Antony sat beside her and looked down at the baby. Roxanna adjusted Michael so that he rested across her lap.
"His body is healthy. His mana channels are healthy. His core is healthy. If anything, they’re too healthy for an infant his age. His bloodline is continuously producing mana, and his body is adapting far faster than it should."
He stared down at his son.
"So the mana is building up," he grisly said.
"Exactly."
"And he released it because he became frustrated."
"Not intentionally."
"I know."
She gently touched Michael’s tiny hand.
"Infants don’t regulate emotions the way adults do. His body recognized agitation, his mana reacted, and because he has no concept of control, it simply discharged."
Antony glanced toward the cracked wall.
"That was a discharge."
"A small one in my opinion."
He slowly turned toward her, his eyes widening.
She looked completely serious.
"Small?"
"Compared with what is inside his core."
Antony became very quiet and looked toward Michael again. The child was beginning to fall asleep.
Of course he was.
He destroys half a room and then take a nap.
He leaned back.
"I suddenly understand why the system couldn’t evaluate his bloodline."
Roxanna nodded.
"His SSS potential isn’t simply a prediction that he might become powerful one day. His body already possesses the foundation for that level of power. Normally, a child would develop the capacity gradually. Michael began with far too much."
Antony’s expression tightened.
"Can it hurt him?" He asked.
"Eventually," she quietly answered.
That single word removed every trace of humor.
He turned fully toward her but she continued before he could speak.
"Not today. His channels handled the outburst. His core is stable. There is no internal damage. But if his mana continues increasing and another emotional response causes a stronger release, eventually his body may attempt to channel more than his muscles, nerves, or mana pathways can withstand."
Antony reached down and placed one hand carefully against Michael’s stomach.
The child didn’t react.
"What do we do?" He said in a worried tone.
Roxanna watched him for a moment, then her expression settled.
"I’ll seal it."
Antony looked at her.
"All of it?"
"No." She shook her head. "Completely suppressing his mana would create another problem. His body needs mana to develop properly. His bloodline expects it. If I block everything, his natural growth may become distorted."
"So part of it."
"Yes, a small portion will remain accessible."
Antony nodded slowly.
"How much?"
"I’m thinking five percent."
He looked toward the broken chair.
"Five percent of that?"
Roxanna smiled faintly.
"What you just saw wasn’t five percent of his total reserve, sweetheart. It was simply what escaped."
That did not comfort him at all.
She seemed to read his expression.
"Antony."
"I’m fine."
"You look like you’re reconsidering every life decision that brought us here."
"I married you and I’m still acting surprised when our child turned out abnormal."
"Abnormal is a little harsh."
"He destroyed your dressing table, Roxanna. There is nothing normal about it."
"That’s your son you’re talking about."
"Fine, our son."
"Much better."
Antony sighed.
"Will five percent be okay."
Roxanna nodded.
"Initially."
"And then we increase it as he grows."
"Not according to age."
That caught his attention.
She shifted slightly and looked down at Michael.
"Age is too crude. Two children can be the same age while developing at very different rates. Michael’s physical development is already slightly ahead in some areas, and his mana pathways are much further ahead."
"So the seal watches his body."
"Exactly."
Her tone became more thoughtful as she worked through the solution.
"I can create layers. Each layer will respond to his overall development rather than a fixed date. Muscle strength, bone density, mana-channel stability, core adaptation, nervous-system tolerance, and his ability to consciously interact with mana will all matter."
Antony smiled faintly.
"You sound very comfortable designing seals for infants."
"I have never designed one for an infant, this is my only child."
His smile vanished.
She looked toward him.
"Sweetheart, I am still a Goddess."
"Currently a partially sealed Goddess."
"Still significantly better at divine sealing than anyone else within several thousand kilometers."
"Fine, I’m just worried. I didn’t mean to doubt you."
She smiled.
"It’s okay, I won’t experiment recklessly with our son."
"I know." Antony covered her hand with his. "I know you won’t."
For several seconds they sat quietly together with Michael sleep between them before Roxanna sighed.
"We should move rooms."
He looked around and softly chuckled.
"Probably," he said.
"The bed is damaged but my wardrobe survived," she cheerfully said.
"Your priorities are inspiring."
"It was expensive."
"You told me my robe wasn’t important this morning."
"Your robe wasn’t its doesn’t mean mine aren’t."
His expression flattened as he stared at her.
Roxanna smiled.
"Marriage."
He laughed despite himself.
They moved to one of the adjoining family chambers while servants began cleaning the wreckage under strict instructions that there had been a magical artifact malfunction and nothing more. Antony disliked lying to his people, but telling anyone that his three-month-old son could accidentally damage a fortified manor room with raw mana was considerably worse.
Only Roxanna and Antony remained in the new room when the seal was performed.
Michael had woken again by then.
He lay in the center of the bed staring upward while Antony sat beside him and Roxanna prepared several small crystals around his body.
He watched her place the final crystal.
"Will it hurt?" He asked.
"No."
"At all?"
"It may feel strange."
"He’s going to cry."
"He cries when you put a shirt over his head."
"That means he has standards, he probably doesn’t like the one you choose for him."
Roxanna looked at him.
Antony smiled innocently.
She shook her head.
"Hold his hand."
He offered one finger and Michael grabbed it almost immediately. The simple motion still did something ridiculous to his chest every time.
"I’m here."
Michael stared at him.
Roxanna placed her palm gently above their son’s chest.
"Michael Urelias."
Their son blinked, completely uncaring.
"Born of Antony Urelias and Roxanna Urelias. Blood of our blood."
A layer of mana started to simmer in the house.
"Mana of our mana... Power shall not become burden."
Roxanna’s voice carried something strange now.
Authority.
That the room itself seemed to listen.
"Strength shall follow growth."
The symbols touched Michael’s body but he didn’t cry.
"Growth shall follow readiness."
Light covered him.
"And what belongs to him shall remain his until he is strong enough to carry it."