Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 19

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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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19. The One in a Hundred Thousand Man (2)

‘I pressed the gacha and someone who wasn’t there before popped out. This can’t be a coincidence.’

When I said I wanted to help people trapped in the labyrinth, I regressed to the past.

A gacha window appeared and when I did a free pull, someone who wasn’t there before appeared.

‘Surely they don’t expect me to pull all 100,000 people this way.’

That couldn’t be it. I hadn’t even figured out what currency was needed for the gacha.

Serena opened only her left eye and shouted all sorts of things. Wondering if there was anything else, she eagerly moved and clicked the cursor above the window.

She wasn’t given a status window or cheats, but instead was given something else.

A shop.

Besides the gacha window, there was one more shop window. Right after opening the shop window, she cheered loudly, then was greatly disappointed after seeing the products.

‘Fountain decoration change? Are you kidding me?’

Suddenly decoration items appear here?

Serena didn’t hide her anger and roughly flipped through the product pages.

After going through useless products like lobby floor tile and wall tile replacements, and decorative sculptures, now trees and flowers appeared.

‘Why are there only decoration items, huh?’

While grinding her teeth and roughly flipping through the green-filled product pages, Serena’s eyes caught a product name.

Bread tree.

The bread tree Serena knew was a tree that bore potato-like fruit flesh. If it was the same tree she knew, it would be suitable for carbohydrate replenishment.

When Serena showed interest, the cursor moved over the bread tree. A product description window opened next to the cursor.

After reading the product description, Serena was surprised and opened both eyes, then the shop disappeared so she closed her right eye again.

‘A tree that bears bread. Really?’

The price was 10 coins. With a first purchase special discount, it was only 1 coin. For just 1 coin, she could buy a tree that bore fluffy bread.

‘How do I get coins?’

After rat meat, spiders await. Knowing the future, Serena wanted to purchase the bread tree as quickly as possible.

Besides that, there were many other quite useful products. In a situation isolated from the outside, it was welcome to be able to replenish supplies this way.

Wondering if she could find an explanation about coins, she eagerly pressed the shop window and gacha window. There was no gain.

‘Is there nothing more to see?’

She could take her time looking at the products carefully later.

“Phew.”

Serena sighed and closed her left eye. It was also torture to keep open an eye that showed nothing but the gacha window and shop window.

She put on the leather eyepatch and looked around. Not only Philia, but even the added Knight Lucas were all looking at her with tense eyes.

‘Tsk. It’s understandable they’d misunderstand.’

She had been surprised by the gacha and shop and acted strangely for too long. Serena straightened her back and held her head high, making the expression she had practiced in the mirror. A dignified princess expression.

“Are you alright now?”

“I just had a headache for a moment. I’m fine now. More importantly, Sir Lucas.”

“Yes.”

“I have a few things I’d like to ask you. Please answer exactly as they come to mind, nothing more or less.”

“Understood.”

When I did the gacha, Sir Lucas appeared. This couldn’t be a coincidence.

“I’d like to hear about what happened right before and after you came here.”

“Yes, Princess. I was escorting you and Countess Randy through a narrow alley. That soldier and old woman were blocking the path, so I left your side to ask them to move aside, and at that moment I felt an earthquake.”

“Hmm. And then?”

“When I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar corridor. I heard human voices and saw bright light, so I came here and found you, the Countess, and these people. That’s all.”

“Same as me.”

“Yes. Everyone testified that they all felt the earthquake the same way and woke up to find themselves here.”

‘But you weren’t there last time.’

In terms of proximity, Sir Lucas had been closer to Serena than Krom and Ralph. So why wasn’t he there last time?

‘Was it a different server or channel?’

Just kidding. Anyway, Sir Lucas joining was a good sign. From a state where a retainer disguised as a guard was the party’s only fighting force, a real knight had joined the party.

‘But what’s that?’

Though his helmet had fallen off, while Serena was contentedly looking at the plate armor Sir Lucas wore and the real sword hanging at his waist, something strange flickered in her eyes again.

Something like stars were floating above Sir Lucas’s head.

‘One, two, three. Three of them.’

Why would stars suddenly appear above a person’s head? Could Sir Lucas possibly be some god’s apostle?

“Lady Serena?”

Serena turned her gaze away from the stars at her maid’s cautious question. Though curious, now wasn’t the time to focus on things others couldn’t see.

“If you’re tired, would you like to lie down? I’ll spread my cloak.”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“Ahem. While you were briefly suffering from a headache, Princess, I finished assessing the situation.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. This place appears to be the Royal Mausoleum.”

Sir Lucas gave the same wrong answer that Serena had offered. Since labyrinths were uncommon, she couldn’t blame Sir Lucas.

‘I wonder if Lavenda didn’t offer a different opinion.’

Serena turned her gaze toward Lavenda.

‘They’re frozen.’

While Serena had been distracted, something must have happened because everyone’s expressions had hardened stiffly.

Ralph was more tense than before, frozen like stone, and Krom was anxiously hiding in a corner, worried about even catching Sir Lucas’s gaze. Lavenda was also completely cowed, rolling her lavender-colored eyes anxiously.

‘They’re frozen a bit too severely?’

When Serena’s gaze reached the three, Sir Lucas spoke.

“After interrogation, they turned out not to be suspicious individuals. Please be at ease.”

“Good. They’re all ordinary citizens, so treat them kindly.”

‘It’s because of Sir Lucas.’

From the position of guarding royalty, when an unexpected incident occurs and strangers are discovered, one must be vigilant. Not doing so would be neglect of duty.

‘It might have been a bit excessive. Can’t be helped.’

Sir Lucas must have been very shocked by the sudden events too. Given time, his wariness would gradually ease. Serena restarted her positive thinking.

“While waiting for a rescue team from outside would be best, I’d like to look for an exit from inside so we can get out a bit faster. Please allow me to briefly leave your side.”

“I permit it.”

“Please rest here with the Countess, Princess. I’ll go look around over there and return.”

Sir Lucas pointed to the cave where Serena and Philia had been.

“That place is blocked by large rocks and debris.”

“Yes, I heard from the Countess. I want to check if there are any other differences.”

Sir Lucas didn’t seem to believe Serena’s words. Serena clicked her tongue inwardly.

‘This can’t be helped.’

When hearing that an exit is blocked, even if a king, emperor, or pope said it, one would want to confirm it with their own eyes. It had been the same before, so even though it seemed like a waste of time, it couldn’t be helped.

After what felt like a few minutes, Sir Lucas returned. Like the people who had gone to the cave before, his expression wasn’t good.

He pondered something deeply, then approached Serena.

“Princess. I’m sorry to say this, but it seems we’ll need to enter the mausoleum to find an exit.”

Getting permission from the tomb owner’s descendants before searching a tomb was a natural procedure. Ignoring it could result in being cursed by the tomb’s owner. In this world, it wasn’t superstition but real.

“I’ll grant permission. There might be traps, so I’ll go too.”

“Please stay here with the Countess, Princess.”

Sir Lucas’s tone was firm.

“Haven’t you ever heard of Heuji’s Mausoleum? It’s a place full of all kinds of traps. At least I have knowledge, so I—”

“It’s not allowed.”

‘Did he just interrupt me?’

Serena was about to get angry but first glanced to the side because the maid who should be angry first was quiet. Philia was nodding her head earnestly as if agreeing with Sir Lucas’s words.

“You can’t go to dangerous places!”

“As a distant relative of House Huaim, I too heard much about the Huaim Family Mausoleum from my parents and grandparents.”

‘Considering he doesn’t visit the grave, he must be more distant than an 8th cousin, yet he calls himself a relative?’

“Even if you’re scared without an escort, it can’t be helped. Fortunately, that place is blocked and the area I need to examine is mostly a straight path, so there shouldn’t be much danger. If anything happens, please call out loudly.”

‘Not scary? What are you talking about?’

Sir Lucas spoke almost like he was giving an order, then called Ralph and Krom. Both immediately followed Lucas’s command.

Serena saw that Krom had taken the lead position, not Ralph or Lucas.

‘Is Krom walking fast because he’s eager to find the cart?’

Otherwise, why would an old woman lead the way ahead of a guard and a knight?

Would a knight who knows Heuji’s Mausoleum is full of traps really put a stiff-jointed old woman in front?

Serena furrowed her brow.

‘They say you get what you pay for.’

Lucas was even a free knight. A complimentary knight.

Somehow she had a bad feeling about this.

***

‘This is trouble.’

Lavenda, being a foreigner, had been particularly persistently interrogated by Sir Lucas. It was only briefly relieving when Sir Lucas disappeared from the lobby.

I’m the only foreigner here.

At this rate, it’s dangerous. The only person Lavenda could trust and rely on was the Princess.

‘Her condition is a bit strange, but. The Countess is here too.’

The Princess’s condition was indeed a bit odd—constantly muttering nonsense and blinking at invisible things in the air—but since Countess Philia, her lady-in-waiting, was also there, it seemed like it would be fine.

Lavenda carefully approached the Princess.

“If you have a headache, shall I give you a head massage?”

“Stop. Who are you?”

“I told the knight earlier, I’m Lavenda Puri, a masseuse. We met at the massage parlor, Countess.”

“I don’t remember people well. Keep that in mind.”

This was an attitude she often encountered when serving arrogant noble ladies. Perhaps because Countess Randy was so beautiful, even hearing such arrogant and rude words didn’t upset her that much.

‘It would be strange for a fairy to remember human names. That’s exactly the feeling?’

Lavenda washed her hands with water from the fountain.

“Yes, I understand. Then may I attend to the Princess?”

“Rather than that, I want to wipe off the oil while there are no people around.”

The fountain water was clean. Serena wanted to wipe off the oil remaining on her body faster than last time. She had Philia keep watch and diligently cleaned herself together with Lavenda.

“Don’t you have any guesses?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked if you also think this place is a mausoleum. It could be something else, couldn’t it?”

Like a labyrinth.

“I… don’t really know.”

Lavenda smiled gently and brushed it off.

‘I was hoping to go along with whatever Lavenda said, but that won’t work.’

It would gradually be revealed when they discovered labyrinth rats, the leader’s chamber, or treasure chests, but to reveal it before then, she would have to step forward herself.

Serena decided to speak up directly once everyone gathered. She wasn’t sure if people would believe her right away after seeing her strange behavior, but she could either suppress them with authority or show them evidence.

‘But what is this?’

Serena stared intently at the yellow star above Lavenda’s head.

Sir Lucas had a star above his head, and now Lavenda had a star above her head too. Philia, who was standing guard toward the passage, also had a star above her head.

‘But why are the colors different?’

Above Lavenda’s head floated one yellow star. Philia’s head also had one yellow star, but there were more stars of different colors. Four gray stars. Five in total. Five stars!

‘Just by count, Lavenda is 1-star, Philia is 5-star. But counting only yellow stars, they’re both 1-star.’

As Serena remembered, Sir Lucas had three yellow stars above his head.

‘I should check everyone when the others come back.’

Not long after Serena finished cleaning herself and adjusting her clothes, Sir Lucas and the others returned, pulling Krom’s cart.

Serena checked the stars first. Sir Lucas had three yellow stars. Her memory was correct.

‘Krom has two yellow stars. Ralph is… what’s with him again?’

Ralph had a total of five stars. But the colors were different again.

‘One yellow star, two transparent stars, and two gray stars?’

The Princess was frustrated not knowing what this could possibly mean.

What good was it that her body felt refreshed? Her mind was frustrated.

Serena opened only her left eye and shouted inwardly with all her might.

‘Text file! Hangul file! Word file! PDF! Excel! PowerPoint!’

Nothing appeared.

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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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