Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 38: The Highest Bidder, Part Thirteen

{Enverna}

With Lianna moving away to go inspect the rest of the building, Enverna ended up as she usually had been throughout her life.

Surrounded by people, but alone all the same.

It was necessary, of course. The plan she and Lianna had agreed upon required the separation. But, Enverna herself was shocked at how saddened she was to lack her roommate’s company.

[Goodness gracious, Enverna. Shove those thoughts out of your mind and focus.]

Slipping into her old self’s shoes was easy enough. By the time she had her first interaction without Lianna at this gathering, she was pretty much back in Garriden.

"Good evening," a tall, handsome boy asked. He had a gaunt face, bright, light blue eyes the likes of which the girls back at Enverna’s old school would have fawned over constantly, and he wore a set of light, brigandine, blue armor.

"Greetings," Enverna bowed, giving him a cold, apathetic look in return. That wasn’t just part of the performance, no, she genuinely did not care to interact much with this guy.

"I couldn’t help but notice that you looked a little lonely and I figured that maybe I had the remedy for that situation."

[...]

"..."

Enverna blinked.

[By the grace of Saren, it’s been a while.]

"Leave her alone, Lynon," a woman spoke up from the left. "Don’t you know who you’re talking to? She’s taken."

The lady who’d just spoken up was a far cry from anything Enverna had seen back home. Wearing a thick, black jacket with a fire symbol on the back, and latex black pants, the woman wore an eyepatch that Enverna could just barely see behind her flaming, orange hair.

"S-She’s what? Do you know her?" The boy, Lynon, asked.

"I know of her," the lady corrected. She approached Enverna with a somewhat cocky smirk. "Pleasure to meet ya, Miss Alteri. Or, should I be saying Mrs.? Heh, well, anyway, name’s Haiko."

"The pleasure is mine," Enverna replied automatically, bowing her head.

"I doubt it, given that you have no idea who I am!"

As Haiko laughed loudly, Enverna blushed a little.

[Of course, I don’t. I’m not from Telvan. I don’t know any of you.]

"Is your fiance going to be joining us anytime soon, ma’am?" The lady asked, speaking with a great amount of politeness though Enverna guessed she was at least 5 years older.

"Um, no. She’s busy," Enverna replied. She wouldn’t have responded like that if she didn’t have those bodyguards with her, of course. She knew that both she and Lianna had some targets on their backs.

"In that case, how about you have some drinks with me? I’d like to get to know the Watchful’s top prospect a little better."

"In that case, maybe you should keep looking for them," Enverna countered. "I’m rank 3."

"Oh, make no mistake, you are absolutely the top Watchful prospect. Of that, I’m certain. So," she half-turned, ready to walk away, "will you be joining me?"

"... Sure."

Part of the point of coming here was to do a little bit of damage control and repair the image that the controversy had broken. If having some drinks with this lady was a way to do that, Enverna couldn’t say no.

So, she followed Haiko back to her group.

The woman led her to a group made up of three other individuals who were each just as odd-looking as she was. One was a man whose teeth looked like solid gold. He wore a business suit and had red hair with the sides shaven. At first glance, he seemed tall and lanky, but Enverna had spent enough time training with her stepfather to know that this guy was a Strength class player, just by the imposing manner in which he stood.

To his right was a dark-skinned man with a black ponytail that was far longer than Haiko’s own. His eyes were completely blank, and Enverna noticed that he wore an enchanted ring on his right hand.

Finally, there was a boy who looked a lot like Haiko herself and was clearly around Enverna’s age, looking so uncomfortable that it was clear he would have preferred to be anywhere but there.

"Everyone, say hello to my new friend," Haiko said, announcing Enverna’s arrival. "Please, don’t scare her off."

---

{Lianna}

The castle-like structure of this building went far beyond just its presentation. Tall pillars flanked Lianna as she walked through the lonely halls.

Naturally, she was quite nervous. She wanted to make sure no trouble was coming, but she knew that if she did find it, her only real option would be to run away. And yet, she pressed on.

[The Lover gave me a mission. She said I needed to stop "the ascension of the Storm Fiend", whatever that means. The important thing, though, is that she made it very, very clear back when we first spoke. The first event wasn’t preventable. Enverna and I just weren’t strong enough. This one, though, IS preventable. So, as weak as I feel... According to The Lover, I can actually stop this one from happening. It’s just a matter of knowing what I have to do and where I have to be.]

She looked around, scanning the spaces between the mannequins in armor that lined up all across the walls.

[But... Come on, you could have at least told me where this Storm Fiend is supposed to be, Lover!]

Despite that, Lianna continued her search.

[The halls are so empty... I guess all of the players and guards are going to be around one of two places. The main hall where everyone is right now, and outside the theatre where the auction is taking place. So, the rest of this place is...]

She had been about to say "empty", but as a voice called out to her, she realized that wasn’t the case.

"Was the party not fun enough, Lianna Velcross?"

Lianna turned around, finding Athene Airnara standing behind her.

[Crap.]

She jumped, but quickly tried to regain her composure. Knowing she probably looked pretty suspicious wandering the halls alone like this, Lianna tried to keep as calm as possible.

"It was enjoyable enough but I felt like I needed some fresh air, you know?"

"And, instead of just walking outside, you went deeper into the building, drawing dangerously close to where the auction will soon be taking place."

[I was? Shit!]

"Did your Constellation tell you to do that?"

That question made Lianna pause.

"How...?"

"I did some research on you after I heard about the murder." Athene stepped closer, her strong hands clasped together as her bright eyes scanned Lianna. "A woman who went from being no one of note to awakening two Instincts just a day or two before you signed up for the Watchful. Rather convenient, isn’t it?"

"It’s not like that doesn’t happen ever," Lianna countered.

"Indeed. But, my own Constellation confirmed my suspicions, so, yes, I have it on good authority that you’re like me. Initially, everyone thought Enverna killed Miss Vara so she could aid you in getting her items or something, but I always assumed you’d been the one to kill her. But, after the bodycam footage came out, I knew that not to be the case. It is the only reason I have not cut you down yet."

Two things stood out here, to Lianna.

One, she hadn’t cut Lianna down "yet". Meaning that while the footage the administrator released made it clear Lianna and Enverna did not commit the crime, Athene still harbored doubts about Lianna’s moral compass. Likely, because she was a child of mana, as was usually the case.

Importantly, however...

[She doesn’t know Enverna’s also chosen.]

Lianna guessed that could be owed to one simple factor. Athene’s Constellation simply did not have the power to reveal the full truth to her, the same way Lianna’s didn’t. And, if that was true for Athene, it could also be true for all other Constellation’s followers.

Simply put, even if someone guessed that Lianna was chosen, there was a chance they wouldn’t be able to guess Enverna was.

[I should try to keep that from getting out.]

"So," Athene finally said, walking forward, "care to explain what you’re doing?"

Lianna had no intention of doing so, given that she could not tell Athene about her quest.

So, she went for a different means of counterattacking.

"...!?"

Athene pulled back as Lianna moved forward, placing her hands on Athene’s abs. The girl was wide-eyed, shocked by the sudden invasion of her personal space.

With as sultry a voice as Lianna could muster, she said:

"Honestly, I was just so fucking horny I wanted to find a nice spot to rub my clit for a few minutes~"

Athene was so stunned that her mind visibly went blank. Still, she asked:

"You expect me to believe that?"

[Her voice cracked...] Lianna noted with a grin. [So, she’s like Enverna, then? Weak to anything lewd...]

"You’re right, by the way. I am a Constellation’s follower. Can you guess who, though?"

Athene’s brows shot up.

Lianna leaned in, whispering into her ear so closely she almost kissed it.

"The Lover."

She could almost feel the way Athene gasped.

"Even if you still think I’m a bad girl, you know that means I’m no villain, right? Good going, though," Lianna continued. "You followed me all the way here and caught me. So..." Lianna took her skirt and lifted it up, "will you punish me?"

Athene opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

Laughing, Lianna placed a hand on her face gently, and almost condescendingly.

"Fine, fine. If your nerves won’t rest easy unless I’m somewhere else, I’ll go outside to relieve myself. Maybe I’ll find something nice to grind my pussy on."

Thus, like a strong wind, Lianna all but vanished, walking away and leaving an incredibly stunned Athene where she stood.

[I couldn’t just keep going with Athene there. And, she definitely didn’t trust me enough to let me go anywhere near the auction. Hm... The Lover saw the future. The Lover knows how all of this is going to turn out, right? So... What does this mean? Do I need to be somewhere else?]

Soon, she’d receive an answer to that question.