Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 128: Children of Mana, Part Twelve

Enverna made her way through the sunlit streets of Garriden, her mind buzzing as she tried to think of ways to get stronger.

As Lianna had told her, there was news of Fiends gathering. Tensions were growing higher in the city and things pointed to a fight probably happening in the near future.

She couldn’t think of anything, but upon arriving back at the inn where she and her friends were staying, Enverna found Caroline waiting for her, her presence commanding attention amidst the hustle and bustle of the common room.

She was shocked. She hadn’t told Caroline she was staying here.

Enverna’s steps faltered.

"Caroline?" she greeted, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Caroline turned to face her, a confident smile gracing her lips.

"Enverna," she replied warmly, her gaze unwavering. "I hope you don’t mind me waiting for you here."

Enverna shook her head, trying to mask her bewilderment.

"No, not at all," she replied, her tone cautious. "But what brings you here?"

She quickly accepted that it probably didn’t take long for Caroline to track them down.

Caroline’s smile widened, a glint of excitement shining in her eyes.

"I wanted to offer you something," she began, her voice taking on a determined edge. "A chance to sharpen your skills a bit."

Enverna’s eyes widened. Maybe a bit of Lianna’s luck had rubbed off on her.

"How?"

"Train with me."

"Train with you?"

"That is, in fact, what I just said, yes," Caroline giggled. "Exactly," she confirmed. "I’ve seen your potential, Enverna. With the right guidance, I think you could become a fine warrior."

Enverna’s heart leaped at the prospect, her doubts momentarily forgotten in the face of Caroline’s confidence...

... And the reality that she didn’t really know what else she could do.

"I’d be honored," she replied, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Wonderful," Caroline’s smile widened. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing towards the door.

Enverna nodded eagerly, her resolve solidifying with each step she took alongside the woman.

[Like Lianna said, I need to use this "friendship" I have with her. This is bigger than me. A lot is at stake.]

Enverna’s jaw hit the ground as they entered the secluded training grounds, her eyes widening in surprise at the opulent surroundings.

The sight of the well-maintained arena and meticulously arranged weaponry spoke volumes about Caroline’s status and influence.

"Wow," Enverna breathed, her gaze darting around the area in awe. "I had no idea you lived in such a place, Caroline."

Caroline chuckled softly, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

"It’s one of the perks of... being who I am," she replied casually, gesturing towards the sprawling estate.

Enverna followed her nod and saw what she was referring to.

A banner proudly displaying a symbol of two blades crossing. The sigil of House Plainelle.

"House Plainelle?" she echoed her thoughts, her brows furrowing in confusion. "You’re part of it!?"

Her shock was merited.

House Plainelle was one of the most well-off families in Garriden. Far above Enverna’s own on the social ladder, and even if they’d been going through thought times, the Alteris were nothing to scoff at.

Caroline’s smile widened, a touch of pride coloring her features.

"Yes, that’s my family," she confirmed, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "But I chose to drop that name."

Enverna couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

"Why?"

"I wanted to forge my own path," Caroline shrugged. "Not to say I wanted to shy away from expectations, no, I love a challenge. But, I wanted people to think of me as... Well, me. Not the ’Plainelle’s daughter’, you know?"

Enverna’s eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of admiration and sympathy swirling in her heart.

"That’s... impressive," she murmured. "That couldn’t have been easy."

Caroline shrugged, a nonchalant smile gracing her lips.

"Eh, I wasn’t above taking a small loan every now and then when I first started, so don’t be too impressed. But, now, I’d like to think I’m standing only on my own two feet."

Enverna nodded in understanding, a sense of actual kinship forming between them.

"I share your desire for independence," she admitted. "To carve out my own path, free from the constraints of expectation."

Caroline walked forward. Gently, she placed a hand on Enverna’s right shoulder.

"I have no doubt you will," she replied, her voice filled with confidence. "It seems you and I are more alike than I initially realized. But enough about me. Let’s focus on your training, shall we?"

Enverna nodded eagerly, her earlier surprise giving way to determination.

"Yes, let’s," she agreed, steeling herself for the incoming session.

On that note, they got started.

Enverna with her spear and Caroline with that regal sword of hers crossed blades, their weapons quickly clashing and bouncing off each other.

Because this was actual training and not the casual sparring they’d been doing before, Enverna hoped she’d actually improve this time.

As Enverna and Caroline sparred, their movements fluid and precise, their session was quickly interrupted by the arrival of a maid.

The girl had grey skin and grey hair, much like Mel but with even less color somehow.

[A child of mana,] Enverna noted.

Enverna’s gaze flickered with discomfort as she watched the maid approach.

Caroline glanced over her shoulder at the approaching maid, her expression shifting from focused determination to one of authority.

"Ah, finally. There you are," she remarked briskly, her tone sharp and commanding.

The maid bowed respectfully.

"I apologize for the delay, Lady Caroline," she murmured, her voice soft yet tinged with apprehension.

Caroline’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of impatience creeping into her tone.

"You were supposed to be here sooner!" She chided, her words laced with reproach. "Now, go bring us some tea and, please, do try not to get lost in the hallways."

The maid nodded hastily, her gaze downcast as she mumbled an apology.

"Yes, Lady Caroline," she replied meekly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Enverna watched the exchange with a furrowed brow, her discomfort growing with each passing moment.

The way Caroline spoke to that lady left a bitter taste in Enverna’s mouth.

"Is everything alright?" Enverna interjected, unable to hide the concern in her voice. "You seemed upset."

"I’m fine," Caroline turned to face Enverna, her expression composed yet guarded. "She simply needs to learn the importance of punctuality," she replied smoothly, her tone dismissive. "I swear, Saren’s mercy is lost on these people."

Enverna couldn’t say she was fond of hearing this attitude but she set it aside.

She needed this training, after all. How Caroline treated her workers was none of her business.

A while later, their session was, again, briefly interrupted as the maid returned with their tea, her steps hurried yet cautious.

Enverna watched in silence as Caroline’s demeanor shifted once more.

"You took your sweet time," Caroline snapped, her voice tinged with irritation as she eyed the maid critically. "Do you have any idea how long we’ve been waiting?"

[What, a few minutes?]

The maid flinched visibly at Caroline’s words, her shoulders hunching slightly as she stammered out an apology.

"I-I’m sorry, Lady Caroline," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Just go, just go." Caroline waved her off and the girl all but ran away. "I swear, I should..."

Enverna’s frown deepened. She couldn’t help herself, then, and said:

"Caroline, perhaps you could ease up a bit," she suggested tentatively, her voice laced with unease. "She’s only human, after all."

"Barely," Caroline replied. Her gaze flickered with irritation at Enverna’s interjection, her jaw clenching slightly as she regarded her friend with a hint of annoyance. "Enverna, it’s not my fault if she can’t keep up."

Enverna nodded.

"Of course," she agreed, trying to be gentle about this. "But there’s no need to berate her like that," she insisted, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Personally, I find that..." She took a moment to pick her words, "when it comes to people like her, it is better to treat them like pets, you know? Striking a dog would only breed a rabid, paranoid mutt, would it not? Kindness makes them far more obedient. I would know," Enverna smiled proudly. "I have experience."

Caroline’s expression softened slightly at Enverna’s words, her features betraying a hint of uncertainty.

"Fine," she conceded reluctantly, her tone begrudging. "I’ll take it into consideration."

Enverna nodded in appreciation, her relief evident as she watched Caroline’s demeanor soften slightly.

[Well, I hope I helped, my friend,] she aimed her thoughts at that maid. [I hope I helped.]

---

By the time they were done, Enverna’s theory was right.

Her Lance skill went up to 20. It was likely Caroline’s Blade skill was incredibly high, for her to have caused that much growth in Enverna’s technique that quickly.

[I would very much like to not make an enemy of this woman,] Enverna thought. [She is extremely skilled.]

As Caroline escorted Enverna back to the inn, the atmosphere between them was still tinged with the remnants of their earlier exchange.

Caroline had looked pensive the whole way back.

As they entered the inn, Enverna expected Caroline to stop but she went with her all the way up to the second floor, stopping only when they reached Enverna’s open bedroom.

Enverna’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Lianna and Zura engaged in conversation.

The girls noticed them.

Her muscles tensed involuntarily as Caroline’s gaze locked with Lianna’s, a brief moment of tension passing between them.

However, to Enverna’s relief, Lianna handled the situation with grace and poise.

"Greetings," Lianna said, with a posh voice Enverna had never heard from her. "You must be Caroline, if I am not mistaken?"

If Enverna wasn’t so nervous, she would have laughed.

"Indeed, I am."

Lianna bowed.

"It’s an honor to meet you!"

Again, there was a pause.

Enverna didn’t miss it. How could she? She was staring a hole through Caroline’s face.

The woman’s eyes roamed Lianna’s body, from her head all the way to her toes, before returning to Lianna’s heterochromatic eyes.

Then, for her part, Caroline offered Lianna a curt nod in return before turning her attention back to Enverna.

"Well, I’ll leave you to it," she remarked tersely, her tone betraying no hint of warmth as she bid them farewell.

Enverna breathed a sigh of relief as Caroline walked away, the weight of the encounter lifting from her shoulders.

With a grateful smile, she turned to Lianna and Zura, her expression softening with relief.

"I’m a goddamn natural, aren’t I?" Lianna asked with a grin.

Enverna let out a still slightly nervous laugh.

"That voice was so silly," she stated, fighting through giggles.

"So, that’s the Champion’s Follower, huh?" Zura asked, hands behind her head as she laid on the bed. "Hot as hell, but yeah, one look is all it took to see she’s kind of a bitch."

"Some would say those two attributes are directly proportional to each other," Lianna said.

"Do you think so?"

"I don’t necessarily disagree," Lianna shrugged. "I see the appeal."

Enverna rolled her eyes.

Sitting on the bed, she wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead.

Lianna’s expression grew more serious.

Enverna noticed and asked:

"What is it?"

"Uhm..." Lianna looked away. "Well, I’m just going to say... You should keep cozying up to her."

"Why?"

"Cause," Lianna looked back at the door, as though she were following the woman’s figure leaving the room. "She is strong. as. fuck."

[Oh,] Enverna sighed. [I see.]