Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 255

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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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255. Loophole

The Fire Knight is pathetic, but I can’t just let all his teeth rot away.

The Princess hurried to the lobby to prevent the angry Priest of Corruption’s punishment. Fortunately, Knight Marin’s healthy teeth were still safe.

“Oh! Warm heavenly fire! I report that the Princess who went to the 10th floor has returned. I asked the Princess about the safety of High Priest Hazel, Priest Rihua, and the Prince.”

‘What is this?’

Serena ignored Knight Marin’s strange words and checked the time on her necklace. Fortunately, the time displayed in minus was steadily decreasing toward 0.

“Gentle fire. Your knight awaited the Princess’s answer.”

Knight Marin continued speaking in a strange tone. The time displayed on the seal didn’t increase.

Serena was bewildered and asked the lobby people who had been watching from the beginning.

“What on earth happened?”

“Don’t even ask, Lady Serena.”

Muffin sighed and crossed her arms.

“During evening prayers, she suddenly started praying out loud. Since the time was fine, I thought the prayers were really okay. I was relieved thinking that, but then suddenly she started chattering, making excuses that anything was a prayer offered to the sacred fire.”

Serena was shocked. If the heavenly fire was strict, it could cost three days, and she did this without even consulting anyone!

‘This is why the deity imposed a seal on her!’

Even if Knight Marin’s thinking was exceptional, it was too exceptional for an ordinary person like Serena to understand her thought process.

“The Princess gave no answer, oh fire. As they say, no news is good news, so I think everyone is safe. It must all be because the warm fire is conveying warmth to those in the cold snowy mountains. Praise the grace of fire!”

Knight Marin, having found a loophole, muttered without rest for even a moment. She engaged everyone in conversations disguised as prayers and interfered with them.

Everyone gradually avoided the Knight, but the Mysterious Stranger got caught in her clutches. Lavenda skillfully let Knight Marin’s words go in one ear and out the other.

But the Fire Knight didn’t tire even from insincere responses. Lavenda’s face gradually became gaunt as even her final secret technique of claiming she was in the middle of a massage, not that the massage was over, was sealed.

“Great fire. I met a massage therapist from Bieta. I explained to the massage therapist about the massage methods passed down in the fire sect. Yes. That massage you know of. Heating round, smooth-surfaced stones in fire to indirectly convey your warmth…”

“Yes, yes. That’s right. I see.”

‘Lavenda’s eyes have lost focus!’

Perhaps feeling sorry for the massage therapist who couldn’t escape, Prince Willow intervened. The Fire Knight immediately switched topics and conversed with the Prince. The focus gradually disappeared from the Prince’s blue-gray eyes as well.

Watching this scene, Serena held her forehead as her head throbbed even though he wasn’t even her party member.

“At this rate, won’t the great fire block even prayers?”

“Ugh. I’m worried she might try singing and causing trouble if prayers get blocked.”

If it were anyone else, they’d laugh it off as nonsense. But Knight Marin really seemed like she would try to communicate by rewriting hymn lyrics, which was scary.

“She must have been frustrated not being able to talk continuously. She’ll calm down as time passes.”

The Young Knight dreamed of a hopeful future as always. Sadly, the tomorrow Ralph dreamed of never came.

Cluck-? Cluck cluck cluck?

“Sacred fire. I entered Heuji’s labyrinth and witnessed an object that could be called a true treasure of the labyrinth, not common gold and silver treasures. That was the mysterious Chicken Golem that lays golden eggs. The Chicken Golem’s appearance and habits are similar to ordinary chickens, and the golden eggs laid by the Golem Chicken have only golden shells while the contents are edible eggs. The residents of the labyrinth lobby made all kinds of dishes with this amazing treasure, all thanks to your grace that reaches even inside the labyrinth.”

Squawk!

Chicken Golem ran away to escape Knight Marin who was holding onto it and chattering endlessly. The Fire Knight, rejected even by a golem that wasn’t even a living creature, wandered the lobby looking for her next victim.

People either fled outside the lobby or pretended to sleep in capsule beds, fearing to make eye contact with Knight Marin.

“Hmm~ Knight of Fire, your hair and eye color are pretty so it’s fine~”

“I had heard rumors about a famous adventurer called Wind of the Wasteland. So I was wondering if I should have a direct conversation with Olive.”

“The Princess said no romance, so I’ll endure it!”

Even the Guide who had been coveting Knight Marin’s ocean-blue hair fled. Knight Marin looked disappointed and found a new target. Her blue eyes fixed on the Prince with whom she had conversed late into the night yesterday.

“Fire. I witnessed a fire that doesn’t go out even without firewood in Heuji’s labyrinth. Those staying in the lobby testified that this sacred bonfire was a gift bestowed by the labyrinth. But I knew. Such a sacred bonfire absolutely cannot exist without your permission, can it? I decided to inform the Empire’s Prince, who encounters sacred bonfires the most, of this fact first.”

Prince Willow desperately pretended to focus on cooking, genuinely afraid of the Fire Knight approaching him.

But the Prince’s hand holding the kitchen knife trembled. Serena, worried the Prince might get hurt, came to his rescue.

“Knight Marin. If it’s alright, wouldn’t you like to have a conversation with me for a moment?”

The Prince’s eyes welled up with tears, moved by the Princess’s spirit of sacrifice. Serena slightly shook her head to mean don’t misunderstand and led the Knight toward the cave.

“The Princess requested a conversation with me. Since I am under your command to observe silent practice, I had no choice but to refuse the Princess’s request. However, since it’s possible to listen to what the Princess says, I silently waited for the Princess to speak.”

‘So anything in the format of reporting to a deity counts as a prayer?’

Thinking of her sibling and priests who would have to conquer the labyrinth together with that Knight in the future, she felt genuine condolences.

Serena didn’t really call Knight Marin to save the Prince. The Princess had a plan for everything.

‘This is a chance to get information.’

As befitting a reincarnated regressor, one must turn crisis into opportunity. This chatty Knight had a high possibility of blabbering about the heavenly situation too.

‘She already has a record of it.’

Serena smiled triumphantly inwardly.

‘I’ll extract all the information she has and doesn’t have!’

I’ll show that I have talent not only in vault robbery but also in information extraction!

However, the Princess’s competitive spirit gradually crumbled as she spent 2 hours listening only to Knight Marin’s past history. The most frightening part was that despite listening to one-sided talk for a whole 2 hours, they still hadn’t gotten past her 1-year-old period.

The birth story that started from prophetic dreams went back through her parents’ romance, grandparents’ romance, ancestors, and continued in an endless chain. It was entertaining to listen to, but kept straying from the main topic.

‘Is this Arabian Nights?! Why do stories within stories keep coming out!’

If this were a game, Knight Marin would definitely be an NPC that gamers would skip dialogue for without reading because she talked too much.

And malicious game developers would hide important information in the skipped conversations to trick gamers who skipped dialogue.

Fortunately, this was reality, so Knight Marin didn’t ask Serena if she was listening well or anything. She just chattered endlessly.

The focus disappeared from the Princess’s one and only eye and her mind became hazy.

Even while returning to the lobby from the cave and having a pleasant meal, she was so tormented by Knight Marin that she didn’t know if the stew was going into her mouth or nose.

‘This won’t do. I have to do something about this.’

Finally, Serena made a decision. If Knight Marin was left in this state, Seraph would die of high blood pressure.

“I have something urgent to discuss with High Priest Hazel. I’m going to the 10th floor.”

It’s absolutely not because she’s tired of Knight Marin’s voice and running away. Even now as she heads to the transfer room, Knight Marin’s voice lingers in her ears and brain, but it’s absolutely not that.

“I shall escort you.”

The Imperial Knight hurriedly followed behind the Princess who unilaterally declared she was going to the 10th floor. He was efficiently carrying a pot of soup, which the Prince seemed to have prepared.

As if Count Alpha sensed her thoughts from Serena’s gaze, he smiled lightly. The Knight’s brilliant beauty shone.

“There is nothing more grateful for a knight than when Your Highness the Grand Princess informs me of your destination.”

‘The Prince must have wandered around quite a bit.’

Thanks to being trained by the free-spirited Prince, Serena, who grew up like a hothouse flower, seemed easy to escort. Serena subtly pushed away Philia who was trying to follow and moved to the 10th floor.

During this time, Serena had been going to the 10th floor every day. She came and went at set times to prevent embarrassing incidents from recurring.

Now it wasn’t the promised time, so she was a bit worried.

‘Surely he’s not wearing only underwear again? Now that High Priest Hazel and Priest Rihua are there too, he wouldn’t do that.’

Serena prepared herself mentally and left the transfer room. Fortunately, there was no one near the transfer room.

‘Are they all at the mountain lodge?’

Just in case, she looked around when she sensed presence outside the cave. It didn’t seem like monsters, so she moved stealthily under Count Alpha’s escort.

“Yep. That’s how you do it. Gently, no. Originally you should do it harder, but since the blade is sharp, gently.”

“Heh heh heh. Very good. That’s the way to work hard.”

“It’s noisy, so shut up! And explain accurately! You say gently then say don’t do it gently, why do your words keep changing!”

Seraph, Low, and even the Bald Priest were gathered doing something. As she got closer, she smelled blood.

“Did you catch a monster?”

“Aah! You scared me!”

Low noticed Serena’s approach, and the Bald Priest, though he didn’t notice, wasn’t very surprised. But Serena’s sibling noisily screamed and turned around.

“If you’re going to approach, make some noise first! Are you an assassin?”

To Serena’s eyes, Seraph glaring angrily looked more like an assassin. Because he was holding a blood-stained dagger in his right hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Hmph! It’s none of your business. Get lost.”

Seraph issued an eviction order to his sister while shaking off the blood on his dagger. The dagger must have been quite good, because one light shake cleanly removed all the blood from the blade.

Actually, there was no need to ask her sibling what they were gathered doing. Just seeing the Labyrinth Deer on the ground with its hide half-stripped was enough.

“Were you learning monster butchering from Low?”

“The discarded meat and hide were just a waste.”

Seraph replied curtly. Serena admired inwardly and asked a new question.

“There’s no need for you to learn it yourself, you could have someone else learn it and order them to do it.”

“What? Are you stupid? It’s more efficient if I do it.”

Said the Prince who wouldn’t lift a finger even if a cup within arm’s reach spilled. Seraph didn’t realize Serena was surprised and frowned with all kinds of expressions.

“I handle daggers the best, so I’m learning. Now that you understand, get lost. You’re interfering with my concentration. You know I have weak concentration, right?”

Though he kept telling her to get lost with his mouth, when Serena didn’t leave, Seraph grumbled but started skinning again.

Surprisingly, Seraph maintained concentration rivaling that of when he gambled. He didn’t get angry at the Effort Priest who kept chattering noisily beside him and focused intently on preparing the chamois.

‘It’s shaking.’

One gray star above Seraph’s head shook rapidly as if it would shatter at any moment.

“You’re doing well! That’s it! Young one, put in effort!”

The Prince listened to the hunter’s advice and skillfully skinned the chamois, separating the bones, meat, and organs.

At that moment, the gray star shattered and the yellow star inside shone its light upon the world. It was a beautiful star too pretty for Serena to keep to herself.

‘He became 3-star.’

Her sibling, whom she thought was hopeless trash except for his looks and bloodline, had become 3-star.

Serena witnessed up close the scene of her sibling, whom she always thought was pathetic, becoming 3-star. Was this coincidence, or was it fate?

Serena stared intently at the face of her sibling who happened to have a reincarnated sister and a regressor cousin. Seraph seemed proud of finishing the chamois preparation by himself and acted smug.

“Since you came all this way, eat some meat before you go. But pay for the meat.”

The Princess who ate the chamois skewers protested the terrible taste and immediately demanded a refund.

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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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