Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 92: Mana Ties, Part Four

The trio returned to their dorm room, the air heavy with the tension of the recent revelations.

"Once again, the answer we’re given is basically to keep trying to be regular adventurers. Wonderful," Enverna muttered.

"This happened before?" Zura asked.

"After the, ehm... Allegations."

"What allegations?"

"The murder-"

Lianna only managed to stop her mouth from moving once those troublesome pair of words had fallen out.

"Oh." Zura’s brows shot up.

"W-We didn’t do anything, though," Lianna quickly corrected. "It was a big misunderstanding."

"No, no, I get it. Sometimes, you just gotta take a motherfucker out," Zura shrugged. "I understand."

Lianna and Enverna blinked, looking back at one another.

They weren’t too sure what to make of that response.

At the dorm, Lianna fumbled with the remote control, turning on the TV to catch up on any news that might shed light on the unfolding events. What greeted them, however, was more disturbing than they expected.

The television screen flickered to life, showcasing a news anchor reading from a piece of paper with the words "terrorist manifesto" in a caption under her.

"... individuals responsible for the attack claim that due to various injustices done to survivors of the Third Great War, Garriden and Telvan still have a score to settle. After the earth-shattering assassination of President Aria, the perpetrators have since come out and stated that they will not stop until Telvan falls. Rumor has it they’ve garnered support from some of the feudal houses in Garriden, which has led to speculation of a potential invasion. Bruce, thoughts?"

As the two news anchors went back and forth, Lianna’s eyes widened.

"Supporters?" Enverna remarked, her voice steady but laced with disdain. "Who in the world...?"

"Would your, uh..." Lianna nearly asked something insensitive but just that word alone was enough for Enverna to know what she was getting at.

"Maybe," Enverna murmured. "My... My stepfather was an old mercenary. But, given that I am here, they have to understand the effect this would have on me. I suppose I should not assume anything just yet, though."

Lianna turned off the TV.

"This is insane. What kind of lunatics would actually want another war?"

Zura, the usually reserved and stoic one, couldn’t hide her frustration.

"Desperation does crazy shit to people," Zura shrugged. "Some of those people probably feel ignored, insulted, or hurt."

"I guess."

Enverna, thoughtful as always, added:

"I agree with what Miss Taylor said. We can’t let these extremists dictate the narrative. If their goal is to sway the hearts of the public... Maybe we can do something to fight back against that."

Lianna nodded in agreement.

"Right. We need to be proactive."

"You could make a shared Tumble account or something," Zura suggested. "If you really wanna ham up the PDA."

"Sounds good," Lianna replied.

"Additionally, I will look for some missions, like Cynthia suggested," Enverna added to that.

"If it’s just about getting attention, you two should have this covered, right?" Zura asked.

"What do you mean?"

With a voice as though she was saying something obvious, Zura replied:

"You’re hot." She shrugged. "Both of you. Should be easy, right?"

Lianna blinked.

[Oh? Is that what she thinks?] She smiled a little. [She’d been hard to read so far, but... I see.]

"I-I suppose," Enverna answered quietly.

With a few clicks, she accessed the mission board for the Watchful Guild.

Various tasks were listed that Enverna scrolled through. Lianna leaned over her shoulder as she went through the options until Enverna said:

"You know... I could ask that one lady if the Shields of Saren have any other high-level missions coming up."

"Who?"

"The lady who invited us to the gala," Enverna explained. "Maybe she could help."

"It’s definitely worth a try."

---

{Cynthia}

Cynthia Taylor strode purposefully through the bustling streets of Telvan, her determined gaze fixed on a distant point ahead.

After everything that happened, Cynthia felt she couldn’t just sit around doing paperwork all day. There were, at least, a couple of things she wanted to do.

She reached a nearby police station, pushing open the glass door. The entrance’s chime signaled her arrival.

Inside, the precinct hummed with activity.

Officers moved with precision, and the air was thick with the scent of coffee and paper. Cynthia navigated the maze of desks, catching glimpses of stern faces and the occasional flicker of recognition from the law enforcement personnel.

She finally found the person she was looking for at the back. A lady with a no-nonsense demeanor and a face framed by curtains of black hair.

"Jamie!" Cynthia called, her voice cutting through the ambient noise.

The detective in question straightened up, her eyes narrowing as she recognized Cynthia. A hint of tension flashed across her face, and she adjusted the collar of her uniform with a stern expression.

"What brings you here, Taylor? I thought I made it clear last time-"

Before the detective could finish her sentence, Cynthia interrupted.

"I know, I know. But, we have some pressing matters to discuss. You know I wouldn’t come this far for a casual chat, these days."

Jamie’s stern facade wavered for a moment before she regained her composure.

"Pressing matters? That’s what you call nearly getting yourself killed at the stadium? You’re lucky I didn’t flatten you with a right hook."

Cynthia’s lips curled into a faint smile.

"Ah, but you didn’t. That soft spot you’ve got for me hasn’t changed, right?"

Jamie scowled, clearly unamused by Cynthia’s banter.

"Cut the crap, Taylor. What’s so important that you finally stopped hibernating?"

Cynthia leaned in, her tone low and conspiratorial.

"There’s a certain lady I’m looking for. Name’s Hollie Hill. A participant at the assessment."

Jamie’s eyes flickered with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

"Why are you looking for this girl?"

Cynthia winked, a little smile playing on her lips.

"I’m thinking of recruiting her to my guild, of course. Why else?"

Jamie shot her a nervous look.

"... You haven’t gotten any better at hiding the murderous intent in your eyes."

[I have not? How unfortunate.]

Cynthia’s smile faded.

"This is a friendly visit, detective. I’d like it if that did not change. Now, give me a trail to follow."

Finally, the detective sighed, nodding.

"Fine. But, you better not cause any trouble."

Cynthia’s smile widened once again.

"You have my word."

---

The dark, narrow streets of Telvan seemed to swallow Cynthia Taylor as she ventured into their depths.

The information provided by her detective acquaintance led her through a maze of shadows and forgotten corners, where the pulse of the city was distant, and the only sounds were the echo of her footsteps against the cold, damp pavement.

As Cynthia moved deeper into the obscure alleyways, the air grew heavier. The dim glow of flickering streetlights cast sporadic pools of light and shadow, adding an eerie quality to the surroundings.

Then, in the distance, a figure emerged from the darkness.

Hollie, the elusive woman who had attacked Lianna and Enverna, walked past Cynthia without sparing her a glance. Cynthia smiled.

Her voice cut through the silence, a calm yet commanding presence in the obscurity.

"Hollie."

The girl halted, her body tensing as she turned to face Cynthia. In the dim illumination, Hollie’s eyes glinted with a lethal edge, and without a moment’s hesitation, she drew a sleek rapier from her Inventory.

[Good. We can get right to it, then.]

Cynthia remained composed, her keen eyes assessing the threat before her.

Hollie lunged forward, the rapier slicing through the air with deadly precision. But Cynthia moved with an otherworldly grace, sidestepping the attack effortlessly.

She used no weapons just yet. She simply wanted to show what she could do.

Hollie, fueled by desperation and vengeance, launched a series of calculated strikes. Each movement was met with a fluid counter from Cynthia, who seemed to anticipate every action before it occurred.

In the darkness, Hollie’s grunts echoed through the narrow alley.

Hollie’s attacks grew more frantic, but Cynthia’s movements remained measured and deliberate. With a swift and precise motion, Cynthia disarmed Hollie with just her hands, sending the rapier clattering to the ground.

There was a momentary pause, a silence that hung heavily in the air.

Hollie, now defenseless, stared defiantly at Cynthia, her breathing ragged. In that fleeting instant, Cynthia’s expression betrayed no emotion.

She stepped closer, her gaze unwavering.

Without uttering a single word, Cynthia raised her hand. One of her blades appeared. She didn’t need both of them.

Hollie’s eyes widened just as Cynthia dashed forward. The administrator’s blade was piercing her heart in the blink of an eye.

As Hollie crumpled to the ground, the oppressive stillness returned to the alley.

Cynthia stood over her fallen opponent, the pale glow of the city’s lights reflecting in her impassive golden eyes.

The rapier lay forgotten, a silent witness to the swift and efficient conclusion of the encounter.

A camera beeped to the right.

"Heh."

Cynthia turned toward it, walking up and looking straight at it, almost challenging whoever was going to review this footage tomorrow to do anything about this.

"My apologies," Cynthia finally whispered to the girl’s lifeless body, "I couldn’t just leave you alive after what you tried to do to my little Lianna. Tsk, tsk, Hollie. Tsk, tsk."