the Labyrinth Salon in the future. This is proof of that.”

“My goodness! Thank you! I’ll treasure this as a family heirloom for generations!”

Lavenda’s eyes welled up with tears from emotion.

The Mysterious Stranger had achieved greater success than the dreams she had when leaving her hometown for the opposite side of the continent.

‘If she survives, that is.’

Serena smiled bitterly as she overlapped the image of Lavenda shedding tears of joy with the Mysterious Stranger who had been half-mad and wailing.

“To receive a jewelry gift from Lady Serena. Even I haven’t received many!”

Philia, who had been well-behaved during the brooch ceremony for her master’s dignity, immediately burned with jealousy as soon as the ceremony ended.

“When we leave the labyrinth, Countess Randy and I will dress as a matching pair. Everything from shoes to dresses, gloves, and accessories.”

“Really?”

Philia smiled brightly as if she had never been whining.

Tears became dewdrops that formed on the unique flower named Philia.

Everyone except Serena clutched their hearts and complained of breathing difficulties and irregular heartbeats.

“Huh.”

Even Count Alpha, who had maintained an expressionless face to create a serious atmosphere, couldn’t withstand Heuji Jeolmi’s genuine smile.

“Countess Randy is like a natural disaster, so Lady Alpha will forgive her.”

“That’s not it!”

“Let’s say it’s not.”

Prince Willow pretended to worry about his friend while only rolling his eyes to steal glances at the Mysterious Stranger wearing the amethyst brooch.

***

Vending machine products can be changed once per day for free.

Since you never know what products will come next, it was wise to buy magic stones in advance.

The party Olive selected for obtaining labyrinth coins consisted of six people.

“Me, Compass, Zero, Princess and Count. And lastly.”

Count Alpha interjected.

“I’ll go too.”

“The black knight can’t come.”

Olive flatly refused. Feeling Count Alpha’s gaze, Serena also spoke firmly.

“I’m leaving the party member selection for this mission entirely to Olive.”

Since the Princess had spoken this definitively, Count Alpha backed down as it was difficult to insist.

“Who should be last~ Our cute little radish! Let’s go!”

The fake bald man, who wasn’t cute at all based on his build and face, and whose shaved head made it hard to tell if it was radish-colored, raised his voice.

“Don’t call me that!”

“Radish is a criminal so he has no right to refuse!”

The pickpocket expedition team selected by the Guide only gave Hana time to catch her breath before immediately moving to the 7th Layer of Heuji’s Labyrinth.

Low, who had come to the 7th Floor through the foul-smelling 6th Floor, stuck out his tongue.

“A teleportation room. I still can’t believe it. Am I dreaming?”

“I wish it were a dream.”

If all this were a dream and she woke up, she would be happy even with a mountain of work piled up.

When the Princess spoke with emotion, Low closed his mouth.

Upon arriving at the 24th Floor of the 7th Layer of Heuji’s Labyrinth, Olive told the party members what each should do.

“Compass and I are in charge of the work. Zero, keep a reasonable lookout. Our Radish should keep watch while blocking the doll’s view with his body if it seems like guards are looking at us!”

The Guide’s green olive-colored eyes turned to the Princess and the alchemist.

“Princess and Count are in charge of the vault!”

At this unexpected statement, Serena and the Count’s eyebrows rose.

“Vault?”

“Didn’t I mention it? All the vaults here require password input, so I couldn’t open a single one.”

“Couldn’t you just force them open?”

“Well~ if they happen to be treated as treasure chests, all the contents would disappear.”

‘That makes sense.’

When Serena and Count Randy understood why the Guide couldn’t force open the vaults, she smiled brightly.

“I’m counting on our Princess and Count since you’re really smart and learned people! I couldn’t understand them even when I looked!”

After saying that, Olive left Serena and Count Randy on the 24th Floor and went up to the 25th Floor.

Serena, who had suddenly been left to handle the 24th Floor vault with just the two of them, quickly said.

“I’m counting only on the Count.”

Serena disliked labor, and between mental and physical labor, she disliked the former more.

Whether the emotion in the Princess’s single eye was conveyed, the genius alchemist nodded vigorously.

“I’ll work hard.”

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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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