Babel

Though it wasn't impossible to find Ebony Glowshroom in crevasses and large areas of persistent shadow, the vast majority could only be found within the Monster Ant tunnels themselves.The Monster Ant tunnels were a complex subterranean network that consisted of countless tunnels of various shapes and sizes. These came together to form a labyrinthine structure that, even after hundreds of years, had never been fully mapped.Venturing into the tunnels required a completely different skill set than what was required to fight on the surface as, outside of the main channels, it was possible for even Linnaeus to graze the ceiling if he put enough strength into his legs. For those like Krone, the tunnels felt claustrophobic and, if he had been the type to rely on speed, rather than power, the complex labyrinthine structure would be a true hell.For this reason, many Adventurers referred to the Monster Ant Colony's underground network as the 'Ant Hell', a place that represented a nightmare for both explorers and the Ants themselves. After all, these tunnels had served as the burial grounds for millions of Ants over the years, giving it a ghostly chill despite the palpable humidity.It was this combination of darkness and humidity that made the tunnels a veritable paradise when it came to cultivating various fungi, many of which had bioluminescent properies. In fact, without these mushroom colonies, visibility within the tunnels would be an absolute nightmare as, without [Night Vision], or a related Skill, seeing more than a few meters was impossible.With thirteen identified types of bioluminescent fungi commonly found within the tunnels, it was a lot easier than expected to find the type you were looking for. After all, while many mushrooms had a similar glow, the rarer variety had a slightly different hue, often coinciding with the names they had been given.Though it didn't exactly look black, Ebony Glowshrooms emitted a mysterious purple light that made other things in the area glow with false bioluminescence. This was the method they used to try and camouflage themselves, but, so long as you knew how to identify the pattern on their shrouds, it was easy to pick out Ebony Glowshrooms among the star-like ocean of fungi.The hardest part of collecting the coveted mushrooms was, as could be expected, venturing into the tunnels themselves. Most people were accustomed to fighting in open areas, so, to be forced into a confined network of tunnels and fight against monsters that could easily traverse the floor, wall, and ceiling, in equal measure, wasn't easy.Eliza's Magic was almost useless within the tunnel system, forcing her to rely on her heavy crossbow, but, fortunately, Linnaeus' and Emilia's Blessing were easily adapted to fighting in confined areas.Having lived most of his life fighting within confined alleys and navigating underground waterways, Linnaeus was like a fish being returned to the water. His small stature made it easy for him to bound around the tunnels without suffering a penalty to his Agility, and, while it ate into his reserves a bit, he could easily form a [Barrer] to block off sections of the tunnel system if too many enemies arrived.Though she had never fought underground, Blessings related to water were exceptionally powerful in confined spaces. The Monster Ants had virtually nowhere to flee to and, though she far from the Level required to flood the cave system, Emilia's freezing attacks were doubly effective against the majority of Monster Ants, creatures that relied on hot and humid places to live comfortably.The only one to really struggle with fighting in the tunnels was Krone as, after trying to steal the traits of the Monster Ants, he realized they didn't actually have [Night Vision]. Rather, they relied more on their sense of smell to navigate, revealing countless pheromone trails that made little sense to the burly warrior.If Krone could learn to read the pheromone trails properly, Linnaeus felt it would provide them with an extreme benefit, but, as this wasn't exactly a reasonable expectation, he didn't both mentioning it. Instead, he had Krone watch their back, using his bulk and raw power to prevent any Ant from trying to ambush them.Fortunately, they had yet to encounter any of the more troublesome variants, which were typically found much further in, so Krone wasn't suffering too much. Had they encountered actual Soldiers or Majors, Linnaeus had little doubt that his [Barrier Aura] would be put to the test.While Krone could emulate the carapace of the Monster Ants, which reportedly had some resistance against the chemicals expelled by the Ants, it wasn't exactly wise to rely on such things. After all, no matter how many traits he borrows, Krone was still a humanoid, so, if he took acid spittle to the face, it would undoubtedly blind or suffocate him.If his [Barrier Aura] proved ineffective against the Monster Ants, Linnaeus would have little choice but to reconsider their approach. Currently, they were a little too reliant on his Blessing and, while it had been useful in most situations, it would be foolhardy to assume this would always be the case...Fortunately, at least for the time being, his Blessing was proving exceptionally useful as, despite their ability to traverse the walls and ceiling, the Monster Ants didn't have an easy way to circumvent his [Barriers]. They didn't actually seem to recognize them as an attack so, instead of trying to destroy them, they would often just pause in place, flicking the [Barrier] with their antennae as if they were confused.Since the Monster Ants relied more on pheromone trails than their eyesight, Linnaeus assumed his [Barrier] effectively 'cut' the pheromone trail. While they would quickly latch on to a different trail, a momentary pause was all he needed to bury his spear into one of their weak spots. This also taught him that, if he cut off the antennae of the Ants, they were virtually blind within the tunnels and, as a result, they would either stop moving or indiscriminately attack anything that moved.The person to benefit the most from this discovery was none other than Krone. It wasn't easy to swing around a large warhammer within the confined tunnel system so, after learning he could blind the Monster Ants, he began ripping off their antennae, to great effect.With their primary sense robbed from them, the Monster Ants would rip each other apart, grappling each other while using their fierce mandibles to cut through the limbs of 'enemy' Ants. This resulted in Krone releasing a rare laugh, but, as he had been growing increasingly annoyed at his situation as the rearguard, even Eliza didn't mind his outburst...Every time Linnaeus' Party stumbled across an area where the mushrooms glowed a distinctly purple color, he would do his best to seal off every access tunnel while Eliza dutifully harvested the requisite caps. They weren't just after Ebony Gloomshrooms, however, so it would take her several minutes to harvest and package everything. Emilia had tried to help, but, even with her powerful nose, she had a lot of trouble trying to distinguish between the different types of mushrooms.With practice, Emilia was confident she would be able to identify the mushrooms, not only on sight, but, from a great distance as well. She could already smell where Monster Ants would appear from, so, with a bit of time, she would be able to track down individual herbs and mushrooms, preventing them from having to wander around aimlessly.For this reason, Eliza tolerated Emilia's presence while she was trying to harvest, periodically forcing unusable caps towards the lingering Vanargandr for scent recognition and consumption. Since Emilia could eat virtually anything, she had effectively become Eliza's temporary disposal chute, destroying the evidence of her periodic failures.---Though their original intention had been to save time by collecting the rarer Ebony Glowshrooms, it took nearly six hours for Linnaeus' Party to retrace their steps and exit the subterranean system.Upon surfacing, Krone could be heard releasing a heavy, audibly relieved, sigh. He didn't proactively complain, but, fighting underground hadn't been easy on him. Without his [Perception] and the little light cast off by the various fungal colonies, he would have been fighting completely blind. While he hadn't taken much physical damage, there was a certain psychological strain present when fighting under such stressful circumstances, so, seeing the sky overhead, he couldn't help but feel relieved.Understanding his silent counterpart's anxieties, Linnaeus turned to Eliza and Emilia, stating in a voice he knew Krone would be able to hear, "We should avoid fighting underground too often. It might be different further in, but, along the periphery, the systems are too tight to fight freely."Though she understood what Linnaeus was trying to do, it would be too obvious if none of them offered their input. Thus, in response to his statement, Eliza issued a ruminating hum before nodding her head and saying, "I'm not particularly fond of fighting in confined quarters, but, if we keep at it, I should be able to awaken the [Night Vision] Ability. It's a little annoying that only you and Emilia are able to see in the dark..."Hearing Eliza's response, Emilia giggled playfully, her hand behinds her head as she mused, "Lin and I have a lot more in common than our [Night Vision]. Once he learns how to use the spear properly, we'll be able to bully all of our enemies together~."Even if Emilia was playing along with their skit, Eliza's brow began to twitch in response to her biting remark. To make matters even worse, Emilia 'hid' behind Linnaeus, a cheeky smile on her face as she mischievously giggled.Before the two girls could enter a spat, Linnaeus pointed out, "We should consider heading back to turn in our bounty. The other option is to hunt a few Monster Ants along the periphery, waiting until the sky begins to dim before our return. There are plenty of materials and Kindling to collect, even on the surface. Besides, I want to continue practicing my archery...will you help me out, Eliza?"Hearing Linnaeus asking for her assistance, Eliza immediately felt better, dismissing Emilia's earlier words as she adopted a haughty smile and answered, "Of course. My own Skill is lacking, but, if we work together, I'm certain we can both improve rapidly~."Without waiting for Linnaeus' response, Eliza began to pull him along by his wrist, seemingly with the intent to separate him from Emilia. As for the latter, her ears twitched a few times but, the smile on her face never faded away. Instead, she turned to Krone, saying, "We should catch up before they get themselves into trouble."With her words finished, Emilia pulled out her spear and, with characteristic swiftness, pursued the retreating figures of Linnaeus and Eliza. This left Krone standing alone, his dark eyes revealing a mix of emotions before he ultimately released a profound sigh and began trudging after the agile trio...---Under Eliza's guidance, Linnaeus actually managed to obtain the [Archery] Skill before it was time for them to head back. She had been 'very' insistent on teaching him, obviously intent on making them have more in common with each other, so, with a concerted effort on his part, Linnaeus managed to advance the Skill to LV1. This provided no discernible difference in his accuracy, but, it could become one of the foundational Skills that provided him a considerable attribute increase with every Level.Since he had the opportunity to increase his Skills, Abilities, and Magic without having to worry about increasing his Level, Linnaeus intended to take full advantage of it. While it might not seem like a good idea to have a variety of Skills, each requiring a serious effort to advance, the benefits they provided were too good to pass on. So long as he got them to LV20, they would provide bonus attributes with each Level, meaning he could, theoretically, reach a point where simply Leveling up made him more powerful than his peers.Fortunately, Linnaeus had Eliza, Emilia, and even Krone to help him develop his Skills, so, by the time he returned to the Tower, there was a chance he would develop upwards of seven different Skills. At the very least, this was an additional seven attributes per Level and, if he managed to get them all to LV50, he would be earning double that. All he needed to do was put in the requisite amount of effort to improve, but, considering what was at stake, Linnaeus had more than enough motivation to reach the top...no matter the cost.

Though there was still a bit of light left in the day, Linnaeus' Party returned to the Briggs Fortress Settlement in the hopes of bypassing the evening rush. This ended up being a small blessing, at least from Eliza's perspective, as, for the first time since their registry, Renka was absent from the various reception and exchange booths.Seeing the troublesome redhead was missing, Eliza's mood had improved considerably, so, with Linnaeus and Emilia in tow, she happily dragged them off to secure a table. As for Krone, he had volunteered to exchange their materials, insisting that they should all take turns to avoid any kind of issues.Linnaeus didn't completely agree with Krone, but, as the man was trying to repay him in his own way, he elected not to mention the flaws in such an arrangement.Fortunately, contrary to Linnaeus' expectations, none of the other Adventurers gave them any real trouble, but, considering they were still inside the Guild, this wasn't all that unexpected. Though a few people had eyed Emilia from a distance, only one man had enough gall to actually approach the table in an attempt to proposition her. When she glared back at him, however, he was quick to depart, his own ears flattening as he awkwardly returned to his boisterous Party.Linnaeus had noted the man's wolf-like ears and a tail, but, based on the color of his fur, it was safe to assume he wasn't a Vanargandr. According to Emilia, the fur of every Vanargandr was a shade of blue, the only exception being the elderly and the so-called 'Children of the Moon'. The latter consisted of Vanargandr that had been born with pure white fur and, though there were a few exceptions, the vast majority also had moon-like eyes. They were greatly respected by every tribe, as, in exchange for significantly reduced physical prowess, the Children of the Moon often developed Blessing related to prophesy and foresight.The Vanargandr also lacked have the concept of prostitutes, even if it wasn't their intention, she felt greatly insulted by any man who thought they could mate with her for no better reason than her appearance. She was a huntress and a warrior before anything else, so, from her perspective, she should be the one selecting and protecting her mates, not the reverse.As a result of her frustration, Emilia made a show of sticking close to Linnaeus for the rest of the evening, souring Eliza's otherwise good mood. This resulted in the latter spending a little too much of her earnings on alcohol, so, for the second time in as many nights, Linnaeus was forced to piggyback her to the Inn, much to the amusement of various passersby...All-in-all, it was turning out to be a relatively uneventful evening, but, even before reaching their Inn, Linnaeus had the sinking suspicion things were about to become more complicated. There was more foot traffic than normal, and, even from a distance, he could see black smoke billowing from the direction of their temporary residence.Upon reaching the district where their Inn was located, Linnaeus, Emilia, and Krone stared blankly as several people worked together to put out a fire that had spread to several buildings, their Inn included.Based on the conversations in the surroundings, it seemed that a group of drunkards had tried to accost a young woman, who, in her rage, used her Blessing to severely injure her four aggressors. Unfortunately, as was often the case with fire type Blessings, she also ended up setting fire to the surrounding buildings and, despite a concerted effort to extinguish the flames, things got out of hand pretty quickly when a wagon carrying undiluted alcohol caught fire.Linnaeus' first instinct was to assume this was some kind of scheme, but, as it didn't make sense for anyone to go out of their way to cause so much collateral damage just to inconvenience his Party, he discarded the thought. The original attack happened within an alleyway connecting to the nearby bazaar, not their Inn, so, while it was frustrating and inconvenient, the likelihood it had any relation to them was small.Since it was rather loud in the surroundings, Eliza ended up opening her eyes groggily before asking in a slurred tone, "Wash goin' on...? Fire...?"Knowing she wouldn't really be able to hold a conversation in her current state, Linnaeus shifted Eliza so that she was properly situated on his back before softly muttering, "It's okay. You can go back to sleep. There is nothing to worry about..."Though the settling blaze served as a stark contrast to Linnaeus' words, Eliza didn't seem to care all that much, as, in response to his assurance, she just tightly hugged him before dozing off once again. This caused Emilia to issue a light hum at the side, drawing Linnaeus' attention to her eyes, which, due to the flames, reflected an eerie glow as she mused, "How envious~." while biting the end of her index finger.Since there was no sense in just standing around, Linnaeus elected to ignore Emilia's comment as he said, "We should find a place to stay for the evening. I doubt the proprietor of the Inn will be returning our booking fees so there is no reason to stick around."Hearing Linnaeus' remark, Emilia nodded her head in understanding, but, despite knowing the answer, Krone still asked, "Do you want me to carry her...?" in regards to the slumbering Eliza.Though he was beginning to grow a bit, Linnaeus was still around the same size as Eliza, so, when he carried her, it looked like a younger brother carrying his much older sister. Fortunately, even if it was his lowest Attribute, his Strength allowed him to carry Eliza without too much difficulty, so, without even having to consider it, he shook his head and answered, "She would be upset if she learned I let someone else carry her..."Krone already expected Linnaeus' response, but, as he could tell the latter wanted to go around collecting information, he felt obligated to offer. They could easily find each other using the Party function so it would have been more efficient to split up, even if it was also marginally riskier.It was difficult to guess what Krone was thinking. However, considering Eliza's character, things wouldn't end well if she awoke to find someone else carrying her. Emilia might be acceptable, to an extent, but, she would never accept Krone being the one to carry her unless it was an actual, life-threatening, emergency.Since he couldn't readily discard the slumbering Eliza, Linnaeus dutifully carried her during their search for a place to stay. She was actually a lot lighter than she looked, and, though it was a little awkward, the soft feeling against his back wasn't exactly unpleasant.The only real complaint he had about the situation was the fact that Eliza was drunk at all, so, in the future, he intended to address her developing habit in the hopes of nipping it in the bud. It might not matter all that much at normal times, but, during situations like this, she was a major liability to the entire Party.Fortunately, despite wandering around for nearly two hours, nobody tried to bar their passage or cause trouble. This coincided with the idea that the fire was completely unrelated to them, as, if it had been part of some grand scheme, someone should have appeared to at least lure them into a trap.Instead, Linnaeus and Co found a place pretty close to the actual gate they exited through when heading out for the Monster Ant Colony. There weren't any important buildings here, but, as they also served as the first line of defense when the Monster Ants assaulted the fortress, they were all very durable. The only problem was, in exchange for relatively low rates, you also had to sign a basic contract that stated you would directly assist in the defense of the premises should an attack occur.Though it was a mild inconvenience, the contract only applied when they were actually staying in the hostel-like dwelling. When the moved out, the terms no longer applied to them and, while they were outside the settlement, they obviously wouldn't be expected to defend the property. It was more of a way for the owners of the hostel, a portly merchant, to protect his assets.From the information Linnaeus was able to purchase, the same merchant owned most of the buildings and businesses within the area, so, in a way, he had his own small army for whenever an attack occurred. Despite this, he wasn't actually all that well off as, for the last couple of years, he had been trying, and failing, to secure a position within the Inner District.While this information wasn't exactly relevant to Linnaeus' Party, understanding the balance of power in the region was never a bad thing. After all, the clause within the contract hadn't stated they would only be required to protect against monster invasion, so, if there was any discourse between the merchant and surrounding businesses, there was a chance they would get wrapped up in the conflict.Fortunately, such conflicts usually took place behind the scenes, so, even if the merchant had the idea of using his guests as soldiers, it would be at the expense of their reputation. The fact he was unable to secure a place within the Inner District showed he hadn't made the type of connections that would grant him impunity, so, at least for the time being, there was no cause for concern...With his information gathering complete, for the evening, Linnaeus made his way back to their shared living space, a circular residential wing that connected a total of ten rooms into the same common area. This was one of the downsides to staying in a hostel as, not only were the rooms small, but even the bathrooms were communal in design, split between gender.Linnaeus didn't particularly care about bathing amongst strangers, as he had been forced to wash in public since he was a young child, but Eliza would undoubtedly insist they move out. It was for this reason he had been willing to sign the temporary contract, as, once Eliza finally sobered up, they would undoubtedly be moving to stay elsewhere.For now, however, Linnaeus checked in on Eliza and Emilia, finding the former sprawled out in a rather slovenly manner on the bed while the latter was performing routine maintenance on her spears. The fluid contained within a Monster Ant's body, known as hemolymph, could quickly rust weapons if they weren't properly cleaned. This would drastically reduce the sharpness and attack power of a weapon, so, unless you wanted to fight with your bare hands, routinely cleaning and oiling your weapons was necessary.Since it was a good opportunity, Linnaeus decided it was a good time to perform maintenance on his own gear. It didn't really bother him that she was only wearing her nightwear, so, after a quiet exchange of greeting, he sat down next to her before pulling out his own spear, following Emilia's example while also incorporating the techniques he had learned from Baro, the kindly Blacksmith that had provided him important information about the Fifth Floor.In this manner, the two sat in relative silence, but, even without looking, Linnaeus could hear the gentle thumping of Emilia's tail. She was, in many ways, a very honest woman, so, while she had a number of troublesome quirks, it wasn't difficult to get along with her. He also got the feeling that, even if the situation became life-threatening, she wouldn't abandon their Party. This was a trait he respected a great deal and, though it wasn't very realistic, this peculiar racial trait often made him think about trying to recruit other Vanargandr to their Party.Unfortunately, the Vanargandr were relatively rare, even within the Tower, so, even if they could find a few on the Fifth Floor, there was a very good chance they were already part of a 'Pack'. If Emilia's words were to be believed, members of the Vanargandr tribe would fight to the death for the Pack they had joined and, while smaller Packs often joined to form larger groups, the idea of betrayal was so frowned upon that it might as well be a foreign concept. This made them highly sought after companions when forming a Party, so, in many ways, Linnaeus had been fortunate to acquire just a single member of the gluttonous species for his own...

With the dawn of a new day, Linnaeus and Co made their way back to the Guild branch office to learn whether or not they had passed their assessment. This was an important first step for gaining a foothold in the region as, without the Guild's support, joining the main expedition without a bit of fame or powerful connections was nigh-impossible.As could be expected of the early morning, the Guildhall was packed with several hundred people trying to either accept Quests or receive payment for those they had completed the previous day.Fortunately, the Guild had ten booths open so, despite more than a hundred people standing in line, it only took around twenty-to-thirty minutes before you were seen. As for everyone else, they were the members of various Parties and, unless it required them to be present, they just sat in the dining area, eating breakfast and steeling themselves for the coming day.Seeing Renka manning the station with the largest volume of people, Linnaeus decided to avoid the hassle of causing a potential scene by directly joining her queue, this time with Eliza, Emilia, and even Krone joining. They would all be registering with the Guild so, even if it would have been better have Eliza wait at the side, it wasn't really an option this time around.After waiting their turn in the queue, Renka pretended to have overlooked the towering figure of Krone, showing an expression of pleased surprise as she pulled out one of the files waiting on the side and said, "Good morning, Linnaeus. You're up bright and earlier today aren't you? I guess you and your Party are eager to learn the results of your assessment~?"Adopting a practiced smile of his own, Linnaeus nodded his head, answering, "We are a bit pressed for time. The expedition is in less than a month, after all..."Nodding her head in understanding, Renka pushed the folder of documents toward them while explaining, "Well, there weren't any issues with the goods submitted. Rather, your Party must have a pretty skilled Herbalist to have packaged them so neatly. As a result, your total reward is 4310 Soul Kindling and, if you haven't changed your mind, the contracts for Guild membership have already been prepared. I assumed you had no intention of staying in the area so I arranged four temporary contracts, each expiring within six months. It is the shortest contract we have, considering you aren't part of a famous Merchant or Mercenary group."Since they had already planned to stick around for a few months, building up their reserves of Soul Kindling, Linnaeus didn't think a six-month contract was that bad. He had heard from Yorgen that most contracts lasted for a minimum of two years but, as potentiates, Linnaeus and Co had a few unique privileges afforded to them as a result of the laws passed by the reigning families. Since they had only been granted authority due to their contracts with Tenebrae, they had the duty of ensuring potentiates weren't unfairly suppressed.Though Linnaeus hadn't informed Renka of their potentiate status, it didn't surprise him that she was able to figure it out. There were a number of ways to gain information so, rather than inquire as to how she learned of their status, he just nodded his head and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Miss Renka. It helps that you are so capable and astute..."Finding Linnaeus' words amusing, Renka released a rather 'hearty' laugh, primarily due to Eliza not-so-secretly nudging his side. She felt this group of kids was pretty interesting and, for the next few months, decided to tease them whenever the opportunity presented itself.Unfortunately, at least for the time being, she had a job to do so, with a long line behind Linnaeus, she handed out four copies of the contract before setting out a tray with a small golden pin. Binding contracts required an exchange of blood to validate them so, after ensuring there were no strange clauses within the provided documents, Linnaeus, Eliza, Emilia, and Krone all dripped a few drops of blood near their signatures.The moment the contract was signed and sealed, Linnaeus noticed his Status change to reflect his affiliation change from 'Free' to 'Briggs City Adventurers Guild' while, within the slot designating his Titles, he now had the secondary Title of 'F-Rank Adventurer'.If the Guild had been a powerful organization on the Outside or within the Tower, this affiliation could have provided numerous benefits depending on his Rank but, due to the unique nature of the Crucible of Souls, it only determined which types of Quests he could accept. After all, Level bonuses were impossible to obtain in a place where increasing your Level, through standard means, was all but impossibleWith the registration process completed, Renka gave an approving nod before pulling out a sheet of paper, explaining, "Few people prepare a Quest for immediately after becoming Adventurers so, to save you a bit of time, I can give you another D-Rank Quest. If you don't accept this one, you'll have to go back to the end of the line. There are a lot of people waiting so make your decision quickly~."Realizing his slight oversight, Linnaeus couldn't help but frown slightly but, after briefly considering his options, he ultimately turned to his Party, saying, "We should accept this Quest. We'll check the Quest Board on our way out and decide whether or not we want to accept anything else. For now, it is best to go with the options presented to us."Though he alluding to his true thoughts, what Linnaeus didn't say was, 'we should try to get on the good side of the Guild'. Since Renka had prepared something specifically for them, it would improve their rapport with her and, as a result, the Guild itself. If they wanted to make a name for themselves in the shortest period of time, obtaining recognition from influential Guild members was the optimal method.Eliza didn't like Renka but she wasn't an idiot so, immediately after Linnaeus' attempt to convince them, she nodded her head, adding, "We didn't have any trouble yesterday but it is always better to pace ourselves. Completing another D-Rank Quest would give us more time to familiarize ourselves with the territory around the Monster Ant Colony."With Eliza agreeing with Linnaeus, Emilia and Krone had nothing to say on the matter. Thus, after a very brief discussion, they accepted the Quest, much to the amused satisfaction of Renka. She then waved them off, forcing them to make way for the disgruntled duo who had been waiting next in line...Fortunately, while it was an opportunity to mess with them, Linnaeus was relieved to see that the Quest issued by Renka was well within their capabilities. It required them to collect an additional 50kg of Blacksweed or, if they wanted to save time, they could venture a little further into the Ant Colony, collecting a type of Fungi known as Ebony Glowshroom. Though it was significantly rarer than Blacksweed, they only needed to acquire 3kg of caps and 5kg of stems.After showing the Quest sheet to the rest of his Party, Eliza couldn't resist snorting through her nose and commenting, "That vixen is trying to turn us into beasts of burden. I wouldn't be surprised if she had connections with a local Alchemist and is using us to earn their favor."As it wasn't impossible, Linnaeus couldn't really refute Eliza's words. Instead, he nodded his head and, after placing the Quest sheet in his Inventory, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Even if that is the case, it isn't a bad arrangement for us. She seems to have a fair amount of influence with this branch so it is safe to assume she also has dealings with the main office as well. Since this is a Quest suitable for our Level and Rank, completing it has no real demerits."Hearing Linnaeus' reasoning, Eliza crossed her arms in a huff before muttering, "Did you think I was unaware of that? I didn't say we should forfeit the Quest...I just don't like that woman. We shouldn't let her pick and choose the Quests we complete. We're not her gofers..."Though she didn't particularly have any problems with Renka, Emilia also nodded her head, adding, "It might be a good idea to win the favor of someone with a higher rank but, if you want to become a capable Party Leader, you have to be the one making decisions. If you only listen to that woman's recommendations, it could become problematic later on."Linnaeus didn't share Eliza's and Emilia's concerns, as he was a pretty cautious person, but, as he had continuously advocated having everyone sharing their opinion, he couldn't simply ignore them and insist he knew what he was doing. Rather, there were many things he didn't know and, over the last few weeks, he had learned a considerable amount from both girls.After briefly organizing his thoughts, Linnaeus nodded his head, compromising with the concerned girls by saying, "We'll make sure to pick up Quests prior to joining the queue. Unless she provides us with something that can be completed alongside our other objectives, we'll continue going at our own pace. Even if we fail to join the main expedition, it isn't as if we'll have no way to increase our Soul Kindling. With a six-month contract, we have plenty of time to prepare for the next expedition, even if it is on a much smaller scale."Understanding that Linnaeus had compromised on her behalf, Eliza adopted a gratified smile and, despite several hundred other Adventurers present in the surroundings, she gave him a tight hug before planting a kiss on his cheek. She didn't mean this as a particularly intimate gesture but, if it would deter the 'vixen', even a little, she didn't mind embarrassing herself a little...Though there was much he wanted to say about Eliza's decision, Linnaeus decided it wasn't a good idea to do so in public. Instead, he halfheartedly returned her hug, an awkward smile on his face as he noticed Emilia eyeing him from the side. Fortunately, she had the wherewithal to restrain herself, at least when there was a large crowd of people, many eyeing her with covetous gazes. If she tried to repeat Eliza's display, it had the potential of causing Linnaeus a lot of unnecessary trouble so, for the time being, she began pointed her wrapped spear towards the Quest Board at the side of the hall.Eliza immediately regretted her decision but, with her unkempt hair, it was impossible to see just how red her ears had become. If she lowered her face slightly, it was difficult to even make out her expression so, using Linnaeus as a guide, she avoided making eye contact with other Adventurers, earning a few laughs and a couple of teasing remarks as a result.Fortunately, the early morning rush was known as such for a good reason so, rather than waste time teasing strangers, most Adventurers quickly went about their own business. Most had shown up at the Guild for a specific purpose so, while it was a funny moment, it wasn't all that important to them.By the time Linnaeus' Party reached the Quest Board, most people had stopped paying any attention to them, the exceptions being a few Adventurers who were drawn to Emilia's beauty. Since she didn't so much as spare them a glance, however, most of them eventually gave up as, with Krone towering over the average Adventurer, it didn't seem worth it to try and approach her forcibly. The Guild also had some pretty strict policies about rabble-rousing and other, more serious, offenses, so, in more ways than one, it simply wasn't worth it.With Eliza's embarrassing act quickly forgotten by most people, Linnaeus was able to memorize a few Quest objectives and, while he opted not to immediately accept them, there was no penalty for accepting and completing a Quest on the spot. So long as you had the requisite materials, the Guild didn't particularly care how you acquired them. Though exceptions would be made if you became a known exploiter of the system, they generally overlooked it. Thus, after picking and choosing a few overlapping Quests, Linnaeus' Party enjoyed a light breakfast before setting out, passing through the brisk morning mist alongside several other Parties with similar intentions...

Chapter 83: Darkness