Forty-Eight Hours

After a moment, Mattheus just shrugged and put the jewels away into his Inventory. Knowing who was robbed made him feel less bad about the theft. He wasn't a saint, after all.

"Oh, the cane came in. I cleared up the lab so it's as close to modern standards as I can get it and recall from the last time I had lab in high school years ago. We can make that polymer coating thing you wanted before dinner. Actually, is that enough time?"

He looked around again and wondered if he should crack open the windows a bit in case of fumes.

"Let's hold off on reinforcing the cane, for now, Mattheus."

Mattheus turned back to look at the cat. She was sitting up, vivid green eyes looking straight at him.

"Hm?" He made a noise of inquiry.

He had removed his coat long ago and was only in a dove-gray houndstooth vest with a dark-gray shirt. His sleeves were already rolled nearly to his elbows due to reorganizing earlier, so all he did was place his hands awkwardly at his side as he waited for Brunilda to speak. It was not like he knew what kind of protective material he needed to wear yet, in any case.

The cat didn't blink as she continued calmly. "You had a close call earlier today and you haven't had the time to process it, I think."

Oh. It was about that.

"It's fine, Brue." Mattheus sighed.

"Mattheus. You were a victim of a physically violent act and had a flashback of no doubt equally violent assaults that rendered you immobile even though they were not your own. Not to mention what happened on the train."

"Brue." He exhaled in mild irritation. "I think I've had a breakdown that will last me a good long while back when I processed I've taken over the life of someone who committed treason. And the fact I was thrown into another world—not that I really was attached to our old one, mind you, but I do miss modern technology and am trying not to think of all the series I will never get to finish—"

"Ahem." Brunilda gently made a noise to get him back on track.

"Anyway, it's complicated." Mattheus ran a hand through his dark hair as he thought about Artorius Morgaine. "I'm wary of him. For good reason, of course. There's a bit of disconnect to what happened in the hall back there. It's not dissociation even though it feels like it, mostly because I have no doubt that attack wasn't aimed toward me but the Original and his long and complex history with the Prince."

The man paused and grimaced. His friend patiently and attentively waited for him to continue. He recognized it as Brunilda's behavior of listening to him unload or vent in front of her.

(He was kind of annoyed he was somewhat doing exactly what she wanted as a part of him realized he was "processing.")

"This is also why it's complicated, Brue. I feel like I greatly dislike—almost hate—him but I'm not sure if I'm just being influenced by the Original. I haven't even met him before today! But… those memories were so vivid… I feel like I'm losing my sense of self."

Mattheus bit his lip when he voiced aloud the previously unsaid fear he felt and had been trying to ignore ever since meeting the Crown Prince. It wasn't the older man he feared, but the moment when he forgot those memories weren't his.

He had been able to live day-to-day mostly because he firmly knew that Theodoric He was still Theodoric on the inside even if the outside was now Mattheus Crown. With that belief now wavering…

"Mattheus."

Silver eyes focused on his feline friend again as she called for his attention. He opened his mouth to apologize for his ranting but was stopped as Brunilda asked a question.

"What's wrong with being influenced by actual events?"

The nineteen-year-old blinked owlishly. He was a bit thrown. "What?"

"Those memories actually happened, Mattheus," Brunilda patiently reminded. "You still act very much like I've known you and, from the impressions I get with your family, you are fairly dissimilar to the original Mattheus Crown."

Mattheus stared, rendered speechless at the facts being laid out.

"It's called empathy," Brunilda finished dryly.

A beat passed.

The transmigrator released a gusty sigh. "Right."

The exhale itself seemed as if he also breathed out that inner fear he had about losing himself. The world was starting to look right again—really stressful and dangerous, but still alright.

"Right," Mattheus repeated while a small smile of relief curled the corners of his lips.

Really, what would he do without his best friend and mentor in life?

Mattheus Crown was only nineteen but Theodoric was only three years older. As if he had any idea what he was doing in life at the mental age of twenty-two. Hah!

"Hmm." Brunilda did not drag out the moment and switched topics, which the reserved Mattheus appreciated. For someone raised in Italy during her formative years, she was very considerate over the fact Mattheus grew up in a physically distant Asian household. "While I was stealing those diamonds, I overheard the Prince having a discussion. He's going to leave the Capital to inspect the border between New Albion and Leonois. It's going to take at least a week, so you won't have to worry about running into him since he's leaving in the morning."

"I guess I should get the communications set up during that time then." Mattheus glanced at the cane in its box again. "So…"

Brunilda sighed. "I wanted to clean up a bit but might as well do this before. The smell is going to stick to my fur."

"Ah." He turned a bit concerned, considering there wouldn't exactly be safety gear tailored for cats.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," Brunilda said dismissively. Then she started listing out items in her Inventory for him to take out.

As Mattheus listened as the cat dictated what they were going to do and the safety procedures involved, he was again bemused at what Brunilda kept in her Inventory.

The man also realized they were basically going to jerry-rig what was essentially a carbon fiber reinforced plastic coating on the cane body. She had simplified it as much as she could with the tools available to them but it was still kind of ridiculous.

His cane was probably going to survive longer than him and eventually become an heirloom or artifact after it was all done.

He mentally made a note to never lose the cane because he truly did not want to be hit by it after all the reinforcement was finished.

…

A few days later, the large ignis stones finally arrived.

The fulminis crystals were easier to acquire, having been available in the Crown storage, but the sheer size of the ignis stones needed required it to be ordered.

Once he was alone in the laboratory again, he took the time to observe the otherworldly stone.

"Mm… you know what. I think fulminis crystals are still the weirdest of the lot. A stone that causes static electricity just when touching it. Seriously."

"They're just like batteries. I think this is more bizarre because ignis stones never need to be recharged. It's inanimate but somehow able to constantly emit heat?"

Mattheus put the ignis stones, which looked like red glowing embers, into his Inventory. They were starting to make his lab into an oven because of the enclosed space.

"Ignis stones get the energy from the ambient atmosphere," Mattheus said. "What do you think about the aqueous diamonds? I find the fact that under certain conditions, a jewel that can 'weep' water to be weirder than glorified hot rocks."

"From a position of science in the old world, ignis stones are the weirdest. The aqueous diamonds are a bit odd considering the cuts don't refract light as you would expect though."

Mattheus sat back down on the work stool as he brought up the System and double-checked everything.

"I'm kind of curious what the recently discovered cloud quartz is like that they want to replace the ignis stone engines in the airships of the Capital with them. Actually. I'm curious what the airships look like. Have you seen one when you go out? Do they look anything like dirigibles?"

"I have seen a grounded one. You will honestly have to see one for yourself. It is hard to describe. Just remember to hide your reaction."

"Of course. I am aware that the Original would have grown up around a lot of machinery and technology with Father being Earl of Mecane. Basilea City is just as advanced. It's New Albion that is a bit behind… mostly because of bureaucracy, from what I can tell."

"Innovation is more easily embraced (in fact, expected) in the Basilea Region, from what I've heard."

There was a small shift and Mattheus realized the cat had snuck up close again without him realizing it.

"So?" Brunilda prompted.

"We got everything. Let's see…"

He pulled up the Quest tab before expanding [Emergency Upgrade] and physically reaching to tap the "Agree" button.

A window popped up.

"Oh. 'Items will be taken from the Inventory.' Blah blah blah. 'Once submitted, the System will be in Hibernation Mode for 48 hours during the upgrade.'"

"Two days?" Brunilda tilted her head.

"I don't have to go into the office so I can just hole up here while it's being upgraded."

Still, he backed out of the window and returned to the Inventory. He took out some chocolate, popping kernels, and cherry tomatoes. The vacuum pot to make coffee was already out since it blended right into the lab but he pulled out some of the good beans Brunilda had and made sure he hadn't placed the manual grinder back in the Inventory.

"Snacks for studying?" Brunilda commented in amusement.

Mattheus also took out some rougan before he went back and started the upgrade. Getting comfortable, he unfolded the parchment paper and picked up a piece of Chinese jerky to snack on. "I'll eat anything but I do admit I miss Asian flavors sometimes."

"Give me some." Brunilda pawed at the air.

"There's sugar and salt though."

"Give."

"But cats—"

"I'll be fine. Give me a piece before I steal the rest from you."

"Okay, okay! Fine…"

…