Chapter 5

“Oh, so that’s how he ended up in the coffin” Eli concluded with eyes wide open.

“Ah well, that is something we can chat at another time, his fight with the angels was something that redefined his battle prowess in eyes of us mortals” boasted Stein while explaining about, who the demon lord was.

“So I wonder what exactly pissed Cromwell to such extent that he would do such a thing?” asked Eli

“That is something we can talk later as well, I am taking you to some very special place, so pay attention boy,” said Stein with a tired look. “We are not going to castle?” asked Eli

“Nope” replied Stein

“And since you already know Igor is an evil guy, why do you work for him?”  Eli asked

“He is helping me with research,” said Stein.

“But knowing he is evil?” Eli cross questioned

At first, he was quiet but then he said

“First we will go somewhere, your question can wait,” he said in a serious tone.

*Eli’s POV*

I followed him silently until I reached the place we decided to go. Okay, I thought we were going to meet some noble whom I had to thank for helping Stein bailing me out as I had pissed one of the nobles while trying to save that girl, little did I knew that I would end up at the gate of a school.

“You do realize that I am a grown up man, do you?” asked Eli with a look of worry on his face.

“Yeah, about that… not any more” Stein went quit again but was looking at me with a mischievous look on his face.

I could feel some weird feeling inside me, and there was some bright light surrounding me. All of a sudden all the buildings and even Stein started looking taller.

“What the hell? What did you do to me?” Asked Eli with a very annoyed look

“I turned you into a kid so you won’t feel awkward fitting in the school,” said Stein.

 “Hey turn me back, I was kidding… ha-ha… thanks for this though but I will rather have you do this when I grow old” Said Eli in a lighter tone.

“Umm… well, this change was permanent” Stein told me while he wasn’t looking straight in my eyes. Acting like nothing happened. He was even whistling while stealing his eyes from me. All sweat on his forehead, he knew he f**ked up.

“You see, I look younger than how I was on earth for the same reason” he was boasting

I was mad. I had those expressions where eyes are shadowed and the character have an all serious look on their face. I didn’t even care if he looked younger or not, probably this is the reason I never noticed he was my idol when I first saw him.

But I really didn’t care about all that. All I cared about was I probably lost 10 years to this old fart. I could picture Stein being murdered in cold blood with 20 different ways.

“Why did you do this to me you old fart?” I asked him with a furious tone.

“Okay, I have a reason for this transformation, keep calm and follow me,” he told me.

I followed him to the school, I can see many children and some young adults on the campus, and it’s like a school and college mixture. Hmm, the education system is something I should check out; maybe it will be easier here.

While I was walking, a young boy on a broomstick went past me, or rather I should say I barely dodged it, he was failing to control it properly. Right behind him was a familiar face chasing him on another broomstick.

We both shout out of fear.

Thump!

I opened my eyes just to see her lying all over me and I was even having difficulty with breathing. I look at her face again trying to recognize her and I noticed she is the same girl who was getting thrashed by that fat ugly noble back then.

I stood up immediately after she gets off me. The girl is young and appears to be around 18 or 20 years old. She is a cutie if you ask me, but as a 28-year-old man, she is too young for me. “Are you an idiot you blind kid, what class are you from?”

She thrashed me, but more importantly why did she call me a kid? Crap, this is Stein’s doing.

“I’m sorry but I think it’s you who should be apologizing for crashing on me with a broomstick. If you don’t know how to ride, you should refrain from riding in a crowded area” I reasoned with her

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I clearly made her madder. “Are you telling me, I don’t know how to ride the broomstick? Do you know you are talking to? I am Sarah, the current broomstick race champion of Slaya Central Academy?” She yelled at me.

A cold sweat dripped down my spine; I was clearly making funny faces while trying to avoid attracting a huge crowd to me. What an embarrassment, I spent a night in the cell for her.

Oh right, it's Stein’s doing again, she cannot even recognize me.

“I am... I am very sorry, I was not aware” I bowed down while apologizing.

“It seems you are new here, be courteous to your seniors going forward, you don’t want to be in my black book,” she said in a rough tone.

“Understood”

In my mind, I shrugged but I could not express or I would attract her aggro even more. I will never ever stick my nose in her business going forward. Yes, lesson learned.

As she was about to take her leave she noticed Stein and said “Professor Stein, what an honor to meet you sir” she bowed like a peasant should in front of a noble.

Stein paid her least attention and walked to me and said, let’s go to my office. Seeing this, I saw Sarah’s heart skip a beat after noticing I was with him. I saw the expression she had on her face. I was smiling but internally I was screaming like yeah bitch who’s your daddy now.

She paid no attention to how pleased I was and went back to chasing the boy who was on a broomstick.

I enter a dark room with Stein. He quickly turned the lights on. Yes, he turned the lights on like he would on earth. There were electric bulbs; I don’t really know if they are powered by electricity or not. This is something I did not see in the cell I was placed, they only used candles.

In the castle there were stylish lamps everywhere, bright enough to replace electric bulbs I’d say. But this makes the room too bright. Almost reminds me of my workplace.

Although it’s day time this part of the school does not get enough sunlight it seems.

“Okay, please stand in the box over there,” Stein said

The box made of glasses there were several wires visible but they looked like wires were meant to be hidden as I saw Stein, trying to push the wires behind an opaque board that was placed across the room.

“What is this?” I asked while being puzzled.

“This is a scanner, works almost the same as an ultrasound machine,” he said.

“How do you know about ultrasound, you died in 1955 or rather crossed over and this technology came to be in 1968,” I asked. “Well I don’t just summon random humans from earth, I keep an eye on other affairs as well, now get inside the box,” he said.

“Okay,” I said and went inside the box. “Hmm! You really don’t have those glands I had told you back then” he said.

“Even I developed them as I crossed over though no summoning ritual was used on me” he added.

“So there is no way for me to use magic right?” I was disappointed but I guess I was already planning to move on. Why bring it up now?

“Listen, kid, I know you did not open the coffin intentionally, it’s really okay to do so, trust me. As someone who crossed over the same world as yours, I would say you can trust me.” He said

“Kid to answer your question back then regarding helping Igor even though I know he is evil, I am a scientist, I don’t care who is evil or not. People here don’t understand science but he does, he is the only one who does. Besides, it was me who tossed the idea of nuclear weapons, so I am the last person to be expected to care” he added.

I see he feels guilty for tossing the idea of nuclear weapons. He probably is in depression due to this.

“Don’t worry, I understand now, I trust you?” I said. After all, he is my hero and my instincts tell me to trust him for some reason.

“Well, good to hear, but honestly I don’t know what kind of relic Igor talks about. My guess is that he talks about the great sword, but who knows” he sighed.

“Okay, I will tell you why I did not open the coffin. I have questions.” I told Stein while sighing out my breathe

“Sure, ask me, I will tell you everything I know about the coffin,” he said.

“Okay, why me?”

“You just got summoned randomly as I was tasked with summoning; I just randomly called a name which happened to be yours.” I was devastated after hearing that. So I’m not special.

“Why was summon required to open the coffin? Anyone could open it since magic is not even required”

I asked

“Very good question, I do not know the answer but know this, Igor paid a lot of gold to the person who recovered the coffin, he then asked that person to open it for him, he refused” he answered.

“But that doesn’t explain why summoning was required,” I asked

“Yes, but no one steps in the castle, knowing that this is demon lord’s castle, no one will open the coffin out of superstition that the demon might get unleashed” he ridiculed the locals.

I see now, so that could be a reason. But still after so many fantasies to be real in this world, people still have superstitions? Crazy!

“So why don’t you or Igor open the coffin,” I asked a very good question this time, let’s see what you have in your response.

Stein’s facial expression tensed a little, but then he went calm and casually smiled at me “didn’t cross my mind” I fell on my head with disappointment. This old fart kidnapped me from another world after making such blunder?

“I cannot be a hero because I am a scientist, I want to invent, I don’t care about adventure; the one who recovers the relic becomes the owner. Ownership can only be transferred after death so I cannot even pass it on” he replied suddenly with an all serious look on his face.

“What about Igor?” I asked

“For that you need to check with him.” He replied again with a casual smile.

“Here, drink this” Stein gave me a potion, I start drinking it. It tastes like a cough syrup but as soon as I drink it, my body starts giving a burning sensation, I start feeling very heavy and all of a sudden I pass out. What the hell, was I poisoned? Why?

While everything was blur, I hear footsteps coming from the hallway, the blur is now gone and I can see clearly now. I am standing in the top floor of the castle where I stay.

I see a man in long black hair, good built, in black armor walking towards me. Igor is walking besides him. I looked down; oh I am standing on the summoning ritual circle again. Was I summoned back in time? If so, why is everything still gloomy? I try to listen to the conversation but I can’t really understand them.

The man in black must be Cromwell as he fits the description as told in Stein’s story. He is seen walking towards the coffin behind me. He looks healthy without even a scratch on him. He is telling something to Igor.

I struggle more and more and try to concentrate on hearing what they are talking and suddenly I hear

“Wake me up when you are prepared,” Says Cromwell to Igor.

“Yes master,” Igor in a very polite tone said to Cromwell. Cromwell then drinks a potion and lies in the coffin, he closes his eyes and the cover closes.

A white light then covers me, I get a falling sensation and I suddenly wake up in my room in the castle.

“What was that all about?” I said to myself knowing that there was no one in the room.

“Was that really a dream?” I questioned myself.

***