Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 142: Children of Mana, Part Twenty-Six

{Lianna}

The sun cast its warm glow over the city of Garriden as Lianna walked alongside Enverna and Zura, the trio making their way toward the grandiose palace that loomed in the distance.

Despite the serene beauty of their rural surroundings, an undercurrent of tension lingered in the air, anticipation mingling with apprehension as they neared their destination.

"You know, I’m still pretty surprised that Caroline allowed me to come. Maybe she’s finally warming up to me," Lianna said with a slightly sarcastic tinge to her words.

Enverna scoffed.

"I am so over that woman," she sighed, shaking her head. "How she made me feel any admiration for her at all is beyond me."

Lianna glanced at Enverna, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips as she considered that statement.

[Oh? So she admits it?]

Enverna’s expression remained neutral the rest of the way, though Lianna could sense a hint of irritation simmering beneath the surface.

It was clear that Enverna’s trust in Caroline was still tentative at best, despite the older woman’s willingness to include Lianna in their plans.

As they approached the palace, Lianna’s gaze shifted to Caroline, who stood a short distance away, her posture tense as she awaited their arrival.

Flanked by a pair of imposing guards, Caroline’s presence exuded an air of authority, her demeanor betraying little of the uncertainty that lurked beneath the surface.

Enverna stepped forward, her gaze meeting Caroline’s as she spoke.

"Have you been told any further details about what the Divine Council wants?" she inquired, her voice laced with a hint of urgency.

Caroline shook her head, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips.

"Not a clue," she admitted, her tone tinged with exasperation. "But I suppose we’ll find out soon enough."

With a nod of agreement, Enverna turned to Lianna and Zura, a determined glint in her eyes. "Are you ready to head inside?" she asked, her voice steady despite the uncertainty that lingered in the air.

Lianna met Enverna’s gaze with a resolute nod, her heart pounding with anticipation as she prepared to face whatever challenges awaited them within the palace walls. "Ready as I’ll ever be," she replied, her voice echoing with determination.

With one last glance exchanged between them, the trio stepped forward, their footsteps echoing against the marble floors as they made their way into the heart of the palace.

The group entered the council’s meeting room with a mixture of apprehension and determination etched on their faces.

The atmosphere was heavy with tension as they faced the same small handful of individuals they had encountered before, seated around a polished wooden table.

Adelina, the high priestess, regarded them with a steely gaze, her expression betraying little emotion as she addressed them.

"Greetings," she said. That was the only word she gave before getting straight to the heart of the matter. "We have received reports that you were seen fleeing from the First Church of Garriden with blood on your clothes," she began, her voice carrying a note of accusation. "Explain yourselves."

Lianna shot a subtle glance toward Enverna, silently urging her to take the lead in explaining their ordeal, knowing that things would sound better coming from her.

Enverna squared her shoulders, steeling herself.

"We were ambushed," she began, her voice tinged with disbelief and echoing in the chamber as she relived the memory. "The church members... they attacked us without warning."

"Our reports say you went to the First Church purposefully, though. It seems to us like you were the ones doing the ambushing."

Enverna’s voice faltered for a moment as she recalled the ferocity of their assailants, the sound of clashing steel ringing in her ears like a haunting melody.

"We only went to look for our friend, Olin. A fellow chosen follower of a Constellation. They attacked us the instant we showed up. We fought back, but they were relentless, so we had no choice but to eliminate them."

She described the frantic struggle for survival, the desperate maneuvers and narrow escapes that had kept them alive against impossible odds. Each word on Enverna’s part attempted to paint the picture, but Lianna wasn’t sure they were being receptive to any of them.

"And then... we found him inside," Enverna continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Jack Caldwell. The Demon’s follower. You may have seen him on the news some time ago. He is working on the side of the Fiends, and those members of the church had aligned themselves with him."

Enverna took a deep breath, steadying her emotions before continuing.

"We were outmatched," Enverna concluded, her voice filled with a mixture of frustration and resignation. "We had no choice but to flee... to survive another day."

The chamber fell silent, the weight of Enverna’s words hanging heavy in the air like a shroud of uncertainty.

For a moment, the council members remained motionless, their expressions unreadable as they processed the gravity of her testimony.

The expressions on the council members’ faces ranged from skepticism to outright disbelief. Adelina’s lips tightened into a thin line, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"That is quite the tale, Enverna," Adelina remarked, her voice laced with skepticism. "But forgive us if we find your account difficult to believe. Accusing members of our esteemed church of such things is a grave accusation indeed."

Enverna met Adelina’s gaze head-on, her jaw set with determination.

"I speak only the truth, High Priestess," she asserted firmly. "We were attacked without provocation, and I fear that the church may be, at the very least, harboring individuals with malicious intent."

Before Adelina could respond, Caroline stepped forward, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

"I can vouch for Enverna’s honesty," she declared, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "I was there, and I witnessed the events unfold with my own eyes. I am not casting a condemnation on the church as a whole, but I do believe that a small portion have been... corrupted, perhaps. Swayed by Mr. Caldwell’s words."

The council members suddenly exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions conflicted as they grappled with the weight of Caroline’s endorsement.

Lianna glanced over at Caroline. It was easy to forget this given that she wasn’t from Garriden, but Caroline was pretty much a local hero.

Her words held weight.

Adelina’s gaze softened slightly, though her skepticism remained evident.

"Your support is duly noted, Lady Caroline," Adelina conceded, her voice measured. "However, mere words are not sufficient evidence to support such serious allegations. If what you claim is true, we will require tangible proof before we can take any action against the church."

A heavy silence descended upon the room as the gravity of the council’s decision settled upon the group. Lianna felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach, the weight of their predicament bearing down upon her.

"We..." Enverna said, "we do not have any to offer at the moment. "But, we will do everything in our power to gather the evidence you seek."

"... Very well," Adelina replied, much to the chagrin of the other members of the council, who were already whispering to each other. "But, know this. It is due only to Miss Caroline’s history of serving Garriden well that I am not having you all thrown into the dungeons. If you cause more trouble, I may change my mind."

"We understand," Enverna bowed.

With a curt nod from Adelina, the council signaled their dismissal, and the group turned to leave the chamber.

The weight of the meeting hung heavy in the air.

Caroline left quickly, without throwing her usual glare at Lianna.

[... Progress?]

"Well," Lianna said, hands on her hips as they left the palace, "that... didn’t go too badly, eh?"

Lianna’s words broke the tense silence that hung over the group like a heavy cloud, offering a small glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty that loomed ahead.

Enverna nodded solemnly, her expression grave as she considered the implications of their predicament.

"We can’t afford to underestimate the church’s influence," she remarked, her voice tinged with urgency. "If we don’t act soon, Garriden could be torn apart from within."

"I’ll keep reaching out to everyone we know. At least a few people are on their way," she stated. "Just having them around would help. And, also, we should ask around the city, see if anyone has noticed anything strange or out of the ordinary."

Enverna’s gaze softened momentarily.

Lianna followed that gaze, finding her eyes set on Caroline’s figure growing more and more distant.

"It was kind of her, wasn’t it?" Lianna mused, her voice barely above a whisper.

Enverna nodded in agreement, her expression thoughtful.

"I suppose so. I doubt the church would have given her as harsh a sentence as they would us if they had thrown us all in jail, so... No, she didn’t have to vouch for us," she admitted quietly. "But she did."

The silent acknowledgement of that minor act hung in the air.

"Well, whatever. Let’s head back."

"Right."

Together, they turned and made their way back through the bustling streets of Garriden, their thoughts consumed by the challenges that lay ahead and the uncertain future that awaited them.