Magic ?!

Having secured at least temporary loyalty from the maids, Kedra began a strict routine to make sure that she was ready to face this unfamiliar world. She would rigorously train her body in the morning after breakfast, focusing on different parts of her body each day to let her previously trained limbs rest. And in the afternoon, with the help of Maria, she learned everything she felt was necessary to know, using the books in the head maid's office as a basis, starting with the country she was in, then moving on to basic history and etiquette.

Kedra remembered to take occasional breaks, not only to rest but also to help manage the residence's finances, as the head maid was no longer around to supervise the funds; Kedra wanted to have a direct hand in the flow of money in the residence so as to not be cheated again.

As such, after the first week, Kedra's routine had become set in stone. She was making steady progress; with each passing week, she felt more comfortable. Not only was she getting used to being in a child's body, but she was steadily gaining muscle mass. Moving around was no longer exhausting, and the drills she practiced every day became easier and easier.

One day, during one of Maria's lessons, Kedra stumbled upon a peculiar book in the head maid's collection. The cover was bound in cured leather and accented with silvered metal corners. Inlaid with the same metal, the title shone brightly upon the dark leather of the cover: 'The Basics of Magic Engraving'.

Kedra's heart skipped a beat; she had forgotten that this was another world and subconsciously dismissed the idea of magic, but the thought of such power existing was enough to make her shake with excitement.

"Maria, Maria! Is magic real?" The maid was surprised at Kedra's childlike enthusiasm; over the last few weeks, she had never once seen the young girl passionately call out her name in such a manner. Kedra had always remained unusually serious and collected for a ten-year-old child. Seeing such eagerness from the girl reassured Maria, who promptly responded.

"Of course, my lady, magic is an inseparable part of our lives. Thanks to the hard work of mages all around the world, even us common folk can use the simpler spells. For example, our stove is powered by magic." 

"Really ? I wanna-" Kedra stopped herself in her tracks; her excitement had died down enough for her logical side to return. "Ahem, I'd like you to show me how it works."

Maria quietly chuckled, amused by the discovery of her master's childish side. 

"Of course, my lady, come with me; I shall show you." 

The pair went down to the first floor and to the kitchen. The room was empty; lunch was three hours ago after all, and dinner would not be prepared for another two.

As she entered, Maria lifted the stovetop's cover, exposing a thick iron plate, and opened up what Kedra once thought was a wood oven.

What she saw, however, was not the interior of a standard oven. It was a simple cast iron chamber with a stone plaque resting on the bottom; engraved onto the stone in a brass-like metal were a series of interlinking geometric shapes. Kedra could make out a circle and a star as the basis on which the figure was formed; however, the other shapes were much too intricate to be properly described.

"This right here is an engraved circuit, my lady. Though I must apologize, I haven't received much education in the magical arts. I can, however, tell you that this is the result of a practice called 'engraving'." Maria beckoned Kedra over while pointing out the intricacies of the runes.

"From what I've heard, engraved circuits are inlaid with special materials that conduct mana; when the circuit is activated, it begins drawing in ambient mana and activating the spell."

Kedra paid very close attention to Maria's demonstration, staring intently at the circuit as the maid traced out the circuit's circle base three times. After a short time, the brass-colored metal began glowing red, and a roaring flame burst from the stone.

"As you can see, you can control the flame's intensity with the number of times you trace the circuit with your finger; to stop it, you simply pour water over it or wait out the circuit's natural stopping time."

"Something important to note is that each additional shape in an engraved circuit adds an extra effect to the spell, though I must offer you my apologies as I'm unsure as to which symbol does what."

The child's mouth was ajar in amazement; she had just witnessed actual magic right in front of her. She stared at the still-burning circuit through the flames, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. 

'From what I can gather, this "mana" Maria speaks of is an ambient energy that is harnessed through these engravings; is it like electricity? In that case, this world might be slightly more advanced than I had anticipated.' Kedra pondered for a few minutes, entranced by the magical flame.

"Say, Maria, is this the only way to use magic?"

"No, my lady, though I do not know the exact process through which they do so, I have seen mages cast magic directly without using engraved circuits."

"I see. Alright, I think I've seen enough. We can end the lessons here. I'll be in my room reading that book we found."

"Very well, my lady. I suppose I'll get to work on dinner then. Is there anything in particular you want?"

"I don't care, as long as it's good and filling."