With a scream, the dream demon flees Rockmann’s body, at which point Satanás catches it with his wind magic and seals it in a box enchanted with Prince Zenon’s lightning spell. The box’s strong electromagnetic field will make sure it’s not going anywhere—and, to be on the safe side, we lock the box with a magic circle as well.
The box is the one we found Treyse in. We put the lid back after Satanás blew it off.
For a short while, the demon makes a lot of noise inside, trying to get out, but then it either gives up or gets tired. It really is a waste of effort. Hopefully it will learn and give up on the idea of killing me. Though I don’t imagine such a pigheaded spirit changing quite so easily. In a way, I’m no less stubborn; I can see where it’s coming from. Not that I’m saying it’s okay to kill me, and again, I’m definitely not going to forgive it. Next time a demon like this appears, I’m going to beat it to a pulp and lecture it afterwards.
Satanás shrinks the now-still box to the size of a palm and picks it up.
“Zenon, mind calling the principal here?” he asks.
“If memory serves me right, he was a lightning-type too. Just a moment,” replies the prince.
He holds his index finger to his ear and closes his eyes—another clever lightning-type trick that lets them talk with each other over great distances. It’s a solid plan: we’ve already spilled the beans to the principal, so there can’t be much harm in roping him in to help with this last part.
I’m not sure we should be casually summoning him like he’s a magical beast, though, but let’s pretend I’m not getting that impression here. We should just take advantage of things. Above all, it’s reassuring to have the most important person in the school on our side, so there’s no reason to hesitate.
“It’s okay now,” I tell the young Rockmann.
As he lies limp in my arms, I lay him on the floor, careful not to wake him. The arm growing out of his chest is gone, as seems to be the connection with his adult self—I’m guessing it was severed when the demon left his body and he wasn’t under the effect of any more spells. Now he’s just sleeping calmly. If only he were this adorable in the future... Wait, I’m not sure I want that. Like, you know... It would just be weird if the Rockmann I knew became adorable too.
I gently brush the messy hair out of this sixteen-year-old’s unfittingly youthful, innocent face.
✦ ✦ ✦
A few minutes later, the principal enters the laboratory, looking cool as a cucumber and completely unhurried.
“Now what happened here...?”
Stroking his beard in thought, he looks over the disaster in the room, then peers at the three students on the floor—including Treyse. His lack of surprise surprises me in turn. How can he have such presence of mind? Sure, the prince brought him up to speed when he called him over, but he’s as calm as an old man coming to see a neighbor’s cat.
“A demon was here, sir.”
The prince describes what has transpired in this room, leaving out the fact the demon was after my past self. It would needlessly complicate things if we told him. Instead, we simply say the incident involved a demon that couldn’t control its romantic feelings. It’s pretty implausible if I say so myself, so I was worried the principal wouldn’t buy it (plus we didn’t reveal the whole thing), but he doesn’t show any sign of doubt whatsoever.
“I see. Must’ve been hard on you,” he says, going around patting our heads like we’re little children.
I’m sure we all think the same thing in the process—our principal doesn’t happen to be a huge sucker, does he?
“Worry not, I’ll handle the rest. You folks should hurry back to your time.”
“But sir, won’t people find it suspicious if we vanish all of a sudden?” I ask.
“The magic of that doll of yours will ensure it doesn’t happen, correct? It sounds like the things you didn’t wish to change will remain the same in the future.” Disregarding our concerns, he adds, in a louder voice, “Oho ho, why, I see you’re good friends who help each other out!” He smiles.
Well, looks like we have no reason left to stay.
I recall what the Time Keeper told us in regards to doing things in the past. He said you can’t undo something that was done, but you can muddle the memories of those you made contact with to prevent them from remembering it in order to correct history as you return to the future. No matter how much I think about it, it’s too complicated to wrap my mind around.
Well, as long as our future is safe. I should look into time-manipulation magic and the Time Keeper once I’m back.
“I’ll ask you,” utters the gnomish old man in Benjamine’s arms, facing my way. “Where do you wish to return?”
Apparently it doesn’t have to be that forest, since the Time Keeper is with us. And it also looks like we don’t have to say that ludicrous line to return. The “O handsome Time Keeper, I am thy slave” one. Thank goodness. I’d hate to say something so humiliating, even if I didn’t mean it.
But why me? I give the gnome a quizzical look, as if to ask why he’s asking me and not Benjamine, and what he’s scheming.
“I feel guilty for what I’ve done to you. I apologize,” he says, looking disheartened.
It’s true that none of this would’ve happened had he been careful about whom he sent to the past. He needs a good scolding even more than the demon. Still, he didn’t mean to do something bad, I suppose. Even if I’m rather uncomfortable with what he’s been doing until now.
“So, where do you wish to return?”
“Where I want to be now is obviously...”
...by Rockmann’s side in our time.
As we huddle together and hold each other’s hands as instructed by the gnome, a whirlwind quickly forms around us.
“Thank you for everything, sir!” I exclaim.
“Let us meet again in the future,” replies the principal in a kind voice.
As light envelops us, I see the principal waving our way.