Duente followed the trail of magical energy to the Infirmary.
The door to the Infirmary was left ajar.
He stood at the entrance, sensing the magical energy inside.
There were two sources, neither particularly strong.
One of them was identical to the black-clad woman from last night.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
There was no sign of the black-clad woman; instead, the end of the magical trail turned out to be the school nurse, Fuermina.
Fuermina leaned against the desk, wearing a white lab coat.
Duente immediately recognized it as the one he had worn yesterday, because it was a bit dirty.
On the nearby hospital bed lay a woman who looked exactly like Teacher Fuermina, with heavy dark circles under her eyes, fast asleep.
“Close the door and lock it behind you,” Fuermina said without turning around.
Duente reached back and shut the door.
“Teacher, I don’t understand—why did you attack me last night?”
“Hmm… maybe because the teacher is very interested in you?”
Fuermina turned around.
Her purple hair hung loosely over her collar, and the corners of her mouth lifted into an ambiguous smirk.
She said, “You weren’t very obedient, you know. I told you to take the blue pill, but you just kept it instead of swallowing it. You actually didn’t follow the doctor’s orders, so I had to be a little forceful.”
“Teacher, you could have just told me directly. There was no need to… do that to me…”
Seeing Fuermina’s innocent expression, Duente suddenly didn’t know whether to get revenge on her.
He had said he would repay her several times over—did that mean he had to go back and forcefully kiss her multiple times?
“Then what should I have done?” She tilted her head and laughed, “You wouldn’t open your mouth yourself, so of course I had to think of something. But the feedback was quite good—after all, your body was much more honest than your mouth.”
Duente’s expression froze.
He had come prepared for a big fight, but he never expected the attacker to be someone he knew…
Flashes of last night came back—the teacher’s hands wandering over his body, the moment her lips pressed against his—
“Oh my, you’re blushing.” Fuermina giggled, “Interesting. Has no woman ever touched you like that since you were little?”
“…Teacher, don’t make fun of me.” Duente awkwardly changed the subject and asked, “What exactly is that blue pill?”
“It wasn’t originally prepared for you.”
Fuermina leaned against the edge of the desk, crossing her arms, which accentuated her ample chest.
She explained, “It was prepared for Ailisi. The red potion releases magical energy, and the blue pill stabilizes the magic structure. It’s best to use them together.”
“But my sister injected Ailisi with the red potion first and forgot to give her the blue pill, which is why all that trouble happened yesterday.”
“Then why didn’t you just give the blue pill to your sister? Why did you pass it to me instead?”
“Because I examined your body.”
She said this with a serious expression, her smile fading.
“I discovered that the magical energy inside you is almost identical to Ailisi’s. The Gifted Flames, which only heroes possess, actually appear inside you, an ordinary student.”
She extended a finger, returning to her frivolous demeanor, and lightly poked Duente’s chest through his uniform, teasing with a smile.
“So I kept the pill for you. From an academic perspective, this approach is more effective.”
“Your sister used the red potion to stimulate Ailisi’s magic, causing her to go berserk. Do you know how much trouble that caused me?”
Fuermina fell silent.
Her gaze toward him shifted.
She was no longer looking at this young student as a teacher, but rather regarding him as a mature individual.
She switched her mood and said lightly, “What does it have to do with me? I just need to focus on collecting the experimental results.”
Not only did Duente not get angry, he suddenly had a thought—since the other party also didn’t treat Ailisi as a person, wasn’t there room for an alliance?
“Teacher, let’s cooperate.”
“…What did you say?”
“You’re researching the Gifted Flames and need data. I can provide what you want.”
Duente added, “But I have an additional condition: you must thoroughly study all of Ailisi’s talents. Not just the activation effects, but also weaknesses, limits, and every way she can be externally influenced.”
Fuermina stared at him silently for a few seconds then asked, “She’s your fiancée. Instead of getting revenge for her, you want to use her as an experiment?”
“Don’t you need to collect all kinds of data on her? I’m the same as you—I want to understand her better.” Duente stared straight into Fuermina’s eyes.
Fuermina still didn’t respond.
Duente continued, “Once she’s thoroughly researched, I can ‘protect’ her better. We each get what we need. This deal is quite advantageous.”
Fuermina examined Duente seriously.
Although she usually put on the appearance of a gentle teacher, she never missed the emotional changes in her students.
She noticed that this student’s eyes held hostility, calculation, and a calmness that didn’t match his age.
Not the coldness of teenage rebellion, but someone with clear goals laying out their pieces.
“…Interesting,” she said slowly, “I’ve never seen anyone treat their own fiancée like this. Do you really want to protect her, or do you have other motives?”
Duente said calmly, “Just tell me if you can do it.”
“Yes,” Fuermina answered decisively, “But we only conduct research. We won’t get involved in your personal conflicts.”
“Understood.” Duente turned and left.
“Little student,” she called out to him, her tone reverting to that lazy drawl.
“Next time you come, I hope you’ll be a bit more enthusiastic. The teacher has many things she wants to ask you.”
He ignored her, pulled open the door, and strode out.
As the door gap was closing, he saw Fuermina taking off the white lab coat, moving slowly.
Through the narrow opening, their eyes met.
She smiled slightly, her eyes full of tenderness.
After the door clicked shut completely, Duente stood in the empty hallway.
Morning light spilled across the corridor, making everything clear.
He felt calm.
As for being kissed last night, he no longer had the mind to bother with it.
He’d just consider that the teacher had questionable ethics.
However, he felt a bit happy about gaining a new ally.
For now, he should return to the classroom.
According to his memories from the previous life, something particularly significant for Ailisi would happen in today’s potion class.
Duente had to get back before that event occurred.
In the Infirmary, Fuermina leaned back in her chair and stared out the window.
“Sister, your expression is disgusting.” Fuermili had woken up at some point, lying on her side watching her.
Her hair was a mess like a bird’s nest, and her purple eyes held rare curiosity.
“Really? You’d have to blame that little student for that. He has a maturity that doesn’t belong to his age.”
“Sister, you’re not really interested in him, are you? You’re more than three years older than him.”
“Go back to sleep.”
“Mm.” Fuermili rolled over, “An old cow eating tender grass—you’ve got it all figured out.”
“What do you mean?”
“Good night.”
“…You’d better explain yourself!”