Demonstration of magic

The main mansion was slightly in chaos. Older maids scurrying about while other maids much younger than them prepared themselves in rows. All the young maids were of a similar age between 13, 14 and 15 years old for the older ones.

All these young maids came from noble or merchant homes. None of them was the first daughter, so their opportunities in the noble world were few, and their best option was to work for another noble house as a servant.

There were also commoners, but these had been educated from a young age and were equally if not more prepared than some servant girls with noble backgrounds.

They were all ready to serve the nobles who came to the etiquette course, it would be for one year, but during that year they would have to show their skills and maybe with some luck catch the eye of a young nobleman.

All of them were excited and some were a little cautious. Working for the nobles had a good and a bad side. You could make enough money to live well, but there was also the possibility that the noble might not be a good person.

The maids were talking quietly among themselves as they waited, then suddenly the door to the room where they were gathered opened and they all looked up in unison. There, a young maid with light green hair and blue eyes peeked out with bated breath.

"S-sorry... I fell asleep" said the young maidservant innocently.

The other maids laughed mockingly at her, then an older maid with white hair and wrinkles beginning to form on her face approached the young maid.

"Faun, follow me" 

Faun looked at the maid with surprised eyes and exclaimed: "B-but---"

"Faun, follow me" repeated the old servant girl with a serious tone. Then Faun could only lower her head biting her lips as she frowned apparently in pain.

"...Yes ma'am" muttered Faun following the maid as she heard the other young maids mocking her.

Faun was led into another room and then another until they both stepped out into the courtyard. Faun then looked confused at her superior and asked: "Where are we going... Miss Devonne?"

Devonne hesitated for a few seconds before answering, but those seconds were enough for Faun to know what was happening.

Faun's eyes widened in surprise, then Devonne spoke: "The young man you are going to serve... is not staying at the guest mansion"

Faun swallowed and looked at Devonne's back. The woman was older now and had spent most of her life working. Experience and dedication had led her to become in charge of all the mansion's chores, in addition to all the maids.

If anyone knew anything, it was Devonne. If anyone could punish anyone, it was Devonne. If anyone could put someone down, it was Devonne.

The older woman was feared by all the young maids because of her harsh temperament, but respected by the more experienced maids who had been working with her for more years.

Faun was on both sides, fearing and admiring her at the same time. For her, who had only arrived a couple of months ago, Devonne was her ideal to follow. But her own clumsiness meant that she was always beneath all the other maids.

'Is a commoner participating in the etiquette course?' wondered Faun, but he couldn't ask Devonne because she as a servant-in-training wasn't supposed to know that.

Then they finally arrived at the entrance to the shed where the young butler who had accompanied Atlas all the way from Dewborough to Bleakrun.

When the young butler saw them both, he lowered his head respectfully, specifically toward Devonne and saluted.

"Good morning, Lady Devonne"

"Good morning, Marco" Devonne replied keeping her hands folded.

Marco nodded his head, then looked at Faun and asked: "Is she the assigned maid?"

Devonne nodded silently as she was somewhat confused looking at Marco's face.

'Won't that be a problem for... Atlas? That's the name of the person I'm going to serve?' thought Faun.

"Well, then we should go in. He should be awake by now" Marco said heading towards the shed door. They both followed him and then Marco knocked several times on the door calling Atlas.

A few seconds later, the door opened a few centimeters and Atlas peeked out. He had a cloth covering his nose and mouth, while dust covered his white hair giving it a grayish tint.

"Is everything okay?" asked Marco seeing the state Atlas was in.

"Uh... yeah, I just had a little accident. Nothing major" explained Atlas opening the door all the way.

'Good thing I tried to practice on other plants before making the agility potion... I would have failed' thought Atlas as he turned to look at the mess that was the workshop. 'I got lucky completing the life potion yesterday...'

The entire workshop was covered in dust, as if something had exploded... although that was basically what happened.

Marco entered the workshop followed by Devonne and then Faun, when the three of them saw the state, the workshop was in, they squinted.

'Wasn't he supposed to be a good mage potion maker? …this doesn't look like it' Marco thought.

'Is this the cursed child my lord hired? I don't get it' thought Devonne.

Faun just looked at Marco and then at Devonne with wide eyes of surprise.

'Is he a mage... and a cursed child' Faun thought being able to hear both of their thoughts. 

Faun then looked at Atlas who walked over to the workshop window and opened it.

'He... he just a kid'

When Atlas opened the windows, he stretched out his arms and two light green magic circles appeared in front of him. He then created two streams of air controlling them throughout the room, causing them to pick up dust and blow it out the window.

Since being kidnapped along with Claire by that infected mage, Atlas had improved his control of [Minor Wind Blast] to the point where controlling the gusts was easy.

Both Devonne and Marco had shifted their gaze to Atlas.

'Wasn't he a combat mage?' thought Marco remembering the black staff Atlas carried during the trip.

'That control of magic... it's much better than all the nobles that came. And he's still supposed to be 11 years old' thought Devonne still keeping her eyes narrowed studying Atlas.

Faun could only remain silent listening to both of their thoughts, she couldn't understand what was going on. She wasn't a mage and didn't understand the level of what Atlas was doing... and neither could he.