Babel

While Krone's [Mimicry] seemed to be a truly envious Blessing, Linnaeus quickly learned that, while some Blessings seemed exceptionally useful, the reality was not always what it appeared to be.Along the way to meet up with their prospective members, the trio encountered several individuals and a few small groups of monsters. This was largely due to how the noise of three people was far greater than what would have otherwise been generated.Even when Linnaeus tried to scout ahead and mark potential noise hazards, both Krone and Eliza would invariably trigger them. This caused Linnaeus to feel like he was developing the twitch characteristic of drug users as, every time they broke a twig or passed through rustling brush, his body would convulse slightly.One of the very first monsters they encountered was a large behemoth of a creature known as a Rynadon. It was around 3m tall, standing on stump-like legs, while its body was around 4m in length. At the center of its large and extremely durable head, a large horn that extended upwards of 20cm in length could be seen. They used this protrusion to dislodge rocks and scrape away at tree bark but, if you antagonized them, they would not hesitate to charge with surprising speed in an attempt to impale you.As the Party's Vanguard, Krone wasted no time in putting himself directly in the charging line before adopting a wide and stable stance. While this seemed to be commendable behavior, Linnaeus paled slightly when he saw this because there was simply no need to take the hit directly.What Linnaeus hadn't really thought about previously was that, while Krone's Blessing seemed to be one of the most versatile, it actually required several seconds of direct contact to take full effect. This had caused him to develop a habit of trying to deflect charges and latch on to monsters, using his [Grappling] Skill and durable physique to the fullest.Fortunately, due to Linnaeus' support, Krone was pleasantly surprised when the Rynadon slammed into him but, rather than impale or push him back, a blue membrane just flashed across his body. At the cost of nearly 700 of Linnaeus' SP, he had been able to completely stop the monster's charge.Krone released a loud 'Ha!' as if he were about to laugh but, after that outburst, his face became a mask of pure exertion as he grabbed the monster's ears and began rocking its head to the side in an attempt to imbalance it. The ears were very important for most creatures when it came to staying upright so, by yanking on them, the head was inclined to follow the path of least resistance.Seeing a 200cm tall man knock over a 3m tall monster, which had to weigh at least a thousand kilograms, was quite a sight to behold. The Rynadon struggled for a bit but it was the type of creature that actually slept standing due to the inflexibility of its legs. This allowed Krone enough time to absorb its trait, gaining thicker skin and bulkier muscles as he began punching under the eye socket of the monster in an attempt to at least blind it before it managed to recover.The best way to describe how Krone fought, at least in Linnaeus' opinion, was 'excessively violent'. It would have been much easier to deal with the Rynadon by dodging its charge as it took them a long time to turn around and line up for a second attack. Their belly and backside were much weaker than the veritable armor around their head, back, and shoulders. If they had fought smartly, he wouldn't have needed to expend a chunk of his SP in one go as Eliza's Blessing was the ultimate counter to most heavyweight monsters.Despite all of this, Krone was still able to take down the monster largely on his own as, with his high Strength attribute, enhanced by his absorption of the Rynadon's traits, he was leaving dents in its head with each successive blow. Before the monster was able to recover, the right side of its head had caved in, leaving behind a bloody mass of pulpy flesh before it ultimately dissolved away into ash.When the brutal scene came to an end, Krone heaved a few times in an effort to calm down as there was always a rush of extra adrenaline when he absorbed the traits of violent monsters. In truth, while his combat style may not be the most efficient, it was largely due to this enhanced emotional state that he fought like a berserker.Noticing how Linnaeus and Eliza were looking at him, Krone just averted his eyes before remarking, "Your Blessing is very compatible with my own. It protects my body without interfering with my own abilities..."After finishing his words, Krone left the distribution of items to Linnaeus as it was one of his duties as Party Leader. He needed to decide who held onto what and, in the case where they could not take it all with them, he had to choose what was left behind.Once the item distribution had completed, Linnaeus took a moment to address Krone, looking up at the much taller man as he said in a calm tone of voice, "I will not tell you how to fight. You seem far more adept at direct engagements than I am. All I want you to keep in mind is that our reserves are not without limit. I'll do my best to prevent any harm from coming to you but you shouldn't develop a dependency on my [Barrier Aura]..."Krone just rubbed the back of his head in response until Eliza crossed her arms and glared at him with her violet eyes. After this, Krone released a grumbling sigh before giving an understanding nod as he passed by Linnaeus to begin blazing a trail through the underbrush.Linnaeus felt like Eliza was going too far in her support of his position but, as she was doing it for him, he didn't want to correct her at the moment. When they returned to the den, later on, he would speak with her in private as, while it might earn him a bit of respect from Krone, it might also cause the latter to lambast him while also damaging his peculiar relationship with Eliza.Eliza just answered his stare with a smile before pulling him along so that Krone didn't get too far ahead of the Party. She was the most aware of her own behavior but, as she noticed the look in their so-called Vanguard's eyes when he first received the monster's charge, her distrust for him had only grown. Mid-combat was not the time for rumination but she noticed his eyes become thoughtful for a brief moment, just like when someone suddenly came up with a scheme.For the time being, Eliza was still going to allow Krone to remain in the Party but, if he did anything to sew discord or undermine Linnaeus' position, she would campaign to have him expelled. Even if it created problems all its own, she would rather build a Party of all women around Linnaeus if it meant they could avoid some of the more troublesome aspects of having multiple men and women in the same Party...Without understanding what each member of their Party was thinking, the trio continued on their way at a steady pace. Krone seemed to consider Linnaeus' words a bit so, rather than just take on a full-frontal charge, he would try to tackle the monster's flank. Since Linnaeus would also trip them up or divert the force of their blows, most of the battles ended almost as soon as they had begun. If not for Krone's refusal to use weapons, as he preferred to use his body itself as a weapon, things would have gone much faster.In less time than anticipated, the group reached an area with a hovel that had been formed from natural materials. It was mainly comprised of sticks and shrubbery but, to keep it all together, some kind of clay and mud had been used as a binding agent.Upon seeing the cacoon-like structure, Eliza had an awkward expression on her face as she lightly mumbled, "How did this girl survive here on her own...?"Since aboveground structures with no defensive capabilities were like painting a target on you for a monster attack, most schools taught children to seek elevated or subterranean shelters. The former was the most preferred, as it provided a good vantage, but the latter could be extremely useful when the elements were against you. After all, it was difficult to build atop a ridge while the only thing you had to do to expand an underground shelter was dig.In response to Eliza's question, Linnaeus slowly surveyed the surroundings while explaining, "This is an area that serves as a neutral zone of sorts. The Territorial King to the west had been killed a little more than a month ago. There has been a bit of fighting since then but it mostly takes place away from this spot..."Looking back at his two companions, Linnaeus could see that his explanation wasn't enough so he then added, "Since the stronger monsters are butting heads, the weaker monsters have avoided this area. A few stray in every now and then but there hasn't been anything particularly dangerous from what I have seen."Eliza wanted to ask why Linnaeus didn't claim this territory for himself if that was the case but, as she had spent the last few days with him, she already understood why. He wasn't the type to try and take advantage of others just for his own benefit.While Eliza's impression of Linnaeus was gradually improving, Krone stared back at his new Party Leader for several seconds before remarking, "You're the type that plans out everything...tell me, how long were you aware of our positions before coming into contact with us...?"Linnaeus and Eliza both knew what Krone was implying, causing the latter to frown slightly. Linnaeus, however, kept his composure as he plainly stated, "I hadn't been specifically observing anyone. If you think I had come up with some grand scheme to try and form a Party, you are wrong. The only thing that crossed my mind at the time was making sure there were no threats around my own den. It was only after I had secured my own position that I began to think about allying with other people to try and reach the top of the Crucible..."Though Linnaeus remained calm through his explanation, his expression became exceptionally sharp at the very end. Killing so many people had certain effects on an individual so, when he wanted to, it was possible to focus his killing intent to the point that people would feel as if they had a blade at their neck. This caused Krone to tense up and take a step back, all while Linnaeus stood his ground and added, "It wasn't even a few hours ago that you agreed to stop jumping to conclusions. Is this what your word amounts to...?"Krone hadn't expected the petite boy to suddenly give off the impression of a feral tiger so he was at a loss for several seconds as to how he should respond. His first instinct was to fight, as his instincts told him that Linnaeus was very dangerous, but he was kept at bay by the icy glare of the woman at his side.After swallowing audibly, Krone averted his eyes once again as he mumbled, "Sorry...I just can't trust other people so easily...I'll get better after a few days. I swear it..."While neither Eliza nor Linnaeus accepted Krone's words at face value, the latter gave a nod before pulling back his killing intent and turning his attention back to their surroundings. He still didn't even trust Eliza so he couldn't really blame Krone for not trusting him after only a few hours. Rather, the man seemed predisposed to distrust him so, for the time being, Linnaeus would allow him time to acclimate. This was his first time leading a Party that consisted of more than just himself and another person so he needed to practice dealing with the more difficult members of a Party before it became a bigger issue in the future.Krone visibly relaxed when Linnaeus pulled back his killing intent but his body was still tense due to the fact that Eliza continued to glare at him for several seconds longer. She had rarely killed so, while she was much stronger than Linnaeus, her 'presence' seemed minuscule in comparison. This put a lot of things into perspective for Krone, including the fact that his obstinance may very well result in his second untimely death...

Due to the fact they showed up around noon, it would be some time before the girl with the water Blessing returned to her abode. She wasn't very proficient when it came to hunting and, due to the ongoing territorial dispute between local Kings, the majority of suitable monsters had migrated to less tumultuous regions.Since it would probably scare her away if they just idled around the girl's encampment, Linnaeus guided the group to a region where they could lay low while waiting for her return.Once everyone had settled in, Linnaeus pulled out a bundle of twigs that he had harvested recently. Eliza had taught him how to make cord and rope using plant fibers so, with nothing better to do, he decided to add to his ever-growing stockpile of supplies.Krone wasn't the most sociable person so, after seeing Linnaeus busy himself, he decided to pull out some of his own tools to perform routine maintenance. Though he used his body as a weapon for combat, he had developed a few tools to make his life a little easier. This included a pick made from the curved horn of an Axtola and a bone hatchet produced from the shoulder blade of a monster that Linnaeus couldn't identify.Seeing her two companions at work, Eliza didn't want to be the odd one out so she pulled out a simple pestle and mortar to grind down some medicinal herbs. This had been her primary interest outside of the Tower so she could easily produce a few simple medicinal pastes. If she had the proper instruments, she could even create various potions, some of which could even regrow lost limbs in a very short period of time.Despite being much weaker than Eliza, Linnaeus took it upon himself to be the one to hunt for most of their food. He also gathered the majority of their supplies as, with how much noise even walking produced, it was less efficient for them to go together. The only time they hunted together was to improve their teamwork and cooperation, something that was relatively easy considering the versatility of her Blessing.During the moments when Linnaeus went out by himself, he would gather up anything that seemed remotely useful as, over the course of her lifetime, Eliza had committed thousands of different plants and other materials to memory. Even if he brought back something she didn't understand, it didn't take long for her to discover its properties.It was at times like this where [Iron Stomach] showed its true prowess and, while it seemed extremely dangerous, most people that grew up in the megacity had trained the Skill during their primary education. As for Linnaeus, he didn't have the skill at all as it typically required you to ingest a few potent poisons before awakening. This was also how the [Abnormal Status Resistance] was learned, meaning he was at a distinct disadvantage when it came to poisoning and other ailments.Fortunately, Linnaeus had a few innate abilities that had escaped his notice before entering into the Tower. Though his Hume side didn't really provide him too many boons, his Manalyte blood allowed him to perceive the flow of Spiritual Energy better than most. It was because of this reason that most Manalytes born inside the megacity became proficient Mages or Artificers, two things Linnaeus had never even considered while struggling int he slums.Linnaeus didn't know how to identify each kind of plant but, with his extrasensory abilities, he was able to feel whether or not something should be useful. This had come as a surprise to Eliza as, even with the ability to view his Status at her leisure, she had never put a lot of thought into his race.While some tribes hated each other to the core, most people didn't discriminate due to the existence of Blessings. There were rumored to be more than 1500 different tribes and, while you may have an advantage against one, you might be at a distinct disadvantage against another tribe. Weaker tribes often bred with those much stronger than themselves and, though there were some restrictions, a few powerful hybrid races had come into existence over the years.What surprised Eliza wasn't the fact that Linnaeus had a dual heritage but, with very few exceptions, everyone with Manalyte blood was female. They were one of the dozen or so races that were wholly female and, though they could interbreed with other races, the result was almost always a member of the Manalyte tribe, not a true hybrid.When he heard Eliza's explanation, Linnaeus was also a little surprised but, as it really didn't matter all that much, he decided not to mind it. After all, it wasn't like he had any choice regarding his own race so, while it may be exceptionally rare, it ultimately had no bearing on their situation. Still, if he had the opportunity in the future, Linnaeus wanted a compendium of all the tribes so that he could make better decisions. After all, knowledge was one of the most intrinsic parts of power and, if you knew the strengths and weaknesses of everyone else, there were few enemies beyond your means to defeat.---After around four hours, the light in the sky began to dim and, with it, a distant rustling reached the ears of the trio. They had only moved a few tens of meters away from the small hovel so, while it was almost inaudible at first, it didn't take long for the sound of movement to reach them.Deciding to take the initiative, Eliza hopped up to her feet and, after dusting off her backside, she looked toward Krone and said, "You should stay here. Lin and I will go and try to recruit our next Party member. Since you have a scary face and a cold demeanor, it is better to wait until we get an answer before she has to meet you."Krone just shook his head without comment, earning him a pointed glare from Eliza as Linnaeus rose to his feet and added, "Eliza is right. Sorry, but you do have an intimidating appearance. For better or worse, mine is pretty disarming...the chances I'll scare someone off are pretty slim."Hearing Linnaeus' words, Krone snorted through his nose while Eliza released a pleasant-sounding giggle before pulling the former along by his hand. She wanted to comment that, if he was wearing thicker clothes, it would be almost impossible to determine his gender but, as most men wouldn't want to hear such a thing, she ultimately resisted the urge to tease him.As could be expected, Eliza made a lot of noise while walking through the forested area so, by the time they reached the small hovel, the girl they were intending to recruit had already exited. She had a long spear formed from some kind of bone in her hands which, curiously, had an orb of water near the base of the sharped point. It would move around with the spearhead and, though it was hard to imagine just what purpose it served, Linnaeus' imagination ran rampant with possibilities.Despite how amicable Eliza and Linnaeus appeared at a glance, the woman didn't drop her weapon as, even outside of the Tower, appearances could be deceiving. It was possible for a petite woman like Ryuuna to obliterate boulders and overturn trees while, in some situations, even the burliest men could be overpowered by an opponent with greater physical attributes.Stopping a respectable distance away from the girl, Eliza pulled Linnaeus to her front before giving him a supportive smile as she lightly pushed against his back. This caused him to take a few awkward steps forward and, due to the peculiarity of the situation, even the spear-wielding woman tilted her head to the side slightly, confused.Linnaeus did his best to put on a smile while raising both of his hands in a placating gesture, palms forward and fingers wide. This actually caused the woman to grip her spear a little tighter but, rather than attack, she asked in a hesitant voice filled with the pretense of courage, "W-Who are you? Why have you come here...?"In response to the woman's question, Linnaeus answered in as calm a tone as he could manage with a spear angled toward his neck, "My name is Linnaeus...my friends call me Lin. The one behind me is Eliza...my friend and companion. We also have another person waiting for us. His name is Krone. He has a pretty scary face so we had him stay back so you weren't spooked..."Hearing that there was a third person, the woman began to breathe a little quicker but, as Linnaeus seemed to be forthright with her, part of her subconscious mind began to relax. If they had wanted to attack her, it wouldn't take much effort for three people to overwhelm a single person so, at the very least, she could assume they came with good intentions.Even without being asked, the woman took it upon herself to say in a subdued tone, "My name is Emilia..." before following it up by, once again, asking, "Why are you here...?"Understanding that the girl was beginning to drop her guard, Linnaeus slowly lowered his hands as he answered in the same calm tone as before, "We wanted to scout you for our Party. Our ultimate goal is to reach the top of the Crucible of Souls. For now, however, we're looking for people that can help us survive on each successive floor."The moment Linnaeus mentioned scouting her for his Party, the woman released a tired sigh as she aimed the tip of her spear to the side. She didn't completely drop her guard but, as the two people before her seemed friendly enough, Emilia didn't want to antagonize them.Without taking much time to consider her options, Emilia simply asked, "What kind of position do you want me to fill in your Party? My Level isn't that high and I don't like fighting..."In response to the question and subsequent remark, Linnaeus kept his calm as he answered, "I would want you to stay in the back-line to support Eliza. Most of the fighting will be handled by myself and Krone. I can't promise that you won't have to fight but, in this world, you rarely have the opportunity to completely avoid conflict..."Hearing that she wouldn't be forced to fight up front, Emilia didn't take any extra time to think as she answered, "I'll join you. I'm tired of living in this forest on my own...I feel like every day brings me closer and closer to death..."Despite having numerous inhibitions, Emilia still wanted to join the duo's Party as she had become very lonely over the past month. The only other person she had met tried to attack her and, if not for the fortunate intervention of a large Bear Rabbit, she might not have had a choice in how she spent her second life. At the very least, Linnaeus and Eliza put on a pretense of being good people so, for the time being, she would rather entrust her fate to them than continue living alone.Linnaeus and Eliza both saw through Emilia's intentions but, as the latter could empathize with her, she wasn't going to say anything. As for Linnaeus, he knew loneliness was a very painful thing for most people and, though he had grown accustomed to it, being apart from Saht for such a long period of time had weighed heavily on his heart and mind...Without much of a delay, Linnaeus extended a Party invitation to Emilia who, after accepting the terms, removed the makeshift hood she had been wearing. This allowed Linnaeus to get his first full view of her features and, even without looking at her Status, he knew her Charisma had to be rather high.Eliza promptly frowned when she saw Emilia with her hood off, despite having already determined she was a beauty just based on what little of her face and body was visible. She had rather delicate features, a common trait among those with water-oriented Blessings, while her hair cascaded down in silky blue locks. Though it was very apparent she hadn't been able to care for it properly, it still had a healthy luster while, at the very top of her head, two pointed ears with tufts of white hair on the inside stood perched proudly.Even without looking at Emilia's Status, Eliza gave a small sigh of her own before muttering, "She is a Vanargandr of all things...haaaa..."

After the initial tension began to settle down, the grey-skinned man introduced himself as Krone, a member of the Ashvalla tribe.Contrary to their original guesses, Krone's Blessing was neither adaptation nor absorption. Instead, he had the infinitely rarer [Mimickry] Blessing. This allowed him to mimic the traits of anything he was in contact with but, unlike the previous two Blessings, he could mix and match multiple traits so long as he had the SP to sustain the transformation.Like most Blessings, Krone's [Mimickry] had two components, one requiring him to touch what he wanted to mimic and the other allowing him to emulate something he has seen, though only the physical appearance and not the capabilities. This second ability allowed him to copy the appearance of Linnaeus and, while he would have been able to copy Eliza's as well, she expressly forbade him from doing so.The only restriction for Krone's Blessing was that he was within 50m of the targets he had used his [Mimickry] on. This meant he couldn't simply copy the appearance of a bird and fly freely as, the moment he flew beyond the effective range, the mimicry would end instantly.Even with the detriments, Linnaeus was envious of the versatility of Krone's Blessing as he could easily think of several ways to exploit it. This including things like disguising himself as a member of an enemy Party to cause confusion. He could also use it in a group of monsters, selecting specific traits to enhance his own Skills and Abilities.Though Linnaeus couldn't really do anything about his envy, he didn't let it bother him too much. He had actually become rather fond of his [Barrier Master] Blessing so, while it didn't seem as useful as Krone's [Mimickry], he didn't look down on it. After all, it had saved his life more times than he could count and, while not one of the famously powerful Blessings, it was still extremely useful in a Party.With this in mind, Linnaeus once again tried to recruit Krone to his Party but, despite his fear of Eliza, he still refused, saying in a cautious tone, "I do not work well with others. My nature already got my previous Party wiped out so I intend to atone for my mistakes here. There is nothing waiting for me back in the Tower..."When Linnaeus first heard his reasoning, he felt a small amount of respect towards Krone as it wasn't easy to accept responsibility and seek penance for one's mistakes.Eliza didn't seem to share his sentiments, however, as she made a show of huffing before remarking, "If you really want to repent for your actions, there is no sense in staying here wallowing in despair. If anything, you should be more determined to live. Only by accomplishing something with the life you have been given can you make up for your past mistakes."Though he grimaced in response to Eliza's words, Krone didn't make any attempt to refute them. He could see the reasoning behind her words and, while they were more than a little harsh, he couldn't help but reflect on them. The most important thing, however, was that the Ashvallan tribe had been one of the vassal tribes of the Felborn for thousands of years. His family had even been helped out by the Evendoom family in the past so, while he might take offense to the words of others, Eliza's were not something he could simply disregard.After several awkward minutes of tense silence, Krone ultimately released a tired sigh before rising to his feet. When standing, he was approximately 200cm tall so, compared to the 153cm Linnaeus and 158cm Eliza, he was practically a giant.Linnaeus felt a little tense when Krone suddenly stood up but he quickly relaxed when the latter said in a solemn tone, "I will join your Party and help you leave the Crucible. This will be my penance."Rather than accept outright, Eliza huffed in response to Krone's words before pointing to Linnaeus and saying, "Say it to him, not me. I'm not the Party Leader so stop ignoring Lin."Hearing the berating tone of Eliza, Krone awkwardly rubbed the back of his head before turning to face Linnaeus as he said, "I'd like to join your Party. I will do my best as your Vanguard..."Linnaeus could tell that Krone had significantly more respect for Eliza than he did for himself but, considering the identity of the latter, he couldn't really blame him. In fact, once Krone knew of his background, the man would likely look down on him so, for the time being, Linnaeus could only do his best as Party Leader to prevent any issues from arising.Without beating around the bush, Linnaeus accepted Krone into the Party and, as a show of good faith, kept the function that allowed each member to view the others' Status active. He had already discussed with Eliza so, while she wasn't too comfortable with other people knowing her Status, she still accepted his reasoning. Since she had already confirmed that Krone wouldn't be a threat, as she had forced him to reveal his Status prior to joining the Party, she wasn't as worried as she otherwise would have been.----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Krone CastilleTitle: Bruiser(+3 Str, +5 Con, +2 Spi per Level)Race: AshvallaAge: 19Gender: MaleLevel: 34Health: 4272/4272Soul Power: 3006/3006Strength: 129+103.2Constitution: 178+142.4Agility: 74+25.2Dexterity: 103+45.2Intelligence: 54+2Wisdom: 71+2Spirit: 113+24.6Charisma: 11Luck: 23+1Free Attributes: 0Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)],[*Mimicry:LV58*], [Brute:LV39], [Herculean Strength:LV30], [Healthy:LV43], [Vital Spirit:Lv35], [Deft Hands:LV19], [Heroic Spirit:LV26], [Sense Danger:LV41], [Martial Arts:LV53], [Grappling:LV52],[Acrobatics:LV51], [Footwork:LV48], [Iron Stomache:LV52], [Pain Tolerance:LV54], [Abnormal Status Resistance:LV44], [Perception:LV29], [Dismantling:LV37], [Cooking:LV28]Abilities: [Strength Amplification:LV51], [Body Hardening:LV55], [Trait Mimicry:LV57], [Doppel:LV52]Magic: [Enhance:LV53]----------------------------------------When Linnaeus saw how much Health Krone had compared to himself, he began to understand why so many people invested in the Constitution attribute early on.Though their Levels weren't that far apart, Linnaeus barely had a third of Krone's Health, despite the fact that the latter was only around 1000 SP short of his total. This showed how important Spirit could be in the grand scheme of things, especially with Skills like [Heroic Spirit] providing a persistent bonus.Still, despite Krone's clear advantages, Linnaeus felt that a battle between them would be remarkably close. The latter might have six Levels on him but, with the difference in their Agility and his overall mobility being higher, there was a good chance he could outpace the much larger man. Though he might lack the means to actually damage Krone, the same could be said for the latter in regards to himself...While Linnaeus had been viewing his Status in detail, Krone had been doing the same for him and Eliza. When he saw Eliza's age, combined with her Level, he began to feel a cold sweat on the back of his neck but, when he viewed Linnaeus', confusion became his most prominent emotion.It wasn't until Krone saw Linnaeus' Charisma and his [Charm] Skill that his confusion turned into a deep and seething rage. He managed to keep it from showing on his face, an easy feat considering he rarely expressed himself, but his mind was abuzz with fury after reaching his unjust conclusion.Despite Krone's attempt to keep his emotions concealed, Linnaeus was extremely perceptive when it came to such things. He instantly opened a bit of distance between himself and the taller man, two daggers entering into his hands as he asked, "What happened...?" in a low tone.Rather than Krone answering, it was Eliza who crossed her arms with a cold expression on her face as she venomously stated, "He thinks you used your [Charm] to take advantage of me. What a farce. If you are going to jump to such conclusions and cause trouble, you should just go hide in the water. I decided to follow Lin on my own, not because of some stupid Skill. If you think my upbringing and Spirit would leave me susceptible to a kid's [Charm], you're seriously looking down on me."Krone was at a loss as to how he should respond but, seeing the icy look in Eliza's eyes, he ultimately averted his own and stated, "I'm sorry...I jumped to conclusions..."What Krone, and Linnaeus, couldn't have expected was that, immediately after the former's apology, Eliza had grabbed the latter from behind. She hugged Linnaeus tight enough to pick him up off the ground a bit as she stated, "Lin is like my precious little brother. I will protect him until he is strong enough to protect himself. If you try to harm him, I will break you."Now, Linnaeus and Krone were both at a loss, albeit for entirely different reasons. The former felt like he was being treated like a child while the latter felt like he was trying to antagonize a tiger's cub when the mother was still present. He also began to understand that, while Linnaeus may not have used his [Charm] against her, it was apparent that Eliza was rather taken with the pale-haired youth.After hugging Linnaeus for several seconds longer than necessary, Eliza finally set him back down on the ground. This brought Linnaeus back to his senses and, after lightly patting his chest, he looked at Krone and stated, "I didn't choose my appearance, nor did I grant myself this Skill. Instead of judging me for things I have no control over, you should observe my actions with your own two eyes. I will prove to you that I'm not the person you believe me to be..."Hearing the conviction in Linnaeus' words, Krone continued to stand in silence for several seconds longer before giving a curt nod and saying, "I'll be watching closely..." Then, after rubbing the back of his head again, he added, "Sorry..." in a decidedly more awkward tone of voice.Linnaeus just gave a curt nod of his own in response as further words would only exacerbate the matter once again. He knew that Krone wouldn't have apologized if not for the presence of Eliza so, until he could prove himself a worthy leader, he had to be patient. So long as Krone didn't try and contest his position as Party Leader, there wouldn't be any problems in the short term.After collecting his thoughts, Linnaeus gathered the attention of his two companions before saying, "Now that we have a capable Vanguard, we'll go ahead and try to recruit our final Party member. If she agrees to join us, we'll spend a few days acclimating to each other before taking on one of the territorial Kings. We can harvest a few Soul Kindling before deciding when we want to move on to the next Floor."Eliza had already been made aware of Linnaeus' plans so she just gave a small nod in response. As for Krone, he crossed his arms but, without having to ask his question, Linnaeus began to explain his observations and the capabilities of their prospective Party member. This made Krone feel awkward but, as it did clear up a lot of things, he followed up the explanation with an understanding nod.Once everyone was on the same page, Linnaeus discussed their basic formation and how they would deal with any enemies that appeared. Krone, as expected, would be in the front but, so long as they were not in active combat, Linnaeus would keep his [Barrier Aura] on each of them. This would keep them safe from surprise attacks and, depending on the situation, they would change their strategy in order to conserve SP and make the best use of their individual strengths.Krone noticed that Linnaeus intended to fight in the frontline with him but, rather than try and argue against it, he decided this was better than leaving him in the back with Eliza. He didn't fully trust the pale-haired boy so, for the time being, he was more comfortable with fighting alongside the youth rather than entrusting his exposed back to him. With this setup, he would be able to observe how Linnaeus fought and, while this wasn't the determining factor of a person's character, it was possible to get a loose grasp on their true nature in the heat of battle.After their formation had been decided, the trio began their slow trek towards their unsuspecting prospect. Her domicile was located a few territories away from Krone's so it would be a good three hours before they reached their destination. This afforded them a lot of opportunities to familiarize themselves with each other's combat style, something that was of paramount importance to nascent Parties...

Chapter 45: Tension : Perspective