Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 152: Children of Mana, Part Thirty-Five

{Cynthia Taylor}

Cynthia Taylor sat alone in her room, at the house she owned in Garriden, surrounded by stacks of books and papers, her brow furrowed in concentration as she delved into her research.

[Hm... Nothing of any significance.]

With a sense of determination, Cynthia picked up her phone and dialed the number of a renowned researcher she had collaborated with in the past, from Telvan.

As the line connected, she waited anxiously for him to pick up, her mind racing with questions about the village Jack had mentioned.

"Hello?"

"Hello, it’s Cynthia Taylor," she greeted, her voice steady despite the uncertainty gnawing at her. "I require your expertise on something."

"Of course, Cynthia. What can I help you with?" the researcher replied, his interest piqued by her call.

Cynthia wasted no time in getting to the point.

"I need to know everything there is to know about this village near Garriden," she explained. "Aside from its involvement in the Great War, I’m already aware of that. What else is known about it?"

The researcher paused for a moment, his mind working to recall the information he had on hand.

"Well..." He paused. Cynthia heard some rapid-fire clicking on the other end of the call. "As you know, the village in question was once a thriving settlement that fell victim to the ravages of war," he began, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "In the aftermath, it became infested with Fiends."

[Ah, so, is he planning to overwhelm us with-]

Before she could continue that train of thought, the researcher added:

"However, in recent months, there have been reports suggesting that Fiend activity in the area has decreased significantly. Some even claim that the village has been pretty much quiet as a whole. Huh. I wonder what happened."

Cynthia’s brow furrowed in confusion as she processed this information, her mind racing to make sense of the situation.

"So, what you’re saying is that while the village was once overrun by Fiends, it’s now experiencing a period of relative calm?" she clarified, seeking confirmation.

"Exactly," the researcher affirmed. "Yeah, it’s difficult to say for certain what might have caused this shift, but it’s certainly an interesting development."

Cynthia mulled over the researcher’s words, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty as she considered the implications of this newfound information.

[More likely than not a result of Jack’s presence. But, why would he work to reduce the number of Fiends rather than increase it?] Miss Taylor couldn’t help but wonder. [Perhaps he’s aware of Lianna’s ability to control them. He knew she was in possession of the artifact. Maybe he’s assuming that Lianna’s mastered it already.]

"Thank you for your insights, I appreciate it," Cynthia said gratefully.

"I’ll keep you updated if I come across anything else."

With that, she ended the call, her mind buzzing with thoughts and possibilities.

As she stared out into the night, Cynthia couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than met the eye.

---

{December 21st}

The morning sun cast a warm glow over the field as Cynthia Taylor sat at a table outside Caroline’s family home, her gaze fixed on the training grounds where Enverna and Caroline herself engaged in a rigorous training session.

A few steps away, Lianna was training with her bow, taking aim at distant dummies.

Cynthia preferred her VR simulations, personally, but any training was good given the magnitude of the opposition they were going up against. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Naturally, Cynthia’s eyes lingered on Lianna longer than they did on anyone else.

As she watched, her heart swelled with pride and affection.

Despite the challenges she had faced, Lianna’s determination and resilience never wavered. It didn’t ceased to amaze her.

It was moments like these that reminded Cynthia of just how far Lianna had come since they first met, and her admiration for the young woman only grew stronger with each passing day.

[Ah, how I long to deliver the heads of your enemies to you on a silver platter,] Miss Taylor thought with a little smile. [It’s really the least I could do.]

Lost in her thoughts, Cynthia was slightly startled when Vayn approached.

"Morning, Cynthia," Vayn greeted, her voice tinged with concern. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not, Vayn," Cynthia replied warmly, offering a reassuring smile. "Have you managed to gather any information about Jack’s plans? Or, the church’s movements?"

Vayn hesitated for a moment before speaking, her gaze drifting toward the training grounds where Lianna and Enverna continued their practice.

Then, Vayn began, her tone grave.

"Some poor sap told me a little bit."

"Is that sap still with us?"

"Wouldn’t be a ’poor’ sap if she was," Vayn responded with a smirk.

"Good. So, what did this unlucky individual say?"

"It seems like they’ve been mobilizing quite a bit of equipment lately. Almost like they’re preparing for something big."

Cynthia’s brow furrowed in thought as she considered Vayn’s words, a sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach.

"A large-scale battle, perhaps," Cynthia mused, her voice tinged with concern. "One possibly taking place at a certain village where Jack has an appointment."

"Yep."

"Well, this might just be on a far larger scale than we thought. If that’s the case, we’ll need to be prepared."

Vayn nodded in agreement, her expression serious as she contemplated their next course of action.

"That’s what I was thinking," Vayn replied, her voice low. "But maybe we can turn this to our advantage. If we can find members of the church who disagree with Jack and his agenda, perhaps we can convince them to join our cause. Build a little army of our own, so to speak."

Cynthia’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, a spark of hope igniting within her chest.

"That’s an excellent idea, Vayn," Cynthia exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "If we can sow dissent within the church’s ranks, it could weaken Mr. Caldwell’s hold on his followers and give us the upper hand in the upcoming battle. Put your ears to the ground, my friend. Get on it."

Vayn nodded in agreement, her expression determined as she glanced back at the training grounds where Lianna and Enverna continued to spar.

"I’ll start looking into it right away," Vayn promised, her tone resolute. "I’ll see what I can find out and report back to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Vayn," Cynthia said gratefully, her heart swelling with gratitude for the woman’s unwavering dedication to their cause. "I’ll owe you one."

Vayn knew well what that meant.

When Cynthia Taylor "owed" someone, she tended to pay back tenfold. It was part of how she’d become so well-connected.

As Vayn rose to her feet, Cynthia’s gaze returned to Lianna.

Standing by the table, Vayn noticed, her eyes lingering on the girl as well.

"So, uh, Cynthia," Vayn’s voice interrupted her thoughts, drawing her attention back to the present. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Cynthia replied, turning to face the woman with a curious expression.

Vayn hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering uncertainly as she spoke.

"Are you aware of Lianna’s... Tendencies?" Vayn asked, her voice cautious.

"You’re gonna have to be clearer than that."

"Sorry, I mean are you aware that she’s basically the type to fuck anything with a pulse? Even now, as a soon-to-be-married woman?"

[Ah.]

Cynthia just sighed.

"I... Picked up on that, you could say."

"I see. You, uh, don’t have a take on that, at all?"

"I just want Lianna to be happy," Cynthia replied honestly, her voice soft with affection. "After everything she’s been through, she deserves to have some fun and enjoy herself. If that means... exploring her desires and indulging in her passions, then who am I to judge?"

Vayn nodded a little.

"I guess I see where you’re coming from," Vayn conceded, her tone thoughtful.

"Besides," Cynthia shrugged, "you know damn well that I too had a tendency for ending up in strangers’ beds every now and then."

Vayn barked out a laugh.

"She really is your kid, damn."

That statement shook Cynthia more than Vayn had likely intended it to.

Cynthia’s eyes landed back on Lianna, then.

[She... She truly is.]

As Cynthia watched Lianna shoot those arrows, a wave of conflicting emotions washed over her. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride seeing Lianna’s determination and skill on display, but beneath that pride lurked a nagging sense of concern.

[She’s so much like me in many ways... But I hope she doesn’t make the same mistakes I did,]

"Well..." Vayn then suddenly took a step forward, placing a hand on the table in front of Cynthia. "You know, if you need someone to remind you what having fun is like, I’d be happy to help."

"As tempting as that sounds, Vayn, we should probably stay focused on the task at hand," she replied with a playful wink.

"Suit yourself."

As Vayn excused herself, Cynthia watched her go with a fond smile.

[She’s certainly spirited, that one,] Cynthia thought. Again, her eyes fell on Lianna, as she rested her head on her palm. [Yes, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying oneself,] Cynthia mused silently, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. [But sometimes, focus is necessary, especially in times like these.]