Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 279

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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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279. It Wasn’t Intentional

Seraph borrowed Count Randy’s capsule bed. At first, he grumbled about whether it was a doghouse or chicken coop, but after confirming the bed’s softness, he fell asleep immediately.

Whether physically or mentally exhausted, Seraph didn’t wake up even when Chicken laid a golden egg and crowed loudly.

Serena had a simple breakfast, then took Olive, Ying, and Ralph with her and transferred to the 10th floor. When she entered the boss room on the 46th floor of the 11th level of Heuji’s Labyrinth, the Imperial Knight greeted the Princess and her party.

“You’ve arrived. Everything has been peaceful here.”

Everyone except Count Alpha was asleep. Serena realized her mistake and panicked.

“Did Count Alpha keep watch alone?”

“When dealing with monsters, I’m used to staying up for days. Please don’t worry.”

The Imperial Knight pointed to the alchemist and the Bald Man who had fallen asleep next to the patient without even laying out blankets.

“The Count and the priest also took turns staying awake to care for the patient. High Priest Hazel had a fever during the night which worried us, but fortunately it broke at dawn.”

The High Priest of Earth had performed his organ show in unsanitary conditions. From Serena’s past life perspective, it was a miracle that the fever had subsided.

“Mmm, Lady Serena, you’re here? What about Lord Seraph?”

Muffin greeted her without being able to open her eyes properly. Serena gestured for Muffin to sleep more.

“He must have been tired and couldn’t get up. Miss Muffin should rest more too.”

“Ugh, no. I should get up. Oww.”

Muffin tried to sit up using only her core strength while lying down, then clutched her stomach in pain. Hearing her groans, Count Randy and the High Priest of Effort snapped their eyes open.

“Is there, is there someone in pain?”

“Bindo has not succumbed to drowsiness!”

The two checked High Priest Hazel’s temperature first with half-awake faces. Then they confirmed that Knight Marin was lying quietly, and finally turned their gaze to Muffin.

While checking on the three patients, they also saw Serena and her party but didn’t greet them. It wasn’t that they were ignoring them, but they were so out of it that they really didn’t notice and passed by.

The alchemist rummaged through his bag and downed a terribly bitter medicine that relieved muscle pain and fatigue.

“Kugh! Whoever made this, the effect is certain!”

“Give Bindo a bottle too. Kugh, I can truly taste the bitter flavor of endurance!”

“Would Count Alpha like one too?”

“I’m fine.”

Life returned to the faces of the alchemist and priest, which had been dry as a desert. Serena thought of her pelvis, knees, and back that hurt because of the splints and held out her hand.

“Give me a bottle too.”

“Gasp, Lady Serena? When did you arrive?”

Count Randy, who only then realized Serena was there, was startled. Serena drank the medicine that tasted more like life’s bitterness than the bitter taste of endurance and asked about the patients’ condition.

“How are the priests?”

“Hehe, they’ve stabilized considerably. After today passes, they can move around as usual. Princess, you can also remove your splints now.”

This was welcome news to hear. Without needing to return to the lobby, Serena removed her splints right there.

“Count Alpha, shall I take over?”

While the Princess was removing her splints, Ralph worried about the Imperial Knight who must be tired. Count Alpha was grateful for Ralph’s offer but declined.

“I’m fine. How is the lobby? Are Lord Willow and everyone else all right?”

“The lobby is-“

“Something tremendously big happened! An enormous, tremendous thing! No less!”

Olive interrupted Ralph’s answer and began exaggerating while waving both arms. At the mention of something tremendous happening, Count Alpha’s already serious expression became even more serious.

“What happened?”

“The identity of the little young master was revealed! No less!”

“The little young master – you mean Grey Ash?”

“Cough! Ahem ahem ahem!”

At the mention of Grey’s identity being revealed, Count Randy, who had been caring for the patient, coughed loudly. It sounded like he was seriously choking.

“Tsk tsk, make an effort to turn your head when coughing.”

The High Priest of Effort threw himself to block the saliva from falling on the patient.

“Cough, cough cough! Hack hack!”

“Are you all right?”

The Count coughed as if he would spit up his lungs and stomach. Thanks to Ralph’s alarmed patting of the Count’s back, the saliva that almost went into his lungs safely flew out of his mouth.

“Grey revealed his identity?”

Count Randy looked at Serena anxiously with an uneasy expression.

He seemed afraid that she would scold him, saying “How dare you hide such important information! You betrayed me!”

“Hmm. I’m disappointed in the Count.”

“Gasp!”

Count Randy clutched his heart and crawled on his knees to Serena. The genius alchemist’s million-gold hands scraped and scratched against the tunnel floor.

“I absolutely had no intention of betraying Lady Serena! This matter is related to the Empire’s safety and beyond what I can handle, so I kept my mouth shut for Lady Serena’s safety!”

‘Oh no.’

Serena was flustered. She had only intended to tease the Count a little following Olive’s lead, but Count Randy was reacting more extremely than expected.

‘There really is something there.’

There exists a separate reason why Grey’s true identity must not be revealed.

‘Should I dig deeper while I’m at it? No. He’s genuinely worried about me.’

The Princess had been deeply moved by the loyalty and devotion the Count had recently shown her.

‘He could have consulted Grey first about the Ascender matter, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave me loyal advice to be wary of Ying.’

The Empire’s genius alchemist had once jokingly said that half of his body belonged to the Imperial Emperor. Count Randy’s loyalty to the Emperor was real. Yet he chose Serena’s safety over information that could help the Empire.

‘Deceiving the Count and extracting information like this would be betraying the trust he’s shown me.’

The Princess gave up on teasing the Count.

“Was the story about Duke Pein’s late-born illegitimate child such important classified information? As befitting a great figure representing the Empire, he must have cared about his reputation.”

“I absolutely didn’t intend to deceive Lady Serena! Huh?”

Count Randy, who had been pressing his forehead to the floor, raised his head with a bewildered expression. Olive also shrugged as if her desire to play pranks had disappeared.

“It was revealed that the arrogant young master is the late-born illegitimate child of that annoying old mage. The old geezer who pretended to be faithful to his dead wife while secretly cracking pumpkin seeds – now other people know his ugly nature like hemorrhoids! No less!”

Olive confirmed as truth the fabrication that Duke Pein’s character was as ugly as a chronic disease.

“Anal fissure! Hemorrhoids! Anal fistula! The hemorrhoidal Grand Mage!”

The disciple, unable to stand up for his master who was being insulted and ridiculed before his eyes, pressed his forehead to the floor to hide his grief.

“Kugh!”

The knight, who had respected the Grand Mage in a different sense, also crumpled his handsome face in anguish. Serena gave them time to prepare mentally while additionally announcing:

“With Grey’s identity revealed, the Prince speaks respectfully to Grey. It doesn’t fit protocol, but uncle and nephew – they’re family, so it’s not our place to interfere. And Count…”

At the news that the Prince spoke respectfully to Grey, the Count’s face brightened, while the knight became more grief-stricken. Serena told the Count the harsh reality.

“Count, you’ll now be called ‘big brother’ by Grey. Cherish your younger brother, ahem. As you do now.”

“What? Younger brother, hehe. Hehehehehehehe?”

The Count, given permission for brotherly address, couldn’t hide his joy and burst into laughter.

Among all emotions, negative emotions seemed particularly numerous, and Olive scratched her cheek at the laughter.

“Ugh, cheer up.”

“Hehehehehehehe!”

“Kugh, Your Grace the Duke! I trusted only Your Grace! To have had a child and not announce it proudly but hide it!”

“Hehe, I know he’s quite advanced in years. To have such a late-born child! He made an effort!”

The High Priest of Effort fanned the flames. Count Alpha, who had been anguished, suddenly grabbed Count Randy.

“Do you know, Count?”

“Sorry. I knew.”

“Not Ash’s identity, but his mother. Who is his mother? Don’t tell me it’s someone Lord Willow and I also know?”

“His mother? Well, that is, that’s…”

Count Randy couldn’t answer and rambled incoherently.

Lies beget new lies. Serena pondered this eternal, unchanging truth that remained constant even in a changed world as she left the boss room.

***

When the Princess returned to the lobby, her maid ran to her first as always. Serena asked about her brother’s condition first.

“How is Seraph?”

“He’s coughing, so he’s taking a hot spring bath. Originally we were going to have Grey attend to him, but it seems awkward to face him, so Sol is attending to him.”

“I see. Count Randy seemed a bit tired but was healthy.”

“That’s good. Oh my, Lady Serena! You’ve removed your splints! Are you all right now?”

“Right. The priests say they can move normally starting tomorrow too.”

Aunt. No, sister-in-law. Grey, who had been keeping his ears perked up since yesterday to avoid getting scolded by Philia, who was now his sister-in-law, chattered as soon as the two ladies finished their conversation.

“Your Highness Princess. About that magical tool you mentioned yesterday.”

“Oh, right. You said it was a labyrinth treasure?”

To Serena, no matter how she thought about it, it looked like coin patches, but Grey spoke of labyrinth treasures. Serena handed the staff she happened to be holding to the old man.

“This is probably what it’s for.”

Grey peeled off a coin patch from the paper and attached it to the staff. Then he peeled off another one and reached out to attach it to Serena’s sleeve, but Philia’s stern command rang out.

“Grey! When touching someone of the opposite sex, you must inform them beforehand!”

“I’m sorry, sister-in-law! I was wrong, Your Highness Princess!”

Aunt. No, sister-in-law since yesterday.

Thanks to his sister-in-law’s firm and consistent discipline, the old man’s behavior was becoming more polite day by day, which was good for the princess to see and hilarious for the Guide to watch.

“Kahahaha, s-sister-in-law! Puhahahaha!”

She had laughed so much this morning that she complained of muscle pain when she woke up, yet was it still funny every time she saw it?

Serena ignored Olive, who was gorging herself on the medicine called laughter, and focused on the magical tool explanation.

“Now, let go of the staff.”

Serena let go of the staff without much thought. Then something amazing happened.

The staff ignored gravity and floated right where Serena had released it!

When the surprised Serena stepped back to get a better look at the floating staff, something even more amazing happened.

The floating staff followed Serena’s movement. When she moved quickly, it moved just as quickly; when she moved slowly, it moved just as slowly, following Serena while maintaining a distance where she could reach it if she extended her hand.

Serena had seen a similar scene before. Inside a monitor.

‘This is!’

The true identity of the coin patches was the magic magnet that Serena had sung about wanting when she entered the 11th Layer!

‘Yes, this! This is what I wanted!’

No matter how Serena moved, the staff maintained a constant distance. She could even shorten or lengthen that distance with her thoughts.

“Brother Duri. Try holding the staff.”

“Woof!”

The bear grabbed the staff and Serena moved away. When the staff tried to escape from the bear’s grip but couldn’t, it suddenly disappeared from Duri’s hand.

The disappeared staff instantly moved to Serena’s side.

“Woof?”

Everyone except Duri, who was looking at his own hands in surprise because the staff he had been holding firmly had disappeared, was amazed.

“Wow! The staff teleported! It’s like magic!”

“Can this be attached to a wallet too?”

“I see. So this is how this magical tool works. How did you know, Grey?”

“Cough. Grey oppa is amazing.”

“It’s really fascinating. Just as you said, young master, it’s a labyrinth treasure.”

Praise poured out for the magical tool’s excellent performance and for Grey, who had figured out how to use it immediately.

Even Olive, who had been dismissive of the unidentified magical tool, opened her round eyes even rounder and raised her hand.

“What what what! Olive wants it too! Olive wants to try too! Can thrown daggers be retrieved?”

“I don’t want to give it to Olive noona, but we should test it.”

Grey attached the magic magnet to the dagger Olive borrowed from Ying while being wary of the thief, and also attached one to Olive’s body.

“It’s dangerous to throw it in the lobby, so throw it outside the lobby—”

“Awesome!”

Olive threw the dagger before Serena could finish speaking.

The Guide only pretended to lack common sense but was actually a person with common sense. Naturally, Olive threw the dagger toward a wall where there were no people.

The dagger flew rapidly as if it would embed in the wall, then slowed down in mid-air and turned around. It was trying to return to maintain distance from Olive.

However, the path it took to turn around and return was not very good.

“Why is it so noisy?”

Wet golden hair that had darkened in color, cheeks flushed from the hot spring bath. Seraph, beautiful like a rose with dewdrops, came out after finishing his hot spring bath.

The dagger that was returning to Olive embedded in the wooden door the prince had opened. The prince stopped walking at the chilling aura of the dagger that pierced through the wooden door.

If he had taken just one more step, the dagger would have pierced through Seraph’s face.

The startled Seraph couldn’t even speak and just opened and closed his mouth while adjusting his breathing and heartbeat, when Olive knelt down and crawled on all fours to the prince, bowing her head just like Count Randy had done.

“I was wrong!”

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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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