The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 282: Back to the Academy

The next morning...

Leina, Victor, Jason, and Merlin stood before the walls of Dunvale.

"Let’s go," Leina said.

Victor clapped his hands, and instantly a giant bird, several meters long—the same one that had carried them before—appeared in the sky.

Leina, Jason, Victor, and Merlin leapt onto its back. The bird flapped its wings and soared high into the air.

"By the way, I’m curious about something," Merlin said, glancing at Leina, Jason, and Victor. "What happened to the mayor of Dunvale? Did you find any trace of him?"

Since the Dark Tunnel Organization had been destroyed, the mayor, Ludric, had fled.

Merlin didn’t know how Ludric had learned of the organization’s defeat, but he didn’t want to let the man escape.

Ludric had been one of the main causes of chaos in Helvar—he needed to be dealt with.

"You mean Ludric? Don’t worry—he won’t escape," Victor said, pressing the center of his glasses. "I planted my bugs inside him. Right now, he should be writhing in the cruelest torment."

A thin, merciless smile curved his lips.

Merlin, Jason, and Leina shuddered. That smile was terrifying—and for those who knew Victor, it was the first time they had seen him like this.

"Ah... good. Glad to hear it," Merlin muttered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

If Victor said so, it had to be true. He was just curious about how the fake Ludric had died.

It must have been... agonizing.

...

"Hah... hah... hah... I actually managed to escape that city!"

In the middle of the dense forest, a middle-aged man panted heavily. His face was pale, as if he had just narrowly escaped death.

He glanced behind him and felt a wave of relief—no one was chasing him.

"Lucky... they didn’t find me. I really am blessed," he whispered, still catching his breath.

Once he had steadied himself, he moved forward and spotted a stream of clear water just a couple of meters away.

Without hesitation, he bent down, scooped water in both hands, and drank greedily.

The refreshing coolness coursing through him brought an involuntary smile to his face.

"But they are far too strong. The Dark Tunnel Organization, which had seemed unstoppable, was utterly defeated by them. This... this outcome is completely unexpected," he muttered, gritting his teeth in anger. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He was the fake Ludric, the man who had posed as Dunvale’s mayor.

His placement in the city had been intended to turn it into a second site for the sacrifice ritual.

But unexpectedly, the Dark Tunnel’s plan—so flawless in theory—had been completely shattered.

Now, he was nothing more than a stray dog, abandoned and useless.

"It’s fine... it’s fine. I have the skills the other evil organizations want. I’ll be accepted... I know I will," he told himself.

Taking a deep breath, he splashed water on his face and was about to stand when something suddenly caught his attention.

A black, bug-like beetle crawled onto his ear.

He frowned and brushed it away. But strangely, two more beetles appeared in the same spot.

He swatted them off, yet more kept appearing, multiplying with every motion.

"Argh!" he howled in panic, terrified. He fought desperately to kill them, but they only grew in number.

"Let me go! Leave me alone! Argh!"

His body wobbled uncontrollably, and he tumbled into the stream before him.

The black beetles swarmed, countless in number.

"No!"

Agonizing pain ripped through him, as if the beetles were devouring his skin and flesh alive.

Blood streamed from his nose, ears, and the corners of his eyes, but that only seemed to fuel their frenzy.

Eventually, Ludric’s body was slowly consumed from the outside in.

He tried to scream, but the beetles forced their way into his throat, gnawing at him from within.

In the middle of a desolate forest, with no one within tens of kilometers, the fake Ludric met a miserable, gruesome end.

...

Whoosh!

The giant bird carrying Merlin, Leina, Victor, and Jason finally arrived at the academy.

The return journey had been short—just a single day.

The bird landed precisely in front of the headmaster’s office. The area was silent, students were nowhere to be seen, and only a few professors were passing by.

Merlin, Leina, Jason, and Victor jumped down from the bird’s back.

Victor approached it and stroked its head affectionately.

"Go back to your place. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you plenty of fresh meat as a gift," he said.

Krrk!

The bird wriggled playfully, almost as if it were smiling, then flapped its wings and soared into the sky.

"Jason, Victor—head back to your dormitory. I’ll report our mission to the Academy Head," Leina said calmly.

Jason opened his mouth to protest but, seeing her stern expression, swallowed his words.

"Okay... thank you, Leina."

"Thank you, Leina," Victor added, relief evident on his face.

He was exhausted. His body hadn’t fully recovered, and he still needed to go to Leona’s place to get a proper healing potion.

Leina smiled and nodded slightly.

After the two left, she turned to Merlin. "Do you want to come with me to the head academy’s office?"

Merlin nodded. "Of course, Auntie. I have to report to my master anyway."

Leina didn’t object. Together, they walked toward the large office building ahead.

***

"Hmmm..."

In her office, Linda hummed softly as she stacked documents in front of her.

A moment later, she set down her quill and stretched her stiff body.

"I’m so tired... If only Merlin were here, I could ask him to give me a massage," she murmured, a faint trace of sadness in her voice.

Sometimes, she called her beloved disciple to her office—not for important reports, but to help with her work or simply to give her a massage.

At first, it had been just to tease Merlin. But it turned out he was smart—or rather, very smart.

His brilliant ideas, like managing the academy’s expenses, had been a real help to her.

"If I’m not mistaken, Merlin and the others should be back today, right?"

She rubbed her chin, eyes fixed on the door with anticipation.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside. Linda’s eyes brightened.

Without a second thought, she rose and hurried to the door. As it opened, Merlin appeared, and she immediately wrapped him in a hug.

"You’re finally back, Merlin! I missed you so much!"

Merlin froze for a moment, his face pressed against her big, soft chest.

Then, he quickly regained his composure and coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem... Master, could you... let go of me?"

Linda pouted. "What’s wrong? Didn’t you miss me?"

She loosened her hold slightly, glaring at Merlin with a look of playful dissatisfaction.

"It’s not that, but..." Merlin glanced sideways at her, giving a subtle signal.

Linda followed his gaze, and her expression froze.

"Leina!?"