96 Tensions

A few minutes after Khö alighted from the room, the relative silence was broken by the sound of Eliza, Emilia, and Krone passing through the front doors of the dining room.

As could be expected, Eliza wasn't too happy about the fact that Linnaeus had gone ahead, but, instead of saying anything about it, she adopted a pouting expression, asking, "Were you able to discover anything?"

Nodding his head, Linnaeus explained, "It's hard to talk about it, but I was able to confirm some of my suspicions. It doesn't look like we have a lot of options until our contract with the Guild has expired."

Hearing Linnaeus' response, Eliza released a tired sigh before plopping down next to him and letting her head rest on the table. She wasn't all that surprised by Linnaeus' words, but, knowing she couldn't escape the machinations of authoritative figures, even after death, she couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.

Seeing how frustrated Eliza was, Linnaeus hesitated for a brief moment before lightly patting her on the back and saying, "It's going to be okay. Didn't we already agree to protect each other? I'll do my best to keep you safe, so don't let this get to you..."

Chiming in, Emilia nestled next to Eliza, adding, "Lin is right. We're all one tribe. Even if the enemy is much stronger, I won't be afraid. I'll protect all three of you, even if it costs my life~."

Towards the end of her statement, Emilia hugged Eliza's body tightly, nuzzling against her in an affectionate manner that caused the petite purple-haired girl to groan in mock frustration.

Deciding to leave Eliza to Emilia, Linnaeus looked up at Krone, noticing the latter's steely gaze had been focused on their surroundings. It wasn't difficult to guess what was going through his mind, so, when their eyes met, Linnaeus gave a curt nod of affirmation.

Though it could still be a coincidence, this was the second time they were the only guests in the dining room. This wasn't too abnormal, but, when you considered the relatively cheap yet high-quality food, it was strange for the hall to be completely barren two days in a row. The most likely scenario was that every other tenant was already affiliated with the Porcello Company, protecting its properties from internal and external threats while disguising themselves as normal groups of Adventurers and Mercenaries.

As if to prove the veracity of this assumption, two figures emerged from the double-doors leading into the kitchen: Khö and Almas. The first was pushing a tray filled with similar dishes to the ones they had previously ordered. Linnaeus noticed her eyes were still somewhat puffy, indicating she had only recently stopped crying...

Linnaeus wasn't the only one who noticed Khö's state, but, due to the presence of the motherly woman with glimmering purple eyes, even Eliza remained silent. They all knew just how powerful Almas was, so, unless they were left with no other alternative, it was best to avoid inadvertently offending her.

Pulling a seat from the nearby table, Almas sat down next to the booth occupied by Linnaeus and Co. She sat with her back straight, patiently waiting until Khö finished handing out all of the food before saying, "You do not need to worry about paying for these items. They are my gift to your Party. Now, I believe you have already reached a consensus...?"

Before answering, Linnaeus made eye contact with each member of his Party, earning small nods from the two girls and a light shrug from Krone. Then, without beating around the bush, he asked, "What are the intentions of the Porcello Company? Even if its to entrap people, I can't understand why you would use a Bapho as bait. What are Khö's circumstances? Why is she here, pretending to be a waitress...?"

Rather than answer, Almas pulled out a parchment from her Inventory, unfurling it to reveal what appeared to be a contract. Only after handing it over for Linnaeus' perusal did she explain, "You are a clever boy, Linnaeus...almost dangerously so. If you want answers, you will need to sign that agreement. Don't worry, it is little more than a contract of non-disclosure. Even if you want to walk away and pretend like this was all a dream, the Porcello Company won't pursue the matter~."

Though he was listening to Almas' words, Linnaeus' eyes were focused on the relatively simple document. As she mentioned, the terms primarily included protecting the information that was exchanged between them. At the very end, however, there were some troublesome clauses that immediately brought a frown to his, and everyone else's, faces...

Staring back at Almas, Linnaeus had a serious glint in his eyes as he asked, "What is the meaning of these clauses? You expect us to become Debtees to the Porcello Company if we fail to exit the Crucible in the next four months? Is this...some...kind..."

Linnaeus was originally going to lambast Almas for the ridiculousness of the contract, but, before he could finish, a sudden realization hit him. This caused his eyes to widen noticeably, a feeling of panic surging through his body as Almas smiled and mused, "You really are a clever boy..."

With Almas' words being the only confirmation he needed, Linnaeus balled his hands into fists beneath the table. He felt a considerable amount of indignation but forced himself to appear as calm as possible on the surface. Eliza, however, could feel his body shaking slightly, causing her expression to turn dour as she glared at Almas with hostility.

Before Eliza could do something that got them all killed, Linnaeus startled her quite a bit when he placed his hand on her thigh. Her angry expression immediately transitioned into a flustered one as she instinctually smacked away his hand, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

Taking advantage of Eliza's distracted state, Linnaeus further surprised his Party solemnly stating, "We will sign the contract..." with a deathly serious expression on his face.

Needless to say, Eliza wasn't too happy about Linnaeus' decision, but, knowing he must have a good reason, she begrudgingly pricked her finger after seeing him and Emilia do the same. As for Krone, he remained silent for several long seconds before saying, "I have no intention to leave the Crucible. I will accompany my Party to the top floor as promised before spending the rest of my days repenting for my failures in life. I have no interest in the private affairs of your Company, so I will not sign away my freedom over something so nonsensical."

Hearing the usually taciturn Krone speak so much, even Linnaeus was slightly taken aback. At the same time, however, he couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated. He already knew the Krone took his vows very seriously, but, despite rarely speaking to each other, Linnaeus had come to believe that he was very trustworthy. Knowing Krone still intended to remain was like a punch to the gut, especially given the circumstances...

Surprisingly, Almas didn't seem to mind Krone's statement, nodding her head as she said, "That is perfectly reasonable. Please step out of the room until we finish our conversation."

Rather than immediately follow Almas' instructions, Krone looked toward Linnaeus, waiting until the latter gave a curt nod before rising from the booth. This was giving a considerable amount of face to his Party Leader, something that made Linnaeus feel even more regretful about their future separation...

Once Krone had left the dining room completely, traveling well out of earshot, Almas smiled in a practiced manner, stating, "If there is nothing else, please sign the contract. As you are no doubt aware, this is a time-sensitive matter. The sooner we can reach an accord, the smoother things will go."

Taking the initiative, Linnaeus left a bloody imprint on the paper, cursing the fate that had led him to this moment. This situation was turning into something bigger than he had anticipated, but, so long as they were able to leave the Crucible, nothing else really mattered.

Seeing everyone sign the contract, Almas adopted an expression that could only be described as predatory amusement as she explained, "It is fortunate that the two of you trust Linnaeus enough to sign the contract without a fuss. If he had tried to explain things, well...I'm sure he'll explain it to you..."

With Almas' words serving as further confirmation, Linnaeus adopted his usual neutral expression, explaining, "They want someone to take Khö up the Crucible...if we didn't sign the contract, our lives would have been forfeit..."

In response to Linnaeus' words, Almas clapped her hands a few times, her smile becoming more natural as she exclaimed, "That is correct! My, my, did I mention how clever your little Party Leader is~?"

As could be expected, Eliza and Emilia had hateful expressions on their face as they glared back at Almas. Neither seemed to realize the significance behind Linnaeus' words, their minds clouded by the fact that the purple-haired beauty had been fully prepared to kill them moments prior.

Shattering the building tensions, Khö had an extremely apologetic expression on her face as she bowed at a steep angle and exclaimed, "I'm sorry! If it wasn't for me, none of this would have-"

Before Khö could finish, Almas lightly pat her back, saying, "There is no need for that, Khö. These people inquired about your situation by choice. If anyone owes them an apology, it would be me. However, this was something that must be done...I'm certain you understand that, don't you, Lin?"

At this point, Eliza could no longer contain herself, saying, "You don't have the right to call Lin in such an informal way! You...you vile temptress...!"

Hearing Eliza's outburst, Almas just stared at her as if she had no idea what the girl was talking about. This caused Eliza to appear even more upset, but, before she could say anything further, Linnaeus explained, "Calm down, Eliza. I already explained their intentions and I'm pretty sure I can guess their reasons. In fact, I'm almost certain..."

After observing Khö closely, Linnaeus had started to realize that she wasn't actually putting on an act. There as little reason to keep pretending when she was out of sight, so, based on the fact she still had puffy eyes when first appearing, it was easy to deduce she had been crying. This implied she had an uncommon amount of dedication to acting, or, infinitely more likely, her reactions had been genuine.

With all eyes focused on him, Linnaeus explained, "Khö is a potentiate, just like us. She must have come into contact with the Porcello Company after reaching the Fifth Floor. She must have struck a deal with them, earning their protection in exchange for becoming their future property. Since she is still a Potentiate, however, they can't keep her here unless she fails in her trial...is that it?"

Though there was more he wanted to say, Linnaeus felt like he would be stepping on a landmine if he mentioned it too soon. It would be better for Almas or Khö to reveal the truth, allowing him a small amount of breathing room in case his conjecture proves incorrect...

Much to Linnaeus' surprise, Almas shook her head, her expression turning somewhat melancholic as she said, "While not exactly wrong, the way you explain things leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It might be difficult for you to believe, but we're actually trying to help Khö. Most people do not understand the true nature of the Bapho tribe. Once you learn the truth, you will understand why we needed to take these measures..."

As he could already see where the conversation was headed, Linnaeus nodded his head, taking a bit of the wind out of Almas' sail as he said, "So long as the Porcello Company is willing to provide us with adequate protection and supplies, we will escort Khö to the surface. I'm certain you have your reasons, but, before any of that, I want your promise that others won't harass us while we're cooperating with the Porcello Company."

Hearing Linnaeus' words, Almas got the feeling he was behaving a little too opportunistically, but, as his Party was one of only two groups suited to the task, she ultimately nodded, stating, "So long as you were willing to agree to our terms, we intended to protect you. We already have numerous allies within the Guild so there will be no problems. In exchange, you will have to temporarily join our Company, fighting alongside our other Parties in order to make proper use of your Potentiate status. By the time the Main Expedition has come to an end, you will have more than enough Soul Kindling to purchase your life back from that mischievous cat..."

Almas' words basically confirmed the fact that their Drop Rate was much higher than average, so, without further ado, Linnaeus nodded his head, stating, "We are in agreement. Now...I suppose it is time you tell us about Khö's situation...?"

Seeing Linnaeus look toward her, Khö suddenly became very sheepish, using her notepad to hide her face. It was a rather adorable reaction, earning her a deadpan stare from Eliza and an amused smile from both Emilia and Almas. The latter, however, quickly fixed her expression, turning more serious and professional as she stated, "Well...it all began around forty-thousand years ago..."