The next morning, the academy was still on edge. The scars of the attack were visible everywhere. But in one particular room on the top floor, priorities were... different.

  — “Julius, don’t nudge the hatchling with your foot...”

  — “I didn’t mean to! It slipped next to my leg—I didn’t see it! That thing’s barely fifty centimeters long but weighs like twenty kilos... it’s a walking trap!”

  The baby dragon, all limbs and clumsiness, slid across the sheets, lost its balance, and face-planted straight into a pillow. Then it stayed there, belly up, tail wagging as if everything was fine.

  — “This is insane…” murmured Julius. “He’s supposed to be some terrifying draconic force, but he’s basically me in my first year.”

  — “Young draconids are... energetic,” Marenna replied with a strained smile. “They grow fast. But at the start…”

  The hatchling tried to climb back onto the bed, slipped, bit the blanket to hold on, tore it off, and ended up buried under it, legs flailing.

  — “Garlan, I think he takes after you,” Marenna whispered.

  Garlan, sitting against the wall with bandages across his torso, gave a painful smile.

  — “You mean irresistible and unpredictable?”

  — “I was thinking more along the lines of ‘hotheaded and uncoordinated,’ but your version’s cute.”

  The hatchling eventually rolled out from under the blanket, blinked… and spat a tiny flame at the nightstand. A scroll instantly caught fire.

  Marenna leapt to smother it, Garlan winced, Julius threw his arms up.

  — “HE’S A WALKING DISASTER!”

  The hatchling, completely unbothered, curled up inside the dirty laundry basket and closed his eyes. A thin plume of smoke rose to the ceiling.

  The day was only just beginning.

  A few floors down, in the masters’ hall, the mood was grim. A restricted council had been called at dawn. A preliminary report of the attack was already circulating, enchanted so the mages could read it silently.

  — “He took a hit strong enough to split a golem,” one professor muttered. “And he’s still breathing.”

  — “That boy… his magic doesn’t match any known protocols. No chants. Just pure intention. He’s an anomaly.”

  — “An anomaly… or a weapon?”

  The headmaster still hadn’t spoken. But his eyes were fixed on the name at the top of the report: Garlan.

  Meanwhile, Julius was trying to hide the hatchling in a laundry chest, buried under blankets. It might have worked… if the creature hadn’t decided to show affection by licking his cheek. Literally. With a burning tongue.

  — “AAAAAAH! Can’t you cuddle like a normal creature?!”

  He wrapped himself in a blanket, smoke rising from his face, while the hatchling chirped happily.

  Garlan, still lying down, sighed:

  — “He’s adopted you. It’s over.”

  Marenna, deadpan:

  — “We can always claim he’s an enchanted salamander. Very rare. Very affectionate.”

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  The hatchling sneezed, releasing another blue flame.

  — “…Or not.”

  At that precise moment, someone knocked on the door.

  They exchanged panicked looks.

  Before anyone could react, the hatchling happily leapt toward the handle, lost balance, and landed squarely on Garlan’s stomach.

  The impact triggered an uncontrollable fire mana spasm. A burst of flame shot through the half-open window, lighting up the courtyard like a magical flare.

  A group of students below looked up.

  — “Huh? What was that?”

  — “Looks like Garlan’s feeling much better,” a voice quipped.

  — “Or he’s found a… creative way to thank Marenna.”

  Inside the room, Julius paled.

  — “They’re all going to think you hooked up again.”

  Garlan covered his face with an arm.

  — “We’re doomed.”

  Marenna, blushing but calculating already:

  — “Not yet. But I need to come up with an explanation. Fast.”

  Silence fell for a heartbeat, just enough to see everyone’s panic in their eyes. The hatchling bounced near the door like he had completed a glorious mission.

  — “Nobody move,” Marenna whispered.

  But it was too late. The door creaked open, and a hesitant figure peeked in.

  — “Um… hi?”

  It was élo?se.

  She entered slowly, holding a tray of fruit, her cheeks flushed, her eyes avoiding Julius’s.

  — “I… I thought you might need sugar… or vitamins… or something…”

  Then her gaze fell on the hatchling.

  The tray tilted in her hands.

  The hatchling, thrilled by the visit, spun in a circle, slipped on the polished tiles, and stopped right at her feet, staring at her.

  — “This… this is a joke, right?” élo?se said, looking at Julius. “Tell me that’s a demonstration golem. With fake scales or something?”

  Julius raised his hands:

  — “Uh… he’s been with us since… this morning.”

  élo?se slowly sat on the edge of the bed, eyes still fixed on the hatchling, who was wagging his tail.

  — “He’s adorable. And kind of terrifying. But mostly adorable.”

  Then, turning to Marenna:

  — “So… how exactly are you going to explain this?”

  Marenna and Garlan exchanged a glance.

  — “Good question,” Garlan said. “Got any ideas?”

  The hatchling climbed onto the bed, curled up beside Garlan, and gave a happy sigh… followed by a mini flame.

  élo?se nodded slowly.

  — “Yeah. You guys are doomed.”

  Marenna sighed:

  — “If you two keep quiet, we’ll try to take care of him in shifts.”

  Julius and élo?se looked at each other.

  — “You want us to babysit a hatchling?” Julius groaned. “He’s a mobile flamethrower!”

  Another knock came at the door.

  Marenna stood immediately and stepped outside, closing the door gently behind her to hide the hatchling.

  An administrative assistant waited with a scroll.

  — “For you and Garlan,” he said simply. “Summoned tomorrow morning. Masters’ hall. Regarding the attack.”

  Marenna nodded, her face calm.

  — “He’s resting. I’ll let him know.”

  The man left without another word.

  She reopened the door slowly.

  — “Bad news,” she whispered. “We’ve been summoned.”