Interlude: Charlotte’s Postscript
My name is Charlotte Lace, and about a week ago, I got recruited to be some lord’s retainer. Couldn’t even begin to explain how or why. I’ve lived hand to mouth my whole life─even before I was enslaved─so if this new job of mine means I get to live in a big, clean mansion and eat an actual meal every single day, I’ll count myself lucky.
“Hey, Charlotte! Are you getting used to the lifestyle here?” asks the source of my newfound fortune, a little lordling called Ars. I nod and give him a grunt of agreement.
He’s the one who paid my way out of slavery, all to “make me his retainer,” so it’s thanks to him that my life’s taken a turn for the better. He looks like a cute little brat at first glance, but I figured out pretty quickly that he’s actually more of a cute little weirdo. He talks like a fully-grown adult, for one thing.
Speaking of Ars being weird, there’s one question I still haven’t gotten a decent answer to. When we first met, he told me that he wanted me to work for his family because I have a talent for magic. Turns out he was right. I guess I really do have more of a knack for it than most people. I thought he was just talking me up, but after arriving at his estate, I got the chance to see a couple other folks cast a few spells. Honestly? They were sorta pathetic. At the very least, they didn’t have anywhere close to the sort of power my spells seem to pack.
So, yeah, I guess Ars was right, and I really do have a talent for magic. But how the hell did he figure that out? I’d literally never cast a single spell before we met. Anyway, since he’s around and apparently up for a chat, I may as well ask him.
“I can tell what people’s talents are at a glance! It’s an ability of mine,” he explains. “That’s why, the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew for a fact that you had a talent for magic.”
“Huh, really?”
I’ve never been good at, like, showing my emotions or any of that stuff, so he probably can’t tell, but I’m honestly really shocked on the inside. I mean, what? He can just look at people and tell their talents, just like that? Didn’t know that was a thing.
“Just for magic?”
“You mean, your talents?”
“Yeah.”
Ars hesitates for a moment, then shakes his head and replies, “No, that’s not all. You probably also have a talent for leading soldiers into battle.”
“Do I have any talents that aren’t all about fighting?” I ask.
“I, uh…can’t say for sure, but you don’t have any that my power can discern.”
“Oh… Too bad.”
That’s kind of a letdown. Then again, I’m enjoying myself plenty with magic already. If I can only have one big talent, at least I got a good one.
“I’m off to practice,” I say, giving Ars a wave and heading toward the training grounds.
If magic’s my thing, I may as well get real good at it.
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