The Emperor did not speak right away.
He was in awe.
He stood there, looking at the space in front of him, then at his son, then back at the stone pillar with the crack running along its surface.
He blinked once. Then again.
For a moment, he honestly could not tell what part of what he had just seen bothered him the most.
He had assumed Selene was exaggerating. Not lying. Just… seeing what she wanted to see, the way mothers did when it came to their children. Especially when that child was still small enough to fit easily in her arms.
But the air in the room had moved. The pillar had cracked. And his son was the source of it.
The Emperor rubbed his forehead slowly.
"…SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS," he said in excitement.
It was the only word that came to mind, and even he did not know why.
He had been called a prodigy since childhood. Sword, aura, discipline. There were very few things left in the world that could catch him off guard. This was one of them.
Selene was still standing there, arms crossed now, chin raised slightly. The look on her face was unmistakable. Proud. Satisfied. Almost smug.
"Hehe," she said, completely unbothered by the silence around her. "My baby is the cutest and the strongest. You did it for Mama. Aww."
She leaned down and pressed her cheek briefly against Aurelion's head.
Then she straightened and looked at the Emperor.
"Aurex, honey," she added sweetly, "you are no longer the best in the Empire." Her smile did not change.
The nobles around the table shifted. A few took small steps back without realizing it. Others straightened their posture like they had just been called out by name.
The quiet laughter from earlier was gone. Aurex let out a slow breath and lowered his head slightly in acceptance.
Then he looked back at his son. "Call the Grand Magician," he said. His voice was steady. Clear. "And the Imperial Commander. Now."
He pointed toward the door. The nobles reacted instantly. Whatever shock they were still dealing with, years of experience took over.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Right away."
"This truly is…"
Whispers followed.
"Oh my. His Royal Highness has talent beyond reason."
"What a blessing for the Evergold Empire."
"With proper guidance, he could become an Archmage like Her Majesty."
Some of the nobles glanced toward Duke Lunaris, trying to read his reaction. Others glanced at the Emperor instead. The contrast was obvious.
Selene looked like she was already planning celebrations. Aurex looked like a man recalculating the future.
Duke Caelion Lunaris stepped forward. He was tall, lean, posture straight without effort. His blue hair was tied low at the nape, smooth and neat. His eyes were calm, but sharp enough that people rarely met them for long. He stopped beside Selene and gave her a small grin.
"Congratulations, Sel," he said. "Looks like your son is following the old path after all."
Selene smiled back, bright and unapologetic.
"He took after his mother," she said. "Obviously."
Aurex watched them but did not step in. He did not need to. He was still thinking.
Meanwhile, Aurelion watched everything. He looked at his mother. Then at the man standing near her.
"…That's her brother," he thought. "…And wow that's some Hollywood looks. " His gaze lingered longer than he meant it to.
"…This guy looks unreal. Is he actually human?" He blinked. "…If this were my old world, he'd be on billboards or an idol." Then, His attention shifted when the doors opened again.
Two figures entered. One was a large man, broad and heavyset, hair graying, face lined by age and responsibility. The other was a woman with white hair pulled back neatly. Her frame was slender. Her steps were quiet.
"…These must be them," Aurelion thought. "…The sword and the mage."
Aurex placed a hand on the bulky man's shoulder."Velorian," he said. "My son has done something unexpected. As Grand Magician of the Evergold Empire, I want your assessment."
Velorian placed his hand over his chest and bowed. "Your Majesty," he said, "I will do my duty."
Aurelion stared. "…Wait," he thought. "…He's the magician?" His eyes slid to the woman. "…Then she's the commander?" He paused.
"...YO AUTHOR, DID YOU GET THE SCRIPT WRONG OR SOMETHING?."
Velorian stepped closer and placed his hand gently on Aurelion's chest. He closed his eyes.
Aurelion felt something faint. Not pain. Not pressure. Just a soft vibration, like something brushing past him. "…That feels weird," he thought.
People shifted in their seats. Someone cleared their throat. The room grew more restless.
Selene finally spoke. "What is taking so long?" she asked.
Velorian opened his eyes and stepped back. He turned toward Aurex. Then he dropped to one knee. "I have failed, Your Majesty," he said. "I am unworthy. This failure deserves punishment."
"…Dude," Aurelion thought. "You just talked big two minutes ago."
Aurex placed his hand on Velorian's shoulder again. "Stand," he said. "Explain first."Velorian rose slowly.
"When I examined His Highness's mana compatibility," he said, "it was exceptional. Clear. Deep. Beyond what I expected."
Selene leaned forward slightly. "And then?" she asked.
Velorian hesitated. "When I tried to measure his Mystic Heart," he continued, "I could not reach the end."
The room went still. Duke Lunaris spoke first. "That simply means his limit is beyond yours," he said calmly. "That is good news, not shame."
Selene nodded immediately. "I knew it," she said. "Celebrations are on you, Brother Cael." He smiled.
"My treat," he replied. "Looks like we'll have another Archmage in the family."
Velorian bowed his head again. "I still failed to measure him," he said. "I deserve punishment for my incompetence.."
Aurex shook his head. "Enough," he said. "My son is a rare talent. This is not failure. This is fortune."
He straightened. "As Emperor," he continued, "this is something I will announce proudly."
His voice rose slightly. "Let the celebrations begin."
Aurelion blinked."…So this is how it starts," he thought.
"…Guess I really did reincarnate into a fantasy world."
[To be Continued]