55 Quartet
As they had detected at least Kaia's approach using a proximity detection spell, the Party of four was ready and waiting when she and Cairn passed by the entrance to the room they were staying in.
"Declare yourselves...!" shouted one of the women, a Level 23 Mage with acorn-brown hair, matching eyes, and a fairly impressive physique. In her left hand, she wielded an expensive-looking staff with a spherical catalyst on the end while her body was garbed in a white, brown-trimmed tunic, a pair of dark brown pants that hugged her curves, thigh-length boots, and a green mantle. She also wore various magical accessories, indicating she was well off or had a wealthy sponsor.
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Name: Leona Fatima
Species: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Title: Lightning Princess(Increase Lightning Magic efficacy and reduce cost by 20%.)
Class: Mage Apprentice(Rare)
[Attributes]
Level: 23/63(127,392/134,726)[Noble(20), Mage Apprentice(3)]
HP: 3,490/5,385
MP: 14,518/29,038
Str: 23
Agi: 41
Vit: 108+43
Int: 228+105
Dex: 121+56
Cha: 89+36
Talent(s): [Spirit of Lightning(23/71)], [Noble Birth(20/20)], [Magecraft(3/20)], [Wind Elemental Mastery(34/77)], [Water Elemental Mastery(29/75)], [Forbidden Knowledge(26/60)], [High-speed Casting(25/53)], [Etiquette(22/50)], [Fire Elemental Mastery(19/50)], [Earth Elemental Mastery(17/48)], [Camping(14/27)], [Hunting(11/20)]
Skill(s): [Lightning Bolt(MAX)], [Wind Blade(MAX)], [Water Ball(MAX)], [Electrostatic Cloud(8/10)], [Chain Lightning(7/10)], [Incitement(5/10)], [Fireball(3/10)], [Earth Spike(2/10)], [Lifestyle Magic(9/9)]
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Emerging from the corridor with his hands raised, Cairn answered, "We're Freelancers from the Capital. My name's Cairn, and the one behind me is Kai'ankh."
Seeing Kaia appear behind Cairn, the Party of four reacted with a mix of shock and confusion. Most people knew of the existence of Karakuts, but few had seen one in person.
"Why is a Karakut this far north?" asked a second, remarkably buxom and curvaceous woman with medium-length brown hair and silvery-grey eyes. Like the Mage, she was also Level 23, but her Class was something called a Gallant, surprising Cairn quite a bit as it was categorized as Epic. As for her outfit, she was garbed in a brown, white-trimmed swordsman's tunic, a pair of form-fitting red pants that looked like they would burst apart the moment she flexed her thighs, tall leather boots, a belted leather corset, and metal-backed vambraces. She also wielded a large sword on her left hip, yet, despite her apparent aptitude for fighting, her expression exuded gentleness and curiosity.
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Name: Yuuna
Species: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Title: Child of the Earth(Talent Growth +100%. Growth weighted toward Vitality and Charisma)
Class: Gallant(Epic)
[Attributes]
Level: 23/85(126,555/134,726)[Commoner(20), Gallant(3)]
HP: 19,008/27,850
MP: 477/1,120
Str: 92+40
Agi: 80
Vit: 241+123
Int: 53
Dex: 131+38
Cha: 143+56
Talent(s): [Blessing of the Harvest(23/85)], [Resilience(20/20)], [Heroic Grit(3/20)], [Pain Tolerance(44/92)], [Swordsmanship(37/83)], [Strong Body(35/80)], [Camping(30/58)], [Cooking(22/53)], [Bedroom Arts(8/39)]
Skill(s): [Grip(MAX)], [Charge(MAX)], [Sweeping Rend(7/10)], [Parry(5/10)], [Piercing Strike(4/10)], [Leg Vice(4/10)], [Lifestyle Magic(5/5)]
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"Does it matter?" asked the third and final woman, a fairly serious-looking girl with nearly black hair and obsidian black eyes. She was the shortest and least developed among the women, but her Level was the highest in the entire group at 27, implying she was the leader. Her attire wasn't much different from the well-endowed Gallant, but the quality of the materials was much higher, and the color scheme darker, appearing closer to black than brown.
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Name: Elizabeth Baskerville
Species: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Title: Stone Wall(Str+20%, Vit+50%)
Class: Knight(Rare)
[Attributes]
Level: 27/77(178,899/188,432)[Noble(20), Knight(7)]
HP: 13,337/18,988
MP: 915/2,948
Str: 58+8
Agi: 85+12
Vit: 175+144
Int: 90+36
Dex: 149+80
Cha: 133+112
Talent(s): [Noble Birth(20)], [Valor(7/20], [Swordsmanship(40/79)], [Etiquette(38/70)], [Bedroom Arts(30/59], [Spearmanship(27/53)], [Pain Tolerance(22/49)], [Politics(18/40)], [Archery(14/35)]
Skill(s): [Incitement(7/10)], [Charge(MAX)], [Parry(7/10)], [Piercing Strike(5/10)], [Longshot(2/10)], [Lifestyle Magic(5/5)]
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Exuding the aura of a highborn woman, Elizabeth placed her hand over her chest and said, "My name is Elizabeth Baskerville, fourth daughter of Countess Baskerville. This is my second eldest brother, Johnathan, and my two friends, Leona and Yuuna. If you are weary from your exploration, you are welcome to join us."
"You sure about this, Liza?" asked the fourth and final member of the Party, Johnathan, a fairly tall man with messy brown hair, yellow-brown eyes, and a muscular build. Unlike the other members of the Party, who were dressed in high-quality gear, Johnathan's brown t-shirt, trousers, leather braes, metallic greeves, gauntlets, and the pauldron on his right shoulder looked comparably worn. His body was also covered in dozens of scars, giving the impression he was a vagabond rather than a Noble.
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Name: Johnathan Baskerville
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Title: Hound of Baskerville(Str, Agi, Vit, and Dex increased by 20%)
Class: Huntsman(Rare)
[Attributes]
Level: 25/69(147,889/159,807)[Noble(20), Huntsman(5)]
HP: 28,712/34,503
MP: 2,107/2,346
Str: 119+59
Agi: 68+21
Vit: 259+236
Int: 77+31
Dex: 93+56
Cha: 64+33
Talent(s): [Noble Birth(20)], [Survivalist(5/20], [Pain Tolerance(41/85)], [Tracking(38/84)], [Axe Mastery(35/77)], [Trapping(22/60)], [Bedroom Arts(24/50)], [Camping(18/38)], [Etiquette(8/19)]
Skill(s): [Charge(MAX)], [Bash(8/10)] [Executioner's Strike(7/10)], [Head Crack(4/10)], [Lifestyle Magic(4/4)]
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"The guards would not have allowed them entry if they were not qualified to be here," contended Elizabeth, directing her gaze to Kaia as she added, "Besides, while the reputation of the Karakut is not stellar, they aren't like the Dark Elves and other Forsaken. They have no history of attacking the people of Cliabhaan. Rather, when they encounter those in need, they will welcome them as one of their own."
Staring up at her much taller brother, Elizabeth warned, "You should not be so eager to make enemies, brother..."
Rubbing the back of his head, Johnathan looked like he had something to say but ultimately remained silent. Instead, it was the Mage, Leona, who argued, "I don't know, Liza...they don't 'seem' like bad people, but it's odd that they would enter a place like the Den of Greed with only two people. They don't even have a Mage..."
Answering in Elizabeth's stead, Yuuna surprised the rest of her Party by casually revealing, "The Karakut carries the Blessing of Light. As for the man..."
Staring directly at Cairn, Yuuna smiled radiantly as she added, "He might look like a rogue, but I can't sense any hostility or killing intent from him, only caution and...curiosity? Temptation?"
"Well, he did just come across three beautiful women in the middle of a Dungeon," said Leona, exhibiting significantly less hostility after hearing Yuuna's words. She didn't lower her guard completely, but she seemed to trust her friend's intuition.
Lowering his raised hands, Cairn adopted a somewhat awkward smile and said, "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but my companion and I were just passing by. Good luck with your exploration."
Raising his left hand in a farewell gesture, Cairn attempted to leave but paused mid-turn when Elizabeth said, "Wait. A Karakut with the Blessing of Light and a wolfish man who looks like he hails from the Great Desert? Could you perhaps be the Champion and his companion...?"
Turning to face Elizabeth, Cairn's smile was nowhere to be seen as he asked, "Do I look like a Champion...?"
Catching Cairn a little off guard, Yuuna immediately affirmed, "Yes. You have very kind eyes."
"Wait, are the two of you serious?" asked Leona. She was also a Noble, but her family's standing was much lower than Elizabeth's. As such, she had yet to hear anything about the emergence of a new Champion, only that great changes were afoot in the Kingdom.
"There's no mistaking it," said Elizabeth, staring intently at Cairn as her right hand formed into a fist. At the same time, a glimmer of resolution appeared in her obsidian black eyes, giving Cairn an eerie 'premonition' that was confirmed when Elizabeth placed her hand over her chest and bowed deeply, stating, "Please allow us to attend you on your journey..."
Furrowing his brows, Cairn replied, "I'd rather not..." in a neutral tone. He needed more allies, but if he accepted a trio of beautiful women into his Party, two of which were Nobles, he felt things would become even more stressful for him than they already were.
"May I ask why...?" asked Elizabeth, raising her head to meet Cairn's gaze.
"I should be asking you that," contended Cairn. "Why would you want to accompany or 'attend' someone you just met? I have no plans of getting involved with the internal affairs and politics of the Kingdom, so you have nothing to gain by joining me."
"It's said that those close to the Champion awaken their full potential in an extremely brief period," answered Elizabeth, placing her hand on her chest as she expressed, "There are many who believe that Cliabhaan stands on the brink of great or cataclysmic change. The Baskervilles have protected the people of Cliabhaan since before the era of King Alfred. To that end, if accompanying you will allow me to attain the strength I need, the power to protect the innocent, I will serve you dutifully."
Exhaling a sigh from beside Elizabeth, Johnathan ran his hand through his hair and said, "That goes for me as well..."
"Me too~" hummed Yuuna, leaving Leona as the only one within the group that had yet to express their opinion. However, as was often the case in a group of peers, she felt uncomfortable being excluded, compelling her to exhale a sigh of her own before muttering, "Well, if everyone else is going to..."
"Don't get ahead of yourselves," warned Cairn, crossing his arms as he added, "Though I can appreciate your sense of duty, you don't need to join me to reach your 'full potential.' So long as you continue delving into increasingly difficult Dungeons, your power will increase steadily. There is no reason to tie yourselves to me, and I have already made it clear I have no intention of getting entangled with the Kingdom. The last thing I need is your mother or someone in a similar position breathing down my neck and trying to curry favor..."
"That won't be an issue," asserted Elizabeth. "Children of the Baskerville are required to go on a journey once we reach sixteen years of age. Until we have accumulated merits or reached a marriageable age, we have very limited interactions with our family and vice-versa."
"Then how did you know I was the Champion...?" asked Cairn, not buying Elizabeth's words.
"My mother sent me a letter three months ago," replied Elizabeth. "In it, she advised me that if our paths were to cross, I should follow you and try to increase my power as much as possible before the coming storm."
Though Elizabeth seemed to be telling the truth, Cairn shook his head and stated, "I already told you what you need to do to get stronger. Following me won't magically increase the rate of your growth."
Staring at Cairn from the side, Kaia looked like she wanted to dispute his words but ultimately remained silent. She knew why Cairn didn't want the trio of beautiful women to join them, but while she didn't really agree with his reasoning, she didn't want to pressure or stress him out. She also liked it when it was just the two of them, so even if Cairn did accept Elizabeth's offer, she would prefer if they went their separate ways for the time being and reconvened at the Capital.
Noticing Kaia's stare, Cairn turned to meet her gaze, asking, "What...?" in a faint tone.
Shaking her head, Kaia answered, "It's nothing...". However, as she didn't want to lie to him, she quickly added, "I just think you may be letting your emotions supplant your reason. Even if they do not travel with us now, it is rarely a bad thing to have more allies to call upon in times of need..."
"..."
Unable to refute Kaia's words, Cairn slipped into a contemplative silence. She had said something similar about Zarah, Asim's genius sister, so it wasn't too surprising to hear her advocating for Elizabeth and her Party to become extended members of their own. Rather, with Yuuna's monstrous talent, he would be missing out on a powerful ally by refusing Elizabeth's offer outright...
...
..
.
(A/N: Thoughts? Elizabeth and her group will be a common fixture in the story, but should Cairn accept them as Expedition members? The more people he helps achieve their 'full potential,' the less work he'll have to do when shit invariably hits the fan xD...)
