3 Chapter 3: Sealed!?

Amidst heated debate, William and Elena finally noticed the strange noises in the room and also that Bell had awakened.

"Oh, darling, you're finally awake! Are you hungry? Mommy will prepare something for you right away."

The two quickly approached Bell, speaking to him happily.

Unfortunately, Bell couldn't understand what they were saying. He was still immersed in the sadness of the milk bottle drifting away from him...

...

Several days passed quickly, and Bell had completely accepted the fact of his reincarnation.

Bell had died of a heart disease in his previous life at the age of 32. He wasn't saddened by his death nor had much attachment to his previous life.

Lying in the hospital bed, feeling life slipping away, Bell didn't fear death; instead, he felt genuine happiness.

His life before had been mundane, going to school, coming home, and repeating. After graduating from college, he stumbled into a decent job, continuing the monotonous routine of working and going back home every day. This stagnant life eventually led to his despair.

Years of suppression and unhealthy lifestyle led to him developing a heart condition in his early thirties, eventually leading to his demise.

Though he felt remorseful for not being able to care for his parents in their old age in his previous life, he couldn't dwell on it. Since he was dead, there was no point in pondering over such matters.

After crossing over, Bell didn't feel particularly happy about getting a second life either. Having repeatedly hoped for change in his previous life, only to be disappointed time and again, had left him despondent.

Gradually, Bell learned not to expect much, realizing that not expecting meant not being disappointed. Who knew if this life would just repeat the cycle of his previous one?

So Bell approached his second life with a nonchalant attitude - since he was alive again, he might as well see where it led. Nonetheless, he was quite interested in the existence of magic.

These days, Bell had been looking forward to exploring outside his room, to see what his new life's home was like. However, he soon realized that he couldn't leave!?

Every time his parents entered or exited, they performed some complicated operations that, though incomprehensible to him, seemed quite powerful.

He also noticed that the walls of this room were unusually sturdy. In the hospital, a mere wave of his hand would bring a wall crashing down. But here, despite numerous attempts, the walls stood firm.

So, based on Bell's experience of devouring novels in his previous life, it seemed, he might, possibly, be sealed!?

His parents visited him every day, but never stayed too long in this room.

Understanding that his every move could potentially cause destruction, Bell didn't blame his parents for it. Maintaining protective spells for them must have been quite burdensome.

To take care of Bell's daily life and to keep him company, his parents arranged for some creatures (Bell hadn't learned their names and couldn't understand) to look after him.

These creatures could use magic, were less than a meter tall, had long noses, eyes the size of tennis balls, and bat-like ears. Overall, they looked quite unique.

...

Time passed quickly, several years went by.

Being confined to his bedroom every day, Bell had no sense of time. Just the other day, his parents brought him a large cake, and he learned it was his birthday, realizing he was already three years old.

Though confined, Bell was content with this life.

Firstly, he was satisfied with his appearance. Not because he looked handsome or anything - what can a three-year-old kid understand about that? The reason he was satisfied was that he had black hair and black eyes, which gave him a sense of familiarity and warmth.

Though he didn't understand why both of his parents had blond hair and colored eyes while he had black hair and black eyes, since his father William didn't question it, Bell, not understanding much about Western genetics, considered it normal.

Secondly, Bell's life was quite comfortable.

As a seasoned otaku in his past life, he didn't see any problem with being confined; it suited him just fine. Eating, sleeping, and playing with toys every day kept him entertained.

Perhaps out of guilt, his parents bought him lots and lots of toys.

There were really a lot, as hardly any toy could withstand Bell's hands for more than a day. Among them, the shortest-lived one was crushed into pieces even before Bell could lay his hands on it, crushed by his unconscious magic.

Many of these toys were enchanted, far superior to ordinary toys, and even a thirty-year-old uncle like Bell found joy in playing with them every day.

Of course, as an adult with a baby's body, Bell didn't spend his days solely on eating, drinking, and playing.

He made a list of tasks for himself, with learning language and writing at the top. In simple terms... learning English.

"Why do I still have to learn English after crossing into another world?! This is unbearable!"

Bell's heart was in turmoil. Yet, he couldn't refuse the harsh reality, so he gritted his teeth and picked up English, which he had abandoned for many years.

Whether due to the help of magical power within him or the extraordinary learning ability of a baby, which one couldn't say, English that he had struggled to learn for ten years in his past life, he now managed to grasp the basics of daily conversation in about two years.

His name in this life was Bell Minashel.

"Why does everything feel subtly familiar? Is it just my imagination?"

Perhaps because of having the soul of an adult, Bell naturally possessed much stronger magical power than an ordinary young wizard.

But this wasn't entirely a good thing because a baby's body was too fragile. So Bell fell into a coma for a whole month.

During this month, Bell's magic spontaneously strengthened his body, blessing him with a physique stronger than other babies... maybe he could take on two at once.

Bell was also surprised to find out that the small, unique creatures that had been taking care of him for the past three years were actually legendary house elves!

To confirm whether it was accidental, Bell asked his personal house elf, Lim, to fetch all the newspapers from recent years.

When Lim returned with a stack of Daily Prophets, Bell basically confirmed his speculation. After skimming through the news reports from before and after his birth, he found the names "Mysterious Man," "Harry Potter," and "Dumbledore."

Bell was certain - he had crossed into the world of "Harry Potter"!