Babel

To save time on their return to the den, Linnaeus and Emilia had come up with a system to circle the perimeter in opposites directions. They will still have to complete a full circle and, by looking for the subtle signs each left behind, their tracking and attention to detail were steadily trained.Once they had regrouped together with Eliza and Krone, the entire Party returned back to the den to prepare food and discuss their plans.Needless to say, Krone was still in a bit of a dour mood but, once he started cooking, his mood gradually improved. He seemed to genuinely enjoy cooking and, as this was the only time he really interacted with the other members of the Party, his rough exterior would crack slightly.This was largely due to the fact that Emilia was learning to cook from him and, with her Skill already being Level 51, she was a very quick understudy. As for why she helped out, this was to be expected since she ate more than the three of them combined...With Krone's knowledge and experience, combined with Emilia's skill, the food they had been eating recently was better than anything Linnaeus had ever eaten. He was actually enjoying their little Party a lot more than he originally expected and, though it was very rare, a genuine smile would creep its way onto his face every now and then.The only one who ever really noticed this was Eliza but, as she had slowly been learning how to not startle him, she had the wherewithal not to point it out. Rather, as the days passed, Linnaeus almost felt like she was training him to be more social and confident around other people...---Their bellies filled and the light of the den diminishing, Linnaeus, Eliza, Emilia, and Krone gathered in the largest chamber to discuss whether or not they wanted to leave after everyone killed a Territorial King.None of them were really worried about the success of Eliza, as her [Crush] Magic was just unfair in most situations, so Linnaeus had turned to Krone, asking, "How confident are you in defeating one of the Kings...?"A week ago, Krone wouldn't have been able to answer confidently but, after seeing Linnaeus and Emilia, both around ten Levels lower than him, he had a stern expression as he stated, "I will win. If I can't even do this much, I will not be able to raise my head in the Party."Seeing the conviction in Krone's gaze, Linnaeus gave an understanding nod, saying, "I'm confident you will be able to emerge victoriously, even without my Blessing. With it, I can't imagine too many monsters on this Floor being able to get an advantage against you."Though he crossed his arms after hearing what Linnaeus said, Krone didn't refute his words. He had learned over the last week that the compatibility between their Blessings was high. Linnaeus' [Barrier Aura] made it a lot easier to activate his own Blessing and, even when he became immaterial, it was still able to protect him somehow.Eliza never liked the way Krone behaved around Linnaeus but, as the latter had asked her to stop pressuring the grey-skinned man, she just gave him a pointed stare before averting her eyes in the next moment. As for Emilia, she was leaning against the wall with a tired expression on her face, her hand resting on her belly after a very large meal...Linnaeus observed the reactions of everyone in the room, his usual calm forming a mask that made it difficult for his thoughts to be seen through. He was doing his best to understand the character of every member of his Party so that he could establish a proper baseline for each of them. This would allow him to quickly realize if they were plotting something as, unless a significant event occurred to change their behavioral pattern, people were creatures of habit.After a momentary silence, Linnaeus said, "I think it would be for the best if we finish hunting before noon tomorrow. Though it could be better to move up to the next Floor at dawn, we have no way of knowing what awaits us. It would give us more time to seek shelter but I feel we'll be more prepared to face potential threats after hunting a King. People are always a little slow when they first wake up in the morning...lacking the proper edge could cost us our lives..."As usual, Eliza took it upon herself to support Linnaeus' decision, adding, "The longer we stay on each floor, the less momentum we will have for reaching higher floors. It will be a lot easier to leave if we've only spent a few months here. If we get too acclimated to life within the Crucible, it is only natural that our motivation to leave will diminish."Using Eliza's words as a segue, Linnaeus nodded his head before explaining, "There is a chance that the rules will change in higher Floors but, for the time being, it is safe to assume we will not be able to increase our Levels. Unless the Crucible is designed to only allow those that are strong to return to the Tower, it must be possible for even low-leveled individuals to reach the top. Though the Tower has a lot of incongruous rules, I don't believe it will only reward those that were already strong prior to their deaths..."Though he didn't often agree with what Linnaeus said outright, Krone issued a grunt that, over the last week, came to represent he was in agreement. After all, even amongst their own Party, there was a sixteen Level difference between their weakest and strongest member. If someone from the higher Floors ended up in the Crucible, they would be able to completely crush everyone else.With even Krone in agreement, Linnaeus was tempted to smile but ultimately managed to keep his composure. Still, he used the opportunity provided to explain, "Our greatest strength will be how well our Party works together. We'll focus on information gathering and avoiding conflict until we are forced into a situation where we have no choice. If possible, we should consider expanding our Party into a Company in the future. That isn't really something we should focus on, however..."Here, Emilia decided to add in her own input, saying, "If we find other members of the Vanargandr tribe, we should be able to safely recruit them. I can't speak for other races but my people have been able to coexist with the other tribes for thousands of years without any significant conflict. You still have a long way to go but you should be able to earn the respect of most Vanargandr Huntresses so long as you have the confidence to keep them in line~"Hearing Emilia's remark, Eliza asked, "Oh? Does that mean you're finally learning to respect Lin? And here I thought you were going to continue being foolish until the very end..."Rather than be offended, Emilia laughed off Eliza's words before saying, "It is just really weird for me to have a male in charge. I'm so used to them requiring protection and lowering their heads every time I make eye contact with them. I still don't understand why Lin is the one in charge but I can tell he is a good Party Leader based on his decision making. If he was a little stronger, I would be able to respect him more without it making my stomach feel fluttery and weird."Eliza raised her brows in response to Emilia's words, asking, "Your entire existence revolves around that stomach of yours, doesn't it...?"Smiling, Emilia happily pat her stomach a few times, boldly proclaiming, "Satisfying our hunger is the most important thing to ensuring we can live happy and healthy lives. Ever since I was just a pup, I've always trusted in my gut and it has never let me down! It tells me that Lin isn't bad but he still has a long way to go if he wants to be a real Leader. He currently feels like someone that still needs to be protected. If he were a Vanargandr, I might even make him one of my mates~"Though she had a relatively neutral expression at first, Eliza deadpanned after hearing Emilia's final remark. She gave the smiling Vanargandr a hard stare, muttering in a dull tone, "If you try to lay your paws on Lin, don't blame me for being rude. He has people precious to him that he wants to protect. The last thing he needs is some senseless woman trying to influence him in a weird way...!"Emilia's ears had lowered a bit after sensing the hostility in Eliza's tone but she didn't seem entirely deterred as she stated in a somewhat demure tone, "See, this is what I mean. If he was a real Party Leader, he wouldn't need others to speak for him. You are always protecting him, even though it is the duty of a good leader to protect everyone else..."Here, Linnaeus decided it was time to step in before things got any further out of hand. He raised his hand to catch the girls' attention before calmly explaining, "There are more ways to protect people than simply relying on strength. Though it certainly helps, I believe that proper decision making is far more important than raw power. If you are clever and make the right decisions, it is possible to lead a small group to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Still, I will never stop trying to become stronger so, if there is anything you think I could do to improve, please, let me know..."With her ears now perked up once again, Emilia smiled radiantly as she exclaimed, "This is one of your better qualities. You are so eager to improve that it is hard to really fault you for anything. It is still a little weird to me though, as the leaders in our tribe are the type that have already worked to become strong. They rarely need other people to give them advice so I feel like you are a young pup that is still learning how to be a leader~"Hearing Emilia's remark, Linnaeus shrugged his shoulders dismissively, reminding her, "Well, I am the youngest in the group. I'm certain that you would be able to give a lot of good advice to your past self if you were able to travel through time. I am not afraid to admit that I have a long way to go as a leader but, for the purpose of fulfilling my dreams and aspirations, I will never stop trying to better myself."Feeling very proud of her 'little brother', Eliza had a happy smile on her face as she raised her chin slightly. As for Emilia, she bobbed her head a few times in an approving manner, saying, "You aren't wrong. If I could teach my past self, there is a lot I would want her to know. I will keep that in mind while we are in the same Party. In order to help you become a better Party Leader, I will do my best to try and give you good advice. I already know you will do the same if you think there is something I can improve on so I'm looking forward to seeing how far we can go~"As it seemed like a good opportunity, Linnaeus did his best to adopt a smile as, in more ways than one, he was actually happy with how things had turned out. Eliza and Emilia were both sensible girls and, though the latter had a very unique way of thinking, she didn't completely resist new ideas. If you could word a concept into a way she could understand, it didn't take much effort to convince her to go along with your views...With the light in the den steadily diminishing, Linnaeus decided it was about time for them all to turn in for the night. He gave his usual refusal to Eliza's offer to share the same room, something Emilia was seemingly okay with, before holing up in the smaller chamber that served as his and Krone's rest area. The girls naturally needed more space so he had elected to share a room with the brute after everyone had moved in together.At first, Krone's presence made it very difficult to fall into even a light slumber but, over the course of a week, he had stopped giving off threatening vibes in the middle of the night. Tonight, he even rolled over, exposing his back to Linnaeus as if to emphasize that he no longer viewed the latter as a threat. This almost brought another smile to his face but, as there was always a chance that Krone was just trying to lure him into a false sense of security, Linnaeus sat in his usual spot with his back to the wall...

Going to sleep just after dark had the benefit of allowing you to get a full night's rest while still allowing you to wake before dawn. This was generally the best time for hunting as most of the nocturnal predators would be preparing to conclude their hunt and, feeling safe, animals would begin to emerge from their burrows to take advantage of the twilight hours.As was often the case, Linnaeus was the first to awaken and, after he sensed movement from the girls' room, he knew Emilia had awoken a few minutes after him. Shortly after that, she poked her head inside their room and, finding him already awake, poked her tongue out before retreating to prepare for the day.Linnaeus was slowly beginning to understand Emilia's nature so, while he was already a light sleeper, he needed to be extra diligent while she was around. She might not be directly challenging his place as Party Leader but it always felt like she was evaluating and observing his actions to form her own determinations...Once everyone was finally awake, they escaped the relatively muggy and humid air from inside the den to enjoy the crisp, early morning, air.The last to emerge was Eliza but she was a bit of a heavy sleeper due to taking longer than almost everyone else to actually fall asleep. This made it clear that she wasn't completely comfortable with the situation but that wasn't something that could be rushed.With everyone gathered, Linnaeus broke the silence, explaining, "From the information I've been able to gather, I believe the best option would be to head north. We'll pass through an area that is filled with a pack of wolf-like monsters. Fighting against them can improve our cooperation as a Party before we reach the territory across. Once we reach our destination, Krone will face off against the ape-like monster that rules the region further to the north...any questions?"As the most experienced when it came to hunting a variety of prey, Emilia didn't have a question but, rather, explained, "Bipedal and ape-like monsters can be very dangerous. Some are even capable of using tools so we shouldn't underestimate them. They also have abnormally high Strength so-"Before she was able to finish, Krone grunted in annoyance before saying in a stern tone, "I'll be fine. I am best against monsters that use brute force. Don't look down on my [Martial Arts] and [Grappling] Skills..."Emilia flared her nostrils a few times in response to Krone's statement but, before she could escalate matters, Linnaeus stepped in, explaining, "I chose the ape specifically because I believe that Krone is capable of defeating it. He has the highest Strength parameter amongst us should be able to adapt the traits of the monster for his own use. If their power is something unique to their species, there shouldn't be any issues when it comes to absorbing their Strength for himself."Krone nodded in affirmation, somewhat surprised by the thought Linnaeus had put into the proper use of his Blessing. This wasn't exactly something new but, over the last week, there hadn't been too many opportunities for him to make full use of it. After all, it wasn't exactly efficient to absorb the traits of weaker monsters as, the moment they died, he would lose the benefits. This meant it was a lot easier to just kill the monsters outright, saving both effort and SP...With Linnaeus stating his case, Emilia didn't have much room to say anything and, with Eliza giving her a warning look, she ultimately decided to just see how things went. If it was just one monster, it most likely wouldn't be an issue as most of the points she had made pertained to fighting against groups of ape-like monsters.---After formulating a basic plan of action, Emilia was sent to scout ahead of the group while Linnaeus did his usual of teaching Eliza and Krone how to move through the forest silently. Until they had the ability to pass through the woods without alerting everyone in a 50m radius, the effective range of most Blessings around their Level, he would not stop insisting that they improve.Fortunately for Eliza, as she really didn't care much for sneaking around, they heard a loud whistle that indicated Emilia had located an enemy. Since it was a two-tone whistle that increased in pitch towards the end, they knew she had encountered several enemies all at once.Without delay, Linnaeus gave the order to close the distance between themselves and Emilia. He took the lead to make sure there were no traps while Eliza followed close behind with Krone taking up the rear. This was due to his Agility being the lowest and, while he was their Vanguard in active engagements, his duty during travel was protecting the rear to prevent Eliza from getting sneak attacked.As they always stayed within a few hundred meters of each other, it took less than a minute for Linnaeus and co to reach the spot where Emilia was fighting. There, they found her skirting between a few trees, using her spear to prevent large wolves from attacking her. They were forced to try and go around the tree to get to her but she would always move to either keep it between them while never repeating the same pattern.At this point, there were already several corpses of large wolves on the ground and, while Emilia didn't really seem too troubled, there were still thirteen three-meter long wolves in the area. She would likely be able to defeat them without endangering herself too much but it was still much safer to call upon the Party.Without wasting any time, Linnaeus pulled out his shortsword and dagger, taking a defensive stance to protect Eliza while Krone caught up and assumed his own position. At the same time, he recast his [Barrier Aura] on Emilia before creating a bean-size spherical barrier in the path of a leaping wolf. As it didn't have nearly as momentum as the Territorial King he had fought, the wolf was only slightly injured by the sudden obstacle as its small size also made accurate interception difficult.Linnaeus knew he had a long way to go before he was proficient in using his barriers offensively but this didn't deter him in the slightest. Rather, his mind raced to think of ways to use his Blessing, all while he surveyed the battlefield and attempted to grasp the movement patterns of every single wolf.While this was going on, Eliza and Emilia weren't exactly idle as, with the [Barrier Aura] protecting her, the latter had essentially become a tiger with wings. She no longer relied on obstacles to try and protect her body and instead began to fight with ever-increasing ferocity. This was her attempt to try and increase her Agility and combat sense through actual battle, one of the most useful qualities of Linnaeus' [Barrier Aura], at least in her opinion.A stark contrast to Emilia, Eliza stayed relatively close to Linnaeus, her palms close together as she looked for the best opportunities to use her Blessing. When she found one, whatever unfortunate monster that happened to be in her sight was immediately turned into meat pulp, often without the opportunity to even cry out...By the time Krone showed up, less than ten seconds behind the rest of the Party, there were already three more wolves killed. He didn't want to miss out on another battle, as they often ended in a very short period of time, so he unhesitantly charged towards the biggest wolf while releasing a loud war cry.Though they were a little startled by the enraged man charging at them, the largest of the wolves and its two protectors bared their teeth as they adopted low pouncing stances. The moment he was in range, they immediately moved to attack him, the leader aiming for his throat while the other two moved to bite his right ankle and left wrist.Rather than evade, Krone used his right arm to protect his neck while letting the smaller wolf bite his left wrist. Their teeth were both met by a seemingly frail blue membrane that completely nullified the effects of their fangs. At the same time, Krone had barreled into the wolf trying to bite his leg, his foot angled to try and crush its neck as he willingly allowed himself to tumble with the wolves.Krone wasn't able to keep the leader of the pack pinned, as it quickly separated from him, but the two smaller wolves ended up getting brutalized by the grey-skinned man. He literally used nothing but his hands and feet to pummel them, each strike breaking bones and crushing organs. It was a rather intense sight to behold but, after fighting alongside Saht for a few years, Linnaeus only looked over to make sure he wasn't in danger before splitting his attention between Emilia and Eliza...After only two minutes, the only surviving wolf was the one that spontaneously fled just after Krone crushed the pack leader's head by squeezing it with his bare hands. The others were much slower to react so the final kill count was in favor of Emilia, killing eight, while Eliza was close behind with six kills. As there were twenty wolves in total, four were taken out by Krone and, as they were afraid to attack two people standing close together, Linnaeus was only able to take out two.Linnaeus was used to having the least number of kills but that didn't mean he wasn't bothered by it. He was determined to become much stronger in the future but, as his primary objective was to be a good Party Leader and leave the Crucible of Souls, there was time for him to improve. His battle with the Territorial King showed that he wasn't exactly weak so, by focusing on his strengths, he could still grow much stronger even without increasing his Level...Once everyone had finished collecting the loot, Linnaeus said, "We'll move a little slower from here onward. This was only a small group of the larger pack so there is a good chance the Territorial King of this area will lead an ambush against us. Emilia, stay within fifty meters as much as possible. You should be able to tell by the small flicker whenever your legs brush against the grass and twigs..."Emilia nodded her head in affirmation but, before setting out again, she explained, "My nose isn't that far off from an actual wolf. Even though their bodies have disappeared, the smell of blood and pheromones still lingers on our bodies. Your [Barrier Aura] can block most of it but I agree that there will be an ambush once the enemy realizes what happened. Good call, Lin~"Linnaeus was slightly surprised to hear Emilia say supportive words as, in most situations, she would just go with the flow. It felt like she was slowly beginning to recognize him as an actual Party Leader, most likely due to the previous night's conversation. This emphasized the importance of proactively communicating with your allies so Linnaeus felt a small amount of vindication as he answered with an affirmative nod and a very slight smile.With a much larger smile of her own, Emilia giggled for a brief moment before turning around and moving ahead of the group. This left Linnaeus staring at her retreating figure, at least until Eliza gave him a not-so-gentle nudge, saying, "Don't gawk. Come on, we should get going."Without waiting for his response, Eliza began to pull him along somewhat forcibly. This left Krone standing alone, his silver eye reflecting various complex emotions before he ultimately shook his head and began lightly jogging after the rest of the Party. He didn't envy the situation Linnaeus had found himself in but, after observing him over the last week, he had at least confirmed the boy was not using his [Charm] against the two girls...

With everyone else in position, Emilia skulked along the edge of a large clearing that ran adjacent to a gently flowing creek. There was an area on the far end where large brush could be seen amidst the remnants of several brutalized trees.Having spent most of her life hunting, Emilia moved silently through the area, her ears periodically flickering in accordance with sounds only she was able to hear.From his perch in the distance, Linnaeus had a thoughtful expression on his face as he watched his new companion demonstrate her skills. She had a bad habit of ignoring her back whenever she was tracking down prey but, over the last week, she had made considerable improvements...Just as he was wondering when the target would appear, there was a sudden cracking down that echoed through the woods. Emilia used this as an opportunity to increase her speed, bounding up a tree with extremely deft movements before finding a perch of her own to observe.From within the area of heavy brush, a horse-like monster standing at over three meters in height emerged. It had bronzed fur covering much of its body but, on its legs, back, neck, and the crown of its head, a dense layer of pale-gold scales could be seen. However, even these didn't stand out as much as the set of ivory white horns running vertically alongside each other atop its head.While this particular Territorial King was much smaller than some, this actually allowed it to move far faster than its competition. Using their own size against them, it would bury the meter long horns in their exposed flanks and side, disabling them with a powerful paralytic poison that allowed them to turn their victims into a veritable pin cushion...As if she had become one with her surroundings, Emilia became so still that her presence, even while being observed from the distance, seemed to fade away. This was of particular interest to Linnaeus as it was rare to have the opportunity to experience how a Skill like [Presence Concealment] worked from the perspective of a direct observer. It gave him several ideas about how he could use his own but, as now wasn't the time for such wayward thoughts, he forced himself to stay focused.Emilia was actually very nervous about facing a Territorial King on her own. Even when she was in the outside world, she always hunted in a pack so it always felt awkward to be alone. Still, in spite of the incongruous feelings that made her gut flitter about, her eyes were crystal clear as she watched her prey move steadily closer to her position.With heavy footsteps, each leaving tracks several centimeters deep, the horse-like monster moved ever closer toward where it had sensed an enemy. Its body was taut with powerful muscles and, the moment it was able to identify a target, it would explode into an expression of pure violence in its attempt to overwhelm its foe.In order to take advantage of this cautious and intense state, Emilia did her best to remain as still as possible while manifesting an orb of water several meters behind her quarry. She, like everyone else, had an effective range of 50m at her current level so it wasn't difficult to manifest an orb a few tens of meters away.Though it didn't sense the formation of the water sphere, the monster heard Emilia manipulate it to move through the underbrush. It quickly turned around, kicking its legs out to arrest the momentum of its turn before digging hard into the moist soil and accelerating at an extreme speed toward the direction of the now non-existent water sphere.Emilia was actually a little surprised by the spontaneous acceleration of the monster but, more than that, its ability to thrash around and use its horns as sabers unnerved her. She had originally planned to strike it from the flank with her spear but, seeing how quick it could twist around, the best course of action was to kite it around, using the terrain to her advantage to tire it out.After waiting for the monster's thrashing to cease, Emilia immediately formed a second sphere, this time forcing it to snake up and around the monster's leg. This caused it to freak out and, as could be expected, it began to thrash around, kicking its limbs to try and dislodge the thin film of liquid, even though it was currently harmless.It actually took a considerable amount of focus to make sure her water clung to a target so Emilia was forced to remain on her perch throughout the process. It wasn't until the monster began to slow down, its ribs expanding and contracting a considerable amount, that she finally decided to make her move.Using one of the five spears she kept on her, Emilia arched her body like a bow as she leaped from her perch. Then, at the very peak of her jump, she snapped her body forward, her spear following the arc of her right arm before piercing through the sky, its target the base of the monster's neck.Though she lacked the [Stealth] Ability, [Presence Concealment] could function in a similar manner if you were skilled enough. Since the monster was currently using its horn to try and scrape away the persistent coating of water, it only reacted at the very last moment to try and evade the momentous projectile.Unfortunately, as its reaction was to thrash about in an attempt to knock the projectile from the air, the monster ended up taking the spear directly to its throat. This wasn't enough to kill it, as it had only penetrated a few centimeters due to Emilia's lacking Strength, but it still inflicted the Bleeding status effect.Before the monster could gain its bearings and charge at her, Emilia rolled along the ground before bouncing back to her feet. She stayed low to the ground, making use of her own Agility to move at an angle that would be impossible for most. Even Linnaeus felt that he would fall on his face if he tried to emulate her form, especially with Emilia angling her spear backward to offset her balance...Realizing it had been lured into a trap, the horse-like monster released a feral neighing sound as it attempted to intercept Emilia, its own head bucking from side-to-side when it neared her location.Having already observed it previously, Emilia knew better than to let the monster get too close to her so, just as it began to charge, she immediately swept her spear while twisting her body in the complete opposite direction. This put a lot of strain on the joints in her knees and hips but, as it was better than being skewered by a raging monster, she grit her teeth in a determined manner as she evaded the ferocious charge with room to spare.To its credit, the monster almost immediately realized its prey had changed direction but, like most quadrupedal creatures, it could not so easily arrest its own momentum. It could use its front legs as a pivot to try and buck its body but, the moment it tried, Emilia's eyes flashed with a vicious light.As soon as the horse-like monster attempted to change direction, the joint of its left knee was frozen solid by the water that had soaked into its fur. This wouldn't have mattered in most situations, as a thin layer of ice was meaningless to most monsters, but it was disastrous when something as heavy as the horse-like monster tried to put all its weight on two points.Having lost the articulation of its pivot leg, a loud snapping sound, even louder than the previous tree being broken, resonated through the forest. This was the sound of the monster's leg breaking in a rather terrifying way, the bone protruding out several centimeters as it crashed to the ground and began to twist and writhe.Understanding how dangerous a monster could be when it was injured, Emilia took no chances. She retreated a safe distance before calming her breathing and forming a large ball of water. She would usually use her spears to skewer the monster from a distance but, remembering the practice she had gone through over the last week, Emilia instead used her Blessing to wrap the monster's head with her water, obscuring its vision and suffocating the thrashing creature.There were very few intelligent monsters so, the moment it was surrounded in water, the horse-like monstrosity began to thrash even more while making no attempt to hold its breath. This allowed the water produced by Emilia to invade its lungs and, though she had trouble sensing it, the proximity of the larger volume of water allowed her to freeze the entire thing.With its head, the insides of its mouth, its throat, and its lungs suddenly frozen, it wasn't long before the horse-like monster ceased in its struggles. It would normally be able to last nearly half an hour without any oxygen but, as a result of its thrashing and the cold energies invading its organs, the process had been accelerated considerably.Emilia waited into the horse had disappeared completely to recover her broken spear and the loot items. Since her tribe didn't believe in killing without purpose, she offered up a small prayer to the deceased, promising to use all of its materials to the fullest. While this might seem senseless from the perspective of others, her tribe could literally eat anything so there was rarely anything left of their prey once it had been processed...In order to let Emilia calm down, it was Linnaeus and co that came to her side. Since he knew it was important to praise people when they had done well, Linnaeus gave an approving nod, saying, "You fought intelligently and used the monster's own patterns against it. Great job, Emilia..."Hearing Linnaeus' words, Emilia's ears perked up a bit, even if she didn't take them to heart. Rather, she was hoping that Eliza would praise her but, rather than meet expectations, the latter only made momentary eye contact before turning her attention to the surroundings. This caused Emilia's ears to droop pathetically, earning her an awkward smile from Linnaeus as he muttered in a voice that only reached her ears, "I'm certain Eliza is impressed by your performance. We're still in enemy territory though, so it is better to remain focused instead of make idle banter..."Like the wind changing directions in a storm, Emilia's mood immediately recovered, indicated by her ears perking up once again as a smile blossomed across her face. She knew Linnaeus' words weren't exactly the truth but, as he was the Party Leader that Eliza recognized, it still made her a little happy to have him try to comfort her...In order to loan some truth to his words, Linnaeus quickly worked out how the loot would be split before making the decision to pull back for the day. There was still a bit of light left in the day but, as there was no way of knowing how long the next battle would take, it was best to strike after dawn of the following day.Krone seemed slightly dissatisfied by this arrangement but, as his temperament had improved a little over the last week, he didn't vocalize his discontent. He knew there was some truth behind Linnaeus' words so arguing would be a senseless act that earned him the ire of the entire Party. There were no benefits at all so, this time around, he just crossed his arms before ultimately agreeing to return with the rest...

Chapter 53: Strengthening Bonds