Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 122: Children of Mana, Part Six

As Lianna exited the chapel after her session with Olin, she couldn’t shake the peculiar sense of tranquility that enveloped her.

It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, replaced by a soothing calmness that seeped into every fiber of her being. With each step, she felt a growing sense of clarity and peace, as though the turmoil of her mind had been gently quieted.

It was weird as hell.

"Lianna," Olin’s voice called out from behind her, breaking her reverie.

She turned to see the monk standing in the doorway, his expression serene yet inscrutable.

"How do you feel?" he inquired, his gaze piercing yet gentle.

Lianna paused, considering his question.

"Strange, but... in a good way," she replied honestly. "It’s like everything is clearer somehow."

Olin nodded approvingly.

"That is the effect of calming your mind," he explained. "It is a very good sign."

Feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over her, Lianna smiled gratefully at Olin.

"Well, thanks for that," Lianna chuckled awkwardly. "So, when am I going to be ready to control the artifact?"

"Provided that our theory is true? Probably not for a while."

"What? Why?"

"Lianna, this is merely the first step," Olin told her. "You will be ready to move on to the next one once this is your default state."

"Oh... That sounds hard."

"It is. Have a nice day."

With a nod of acknowledgment, Olin bid her farewell, his form disappearing into the dimly lit interior of the chapel.

As Lianna made her way back to the inn, she couldn’t help but reflect on the progress she had made that day. For the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of hope that she might be able to turn that artifact on at will.

When that would, if it even did, happen was a mystery.

Upon returning to the inn, Lianna found Enverna waiting for her, a curious expression on her face.

As she entered the room, Enverna’s eyes lit up.

"How did it go?" Enverna asked eagerly, rising from the bed to greet Lianna.

Lianna’s smile widened as she recounted her experience with Olin. Enverna listened intently, nodding in understanding as Lianna spoke.

"It sounds like you made some real progress," Enverna remarked. "Good."

Lianna nodded, her gaze reflecting a mixture of pride and satisfaction.

"I think so," she replied. "Or, I hope so, anyway."

Enverna’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she reached into her pocket, retrieving a small card and holding it out to Lianna.

"Speaking of progress... I have something to show you," Enverna said, her voice tinged with anticipation.

Curious, Lianna accepted the card, her eyes scanning the elegant script printed on its surface. As she read the words, her breath caught in her throat.

"The Champion’s Follower, Caroline Ange," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is... Is this real?"

Enverna nodded.

"I met her today," she explained. "She sought me out and asked me to give you her contact information. Said she wanted to speak to both of us."

Lianna’s eyes widened in surprise, her mind racing with questions and possibilities.

The fact that yet another Constellation’s Follower, the last one in fact, 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"What does she want to talk about?"

"The artifact."

[Right, obviously.]

"She said she wants to put it to good use. By the way," Enverna added, "I feel like she’s under the impression I’m the Lover’s follower. Alone, I mean."

"Ah," Lianna nodded slowly. "Maybe we could use that to our advantage."

"How?"

"You do most of the talking with her," Lianna stated. "If that’s the case, she probably respects your word more than mine, right?"

"Perhaps."

Taking a deep breath, Lianna looked down at the card.

"Well... I guess I may as well get this over with now."

On that note, she dialed the lady’s number.

Lianna’s heart beat a little faster. After a few rings, the call connected, and a voice crackled through the line.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi," Lianna stammered. "Is this Caroline Ange?"

"Yes, who’s this?"

Caroline’s tone was curt.

"It’s Lianna," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "You know, Enverna’s fiance? Enverna said you wanted to speak with us about it?"

Caroline’s response was immediate.

"Yes, that’s correct. Tell me, what have you done to try to control it?" Caroline’s voice held a note of command, as if she were interrogating a subordinate.

Lianna then recounted her struggles with the artifact.

"I’ve tried a few things," she explained, her words coming out in a rush. "But nothing seems to work. It just... activates on its own, without any warning."

Caroline listened in silence, humming over the line as she absorbed Lianna’s words.

"And how have you used it so far during those instances?" Caroline’s tone remained sharp. Lianna almost felt a bit of impatience.

"I’ve only used it to save Enverna," she admitted, her voice tinged with regret. "It’s been... unpredictable, to say the least."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Caroline spoke again, her voice brisk and businesslike.

"I see. Could you let Enverna know that I will be heading back to her home tomorrow?" She stated abruptly. "We will speak again then."

Before Lianna could respond, the line went dead, leaving her staring at her phone in confusion.

"What did she say?" Enverna’s voice broke through the silence.

Lianna sighed, trying to make sense of the conversation she had just had with Caroline.

"She was... what’s the word? Curt?"

Enverna’s brow furrowed in confusion, her expression mirroring Lianna’s own bewilderment.

"That’s strange," Enverna remarked, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "When I spoke to her, she was charming and flirtatious."

Lianna’s eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of understanding dawning on her.

"Well, shit," Lianna smiled as she put her phone away. "I guess I was right."

"But..."

It looked like Enverna was wondering why that would be, but it likely didn’t take much thought to think of a few reasons.

Hell, Lianna could think of a few on her own. For instance, if the fact that she was a Child of Mana was a problem even in Telvan, she couldn’t imagine how untrustworthy she must have seemed to a Garridite.

[Honestly, I’m kinda lucky Enverna was so accepting of me... She’s so kind,] Lianna thought, smiling down at the girl.

"What?"

"Nothing," Lianna waved a hand. "So, yeah. It’s probably best if you handle most of the talking with her. Plus, I’ll have to keep going to that mental training or whatever with Olin."

"I see..." Enverna nodded slowly, her eyes falling to her lap.

Lianna, a bit of that affection she just felt still simmering in her heart, stepped up.

She put an index finger under Enverna’s chin, pulling her head up to meet her eyes.

"Buuuuut, we don’t have to do anything right now, do we?"

Enverna raised a brow.

"What are you implying?"

"Well, given that Zura’s not here right now," Lianna straddled Enverna, hopping onto her lap, "I’m not *implying* anything. I’m *saying* we should have some fun."

A faint blush fell over Enverna’s cheeks, but besides that the usual embarrassment she often showed wasn’t there. Instead, her hands naturally landed on the small of Lianna’s back, a seriously hungry look in her eyes.

[She’s getting so much more comfortable with this sort of thing,] Lianna grinned. [It’s exciting!]

Just as their lips met, the door opened.

"Hey, sorry I-"

Zura froze.

Now, Enverna did look away bashfully.

Lianna giggled.

"I... I’m gonna get myself something to drink."

Then, the door closed again.

"So," Lianna said, "where were we?"

---

{Olin}

In the quiet solitude of the chapel, bathed in the soft glow of flickering candlelight, Olin knelt before the altar, his head bowed in silent prayer.

The echoes of his whispered supplications mingled with the gentle rustle of the night’s breeze, filling the sacred space with a sense of cold solemnity.

As he knelt in the dimly lit chapel, Olin’s thoughts turned to the weighty burden that rested upon his shoulders.

He reflected on the sacred mission entrusted to him by The Monk, a mission to save Garriden from the impending storm of battle that loomed on the horizon.

With a heavy heart, Olin bowed his head even lower, his mind awash with uncertainty and fear.

For all his talk about clearing one’s mind, he still hadn’t mastered it himself.

He knew that the fate of Garriden rested in the hands of Lianna and her companions, and he prayed fervently that they would prove to be the key to salvation.

"Please, Saren," Olin whispered, his voice barely above a breath. "Grant us your divine guidance and protection. Help us to save Garriden from the darkness that threatens to consume it."

With each word of his prayer, Olin’s voice grew stronger, his plea for salvation echoing through the silent chapel. And as he knelt before the statue of his god, bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, he felt a glimmer of hope begin to stir within his heart.

"Please."