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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Greed Sensor (2)
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‘The person we need right now...’
Serena seriously pondered what kind of person would be necessary to conquer the Labyrinth.
‘Combat ability is a must, of course.’
Faces of a few trustworthy knights and royal mages flashed through her mind.
‘Who’s the strongest in our kingdom? Who won the martial tournament this time?’
As she recalled a few candidates based on strength, Serena soon shook her head.
‘Strength is useless if they have a rotten personality. Even if they don’t listen to me, they need ethics and a conscience—they have to know how to cooperate.’
Someone like Lucas, strong but with a shattered personality, would be a bigger headache than a Minotaur and just get in the way.
‘Even a 2-star would be fine if they’re good-natured and haven’t committed crimes. Someone who sees people as lives, even in a class-based society.’
A decent level of combat power, plus common sense and conscience. Was that enough? No. Still not quite.
Serena didn’t stop there.
But it said to be honest about my desires, right?
‘If possible, someone who knows a lot about the Labyrinth.’
Neither Serena nor her companions knew anything about the Labyrinth. Lavenda, who knew the most, had only memorized and recited tour guide jokes from a few visits to Vieta’s Labyrinth.
Serena had only read superficial knowledge from books, and the others knew even less. Lucas had shared info he got from trash-talking imperial knights, but none of it matched reality.
‘Knights can handle up to the 20th floor solo, my ass. Minotaurs on the 2nd floor? For real?’
The imperial knights must have been full of hot air, and he’d bought it hook, line, and sinker.
‘We know absolutely nothing. Might as well rely on game knowledge at this point.’
The current party might as well have zero Labyrinth experts.
‘We have to conquer the Labyrinth, but no one knows it—what are we gonna do?’
The problem was whether any of the 100,000 people Serena could summon were Labyrinth pros.
‘Our kingdom has no Labyrinth, so info is super limited.’
Labyrinth experts were usually soldiers from Labyrinth-owning nations for conquering them, scholars (including mages and alchemists) digging into their mysteries, or adventurers challenging them.
Hwaji had none of those.
‘Hmm. Priests often support Labyrinth raids, so maybe that works.’
Healers were essential in this world too. Priests wielded healing magic and various divine spells based on their god, making them key to Labyrinth conquests.
Some temples were said to hold higher-level info than Labyrinth-owning nations themselves. Countries banning foreign adventurers from their Labyrinths still welcomed priests.
‘There were plenty of priests from the church in the congratulatory delegation. Maybe some have raided Labyrinths or know a ton about them?’
Serena finished prioritizing.
‘Labyrinth knowledge is priority one. Then combat power and personality.’
If they were a Labyrinth expert, she’d overlook combat and personality.
‘If they’re a Lucas-type jerk, just extract the info and ditch ’em.’
Labyrinth info was that urgent.
Human desires are endless. Serena added one last thing.
‘If possible, a woman.’
Serena liked balanced gender ratios in fiction parties, but this was reality. All women would make bathroom and washing issues way easier.
Ralph’s a guy? That boy knight was still a minor, same age as her little brother—he didn’t count as a man in Serena’s eyes.
‘Perfect. That’s my honest desire!’
A female Labyrinth expert with combat power and common sense! And since it’s a 5-star guaranteed pull, make it 5-star too!
‘Hmm.’
Serena gave a wry smile. No matter how she thought about it, no such woman existed in the world. Even if she did, she wouldn’t be in Hwajichen.
‘A 5-star with combat and personality? Maybe. But Labyrinth-savvy? No way.’
If the summoned people were hostile, she’d have to deal with it, so Serena saved first. Saving didn’t change the results, but it felt right.
The princess reverently rubbed the Labyrinth god’s statue, then gritted her teeth.
‘I’ve been true to my desires! Go for it, Greed Sensor! Do your job!’
The finger-shaped cursor vigorously used the 5-star guaranteed pull ticket and slammed the summon button.
Was she too faithful to her desires? Or did she think too hard about pressing it?
Tap.
She accidentally pressed it twice.
‘Nooooo!’
A female Labyrinth expert with combat and common sense! But with a 5-star guaranteed pull, there can’t be two 5-stars!
‘Nooo! I only meant to pull one Labyrinth whiz! I have someone specific in mind for the guaranteed pull! Just one!’
Serena desperately wished to cancel, but it was too late. The 5-star guaranteed pull count hit zero, and the button twinkled, asking if she wanted a normal pull.
“If it’s a finger slip from nerves, I can make excuses! But ‘I got too excited and double-clicked’? Can’t whine about that anywhere!”
Serena opened her eyes and launched into fierce self-criticism.
“You idiot! Dummy! How could you mess that up? How?!”
“Your Highness?”
“Lady Serena! Are you alright?”
“Are you perhaps receiving another oracle from the Labyrinth god?”
“Aaaah! I’m such a moron!”
Lavenda and Ralph exchanged looks that said they’d wait it out. They’d been shocked the first time, but this was round two. Philia alone fretted over her mistress.
“What if it really hurts this time?”
“She’ll be fine, Countess.”
“You can say that because you’ve never met the Crown Princess Consort.”
“Sir Ralph, could you come here a moment?”
Lavenda was well-versed in rumors from her profession, but Hwaji royal gossip was old, tied to royal honor, and she was a foreigner—a triple whammy of ignorance. All she knew was the current Crown Prince was a drug addict.
“I’m a foreigner, so I don’t know much. Could you tell me the truth?”
“It happened when I was little, so I don’t remember well either...”
Lavenda pitied Serena upon hearing from Ralph that her mother had suffered mania and suicided.
“My goodness. No wonder the Countess is worried.”
“But Her Highness will be okay.”
Ralph recalled Serena’s determined eyes on the 2nd floor, when she’d said she’d handle both the Minotaur and Lucas despite his hesitation.
“Princess Serena is incredibly strong.”
“Waaah! I’m a foolll!”
That strong princess was now furiously self-flagellating over the summon button mishap.
“Oh! People over there?”
A bright, cheerful woman’s voice halted Serena’s self-criticism.
“Hi, hi! Hello everyone!”
“Who’s there!”
Ralph, who’d been watching the princess, jumped in shock at the stranger’s approach and drew his sword.
He turned and was even more startled. It wasn’t one stranger, but two!
“It’s rare to meet another party in the Labyrinth, but here we are. Hi, hi. No fighting—we’re just passing through.”
A short woman beaming innocently to stress her harmlessness, followed silently by a tall woman with a bow on her back.
The short woman eyed plate-armored Ralph warily, then relaxed at the two noblewomen in dresses and civilian-looking Lavenda, smiling more freely.
“We’ll just go by. Wow, a bread tree by the fountain! How deep is this floor? Mind if we pick some bread? Maybe refill water too?”
“Halt! Don’t approach further—state your identities!”
The short woman giggled at Ralph’s words.
“What? That’s hilarious. No such thing in Labyrinths. We fight or we don’t. We said we’re just passing. Or do you know what floor this is? We came from lower down. Wanna trade info?”
‘Lower floors?’
Serena raised an eyebrow at the ominous words. She’d thought they were her summons since they were women, but maybe just like her party—Labyrinth wanderers who’d crossed paths.
“How were the lower floors?”
“Oh, interested? Hmm... polite speech? Interested? You know? The lower floors were terrifying. Right, Zero?”
“...”
“Aww, bear with her. She’s super quiet. We just wanna grab bread from the tree, refill water, and go~”
“How insolent! That bread tree belongs to the lady here...”
Serena immediately elbowed Philia. They knew nothing about these people yet—no need to spill names, identities, or that it came from communing with the Labyrinth god.
‘Are they mine or not? It’s ambiguous.’
Serena checked above the two women’s heads.
Both had five stars.
But the short one had only three yellow stars, the other two transparent.
The tall one had two yellow stars, three transparent.
She could guess why the 5-stars were incomplete.
‘No equipment.’
The short one visibly had no weapons; the tall one had a bow but an empty quiver. Equip them, and those stars would fill up—they were instant powerhouses.
Plus, they weren’t fazed by the unrealistically bread-laden tree. They even gauged the floor from it. Experts in the Labyrinth’s mysteries.
And two of them?
‘No way this is coincidence. They’re my summons.’
She wanted more lower-floor intel but tabled it. Serena stepped forward.
“This is the 1st floor.”
“Pfft, no way. You see that bread tree? You know? That doesn’t show up till past the 20th. Right?”
“It’s true. The exit’s that way.”
“For real? You know?”
The short woman’s eyes went wide. She blinked rapidly and asked Serena’s permission.
“Can we pass?”
“You can pass, but the exit’s blocked.”
“No path is perfectly blocked. That’s my motto. See ya, everyone!”
The short woman waved cheerfully, just as she’d announced her approach, and headed through the lobby.
Aiming to check the exit first, she passed the bread tree, then whipped around. The tall woman hadn’t moved.
“Zero! Not coming? She says it’s the exit!”
“I’m not going.”
The hitherto silent tall woman finally spoke.
“It’s blocked.”
“What? You believe her? Even if it is, you gotta see for yourself.”
“I believe her.”
The tall woman’s reply flustered both the short woman and Serena.
‘She believes me?’
Until now, only Philia had believed Serena’s exit-blocked claim without checking. Now a total stranger, first met in the Labyrinth, joined her.
‘Weird one.’
The short woman vanished into the tunnel alone. Soon, light footsteps approached.
‘She’s making noise on purpose.’
She’d been silent approaching as a new face and entering the tunnel. Now she was deliberately stomping.
“Wow! It’s really blocked! This seems like the 1st floor too! Tried to go out, but rocks might collapse—I didn’t touch it.”
The short woman, who’d noisily approached, confirmed Serena’s words. She trotted right up to Serena.
Visibly unarmed, but three stars. Serena tensed subtly.
“I told the truth, so now it’s your turn.”
Serena cut in before the short woman could speak.
‘She’s the type who wants control.’
Deliberate footsteps, casual familiarity. The type to seize initiative and do as she pleases.
Absolutely not allowed. Serena was the top of this Labyrinth hierarchy. Want to argue? Forfeit the golden path first.
“You told the truth, so I’ll share about the lower floors!”
“First, who are you? Then we’ll introduce ourselves.”
“Hmm... Guess we’ll camp here awhile, so sure? You know?”
“Include right before and after entering the Labyrinth too.”
“Fair. You know nothing, so you’re curious.”
The short woman looked around the lobby starting from Serena, then grinned brightly.
“I’m Olive! A Labyrinth adventurer roaming the continent conquering them! Nice to meet ya!”
The tall woman spoke next.
“I’m Young. Labyrinth adventurer.”
The tall woman looked Serena straight in the eye.
“Nice to meet you.”
