63 Familiarity

Having already paid for their rooms for several days, Linnaeus and co decided to use their remaining time gathering more information and making preparations for their journey South. They were strong enough to visit the other regions but, knowing how useful the Slime Gels could be, Linnaeus elected to make the Southern Forest their first destination.

Though he felt a strong urge to leave the Crucible as soon as possible, Linnaeus' cautious nature was still a core part of his character. He wasn't going to risk rushing things, at least until he had a better understanding of the situation.

Fortunately, while it would be a little dangerous, their Party had the option of venturing into the Hell Hole without too much difficulty. So long as they were strong enough to defeat most foes without taking damage, they would be able to harvest the valuable resources in the depths without having to worry about the toxic fumes and acid pools.

After a cursory exploration of the Southern Forest and Monster Ant Colony, they would immediately move to the Hell Hole to find their fortune. This was the most efficient method available to them so, if everything went as planned, Linnaeus expected to leave the Fifth Floor within two months.

Most people would scoff if they heard this estimate but, after gathering more information about the Fifth Floor, Linnaeus learned that a capable Party could earn several tens of thousands of Kindling even in the Southern Forests. As for the Hell Hole, it was considerably more dangerous but, if you had the capabilities to venture into the lower levels, earning upwards of 50,000 Kindling a day wasn't impossible.

Though it would be cutting it close, Linnaeus was confident they could earn the four million Kindling necessary for their entire Party within the two month period. The only thing that would set them back, outside of personal motivation, was general expenses related to equipment and supplies.

Linnaeus was hoping their trip to the Southern Forest and Monster Ant Colony could offset these expenses but, by the time they began their trip South, Eliza and Emilia were both broke. They had both purchased satchels that had dimensional pockets inside, each filled with items they believe to be essential for future travels.

Since he couldn't really control how the girls spent their Soul Kindling, Linnaeus, at the time, could only stare back at them with a blank face as Eliza complained about not having enough Kindling for a room. Fortunately, she didn't nag him after he found a relatively cheap Inn to stay at, one that had group rooms with thin cots instead of beds.

Eliza, fortunately, had enough wherewithal to know better than to pressure Linnaeus into spending his Soul Kindling for no better reason than to pander to her. Her intention was to spoil him a bit, not be spoiled by him so, while she was obviously bothered by the arrangements, she didn't complain in the slightest. As for Emilia, she grew up in a nomadic tribe that used hammocks and sleeping bags in lieu of actual beds so she didn't mind roughing it at all.

With neither girl having a problem with arrangements, combined with the fact that Krone had opted to stay in the group room as well, Linnaeus felt that their Party wasn't completely hopeless. Krone's display of solidarity was greatly appreciated by him as, rather than offer up his Soul Kindling to pay for Eliza to have a better room, he went along with the initial decision. Though it was obvious he had been tempted to make the offer, Eliza's silence on the matter had likely kept him from speaking out...

---

As a result of their preparations, the Party reached the Southern Forest the evening of their sixth day on the Fifth Floor. There, they found a small settlement almost entirely comprised of Inns, Taverns, and, at the very center of the settled area, a massive four-tiered building that said 'Hunting Guild' in bold letters at the very top.

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Linnaeus had already gathered information on the various organizations and Guilds on the Fifth Floor so, as a form of insurance against predation, their Party ventured into the massive building to register as a Free Party. Becoming an official member would require a monthly fee but, by agreeing to a relatively loose contract, they could avoid being attacked by members of the Guild in exchange for a much smaller fee. This would prevent them from attacking other Parties associated with the Guild but, considering they had no intention of causing any trouble, Linnaeus didn't consider this a detrimental arrangement.

The first floor of the Hunting Guild was a large open area, more than half of which seemed to serve as a tavern for official members. There were various groups, some looking roughshod while others appearing to be just as new as Linnaeus' Party based on their equipment.

Knowing how to carry himself without appearing as a 'soft' target, Linnaeus made brief eye contact with various people that looked at his Party with interest. He made no effort to conceal his blood lust so, unless they had a strong enough willpower, most people were cowed by a single glance. As for the rest, some senior members of the Guild seemed amused by his display but, understanding there was no merit in causing a scene, they made no effort to bar the group's passage.

With the way largely cleared, Linnaeus and co made their way to a reception desk, one of twenty that lined the far side of the first floor. He could tell that some were specifically for the exchange of materials while only the central stations were for registration, accepting, and reporting on various tasks.

Manning the desk was a woman with olive-brown skin, dagger-like ears, and sleek black hair. Rather than a delicate maiden, however, she gave off the feeling of an unsheathed blade as her hair, apart from a series of angular bangs partly covering her right eye, was done up in a rather wild ponytail.

To complete the look of a seasoned veteran, the woman wore form-fitting leather equipment that was both stylish and functional. She clearly didn't worry about anyone gawking over her figure and, rather than hide her 'charms', it seemed like she wanted people to see the various scars that covered parts of her body, some belonging to blades, others clearly the result of vicious monster attacks.

Though he didn't gawk in the slightest, Linnaeus did wonder about the practicality of allowing her cleavage to be on full display. He imagined it was a useful distraction against male opponents but he couldn't really imagine being able to pull his eyes away from the woman's face if they were to fight against each other. She had angular eyes with dark red irises and, much like Krone, black sclera that gave her a distinctly predatory gaze...

While leaning somewhat lazily on her countertop, the receptionist woman eyed Linnaeus' entire Party before turning her attention back to him and asking, "How did you manage to become the leader of this group, squirt? From what I can tell, you should be the weakest among them, right?"

Without showing any sign of the indignation he felt deep inside, Linnaeus kept his composure as he plainly stated, "We would like to register as a Free Party."

Rather than be offended by Linnaeus outright ignoring her questions, the receptionist woman gave a light chuckle as she pulled out a stack of documents and a crystal ball. Though she was tempted to tease him a bit, the Guild Leader would give her an ear full if she caused trouble while on duty.

After reading through the contract to confirm its contents, Linnaeus and co signed the documents before the former dripped his blood onto the crystal ball. The paper documents affected them as individuals while the crystal ball was intended to register their Party itself through Linnaeus as the proxy.

Once the process was completed, Linnaeus gave the sharp-eyed woman a simple nod before he turned away without further comment. This caused her to lean against the table, elbows supporting her body while simultaneously pressing her less-than-modest breasts together as she mused, "Hey, try not to get yourself killed out there, squirt. If you have any trouble, don't be afraid to come and ask for advice. If the price is right, I don't mind teaching you for a bit~."

Hearing the woman's words, Linnaeus' steps slowed to a stop. He had to resist an overwhelming urge to sigh as he looked back, his expression affixed in the same unperturbed visage as he said, "I'll keep that in mind..." before turning away.

Though his remark earned him a pointed look from Eliza, Linnaeus knew he would become a mark for opportunists if he acted flustered or dismissive. He knew the woman was trying to feel him out as, in her line of work, understanding your clientele was extremely important. She wasn't actually trying to seduce him, rather, much like the other people within the Guild, she was merely testing his character.

Eliza understood this as well but, as was often the case, she didn't appreciate Linnaeus' choice of words. She knew he wasn't trying to flirt but, for reasons she couldn't quite understand, he seemed to be a natural at it when the situation arose. It was this quirk of his that likely led to him developing the Skill in the first place, irrespective of his actual intent...

Linnaeus, unaware of what was going through Eliza's mind, led the group to the western part of the settlement to secure lodgings. They had arrived in the evening and, while hunting at night was one of the things their Party may very well specialize at in the future, it was still better to head out early in the morning.

Understanding they would pay him back the following day, as monsters still dropped Soul Kindling, Linnaeus elected to pay for Eliza's and Emilia's booking. They had already tolerated staying in a sorry excuse for an Inn so, in order to increase Party morale, forking over a few hundred Kindling wasn't a bad investment.

As they could have just as easily spent the night in the forest, Eliza's mood improved noticeably the moment Linnaeus led the group to an Inn. Though she also felt a little guilty, believing her previous mood had pressured him into the decision, she wasn't going to refuse Linnaeus' good intentions.

Since he could be a little awkward when it came to socializing, Eliza made a point to thank Linnaeus in a very open and direct manner. This caused him to tense up slightly but, much like their previous interactions, she was eventually able to get close enough to give him a hug, gently patting his back as she whispered, "Thank you, Lin..." in a gratified tone.

Seeing this rather common interaction between Linnaeus and Eliza, Krone largely ignored them as he made his way toward his own room. As for Emilia, she patiently waited at the side, earning a pointed look from Eliza who reluctantly released Linnaeus from her grasp.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Emilia hoped over to Linnaeus' side, triggering a statuesque response from him as she unabashedly hugged him with enough force to lift him off his feet. This kind of skinship was becoming increasingly common between them, not because Emilia had any intimate feelings for Linnaeus but due to her pack mentality and a building recognition that he and Eliza were 'family'.

The most obvious indicator of Emilia's acceptance of the Party was that, when they were among just themselves, she would openly display her tail. This indicated both trust and familiarity as the tail of a Vanargandr not only made their emotions transparent but, if it was targetted during combat, they would effectively be crippled if someone managed to get a firm grip on the paradoxically fluffy yet sleek appendage...

(A/N: Sorry for the drop in chapter releases. I had a very bad ear infection that essentially took me out of commission for a full week. Even now, I still have pressure and discomfort in my ears but I can at least think clearly. Unless something else happens, I'll be back to the normal release rate now that I'm on the mend.)