This Time, I Am A Mob's Potions Teacher Who Has Become Engaged To The Mastermind Of The Otome Game - 7

“Hey, get a grip!”

Alois’s voice rang out, and I opened my eyes.

“Huh? Why are you here, Alois?”

“I was worried about you, so I came looking. Thank goodness you woke up.”

“What about Professor Fabius?”

“…Over there.”

When I followed Alois’s gaze, I saw him crouched on the ground.

“He was about to cast a curse on you, so I blasted him back with magic. What on earth happened?”

“I sensed dark magic and went to check it out, and I found him there. I could feel the darkness coming off him… I think he took power from that book of dark magic.”

Yes—after Sarah had rescued César from the book of dark magic, he, as an official of the Ministry of Magic, had taken custody of it.
But afterward, he opened the book and absorbed its power.

He passed the book’s curse onto César to avoid being cursed himself and gain the power without consequence.

“Ugh…”

As I watched from a distance with Alois, Fabius let out a groan—and his body began to change.

Bathed in the light of the burning school building, he transformed into a massive dragon that now loomed over us.

“Nooooooo!”

I woke up screaming, only to see the ceiling of the dormitory above me.
Something heavy was pressing down on me—I couldn’t move.

“Queh.”

When I lifted my head, I saw Natalis sitting on my chest.
Just like the dragon from my dream, only smaller, it rubbed its face against mine.

“You’re really Natalis… right?”

“Kyuuu.”

“You’re not… human, are you?”

In the game, Noël had taken a non-human form—a dragon—and gone on a rampage.
And now I was scared… What if Natalis was actually Noël transformed?

“What nonsense are you spouting! Stop daydreaming and get ready already!”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.”

Urged along by Jill, I once again became the Magic Pharmacology Teacher, and headed off to work.

◇

“It’s a species native to Sia,”

said the official from the Ministry of Magic as he approached Natalis—only to be met with a threatening growl that made him back away.

“A dragon that should be living in Sia… what is it doing in the Kingdom of Nox?”

“We don’t know the full details, but there’s a possibility it was poached.”

In the end, we did call in the Ministry of Magic.
Professor Ledoux from the biology department was knowledgeable about magical beasts, but a dragon was a different matter entirely—something that couldn’t be handled on an individual level. We had to defer to the experts.

“I’d love nothing more than to return it to its homeland, but with our current strained relations with Sia, that won’t be possible. Most likely, it’ll be placed in protective custody at one of our facilities.”

“What…? Then, would it be possible for me to keep it until its wounds have healed and it’s strong enough to return on its own?”

Even if they called it protective custody, a facility would be no different than a cage for Natalis.
After everything it’s already been through, I didn’t want to subject it to even more suffering—I just wanted to give it a little freedom, if possible.

“Professor Bellecour, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Dragons are uncontrollable once they start rampaging. I understand how you feel, but…”

Professor Ledoux, who was helping coordinate everything, softened her brows apologetically.
If even someone who loved magical creatures enough to become a biology teacher was saying no, then it meant the path to giving Natalis its freedom was truly closed.

What should I do?

At this rate, Natalis will never be able to return home. It’ll never see its kin again, just locked away in some small, confined place.

What can I do?

As I racked my brain for a way to convince the Ministry official, Natalis suddenly let out a low growl.

“Grrr…”

“Natalis?”

It lowered its body and flinched, as if scared of something—then suddenly leapt into the sky.

“Ah—wait!”

Her black silhouette soared faster and faster, climbing into the clouds until it disappeared from view.

“No way… Natalis hasn’t even healed properly yet…”

I stood frozen, staring into the sky, hoping to catch another glimpse of her. But then—

Someone suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me back, throwing me off balance. My back hit something warm and solid, and I felt heat slowly spreading against me.

I realized—someone had caught me.

Then I heard a voice from right behind me.

“…Hey. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Noel?!”

That voice I’d longed to hear—so close it brushed my ear—carried an edge of irritation.

“W-Why are you angry?”

“What do you think?”

I tried to turn to look at him, but I couldn’t move—Noel’s arm was wrapped around my waist, holding me tightly.

This… this pose, in front of all the students and even the Ministry people—it was way too embarrassing!

But Noel… what are you doing?!

“Mica told me there was a dragon near you. I felt like I was going to lose my mind.”

“N-Noel, uh… I really think we shouldn’t be doing this in public, so could you maybe move your hand?”

I smacked his gloved hand lightly in protest, and he suddenly spun me around.
Before I knew it, I was facing him—his amethyst eyes inches away.

“Just listen to me, will you?”

“Y-Yes! I’m listening!!”

He was smiling, but his eyes definitely weren’t.

This wasn’t the heartfelt reunion I’d imagined—not even close.
But still… hearing his voice again, seeing those violet crystal eyes…

I felt safe. Truly safe.