Babel

With about thirty minutes left until they were scheduled to meet, Eliza arrived in the plaza to find Emilia, once again, clinging to Linnaeus. This caused her mood to diminish but, after the previous incident; she ultimately just released a small sigh before dodging through foot traffic to approach the duo.Sensing Eliza's approach, Emilia's ears perked up and, as a compromise of her own, she stopped leaning against Linnaeus' shoulder; rising to her feet to happily exclaim, "Liz, you're late~"Hearing Emilia's remark, Eliza gave her a pointed look before dodging the former's attempt to hug her, replying, "Our meeting time isn't for another half an hour. You and Lin are just a little early, that's all."After stating her piece to Emilia, Eliza chose to momentarily ignore her; closing the remaining distance to Linnaeus and giving him a spontaneous hug. This caused the latter to tense up but, compared to the past, he calmed down quickly before reciprocating.Before things could get out of hand, Linnaeus lightly pat Eliza's back, his eyes taking in their surroundings as he said, "We're drawing a lot of attention..."Though she wanted to remark that it didn't matter if others were watching them, Eliza knew that Linnaeus was still an inherently cautious person. She also didn't want to put too much pressure on him so, after squeezing him a little tighter; she released his body and said, "I haven't eaten yet. I imagine you already bought food for that glutton, right?"With Eliza releasing his body, Linnaeus continued to observe their surroundings for a few seconds longer while; in response to her question, he pulled out a small bag of cookies. He had expected something like this to happen so, knowing Eliza's preference for sweets; he made sure to obtain some in advance.Seeing Linnaeus profer a bag of cookies in an instant, a smile blossomed on Eliza's face as she reached out to secure them for herself. This was, hopefully, enough to keep her occupied until Krone finally arrived; though Linnaeus would never voice this thought out loud...---Though it was starting to seem as if Krone was going to arrive late, he ultimately beat the clock by a few minutes.To prevent an incident where Eliza lambasted an ally in public, Linnaeus preempted her actions by rising to meet the grey-skinned man, making it clear he hadn't done anything wrong by saying, "You have arrived just in time. Did you finish everything you needed to do? If we're late, the next convoy won't be until tomorrow morning."For a brief moment, Krone had been considering whether or not he should apologize so, hearing Linnaeus' words; he felt slightly conflicted. In the end, however, he nodded his head, answering, "I have finished my preparations..." before, in a much lower tone, adding, "I had intended to be earlier...I got sidetracked along the way...sorry."Now, it was Linnaeus' turn to be surprised but, as per usual, it didn't really show on his face. He just nodded in response to Krone's words, saying, "I understand, thanks for explaining things. I never doubted you had a reason. Besides, you are still on time so there's no need to apologize. Come, If everyone is ready, we'll be on our way."With the brief exchange between Linnaeus and Krone, Eliza felt it would be too awkward for her to say anything so; without further incident, the Party moved on to their destination: a Company-owned building that specialized in the transport of personnel and goods between Central City and the Monster Ant Colony.Though it was possible to reach the colony on foot, everyone had agreed that a five-day journey wasn't really something to look forward to. The risk of being attacked by bandits increased when traveling in small groups so; after the recent attack, they opted to travel with a convoy.By paying a variable transfer fee, they could either act as simple passengers or; in order to save on Kindling; serve as escorts for the convoy. The latter was, by and large, the more popular option so it wasn't uncommon for a convoy to be escorted by well over a hundred people.It was common sense that, if you wanted to traverse the common routes; traveling in a larger group was a lot safer. The only reason Linnaeus and co hadn't done so previously was largely due to the former's paranoia; combined with the fact that Eliza and Emilia had basically been broke at the time.Now that they had a bit of flexibility in their finances, securing passage with a convoy not only decreased the chances of a bandit encounter but it also reduced the total travel time by a fair amount.Rather than walk or run, they would be traveling in large reinforced wagons that were pulled along by a type of domesticated monster known, 'affectionately', as a Dumbswallow. They were large bipedal birds that stood well over three meters in height; their muscular frames covered in a thick plumage of vibrant feathers.The two most notable traits of a Dumbswallow were their almost comically oversized heads and their muscular three-toed feet. The former gave them a somewhat cute appearance, as they also had somewhat big eyes and curved beaks but; as the name suggested, they were notoriously dull creatures.Due to generations of selective breeding from a very small genetic pool, they had now reached the point that; if you didn't stop them from eating, a Dumbswallow would literally eat until their stomach ruptured. This made them somewhat dangerous as, with their powerful legs, they could even dent 20cm thick plate-iron with relative ease.Fortunately, while they were somewhat notorious for their intellect, Dumbswallows imprinted on their owners immediately after birth. This made them surprisingly easy to handle, so long as you knew how to properly care for them...When Linnaeus and co first laid eyes on the rather colorful creatures, Eliza's eyes lit up as she couldn't help but remark, "They are so adorable..." in a subdued tone. As for Emilia, she had to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand; her opinion of the birds clearly different from Eliza's.Linnaeus saw their contrasting reactions and before he realized it, a small smile had spread across his face. This immediately made him feel as though something was wrong, however, so it lasted for less than a second before he stated, "Don't gawk, Emilia. The last thing we need is you getting sent careening across the market after spooking the birds..."Hearing Linnaeus comment, Emilia's ears drooped slightly as she looked toward him with a slight pout on her face. Still, she followed his order and, though she didn't realize it; this was the correct decision as the closest Dumbswallow had been eyeing her; it's feathers beginning to puff up in response to the 'danger' it felt...Fortunately, without any incidents occurring, Linnaeus managed to find one of the Merchants affiliated with the Company and, without too much hassle, they were able to secure escort roles in the convoy. Though this required them to sign a contract, they ultimately only ended up paying a total of four-hundred Kindling between them. In exchange, they would have to proactively defend the convoy; turning over most of the materials obtained in exchange for a monetary reward.Since most people prepared their supplies before heading out to locations like the Monster Ant Colony, most Merchant convoys saw it as an opportunity to secure cheap materials. After all, they had massive wagons that could hold a ton of additional materials and drop items; items that the escorts would have had to leave behind unless they wanted to strain their SP reserves.Though this arrangement annoyed Linnaeus quite a bit, as the stipulations of the contract made it so that the convoy could essentially take detours; Eliza explained to him that only fools would do such a thing. For a Merchant Company, reputation and trust were more important than the actual items they traded as; without these two things, nobody would purchase from them.Unless a business had a monopoly, there were no benefits in exploiting mercenaries and small Parties as the negative reputation they acquire would quickly bring them to ruin. Thus, while the contract did have a few troublesome clauses, these were actually written in to give the Company a bit of wiggle room when it came to choosing a route.Depending on various factors, such as natural weather phenomena, environmental hazards, and monster hordes, it was sometimes necessary to change routes in order to ensure the safety of the convoy. If the contract forced them to follow an exact route, there was a good chance they could walk into an irreversible situation, the most common of which was having bandits intermixed into the escort; feeding route information to their companions.Being a cautious person himself, Linnaeus could understand the concerns of the Company so, after Eliza's explanation; he ultimately signed the contract. At the same time, however, he made a mental note to always investigate the Companies they worked with in the future. It made him feel uncomfortable to simply trust people on principle alone; especially when binding contracts were involved...---In total, the convoy consisted of twenty-three carriages; each pulled by a duo of Dumbswallows. They were capable of setting an average pace of around 100km per hour and, if properly fed, it was a simple feat for them to travel upwards of fifteen hours per day. To guarantee this, the total number of Dumbswallows was twice the necessary amount; half of which would be 'resting' by trotting along without pulling a wagon.Linnaeus' Party had been assigned to the fourteenth carriage, a six-wheeled wagon formed from Ironwood and reinforced with Blacksteel plating. It was transporting non-essential goods, such as bolts, screws, and additional plating. These would only be necessary if a carriage was disabled during a monster attack so there were only two Parties assigned to protect it, Linnaeus' and one led by a stout man with dark-red hair and a beard that extended to his chest.Since they would be traveling together for more than two days, Linnaeus restrained his urge to simply ignore the man. Instead, he approached the stout figure who, despite appearing to be middle-aged, was only slightly taller than Linnaeus himself. This was due to the fact the man was clearly a Dwarf; evident by his short stature, intricately groomed beard, trunk-like limbs, flat nose, and small, pointed, ears.Seeing the youthful and rather frail figure approach him, the Dwarf raised one of his thick brows, asking, "Aye, what can ah do ye for, lass?"Hearing the man address him as 'lass', Linneaus had to forcibly restrain a facial twitch in order to form a wry smile as he replied, "My name is Linnaeus Finnian. Our Parties will be working together over the next couple of days so I thought I would introduce myself. Also...I am not a girl..."Without making any effort to hide his surprise at all, the Dwarven man gave Linnaeus another take before remarking, "Sorry, lad. Ye might've guessed it but ah'm a Dwarven folk. Names Yorgen Kilncrusher. Ain't easy tellin tha gender of other tribes apart. Hope yer an understandin' lad."Toward the end of his words, Yorgen extended his hand in a gesture of goodwill, a somewhat crooked but good-natured smile on his face. Linnaeus hesitated for a brief moment when he saw this but, realizing the other party had no malicious intentions; he ultimately extended his own, much smaller hand...Despite their comparable heights, Yorgen's hands were more than twice the size and thickness of Linnaeus'. They were also incomparably rough and calloused, a stark contrast to the delicate and nimble fingers of the young Manalyte hybrid. This made their handshake somewhat awkward but, known to be a social bunch, Yorgen just laughed it off after a cheeky remark; easing the tensions between the two Parties with humor.

While waiting for the convoy to depart, Linnaeus' Party got to know Yorgen's a bit better. There was a very real chance they would be fighting alongside each other so it was necessary for them to have, at the very least, a basic understanding of each others' roles.As the total number of people in a Party could not exceed four people, Yorgen's three members were a thin and lanky man named Zezim, a rather weak looking youth named Cyrus, and a dark-skinned woman named Amanda.Zezim was a member of the Kyrie race, a group that could be demarcated due to their thin figures and, most importantly, the small wings that protruded from their backs. Though incapable of flight, they allowed the Kyrie to glide great distances and, while not the most powerful ability, SP could be sent into the feather to make them as sharp as low-quality blades. His role in the party was a mid-line Vanguard, supporting Yorgen in the frontlines with his quick and nimble attacks.Though Zezim stood out quite a bit, Cyrus had the more unique features, at least from Linnaeus' perspective. Despite being an adult, he had a short stature of around 120cm and, in stark contrast to the vast majority of races, his entire body was covered in fur. Though it was light around his face, a much thick coat covered the rest of his body while, poking out from behind, a rather thick tail could be seen extending nearly to the ground.Linnaeus had never seen one for himself, but Eliza informed him that Cyrus had features similar to a fox, including two large ears that weren't all that different from Emilia's. His fur, however, was a burnt orange mixed with browns, greys, and a bit of black. At the end of his tail, the color faded away to a pure white and, as could be expected from someone so small, they specialized in ranged attacks.Cyrus was purported to be the fastest member of Yorgen's Party and, to capitalize on this speed, he used a series of small cross-bows, one in each hand. When those didn't provide enough firepower, he would swap to a miniature arbalest on his back, a two-handed weapon that had enough kick to send most people backward unless they steeled themselves.The final member of Yorgen's Party, Amanda, actually stood out the least amongst their group based on unique features. She more than made up for this in her beauty, however, as she had unblemished olive-brown skin, slightly pointed ears, a shapely figure, brilliant purple eyes, and pale white hair. She was a hybrid of two different races, a Hume and a Licenai, a tribe with similar features to the Elvaan people.Though physically inferior to the rest of her Party members, Amanda was considered their Ace as she was their only magical attacker. She was the only one to openly reveal her Blessing within Yorgen's Party, both as a result of her pride and the fact it couldn't exactly be hidden. After all, even during their first encounter, she had a large white tiger following beside her, it's tail flickering with a ghostly blue flame.Amanda's Blessing was the relatively rare [Spirit Summoner], an ability that allowed her to summon a variety of different Spirits, creatures comprised of pure elemental energy. Though this required the user to form a contract with each Spirit they wanted to summon, exceptionally high Charisma and a fair amount of persistence had turned Amanda into a relatively capable Summoner.Overall, Yorgen's Party was both balanced and, based on first impressions, exceptional. Linnaeus felt it was fortunate to have been assigned the same carriage as them, even if Amanda caused Eliza and Emilia to stick to him. She looked at him with the eyes of a woman who had found something fun to play around with, a look Linnaeus had grown used to during his travels throughout the Slums.Fortunately, she didn't do anything overt to sow discord between the two Parties, a testament to the fact she cared about her own image. At most, she sent Linnaeus a playful wink before pretending to ignore the warning look from Eliza and the focused gaze of Emilia...---By the time both Parties got to know about each other, the convoy leader, a Merchant named Kross, had given the order to prepare for departure. This required Linnaeus and co to board the carriage, piling into the opening at the back or sitting on the staging perch. Since the inside was cramped due to the supplies, they decided to take turns resting while everyone else would be posted around the carriage to keep watch.It was all but guaranteed the convoy would be attacked at some point as, even if it was a deterrent to most bandit groups, monsters rarely made such considerations. The fourteenth carriage may be towards the latter half of the convoy but that actually increased the chances it would be attacked as bandits often targetted the final few vehicles in order to 'encourage' those in front to keep going.Fortunately, they weren't close enough to the back to have to worry about such a thing so, from the time of the departure until just before the light faded from the sky, Linnaeus spent most of his time making idle conversation with Yorgen and Cyrus.Linnaeus came to learn that Yorgen's Party had actually been together for three years at this point, meaning they had already lost the chance to leave the Crucible of Souls. Despite this, they lived their lives to the fullest, often traveling around between the various regions, seeking adventure and, when funds were tight, fortune.Since a major expedition was scheduled to take place at the beginning of next month, they decided to head to the Monster Ant Colony to make advance preparations. After all, it was a lot easier to get a good position within the expedition if you arrived earlier, rather than arriving last minute. This was due to the fact that the leaders of each expedition spent a considerable amount of time planning so if you arrived late, they had no way of fitting you in as anything more than fodder or cleanup troops.Though Linnaeus had already known about the upcoming Expedition, he still enjoyed talking with the amiable duo. They were very helpful and informative, something Linnaeus couldn't even consider in the past as kindness had always been a rare commodity within the Slums. Now, he was beginning to realize that most people weren't the malicious opportunists he had suspected them to be. Rather, so long as their livelihoods weren't threatened, a surprising number of people turned out to be nice.---While Linnaeus was having an amicable conversation with Yorgen and Cyrus, a very different kind of mood existed within the carriage's interior. There, Eliza and Emilia sat across from Amanda and her squirrel-like summon, a wind Spirit named Fei-Fei. The two sides stared icily back at each other, the atmosphere in the carriage lowering to match.Originally, Linnaeus had shown a fair amount of concern about what was taking place within the carriage but, after inquiring, all three girls unanimously informed him that nothing was wrong. Since then, he had emulated Yorgen and Cyrus, willfully ignoring the cold atmosphere that seemed more than a little counter-intuitive to their cooperation...Fortunately, when the time to battle actually came, there weren't any major hiccups as the monsters were easily dealt with by Cyrus and several other ranged attackers. Other than the convoy slowing a bit, in order to make it easier for the ground combatants to catch back up to their original carriages, nothing remiss had taken place by the time a loud horn blared, signaling they were stopping for the night.Since the girls were supposed to be resting during the day, they were the first half of the night's watch while Linnaeus, Yorgen, Cyrus, Zezim, and Krone all squeezed into the carriage's interior. It was a tight fit, especially for Zezim, but he managed to find a suitable position for himself on top of the less angular supplies.Overall, it wasn't the most pleasant experience but, perhaps as a result of their individual pride, none of the 'men' deigned to complain about the arrangements. Instead, they made idle conversation in subdued tones, discussing various topics that had no real relevance to their current situation...Though they all seemed to get along relatively well with each other, the fact they had only just met made it impossible for anyone to sleep peacefully. This was especially true for Linnaeus but, due to his past experiences, he was the least affected by their situation. Even if he had to stay awake until they reached the Monster Ant Colony, he wouldn't be affected so, until it was time for them to swap with the girls, he engaged in the hushed conversation while laying next to the unsurprisingly warm Cyrus.When it finally came time for the changeover, Linnaeus was the first to squeeze out of the carriage. There, he found Eliza dangling her legs off the side of the staging perch while Emilia and Amanda were nowhere to be seen.Without waiting for Linnaeus to ask the obvious, Eliza made a show of yawning before stating in a sleepy tone, "Emilia and that vixen are both scouting further out. Someone from the Company came around to have the night watch spread out in order to detect enemies at a greater distance. I don't have [Night Vision] so I stayed behind."Hearing Eliza's response, Linnaeus gave an understanding nod before extending his hand to her and saying, "Try and get some rest. We don't know what the coming days will bring so it is important to sleep when you can."After accepting his hand and allowing Linnaeus to pull her up, Eliza surprised him slightly by giving him a hug and whispering, "Make sure to follow your own advice, okay?"So as not to make him too uncomfortable, Eliza released Linnaeus immediately after her words fell. Then, after waiting for the other men to exit the carriage, she crawled inside to find a comfortable spot for herself. It would be impossible for her to get any meaningful sleep with Amanda in the same carriage but that didn't mean she couldn't secure the most comfortable position.Shortly after Eliza entered into the carriage, a high pitched whine that sounded both loud yet quiet could be heard echoing through the night's air. This seemed to be informing those less attentive to the schedule that it was time for a shift change as, for a few minutes, silent chaos could be seen by those with eyes attuned to the darkness.By the time the somewhat annoying noise faded away, Emilia and Amanda had both returned, the latter with what appeared to be a large python coiling around her shoulders. What separated it from a normal snake was the fact it had four distinct eyes while, along the ridges of its brow, small white feathers could be seen forming a shape similar to a crown.Linnaeus had a distinct impression that Amanda could be a very dangerous opponent so he was hoping Eliza and Emilia didn't upset her too much. Though he wouldn't hesitate to cut her throat or pierce her heart, none of Yorgen's Party members seemed to be bad people so it would leave a bad taste in his mouth if they came to blows.Fortunately, Emilia seemed to have lost her interest in Amanda during the time they had been apart as, without even sparing the snake-bearing woman a single glance, she happily hugged him before jumping into the carriage immediately thereafter. As a result, Linnaeus could hear Eliza utter a harsh complaint, followed by a dry laugh and apology from Emilia.Having seen Emilia hug Linnaeus, Amanda cocked her head to the side in amusement. She seemed to consider saying something but, before she could do so, Zezim placed his hand upon her shoulder and whispered, "Amanda, darling, please don't cause any trouble...can't you at least wait until we get to the settlement before you do anything...regrettable?"In response to her companion's warning, Amanda gave him a sidelong glance with her purple eyes before forcing him to retract his hand as her snake tried to slither across it. This caused Zezim to sigh before looking toward Linnaeus with an apologetic expression and shrugging helplessly...

Without any major incidents, Linnaeus retrieved his made-to-order ring and its accompanying chain. He didn't particularly care for flair, as standing out rarely had any benefits, so the design was rather plain. Despite this, wearing the necklace stirred something inside him as, with the exception of his recently acquired Interspatial Ring; he never really owned anything like jewelry before...As time progressively marched forward, the differences between the present Linnaeus and his past self became more extreme. His capabilities were steadily increasing and, with proper dieting, small changes had begun to occur within his body.Though he may never become a mountain of a man like Krone, discarding the appearance of a weak and emaciated youth would save him a lot of trouble. If his looks could give his enemies a moment of pause, that was all he really needed to ensure victory or; at the very least, a slight advantage.With his newly acquired necklace hidden behind the layers of his fur-laden clothes, Linnaeus made his way to the plaza where he had arranged to meet with everyone else. It didn't surprise him that he was the first to arrive so, with nothing better to do; he spent the interim period observing the flow of traffic and how people went about their daily lives...If he watched closely, it was possible to distinguish between the actual residents of the Fifth Floor and those who were still aspiring to reach the top of the Crucible. There was a certain energy about the latter group, a palpable tension that created an invisible separation between them and the much happier floor residents.Since he was considering expanding their Party into a Company, it was necessary to find people that were wholly focused on returning. His current members already lacked drive; seemingly content with staying on the Fifth Floor for the remainder of their days if it was necessary. Because of this, he really couldn't afford to scout anyone else with a lackadaisical mentality as it might be the catalyst for their Party's dissolution once they experienced a setback.As things stood, Eliza was the main glue that held their Party together but; over time, Linnaeus felt as if he was slowly taking that position for himself. Eliza didn't care about returning to the Tower but, if he continued aiming for it, she would support him. This was the same for Emilia who, despite having the desire to return to the Tower herself; wasn't bothered by the possibility of failure.Regardless of what happened, Emilia would continue to live life at her own pace. Though rare, there were other Vanargandr on the Fifth Floor so it wasn't impossible for her to join one of the existing tribes or, if she was confident in her own strength; build her own...Krone was the one to care the least about reaching the top of the Crucible but, so long as Eliza had the intention of doing so, he would continue to support the Party. He was a very prideful man, one who simply couldn't part with his personal sense of honor. Thus, with Eliza supporting him, Linnaeus didn't have to worry about Krone betraying them as, before that, he would have to betray the thing that mattered the most to him...---About an hour before their agreed-upon meeting time, Linnaeus had the impression that someone was trying to sneak up and ambush him. Turning his head, he wasn't surprised to find Emilia trying to blend in with the flow of traffic; her ears perking up the moment he looked over.With an expression that showed both approval and disappointment, Emilia stopped trying to mask her presence as she pranced over to Linnaeus' side. By the time she actually reached him, her usual smile had returned as she looked, sniffing the air for a brief moment before asking, "Are the others not here yet~?"Shrugging his shoulders in response, Linnaeus followed up by answering, "It is still early. I'm certain they will be alone shortly...here."Since Emilia was getting a mischievous glint in her eyes, Linnaeus whipped out a few interesting food items he had found during his exploration of the market. He had anticipated that Emilia would be the first to arrive so, in preparation, he prepared a fair amount of unique foodstuffs to keep her occupied.Never one to refuse food, Emilia happily accepted the crepe-like article from Linnaeus' outstretched hand before plopping down next to him. This caused some of the males that had been eyeing her to give Linnaeus the stink eye but, after associating with Emilia for a few weeks, it no longer bothered him. Rather, it was when someone mistook him for a girl that things became truly troublesome.Fortunately, after a haircut; giving him much shorter hair; it was a lot harder to mistake him as a female, at least compared to before. All he needed to do in order to deter most people that wanted to 'confirm' his gender was radiate a bit of bloodlust, spooking all but the most stouthearted and foolhardy individuals...After taking a few rather sizeable bites of the meat-filled crepe, Emilia tilted her head adorably as she extended the aromatic article, asking, "Have you tried this? It is really good. You can take a bite if you want."Since he had only purchased the goods to pacify Emilia, Linnaeus hadn't tried most of the food he had purchased. He was even content with low-quality foodstuffs but, if she was offering, he wasn't going to outright refuse. The smell attested to its rich flavor so, without hesitation, Linnaeus took a much smaller bite than the voracious Vanargandr, earing a happy smile from her in the process.Though it was a bit greasy, the meat within the edible wrap was some of the most flavorful that he had ever experienced. It was a little spicy but, rather than being unpleasant, Linnaeus felt as if they were intended to encourage further consumption...While Linnaeus was focused on the flavor and composition of the meat, Emilia had very different intentions. The flavor of what she ate didn't matter as much as the energy contained within so, while it tasted quite good, it didn't leave much of an impression. Rather, she had seen through Linnaeus' intentions from the start so; after he took a bite of her food, Emilia made a show of licking the area with her tongue, her scarlet eyes focused on him throughout the entire process.Understanding what she was trying to do, Linnaeus felt slightly exasperated but, as usual, it didn't really show on his face. He just stared back at her with a calm expression on his face, casually pulling out an apple from his Interspatial Ring to make it clear he hand no intention of taking a second bite.With her ears drooping somewhat pathetically, Emilia finished up the remnants of her meal before turning her attention to their surroundings and asking, "Do you think people can really be happy to live in a place like this? I've never seen so many people living so close together, content with staying in one place for their entire lives. It is kind of weird..."Linnaeus felt he wasn't the best person to ask about society at large but, with nothing better to do, conversing with Emilia didn't seem like a bad idea.After ruminating over her words for a few moments, Linnaeus ultimately shrugged his shoulders and said, "I think they live like this in order to make their lives more convenient. It probably makes them feel safer as well; since they are less likely to be attacked if a lot of people stay in one place..."Hearing Linnaeus' rather brief explanation, Emilia nodded her head in agreement as it wasn't all that different from her tribe. A large tribe was a status symbol and, as Linnaeus suggested, it became a lot easier to protect the younglings and pups when there were more people. Though the demand for resources increased exponentially, it was possible to maintain balance by sending off virile males to form new tribes with those who have returned victoriously from the Tower.Though Linnaeus' words seemed to strike out the heart of the matter, Emilia still felt it was strange to stay in one place. If you experienced similar stimuli every day, life would become very boring and, if you never knew adventure and hardship, complacency would become your default state.Emilia could see with her own eyes that the people around them were slightly plump and, judging by how they carried themselves, they were wholly unprepared for an attack. They also seemed to make compromises in order to maintain their convenient lives; leading to the very corruption that Linnaeus seemed so afraid of.Back in the seemingly endless plains and expansive jungles, you would never have to worry about anything like a criminal organization or corrupt governors. The only thing anyone really cared about was the success of the tribe as a whole. While status and prestige were important, the best way to gain these things was to contribute to the tribe directly. Stockpiling wealth and suppressing others was a completely nonsensical idea as it seemed to invite trouble rather than promote unity.After observing these things for herself, Emilia understood why her Ancestors had turned away from the Tower while nearly every other race congregated toward it. They lived fulfilling lives as explorers, hunters, and gourmands. This didn't seem to be the case within the megacity and, with what she had learned about the Slums, Emilia was absolutely certain that building a society that never moved only invited rot and stagnation...If she didn't know they were separated by several hundred generations of distance, Emilia would have invited Linnaeus to come and join her tribe when they finally escaped the Tower. Now, part of her humored the idea of just forming a new tribe with him inside the Tower but, unless his sister and lover were in agreement, this would probably be very difficult.Still, it was something to consider as, while Linnaeus may not see her in the same way; Emilia already treated him as a part of her family. Just as she would back in her own tribe, Emilia would protect him and do everything in her power to make sure they are successful. Since Linnaeus wholehearted put his all into protecting the things he cared about, she believed he would do the same for her...With this thought crossing her mind, Emilia unashamedly leaned against Linnaeus, the side of her head resting against his. Though this clearly bothered him, Linnaeus was an inordinately tolerant person. So long as it didn't cross the line, he allowed them to behave as they please; just like how the more mature members of her tribe behaved towards those still learning.This was another thing that Emilia had come to appreciate about Linnaeus as, instead of pushing others away, he was willing to suffer a bit of discomfort to strengthen the unity of the Party. If he really wanted to, Linnaeus would be able to scout other Vanargandr without too many issues. Once they realized the kind of person he was, they would naturally gravitate towards him as Vanargandr were a very communal species; one that relied on skinship and physical intimacy to strengthen their bonds...---Feeling Emilia lean against him, Linnaeus withheld a sigh, unaware of the thoughts running through her mind. She had a habit of sticking to Eliza as well so he knew it was largely due to her nature as a Vanargandr that compelled her to behave like this. So long as she didn't cross the line like before, he didn't really have the heart to push her away. Rather, the more time he spent with her and Eliza, the calmer he felt. It was like their presence filled a void within his heart, slowly turning him into a more complete person...

Chapter 74: Travel Arrangements