Chapter 3

And Everything Was Still

"Okay, ready to serve, I guess. . ."

Flamma would gently close the door behind her, striding with haste in her steps in the quarters hall as she warily glanced around to see if people saw her. "The staff here may think I'm a trespasser stealing one of their uniforms. Better play it safe and stay undete- Voices from the main doors, fuck!"

The rednette immediately bolted for the door nearest to her and opened it, not even bothering to shut the door as she rushed inside the room. She would dive beneath the bed, crawling completely underneath just in time as the voices passed by the door of the current room she was in.

"Earlier, I passed by the open door of the headmaster's office and heard one of the teachers and the headmaster talking about a new maid joining us." "Most likely a replacement for Martha and Miri, those two hot-headed siblings left like only a week ago." "Heh, the new girl better knows how to deal with the noble brats." The gossiping chatter of two maids, her future coworkers, would fade further down the hall, making Flamma sigh.

"That bad?" She would worry about the behavior of the students as she got out from beneath the bed, standing up and dusting off her uniform. With a sharp exhale, the rednette would pace out the door and hastily make a retreat to the main double doors of the staff quarters. As soon as she opened the doors, she would almost bump right at Professor Colbert holding a book beneath his arm, prompting her to backpedal quickly.

"Whoa, hey there, Sir. . . I didn't quite, get your name earlier. . ." "It's Colbert." Flamma would nod as she acknowledged his name, before taking a deep inhale. "So, what brings you here, Sir Colbert?"

"Well, I've come here looking for you. The headmaster is calling for you." The teacher would calmly reply to her inquiry, prompting the rednette to raise an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so? Lead the way please, I'm still quite lost around this academy's layout." This time Colbert would be the one to nod, gesturing with his hand to follow him as he turned his back at her.

Three knocks would sound out on the door, Headmaster Osmond looking up from his pile of paperwork on his desk with a raised brow. "Secretary Longueville, would you please kindly answer that?" The old man would call out to the green-haired woman to the other side of the office. The secretary would nod curtly before standing up and taking a few steps to reach the door, opening it.

"Headmaster Osmond, I have brought Miss Flamma with me." "Hey, whaddup." Colbert would walk into the room with the rednette behind him, stopping in front of the headmaster's desk while she stopped beside him. She would give Osmond a bored look with her red pupils, dragging the silence out.

"So, you are Miss Valliere's familiar, am I correct?" The old man would ask, making Flamma shrug as she closed her eyes. "I am, and given that I am a commoner to the student body's collective eyes, why not take up a commoner's task in the academy in which my master studies in?" She would reply nonchalantly.

"I take it you're eager for a position as a maid given that you've gone to the staff quarters and wore your uniform already, even before I called you in?" "Yes, Sir Osmond." Even though that's what came out her mouth, that wasn't exactly the rednette's thoughts. "If one of those unruly bitches of nobles think they can get away from their problems by dumping the blame on commoners, they'll fucking pay very badly."

"Colbert also told me you're a bit short of staff due to some of them resigning, so I can take their places while I'm at it." Flamma would add, the aging headmaster nodding in acknowledgement. ". . . I'll allow you to be a maid in this academy, but should your master Louise beck for you, you are free to put your daily tasks on hold. She is, quite a special case, so I advise you to take care of her dearly."

The rednette would open her eyes with a raised brow, seeing the solemn gaze that Osmond cast upon her. "Yeah, sure do. Thank you very much for this position, I will do my best in my duties. I'll also take my time today to memorize the general layout and tasks present in the academy, and I'll do my work tomorrow." After doing a slight and curt bow, she would turn on her heels and head for the office's door.

As soon as Flamma closed the door behind her, Colbert turned back to the headmaster with a serious gaze, a far cry from his calm composure from earlier. "Headmaster, I have a matter that I'd like to discuss urgently and privately with you." Upon the balding teacher's words, the greenette minding her paperwork up until now would look up to meet Osmond's gaze as he spoke. "Secretary, you heard Colbert."

"Yes, headmaster." With that, Longueville would stand up from her desk and walk out the door to leave the headmaster and the professor alone in the office. "I took a slight detour to the library while I was looking for Flamma, and I found something." Colbert would state as he took the old book from beneath his arm and laid it flat on the headmaster's desk. He would then gently flip it open to a page he bookmarked with the thread on its cover.

Said page having an almost-identical depiction of the runes on the back of Flamma's left hand. "Gandalfr, Left Hand of God?" Osmond would look at the inscription and its associated facts, before looking up at the balding professor with a raised brow. "Exactly, only the Founder's strongest familiar had this mark. However, this very rune is also on Louise's familiar." Both men looked each at other with grave expressions, the headmaster stating his conclusion just loud enough for Colbert to hear. "And Miss Valliere is a Void mage. She is the true successor to the Founder's power."

The old man would clear his throat, before staring sternly at the professor. "Speak to nobody aside from myself about this matter and this conversation. We cannot let this new information be let loose to the public. The Valliere child will be branded a heretic by the church if this is leaked, and we do not want that to happen. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, Sir."

Colbert would nod, before walking to the door and opening it to see the secretary patiently waiting outside. "Secretary Longueville, you can come in now!" Osmond's voice would ring out from within the office, prompting a relieved sigh from the greenette as she went back into the office.

I think I'm getting the hang of uploading a new chapter within a half-week time frame. Remember, read and review!