Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 34

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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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34. Crimson Key

‘Crimson Key?’

It was the first time Serena had heard of such a key. Not just Serena, but everyone seemed to be hearing about it for the first time.

“First time hearing about it. What is that?”

“Well, it’s like a legend that circulates among adventurers.”

Olive shrugged her shoulders and kindly explained.

“Since this is still a low floor, you probably haven’t seen them, but the labyrinth has tons of locked doors and treasure chests. Usually you can open doors and chests by using keys found in the labyrinth or meeting certain conditions, but honestly it’s hard and annoying, right? So rumors spread~ that there’s a miraculous key that can open anything~”

It was like the key version of an all-purpose sword that could cut through anything. It was peculiar that it wasn’t just all-purpose, but specifically had the color crimson attached to it.

“The Labyrinth God has crimson eyes. Are you speculating it’s a divine artifact connected to the god?”

“Wow, you really don’t know.”

Olive looked at Serena’s reaction and clicked her tongue. Serena felt unpleasant, as if she were being tested.

“Princess, you really don’t know? That’s the prize for the Heuji Grand Ball that was held recently. The Crimson Key.”

It was truly the first time she’d heard of it. Fortunately, Serena had an appropriate excuse.

“Tournaments and jousting competitions were Duke Oren’s responsibility, not mine. I was very busy handling the arts festival, ball, and banquet.”

She had escaped the palace unable to endure the hard labor and then fell. Even if she had stayed at the palace, she would have fallen anyway, but if that had happened, the starting members would have been different.

‘No, wait. If I was unlucky, I would have fallen while dealing with the eastern kingdom delegation and been the only foreigner.’

If that had happened, she wouldn’t have been able to take the lead in the party like now. There was a high probability she would have been in Lavenda’s position, having to read the room due to lack of information and feeling pitiful.

If she died, would she have walked the golden path without regrets?

“I’m hearing about the Crimson Key for the first time. Normally one would imagine a key carved from ruby. Didn’t the adventurers just make a mistake?”

“Ah~ well~ we naturally thought it wouldn’t be real either. But since Heuji has a thousand years of history, we wondered if there might be something similar~”

She was curious how there could be two people with this rare combination of being knowledgeable about labyrinths, capable of combat, 5-star, and female. It seemed someone had spread bait to lure adventurers.

“So you two also came to participate in the tournament aiming for the Crimson Key?”

“We came to get a look at the prize when the tournament winner was announced, and also to challenge Heuji’s famous safe craftsmen~”

“Safe craftsmen?”

“Princess, you don’t know that either? There was a safe-cracking competition!”

“Was there such a competition? I only know about the competitions I organized.”

With the thousand-year founding anniversary, there were so many events held by civilians, noble families, and the royal family. Even handing out prizes and trophies to winners was a big task.

“Heuji’s safes and metalwork are the best on the continent. They’re different from labyrinth treasure chests, but still, if you’re in the industry, they’re opponents that ignite your desire to challenge them.”

“I see. I’ve heard that metalworking skills are excellent, but this is the first time I’ve heard about safes. So did you win?”

At Serena’s question, Olive crossed her arms and arrogantly lifted her head.

‘She won.’

“Hehehe~ I blew away the competition with overwhelming skill and Olive won! As a prize, I received a set of lock-picking tools made by Heuji’s royal craftsmen!”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“You’re quite skilled.”

Ralph and Lavenda clapped in admiration. Olive became even more proud and enjoyed the praise.

“Anyway, so I saw many industry people in Heuji City~ I never expected to see Zero though. Zero, you also came to see the Crimson Key, right?”

Ying answered firmly.

“No.”

“Then did you also come aiming for archery competition or hunting competition prizes?”

“No.”

At the two consecutive short and firm answers, Olive’s lips protruded.

“Really? Then why did you come to Heuji? Don’t tell me it’s really tourism?”

“I heard the call of darkness.”

Serena doubted her ears at this unexpectedly original answer she never expected to hear in this world. Others also expressed confusion. Olive asked again.

“Maybe my ears are clogged, I didn’t hear well. Could you say that again?”

“I heard and answered the call of darkness.”

‘Eek, otaku.’

Was she an otaku or had chuunibyou? She knew it existed in this world too since her younger brother had recently shown signs, but she never expected a labyrinth expert to be affected. And it was still ongoing.

‘No wonder she’s dressed all in black.’

She even had a (black) bandage wrapped around her left hand. She should have noticed from the unusual fashion, but didn’t expect it due to her age.

‘They say it’s a blessing when chuunibyou comes at age 14.’

This archer in her mid-to-late twenties with decent looks – did her chuunibyou develop much later than the appropriate time, or had it still not been cured? Serena expressed her condolences.

“Ah~ aha!”

Olive also nodded as if she roughly understood something and played along.

“Mm~ I see. You’re much better when you’re taciturn.”

“Everyone says that.”

Ying answered indifferently and chewed her beef.

***

The next morning. Seeing Serena picking bread for breakfast, Olive said.

“Bread trees restore a fixed number at once, so let’s harvest everything we see and dry them!”

“Taking only what’s needed is a virtue.”

“That’s assuming there are other adventurer parties~ but there’s no one here but us. If new people appear, we can share the dried bread.”

Unless Serena summoned people through the gacha, it didn’t seem likely that someone who coincidentally ended up in the same labyrinth would appear.

Serena decided to harvest all the bread and dry it as Olive advised. In case some wouldn’t dry well and would rot, she left some unharvested. Mainly white bread varieties high in moisture and butter content.

“This is my first time harvesting bread!”

“Me too. I’m having a dreamlike experience.”

While the current situation was closer to a nightmare, Lavenda’s expression was bright, perhaps because she was having the novel experience of picking bread from trees. She harvested bread more actively than anyone.

They spread Lucas’s cloak wide between tombstones and placed bread on top of it.

Olive, who was excluded from labor as an information provider just like Serena who was excluded as a princess and food provider, approached.

“Princess, how much of the 1st floor have you explored?”

“I have a map.”

Serena took out Lavenda’s notebook with the map drawn in it from her bosom, then hesitated. Previously, Lavenda had torn out and hidden pages with customer information, but in this life she couldn’t do so, suppressed by Lucas’s intimidating presence.

‘Is it there?’

Serena checked what Lavenda was doing. She was working harder than anyone. Serena used Olive’s small body to hide the notebook and flipped through its pages.

The notebook contained VIP customer personal information as Lavenda had mentioned, and health-related information like weak shoulders or seemingly poor bladder.

‘Oh, Marquis Melon has frozen shoulder? He looks like he’s in his mid-twenties, but age really can’t be hidden.’

Passing the sad secret of a noble lady famous for her youthful appearance in Heuji’s social circles, she reached the page with Serena’s name.

Since Serena had visited three times including the day of the fall, there wasn’t much written.

Huge chest! Focus on shoulder and back massage. Absolute ruler of Heuji social circles. Must never go against her! Talk of Crown Prince and Crown Princess is forbidden! Caution required! When nothing to say, talk about Vieta!

“What are you looking at so intently?”

“Ahem, it’s nothing.”

For Lavenda’s mental health, Serena tore out the pages with customer information and showed Olive the 1st floor map.

“You’ve explored almost everything. Well, that’s why you went down to the 2nd floor.”

“Right.”

“I’ll fill in the missing parts. There’s something I want to check.”

“Something you want to check?”

“Zero! Will you come with me?”

Ying, who had been silently placing bread on the spread cloak, dusted off her hands and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re going to sweep through unexplored areas and check if there are any hidden passages or rooms!”

Olive revealed her reason for wanting to leave the lobby.

“Originally there’s nothing like that on the 1st floor~ but this is a special labyrinth where undead appear from the 1st floor and a Minotaur appears as a strong enemy on the 2nd floor, right? I want to look around thoroughly!”

“Hidden passages… You mean secret passages?”

Ralph, who had a particular fondness for secret passages, showed interest.

“Knight, do you like that sort of thing? Then would you like to go instead of Zero?”

“May I go?”

“I called Zero to avoid solo action, so it’s fine~”

Olive raised her pinky finger and emphasized the ‘prohibition of solo actions within the labyrinth.’

“Knight~ even if you need to use the restroom, you must go with someone else, okay?”

“Yes? But I am…”

Ralph, who had somehow become the only male in the party, blushed at the mention of restrooms.

Could a boy in the midst of his sensitive adolescent years ask beautiful older sisters to accompany him to the restroom?

If possible, that would be tremendous talent in some sense.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Big sister will go with you. Just trust big sister!”

“Olive. Stop teasing him.”

When Ralph’s face turned so red it looked like it might explode, Ying stopped Olive. Olive ceased teasing the young knight and revealed the cruel truth.

“No, I’m serious because it’s really dangerous. Would you rather be found dead while taking a dump, or let the big sisters hear you pooping?”

“I will definitely inform you whenever I need to use the restroom.”

“Good! Then shall we go? Yo?”

“May I come along as well?”

Rather than sitting still and blankly watching others work, it would be beneficial to follow the labyrinth expert and hear even one more piece of labyrinth information.

“If Lady Serena is going, I want to go too!”

Philia naturally joined in. Olive made it clear that Ralph should protect Serena and Philia before leaving the lobby.

***

The first place Olive visited was the leader’s chamber.

“This place has the highest probability of having secret passages or secret rooms! I’m the type who eats the delicious stuff first!”

Serena had also thoroughly searched the leader’s chamber. She hadn’t found anything.

Olive took a quick look around the leader’s chamber, then suddenly pointed to one side of the wall.

“Look, look. The stone size is different here. Yo.”

“They look similar to me?”

“This is why non-professionals are. Take a look. Yo.”

Olive tapped the stone she claimed was different in size with her finger.

“Did you hear? The sound is different too, right? Yo?”

Serena looked at Ralph and Philia. Both had expressions showing they had no idea.

“Ha, I’ll show you right away.”

Olive’s hand moved toward her waist, fumbling through empty air. Olive squeezed her eyes shut and muttered quietly.

‘No doubt it’ll be curses.’

While pitiful, she couldn’t let her guard down. The yellow stars above Olive’s head numbered three. She was a 3-star expert, judging only by what was in her pants pockets after leaving all her professional equipment behind.

‘Even if the stars weren’t earned through combat skills, it’s the same. It means she can open most doors or boxes without professional equipment.’

As Serena thought, Olive took out Krom’s carving knife, looked around, and chose something suitable.

“The blade will get damaged though.”

Without any preparatory movement, Olive inserted the carving knife between the stones. She seemed to gradually adjust the knife’s position, then pulled it out smoothly.

“Done!”

The wall made of heavy stacked stones shifted to one side, revealing a hidden space!

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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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