In a coffee house in the capital, lively discussions revolved around House Lexion’s banquet.
“It was surprising that a noble family that had just arrived from the countryside received an invitation.”
“Is there something special about them?”
“I wonder what the Duke of Lexion discussed with them?”
With people’s attention focused on the banquet, the Duke’s every move became the subject of rumors and speculations.
People wondered why the Duke of Lexion invited the Fortrions and why he invited them alone to his study.
In a corner of the coffee house, a young boy named Theos, who was busy washing dishes, perked up his ears and listened to these conversations.
『 It’s all about the Fortrions.』
It was valuable information for him to decide whether to visit Fortrion Manor today.
Theos wiped his swollen hands on his apron after finishing the dishes and then bowed politely to the coffee house manager.
“Boss, I’m off for the day.”
“Sure, you’ve worked hard. Is your younger sibling feeling better?”
“It’s always the same, you know. But my sibling feels more energetic after changing the medicine.”
After leaving the coffee house, he went to a secluded alley and put on his robe.
Even though he was still a minor, the outfit gave him the appearance of a skilled adult mage.
He was one of the few mages currently taking on personal commissions in the capital.
For him, earning money to afford his younger sibling’s expensive medicine was more crucial than his own future.
He was fortunate to have encountered a mage who recognized his latent magical abilities by chance, allowing him to learn magic. Without that opportunity, his younger sibling might have died without even being able to afford the medicine.
『 So, this is the Fortrion Manor.』
After double-checking the directions and address provided by the Markus Trading Company, he approached the manor’s gatekeeper.
“I’ve come to see Lady Fortrion.”
“Ah, please come this way. M’lady is expecting you.”
Upon hearing that a guest would be arriving today, the gatekeeper promptly guided Theos to the drawing room.
As Theos entered the designated area, his eyes were instantly drawn to the lady seated by the window.
『 Wow…』
The boy was momentarily at a loss for words, captivated by her radiant, fine golden hair glistening in the sunlight and her gentle smile.
Upon seeing her, as beautiful as a goddess statue in front of the temple, all the negative rumors Theos had heard about her at the coffee house were completely forgotten.
The shimmering jewelry she wore caught the light and drew even more attention.
Theos’ heart raced, beating faster than it ever had in his life.
“Excuse me, are you alright?”
“Oh! N-Nice to meet you, M’lady. I’m Theos. I heard you were looking for a mage through Karkus Trading Company.”
Theos respectfully removed his robe, holding it neatly in his hand as he greeted her.
However, Edith couldn’t help but feel taken aback when she looked at his youthful face.
『 How old is he? He doesn’t look like an adult at all.』
He might be around seventeen at most. Despite the grand image usually associated with mages, his hands were noticeably swollen.
It was somewhat puzzling to see his tired appearance, considering that magic was a rare talent, available to only a tiny fraction of the population, and he could earn a lot of money even for a short time of work.
However, everyone has their own circumstances, and challenging situations could force children to act like adults.
『 Besides, young boys probably don’t know much about pregnancy, so it would be easy to fool him.』
While Edith contemplated what might be happening to Theos based on his appearance, Theos was busy looking around the room.
What caught his attention more than the gorgeous interior decoration was the invitation placed on the table.
『 It’s the coat of arms of House Lexion.』
House Lexion, known for its descendants being born with magic, was a lineage that was the envy of every mage.
However, because of their inherent magical abilities, it was uncommon for the Lexions to accept magical commissions from outsiders.
『 It seems that the rumors about their close ties with the Lexions are true.』
Theos was curious about what request she would make.
“Since the Markus Trading Company paid a substantial sum of money, feel free to make any request you like.”
“Thank you. I’m personally investigating something, so, first, I would appreciate it if we could have a confidentiality agreement.”
After asking someone to prepare tea or something similar, Edith brought a written oath.
He then filled in the blank oath with elegant handwriting, stating that he would keep the matter confidential.
『 This is my first time doing something like this. I wonder if it’s related to someone important.』
Since he had seen House Lexion’s coat of arms that Edith intentionally revealed, Theos used his magical power to sign, suspecting there was more to the situation.
She picked up the written oath and got to the point.
“I don’t know much about magic, but I think my request is relatively simple.”
Edith extended a jewelry box she had prepared in advance.
“Can you check if there’s any magic energy emanating from these accessories and the jewelry I’m wearing?”
“Detecting magical presence is a fairly simple spell compared to the compensation I received…”
Edith smiled at his honest remark, even though she could have easily been deceived. She wondered if her long years of working since she was young had left her with a similarly disheveled appearance.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Mage. I plan to seek your advice as well. Consider the difference as a consultation fee.”
“But…”
Edith did not know how much money the Markus Trading Company had paid to Theos in their attempt to secure her favor and inheritance.
Theos extended his hand, thinking that he should give her another magic stamp that would allow her to call him a few more times if necessary.
Ziing—
“Let’s begin by examining the jewelry.”
As Theos’s hand moved slowly from side to side, tension gripped Edith’s face with each pass.
More than half of the items currently in the jewelry box were gifts from Mrs. Leah.
However, the boy’s hand only flinched at the necklace with a blue light.
“I’ll take another look at this one.”
“Alright.”
“Of all the items in the jewelry box, I can sense magical energy from this necklace only, M’lady.”
It seemed that not all of the accessories given by Mrs. Leah were imbued with magical powers.
Edith stored this newfound knowledge in her mind and then asked.
“Can you identify whose magical energy you sense?”
“Normally, I wouldn’t know. There are countless magical energies in the world, and a mage cannot memorize them all. However—”
Theos recognized this chilling and sharp magical energy; it reminded him of the word ‘death.’
No, all mages can distinguish this magical energy.
“This is Lexion’s magic.”
“I see.”
Edith responded calmly, as she had expected.
Now, she had another question that would make her even more nervous.
“Then, can you sense any magical energy from the jewelry I’m wearing?”
『 I would be able to see it more clearly if she took them off and placed them on the table.』
But it was also true that the jewelry she wore today made her even more beautiful, so Theos decided to use his magic anyway.
“Then, let me approach you for a moment, M’lady.”
As Theos came closer, he noticed that Edith had a soft and refreshing scent.
It was a fresh fragrance, different from the foul perfumes of the nobles who visited the coffee house. His heart pounded once again, but he focused on his magic.
His hands moved from the headpiece to the earrings and necklace.
Then, Theos lowered his stance to kneel at her feet.
The boy’s swollen hands moved to a waist ornament made of cords and jewels.
“…”
Edith couldn’t directly ask if he could sense the magical energy of the baby inside her womb, so she devised a plan to use the waist decoration for the examination.
『 Why did he stop? He shouldn’t sense any magic from my womb…』
As she anxiously waited for the results, Theos cleared his throat before speaking.
“I-I think the accessories look good on you.”
He eventually withdrew his hand, which had traveled down to her ankle decoration.
For some reason, his cheeks were reddish, but he didn’t seem to notice any particular signs of pregnancy.
“Is there any magical energy?”
“I can’t feel anything.”
His resolute response put her at ease.
Fortunately, her unborn child did not seem to be emitting magical energy.
This meant that the magical energy detected by Vane and the Duke the other day was likely from Mrs. Leah’s necklace, which she had been wearing like an amulet.
“That’s all for now. Can I ask you some questions about magic now?”
“Of course, M’lady.”
Just as Edith was about to ask the question she had thought of in advance, Vivian arrived with tea and snacks, placing them on the table.
Edith pushed a fully loaded meat pie toward Theos.
“It’s a meat pie. It tastes good, and it has a lot of meat, so it’s nutritious. Please go ahead and taste it.”
It wasn’t the most suitable food to accompany tea, but Edith had requested it from Vivian because she had the impression that the young boy in front of her wasn’t well-nourished and didn’t seem to be eating well.
Despite his youthful appearance, she could guess how he had lived, given his familiarity with dealing with people.
“…! It’s delicious.”
Theos eagerly munched on his pie.
He was starving to death but now, with food in his belly, his tension had naturally subsided.
“Thank you, M’lady. Actually, I was very hungry.”
“Did you skip lunch?”
“Well… the thing is, my circumstances are not good.”
Theos knew that saying such things might lead people to question: ‘How can a mage not be well-off?‘
So, he added.
“My parents passed away, and my only sibling is very ill. Not only is the medicine expensive, but my potential as a mage is quite limited. Using magic just once in a month depletes all my magic power.”
“I see…”
“It’s difficult for me to join a magic clan due to my limited magical abilities. Nevertheless, I’m grateful that I can earn more money through odd jobs.”
As Edith looked at him with sympathy, Theos continued enthusiastically.
“But I am very knowledgeable in magic and theory. Please feel free to ask me anything, M’lady.”
Edith tried not to show too much compassion.
She knew that sometimes, compassion could be hurtful, given her own background of working from a young age.
“I heard that House Lexion subjects their successors to rigorous magic training to make them better at handling magic. Do you happen to know why?”
“Perhaps to prevent magical explosions?”
Theos provided a simpler answer than expected.
“Magic explosions are actually a common occurrence that can happen to any mage. It’s just that powerful families like Lexion, with an abundance of magical power, are more prone to explosions.”
So, are the rumors really exaggerated?
This diminished her fear that Lexion was a threat to Walter and their child. But Theos’ next words revived Edith’s fading concerns.
“…”
“But if children don’t receive proper training to prevent explosions during their youth, their magic can explode, and their eye color might change, or they could lose their memory. In severe cases, there have been instances where it led to death. So, Lexion’s sensitivity to this issue is understandable.”
“…!”
Walter, who has Lexion’s blood in his veins, suffered both of these side effects. Knowing that her child shares the same lineage, Edith felt her world collapsing.
If that’s the case, then my child…
Edith was barely able to calm her trembling voice before asking.
“Theos, do you happen to know the solution to such issues if they occur?”
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