85 Feelings of Unease

After awakening uncharacteristically early, Eliza groggily took in her surroundings, noticing they were different from the usual accommodations. This made her feel slightly alarmed, but, seeing Linnaeus and the 'hateful' Emilia curled up at the side, both staring back at her, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was pretty rare for Eliza to wake up on her own so Linnaeus couldn't help but feel a brief moment of shock. Fortunately, this didn't show on his face, so, knowing she would want an explanation, he moved to a seated position and said, "There was a fire in the district our Inn was located in. It wasn't the origin of the inferno, though, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Though she didn't remember much from the previous evening, Eliza could vaguely recall waking up a few times to discover that Linnaeus was still carrying her. From this, she could guess they had been looking for another place to stay for a considerable amount of time, filling her with enough guilt to blush slightly as she said, "I think I'll stop drinking so much from now on..."

As he had been intending to talk to Eliza about her drinking habits, Linnaeus concealed his surprise with a smile as he replied, "That is probably for the best...thank you, Eliza."

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Hearing Linnaeus suddenly thank her, Eliza was a little confused, but, as Emilia had been using their conversation as an opportunity to nuzzle inside Linnaeus' thighs, her annoyance had been swelling quickly...

Sensing the 'killing intent' directed her way, Emilia's ears perked up and, before Eliza could smack her head, she quickly dodged to the side, laughing like a child who had successfully completed a prank. This only served to increased Eliza's frustration, but, before she could say anything, Linnaeus suddenly placed his hand on her head, gently stroking her messy hair as he explained, "Don't let her get to you. We're staying in a hostel so we should avoid causing a scene..."

Since Eliza had fallen silent under his caress, Linnaeus felt as if his attempt to pacify her had been a success. This was only part of his job, however, so, while dutifully fixing Eliza's bed-head, he looked toward Emilia and added, "You know how your actions affect Eliza...at this point, your behavior will reach the point of becoming antagonistic by default. Please, show more consideration in the future."

In response to Linnaeus' words, Emilia's ears drooped slightly, not because he had admonished her, but because she was envious of the face Eliza was getting her head rubbed.

Seeing Emilia's reaction, combined with the fact she would periodically glance at his hand, it wasn't difficult to imagine what was going through her mind. As a result, Linnaeus internally sighed while externally smiling as he said, "Get dressed and ready to go. I'll help brush your hair after I finish with Eliza's."

As if her previous melancholy had been an act, Emilia's ears perked up spiritedly, followed by her basically leaping out of the bed to grab her clothes. Watching her shimmy into form-fitting shorts would be a sight to behold for most people, but, with his focus on the tangled mess that was Eliza's hair, Linnaeus only spared Emilia a momentary glance before pulling out a comb and beginning his morning routine...

---

Perhaps as a result of their spontaneous change in residence, Linnaeus emerged from his room to find that even Krone had awoken earlier than normal. He was standing outside in the common area that connected the other eight dwellings, his expression just as distant as usual.

Seeing Linnaeus emerge alongside Eliza and Emilia, Krone gave a small nod to acknowledge their presence before turning his back and heading outside. This earned a lighthearted laugh from Emilia, a harumph from Eliza, and light hum from Linnaeus, just to express solidarity.

After following Krone into the dining hall, an area filled with a few long wooden tables with attached benches, they all sat down together. This drew the attention of the hostel's waitress, a petite girl with platinum-blond, almost white, hair. Like Eliza, her hair seemed to fluff up more than normal, but, with two curled horns at the side of her head, hooved feet, drooping ears, and a lion-like tail poking out from the ribbon tying together her apron, it was easy to deduce she was a member of the Bapho tribe.

With a wide smile and large eyes, the young woman happily made her way over to their table, a pad in hand as she asked, "Good morning, everyone! My name is Khö and I'll be taking your order~! If you're in a rush, I can suggest warm rice pudding and freshly-baked bread. We have a pot that just came out ten minutes ago, and, with our famous Honeydew Jelly, you'll be ready to take on the day with a smile~!"

To emphasize her words, Khö used her index fingers to push up the sides of her smile, showing off her pearl-white teeth. While this certainly made her smile bigger, it created a bit of a different impact than intended due to the fact that most of her teeth were sharp and angular...

In response to the bubbly girl, Linnaeus did his best to return a smile as he answered, "Please bring as much food as 300 Soul Kindling can purchase. If the Honeydew Jelly isn't too expensive, we'll also take a small container to go."

Knowing how much Eliza and Emilia liked sweet, Linnaeus didn't mind 'investing' into the rather well-known condiment. They, or, more specifically, Eliza, had a propensity for getting upset, so, if he could use sweets to pacify her, it would make his life a little easier.

After scribbling down Linnaeus' order, Khö showed off her radiant smile once again, saying, "I'll have your food out as soon as possible~!" before turning tail and retreating into the kitchen. She seemed to really enjoy her work, but, based on the large collar that was visible around her neck, there was a good chance this was just a very practiced act.

Though they weren't truly slaves, the way some Debtees were treated made it difficult to discern the difference between them and actual slaves. The vast majority wore collars to denote their status, so, even if there was little reason for Debtees to be treated poorly by unrelated people, many still went out of their way to mistreat them.

Since the Bapho tribe was even rarer than the Vanargandr, a combination of their inordinately long loves and famously low fertility rate, very few people ever had the chance to encounter one. It was for this same reason that, even outside of the Tower, many Bapho were treated as 'rare goods', often forced to become the slaves and pets of the noble families.

Eliza was the only one at their table who had actually seen a Bapho in person, but, in spite of this, even Linnaeus and Emilia could identify Khö's tribe. After all, the Bapho tribe was actually considered one of the strongest in terms of physical might and durability. Though they often appeared rather unassuming, due to their slow development, some were capable of transforming into mighty beasts that could even dominate members of the various draconic tribes.

As a result of these factors, Khö's presence within the hostel was rather anomalous, causing Eliza to hushedly ask, "Didn't you mention that the owner of this hostel has been having trouble finding their footing in the Inner District? How could someone like that have a Bapho in their...employ?"

Since it was Linnaeus' first time meeting Khö, he didn't really have an answer to Eliza's question. He couldn't deny that it was a 'very' strange circumstance, as, unless someone with considerable status was protecting her, Khö should be the target of various affluent people that wanted to 'collect' her.

Though Leveling was near-impossible within the Crucible of Souls, meaning there was little value in raising her as a powerful bodyguard, the rarity of the Bapho tribe wasn't something affluent people could simply ignore. Obtaining her was a way to increase their status, and, while she might not be in possession of the coveted [Behemoth] Blessing, that didn't mean her offspring wouldn't possess it.

With his instincts ringing alarm bells inside of his mind, Linnaeus quickly shook his head in response to Eliza's question before saying, "We should check out of this hostel and look for someplace else to stay before heading off to the Guild. Whatever the circumstances, getting involved with anyone that can openly parade around a Balpho doesn't seem wise..."

Without even needing to discuss the matter, both Eliza and Emilia nodded their head in agreement, even if the latter also commented, "I feel bad for her tribe...our Elders tell us stories about how, even in the Tower, the Bapho are treated like slaves and forced to fight as Vanguards, even if their Blessing is better for support..."

In response to Emilia's words, Eliza nodded her head, a melancholic expression marring her face as she added, "Every time a Bapho appears in the Tower, several Companies and Organizations end up fighting over them. Because of this, they are said to be a cursed tribe that heralds the beginning of conflict, delivering death and destruction everywhere they go. Some information brokers even claim that, in the distant past, the Bapho tribe was cursed by the God of Dragons after a massive war more than a hundred thousand years ago. Since then, while other powerful races have thrived, they have been pushed to the brink of extinction...females are exceptionally rare so it is somewhat unbelievable to encounter one here on the Fifth Floor..."

Hearing Eliza's words, Linnaeus could feel his pulse begin to accelerate and, though it didn't show on his face, he began feeling anxious. He was normally very curious, as knowledge and power were two sides of the same coin, but, with Eliza's reminder, it was obvious that this wasn't a 'normal' situation.

Without knowing what the party of four had been talking about, Khö emerged from the kitchen with a smile on her face. She looked around the area to see if there were any new customers, but, seeing only Linnaeus' group still present, she smiled radiantly before waving back at them and shouting, "It will be out in just a moment~!"

Remembering that Khö had told them the food was already ready, and that she just needed to grab it, Linnaeus felt his heart begin to accelerate even faster. It wasn't just him, either, as Eliza, Emilia, and Krone all fell silent, the atmosphere around them becoming tense in moments.

After Khö vanished back into the kitchen, it was Krone who said, "We should leave..." while rising to his feet. They had already forked over 150 Soul Kindling, as most places required you to pay at least half up front, but, without even considering asking for a refund, Linnaeus nodded his head and said, "I agree. This situation doesn't feel right at all..."

Immediately after Linnaeus' statement, the swing doors connecting to the kitchen burst open rather violently. This was enough to cause Linnaeus to pull out his daggers, but, to his and everyone else's surprise, Khö could be seen pushing a metallic service cart filled with several large bowls of food and a few trays of fragrant bread.

Seeing Linnaeus suddenly pull out weapons, Khö stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening into full circles as her mouth gaped open. Then, in a sheepish voice that could inspire guilt in even inanimate objects, she stammered, "Y-y-you s-said you wanted a lot of food...I...I tried to be quick...I'm sorry if I upset you...please..."

Even before Khö had finished speaking, Linnaeus put away his weapons, his expression losing the calm he had been trying to cultivate as he awkwardly answered, "Sorry...I was just a bit tense...the loud noise startled me..."

Though he still felt a strong urge to leave, seeing how much food Khö had prepared for them made it a lot harder to just up and leave. Fortunately, Eliza was there to ease the tensions, so, while he was struggling to find the right words, she adopted a 'natural' smile and explained, "We need to depart soon, so, if you would be so kind, please ready our tab. Also, don't mind Lin. Our Inn caught fire last night so he is still a bit shaken. It wasn't his intention to scare you..."

Eliza also felt like there was something wrong with the current situation. However, when she thought about it, the likelihood of it having anything to do with them was slim. It wouldn't take much effort to learn about Khö's circumstances later on, so, for the time being, she decided to ease the tensions so that they could leave without causing a scene.

Hearing Eliza's explanation, Khö showed an expression of surprise before looking toward Linnaeus with pity and concern visible in her pink eyes as she said, "Oh, you poor thing...you must have been through a lot..." Then, like the flipping of a switch, her smile immediately returned as she added, "I know~! As an apology, let me talk to the Rhea about giving you a discount on the Honeydew Jelly!"

Without waiting for their response, Khö, once again, disappeared into the kitchen. This left Linnaeus, Eliza, and Emilia gawking in their respective positions while Krone, wordlessly, made his way over to retrieve the service cart full of food...

(A/N: Some people have pointed out the sporadic release rate, but, from the very beginning, this has only ever been a side project. Writing a novel actually takes a fair amount of effort and planning, so, with my focus being EPIC, I don't always have the time to dedicate to Babel. The donations I receive from my readers are literally what pays my bills so, unless I monetize Babel, it would always be just a side project. To that end, I actually got a contract invite back in December, so, if you would like daily updates on Babel, please express your opinion regarding the novel going premium in the comments section. The other option is to create donation options for Babel on my *******, but, as there aren't very many readers of this novel, at least for the time being, I worry about idea of self-publishing.)