Babel - 92 Speculation

Though the ‘safest’ option was to team up with another Party, documenting each others’ kills and determining the average drop rate of valuable goods, Linnaeus felt this wasn’t ideal. It would take a relatively large sample size to make an accurate determination, and, while it was possible for them to track down Yorgen’s Party, that was the same as wrapping them up in their troubles.

Linnaeus felt Yorgen’s Party could be trusted, but, with that being the case, he was even less inclined to involve them in the current situation. He felt there were already too few good people in the world, so, while it would help solve the mystery, the potential cost wasn’t something he was willing to pay.

After discussing it with everyone else, they came to the conclusion that the ‘safest’ option was to purchase a Debtee. They really only needed one additional person to determine whether or not their hypothesis was true, so, while Eliza wasn’t fond of the idea of adding people to their group, doing so for a short period of time had undeniable merits.

Unfortunately, even if they wanted to purchase a Debtee, doing so while Linnaeus was being tracked wasn’t ideal. Debtees were compelled to obey the people who purchased their contracts, but, unless they got along well with their owners, their ‘motivation’ could be a serious issue. After all, few people wanted to be treated like slaves, so, while they would ultimately obey, it was challenging to try and force them to make an earnest effort.

Ascertaining whether or not their drop rate was increased could wait for later. For now, it was more important to identify the person tracking Linnaeus, and, if possible, reason with them. After all, there was nothing going on between him and Renka. The opposing party would have to be exceptionally petty to continue targeting him if he had done nothing wrong…

With this in mind, Linnaeus spent several minutes thinking before saying, “We should find a place to stay. Though there is a chance we’ll be attacked, I doubt they will do so openly. Based on how much time has passed since we originally left the Guild, the enemy seems to be gathering information. The actual attack will most likely take place in a couple of days. If we can’t determine their identity before then, things will become even more problematic…”

Curious about the meaning behind Linnaeus’ words, Emilia’s wolf-like ears twitched slightly as she asked, “Why is that?”

Before Linnaeus could answer her, Eliza briefly interrupted him, elbowing Emilia in the side as she said, “He would have already told us if you didn’t butt in…!”

Though Eliza’s ‘attack’ hadn’t actually done any damage to her, Emilia made a show of rubbing her side, an apologetic mask on her face as she said, “Sorry, sorry, I was just curious. I understand your reasons, Liz, but, aren’t you letting this situation get to you?”

This time, it was Linneaus’ turn to interrupt, saying, “Please, both of you, calm down. Eliza, Emilia is right. You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment. As for you, Emilia, you should know not to rile Eliza up at this point. She is just worried about me, not seeking trouble. Now, let me finish so we can find a place to rest for the evening…”

Though both girls looked like they still had something to say, now wasn’t exactly the best time to argue amongst themselves. Thus, after exchanging glances for several tense moments, seemingly communicating through nothing more than their gazes, they both nodded in understanding and acquiescence.

Seeing the two reach a silent compromise, Linnaeus restrained the urge to release a tired sigh. Then, with all eyes focused on him, he explained, “If the person targeting me is affiliated with the Guild, it would be difficult for them to do so directly. They will have to rely on hiring criminal organizations and mercenary groups, likely targeting us outside of the settlement. Not only would this allow them to continue hiring more people to come after us, but, even without doing so, the chances we would be attacked several more times. Prestige and reputation are two of the most important things in the underground society. If they are a reasonably powerful group, they would continue to try and hunt us, even if the original contract was retracted…the pride of organized groups is troublesome.”

After being hunted down for several years, Linnaeus was very familiar with the thought process of most criminal organizations. They would not allow their pride to be infringed upon, as, if others did not respect and fear them, doing ‘business’ would become difficult, if not impossible. They might be inclined to withdraw of their target’s reputation was high, but, with Linnaeus and co being relatively new to the region, there was little chance of their enemies backing down.

Eliza, Emilia, and Krone didn’t have the same understanding of the criminal underworld as Linnaeus, but, based on the severity contained within his tone, they didn’t doubt him. Rather, Eliza knew just how far people would go to protect something as ‘silly’ as pride. Her family had completely wiped out dozens of smaller factions, many for no better reason than paltry misunderstandings and even more insignificant grievances…

Seeing that everyone had taken his words seriously, Linnaeus felt slightly vindicated, a very slight smile developing on his face as he added, “Fortunately, we aren’t completely without backing. If our speculation is correct, the Guild is likely keeping tabs on us. I don’t know if they will go out of their way to protect us, but, if we can prove ourselves a valuable asset, they won’t let others target us so easily. The Guild is the most powerful faction due to its affiliation with the Briggs Familia. Even if our enemy is a powerful criminal organization, they wouldn’t risk offending the Guild unless their client was also affiliated with the Briggs Familia. If that is the case, discovering their identity shouldn’t be an issue…”

Understanding what Linnaeus was trying to say, Eliza issued a light ‘Nn’ before saying, “The person targeting you must be famous within the Guild. If they are targeting someone with status, they must have a bit of their own. We should be able to ascertain their identity by gathering information at the Guild itself…right?”

Nodding his head, Linnaeus answered, “That would be the most direct method. Unless our enemy is also a renowned criminal, they must have some form of repute to be able to operate without facing repercussions from the Guild. We should be able to learn more by gathering information, either at the Guild or in the surroundings taverns…”

Though Linnaeus’ words almost made it seem like their nightly venture had been a waste, the person in question didn’t believe that was the case. Rather, his curiosity had often gotten him and Saht into trouble that could have otherwise been avoided.

Linnaeus genuinely believed that knowledge was a power that allowed the weak to overcome far more powerful foes. As a result, gathering information, observing his target, and make preparations had become second-nature to him.

Fortunately, nobody pointed out the time they had ‘wasted’, as, from the outset, they had been the ones to insist they accompany him. Linnaeus would have been perfectly content with venturing out and gathering information on his own, so, unless they wanted to undermine their earlier insistence, it would be difficult to complain about ‘time wasted’…

Unbeknownst to Linnaeus, Eliza, Emilia, and even Krone didn’t consider the fact their time had been wasted. Rather, the first two somewhat enjoyed getting out of the Inn and skulking around with him. As for Krone, he simply didn’t care how they spent their time, as, from his perspective, upholding his vow was of paramount importance. Where they went, what they did, these things didn’t matter at all.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to understand the thought processes of others, leaving people prone to assumptions and misunderstandings. This included Linnaeus, who, due to his upbringing, actually had an easier time seeing through his enemies, rather than his allies. Some would even say he had a gift for seeing through others, aided by an uncommon ability to extrapolate information from even the smallest clues.

The problem with becoming inordinately good at seeing through your enemies, however, was that it left massive gaps in your perception when it came to allies, something he was slowly becoming more aware of with the passage of time…

In the hopes of avoiding an argument, Linnaeus quickly changed topics to another important matter, asking, “Should we return to our original Inn or find another place to stay? Though it is impossible to be certain, the likelihood of an attack has decreased considerably since we left the Guild.”

Realizing Linnaeus was giving them the chance to alter his previous decision, the briefest hint of a smile could be seen on Eliza’s face as she answered, “If we’re basing our decision on the conclusions you have reached, it may be better for us to take a few steps back. If we assume everything that has happened over the last few days is interconnected, there is another alternative to our current Inn…”

Though he was momentarily confused by Eliza’s statement, it didn’t take long for the gears to click into place within Linnaeus’ mind. This caused a small frown to develop across his face, but, instead of refuting her words, he fell into a deep state of contemplation.

Seeing Linnaeus fall silent, Emilia turned to Eliza, asking, “What happened…?” in a hushed tone. She already had a hunch about what Eliza was talking about, but, as it seemed somewhat nonsensical, Emilia couldn’t help but ask for clarification.

To both answer Emilia’s question and convince Linnaeus, Eliza explained, “I’m talking about staying at the Hostel with that Bapho girl, Khö. We speculated that her presence there was unnatural, but, even if that weren’t the case, her presence all but guarantees external forces wouldn’t be able to act freely. To have a Bapho as a pet, you need a considerable amount of power, enough to deter anyone who wants to steal them from you…”

Piggybacking off Eliza’s words, Linnaeus nodded his head, adding, “Eliza is right. We don’t know the full story regarding Khö’s situation. Despite that, we can ascertain that the Hostel has some form of protection against those who would try to target her. If she is still there, that Hostel could serve as a temporary shelter against external threats. There is also a chance, however, that there is a powerful criminal organization protecting her…if they are the ones hired to deal with us, we’d be sleeping in a bed prepared by our enemies…”

Hearing Linnaeus’ reasoning, Eliza felt a little sheepish, but, before she could offer an alternative, he followed up, adding, “I think we should stay there, at least for one evening. If Khö is still present, we would have another lead to make use of in our investigation. At the very least, we can eliminate an unknown variable by learning about her situation directly. Even if she isn’t there, that would serve as further proof that something is going on behind the scenes…I think it is a good idea.”

Happy she had given a suggestion that Linnaeus approved of, Eliza’s face blossomed into a smile as she said, “Then we should hurry before it gets too late. We might not be able to enjoy a proper rest once things develop further so we should rest while we can.”

As there was some truth to Eliza’s words, Linnaeus nodded his head in affirmation, albeit with far less fervor than she displayed. He wanted to point out the problems that would undoubtedly arise if Khö had been placed there for a specific purpose, but, as this was largely baseless conjecture, he decided against it. He would know for certain once they talked to the person in question, so, rather than talk in circles all night, ascertaining the truth for themselves would be far more productive…

(A/N: Sorry for the delay. I ended up getting sick a few days ago, causing me to pump out only one chapter of EPIC per day. It’s hard to motivate myself to write a side project when I’m not feeling well so that is the main reason for the delay. As for the main purpose of this Author’s Note, however, it is to ascertain how everyone would feel about reduced chapter length. I can probably do daily releases if I reduce the overall length, so, if that is something you are interested in, feel free to let me know in the comments section.)