Spirits [1]

Rosaline and the noble ladies made their way to the center of the garden in the Hepburn estate while we servants followed close behind.

Soon, I heard several gasps from all around me. From what the wind is showing me, they all had stunned reactions. Hands covering their mouths or grasping their hair, others just left their gaping mouths wide open in shock from what I am assuming they're seeing is the spirits showing up.

Dangit, I'm fucking blindfolded. I want to see the spirits too, but if I do, the fact that Rosaline's butler is another Blessed One is going to spread like wildfire.

I'd be in hot water if I get a target put on my back like Rosaline.

But... maybe just a little peek wouldn't hurt?

Pinching the edge of my blindfold, I slowly lifted it up while still paying attention to the wind, sensing if anyone's face is facing in my general direction. Fortunately, they were all looking up, mesmerized by whatever they were seeing.

A few seconds later, my vision finally returned... and I was shocked.

There were so many... So many tiny people. Like fairies, they were an inch tall and had translucent insect-like wings fluttering.

They weren't like the fairies in movies back on Earth, where the green ones are nature, white is snow, brown is rock, etc. No no, nothing like that. They wore different clothes in a multitude of styles. They were like humans in that aspect.

Somehow, I could instinctively discern each of their elemental origins. They're not color-coded to their elements, but I could still feel which element they serve. And... there were a lot of wind spirits. Like, a whole fuck ton of them.

"So, these specks of light are the spirits?" Heather, the noble megabitch, had this dazed tone in her voice. And did she just say... specks of light?

"Yes! These are the spirits. Magnificent beings who have blessed our territory with the perfect climate and soil for crops all year round."

Flora started to narrate the story behind why the spirits even blessed their land in the first place. Long story short, her great-great-grandpa did something that saved a bunch of spirits from being massacred by a mage hoping to absorb their essence and ascend the mortal plane.

I sensed Rosaline's mouth move. She was about to ask something stupid, I felt it. Dealing with her kind of gave me a stupid skill that made me get premonitions whenever she was about to do something dumb. I don't get that bad feeling every time she does something stupid though, but when she does, I don't fucking hesitate to stop her.

Letting go of the blindfold to cover my eyes again, I grabbed her shoulder to stop her from uttering anything.

When Heather described the spirits as specks of light, I saw Rosaline's eyebrows scrunch. I knew she was as confused as I. She could definitely see the spirits' true appearance. Something to do with being a Blessed One I suppose. I reckon she was going to ask the other noble ladies why they said specks of light and not small flying people.

"Rosaline, don't. You'll only be attracting unwanted attention. Not a lot of people know much about Blessed Ones, and it would be better for it to stay that way." I whispered in her ear.

Rosaline nodded. It seems she understood.

Back to the spirits. I don't feel them. The wind isn't flowing around them, as if they aren't even there. In fact... they are the wind, the wind spirits at least. I can't feel the other spirits, but the wind spirits, I can definitely 'see' them. But it's so subtle that it's hard to miss unless I focus.

Now that I am aware of the spirit's presence, I saw this... small current of wind approached my ear.

"Hi, there!"

It's that same high-pitched voice from earlier! So that was a spirit.

What should I do? Reply to a voice that most like only Rosaline and I can hear?

If I suddenly talk to thin air, the other noble ladies would think I have a few screws loose, which would tarnish Rosaline's reputation by saying she has a mentally ill servant, which would then lead to Weiss or most likely the Duke bearing their wrath towards me.

You know what? Fuck it. I'll just whisper.

"Who are you?"

The spirit answered my question without delay.

"My name is Anianya! It's an honor to meet a child of Lord Aeolus."

It knows which god blessed me. Can't say I didn't expect it. Besides, I feel a bond, a kinship with these wind spirits, it's no surprise this one spirit knows what I am.

Rosaline turned around to look at me. No, to look at the spirit talking to me.

Had another bad feeling coming. I turned my head toward Rosaline and mouthed the word 'no'.

It worked. She was able to control herself. She occupied herself by admiring the other spirits surrounding us and left Anianya to me.

I sighed and asked the spirit again.

"Why are you talking to me?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to meet the exalted child of wind!"

"So, out of all the wind spirits out here tonight, you just decided to talk to me?"

"I'm not just a wind spirit you know! I'm a high-ranking spirit!"

I felt one of the knights about to turn his head in my direction. He wasn't one of the Griffin Knights, it would be a bad idea to expose myself here.

"Anianya, let's talk later ok? Right now is a pretty time." I whispered to her one last time.

"Alright!"

The wisp of air that she carried with her floated away and joined the other wisps of air that I am assuming were other wind spirits much like her.