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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Hwaji's Labyrinth 1st Floor (4)
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"You bastard!"
"How can you say that?!"
Everyone forgot their fatigue and bristled at Double Hanson's (the real one's) words.
"To be honest, you've never properly looked after your nephews while coming and going between Hwajichen and Kizen. You were a weekend dad!"
Ralph said his sister-in-law had given birth at her parents' house in Kizen and was staying there.
Serena felt a little relieved at the news that they didn't live in Hwajichen. The four quadruplets wouldn't have gotten caught up in this disaster.
"And yet you go on about how busy you are during the Founding Festival, how you haven't slept for two days, how you want to heal by watching the kids at home... Before I knew it, I had his clothes on and came to Hwajichen."
Since he was already here, they decided to grant his wish and give him time to heal by watching the kids. Ralph impersonated his brother. Double Hanson's colleagues spotted it right away, but when he told them about his brother's misdeeds, they all let it slide.
His identity was solid anyway, and as a squire on duty, he had martial skills and legal knowledge. If anything, a trainee knight was more impressive than a regular soldier—they had excess firepower.
With manpower already short, what was there to complain about? Ralph Hanson became Hanson Hanson and continued working.
"I was constantly tense and anxious about getting found out. Now I feel relieved!"
Ralph Hanson. Not a soldier, but a knight's squire, and he was turning sixteen this year.
'He wasn't just baby-faced—he really is a kid.'
The freckles all over his face, the sheepish smile now that he was relaxed and sorry for the deception—it all fit his age perfectly.
'Same age as Seraph.'
Serena hoped her immature little brother was safe, just as healthy as Ralph.
"I believe the princess will show mercy!"
Ralph's eyes sparkled. Serena smiled gently and nodded. Ralph excitedly raised both arms high again.
"Can we go now?"
"Let's check the surroundings first."
Having won the battle, it was time to claim the spoils. The party looked around. The boss rat's corpse was all that remained of the minions, and the door at the back of the stone chamber stood out the most.
"There's a door over there."
The inner door was smaller than the stone one and even had a handle. No harm in being cautious. Following Serena's orders, the party checked for traps.
"Doesn't seem to be any."
"I hope there's not another one of those damn things waiting."
Chrome wrinkled her nose, pointing at the boss rat's corpse.
"Let's hope not."
Ralph, still buzzing from the thrill of victory, cautiously opened the door. Behind it was a room with a chest and stairs.
"Not the exit."
"No magic circle either."
"So the first floor isn't the end. Well... Vieta did say it was unusual..."
"At least there's a treasure chest."
They had defeated the floor boss, but they didn't get the reward they most wanted. Everyone, Serena included, was disappointed.
"Ahem."
Serena cleared her throat to draw attention. It was disappointing, of course.
'I never expected an exit on the first floor. We need at least three floors.'
The princess comforted her weary, injured, and disheartened party. As the terror and excitement of battle faded, pain started creeping in everywhere.
"It's too early to be disappointed. We were caught off guard, but it wasn't that tough a fight. You all think you could have done better with fewer injuries, right? We'll do that on the next floor. The second floor will probably be similar to this one."
Courage and hope returned to everyone's faces.
"Everyone's hurt, so let's treat the wounds first. Rest is important before heading to the next floor."
The party was battered from rat bites. Ralph, who had fought with the swarm on him, was in the worst shape.
His earlobe was gnawed, and chunks of flesh were torn from wounds all over.
"Ugh, didn't that hurt?"
"Squires get hit all the time, so I'm used to the pain."
'How hard do they hit you?'
How much beating does it take for "getting hit is part of the job" to come out so naturally? After checking the party's injuries, Serena nodded.
"We'll have to use potions."
"Pardon? You should use them, Lady Serena!"
"I'll use some too, of course. For minor wounds, herbs will do."
"Wouldn't it be better if only you used them and we saved the rest?"
"I'm fine! Saliva will heal it!"
"This much? Rub on some charcoal or ash, and it'll get better."
'Yeah, right. It'll get infected.'
Serena almost launched into a lecture on the locals' lacking medical knowledge but stopped herself.
'Medicine. They know jack squat.'
The medical knowledge Serena had was to clean wounds thoroughly and apply disinfectant—that was it. Aside from swapping disinfectant for charcoal or ash, it wasn't much different from Chrome's approach. And in this world, people got by fine without that knowledge.
'Because of holy magic.'
In this world, gods bestowed holy power and made their presence undeniably clear. There were so many gods with such tangled lineages, it rivaled the pantheon of some island nation from her past life.
With so many gods, there were plenty of clerics who could use holy magic. They roamed around healing people's wounds in exchange for donations or to spread the faith.
Most holy magic focused on healing, probably to aid proselytizing. If a wound festered from neglect? Just visit a famous temple or priest known for healing magic.
No temple or priest nearby in some remote area, or the wound too urgent? Use a potion.
Of course, potions were ridiculously expensive, out of reach for common folk, but even village chiefs kept one or two for emergencies. Use it in a pinch, then spend your life—or generations—paying it off.
A wound too severe for cheap low-grade potions? If no priest is around, you're already dead.
Right now, Serena's party was trapped in the labyrinth's sealed chambers.
The wounds were numerous but minor—enough to worsen if ignored, but low-grade potions would heal them completely.
If not now, when would they use them?
"Rats are filthy enough, but bitten by undead? We can't leave them untreated. There's even talk that those bitten by undead become undead."
"Is there? First I've heard."
Getting bitten by zombies and turning into one was standard, but not here. Serena felt the cultural gap.
"It could get infected, so wash them clean and apply potions starting with the deepest wounds. Use herbs for shallow ones."
Before heading to the lobby to treat wounds, she had Ralph open the treasure chest beyond the door... or rather, the flimsy wooden box.
"Potions!"
Fortunately, there were three bottles of low-grade potions inside. No more worries about mixing saliva with charcoal due to shortages of herbs and potions.
'Nothing from this guy?'
In games or novels with labyrinths, you looted materials or gear from boss corpses. Just in case, Serena inspected the boss labyrinth rat's mushy remains.
Nothing.
'No magic stone or anything? Really?'
Serena irritably rummaged through the boss labyrinth rat's corpse. Philia was shocked by the princess gruesomely poking at the undead remains with a blank expression.
"Lady Serena must be really tired. Too much stress. What if you end up like the Crown Princess Consort?"
"I'll stop her, Countess."
"You mustn't end up like Her Highness the Crown Princess Consort."
Serena's mother had been mad. Driven by insanity, she had ended her own life.
Ralph and Chrome, who knew this, were appalled at the handmaiden saying such a thing to the princess she served.
Lavenda, the foreign masseuse who didn't know, just noted in her mental notepad that the princess was vulnerable to stress.
"Princess?"
"Hm? Oh, don't be startled. I was just checking for anything useful."
"Let us do it. We'll be your hands and feet anytime you command."
"You might miss mana-infused items. So I checked myself... Nothing."
'Pauper bastard.'
In a game, she'd have leveled up at least. Or gotten an achievement notification for the first boss kill.
This was cursed reality—nothing. And being undead, even the meat and hide were useless.
'Filthy pauper bastard. Filthy undead.'
"I see. Such a big one, and nothing useful. The tail's huge, but it's rotting—such a waste. In Vieta, it would have sold for a fortune."
"Rat tail?"
"Yes. In Vieta's labyrinth, they dry labyrinth rat tails and sell them as lucky charms. Demand outstrips supply."
Lavenda shyly revealed a secret of Vieta's tourism industry.
"They even mix in ordinary rat tails, but bigger tails fetch higher prices. I never did it, but plenty of kids earned pocket money that way. No effort needed—just set traps at rat paths and it's profitable."
Rats fattened on tourists' food scraps in scenic spots, tails plump and all.
Catch them for sanitation, dry the tails, sell as "labyrinth rat" charms, and pocket the cash—that was Vieta.
Everyone was happy except the gullible out-of-town tourists.
What about the rats? They ate their fill until caught, so probably happy too.
"In Vieta, could a shepherd kid catch something this dangerous alone?"
"Probably not undead. Vieta's labyrinth only has regular labyrinth rats and labyrinth slimes."
Lavenda said she'd clearly seen healthy, glossy, plump labyrinth rats happily running on wheels in the rest areas. Unlike the ones here.
"We finished it quickly before it could call minions. I even landed the first strike, but..."
A normal boss rat would have died instantly, but it was undead and didn't die, calling its minions instead. The party panicked at the regenerating undead rat horde from the corner.
"As you said, Princess, it wasn't that tough. We won't be so sloppy next time."
After reviewing and reflecting on the battle, they searched the boss room more thoroughly. No hidden passages or treasure chests.
The party returned to the lobby. It was still lit. It felt like so much had happened, but not much time had actually passed.
Everyone washed their wounds and applied potions.
"Philia, apply the potion more carefully. No scars allowed."
"You too, Lady Serena!"
"I'll check both of you thoroughly."
Hwaji's greatest beauty Philia and Serena, whose face was national treasure, received extra care.
While at it, Lavenda treated her heavily wounded hands. A masseuse's life was soft, scar-free hands, but gripping a sword and getting bitten had roughened them.
"We have more potions now, so apply some to Lady Serena's feet too, okay?"
"I don't like repeating myself. You know that."
After treating everyone, they'd used two bottles, leaving two. Serena and Philia each pocketed one.
Having the two least injured hold the potions was practically favoritism. Philia, unaware, fumed as if greatly wronged.
"Once we get out, I'm soaking you in a bathtub full of potions. I'll ask him to fill it with top-grade Landryol brand potions!"
Philia declared her top priority upon escaping the labyrinth: dunking the princess in a steaming potion bath!
Top-grade Landryol workshop potions? Fit for an empress, a luxury even imperial princesses struggled with, but Philia burned with determination to make it happen.
"Philia's paying out of pocket, so don't misunderstand. As Hwaji royalty and the only woman in the Hwaim family, I indulge moderately to maintain dignity, but not to Countess Landry's level."
Serena made excuses to avoid potential red flags. Fortunately, the others didn't know top-grade Landryol potion prices.
"I heard Landryol potions are hard to get."
Ralph seemed to have heard something, but not the price. Serena brushed it off with a vague reply.
"We're commoners, so it's fine, but you two have suffered greatly."
"Chrome, you've endured so much at your age. Speaking of, how old are you...?"
"Just over fifty."
Younger than sixty, but still an age where limbs ached. Chrome took out the rat meat she'd buried in ice, seasoned it with salt and pepper, skewered it, and grilled it.
The rats were big—three fed five people with two left over. The problem was after.
"No more food."
After the meal, Chrome's blunt words hit heavier than a death sentence. Serena, craving carbs, lost her appetite. The others felt the same.
"If we go unexplored paths, more labyrinth rats. I'll catch some."
"I'll go too. Might be more herb patches."
"Before that, we should peek at the floor below. Labyrinth rats could be there too, and there might be a good rest spot like this one."
Having found stairs, backtracking unexplored first-floor sections for food would waste time.
"What about the cart? Leave it here?"
"Leave it for now and bring it down if we find a good spot below."
"Rat bastards might use it."
Ralph grabbed his wooden sword, Chrome her spear. She was awkward with it but better than nothing.
The party passed the boss labyrinth rat corpse.
'If only that guy wasn't undead, we could've eaten the meat. Filthy pauper rat bastard, it was awful meeting you—never again.'
"Right! Sis-in-law packed some just for me!"
Before descending the stairs, Ralph grinned and pulled something out. Small candies—five, one per person.
No one was in a position to refuse; they thanked him and popped them in their mouths.
The stairs were steep, and who knew what lay below. An exit on the next floor was uncertain, but the candy melting in their mouths was sweet. Saliva flooded.
Serena and her party, upon descending to the 2nd floor of Hwaji's Labyrinth, were completely wiped out.
