Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Frequent Visitor
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At her father-in-law's words, the Empress's face filled with worry as she asked,
"Mana Circuit? What do you mean, Father?"
Grandfather nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Exactly as it sounds. It seems the Prince has opened his mana circuit on his own."
The Empress considered every possibility.
"So it's not an assassination attempt or a curse... you're saying he gathered mana himself?"
"Yes. It's faint, but the path is open. It looks like he's had a fortuitous encounter."
"A fortuitous encounter? Father, you saw it yourself—this child nearly met a terrible end."
"Don't worry. Just set up a barrier to block surrounding mana, and wait until the child can speak properly."
Grandfather reassured the Empress as if it were no big deal, and at those words, I...
'What? Block mana? This is insane!'
I racked my brain furiously to escape this situation.
'Cry and throw a tantrum? No, that'll just get them to feed me or change my diaper.'
Lowly: Throw a tantrum while bawling with underdeveloped vocal cords.
Expert: Mother, Grandfather, allow this child to show you something.
I spun my thoughts rapidly.
'What should I show them? This grandfather definitely knows how to handle mana. The Empress might not get it, but I just need his approval.'
...Even so, showing something might not meet the bar.
'I have to try... I absolutely won't end up on the food-shit-sleep route!'
With fierce determination, I reached out into the air and gathered the mana floating around me.
'Not too little... but not too much, or it'll be like yesterday.'
'Gather just the right amount in my hand—don't put it inside my body.'
Had I ever concentrated this hard in my life? I'd gathered the mana, but as I pondered what to do next...
"Hm?"
'Damn, Grandfather noticed. Scatter it like yesterday? No—quick!'
Grandfather noticed in 3 seconds. Magic circle in the air by 2 seconds. Finger pressing my hand by 1 second.
In those 3 seconds, I shaped the mana into a sphere and held it out to Grandfather.
"Auu! (Wait!)"
His eyes shook violently, staring at my hand in disbelief.
Was it not enough? I dispersed the mana in my hand, concentrated again to make another one, and gave a cheeky grin.
"Heh... Hahahahahaha!"
"F-Father...?"
"A genius... a genius! No, that's not enough! Seed of the Sage! You will become the progenitor of magic and elevate the world's level by an entire dimension!"
Madness gleamed in Grandfather's eyes. His lips stretched to his ears as he envisioned some future through me.
"It's a pity you were born to the imperial bloodline, but so what! Daughter!"
"Yes?"
Forgetting to call her "Empress," the Marquis gazed at her with affectionate eyes.
Stunned by this unfamiliar side of her father, the Empress froze...
"You won't be recorded in history as Empress—you'll be the mother of the great archmage who leads the world."
"Kyaa! Father, that's dangerous!"
Grandfather hoisted me up like a Lion King cub, spinning me around with laughter. The Empress panicked, chaos ensued, and as I rode the aerial German suplex...
'Heh... no sane people around here.'
I just let gravity take over and gave a wry smile.
After the commotion died down, night fell, and the mana-blocking barrier was scrapped amid the Marquis's fierce opposition.
My butt show and the Marquis's madness show collab saved my freedom!
I resolved to practice mana in earnest now, but...
'What to start with? Just make spheres like before?'
With no teacher or materials, all I could do was repeat what I'd already tried.
So I formed another sphere in my hand.
As I focused, surrounding mana gathered, forming a slightly lumpy sphere in my palm.
'Not as round as before. How did I do it last time? Just poured power in—bam!—and it was smooth.'
To make it rounder, I drew in more mana and added it to the existing sphere. When I snapped out of it, the sphere was bigger than my fist.
Startled, I shook my hand, and the sphere slowly dropped to the floor.
'This is it! That event where a child magic prodigy loses control and wrecks the house!'
Bracing for impact, my body tensed.
The mana sphere hit the ground with a 'pop' and scattered.
I could've sworn I heard mocking laughter somewhere saying, 'You're not that good.'
Scratching my head in embarrassment, I sank into thought.
'Don't mages just fireball from thin air or spout water? How do you make fire with mana? Where does the water come from?'
A bedridden patient suddenly dropped into this world—how could I know?
'Hm, all I can do now is gather mana and shape it?'
Since Grandfather went nuts over that, solidifying the foundation like this isn't bad.
With that, I dozed off with grand plans: mana gathering by day, shaping by night, every time I woke.
Two years passed like that, and I turned three.
In between, there were flip-over events and calling Mom "Mama" events. The Empress bragged to everyone like she'd conquered the world.
Meanwhile, that guy called Dad never visited. Must be busy.
"Lily! Me! Book! Give!"
Ah, my new maid beside me—my new nanny, Lily Bloarang.
She was slated for the youngest imperial knight order assignment, but the previous nanny was murdered before I opened my eyes, so the strong Lily was picked.
Hearing the previous nanny was killed filled me with dread and bitterness, spurring my training.
As a result, I was doing yarn tricks with mana, and Lily beside me smiled as she asked,
"Shall I give you the pretty new picture book, Your Highness?"
"No! Me! Words! Dictionary!"
"My... doesn't His Highness want to see the cute animal friends?"
"Dictionary! Give!"
...Just so we're clear, this isn't anger at the world—it's that I know simple words, but stringing sentences smoothly is hard.
Lily muttered "Our prince has no innocence..." with a hurt look and handed me the wordbook.
It had been six months since I made a cube in front of Grandfather, did aerial flips and triple axels, and he brought me a magic book as tribute.
The moment I opened the book with pounding heart, shock made my limbs go numb and tears well up.
Of course, I couldn't read it.
'Translation perk ends here. Be grateful you can understand speech, human.'
Unfamiliar letters swirled before my eyes.
National game with non-Korean language system—double punch, and I was down. I begged Lily to teach me letters.
But she wouldn't teach letters, and when I said "Lily," I got a face full of kisses. Impertinent...
So this is what I'm looking at now! The word dictionary.
"Your Highness, look at this~ Here, puppy friend and kitty friend are playing~"
Like a girl fan calling her idol oppa at the airport gate, Lily shook and read the picture book eagerly in front of me.
"And so, the dog and cat fell in love and had a doggy-cat... Oh my, what's this story?"
"Fine! Take away!"
"Hing..."
Sorry, Lily, but inside me sits a gaunt patient obsessed with health more than Secret of Longevity PD. No room for emotional development.
Lily sadly closed the picture book, then her eyes trembled violently, she shot to her feet, bowed deeply.
"I see the Sun of the Empire!"
'What? Sun?'
Turning curiously, the Emperor's face—the one who'd tormented me—eye contact! Suffocating silence!
'Uh... what now? Greet him? Same as Lily, I guess.'
I stood and gave a belly-bow greeting.
"Empire! Sun! See!"
'Oof... too spirited...?'
Suddenly, the Emperor scooped me up, eye to eye. Then he said,
"You're healthy."
'...What? Mad I'm healthy?'
"Are you the Prince's nanny?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Lily Bloarang, daughter of Viscount Bloarang."
"I see, Viscount Bloarang... Your father worked hard in the 3rd Knight Order."
"An honor to be remembered."
"Is that dictionary what the Prince is reading?"
"Yes, His Highness doesn't like picture books at all."
I blinked awkwardly.
"Advanced for his age."
Lily's eyes sparkled, entering 'Our boy's amazing, right?' mode.
"Ah! His Highness developed 1-2 months ahead from the start, unlike normal children, and knows basic grammar.
Perhaps handling mana from infancy had a great influence, I believe..."
"Enough. I heard from the Empress."
"Understood!"
The Emperor stared at me plainly. In the tense staring contest, as I tried to say something,
"No pain anywhere?"
'Hm?'
"No! None!"
"Good. Already handling mana? Show me."
I spewed mana threads from my hand for a self-yarn demo.
I'd practiced a lot bedridden, alone without a partner.
Mid flashy handwork, channeling Grandfather's wallet-slayer,
"Oh, Your Majesty, you're here."
Mom entered, naturally linking arms with the Emperor.
Leaning on his shoulder, she said,
"Our son's cute, right?"
"...Healthy."
"Smarter than kids his age?"
"Seems so."
"Come visit more often."
I thought they had a bad relationship since he rarely showed, but apparently not.
As long as not bad with Mom, I don't care.
Still nagging feeling, but he doesn't seem bad, so I piped up.
"Come often!"
The Emperor smiled faintly.
"I will."