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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The One-in-a-Hundred-Thousand Man (3)
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A knight who leaves his charge and returns should naturally give a report first. Yet Sir Lucas did not.
"What's in the cart?"
"Stuff I'm sellin'. Toys for kids and decorations an' such..."
"Anything else besides that?"
"Got a bit o' gear for campin' overnight."
"Pull out everything useful. If anyone else has anything worthwhile or food, bring it all out."
'Oh, would you look at that guy.'
Serena was surprised to see Sir Lucas freely taking people's belongings.
In truth, Serena had wanted to tell Chrome to empty out the cart every time she kept pulling things from it, to see what else was inside.
'But I was scared of getting skewered on a spear.'
Was this the difference between someone confident in their own strength in a pinch and someone who wasn't?
The private property rights Serena held dear were casually trampled by Sir Lucas.
'But that's a bit much.'
Separately, Sir Lucas's attitude kept grating on Serena's nerves. Especially how he treated Chrome.
Fine, Lavenda was a foreigner, so suspicion made sense, and Ralph was a soldier, so treating him like a subordinate was understandable.
Chrome was just an ordinary commoner. The eldest in the group and a vulnerable one at that—she deserved consideration.
Serena hadn't been able to show her any due to her own lack of power, but Sir Lucas could. Yet he treated Chrome so roughly.
'Tch. Is this the medieval fantasy world for you? Not sure if that's normal or over the top.'
Royalty was already scarce in numbers, and among them, she was the only woman.
Serena had grown up pampered and coddled even by high nobles. Nobles who might look down on her because of her parents still treated her as someone needing overprotection.
Like a flower in a greenhouse, she had no idea what lay beyond its walls—not even from rumors. The common knowledge she vaguely possessed stemmed from her past life.
She had wandered freely after coming of age, but her social experience was still lacking. She knew noble society and a bit about commoners' lives, but not how nobles treated commoners.
'I've seen knights in novels just grabbing stuff willy-nilly, but is that real? Still, you gotta respect your elders. Chrome's such a capable grandma.'
Serena figured Chrome, who cherished her cart so much, would at least grumble behind their backs. But unlike with Serena, Chrome bent her stiff back diligently without a peep.
"Aye, gotta do what the knight says."
'She's got a sly side after all.'
Maybe it was the wisdom of someone who'd lived to fifty.
Sir Lucas upended Chrome's cart and took all the food. Even the candy Ralph's sister-in-law had packed for him to eat sparingly. And Lavenda's notebook, snatched before she could hide her client info.
"What's this?"
"Aroma incense! High-end stuff for noble clients. Got the ingredients list too!"
'Ah, that's what it was.'
Serena realized the source of the sweet, familiar scent she'd smelled upon waking from that strange dream.
The aroma incense packaging said two hours. One stick burned for two hours.
'She was planning to burn those and take two-hour shifts.'
Not that it mattered. Everyone had slept like logs anyway.
Sir Lucas deemed the incense useful and took it.
Then trouble erupted while checking Ralph's gear.
"Soldier. Where's your shield and dagger?"
"I'll correct that!"
"Arming yourself is a soldier's duty! Asking again. Where are your shield and dagger? Signal flares and whistles are basic kit too, aren't they?"
'Oh no, Ralph.'
He could've made up an excuse about dropping them in the earthquake—that would've been plausible. But Ralph recycled the same excuse he'd given Serena.
"Sorry! On duty without relief! Through the night! Left 'em at home!"
Thwack!
"Is that your excuse?!"
Serena's one good eye went wide. Sir Lucas had struck Ralph. Gauntlet and all!
Ralph staggered but snapped back to attention. Blood trickled from his mouth.
"Sorry!"
Right now, Ralph's mind was probably fixed on one thing: don't get caught. If they did, the Hanson brothers would be executed the moment they stepped outside, and the entire 7th Ward Guard would face punishment.
Which was why Ralph stuck to "sorry" without further excuses.
"You're a proud guard of Hwajichen! Serving royalty—get your head straight!"
"Yes! Understood!"
'That royalty's right here, eyes wide open, watching everything?'
After disciplining him, Sir Lucas approached the fountain where Serena and Philia were. Serena stared him down pointedly. He bowed from a slight distance.
"Forgive me for showing such an unseemly sight. But given the circumstances, I had to teach those ignorant of the stakes."
"I understand. Just refrain from violence."
"You wouldn't know, milady."
'Why start it like that?'
"Types like that don't listen to words alone. If it's unpleasant to watch, I'll discipline them out of sight."
'This medieval knight mindset is driving me nuts. Usually, when a knight like this shows up, the protagonist uses modern common sense to treat them kindly, winning over the commoners in a cliché感動 scene...'
Those novel protagonists were monsters who punched bears. Serena had no confidence against a bear's snack time.
'Just wait. Once he realizes it's not the Royal Mausoleum but the Labyrinth, he'll hold back. Manpower will be precious.'
"What happened when you explored the mausoleum?"
"It'll take a bit more time. Don't worry. Milady, Madam Countess. I will protect you both."
"Did you see anything strange?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like a rat this big."
Serena roughly sketched a Labyrinth Rat's size, and Sir Lucas looked flustered.
"No way—that rat appeared here too? Are you safe?"
"Rat? A rat came here, Lady Serena?"
"I just saw one running that way. Anyway, you saw a rat that size?"
"Yes. I'm truly sorry to say..."
Sir Lucas looked troubled. Telling the mausoleum's heir about rats scurrying around when he thought it was the Royal Mausoleum must be awkward.
"Rats of the size you described are roaming around—several of them. Fortunately, the mausoleum interior is clean. Seems connected to a nearby rat nest due to the earthquake."
"Nothing else?"
Treasure chests or herb gardens, maybe.
"Found a few traps, but nothing else."
Too bad he hadn't spotted a treasure chest—it would've made revealing it was the Labyrinth easier. Sir Lucas had only seen rats and traps.
"I know you're anxious, but trust me and wait."
Sir Lucas said that and handed Serena and Philia one candy each. The ones taken from Ralph.
'Not even soothing crying kids— what is this? If you're giving them out, give 'em all. One each? You kidding?'
Serena didn't eat hers and pocketed it in Philia's pouch. At least it was individually wrapped.
As time passed, the lobby grew dimmer bit by bit. Evening had come.
"Ain't it gettin' a tad dim?"
"It's gotten dark."
Those unaware the lobby lights shifted with day and night panicked. Sir Lucas hurriedly ordered a fire lit. To save firewood, Serena conjured light with magic.
"I can make light, so no worries. For drinking water, use this instead of the fountain."
Serena directed Chrome to fill a pot with ice.
"You know magic?"
Sir Lucas's eyes gleamed. Serena said nothing, but Philia cleared her throat and stepped in.
"You didn't know? Our Lady Serena is a famed magic genius among the royal mages. Everyone said she'd achieve greatness if she pursued it seriously. Had she not lost interest, she'd be a grand archmage shaking the empire like the Great Mage himself."
"The countess exaggerates. I can only do Light Orb and Ice Creation. Just those two."
"Pardon? Light Orb, fine, but Ice Creation is 3rd circle magic, isn't it?"
"Magic rusts if you don't use it often. Haven't needed anything but ice since learning it."
"3rd circle at your age, milady. Impressive."
"Don't be amazed at mere parlor tricks. Lady Serena learned this magic when she was even—"
In truth, she'd learned it younger. Serena pinched Philia's side to stop her from bragging.
Touch from the master meant shut up—a rule Philia had memorized to serve her. She mumbled to cover.
"Ahem. You wield it masterfully."
Chrome, like last time, broke carvings and toys for firewood. No gold coin this time.
Sir Lucas hadn't brought rat corpses, so food was Chrome's scant rations and grains, plus Ralph's jerky snacks.
Chrome puzzled over the meager ingredients, then boiled them vigorously in the pot to swell the volume.
The resulting thin oatmeal porridge went only to Serena, Philia, and Sir Lucas. No shares for Chrome who made it, Lavenda who helped, or Ralph on watch.
'Just for us? How's this supposed to go down?'
Serena stirred the watery gruel with a wooden spoon Chrome had carved.
"It may not suit milady, but we have no choice. Bear with it a little."
Sir Lucas spoke, somehow reading her displeasure. Way off base.
Or maybe he saw her as that type of person.
"And the rest of you don't need to eat?"
"We ate rations while scouting the mausoleum like me."
"Good. But Lavenda stayed here with me and hasn't eaten."
"I'm fine!"
Lavenda jumped at her name, waving her hands frantically. Her face looked desperate, so Serena dropped it.
"Sir Lucas. About the mausoleum."
"Yes, milady. It's dark here, but the interior stays lit, so we'll scout again after a short rest."
"I recall mausoleums linked to the sun's position for lighting. Seems this one's the same—it's night now."
Sir Lucas gauged the time. He didn't have a watch either. Serena cracked open her left eye, wondering if the shop or gacha had one.
No.
'Sneaky. Throw in a clock at least.'
Sir Lucas finished estimating and replied.
"Time checks out. As you say, milady."
"Everyone's startled and tired—better rest and move at morning."
"Yes, you're weary, milady, so we'll do that."
"Also, if this is a mausoleum, there's likely a communicator in the burial chamber. Even if not, Countess Landry has one, so we can use it there."
"Right! We have the communicator!"
Philia brightened, having forgotten it amid worry for Serena. She pulled it out hastily, but it didn't work, as expected.
Serena explained, like last time, that mausoleums blocked communicators outside burial chambers.
"Can we get out?"
Exhausted, hungry eyes lit up. Hope of escape breathed life into them.
Sir Lucas brightened too. He reached for Philia's.
"Give me the communicator—I'll find the chamber and contact outside."
"It's Countess Landry's personal one— no one else can use it."
Serena blocked Philia and lied. Truth was anyone could, but why tell him?
As long as Philia stayed quiet, no one would know, and she never would betray Serena.
"True. It's for me and my husband only—we're the sole users."
Philia backed the lie smoothly. Clueless otherwise, but adept at convenient fibs for her lady or self.
"I see... Then I'll escort Countess Landry there the moment we find it."
"No—instead, from tomorrow, we all move together. Waiting here, I realized: who knows mausoleums better than me?"
"No, too dangerous."
"Can't you protect me?"
"With others, maybe. Alone? No."
Sir Lucas stated firmly, then rolled his eyes cautiously.
"Milady. Your demeanor's quite different. Hiding something from me?"
"First time guarding me, right?"
"I've heard reports."
Sir Lucas pointed out her attitude shift. A princess who loved fun and ordering others around now volunteering—odd, apparently.
"Seeing things? Hearing voices?"
"No."
He found it suspicious and narrowed his eyes.
To cut short the time-wasting, Serena threw a straight ball.
"Do you know about the Labyrinth?"
"The Labyrinth? Not details. Heard it's a dangerous dungeon, but rewards match."
"Milady. No way?"
"Exactly. I suspect this isn't the mausoleum—it's the Labyrinth."
The princess proposed a possibility. In a class society, the right answer was to affirm her first, agree or not. Objections followed.
"No, it's not."
Sir Lucas led with objection. Could've ended nicely, but he added.
"You wouldn't know, milady, but Labyrinths aren't common. This is the mausoleum."
'This jerk. Contradicts everything. Archduke Oran's faction?'
Random knight picked, and he turns out Oran-aligned. Serena pondered how to join the Labyrinth raid.
