Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided-Chapter 275. The Apothecary Shop

A couple of days later…

"Hmm…" A low, content hum escaped Vivian's lips as she measured the circumference of Zetius's thigh. The man stood in his underwear, serving as a test subject inside a hospital room filled with medical equipment.

It was the first time he had visited the Poranthis Tower, a skyscraper that stood as the zenith of Poranthis and the residence of Celestius Vivian Viberty.

"That's the last of it, right?" Zetius asked, looking down at the eager Celestius. She was crouched low, noting down his measurements on her clipboard.

"Huh?" she found his question distracting, but after she finished her scribbling, she glanced up at him. "Yes… You seem to be back to your prime health!" She announced this with exaggerated joy and gesture him to dress up.

"Nice…" Zetius instinctively exhaled, feeling relieved. Nothing weird like the last incident, this time.

As he shuffled with his trousers and then tunics, "But not quite!" Vivian said, excitement lighting up her eyes as she approached.

Zetius's eyes widened, his face turning white. "What do you mean?" he quickly slipped his zipper closed.

"Yeah! What do you mean?" asked Aurelia, who had been observing the procedure from the start.

The princess didn't appear too happy about it. When Zetius had mentioned the unorthodox procedure Vivian performed on him at the Borealis Castle way back then, Aurelia had not taken it well. Since then, she never let the woman be alone with Zetius.

Raising both palms, Vivian reassured them. "Oh! Don't worry! It's nothing like that!" she chuckled sheepishly at their defensive front, then spun back toward the far wall, where a block of metal sat on a steel rectangular segment of the floor.

Zetius and Aurelia exchanged a confused glance, raising their eyebrows at one another.

"I just need to make sure," Vivian spoke up, not looking back at them as she fidgeted with her pentagonal case. "I need to understand the true state of your physiology, not just the appearance."

Zetius approached her. "Physical test, like strength?"

"Yeah, something like that!" Vivian smiled as she placed her clasped hands to her chest in reverence, akin to a prayer.

"Epopteia." She chanted the word, and a soft glow, though small, escaped her chest.

Clearly, it was an essence of something. A lesser tier of Apatis, perhaps, Zetius judged from the twirling liquid contained within — a yellow liquid from the River Lethe. If his memory of the anthology lecture served him well, it was one of the most snooze-inducing courses of all, a subject that only Cartier would feel excited about.

With a low chime like a bell, Vivian dropped it into the case. Then she drew a small marble, different now, this one containing a shifting box, darting in one axis at a time.

"Kinesis!" she hummed, pleased as she studied it briefly before slotting it into her chest. It was strange to watch, but conceptually, it was a plausible practice.

"This must be essence swapping, no doubt about it," Zetius commented as Aurelia joined him at his side.

"Oh! You seem to be more knowledgeable than you let on!" Vivian glanced at them now. "It's a technique for us with fewer slots, but craving too many essences to learn!" she let out a soft giggle through her fist. Demure and proper, a common trait for the Virgo discipline.

"Ah… the world is your oyster, after all." Aurelia poked her head in. "I wouldn't have enough time to cultivate more essence. I've barely managed to invest in the five I've got!" she let out a shy chuckle, making a counting gesture.

"Same for my case here," Zetius agreed. "Trying to advance through various essences isn't too efficient personally. Despite most of my slots being empty, I'd rather advance the ones that actually matter, like Astrapyion and Empyrion."

"Hu~uh! I understand both of your sentiments regarding the context of essence advancement." Vivian hummed, closing the pentagonal case with a clink. "I just love to have various spells. Though they are lesser tiers, they can be utilised in simple tasks."

With motherly kindness, she smiled with her eyes closed.

"I see." Zetius cupped his chin, his gaze still lingering on the case hanging from her belt. "Nonetheless, it seems you have a dozen spells in there."

"And isn't your Iasis classified as mythic tier?" Aurelia interjected, a spark of admiration in her red eyes.

"Yep, thanks!" The blonde Celestius wobbled her head with gratitude.

"That's the difference between a Celestius and us!" Aurelia added, playfully bumping her shoulder into his solid stature. "Ouch! Tough guy." She groaned at the impact, rubbing her strained shoulder. Zetius could only brush the back of his head and smile.

Slowly, Vivian pivoted toward the metal block. With high discretion, she weaved her hands.

"Kinesis." The block stirred slightly before ascending upward into the air.

"Here, can you hold onto this block?" Vivian guided the block to be within Zetius's reach.

Still dumbfounded, "Okay…" Zetius nodded.

He complied, extending his hand to touch the cold steel. Its surface was shiny, just like any polished steel. And it wasn't particularly heavy either, he pondered as he bounced the metal up and down in his palm.

"Hmmmm…" Vivian studied him with scholarly eyes before scribbling into her notes. "And we're done!"

That little experiment coloured him surprised. "That's it?"

"Yes! Now open your palm," Vivian commanded calmly.

Again, she used the Kinesis spell to transport it back to its original position.

"Why do you not wanna touch it? Is it radioactive or something?" Aurelia poked, her scepticism palpable.

"Well, I understand your suspicion. The truth is simpler than that. It's just too heavy for me," Vivian chuckled.

Zetius frowned. "It's not that heavy."

"That thing is made of the densest stable metal on Earth—osmium." She shifted into her lecturer's voice, pointing at the block.

"Ohh… how heavy is that thing?" Aurelia asked, intrigued.

"About a hundred kilograms," Vivian revealed.

"Damn…" A soft gasp escaped both of their lips at the same time.

"As I suspected, it appears to me that your physical baseline is off the charts," Vivian continued with her lilting tone. "Back then, I believe you were about six times stronger than the average human; now, you've doubled even that figure."

"How…" Zetius murmured as he looked at his palm in wonder.

"You're very, very strong!" Vivian wore her gracious expression. "I suspect there's some connection with your Harmonious Ritual. Something that transcended our comprehension of the earthly plane."

"Hmm… how come that only happens to me?" Zetius pondered aloud, his mind starving for reasoning. "When Aurelia performed this ritual with Triss, or even with Lunice and Lunarius Canis, they returned to their original stage thereafter, right?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Aurelia nodded along; she hadn't found them changing physically or arcanically after the ritual either.

"That's correct." Vivian closed her eyes again, contemplative as her mind worked on a synthesis.

"Something related to the Astral plane?" Aurelia asked.

"It's a subject that requires deeper research for sure." Vivian raised her index finger. "For now, my working theory is that the two of you must have some sort of strong connection. Not just strong in the dimensional fabric of space-time, but something that is far beyond that. Something inherently divine, even!"

Zetius showed his full teeth, though he wasn't smiling. His analytical mind felt like such an abstract concept was just intangible — nonsense to a degree. He could understand the concepts of electromagnetism, electricity, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, biology, and so on… but this? This was something else entirely. It had less ground, or no ground at all.

"I feel like—" Aurelia paused, feeling the warmth bow in her chest, dusting her cheeks pink. "We were truly connected then."

"Yeah… It's amazing how you can match my reaction speed during that ritual," Zetius grinned. "We should try that more often!"

"Really?" Aurelia gasped. "Well, I'd love to." She conceded, flattening the edge of her tunic.

"If you don't have any questions, I'd love to get back to my research." Celestius Vivian signalled the end of their doctor visit. With that, the two bade their farewells and left the building.

With Cubie at the helm of the SUV hovercar, Zetius's company travelled through the highway from the sprouting cities of Poranthis. The buildings here were not as condensed as some cities in the Kanto region. There was a resemblance to Germund, if Germund had never become a battlefield during the One Year War. The architecture here consisted of glass panels and modern curves and geometry, preventing the buildings from appearing too blocky or dull. All in all, Poranthis was one of the most advanced cities in Porand, if not in the Osten Empire.

Aesthetic buildings shifted into a blur as Zetius rested his head on the glass.

It was a peaceful place. The place where Jack Squire was supposed to arrive, but never did. Zetius felt the swell in his chest. From what felt like forever ago, he felt some sense of fulfilment. It was like he had completed Jack's mission by bringing Aurelia here, though the objective no longer mattered.

The upbeat techno music, another song by Céleste Polaris, faded down.

"Is it here?" Cubie chirped as she rounded the corner into a row of shops.

"Yeah… I'd like to pick up some tea leaves," Zetius said, fidgeting with his ring. The holographic HUD reflected off his eyes. "There should be an apothecary shop in one of these."

"Oh, okay!" Cubie mumbled.

The traffic was moving into a slow crawl now as she navigated smoothly into the flow. Locals and tourists alike were haggling and shopping in this district; from a quick glance, it was lively and vivid.

"It's rare to see you interested in something other than the arcane, Zetius," Aurelia pondered aloud, tapping her cheeks as she studied the little kids in school uniforms. It was already 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

"True!" Cubie chirped.

"It's a hobby I picked up at the Borealis Castle, I suppose," Zetius replied, keeping his tone light.

Eventually, they found an empty spot to park. With master driving skills, Cubie managed to fit their SUV into the tight space. Soon, they were on foot under the relaxing sun.

Despite the occasional glances from the locals, they didn't really stand out — except for Cubie, who glowed blue like a human light bulb.

Zetius was occupied with the navigation on his arc comm. After a few minutes of walking, he found the place.

"Aha!" Zetius exclaimed with a big grin, pointing at the small shop crowded with a group of non-local customers at the front.

"It almost sounds like you already picked this place…" Cubie theorised, glancing at the man with suspicion.

"Yeah, does it have some special tea or something?" Aurelia added.

"Something like that!" Zetius said, intentionally vague.

As Zetius stood at the wooden counter, he spotted the wide selection of herbs and roots, potions, ointments, and various colourful essential oils. In the back, there was a mortar and pestle for grinding herbs into powders. The aromatic, medicinal and soothing agents filled his nostrils. It really brought back the nostalgic feeling of the small shop in Lilybend. It was the first place that had accepted his rebirth almost a year ago.

Soon, a shop owner with dark blue flower hair bun emerged from the curtain. Her dark eyes went wide.

"Zetius?" she gasped, cupping her mouth.

"Cintia?" Cubie gasped too, mirroring the expression.

"Who?" Aurelia followed with a confused look.

"Cindia! Zetius is here for a visit!" The shop owner called to the back.

A brief moment later, another twin, Cindia, came out wearing the same expression.

"It's really you," Cindia said, her voice quivering.

"Hi, Cindia." Zetius nodded politely, and turned to study Cintia. She appeared healthier than the last time; the lady wasn't gaunt or limping as she came to greet them. That was already a great sign. "You look great, Cintia."

The two ladies came into a gentle embrace, one at a time.

"So do you, Zetius." Cintia almost couldn't hold back her tears of joy as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. She turned to the blue girl. "You must be Cubie. You've grown into a fine young lady."

"Thanks! I can say more words now, you know!" Cubie grinned, showing her blue teeth, then they wrestled into a hug, chuckling in glee as they rocked side to side.

"I just thought I would never see both of you again. It's really warming my heart… I want to cry again." Cintia felt the untamable emotion rushing to her as she spun into her sister.

"It's fate that we met," Zetius said firmly. "But I would not be here if it weren't for the simple kindness you showed us."

"Thank you, Cintia, Cindia." Humbly, he lowered his head in gratitude.

"It's us who should thank you, Zetius." Cindia shook her head. "We couldn't have made it out of slavery if it weren't for you." She brushed her hand on his chest. "Is Friederich also here?"

"No, sorry. He's running a favour for me." Zetius chuckled between words. "But he'll visit you sometime, now that I know exactly where you are."

Affable joy filled the atmosphere as they reconnected.

Aurelia crept closer to his side. "Why are you two having fun without me? And when?"

"Well," he paused, finding the answer in the sky. "It's your fault for getting imprisoned, I guess."

She punched his shoulder, and he feigned the pain.

"Please everyone, this way!" Cintia suggested and led them to the side of the shop, where a few sets of tables were reserved for customers to try their herbal tea.

Zetius introduced the Princess of Solis Aeternum as Cindia prepared the tea. They spent the next while trading stories, catching up on the whirlwind of events that had occurred since they last parted ways.

Until a girl emerged from the side way, galloping with rainbow and sunshine innocence. Her hair and school uniform bounced up and down the street as she hummed a song in her throat.

There was the silver-white hair, the square shoulders, and the triangular frame of his that she caught a glimpse of.

"ZETIUS?!" May exclaimed with joy as she bolted through the crowd, song forgotten.

Zetius spun toward the shout of his name, rising to his feet as he saw an eleven-year-old run toward him as fast as her little legs could allow.

Her awe-inspiring eyes studied every inch of him, her boots bouncing left and right with exaggerated delight.

"Is that my glorious, elegant, intelligent, charming, radiant, calm, confident, warm, compassionate, witty, adventurous, kind, thoughtful, strong, courageous, creative, brilliant, gentle, humble, generous, passionate, wise, funny, loyal, dependable, graceful, respectful, sincere, magnetic, bold, articulate, empathetic, inspiring, honest, patient, and powerful Prince Zetius?" May recited without a single stutter. Even her own fluency left them stunned.

"Oh, you—quit it! I ain't no prince!" Zetius chuckled as he crouched to her level, and she jumped at him with open arms.

They groaned in joy, rocked in sync, and nestled for a heartfelt moment. Even Aurelia couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy toward this little girl. It was as if there were many perspectives or aspects of him she never saw.

After they parted from a hug, Zetius let Cubie into the frame, presenting her to the little girl.

"Hi!" Cubie stood tall, casting a long blue glow on May's face. She didn't look too excited, like when she met Zetius; in fact, she was still figuring out who she was.

"It's me, Cubie… you taught me to speak, remember?"

"But Cubie is a cube… not a person—" Then it clicked for her, her dark eyes sparking a million stars. "Whoa! You can evolve?!"

"Something like that," Cubie giggled, and soon they were a hugging and dancing pair.

"It's not fair, you outgrew me!" There was levity and delight in those words.

For an hour, they spent their time just talking, smiling, and chuckling as they went on and on.

Zetius learnt that May was a brilliant student, just like he thought she would be. Despite starting late, she managed to work her way up and catch up with other students in the prestigious school.

With the initial funds that Zetius pocketed from Tien Long, Cintia and Cindia opened this small apothecary shop. They were struggling at first, but with effort and determination, they pushed through and eventually thrived. Now they lived humbly, yet comfortably enough to support their financial needs and May's school fees.

Zetius felt a sense of joy hearing it all — about what their lives had become. About how his little action had impacted these people in a way he himself couldn't envision. Their happiness brought the greatest joy to his soul, and this life achievement would be etched into his heart.

The oath to protect became even clearer. And this was why, in the end, it was worth all the pain and suffering he'd gone through.

There was so much to catch up on, yet there was little time. Soon, Zetius told them that they had another place to attend to, and a long farewell ensued. They were back on the road again a moment later.

As Zetius steered the wheel out of the district and joined the highway, it was the first time he spotted Cubie weeping. She buried her face into Aurelia's shoulder in a quiet sob.

Zetius realised it now — that she was capable of more complex emotions. She had been missing the time she spent with May, like the family she never had.

That reaffirmed his belief even more.

She's human just like us.

The hovercar drifted along with the traffic. There was still much sunlight left in the day, and there was one last stop Zetius had to make.