Babel

With Emilia and Eliza following close behind, Linnaeus led the group back to where Krone was sitting with his back to a tree. He had his eyes closed at first but, after they entered the clearing, he opened them to give Emilia a brief once over.Feeling troubled by Krone's scrutinizing gaze, Emilia's ears angled backward as she naturally moved into a position with her balance evenly distributed between both feet. She could see his Status and knew that he was a lot stronger than her, despite having only a fraction of her speed.Seeing Emilia's reaction, Krone gave a small nod before rising to his feet and plainly stating, "I'm Krone, the Vanguard."Emilia didn't immediately relax but, knowing she would be in the same Party as Krone, she took a deep breath before saying in a subdued tone, "I'm Emilia...a Huntress of the Vanargandr tribe. I will help scout and protect the backline..."Since gender and race were shown in the Status, Krone wasn't surprised by the fact that Emilia was a member of the Vanargandr tribe. He had been a little surprised at first but, during the period he sat waiting, he had more than enough time to resume his usual demeanor.With simple introductions out of the way, Linnaeus stepped up to say, "We'll return to the den Eliza and I have been using. For now, Eliza and Emilia will stay in the back while you protect them. I'll be leading the way forward and scouting ahead a few hundred meters. With Emilia's tracking ability and the Party function, you shouldn't have any problems following the path I map out."Eliza wasn't too fond of Linnaeus' setup and wanted to nominate Emilia for the position of Scout but, according to their original agreement, this wouldn't be proper. She didn't want to cause any rifts in the nascent Party so, before returning to the den, Eliza decided to keep her opinion to herself.Without any dissension, Linnaeus disappeared into the underbrush and, after a few seconds, even Emilia's sensitive ears weren't able to pick up on him. If not for the Party function allowing them to roughly sense each other, it would be very difficult to track Linnaeus through the forested terrain.With this in mind, Emilia turned to Eliza with an awkward smile on her face as she said, "He is pretty good. I still don't understand how he was made the Party Leader though...?"As a member of a nomadic tribe, Emilia lacked knowledge regarding the Eight Heavenly Families. To her, Eliza was just a powerful woman and, due to growing up in a matriarchal tribe, she had trouble understanding why Linnaeus was in charge.Eliza was annoyed by Emilia's words so, without beating around the bush, she stated, "If you were to speak about your leaders back in your tribe, how would people react? Don't say senseless things that will sow discord in the Party. Having more power does not automatically guarantee a person has the necessary leadership qualities to lead a Party successfully."Emilia frowned in response to Eliza's words but, as she didn't have any way to refute them, she opted to remain silent as she followed after Krone. Since the latter made an incredible amount of noise as he tore ambled through the forest, it was very easy to ascertain his location...---Though it was only a short period of time, Linnaeus enjoyed the relative quiet as he stealthily made his way through the forest. While he didn't mind Eliza's behavior that much, it was still troubling as, even when he was with Saht, they rarely spoke.With the addition of Emilia, Linnaeus knew things were going to become lively in the future. It was impossible to know if this was a good or a bad thing but, as conflict and drama were something any Party would face, he needed to be mentally prepared to deal with it.Truth be told, Linnaeus still didn't trust Eliza and, while he allowed her to get away with invading his personal space, this was primarily due to the fact that she was much stronger than him. Since she also supported his position as Party Leader, he needed to be more tolerant of her actions.Eliza was extremely important for his future plans and, with her connection to his sister, Linnaeus was unable to easily distance himself from her. If she began to scheme and turn against him, the odds of ever finding someone to replace her were negligible at best. Thus, for the time being, he would allow Eliza to dote on him like a little brother as, until he became stronger, he needed the support of those more powerful than himself.After reaching a small clearing that was only 500m from the location of his den, Linnaeus took a seat on a moss-covered rock to wait for the others to catch up. He had chosen a route where the chances of encountering an enemy were slim so, after a few minutes, Krone's figure could be seen tearing his way through a dense shrub.While Eliza and Emilia would cause a few troubles, Linnaeus knew that this mountain of a man would be the most troublesome element in their Party. It was very apparent that Krone didn't respect him and, if not for the presence of Eliza, there was little he could do to keep the man in line.Despite this, Linnaeus believed that Krone could eventually be won over and, if he managed to win the man's respect, recruiting new members would be a lot easier. After all, while Eliza would be able to support his position as Party Leader, being a member of the Evendoom family all but guaranteed that people would seek trouble with them in an effort to obtain her.Status and authority were the most powerful control factors in the entire world so, if they had the chance, there would be no end to the number of despotic individuals who would want to bring Eliza to ruin. She may not be an indisputable beauty but, as a daughter of the Evendoom family, she was a trophy that few would be willing to pass up...Upon reaching Linnaeus' location, Krone just gave him a curt nod before leaning against a tree at the side. Linnaeus returned this nod and, for another minute or so, the two teens waited in silence as Eliza and Emilia caught up with them.Emilia was a little confused after reaching the clearing but, knowing what Linnaeus had in mind, Eliza moved to sit on the same moss-covered stone. This was an action that emphasized her support and, while Emilia was originally intending to speak out, she ultimately decided to hold her tongue.Using the calm and confident tone he believed was necessary for a Party Leader, Linnaeus looked between Krone and Emilia as he explained, "I may be lacking in experience but I have learned a lot from my short time climbing the Tower. I have seen powerful people put themselves into situations that could easily lead to their deaths for no better reason than their own arrogance. Until we reach a point where we can call ourselves the strongest, we should never underestimate the ingenuity and persistence of our opponents..."Seeing that everyone was listening quietly, Linnaeus gave another small nod before adding, "I know how far some people will go when it comes to casing a potential target. With this in mind, I refuse to tolerate complacency when it comes to securing our place of rest. For the rest of the afternoon, I will be teaching you how to case an area and set basic traps before we return to our den. Unless you are forced to retreat during an emergency, you should never, under any circumstances, simply return to your place of rest without checking the area..."While Krone and Emilia may have offered a few words of dissent under normal circumstances, they were well aware of the fact that Linnaeus had tracked them both without their notice. Just imagining a person knowing what they were doing for more than a month was an unnerving thought so, while he may be an exception to the rule, they could not refute that others may put in just as much effort.After showing the duo a map of the area, this one drawn by Eliza, Linnaeus led the group around the periphery of the den in a slow and methodical manner. Fortunately, as a Huntress, Emilia was better at setting and disarming traps than Linnaeus so, while he had a lot to teach her about casing an area, she was able to correct some of his mistakes along the way.At first, Emilia was afraid to speak out but Linnaeus quickly put an end to this, stating how senseless it was to remain silent if you knew someone else was making a mistake. He did not pretend to be a perfect Party Leader and, so long as she did not countermand his orders, he encouraged both her and Krone to express their opinions.Krone's reaction to this was to simply cross his arms but, as if she had been given free rein, Emilia began asking a ton of questions and, whenever she felt he was doing something wrong, she would not hesitate to correct him. Since Linnaeus was always eager to better himself, he listened closely to everything Emilia said, just as he had done when Eliza and Ryuuna were teaching him new things.As a result of exchanging guidance and pointers along the way, it was late afternoon by the time the Party finally reached the den. Before entering, however, Linnaeus showed them all the entry points and how to determine whether or not someone had entered while they were aways. This ended up being a pertinent lesson as, while they were away, a six-meter long snake-like monster had made the den it's home.After dealing with the intruder, the group finally made their way inside the den which, since the time Eliza moved in, had become more spacious. There were now three main chambers, one for storage and two for resting. Linnaeus had hollowed out an area prior to recruiting Eliza and, while she didn't use it the previous night, he intended to have her and Emilia share the chamber in the interim.Due to his size, Krone wasn't able to move comfortably within the tunnels leading into the den but he never complained. Instead, once everyone was getting settled in, he began preparing food for the entire group after Linnaeus showed him the make-shift stove he had painstakingly developed over his month of isolation.With LV28 [Cooking], Krone was inarguably the best chef amongst the group and, with Linnaeus and Eliza providing extra ingredients, such as salt, honey, and some herbal spices, he was able to whip up a surprisingly delicious meal. While it wasn't even close to the best thing Eliza had ever eaten, it was a blessing to be able to eat such high-quality food in a small den underground.Linnaeus was also grateful for the meal but, more than anyone else, Emilia was the most enthused about having something palatable to devour. She ended up eating more than the three of them combined and, if not for providing the meat and helping to season it, this would have caused more than a few issues.It wasn't until after Emilia devoured nearly her body weight in meat that Eliza cleared up Linnaeus' confusion by explaining the quirks of the Vanargandr tribe. If not for the low light of the den, she would have been able to see him pale slightly but, after learning she didn't actually need to eat as much as she did, he was able to relax a bit. Still, he would need to take Emilia's appetite into account in the future as, while supplies were plentiful on this floor, they may enter a wasteland without any resources on higher floors...

While Status was extremely important, it wasn't the deciding factor when it came to obtaining victory or suffering defeat. This was something Linnaeus had learned long ago and, if simply having higher attributes guaranteed victory, he would have died when he turned ten years old.More than raw attributes, it was knowledge, experience, and willpower that ultimately determined whether or not a person could break through their limits and secure victory. So long as you had a proper understanding of your capabilities, those of your opponent, and the resolve to do whatever it took to overcome adversity, there was nothing that could stand in your way.With this in mind, Linnaeus decided that the first thing his nascent Party would do was familiarize themselves with each other's capabilities. He needed to know what every member of the Pary was capable of as, when it came to proper decision making, this could be the difference between life and death for the entire team.After a relatively tense night, Linnaeus showed the group to a plateau a few kilometers away from the den as they already had plenty of supplies stocked up for a few days.Upon reaching their destination, Linnaeus turned to the group and explained, "In order to increase our chances of reaching the top of the Crucible, I'll need to understand just where each of us stands. For the time being, it seems like it is impossible to increase our base Level so we'll need to exercise proper judgment if we want to avoid losing our lives a second time."Krone immediately frowned when he heard Linnaeus' words, crossing his arms as he asked, "So you want us to reveal all our secrets and techniques to each other...?"Hearing the hostile undertones in Krone's voice, Linnaeus gave him a deadpan stare as he plainly stated, "We will be fighting to protect each other's lives from this moment onward. What sense is there in keeping secrets when we're supposed to trust our backs to each other? Sharing knowledge amongst ourselves will increase the overall capabilities of the entire Party. Tell me, Krone, what sense is there in being secretive when we've all already died once...?"Before Krone could think of a retort, Eliza nodded her head, adopting a far icier expression as she added in a cold tone, "Lin is right. We have already lost everything once. From the perspective of the rest of the world, we no longer even exist. By the time we reach the top of the Crucible, who knows what kind of challenges we'll have faced? The time for keeping secrets ended when we died the first time. If you keep thinking like you have something to lose after you've already died, you are just a liability to those of us who seek to make the most of the present."While Krone could refute Linnaeus' words, he was predisposed to obey Eliza's so, after hearing what she said, he ultimately chose to remain silent. As for Emilia, she hailed from a tribe that freely shared everything from food to knowledge so she didn't even question the veracity of Linnaeus' words.Without further argument, Linnaeus set the example by demonstrating his Blessing and explaining his fighting style. He showed them that he could create both static and dynamic barriers and, much like how he had been open to Emilia's input the prior day, he asked them to be frank if they thought there were any ways in which he could improve.Emilia wasn't shy when it came to stating her opinion so she immediately asked, "Do you think you could make something like a mechanical crossbow or a pile bunker? Your barriers work a lot like an ability I'm familiar with called [Hardlight Projection]. The person I knew was able to make things like traps and other complex objects to make hunting a lot easier."Linnaeus knew it wouldn't be impossible for him to do what Emilia hinted at but, as complex shapes took up a considerable amount of SP, he knew it would take him a long time to reach that point. He also had no idea how crossbows and pile-bunkers were structured and, as Emilia had no idea how they worked, he could only shelve the matter until later.Fortunately, while Emilia's complex idea was beyond him, Eliza brought Linnaeus to a stunned silence by asking, "How small can you make your barriers? If you can make them small and dense, couldn't you use them like projectiles by just placing them in the trajectory of your opponent? Even if that doesn't work, you could always make a very thin and sharp barrier like a platform, exploiting your opponent's speed against them. Unless they are able to change direction very quickly, it would be like running directly into a sword or spear, right?"Since he often used his [Barrier] to make daggers and pointed rods for stabbing, Linnaeus knew that Eliza's suggestion was more than possible. In fact, he had experimented with something similar in the past and, though it took a lot of mental focus, he could even make barriers as small as a grain of sand. These were very fragile but, if used properly, he could easily blind his opponent if they weren't paying close attention.After deciding to practice making static hazards in the future, Linnaeus moved to the side so that Emilia could demonstrate her abilities next. She was very excited after seeing his display so, without any hesitation at all, she began performing a rather strange martial art that often required her to crouch down on all fours.As could be seen from their initial encounter, Emilia specialized in using a spear and, while she did not have the [Throwing] Skill, she could easily pin a target from several tens of meters with very high accuracy. Linnaeus felt it was strange that more people didn't have the [Throwing] Skill but, after a bit of discussion, he learned that most Skills were obtained because the person was intent on trying to develop them, not by accident.While Emilia's skill with the spear was impressive, especially with her incredible Agility, it was the versatility of her Blessing that caused Linnaeus to turn contemplative.Rather than simply produce water, Emilia was able to change the state of water into four different states, albeit with the final state being beyond her current capabilities. This meant she could turn the water flowing around her spear into steam or ice in an instant, creating small explosions that could easily burn skin or instantaneously freezing parts of her opponent and drastically decreasing their mobility.What was truly terrifying about Emilia's Blessing was that she could manipulate external water as well, so long as it was natural. This allowed her to swing her spear around, gathering water from the air and, while it cost a considerable amount of SP to do so, she could even influence the water that comprised the majority of a person's body. Though this only allowed her to momentarily stun an opponent, it was an incredible ability that had infinite potential so long as her SP reserves held out.The only thing that prevented Emilia's Blessing from being peerless was the fact that she had to directly stab her spear into her opponent to manipulate their internal water and, depending on theirWisdom and Spirit, people could resist her attempts to restrain them. This exponentially increased the amount of SP required to immobilize them but, just knowing she could stun them temporarily was a tremendous boon...After finishing her demonstration, Emilia followed Linnaeus' example, smiling radiantly as she asked, "So, any advice? Come on, don't be shy. Even if you're harsh, I can take it~!"Since he had been somewhat focused on how to use his own Blessing, Linnaeus was momentary at a loss as to how to answer Emilia's question but, without missing a beat, Eliza stated, "Rather than just focus water around your spear, you should learn how to gather it around your target directly. Even if it is a strong monster, they would struggle to fight at their full potential if you could wrap a bubble of water around their head. Since you can change the temperature, you could always boil them alive or try and suffocate them outright. You could also send your water inside their body and, instead of manipulating the minute amount in their cells, you can just make your own explode into a burst of steam after they inhale it."Though Eliza gave the impression of a shy and demure woman, Linnaeus was quickly learning that she wasn't the defenseless and lonely girl he originally thought her to be. In fact, now that she was no longer alone, she seemed to become increasingly confident and, as a result of her education and the rather ruthless political climate between the Eight Families, she was no ignorant when it came to violence.Despite being somewhat unnerved by Eliza's 'decisive' mentality, Linnaeus' expression was placid and calm. He might not be as creative as she was but, after killing over a thousand people alongside Saht, there wasn't much that could actually shake him. This was not the case for Emilia and Krone, however, as they had both paled slightly after hearing how nonchalantly the Evendoom princess talked about exploding a person from the inside.Having already decided to live how she wanted this time around, Eliza didn't try to put up a pretense and, while it did make her a little anxious to see the judgment in Emilia's and Krone's gazes, she was content with the fact that Linnaeus seemed unperturbed. Rather, instead of showing fear, he had a thoughtful look in his eyes, almost as if was thinking about other ways in which Emilia could use her Blessing to devastating effect...With Emilia having a few ideas about how she could improve, Krone was the next to demonstrate his capabilities. He started off by crouching low to the stone and, after a few seconds passed, his entire body had taken on the appearance of smooth granite. This actually increased some of his attributes while, as could be expected, others were reduced slightly.Due to absorbing the traits of granite, Krone's Strength and Constitution had gone up by eight and eleven points respectively. In exchange, his Agility decreased by a whopping twenty points, making him even slower than usual.To compensate for his reduced Agility, Krone did something that had caught Linnaeus by surprise as, after closing his eyes for nearly a full minute, parts of Krone's body began to turn translucent. When he opened his eyes, his Agility had increased considerably and, after throwing a few punches, it was clear what trait he had absorbed by the wind pressure kicked up by his strikes.Just as he could change his body into an element like water, Krone could adapt the traits of wind to significantly reduce his weight and increase his Agility. Though this reduced his Constitution by a great deal, he could project the wind compressed within his body outward, creating a strong gust that had enough force to knock people backward.Unable to restrain his curiosity, Linnaeus asked, "Can you turn your entire body into wind...?" If that was the case, he couldn't see how Krone would ever be able to lose a fight.Hearing Linnaeus' question, Krone snorted through his nose before answering, "Turning into a pure element takes a lot of time and focus. If I change completely, even thinking becomes difficult and, if I'm not careful, my body will just spread outward instead of sticking together. When my body begins to dissipate, my Health drops rapidly. Past users who tried to overcome this restriction usually ended up losing their lives..."Linnaeus restrained a sigh when he heard Krone's explanation but, if his Blessing really had no limits, there really would be no way of stopping him. After all, how would you be able to fight a living mass of air that could infinitely just pull itself back together? What was to stop Krone from just ripping the body of a person apart after they breathed him in?Fortunately, even if his body turned completely invisible, Krone still had to keep his form as he would quickly lose Health by trying to change shape. It also caused him an extreme amount of pain, despite him having no observable nerves and a seemingly intangible form. This was one of the reasons why he had LV54 [Pain Tolerance] as, if he was caught up in a strong current or pulled along by powerful winds, it would feel like he was constantly being torn apart.Krone had been hesitant to reveal this fact but, after building up a fair amount of tension due to his past actions, he wanted to even things out by essentially revealing his biggest weakness. He didn't want Linnaeus thinking that he was some amorphous entity that could squeeze through gaps and perform impossible feats so, in order to prevent future misunderstands, he decided to be a make it very clear that he wasn't without limitations.Linneaus knew Krone was trying to earn some good faith so, while he didn't even remotely humor the idea that the man had turned over a new leaf, he still respected his willingness to reveal such an important detail. Though there was a chance he was embellishing the facts, it would be too easy to ascertain whether or not he was lying the first time they encountered a strong enemy. Since Eliza's Blessing was essentially the ultimate counter to his, it would be very foolish of him to try and pull anything at this stage.Just as before, everyone tried giving Krone advice on how he could better use his Blessing before, completing the set, Eliza gave a demonstration of her own capabilities. This included reducing the weight of everyone present, allowing them to leap high into the sky with considerable ease, and using her [Crush] Magic to completely flatten a few large boulders. Though some of them had been able to hold up relatively well against the increased gravitational forces, Eliza had a way to make the field rapidly change in intensity, essentially vibrating an object apart in an extremely violent and destructive manner...As could be expected, Eliza was inarguably the strongest person in their Party.

With more than fifteen-hundred base species, animalistic traits like tails, ears, or even wings, were not that uncommon within the planar world of Lumen. There was even an entire subset of people known as Demibeasts due to the fact they often had a real-world counterpart in the form of some kind of mammal.Among the better-known Demibeasts, the Vanargandr were very near the top as, while they were not the most powerful, they were rather unique amongst the other tribes.Unlike the vast majority of people that called Lumen home, the Vanargandr had separated from the common sense of the world.Rather than congregate around the Tower, the Vanargandr were one of the nomadic species that had ventured toward the endless horizon innumerable generations ago. As a result, they were rarely seen outside of the Tower and, while tales of their existence had been passed down from word of mouth, it was nearly impossible to find a single Vanargandr within the Megacity and surrounding slums.This, however, wasn't the most interesting fact about the Vanargandr as, while they may not be the strongest race by default, they had incredible potential.While most other tribes could go for increasingly long periods of time without eating, especially with high Constitution, the Vanargandr tribe were one of the few exceptions. They required sustenance or they would experience a significant reduction in their attributes. Inversely, the more they consumed, the stronger they would become.This inherent ability was wholly dependant on how much they had eaten so, while it may seem like an incredibly powerful boon, it was only temporary. What was more important was the fact that, as a failsafe of sorts against starvation, the Vanargandr tribe was able to eat virtually anything, even solid metal, to sustain themselves.Linnaeus may not realize the implications of picking up a Vanargandr but Eliza couldn't help but feel as if they had just acquired a major liability. Keeping the woman fed would be a major undertaking and, even if they could pull it off, there were a variety of complications associated with doing so.Unfortunately, they had already accepted Emilia into the Party so, while she had inhibitions, Eliza just smiled knowingly while Linnaeus perused the woman's Status. He was the type to analyze things on the spot so, while his guard hadn't really been lowered, it looked like he had spaced out for a brief moment...----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Emilia StarseekerTitle: Gluttonous Fledgling(+3 Con, +2 Spi, +1 Luk per Level)Race: VanargandrAge: 18Gender: FemaleLevel: 25Health: 4260/4260Soul Power: 2573/2573Strength: 79Constitution: 142+71Agility: 138+69Dexterity: 103+30.9Intelligence: 51+23.3Wisdom: 48+14.4Spirit: 60+21Charisma: 23Luck: 20Free Attributes: 0Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [*Phase Master(Water):LV52*], [Spirit of Gluttony:LV55], [Healthy:LV20], [Vital Spirit:LV13], [Fleet-Footed:LV28], [Swift: Lv16], [Nimble Fingers:LV23], [Sense Danger:LV44], [Martial Arts:LV38], [Spear Mastery:LV41], [Hunting:LV53], [Acrobatics:LV51], [Presence Concealment:LV39], [Dismantling:LV51], [Cooking:LV11], [Taste:LV53], [Trap Set:LV51], [Trap Disarm:LV51], [Flexible Body:LV35], [Footwork:LV29], [Perception:LV28]Abilities: [Night Vision:LV51], [Enhanced Hearing:LV51], [Olfactory Sense:LV51]Magic: [Create Water:LV51], [Phase Change:LV51]----------------------------------------Emilia was an example of someone who, despite having a Blessing related to Magic, didn't diverge from her original path. Since she was from a nomadic tribe of hunters and gatherers, her Blessing was secondary to everything else as, with no real enemies to face, it didn't particularly matter how strong you were. Rather, as a tribe ruled by a matriarch, the females had the duty of hunting while the males often took care of the caravan processing goods for consumption.Linnaeus knew nothing about this but, seeing Emilia's Status, he couldn't help comparing her to himself as they were nearly the same Level. From this, he could tell that she actually had a much stronger foundation than even himself and Eliza.Despite appearing relatively weak at a glance, it could be seen from Emilia's Status that she was not even remotely powerless. Rather, she was quite obviously a hunter and, though Eliza would win most certainly win in a battle, it was apparent that Emilia was the more talented between them. This was likely due to the fact that she spent her entire childhood hunting while people like Eliza, even with all the benefits of belonging to one of the Eight Heavenly Families, spent most of her time focusing on theory and living a relatively stress-free lifestyle.Though he couldn't be certain, Linnaeus could tell from the comparison between himself, Ryuuna, Eliza, Krone, and now Emilia that practical experience could surpass given benefits. This affirmed the notion that, if you worked hard, the Akashic System would reward your efforts. Those that were born into status and wealth often had a significant advantage early on but, if you could tide through the lower Levels, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the gap could not only be closed, but overcome entirely.At this point, Linnaeus' primary regret was that he hadn't put any focus into his Constitution as, with Emilia as another example, he was beginning to feel a little anxious about his pathetically low Health. While his SP could be considered a secondary Health pool, it was also his primary method of dealing with enemies so he needed to find a solution before it became an even bigger issue.Deciding to shelve the matter, as there were more pressing things to attend, Linnaeus broke from his momentary reverie, stating, "It seems you are even more suited to the position of Scout than I am. I won't go back on my previous words but, depending on the circumstances, I may request that you help conduct reconnaissance with me. Having a second set of eyes and ears will be a tremendous boon when we have multiple enemies to case."Hearing Linnaeus' remark, Emilia's ears twitched slightly before she suddenly smiled and said, "I'm good at hunting and scouting. Tracking people is a little harder but I'm usually able to avoid giving myself away...actually, I'm surprised you managed to track me without my notice. How did you find my hut...?"Knowing she had seen his own Status, Linnaeus didn't bother beating around the bush as he calmly stated, "I discovered you more than a month ago. I may not be able to measure up to you when it comes to hunting but, when it comes to casing people and locations, I have complete confidence in my abilities. I've already dealt with people that have powerful senses so it isn't simple to trace my location if you don't know to look for me."Seeing that Linnaeus had higher [Presence Concealment] than her own, combined with his [Stealth] and [Assassination], Emilia couldn't really refute his claims. She could learn a lot from him and, as they had similar paths, there was much she could teach him in exchange. Before that, however, there was one important thing she wanted to know so, without footing around the issue, she asked, "Do you have anything to eat...?"Linnaeus experienced a momentary pause when he heard Emilia's question but, before he could fall into a complete stupor, Eliza explained, "The Vanargandr tribe are known for their appetites. Though they can eat virtually anything, they prefer nutrient-rich foods since it provides them a considerable increase in power and speed. From what I can tell, she has had trouble hunting due to the chaotic state of this territory. Also...it seems she has had trouble preparing the food...?"Emilia issued a dry laugh in response to Eliza's words but, rather than refute them, she sheepishly explained, "I learned the basics when I was just a cub. I've tried to practice a bit while I'm here but it hasn't gone well. Most of the cooking was left to the males in my tribe, hahahaha~"In response to Emilia's words, Eliza just lightly shrugged her shoulders before smiling in a casual manner and added, "Well, I can't say I'm any better. I know how to bake things but that is about it. Most of my food was prepared by others so I'm in the same boat. Fortunately, Linnaeus isn't that bad at cooking. We also picked up another ally just this morning and his [Cooking] is LV28. Though I've yet to taste any of his food, I have high hopes."Hearing Eliza's words, Emilia's face blossomed into a smile that seemed to make the surroundings brighten up slightly. Despite this, Linnaeus' expression remained unchanged, something that Eliza had made a point of confirming. She didn't doubt him, especially after hearing about his past, but she was still inclined to watch and see if he ever tried proactively developing his [Charm]. Since he was like a little brother to her, she didn't want him to become another egotistical despot who cared more about his own ego than the women whose hearts were broken by his actions.Feeling Eliza's gaze on him, Linnaeus looked in her direction only to find her averting her eyes just as soon as their gazes met. This wasn't the first time she had done this but, remembering how she had behaved during their first meeting, he believed it was just part of her nature. She didn't give him the same impression as Saht so, while there were undoubtedly complex thoughts running through her mind, he wasn't too worried about her.So as not to keep Krone waiting the rest of the afternoon, Linnaeus kept the line of conversation flowing, stating, "I have a few smoked and grilled rations in my Inventory. They have light seasoning, courtesy of Eliza. If you want anything more complicated, it will have to wait until we reach the den. It is safer than this little hovel you have created so we'll retreat there to gather our bearing and get acclimated to each other."As grilled meat was the staple food source for her people, Emilia wasn't shy at all when Linnaeus offered her a skewer of medium-rare venison. She hadn't eaten in almost an hour and, while she had collected some meat during her latest hunt, it needed to be treated to remove some of the gamey smell and foul taste. Even though her tribe was rumored to have descended from wolves, they did not eat their prey raw as the taste and smell were simply terrible.After handing over a skewer for Emilia's consumption, Linnaeus and Eliza watched in abject horror as she bit into the meat like a person who hadn't eaten in weeks. For a brief moment, her ivory white teeth had become noticeably sharper and, while it was difficult for most people to chew, Emilia ate, not only the meat, but a part of the rabbit horn he had used as a skewer.The horn of a Horned Rabbit was nearly as strong as iron so it was quite the sight to see someone take a bite out of it, seemingly without noticing they had done so. It wasn't until Emilia was licking the horn clean, earning Linnaeus another glance from Eliza, that the voracious woman noticed what she had done.With her ears laying flat in a dejected manner, Emilia handed the skewer back to Linnaeus as she stated in a somber tone, "Sorry...it was just too good...I couldn't help myself...I will make you a better one in the future..."Rather than reprimand Emilia for her actions, Linnaeus just inspected the horn for a few seconds before tossing it into his Inventory and saying, "It isn't an issue. I have a few spares back in the den. Just try and avoid a repeat of the same incident and there won't be any problems..."As she had expected to be berated, Emilia couldn't help but smile radiantly when she heard the words of her new Party Leader. Her ears perked back up and, if not for the fact it had been tucked away beneath her makeshift skirt, they would have been able to see her tail waggle slightly. Since this would have been very embarrassing, Emilia was grateful for her past self's foresight as she was already an adult and it wasn't appropriate to expose your tail except to kin and close friends.Feeling a little unnerved by Emilia's gaze and close proximity, Linnaeus decided it was time for them to pick up Krone and return. He didn't know why but Emilia made him feel a little uncomfortable as she didn't seem to have a proper sense of boundaries. Since he really disliked having people in his personal space, it took a lot of self-restraint to prevent himself from immediately stepping back and pulling out a dagger...

Chapter 48: Intentions