Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 249

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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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249. Sweat and Tears

“….”

“….”

“Excuse me.”

Serena bowed her head, which she hadn’t lowered to anyone except gods and family since her reincarnation, and turned around. Behind her, she could hear Low frantically searching for his clothes.

Ying turned around like Serena, but Olive didn’t turn away and calmly watched her ex-boyfriend getting dressed. Her green olive-colored eyes sparkled, looking quite delighted.

“Why are you eating in just your underwear? Did some monster that only melts clothes appear?”

“What kind of monster does that! I’m sorry for showing you something you shouldn’t see, Princess! This isn’t what it looks like! I mean, well!”

“What’s going on?”

The commotion must have reached the mountain hut as Count Alpha’s voice could be heard. When Serena glanced back, she saw the Imperial Knight coming out of the mountain hut. Serena blinked her one remaining eye again.

‘Why are you undressed too?’

Even her sibling who poked his head out from behind Count Alpha was shirtless.

This wasn’t a midsummer beach, but a snowy mountain peak where snow had melted and frozen again – why were three men eating cup noodles with their clothes off?

Then Serena noticed something strange. The faces and upper bodies of her sibling and the Imperial Knight who came out of the mountain hut were wet.

‘What’s really going on? Were they mentally attacked by a monster and preparing to freeze to death as a group?’

It’s said that bodies of people who died from hypothermia are sometimes found undressed. Because they mistook the cold for heat – could it be that the three remaining on the 10th layer fell victim to such a mental attack?

As Serena considered all possibilities, Low, who had hastily put on his pants while hopping on one foot, explained.

“We were taking a sauna and came out briefly to cool down when the Princess arrived! I’m sorry!”

“Sauna?”

It was a word that didn’t suit the labyrinth, but Serena immediately understood. Hot springs didn’t suit the labyrinth either, for that matter.

Meanwhile, Seraph and Count Alpha had wiped off their sweat and put on their shirts before coming out. Steam was rising from their bodies as if they had been enjoying the sauna until just moments ago.

“Why did you come?”

Seraph, whose cheeks and around his eyes were red from the sauna, asked bluntly. Serena silently pointed to the pot and plate of salad that Ying and Olive were holding.

“I came to bring warm, nutritious food since it’s cold, but you were already eating warm food.”

“Hehe, Princess. This noodle dish tastes amazing. You must try it sometime.”

Low, who had been picking up the cup noodles he’d set on the ground, rubbed his hands together and laughed, then became conscious of Seraph and frowned.

‘Could it be that they were taking a sauna together and he came outside under the excuse of cooling down because of his shyness?’

Without needing to ask, the guess was probably correct.

Count Alpha gratefully received the pot containing stew.

“Thank you, Your Highness. One noodle dish wasn’t enough, so I was about to eat another.”

“High Priest Hazel is scheduled to come to the 10th layer tomorrow, so please endure until then.”

“Endure? That’s not appropriate. I’m merely fulfilling my duty as a knight.”

“Are you crazy? I thought you came for some important matter, but you just came to deliver food? The Princess of Huji acting like a servant. Unbelievable.”

Serena encouraged him and Count Alpha felt honored. The princess and knight were having a heartwarming conversation with established formalities when the prince interrupted.

Serena suppressed the rising sigh.

‘Muffin is working to endure her sadness, but my sibling is taking saunas, eating precious cup noodles, and talking nonsense.’

The princess wore an elegant and graceful smile.

“Count Alpha. It may be painful to hear, but please endure a little longer.”

“Not at all, Your Highness the Princess. His Highness the Prince was just very sad until moments ago-“

“If you’re done with your errand, hurry back to the pleasant lobby!”

Seraph cut off Count Alpha’s words and barked at him, then rudely stomped his feet as he entered the mountain hut.

Serena looked at Count Alpha, meaning for him to finish what he was saying. Count Alpha furrowed his brow but said no more, keeping the prince’s secret.

“Princess, are you going back now?”

“No. I want to ask Seraph about the treasure room. I’ll have a brief conversation and then return.”

“Treasure room?”

The hunter’s eyes gleamed at the mention of a treasure room. The mysterious stranger gave in to curiosity and followed the princess back to the mountain hut.

“Why are you coming in?”

The prince, who had taken the best seat, glared at the princess. Serena ignored her sibling and looked around the mountain hut. Heat was emanating from inside what she had thought was a separate room.

“So this was the sauna.”

“Yes. It’s not an ordinary sauna – the temperature rises quickly, so we were warming our bodies.”

“Moving vigorously and hitting the sauna feels amazing~ It has a different appeal from hot springs~”

Having thoroughly enjoyed the hot springs in the lobby, it was time to enjoy the sauna. Serena resolved to visit the sauna later and brought up the reason for her return to the 10th layer.

“I heard you went to a place called the treasure room.”

“Treasure room? Ah, that room full of gold coins? I went there.”

When Seraph readily confirmed, Olive’s eyes lit up as she fired off questions.

“Before going to the treasure room, didn’t you feel any omens or strange sensations? Do you think you could go to the treasure room again? Did you happen to have good dreams the night before going to the treasure room?”

The prince seemed displeased with the thief daring to interrupt a conversation between royals, frowning and showing his displeasure. Olive only closed her mouth after the princess gave her a look.

“You don’t have to answer Olive’s questions. What I’m curious about are the magical tools you obtained from the treasure room. If you have any magical tools whose purpose you don’t know or that are unnecessary, give them to me. Let’s make a deal.”

“Hmph!”

Seraph laughed dismissively and crossed his arms.

“You’re probably not offering useless money from the labyrinth. A deal would be bartering, but do you have magical tools worth that? I won’t accept jewels. I already have plenty.”

He used to be sad that Serena wouldn’t trade with him, but now his expression and tone were incredibly arrogant.

If there’s nothing to exchange, I’ll just steal it. Olive, provoked by the prince’s challenge, moved her fingers dexterously.

Serena signaled the archer to keep a close watch so the thief couldn’t steal.

“I also have considerable magical tools obtained from the labyrinth. Low. Take out the magical tools obtained from this layer.”

When Low pulled out a shabby sack, the sneer on the prince’s lips deepened. Serena also raised the corners of her mouth at the same time. The sack that had been completely emptied of its contents was heavy again.

“This is a magic sack that generates one of potatoes, sweet potatoes, or corn daily. Low, what’s in the sack now?”

“Two potatoes, two corn, and one sweet potato, sir.”

“An average of two crops are generated per day, making it an extremely useful magical tool. In a labyrinth where food is precious, it’s a treasure of immeasurable value.”

While it was less important to Serena’s party who could travel between the lobby and teleportation room, it would be a more important treasure than most magical weapons for her sibling who relied on treasure chests for supplies.

The cocky smile disappeared from her sibling’s face. Serena laughed with satisfaction. He frowned his pretty face, but the still-handsome young man spoke sullenly.

“What do you want?”

“Do you have any magical weapons Olive could use?”

Olive, who had been excitedly warming up her wrist and finger joints, covered her mouth with her hand in emotion.

“Gasp! Princess! You’re trying to get me a weapon? Olive is so moved. I might cry.”

Seraph openly showed his displeasure.

“A weapon to give to that thief? I’m not stupid enough to arm such a criminal. Choose something else.”

She wanted to give the guide, who regretted only being able to contribute one person’s worth due to lack of proper equipment, a magical weapon so she could contribute 1.5 people’s worth, but the prince’s opposition was firm.

‘Then whose weapon should I ask for? If I ask for Hana’s, he’ll misunderstand that I’m giving it to Olive.’

“Excuse me. May I say something?”

“Speak.”

Count Alpha, who had been watching the royal siblings’ transaction, added his words.

“I think equipping Your Highness the Princess with defensive gear should be the priority.”

“I agree with that too.”

Seraph rolled his eyes, which shone transparently like the finest amethyst, left and right, then put his hand into his spatial bag.

What the prince pulled out of his spatial bag was silver-glossy fabric that reflected the campfire light. If made into a dress, it was so beautiful that inquiry letters asking where the fabric was purchased could keep one warm through winter.

“I picked this up because it was interesting. The count is here, so it can be made into clothes, right? It’s sturdier than ordinary fabric.”

“The fabric certainly looks good. With this material, I should be able to imbue protective magic.”

Count Alpha admired it while comparing the silver fabric with the fabric of his own cloak left in the lobby.

Serena also reached out to check the fabric’s texture. It was sturdy and she could faintly detect magical power, so it would be an easy material to imbue with magic, but.

‘It’s too shiny. It’s like shouting “I’m here” to monsters.’

It wasn’t even fabric with sequins attached, but when it caught light, it sparkled in all directions, making it unsuitable for wearing in the labyrinth.

Moreover, it was heavy. While the fabric looked soft and light to the eye, its actual weight was such that if made into a dress, people could get hurt from being hit by the hem swung while dancing.

“Isn’t it too shiny? And it’s heavy.”

“The count can dye it, and the weight gets distributed when made into clothes and worn.”

“It looks like a material that can’t be dyed.”

Let’s say the weight is offset by sturdiness. Serena didn’t know much about fabrics. Even without knowing much, she had intuition. The silver fabric her sibling had pulled out was a material that couldn’t be dyed.

“Don’t you have anything else?”

As Seraph obediently searched through his spatial bag, the archer who had been watching the thief offered advice.

“Make a deal.”

At the Archer’s words, Serena threw the potato sack to her sibling without hesitation and grabbed the silver fabric. It was heavy, so she made Count Alpha carry it.

“Let’s trade this. Deal established. Count Alpha is the witness.”

The Prince looked flustered like someone witnessing unreasonable behavior for the first time in his life. Having only been scammed his whole life and never dealt with such audacity, he didn’t even get angry.

“Zero. Do you know what this fabric is?”

Olive fingered the fabric the Princess had secured behind her back.

“It’s silver fabric woven from silver transformed into thread form through alchemy. When processed alchemically, it becomes light and more durable. Weaker than gold, but it’s decent.”

Gold’s characteristic feature is being pure and soft. But this is a fantasy world where gods actually exist in the heavens.

In a world where the God of Gold exists, gold is both soft and the hardest material.

Golden weapons crafted through collaboration between alchemists and priests of the God of Gold are the hardest weapons in the world.

It’s just that there aren’t enough skilled alchemists and priests of the God of Gold.

That’s why owning golden weapons was also a ruler’s pride. Serena and Seraph’s grandfather also had a set of golden armor passed down through generations for a thousand years. She remembered occasionally watching him take it out from the King’s Treasure Vault to dust it off.

Serena developed a new curiosity.

‘What happens to items that get swallowed by the labyrinth together? Do items come out when you clear the labyrinth? The golden armor has tons of protective magic on it, so it should be safe, right? One set of that could buy a decent country.’

It wasn’t an exaggeration but the truth. If they sold a full armor set to the Empire’s emperor, they could make deals with good vassal states.

Anyway, while silver was inferior to gold, it was a material that conducted magic well and was good for imbuing various spells. Since Serena’s group had an alchemist and an enchantment specialist mage, they could maximize the silver fabric’s potential.

It was unfortunate that it sparkled and caught the attention of any creature with eyes, but that could be solved by covering it with dark fabric on the outside. Since they had obtained light and sturdy defensive gear, it was something they had to accept.

“I feel like I got ripped off.”

Seraph compared the empty potato sack with the silver-gleaming fabric. Serena stood up to return to the lobby before her sibling could cancel the trade.

As she stood up, she noticed the cup ramen containers that were completely empty inside because her sibling and Count Alpha had drunk all the broth. The movement of air as she stood stirred up the rich ramen smell again, stimulating her nose.

Saliva pooled in her mouth. Her stomach, filled with salad, worked hard to make space for ramen.

“Should I eat just one before going?”

In the end, Serena couldn’t resist and opened a cup ramen, pouring boiling water into it. The stimulating smell captivated the Archer and Guide’s sense of smell and stomachs.

“Princess! Me too!”

“Me too.”

“Didn’t you just finish eating?”

Seraph looked at his sister with curiosity, wondering why she was showing such appetite for once. This was something Serena couldn’t help.

“Don’t you know there’s a separate stomach for noodles?”

Her sibling made an expression like he was hearing something absurd, but it couldn’t be helped. There really was a separate stomach for ramen.

“Hoo hoo.”

Serena forgot her dignity and elegance as a princess, and with the reverent heart of a Reincarnated One, she blew on the cooked ramen to cool it.

She dipped the cooled noodles back into the broth, coating them with plenty of salty soup before putting them in her mouth.

“Slurp.”

The spicy, salty, oily broth and noodles harmonized in her mouth, delivering a familiar taste, a known taste, a taste that never betrayed. Though it was her first time eating it, it felt familiar and missed as if engraved in her soul.

Her past life with ramen flashed by like a panorama.

From childhood when she would cook ramen with only half the seasoning packet and eat the remaining seasoning with other noodles, to her youth when she bought expensive new cup ramen at convenience stores without any discount.

‘Ah, really. I lived such a pathetic life.’

Even though living so pathetically was annoying and she resented her grandmother, ramen was delicious. It was always delicious. She thought she’d get sick of it, but she never did.

Seeing his sister eat ramen made Seraph’s appetite stir, so he ate some salad, then realized his own nutritional deficiency and began grazing on greens like a rabbit.

The Prince ate an entire plate of salad by himself and also finished all the apples he brought for dessert. Count Alpha and Low shared the stew.

‘Ah, delicious!’

The Princess, who had instantly finished an entire cup ramen including the broth, wiped the sweat beaded on her nose with a handkerchief. She watched her sibling eating an apple while waiting for Ying and Olive to finish their ramen.

Even though it had been a while since coming out of the sauna, her sibling’s eyes were still red. The droplets at the corners of his eyes were still there too.

‘He cried.’

Seraph has a very troublesome personality. He hates honestly revealing his emotions and hides them tightly, yet he wants people he cares about to notice his hidden emotions and show concern.

What’s even more troublesome is that sometimes he subtly wants you to notice, while other times he wants you to keep not knowing about his hidden emotions.

The criteria depend on Seraph’s mood, so Serena still doesn’t know the strategy. Muffin and Shullen didn’t know either.

Serena considered noticing her sibling’s sadness and comforting him, then gave up. Since it seemed he had cried in front of Count Alpha, she decided to go with the setting of not having noticed.

‘The sauna must have been very hot.’

So her sibling couldn’t hold back and cried, and Low couldn’t endure it and went outside to cool his body. That would do.

‘It’s surprising he cried in front of Count Alpha. Maybe it’s because he’s a guard knight like Shullen.’

Since her sibling suspected most Royal Knights of being Richard’s faction, there was a possibility he felt at ease because Count Alpha was a foreign knight.

‘Anyway, I’m glad he cried.’

If the flower trash had truly become a heartless avatar of revenge who wouldn’t shed a single tear even at a guard knight’s death, it would have been scary how much he had changed as a person.

Serena felt slightly relieved and returned to the lobby.

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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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