Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 189

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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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189. High and Low

The 7th floor of Heuji’s Labyrinth has a time limit.

Time is fixed in the original streets and squares, while the squares and streets where anomalies must be found have limited problem-solving time.

The wooden dolls that didn’t move even when beaten, smashed, or robbed began emitting ominous light as evening approached.

The Guide had suggested waiting until night to face the monsters, but gave up after the Knight argued that monsters would pour out endlessly.

Turns out it wasn’t truly infinite after all.

‘A legendary Sword Master could sweep away hordes of monsters pouring out all at once.’

“Doll debris was piled up like a tower in the square. The square floor wasn’t visible and there was nowhere to step. Even though they were dolls, they wore clothes like people, making it an eerie sight.”

Serena imagined the scene Countess Nex described.

It was fortunate the monsters were dolls – if they had been bleeding monsters, the square would have been a truly gruesome sight stained with blood.

“The shopping district beyond the square was the same. I gathered clothing there and returned to the library, where I encountered Lady Serena.”

“Do you know the identity of the one traveling with the traitor?”

When Serena asked about the identity of the pigtailed person who seemed to follow Richard around, Countess Nex answered.

“I don’t know much either, so I’ll only answer what I know. They don’t seem to be from Heuji, but they were already following the Duke alongside the betrayer when I first met the traitor.”

Countess Nex’s brow, which had been furrowed whenever mentioning Richard, relaxed slightly when describing the pigtailed person.

“I don’t know why they follow the traitor, but they were a sociable and cheerful young person. They were kind too, and even adjusted their pace to accommodate me when I couldn’t keep up due to lack of stamina. They boasted about being a famous labyrinth adventurer, saying their name was High Sol…”

“Brother?”

Low Sol, who had been silently focused on eating, suddenly joined the conversation at his brother’s unexpected name.

“Why does brother come up here? He comes up? Did you see my brother?”

Low forgot his shyness about family matters and bombarded them with questions.

Countess Nex clutched her solar plexus, seemingly overwhelmed as the mountain-sized muscular bald (shaved, but still) man blinked rapidly while asking.

‘How are the brothers’ names High and Low?’

The Number Siblings were one thing, but now the High-Low Brothers following Double Hanson. She wondered if commoner names in this world were really okay like this, but then again, the Baker family name of Heuji’s prestigious nobility wasn’t much better either.

Serena set aside her doubts about names and harbored the natural suspicion she should have as someone who had seen both Sol brothers.

Carrot-colored hair grown long and braided into a single pigtail.

The younger brother cut his hair while the older brother grew his out because of a bet, so it matched the description.

But there was a significant reason why Serena couldn’t think of Low when she saw the pigtailed person.

“You’re saying you’re that High Sol’s younger brother? But the size difference is too great?”

Countess Nex frowned and countered the barrage of questions with a question.

The Countess was right.

Low was nearly 2 meters tall with a good build, but the High that Serena saw on the 8th floor was only slightly taller than Olive and had such a small frame he seemed like a young boy.

Count Randy seemed to think the same and expressed doubt about the conversation.

“Their hair color is certainly similar, but their builds are completely different. Didn’t you say you were twin brothers? Even for fraternal twins, the physique difference is too great. Aren’t they just people with the same name?”

“It’s High.”

When the Archer confirmed that the pigtailed person was indeed High Sol, Olive crossed her arms.

“No wonder~ their skill at blocking my dagger was amazing~”

Ying recognized him at first sight but didn’t tell the party, while Olive was two-timing both twins yet couldn’t recognize him until someone told her.

Both were incomprehensible by Serena’s standards.

The Mysterious Stranger stroked his closely shaved head with an embarrassed expression.

“Actually, I took a height-increasing medicine.”

Even Hana, who had been just eating because the important people were having serious discussions, couldn’t overcome her curiosity and joined in.

“Do such medicines come out in labyrinths too?”

“They do. Labyrinths reflect human desires. Height-increasing medicine, muscle-building medicine, cavity-removing medicine, tooth-regrowing medicine, hair-growing medicine – they all come out. For reference, I’ve obtained all the medicines I mentioned from labyrinths. Sold them for high prices~”

“Wow!”

“That’s awesome?”

“Ooh!”

“Cough cough. Wow, cough!”

Olive deliberately stared blankly into space with unfocused eyes.

“I heard~ that youth-restoring medicine also came out of Messa Labyrinth. Believe it or not~”

“Ahem! Even in a labyrinth, would such medicine exist? Olive, you’re too gullible! Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“That’s why I said it. Believe it or not~”

“Ehem! Ehem-khem! I see! If Uncle Low grew tall by taking medicine, then the person following Duke Oren must be Uncle Low’s brother!”

The Old Man loudly cleared his throat to interrupt the conversation and revive the original topic.

Count Randy took up the conversation with a serious face, perhaps to help Grey.

“I see. Who would have thought that when Olive said the younger brother was big, she was talking about height. Surprising.”

The Guide sent a sinister smile to the Count who was seriously stroking his chin and nodding.

“Of course it’s about build, what else should be big? Hm? Count? What were you thinking? Hm? When you heard the younger brother was bigger than the older brother, what did you think instead of height? Hm?”

“Ahem! Khem! I wasn’t thinking anything strange!”

After the Master cheerfully cleared his throat, now the disciple was coughing roughly with saliva caught in his throat.

Not only Count Randy’s face but also his ears and nape turned red.

“Strange? I was purely talking about height, so what exactly did you think was big? Olive is sooo curious~”

“Ahem! Khem-khem! Tw-twins would naturally have similar builds! I thought! Low’s spirit was bigger, I thought!”

“Really? Hm?”

Seeing her husband in trouble right before her eyes, Countess Randy scolded the Guide.

“Adventurer! How rude!”

“I didn’t say anything special though? Hm?”

“No! You were rude! Ying!”

Ying looked at the Princess instead of Philia who called her.

When Serena nodded, she immediately stood up and approached to execute punishment on the criminal.

Olive opened her round eyes even rounder and covered her forehead where a bump had formed from being hit in the morning.

“Huh! I got hit today already, are you hitting me again? Hm?”

“Did you forget what Philia said? A retainer’s honor is the master’s honor. Be careful with your words next time.”

It’s absolutely not because Serena also thought of something other than height like Count Randy.

‘Absolutely.’

The Archer mercifully avoided the previously hit spot.

Olive’s straight forehead now had two huge bumps.

“Sob sob. I was wrong.”

Tomorrow there would be dark bruises. Olive cried pitifully while rubbing the bumps with the golden egg.

Low sent a pitying glance at Olive before returning to the main topic.

“If it’s my brother, he’s definitely after the crimson key. I’m certain.”

“Indeed. Just as you thought there might be more crimson keys and infiltrated the Royal Palace, your brother thinks the traitor has a crimson key or knows its whereabouts and is following the traitor.”

“Yes. I’d bet my precious muscles that he’ll run away the moment he learns the crimson key’s whereabouts or obtains it.”

If someone else said they’d bet their muscles, she’d wonder what that meant, but when Low said it, it was believable.

‘Somewhat disappointing.’

They say there’s no younger brother like an older brother, but even though they’re twins, High is 5-star while Low is 4-star.

Even though Low had better physical conditions after taking the medicine, the one-star difference made it slightly disappointing from Serena’s perspective, who could see their grades.

‘Does sociability also affect stars? Personality is important when exploring labyrinths.’

It was natural that the sociable older brother who carefully looked after even middle-aged ladies he met for the first time was better than the shy and timid younger brother.

“The crimson key is the goal! We know nothing about rebellion! We’re from the Empire!”

Whether worried about his brother or afraid of being implicated by association, Low earnestly defended High.

“Duke Oren has the crimson key…”

“Stop. Don’t speak of uncertain matters.”

“A mere crimson key! Even if he has it, our Princess will win!”

Having finished the conversation, Countess Nex couldn’t endure the fatigue and injuries and fainted again.

As Serena pondered what to do about Countess Nex’s sleeping arrangements, Ralph stepped forward.

“I’ll give my bed to the Countess!”

“Are you alright, Count Ralph?”

“Actually, I feel more secure with people around rather than being alone. I’ll be fine sleeping on a blanket by the campfire!”

Ralph said he shared rooms with fellow pages during his page days and gave up his capsule bed.

The Number Siblings, who had gone to help Lavenda wash dishes at the Herb Garden Spring, must have shared some funny stories among themselves as their giggling sounds carried from the corridor all the way to the lobby.

“We had no idea it was fake muscle!”

“We were scared for nothing!”

“Wooong!”

“Cough, sister! We’re almost at the lobby, so shush!”

Smart Neet warned them, but it was already too late.

I don’t know how long they’d been talking behind Low’s back, but Low’s face turned bright red upon hearing “fake muscle.” He looked more like a boiled carrot than a boiled octopus.

The Mysterious Stranger went to the lobby door to wait for the Number Siblings, determined to clear his name from the disgrace of fake muscle—muscle built with drugs.

Hana, who opened the door and entered, was startled.

“Eek! Why are you blocking the way?”

“Looks like he’s trying to make us drop the dishes so we have to wash them again?”

“Woong!”

“Cough, move please. Cough.”

“It’s not fake muscle!”

Low shouted with a very hurt expression.

The Number Siblings, in stark contrast to how they used to fear and be wary of Low, now looked down on him and teased him.

“If you built it with drugs, isn’t that fake muscle? If it’s not fake, then is it drug muscle?”

“Your height is fake, your muscle is fake! Even your baldness is fake!”

“Woooong.”

Low seemed tongue-tied due to his natural shyness and timidity, his face reddening, but he finally mustered the courage to shout.

“It’s not fake muscle! I used drugs for height, but I built the muscle through exercise!”

“Do you have proof?”

“What?”

“No proof means it’s fake, right?”

“Woong!”

“Cough, sister! Stop teasing him! Cough!”

“We were scared and watched our step around fake muscle without even knowing.”

“We didn’t need to be careful at all!”

“Woooong.”

3 against 1. Low, whose face had been reddening, spoke in a voice that grew smaller under the pressure of numbers.

“It’s real muscle, I tell you. The drug only made me taller, so at first I was just skin and bones like her.”

Low pointed at Duri, who was in a state of skin and bones due to long-term malnutrition.

“Sure it is~”

“Not drugs~”

“Woooong~”

Could Low prove to the cheeky Number Siblings that his muscle was real?

As I watched the fascinating standoff between the four, an unexpected person stepped forward.

“That’s enough.”

A low, resonant voice that sounded serious as if he’d eaten the Serious-Serious Fruit. It was Count Alpha.

“Mr. Low’s muscle is definitely the product of effort and training. I, who have exercised with him, guarantee it. Muscle built with drugs cannot be this natural.”

“That’s right! Mr. Low is someone who truly loves muscle! I’ve also exercised with Mr. Low and gained a lot of muscle!”

Count Alpha and Ralph defended Low, even though they’d only exercised together for a few days in the herb garden.

“There’s no need for long explanations. If you follow Mr. Low’s exercise routine, you’ll realize it’s not drug-built muscle.”

“Count Alpha is right! Let’s exercise together!”

The two knights tried to take the Number Siblings, who had just returned from the herb garden, back to the herb garden again.

“We’re learning acrobatics, so we don’t build muscle!”

“We don’t need bulky muscles!”

“Don’t worry, you won’t build muscle from exercising once!”

“E-everyone! To believe in me like this!”

This time, Low’s face turned red not from hurt but from being moved, and he followed his exercise buddies out of the lobby.

‘Maybe he’ll be less shy now.’

The Number Siblings I was worried about also seemed to have their guard down against Low due to the doping suspicions, so in some ways, this worked out well.

The Princess felt relieved and petted her divine item.

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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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