Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 150: Children of Mana, Part Thirty-Three

{Caroline}

It was all over the news in no time.

Caroline couldn’t really believe what she’d read.

House Alteri’s home burned down!

Perpetrators still unknown!

She read those words several times over as she went about her daily training. It was hard to believe it.

The reports only gave a few details. Enough for Caroline to get a general sense of what happened, but not how it happened or why.

Caroline’s heart sank as she read the article, however. What was known was bad enough on its own.

Prima, Enverna’s sister, dead? Verana, her mother, badly wounded? It felt like a punch to the gut. She couldn’t believe that such a tragedy had occurred, and, the conflict between them aside, the thought of someone she respected greatly like Enverna having to endure such pain tore at her heart.

Without hesitation, Caroline abandoned the training she’d been doing back home and rushed to Mel’s inn.

As she arrived, she noticed several unfamiliar faces gathered in the common area.

A blonde woman exuding an air of elegance, another woman with striking green eyes and hair to match, and a man whose appearance seemed to defy categorization, like he’d just been plucked from the wilderness.

"Who are they?" Caroline asked, her voice tense with urgency, as she approached Lianna and her group.

Lianna turned to Caroline, her expression somber yet welcoming.

"These are our allies," Lianna replied, gesturing to the group. "Xi, Desmond, and Cynthia Taylor. Xi and Desmond are Constellation’s Followers. Miss Taylor is the leader of Telvan’s Watchful Guild."

[Truly!?]

Caroline’s eyes widened.

Other Constellation’s Followers, presumably from Telvan unless Caroline was woefully uninformed, had come to help. Along with Cynthia, who was the leader of an entire guild.

This was quite the positive development.

"I’m Caroline," she introduced herself, trying to keep her voice steady despite the turmoil in her heart. "I’ve been working alongside Enverna and her friends for a while now."

Xi, the blonde woman, offered Caroline a warm smile, her demeanor calm and reassuring.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Caroline," Xi said, her voice soft yet confident. "I’ve heard a lot about you."

Naturally, Caroline’s eyes fell on Lianna.

[All of it good, I’m sure.]

Desmond, the man with a rugged appearance, nodded in greeting, his gaze assessing yet not unkind.

"Likewise," Desmond added, his tone gruff yet sincere.

Miss Taylor, the woman with the commanding presence, regarded Caroline with a thoughtful expression, her eyes sharp and penetrating.

"Yes, yes, Lianna has told me a bit," Miss Taylor remarked, her voice measured yet authoritative. "Your dedication and determination have not gone unnoticed. We... could certainly use someone like you in our efforts."

[There’s something about how she spoke just now that I did not like at all, but I can’t put my finger on it.

"I wasn’t aware Enverna had built up such powerful connections."

"It was Lianna who reached out to us," Cynthia quickly corrected. "You have her to thank."

That was pretty much just as unbelievable as the fact that they were all here to begin with.

A child of mana had managed to gather this group together? Just a couple of weeks ago such an idea would have been unthinkable to Caroline.

But, this same child of mana had also managed to befriend Enverna. Worse yet, if Caroline was reading Enverna well, she’d done more than that.

[... I can’t believe it.]

"Now," Cynthia said, "how about we talk a little about what we should do going forward, hm?"

---

Later, Caroline stood alone on the balcony, the cool evening breeze ruffling her hair as she gazed out at the busy streets below.

Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, still reeling from the tragic news about House Alteri and now the shocker that Lianna had done more networking than Caroline had thought.

She was lost in her own thoughts when she heard the door behind her creak open.

Turning slightly, Caroline saw Cynthia Taylor step out onto the balcony with her.

Caroline felt a flicker of nervousness at the sight of her, knowing that Cynthia was Lianna’s friend, somehow. She couldn’t even imagine how such a friendship kicked off, but, it was apparently a fact.

"Good evening, Caroline," Cynthia greeted, her voice warm and friendly. "Mind if I join you?"

Caroline forced a small smile, trying to appear calmer than she was.

"Not at all," Caroline replied, her voice steady yet tinged with uncertainty.

Cynthia moved to stand beside Caroline, her gaze sweeping out over the cityscape below.

"I must say, I’m quite impressed by your accomplishments," Cynthia began, her tone genuine. "You’ve already made a name for yourself in the world of adventuring."

Caroline’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise at the unexpected compliment.

"Thank you," Caroline replied, her voice tinged with cautious gratitude. "I’ve worked hard to get where I am."

Cynthia nodded in acknowledgment, her expression thoughtful as she continued.

"I can see that," Cynthia remarked, her tone thoughtful. "You’re a very prolific adventurer, Caroline. I respect that."

Caroline’s guard remained up, waiting for the inevitable topic she knew Cynthia would broach sooner or later.

Cynthia paused for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, before speaking again.

"However," Cynthia began, her tone careful yet pointed. "I think it’s important to be careful not to let your accomplishments overshadow those of others. Especially someone like Lianna."

Caroline felt a surge of surprise. She’d expected Cynthia to bring the girl up, but not in that way.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked, her voice tinged with genuine curiosity.

Cynthia turned to look at Caroline, her gaze piercing yet not unkind.

"I’ve known Lianna for quite some time now," Cynthia explained, her tone thoughtful. "And I can tell you that she’s a very hard-working, eager individual. All she’s ever wanted is to be an adventurer, to make a difference in the world."

Caroline raised a brow. At this point, she was genuinely listening intently.

"She may not have the same level of talent or experience as you," Cynthia continued, her tone gentle yet firm. "But she has passion. Determination. A drive to succeed that’s practically unmatched."

Caroline felt a pang of doubt creep into her mind at Cynthia’s words, a nagging feeling that perhaps she had underestimated Lianna’s potential.

Cynthia smiled warmly at Caroline, her expression reassuring.

"Not to say that you aren’t a passionate individual," Cynthia added, her tone earnest. "I’m sure you are. But I wonder, who will be remembered more fondly by history? The adventurer who achieves greatness through sheer talent, or the one who never gives up, no matter the odds?"

At this point, Caroline couldn’t help but ask herself:

[Have I misread that woman?] Lianna’s face briefly flashed in front of her eyes, while Cynthia held a satisfied smile on her face.

---

{Enverna}

Enverna sat alone in her room, the weight of the day’s events bearing down on her shoulders.

She had just finished speaking with her mother on the phone, arranging for transportation for Verana and Treon to a village where they would be safe from further harm. It was the best she could do for them at the moment, but it offered little solace to Enverna as she hung up the call.

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over as she struggled to contain the storm of emotions raging inside her.

Prima may not have been her favorite person, but she was still her sister, and the news of her death had hit Enverna harder than she had expected.

The door creaked open, and Enverna looked up to see Lianna standing in the doorway, her expression filled with concern.

"Envy..." Lianna started softly, her voice gentle and reassuring.

Enverna felt a lump form in her throat at the sight of Lianna, her walls crumbling in the face of her friend’s unwavering support.

"I’m fine," Enverna quickly stated. "I... I just need..."

[I need that bastard to be dead at my feet.]

Lianna crossed the room in a few quick strides, wrapping her arms around Enverna in a tight embrace.

"Well... Whatever you need, I’m here for you," Lianna murmured soothingly, her voice a comforting presence in the darkness of Enverna’s despair.

Enverna buried her face in Lianna’s shoulder, allowing herself to finally let go of the facade she had been struggling to maintain.

"I-I should have expected it," Enverna whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "But, I-I guess I thought he wouldn’t go there. I wouldn’t."

Lianna held Enverna close, offering her silent comfort as she allowed herself to grieve for her sister, however complicated their relationship may have been.

"I don’t think anyone expected that," Lianna replied softly, her voice filled with understanding.

Enverna pulled away slightly, meeting Lianna’s gaze with tear-filled eyes.

"I promise," Enverna vowed, her voice firm with determination. "I’ll take Jack’s head for what he did to my family. I swear it."

"We’ll do it together," Lianna promised, her voice steady and strong. "I won’t let you face him alone."

Enverna nodded, a glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes as she leaned into Lianna’s embrace once more.

"Thank you," Enverna whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet of the room.

Lianna held Enverna close, her presence a steady anchor in the storm of Enverna’s grief.

"We’ll get through this," Lianna murmured softly, her words a silent promise to her friend. "Together."