081. Princess's Rebellion #1
After buying three items from the Wandering Merchant, a day had passed since returning to the oasis shelter. Day 42 in the labyrinth.
Today unfolded like any other. Each exploration team handled their assigned passages. I rested at base, occasionally patrolling cleared areas for vending machines or wandering endlessly to expand the records on my new map generator.
And right now, I was soaking in the warm pond in Passage 8, thawing out my body. Naturally, with Black Magma Slime-003 right beside me.
"Drifters? One sec." I raised my hand, swiping through the air to check the remaining drifter count. There had been forty-six yesterday.
Drifter Count: 40
Forty drifters remained in the Ancient Labyrinth.
"Six dead overnight."
"Even with the tracker, it doesn't give exact locations—just voice-guided directions toward them. Kinda awkward to chase without knowing the distance."
I couldn't afford to waste time hunting drifters. No matter how I sliced it, it felt like a drain on time and manpower.
"And there's no real reason to bother."
Things were different now. My labyrinth life was comfortable. Helpers supplied whatever I needed, and with patron Rise Nova, coins were plentiful.
So no need to bother looting drifters... er, demanding compensation in exchange for Return Tickets.
'I could just rescue them out of the goodness of my heart and send them home... but I'm no selfless hero of justice.'
Of course, if I ran into any by chance, I'd help—as long as they weren't scumbags. Just protect them and hand over a Return Ticket. Simple. No reason to coldly ignore someone in distress. Plus, it'd make Elris uncomfortable if I did.
"Figured it might come in handy someday."
That was my answer, but the real reason was simpler. Having tracked down the Wandering Merchant, I had to buy something. Among the junk, the drifter tracker seemed the most useful. Rare-grade, even.
***
After washing up and heading back to the shelter, the other helpers trickled into the broadcast one by one.
While the helpers chatted away, I had privately summoned Blood Jellyfish Princess for a one-on-one.
"So... if you beat the leader of your old group, the rest will naturally fall under you?"
［Ung! That's our species' tradition! But I have to win the fight myself! They won't accept anyone not from the jellyfish line!］
The jellyfish horde dwelled in a vast cavern beneath the Passage 3 cliffs. I planned to tame every last one soon—starting with the group near our base.
But one issue: Binding and taming over a hundred would take forever. Force wouldn't work easily; unlike the dog spiders, jellyfish weren't docile. Bait probably wouldn't cut it either. It only worked on our Jellyfish because she was young and simple-minded.
A hundred hostile jellyfish? No way I could sever a hundred arms. Headache-inducing.
But that worry was gone now. Our Jellyfish had just revealed the perfect solution.
"If they accept you as leader, they'll warm up to me too—slashing taming time."
［Ung! Exactly!］
Come to think of it, I'd read something like that in the explorer's log. Witnessed jellyfish wars where victors absorbed the losers' forces. Common, apparently.
"Think you can win?"
［Hmm... Honestly? No confidence! She's super strong!］
She scratched her cheek.
［She's beaten like ten other jellyfish leaders I know of and absorbed their groups!］
"...Ten times? Stronger than I thought."
［Ung! And brutal too! Always kills the rival leader, and offs any jellyfish she doesn't like or that lags behind! Total jerk!］
When we first met, Jellyfish was alone, separated from the group. Turns out, she'd sensed she was marked for disposal and fled. Not a scout—a runaway.
And apparently, one of the weaker ones in the horde.
I'd originally planned to tell her not to kill the queen even if she won. Wanted another SS-grade tame.
But I changed my mind. Told her to kill if she wanted. A tyrant like that might obey me post-taming, but group dynamics? No way it'd mesh—especially with our Jellyfish.
［If I win leadership, everyone will be thrilled. They all hate her. They just follow because she's strong.］
If our Jellyfish lost? Fine, long as she didn't die. Medical Mushroom-004 could heal injuries. Retreat, recover, challenge again. Until victory.
"Jellyfish. You said leadership fights are strictly one-on-one?"
［Ung. No interference from others! They won't accept me as leader!］
"Got it. If it looks bad, call for help immediately. Plenty of chances."
［Ung! I'll raise my tentacle high!］
Even if she didn't call, I'd send our monsters in if her life was at risk.
［Daddy. We going right now? I'm nervous!］
"Nah. Tomorrow. Rest up today, get your condition peak."
Deployment: tomorrow. Blood Jellyfish Princess's bid to seize the Jellyfish Queen's rule.
The so-called Princess's Rebellion.
***
Day 43 in the labyrinth. Arrived at the jellyfish horde with a massive monster escort. Jellyfish fights solo, but I brought the full elite squad for contingencies.
One side: Jellyfish Queen and a hundred-plus jellyfish lined up.
Opposite: Our monsters, holding position at a distance.
Between the lines:
"Eek! More scary folks showed up-yang...!"
A human with sheep features—a sheep beastkin—shivered, glancing back and forth between our side and the jellyfish.
Before the questions could linger, text floating above her head caught my eye.
Drifter
She was a drifter.
"No escape now-yang... I'm as good as dead-yang... Gonna get abused every which way before they kill me-yang...!"