บท 2: Upgraded System
Mattheus's eyes were wide as he stared at the proof that his friend and housemate was also in this world, having transmigrated too.
The System also seemed to have upgraded. The largest complaint in their old world when everyone woke up one day with the message of the said system being installed, at least by his generation, was the lack of incentive like one would get in a game. The so-called quests were also all over the place, some computer scientists theorizing the large population and amount of hosts were stretching the System's computing ability too thin.
Well, the tab was actually called Quests now and the two listed quests could be expanded. At the end of each page was the listed reward.
For the first, it was unlocking magic abilities.
As for the reward listed under [Reunite with Brunilda], it was unlocking the friend tab and party mechanic.
But Mattheus only peripherally took in the rewards, more relieved that he wouldn't have to do this himself.
"I hope the place I'm heading toward is 'the Capital.'"
When he stopped to take a break a few hours later, after climbing a hill and managing to find a dirt road in the distance along with farms spread out here and there, he looked at the quest list only for something to register.
Unlock magic abilities?
Did that mean he couldn't actually use his healing ability?
He looked around, considering he really didn't want to use himself as a guinea pig, finding several butterflies around him that was attracted by the blood.
"…"
He was going to feel really bad if he actually couldn't use healing magic, considering what he was going to do.
Mattheus grabbed the wings of the butterfly that landed on the collar of the coat he was sitting on while he took a lunch break. He floundered for a moment, wondering how to actually activate the healing magic, only for him to release the butterfly in surprise as the air glittered silver and gold around it when he felt a warmth surge to the hand holding the insect.
With surprise and slightly slack jaw, the man watched as the butterfly fluttered away, wings perfectly immaculate.
"… Cool." Then he frowned. But if it wasn't talking about his healing magic, what magic was the System referring to?
Did this have to do with the original Mattheus's abilities?
…
He had walked for no more than 15 minutes after the break before he saw practically a cavalry of people on horses galloping toward him.
Mattheus would have been nervous, considering he had no idea how the original owner of the body was known—whether he committed a crime or who his enemies were—except he saw the man at the front and instantly realized who it was.
Viscount Edgar Crown, Mattheus's older brother.
Unfortunately, that was the extent of the information he was going to get, apparently. He supposed it was a good thing he still had that nasty bump on his head. It was very cliche but he was going to claim amnesia, especially since he had zero ideas how the original Mattheus was like in personality (he very much doubted it was like Theo, though).
At least this older brother had an expression of worried relief on his face, so it should be fine to just stand and wait for the probable rescue party rather than run away.
"Mattheus!" Edgar called before stopping the horse and jumping off.
The transmigrator opened his mouth to begin the charade, only to freeze and owlishly stare into the distance as the taller and older man walked up and pulled him in a very firm embrace.
Uh…
Considering he was raised in a Chinese household on the traditional side and had friends that weren't exactly the hugging type, this was something he didn't exactly know how to deal with.
Before Mattheus could figure out whether he should return the hug if he supposedly had amnesia, Edgar thankfully released him, looking a bit awkward himself.
"Ah, apologies, Mattheus. But when I was told you went missing during the hunt and no one found you the entire night…"
Mattheus finally took the opportunity to sell the amnesia bit. He gave a clueless look, which he was very good at doing (and hopefully would work with the new face). "Oh. I'm guessing that I'm 'Mattheus'? I was actually wondering why I was in the woods by myself."
The dark-haired man with wind tousled locks looked at him with shocked gray eyes. "What…"
Mattheus made a show of looking at everyone in the group. "I don't recognize anyone but you seem familiar… do I know you…?" He frowned slightly.
"Mattheus—I'm your brother Edgar. Your family." Edgar was looking a bit desperate, the relief from a minute before being replaced with concern.
"Oh! T-that feels right." Mattheus blinked. He grabbed his head in an expression of pain. "I'm sorry but I woke up with a headache and no idea how I ended up where I did. I must have hit my head somehow and, well, I-I'm a bit confused."
Edgar turned to the group of men and called for an Aubrey, who went and checked Mattheus, only to confirm the huge knot at the back of his head. Along with the bloodstains on his collar.
Whoops. Though it wasn't like Mattheus could do anything about the clothing.
The transmigrator just let himself be directed and coddled considering he was hoping the less he talked, the less of a chance he'd make them suspicious. It was actually easy to continue the amnesia act, considering his befuddled and startled expressions were genuine.
He was so used to seeing almost everyone wearing a mask for over a year on the rare times he went out during the pandemic, it was actually really awkward and bizarre to see people's bare faces again.
Mattheus supposed the unwarranted mild alarm at seeing the lower-half of faces probably helped sell the fact he had a head injury and was very confused. Silver linings, right?
He listened in, inferring that Mattheus Crown had gone out on an early hunt for the season with several others only to not turn up at sunset. There was apparently some miscommunication, Edgar mentioning someone called Illarion saying he thought Mattheus went back first until talking to Edgar himself.
Thinking of the pile of evidence in his Inventory, including the odd bullet that did the original Matteus in, the transmigrator was glad he cleaned up when he heard a search happened the entire night.
It was a bit odd that they missed him sleeping up in a tree but he doubted there was an organized search pattern considering the level of technology he was observing. Though a bunch of humans stumbling around in the dark of the forest, most probably armed, explained why he woke up without the pack of wolves below him. Mattheus didn't think wolves gave up that easily on an "easy" meal, otherwise.
As for the level of technology or just the general ambiance, it reminded him of 19th century England. Or just the overall Victorian era.
There were some anachronistic bits Mattheus noted but he figured it was normal in this world. Like multiple moons.
He had been a bit wary when they went directly to a hospital for emergency treatment since the history of medicine in the Victorian era he knew ranged from competent to quack medicine. For the first time ever, Mattheus thanked the bias of privilege and social class differences since Edgar Crown had actually meant "emergency treatment."
A nurse cleaned his head wound and the doctor prodded his scalp for a few minutes and checked his pupillary response before saying a bunch of words that told Edgar his baby brother wasn't at risk of dropping dead or going into a sudden coma right that moment.
So, after slapping on some bandages, Mattheus left the hospital only to be directed to a carriage someone had called for at some point. The crest did jog a memory so Mattheus knew it was the Crown family's coat of arms—specifically his brother's.
Unfortunately, it meant the trip from the gates to the hospital was the extent Mattheus was able to inconspicuously try to get a scope of the people and culture of this world. Instead, he was now stuck in the carriage with Edgar, his older brother, with the shades drawn because of his headache.
Pulling the curtains so he could watch the scenery go by would be weird under these circumstances, Mattheus told himself. Keeping people from believing he was a demon possessing the body was more important than his curiosity—he could always learn later.
"Do you remember anything about yourself?" Edgar asked before he quickly took it back. "No, never mind. What do you remember about me? You said something earlier when we first found you. That I seemed 'familiar'?"
"Ah. I'm sorry."
Mattheus wracked his brain, trying to recall the discussions of amnesia he's had with online friends, before ultimately crossing his fingers and hoping the knowledge of human biology was as rudimentary as the clothing and architecture implied (weird stuff notwithstanding).
"… I know how to read, but don't remember how I learned it. I understand the concept of learning. I know you are a viscount but that's because someone mentioned it in my hearing. Your name is Edgar and you're the oldest son. My older brother."
Edgar looked bewildered though he made a good attempt at hiding it. In the end, he gave a defeated smile. "Somehow it's not surprising that even with memory loss, you are still a genius," he said almost to himself. In a more audible voice, he said, "It's going to be okay. Word was sent ahead and Baron Endlewood is probably at the manor already. The hospital said you were physically fine outside the rather large bruise but let's scan your quark levels just to make sure. Ah, I suppose you don't remember… The doctor is a family friend and a specialist. Let's see if this amnesia is just from physical injury or imbalance to your Color."
It was Mattheus's turn to look bewildered, only he didn't bother to hide it. The younger man looked at the other. "W-what?"
The viscount furrowed his brow and frowned a little. A bit unsurely, he asked, "Pardon?"
"Sorry, but what do you mean by 'color'?"
"The color of your soul." At Mattheus's continued incomprehension, Edgar began to look a bit grim. "Mattheus, do you not remember what incomprehensible matter is? Magic?"
"Ohh…"
Edgar looked surprisingly relieved. "Sorry. I know you're having trouble remembering things. It's just that out of everything, the last thing I'd expect you to forget is what you practically lived and breathed for most of your life."
Mattheus twitched a little. Was the original owner a magical genius?
"You don't remember the terminology, I'm guessing?" Edgar half-mused to himself. "At least you remember your energy presented red, right? Don't try to do anything right now! We don't know if there'd be any side-effects considering everything."
"… I'm sorry, Brother, but I wouldn't know where to begin to do anything in the first place."
Edgar looked horrified.
"Um. Sorry," Mattheus apologized, feeling bad. Even if he was going to unlock magic once he finished that quest, he wasn't sure how long it'd take or if he'd be at the same level as the original. Already, he was wondering if the healing magic would mess with the previous readings of Mattheus Crown.
"Father is going to have a fit…" the older nobleman sounded a bit faint.
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