Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 307

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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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307. Party Formation

“Why are you looking at me?”

“This one would be good.”

The Hunter pointed to Hana as his assistant. Hana tilted her round face and pointed at herself with her finger.

“You mean me? Am I first-string material?”

“First-string, what. Temporary assistant.”

Hana seemed pleased, but Serena quickly prevented the personnel from being finalized.

“Wait a moment. Hana is currently exploring the 5th floor. Wouldn’t it be too dangerous if she suddenly goes to the 10th floor?”

“I agree with Radish! Yo! With Compass abilities, finding deer would be easy too. Yo. It’s fine if we just run away without fighting.”

“Yes. The 10th floor has an environment where it’s easy to avoid monsters unlike ordinary labyrinths, so it’s okay for Hana to go.”

“And me! Yo! Count must find mountain climbing difficult too, so I’ll take Count. Yo. We need someone who can recognize valuable herbs if there are any.”

Hana from the 2nd group came to the 1st group, and Count Randy from the 1st group was instantly transferred to the 2nd group.

With her head getting complicated, Serena decided to organize her thoughts after everything was finished and asked the two guides.

“Do you want any other personnel?”

“Sir Knight Ralph should go to the 5th floor.”

“What? Am I not needed?”

Ralph, who had been hurt once before when excluded from an expedition team, looked surprised and made a tearful face. Low made an apologetic expression with his fierce face.

“It’s not that, it’s difficult to make one more winter coat fitted for you, sir. Please go to the garden.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Small-built Hana’s winter coat could be managed by layering existing clothes, but tall Ralph needed custom tailoring. Ralph immediately understood when told he was excluded due to lack of snow mountain equipment.

“Hmm~ Then for the 5th floor, it’s me, Sir Knight, Count, Bear, and Red going?”

“For the 10th floor, it’s me, Princess, Ying, Count Alpha, and Hana. Like this.”

The personnel allocation for the snow mountain group and garden group was completed. Count Alpha raised a complaint.

“The 10th floor seems to lack combat power.”

“Sir Knight can stay at the mountain lodge with Princess and Ying. Monsters won’t attack the lodge, so it’s fine.”

“Black Knight~ Princess would be upset if you exclude her from combat power~ Princess has such strong magic! Yo!”

Theoretically, Olive’s words were correct. However, the Imperial Knight frowned his handsome face, seemingly displeased with the reality of having to include his protection target in the combat force.

A lifeline descended for Count Alpha.

“I’ll go to the garden too. Send one person to the snow mountain group.”

What a grand status – Grey, the Grand Mage’s illegitimate son, expressed his intention to participate in the labyrinth expedition.

“What? Are you alright now, ahem! Are you okay, Grey?”

“Uncle! Have you fully recovered now?”

The Imperial citizens’ reaction to seeing the Grand Mage’s illegitimate son was enthusiastic. Count Alpha, though also an Imperial citizen, couldn’t join in the enthusiasm and narrowed his brow, unable to understand the Genius Alchemist and Prince’s reactions.

“Little master, can you use magic like your dad? Yo?”

“I can manage exploring the labyrinth entrance level.”

The Old Man’s face was sullen, as if Grey hadn’t fully recovered his magical power.

Just as Count Randy’s knowledge greatly helped labyrinth expeditions even without attack potions, Grey’s participation wasn’t limited to just the magic a child could use.

Olive raised both hands and welcomed Grey.

“It’s good for me if young master comes. Who wants to climb a damn cold and harsh winter mountain?”

Olive first asked the party members’ opinions.

“I want to go, but I need to make snow mountain equipment.”

“I’ll go.”

“Woong!”

“Eh? Sister Duri has to come with me!”

Ralph wanted to go to the snow mountain but was troubled due to lack of equipment, and Count Randy actually didn’t want to climb mountains but expressed his intention to return because of Serena.

Duri seemed to like the snow-filled mountain and said it was fine to go. However, Sesi, who didn’t want to be separated from family, opposed.

“Hmm~ What should we do~”

Olive, rolling her round green eyes, glanced at Serena. Serena nodded, meaning Olive should do as she wished.

“Good! Red, I choose you! Go see the snow!”

“What? Why me?”

Sesi, who thought she would never be chosen, was startled. Serena was also curious about the reason for choosing Sesi.

‘Why? I don’t know about Hana, but Sesi is really dangerous.’

If the reasoning was insufficient, Serena would have to step forward and correct it.

Olive shrugged her shoulders and revealed her reason.

“When Red calls from far away, magical beasts just come running. Makes catching deer easier, right? Plus, if it seems dangerous, she can serve Princess at the lodge. And there’s one more bear on the 10th floor, right?”

Olive grinned.

“Why bother going back and forth? Go together and catch the bear too.”

It was an uncharacteristically careless thought from Olive. Fortunately, Olive’s mouth continued to open.

“If I said that, I’d be crazy. Like Radish said, the 10th floor is wide open so it’s easy to escape, and all the monsters that appear are magical beast types, right? First, I’ll take Red to see if taming works. If it does, it’s safe so we’ll take her around, and if not, she can stay holed up in the lodge serving Princess. Yo.”

As if something occurred to her while speaking, Olive clapped her hands.

“There’s a sauna there too, right? She can serve Princess in the sauna. Really easy, right?”

The guide was nodding her head, pleased with her own suggestion, when a voice as cold as frost in May was heard.

“Easy?”

“M-Madam?”

“Serving Serena’s bath is special service that only the closest of confidants can provide, and you want to have a vagabond of unclear status do it?”

Philia’s gaze was cold. Olive was shocked as if a dagger had been stabbed into her chest. The guide’s hands were faster than eyes, but her mouth was not.

“N-no. That’s. It’s better than Princess washing alone. Yo.”

Heuji Jeolmi glared at Olive as if she were a mortal enemy. Olive couldn’t bear the Beautiful Woman’s sharp gaze and was tormented by guilt.

“Sob sob, Countess. I was wrong. Yo. This mouth is too loose.”

The resentful Beautiful Woman’s eyes turned to Sesi. Sesi showed tears when the Countess she revered glared at her.

“I didn’t say anything! This is unfair!”

“Philia.”

Serena called her name quietly to stop her maid. Her friend who kept bringing concepts from outside the labyrinth when the labyrinth and outside couldn’t be the same was frustrating.

“I know too. That it can’t be helped. But I wanted to let those who don’t know how happy and special it is to serve Serena know!”

“Philia.”

Serena called her friend again. Philia’s eyes welled up with tears, then she actually didn’t respond to Serena’s call and went into the capsule bed.

Everyone was terrified witnessing Countess Randy ignore the Princess’s call. Olive was especially terrified and trembling.

“Me? Did I do wrong? Yo? Did I commit a mortal sin?”

“If Countess hates you, it’s all the con artist’s fault! Waaah!”

“I’ll go comfort her.”

Count Randy rushed to his wife immediately. Fortunately, Philia came out of the capsule as soon as her husband called and stood beside the Princess.

Though she turned her face away as if wanting to express her sulking, her hands never left Serena. Serena gently stroked Heuji Jeolmi’s delicate hands.

“I understand your feelings.”

“Serena doesn’t understand at all.”

“How could receiving service from others be the same as receiving your service? Just as you feel happy and special when serving me, I also feel happy and special when receiving your service.”

Philia’s lips, which had been slightly protruding like a small bird’s beak, went back in. The delicate hands that had only allowed Serena’s touch now gripped the Princess’s hand tightly.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

When a Beautiful Woman who sometimes even provided cosmic horror was offering her loyalty, if one didn’t feel happy and special, that wouldn’t be human.

‘I was scared of AI development before I died. Even a machine would probably be moved.’

“Hehe, you and I have the same feelings, Serena.”

Heuji Jeolmi smiled brightly, her mood lifted after hearing her master’s honestly revealed feelings.

While everyone complained of abnormal heartbeats and breathing difficulties, Count Randy shed tears of emotion.

“Madam, what a relief!”

Having also soothed her sulking friend, Serena focused on the main topic of the labyrinth expedition.

“Is it really okay to take Sesi to the 10th floor?”

“Yes. This is all thanks to Princess who can conveniently travel back and forth through the teleportation room. Yo. Kyaha, praise the Minotaur God and Princess!”

‘Olive judges that the labyrinth difficulty has dropped tremendously thanks to the teleportation room.’

Well, imagining going down from the 1st floor of the 1st level to the 10th floor using only stairs, it did seem like death from the 3rd floor onwards.

Considering that point, she could understand why Low and Olive wanted to take Hana and Sesi to the 10th Layer without much hesitation.

‘Right. It’s not like the library where it’s hard to escape.’

Hana and Sesi had gained more experience than when Serena conquered the 8th Layer.

Also, even if something went wrong by any chance, Serena had a way to reverse death.

“Good. I shall follow your advice.”

The princess confirmed the party members for the snowy mountains and garden.

***

Serena touched the statue of the Minotaur God, pretending to pray.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

“We’ll be back~”

Garden team for perfect conquest of the 5th Floor. Olive, Ralph, Count Randy, Duri, Grey. 5 people.

Snowy mountain team going to the 10th Layer to hunt musk deer. Serena, Ying, Low, Hana, Sesi, Count Alpha. 6 people and one Labyrinth Rat Leader.

With 11 people and one giant chicken leaving the lobby simultaneously, the bustling lobby became empty in an instant.

Perhaps because of this, the remaining team in the lobby felt especially regretful and came out to the teleportation room to see off the two conquest teams.

Prince Willow, who couldn’t leave the lobby due to his curse, kept his feet in the lobby and leaned his upper body as far as possible to wave at the conquest teams.

With 11 people and one giant chicken entering the teleportation room, it was cramped. Fortunately, teleportation was faster than the elevator.

Serena, who teleported to the 5th Floor first, dropped off the garden team.

“Everyone be careful.”

“If things get bad, we’ll run right away!”

It was reassuring to think that the experienced guide would choose to flee when things got dangerous.

However, since guides were as greedy as they were experienced, Serena left a warning for Count Randy and Ralph.

“If Olive gets greedy, punish her immediately.”

“Yes! Understood!”

“Knight, why is your answer so energetic? Do you want to punish me? Is that it?”

“Huh? That’s not it!”

Olive, who had caught him, excitedly teased the innocent young boy. Count Randy asked his lord with his eyes.

‘May I punish her at times like this?’

Serena also answered with her gaze.

‘If she goes too far, you may.’

Count Randy smiled broadly.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Lady Serena. Please take care of yourself as well. Count Alpha, I entrust Lady Serena to you.”

“I will protect her with my life.”

Count Alpha answered seriously as always.

‘You don’t need to risk your life though.’

Honestly, Serena would rather die herself than watch someone else die.

‘Of course, only in the labyrinth.’

10th Layer. Upon arriving at the cave on the peak of the snowy mountain, cold wind greeted the snowy mountain team.

“I’ll look around the mountain hut. Ying, come with me.”

Low examined the mountain hut where he and Ying had stayed for several days. Serena waited with Count Alpha in front of the teleportation room for the hunter to finish his investigation.

Hana and Sesi seemed less affected by the cold and didn’t yield to the chilly wind brushing their cheeks. The Chicken Leader also maintained a dignified posture without succumbing to the cold piercing through its feathers.

The sisters looked at the accumulated snow visible outside the cave and exclaimed in admiration.

“White shit is piled up like crazy!”

“Disgusting to look at!”

The sisters, who had wandered and slept rough all their lives, shuddered with disgust upon seeing the snow as if they were sick of it.

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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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