Babel

When she finally returned to the Inn, Eliza found Emilia laying on the bed while Linnaeus idled near the room's open window, an increasingly familiar scene. This time, however, she could tell something was wrong but, even after looking around for several seconds, Eliza was unable to find anything amiss; ignoring the fact that Emilia was lazing about in her underwear.Still, her intuition told her something was wrong so, after a momentary pause, she walked over to the bed and asked, "You...what did you do?"As if she had only just noticed Eliza's presence, Emilia's ears perked up before she turned back to face the clearly annoyed woman, answering, "Nothing happened between Linnaeus and me, if that is what you're asking. I wanted to do something but he refused me. You can ask him yourself if you want."Without having to put Emilia's suggestion into play, Linnaeus preempted any questions Eliza was going to ask, explaining, "Don't get mad at her, Eliza. My carelessness caused a scene...Emilia had the opportunity to take things further but listened when I told her to stop."Hearing Linnaeus' words, Eliza adopted a frown but, instead of causing a scene, she ignored the lazily laying Emilia, turning to Linnaeus as she asked, "Tell me...what did you do to set her off?"Knowing there was no sense in talking around the issue, Linnaeus honestly admitted, "I wanted to practice drawing. In an effort to keep Emilia from bothering me, I chose her as my subject matter. I wasn't satisfied with the result so I ended up tearing it to pieces and setting off a chain of events that led to the misunderstanding..."As ridiculous as his explanation sounded, Eliza knew; if anyone could cause a misunderstanding over something as simple as a drawing, Linnaeus was the one to pull it off. This gave her a small headache as, without her teaching him and encouraging him to practice whenever he had free time, Linnaeus probably wouldn't have tried drawing Emilia.Since Emilia had apparently stopped when told, something that was a little surprising to Eliza, she decided to just drop the matter. It was too awkward to discuss after Linnaeus accepted the blame for everything that had transpired.Deciding this was an opportunity to strengthen her own bond with the normally taciturn youth, Eliza released a subdued sigh before asking, "Have you taken a bath yet?" To this, Linnaeus shook his head while Emilia, having waited for this exact development, rolled to a seated position with a cheeky smile on her face.Before the over-eager Vanargandr could say anything about joining them, Eliza gave her a stern glare as she stated, "You didn't behave properly the last time. You won't stop trying to corrupt Lin so I'm not going to let you take a bath with us anymore...!"Like a deflated balloon, Emilia appeared to have lost all motivation, her ears drooping sadly as she collapsed against the bed and complained, "Eliza is a tyrant..." in a voice she knew the latter would be able to hear.Despite Emilia's apparent lamentations, Eliza really wanted to prevent the wolfish woman from taking a bath with Linnaeus. The last time they went in together, she clung to him the entire time, even going so far as to try and help his little Linnaeus and chrysanthemum. Eliza had to boot her out of the bathroom since Linnaeus seemed unable to say no until things had already escalated...This time around, however, Linnaeus, having learned a lesson from the earlier incident, surprised both girls by stating, "I will bathe alone from now on. I didn't think much about it in the past but it is becoming increasingly apparent that my silence and acquiescence are becoming an issue. I do not want to create a divide in the Party by causing the two of you to fight over small matters. With how things are developing, I also fear how future Party members would interpret our situation...if I want to be a good Party Leader, I need to properly consider my actions..."Though she knew it wasn't exactly Emilia's fault, Eliza had a very strong desire to pull on the girl's ears and tail after hearing what Linnaeus had to say. She had always expected him to put his foot down at some point but, before that happened, she wanted him to become comfortable around her. This put a big hiccup in her plans, even if it proved that Linnaeus was beginning to mature in a good direction.Fearing he would take things even further, Eliza nodded her head in understanding, saying, "I can understand your concerns. Still, I can't sleep comfortably without you at my side so, please, don't move into a different room any time soon. We don't have any new Party members to worry about and, even if they do complain, that just shows they are jealous or harboring selfish intentions..."Here, despite their differences, Emilia quickly supported Eliza's argument, adding, "Vanargandr are a communal species. I feel very lonely if I have to sleep alone. My instincts make it so that I feel happier when sleeping next to the person that may determine my fate. It builds a strong bond of kinship, one that allows me to fight to the fullest without worrying about being abandoned in the middle of a fight..."Hearing the duo's arguments, Linnaeus couldn't help but stare back at them with a moderately deadpan expression on his face. He actually felt their sleeping together wasn't a bad thing so it was a little strange to hear them compromising; to the point that Emilia even used her racial traits as an excuse to justify them sharing the same bed.So as not to worry them too much, he ultimately took a deep breath through his nose, adopting his somewhat awkward smile as he explained, "I had no intention of moving into a room of my own...I, too, feel more comfortable when we sleep together..."In response to Linnaeus' words, both Eliza and Emilia beamed; their satisfaction at his words made very apparent. Then, as she was prone to do as of late, Eliza walked over and, after a small nod from Linnaeus, wrapped him in her embrace; squeezing him tightly while stroking the back of his head and muttering, "I'm glad...really..."---Following the awkward series of events, Emilia and Eliza shared a bath together before Linnaeus took his own turn. They were strangely insistent that he got after them but, as it didn't matter at all to him, Linnaeus had no problems agreeing to the arrangement.Once everyone had taken their chance to bathe, they all idled around for a little over an hour before leaving to have dinner and discuss things as a Party. During the wait, Eliza taught him some drawing exercises, helping to instill the basics into him so that he would improve at a faster rate.Eventually, Linnaeus knew he was going to have to draw both girls but, for now, he just did his best to draw basic geometric shapes so he could block out objects better.During dinner, everyone talked about their exploration of Central City and their fortune finding suitable equipment. Emilia had been the most direct in her approach to enhancing her current setup, having a made-to-order spear that cost nearly all of her excess Soul Kindling. She spent the remainder on her wardrobe, purchasing a total of five outfits and an undisclosed amount of underwear.Eliza's shopping was a little more complex, even though she also spent a fair amount on both clothing and shoes.Though she didn't rely on weapons all that much, Eliza purchased a small magical rod that could increase the effective range of Magic by 10%. This was only an additional five meters but, at times, even a small increase in range made the difference between life and death.Since she had proactively searched for discounted items, Eliza hadn't spent much to actually obtain her magical rod. Instead, most of her Soul Kinding was spent on obtaining a set of thin bracelets, one increasing SP Regen by 6% and the other and providing a bonus of +2 Int just by having it equipped. She had managed to get a slight discount by purchasing them together and, though she would never admit it; finding a shop owner that was easily distracted by the size of her bust...Of everyone present, Krone's shopping was both the most straightforward yet complex. Rather than purchase equipment, he visited various blacksmithing shops, directly purchasing refined ore in the form of small ingots. Since different materials provided different boosts to his attributes, he wanted to expand his collection of raw materials until he could mix and match different types to achieve the desired effect.To this end, Krone had purchased a total of thirteen ingots, the most notable of which had cost him 40,000 Soul Kindling; despite only being the size of a thumb. Still, Krone didn't regret the purchase in the slightest as the material was a valuable mineral known as Adamantite, one of the hardest substances available within standard markets.Though it was known to fracture when impacted by magical attacks, Adamantite was extremely resilient when it came to physical blows. Using it, Krone could increase his Constitution by a total of 15% and, though it wasn't reflected in his Status, it was a given that his defense had increased by a phenomenal amount; albeit at a considerable cost to mobility.This was where other materials came into play as, by mixing the properties of Adamantite with other materials, chiefly Athricite, he could sacrifice a small amount of physical defense to increase his resistance to magical attacks and significantly reduce his weight. These two metals were often formed into a compound to reduce the weight of Adamantite armor so, following the example of Blacksmiths and Armorers, Krone took advantage of his Blessing to form compounds freely.It was things like this that made Linnaeus somewhat envious of Krone's Blessing as it had a truly ridiculous amount of versatility. He could even benefit from absorbing the racial traits of his own allies, something that had yet to come into play but would undoubtedly become relevant as their rapport continued to increase.Fortunately, the more he learned about his own Blessing, the more practical it seemed for just about every circumstance. The only restriction seemed to be his imagination, focus, and, as could be expected, his SP reserves.As he grew stronger, Linnaeus slowly overcame these restrictions so, in the distant future, he liked to imagine being able to just tank a direct blow from a powerful enemy without even flinching. He would probably never just stand there and let someone hit him but, just thinking about the image in his mind filled him with motivation to improve.It was with thoughts like this in mind that, after the usual dinner concluded, Linnaeus spent a few hours just practicing with his Blessing. His current goal was to reduce the amount of time it took for him to produce complex geometric shapes, something his [Drawing] practice actually helped with quite a bit.If he could reach the point where he could form blades to accurately intercept the path of his enemy's attacks, he could avoid taking direct blows and bleeding SP. He was already capable of using simple barriers to interfere with their movements so it was really just a small improvement; one which would provide a qualitative improvement to his skills.Once he mastered this, Linnaeus' next challenge was to polish his accuracy so that he could use his Blessing effectively from a distance. Then, believing it to be the penultimate form of his ability to conjur barriers, Linnaeus wanted to master being able to restrain or trap his opponents.Since it was possible to create a barrier to interrupt an opponent's movement, forming something like a ring around their neck would give him a distinct edge over just about any foe. If he could reach the point where he could bind them mid-movement, they would be injured by the sudden cessation of momentum; all while becoming immobilized due to the barrier itself. Then, before they could recuperate, he could seal their movements completely by locking down their joints and leveraging their own power against them...just thinking about it made Linnaeus feel a little excited...

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...

After completing his own shopping, Linnaeus made his way back to where he and his Party were staying, an Inn located several city blocks from where they had stayed previously. Originally, the girls had wanted to stay at the same place but, while he was doing his best not to act paranoid, Linnaeus was still against establishing habits that could be exploited by opportunistic individuals.Fortunately, the place he had chosen was a significant upgrade from their original Inn, complete with a large bath in lieu of a washbasin. It even allowed Krone to fully submerge his body as the rooms in question were designed for the comfort of various tribes, not just those beneath 200cm in height.Though it cost nearly 1,000 Soul Kindling a night, selling materials and recycling the equipment they had obtained was more than enough to cover the cost. It was important to relax when they had the opportunity and, while their stay may draw the attention of anyone casing the Inn, the quality of the suite all but guaranteed their security.There were, of course, a few downsides to the living arrangements but these were mostly personal matters, not related to the Inn's quality...As if to remind him of his troubles, Linnaeus opened the door to his room to find Emilia laying on her stomach, legs kicking lazily behind her as she nibbled on a stick of dried meat while reading a book. This alone wasn't really problematic but, with extra Soul Kindling to throw around, she and Eliza had overhauled their wardrobes completely, including what was worn beneath.Now, forgoing the use of her bodysuit, at least while relaxing in their room, Emilia could be seen wearing light-blue lingerie that left little to the imagination. If not for her tail dangling over her butt, concealing the region between her thighs, there wouldn't be anything to imagine at all.Without turning her head to look back at him, as she had smelled him coming from kilometers away, Emilia just lazily intoned, "Welcome back~", as she continued reading away. Then, causing Linnaeus to shake his head, her tail began to waggle slightly, removing any suspense that might have existed regarding what was hidden beneath.Though he wanted to take a bath, doing so when Emilia was the only one present could be a little dangerous so, with nothing to occupy his time, Linnaeus decided to practice drawing. He wanted to get better at making maps and, while not the most pertinent attribute to his fighting style, Dexterity was nothing to scoff at.To this end, Linnaeus sat so that he was facing Emilia as, if he looked away, she would undoubtedly do 'something' to garner his attention. He had noticed the changes in her behavior over the last few days and, while troubling, there were undeniable benefits to building positive rapport with her...This time around, Linnaeus had decided to use Emilia as his model so, after pulling out a stick of graphite that had been wrapped with wax paper, he began to outline her form. He knew she would be paying attention to what he was doing so if she suspected he was drawing her, it was the same as compelling her to stay put.The only downside to this arrangement was the fact that, when she learned of it, Eliza would likely pester him to draw her as well. She didn't view him in the same way that Emilia apparently did but, for entirely different reasons, their relationship brought its fair share of troubles.Thinking of this, Linnaeus nearly released an audible sigh as he really didn't know what to do about the current situation. He wasn't completely inexperienced when it came to women but, maintaining a platonic relationship was a foreign concept to him.With his current power, upsetting the girls and pushing them away could spell disaster. Even putting his foot down and making it clear he didn't desire a relationship could result in a shift in the dynamic of the entire Party so he really was at a loss as to how he should react. He had to do 'something' as, with how things were proceeding, Emilia would undoubtedly try something at some point...Shaking his head to increase his focus, Linnaeus followed the line of Emilia's back, stopping where her tail connected with her body. He knew she was an objectively beautiful girl but, even staring at her like this didn't really 'awaken' anything within him. Even Saht had been the one to take charge in their 'relationship' as, after venturing out on his own, Linnaeus' feelings towards others, including members of the opposite sex, had slowly faded away.The only thing that drove him forward were the ideals he had clung to as, without them, he would become nothing more than a machine that harvested the lives of others to extend his own. Though he wasn't completely emotionless, something Eliza had made apparent, Linnaeus was certain that something had broken inside of him a very long time ago.Without realizing the passage of time, Linnaeus finished his sketch of Emilia. The final result was far from what most would consider a work of art and, perhaps as a result of his daze, he had put a lot more attention on certain details without noticing it. Seeing this, Linnaeus inhaled deeply through his nose before startling Emilia to action as he quickly ripped up the piece of parchment, tossing the debris into his Inventory for later disposal.Though she knew Linnaeus wasn't good at drawing, Emilia was still upset that he had ripped up the piece of paper. She knew he was drawing her so, for the last hour, she had basically pretended to be a statue in order to make things easier for him. Hearing, and then seeing him rip up the final artwork made her hair stand on end as she shouted, "Hey, wait, I want to see!" while pouncing over to put a stop to the destruction.Unfortunately, Linnaeus' actions had been carried out swiftly so, while Emilia was still in mid-air, he had already disposed of the evidence. This left him unable to protect himself from her pounce but, with his [Barrier Aura] around them both, there wasn't any chance of harm befalling either.Rather than tackling Linnaeus to the ground, Emilia's momentum was arrest almost instantly as the former's SP reduced by 44 points. This still resulted in her clinging to him in nothing but a bra and panties but, considering they almost always slept in the same bed, Linnaeus was used to this...With her cheeks puffed out slightly, Emilia glared at Linnaeus, even as her arms snaked around his neck and shoulders. Her ears angled backward at a forty-five-degree angle, making her frustration apparent as she growled in a low tone, "I wanted to see it...I stayed still for so long just so you could draw me..."Due to their height difference, Linnaeus was forced to look up slightly, Emilia's breasts only a few centimeters away from his face as he calmly explained, "I would never show off something I, myself, am not satisfied with. I understand your frustration but, please, consider my situation as well. When I get better at drawing, I'll be certain to draw a version of you that we can both be proud of..."Though she had been glaring at him in an accusatory manner at first, Emilia's wolf-like ears perked up at the latter half of Linnaeus' statement. Her anger seemed to vanish in its entirety but, instead of releasing him, she squeezed his head tightly into her chest as she mused, "It's a promise, then! Don't worry, if you need me to model for you, I'm always willing~!"Feeling soft and aromatic mounds of flesh press against his face, Linnaeus was, once again, tempted to release a heavy sigh. Emilia never missed a chance to take liberties with him these days, seemingly ignorant of the fact that he wasn't reciprocal of her affections. If things continued like this, she may even become bolder in the future but, unwilling to push her away, Linnaeus could only wait until she released him of her own volition...Unfortunately, Linnaeus' silence was the very thing that emboldened Emilia so, with him allowing her to basically do whatever she wanted, her body began to gradually heat up. If he didn't stop her, she would take his silence as consent since, ultimately, Linnaeus was the Party Leader. He could stop her whenever he wanted but, rather than putting his foot down, he silently acquiesced to everything she did.With this being the case, Emilia leaned forward, pushing against Linnaeus until he had to take a step back to avoid falling over. This caused Emilia's ears to flicker in annoyance but, with the heat in her body nearing critical levels, his half-hearted resistance didn't deter her. Instead, she hugged him with a bit of force, placing her foot behind his and repeating the same action, this time with the desired result...Due to his [Barrier Aura], Linnaeus didn't even feel the impact when his head struck against the hard wooden floor. No, what actually surprised him was the fact that Emilia was straddling his stomach, an almost feral-look on her face as she stared down at him with ruddy cheeks.Seeing her in such a state, Linnaeus realized his understanding of the Vanargandr tribe, or, at the very least, Emilia herself, was lacking. He knew some tribes, once 'agitated', would quickly become aggressive in order to pacify the urges of their body. What he didn't expect was the simple act of hugging to be the catalyst to set her off, especially considering they had even bathed together on two separate occasions...Realizing he needed to stop her before things got further out of hand, Linnaeus adopted a stern yet calm tone as he stated, "Get off of me, Emilia. You are taking things too far."Hearing the sudden order, Emilia's ears flickered in agitation as her labored breathing continued to resound throughout the room. Despite these tell-tale signs of trouble, she actually averted her eyes for a few seconds, clearly in deep thought, before ultimately rising to her feet. This left her staring down at Linnaeus, her burgundy eyes flashing with a crimson hue for a brief moment as she said, "I don't like being teased..."Though he hadn't done anything to proactively 'tease' her, Linnaeus knew what Emilia was trying to convey to him. She had mistaken his silence as consent so, with the current state of her body, it was obvious that she would be frustrated. Even he could feel the heat radiating off of her and, where she had been sitting, dampness still lingered.Since it was unpleasant to be looked down upon while he was on his back, Linnaeus moved so that Emilia wasn't standing over him before rising to his feet. Then, with a serious expression on his face, he explained, "You already know about my relationship with Saht. I may not know much about what it means to love others but I know well of betrayal. I know she would be devastated if I committed to a physical relationship with someone she didn't approve of. You have become someone important to me, Emilia, but that doesn't overwrite the events of my past. I know that, even if it takes years for me to return, Saht will be there waiting for me...I will not betray her trust and expectations..."His words clearly didn't help her current state any but, rather than be upset by them, Emilia surprised Linnaeus by nodding her head in approval and understanding. She looked like she really wanted to break something but, instead of directing her anger toward him, she began to eye objects within the room as she said, "Loyalty is one of the most important things in my tribe. I understand, Lin. Until we return to the Tower and find your previous mate, I will do my best to hold back. I'm not going to give up though, even if the woman named Saht doesn't accept me."With her intentions made apparent, Emilia set her eyes on the bed for a moment before shaking her head and turning to stare at the table where Linnaeus had been drawing. Then, leaving Linnaeus to observe in stunned silence, she walked over the table, using one of the angular corners to commit an act that left a deep impression on the former Street Urchin's mind...

Chapter 72: Honesty : Maturity