71 On the Verge

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.

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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...