Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 67: Search and Rescue, Part Four

{Lianna}

The redhead’s mind couldn’t help but wander a little as she walked across the thin snow. Mainly, she wondered about how exactly she would be able to prevent the next event that The Lover had warned her about.

{Prevent the assassination of President Aria}

The president of Telvan herself was, apparently, not long for this world.

Lianna wasn’t given anything to go off, though. Not a time, nor a place. All she knew was that at some point, between this time and next year when the end of the world was set to take place, someone was going to make an attempt on her life and they would be successful.

[What am I supposed to do about that? What CAN I do about that?] She had no answers.

{Target Analysis} had grown stronger once again, though, which Lianna hoped would come in handy. If it would, however, she had no idea since the level-up did not change the ability’s description at all.

Target Analysis - Level 4

{Allows the user to see the Statuses of other living beings. Analyzed Spells have no effect on the user}

Lianna sighed.

[Just focus on the mission. It’s fine, you’ll probably get some clarification later.]

Lianna silently weaved through the icy landscape, periodically using {Reconnaisance} to see if there were any enemies around. Her keen eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any signs of the missing explorers in the snowy expanse.

As she moved stealthily, Lianna spotted a few Fiends lumbering about.

[Well... That’s not good.]

Keeping her distance, she observed their movements, noting the occasional groans and guttural sounds that echoed through the icy canyon. The Fiends seemed occupied with their own affairs, writhing and slithering from one place to another, perhaps uninterested in the arrival of the adventurers.

Or, they’d dealt with them already, which Lianna hoped wasn’t the case.

Lianna pressed on, following the faint trail of debris that hinted at the explorers’ presence. Broken equipment, discarded supplies, and scattered footprints told a silent tale of struggle and urgency. Her eyes narrowed as she analyzed the scene, contemplating the challenges the missing explorers might have faced.

The icy winds whispered through the canyon, carrying with them an eerie stillness that heightened Lianna’s senses. She remained vigilant, acutely aware of the potential dangers lurking in the shadows. The crunching of snow beneath her boots was the only sound as she navigated the icy labyrinth.

Despite her thorough search, Lianna found no immediate sign of the missing explorers. The eerie silence of Iceditch Valley offered little solace, and uncertainty gripped her as she considered the fate that might have befallen the lost adventurers. Her thoughts momentarily drifted to Enverna, Xi, and the rest of the team, wondering if they would uncover more answers as they pressed forward.

[Okay, I think this is enough. Any further and I might get myself killed.]

On that note, Lianna retraced her steps, making her way back to the main group to share her findings. The frozen landscape seemed to close in around her as she returned, the collective breaths of the adventurers visible in the frigid air.

---

{Enverna}

Lianna returned soon.

Gareth stood up from the rock he’d been sitting on. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Scout, report." He and the other 5 Players all waited to hear what she had to say.

"I found a few Fiends up ahead, no surprise there. But, I didn’t see any sign of the explorers."

"Are we too late?" A girl asked, clutching her sword’s hilt nervously.

"Surely not," a boy replied, spinning his sorcerer’s staff with one hand. "Captain, this Scout is a rookie. Surely, she missed something."

Lianna glared at him but did not say anything. Perhaps it was because Lianna wore her emotions on her sleeve, or maybe it was because Enverna had spent so many hours with the woman, but it was evident she wanted to say something and simply wasn’t. Why? Enverna had no clue.

But, Enverna also had something to say and so she stepped forward.

"You’re welcome to go have a look yourself," she suggested.

"Well now, come on. I don’t have any Scout skills."

"But she does, and yet you doubt her. Logically, that means it is her eyes you don’t trust. And, you have those, right?"

"..."

"By all means, then. Confirm or debunk her report yourself. I await to hear your more educated opinion."

The mage could not come up with anything worthwhile to say. Lianna looked surprised, giving Enverna a lingering, wide-eyed gaze. Enverna just winked at her.

[... Recent strange feelings aside, we are a team. I will not stand for this.]

"Alright, alright, settle down," Gareth stepped in. "Rookie, where did you see those Fiends? Were they in the valley or above?"

"Above," Lianna replied.

"Hm. In that case, it looks like the Fiends might have only just noticed the explorers’ presence. We should move. Everyone, with me. Let’s bring these people back home!"

With that firm instruction given, the group began to move.

"Heh," Xi chuckled with a hand over her mouth, doing a poor job of hiding her amusement.

"What?" Enverna asked, just before Lianna approached them.

"Nothing, nothing... Perhaps I was wrong."

[What’s that supposed to mean?]

"What’s going on?" Lianna asked as she arrived, a playful smirk playing on her lips.

Xi exchanged a knowing look with Enverna before responding:

"Just a fleeting thought. Nothing worth mentioning."

Lianna shrugged, deciding not to pry further.

Soon, the group headed out, venturing inside of the valley, as opposed to going over it the way Lianna had.

As they traversed deeper into the valley, the landscape became increasingly treacherous. Jagged ice formations adorned the path, creating a hazardous terrain that demanded careful navigation. The distant echoes of Fiends’ growls reverberated through the cold air, a constant reminder of the challenges they might encounter.

[... I suppose it would be intensely naive to hope that the explorers’ emergency has nothing to do with the Fiends Lianna spotted. I hope they managed to make it somewhere safe.]

Enverna, with her refined and elegant demeanor, gracefully maneuvered through the icy obstacles. Lianna, ever the casual and laid-back adventurer, moved with a confident stride, her bow at the ready for any unexpected encounters. Xi followed everyone from behind, acting as the group’s shield.

The group pressed forward, heading even deeper.

"Stay alert, everyone. We’d rather avoid a fight if we can, but if we do end up having to duke it out with something, we will. Rookies, try not to run back to Telvan if we do run into trouble."

Eventually, they reached a campsite.

The group approached the abandoned campsite cautiously, the remnants of a fire pit and scattered belongings telling a silent tale of an interrupted expedition.

Enverna noticed Lianna, ever the vigilant scout, activating {Reconnaissance} to survey the surroundings. Well, unless she was actually just looking at random rocks and staring at the walls.

"Over there," Lianna called out, gesturing towards the edge of the campsite. "Someone’s hiding behind those rocks."

Gareth nodded, signaling for the others to stay put. With a careful but determined stride, he approached the concealed figure. The individual, wrapped in tattered clothes and shivering in the cold, eyed Gareth and the others warily.

"Hey, we’re here to help," Gareth said, his voice calm and reassuring. "What happened? Where are the others?"

The figure hesitated before finally speaking, his words a mixture of relief and desperation.

"Fiends... they attacked us. We got separated, and I lost sight of the rest."

Gareth frowned, absorbing the information. Everyone else did the same.

[Well, there go any chances we wouldn’t have to fight.]

"How many Fiends are out there, and where did you last see your group?"

The survivor, still visibly shaken, could barely provide a coherent account of events. Gareth listened intently, but there was no substance to take in anyway.

"His mind needs time to recover," Gareth muttered. "Finish healing him and then we’ll make a plan."

Lianna, true to what she said before, pulled that coffee maker from her Inventory while the mage from before went and healed the person up.

As the man’s wounds were healed away and warm coffee went down his throat, they backed off.

Gareth, satisfied with the information gathered, nodded towards the group.

"We need to find the others before the Fiends catch up to them. Stick close, and we’ll get through this together. You," Gareth pointed at Lianna. "Stay with him."

"..."

"..."

Lianna and Enverna looked back and forth at each other.

"What?" They asked simultaneously.

"Even though he’s been healed, he’s still in a precarious position due to exhaustion. I’m going to give you some healing potions. If the temperature worsens his condition, you give them to him periodically. Additionally, this man’s going to need someone who can move around freely to make sure no Fiends are coming. Look," he stepped up, "you’ve already been very useful to the group, so don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to say that you’re of no use at all to us. But, if we do get into a fight, you’re probably only going to be a liability. And, even if we don’t, you likely don’t have the strength to do the heavy lifting we may have to do to save people."

"In that case," Enverna stepped up, "I should stay with her."

"Why?"

"She can’t fight on her own. If a Fiend comes, captain, all you’re doing right now is dooming two individuals instead of one. I’ll stay and guard them."

"I need you with me," Gareth replied, clearly not wanting to have this argument. "Even though you’re a rookie, you’re one of the top Watchful recruits. It would be a waste."

Suddenly, another voice spoke up.

"I suppose I could do it."

Both Enverna and Gareth turned to glance at Xi, who’d just proposed the idea.

"I’m no member of the Watchful, so in so far as saving people is concerned not having me will likely not be a factor. So long as you stay out of any potential fights, having me stay here would be optimal."

Gareth’s decision was quick.

"I agree," he stated. "Rookie, come on. We’ve got to get moving."