Chapter 349: The Matagot
The three men with Oren left The Oak Barrel Pub shortly afterward, blending in with the crowd of tourists and attracting no attention.
Meanwhile, back at the dragon reserve, Kyle had no idea that his former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—who had once wanted to get rid of him—was now in Romania as well. Instead, he was happily entertaining a Matagot lounging on the floor beside him.
The Matagot was a magical creature, much larger than a Kneazle, with oval eyes that glistened like Winky sapphires. While Matagots were common in certain regions, they were incredibly rare in Britain, and this was Kyle's first time seeing one in person. He gently scratched the creature under its chin, and the Matagot tilted its head back in contentment, letting out a soft, purring "gurgling" sound.
"Looks like Shackle's taken a liking to you," Professor Lochneal observed, crouching down beside Kyle with a smile. "Usually, he's pretty aggressive and hardly ever trusts strangers as much as he's trusting you now."
The professor glanced at the Matagot's exposed belly, unable to hide a hint of envy. The creature rarely displayed this level of vulnerability, even with its owner.
"No, why would it?" Professor Lochneal thought bitterly, trying to conceal his envy.
Kyle, however, had no reason to doubt the professor's claim about the Matagot's fierceness. The creature appeared docile now, but earlier it had chased down and scratched a man caught trying to steal a dragon egg. The Matagot was both quick and lethal, with long, sharp claws and teeth that left deep wounds on its targets. More frighteningly, if attacked with magic, it would split into multiple identical creatures, exponentially increasing the danger. Immune to magical attacks and able to multiply when provoked, a Matagot was a formidable opponent for any wizard.
As for the thief, the dragon keeper who'd apprehended him mentioned he'd actually laughed out loud upon seeing a rescuer approach, as if he'd spotted a savior.
It was worth noting that, thanks to the combined efforts of the magical creature specialists nearby, the dragon egg theft had been handled swiftly. Within five minutes of the alarm being raised, the incident was resolved, and the Romanian Ministry of Magic's Aurors arrived to escort the suspects out of the reserve. The whole operation unfolded smoothly, almost as if it had been practiced in advance.