The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 284: An Important Task From Linda

"Ahem! I’m sorry for falling asleep yesterday, Merlin," Linda said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

She hadn’t expected to doze off while Merlin was massaging her. When she woke up the next morning, she found herself in bed.

It was clear that Merlin had moved her.

"It’s okay, Master. I know you were exhausted. And I’m sorry too—for carrying you and entering your room without permission," Merlin said, clearing his throat as he placed two cups of coffee on the table.

Entering someone else’s room, especially someone of the opposite sex, was obviously rude. In his home country, it would have been a reportable offense.

Linda was momentarily stunned. Her face flushed, but she quickly composed herself and waved it off.

"It’s okay. And... thank you for the coffee," she said, taking a sip and enjoying the warm, refreshing taste.

"You’re welcome," Merlin replied, slowly sitting on the sofa opposite her. "So, did you need something to call me this early?"

He glanced at the clock—it was already ten. Calling it "early in the morning" felt odd, since it was almost lunchtime.

"About that... I need to tell you something important. It’s about a test coming up in a few days," Linda said seriously.

Merlin blinked, surprised, and asked cautiously, "Don’t tell me you want me to be directly involved in it?"

If he guessed right, that would be a big headache. He had no desire to get involved in a test in just a few days.

After all, he was still a new student and had hoped to spend his time relaxing with Luna or Monica.

Realizing his hesitation, Linda sighed softly. "I don’t want to involve you, but you’re the only one who can help me. I hope you’re willing."

Her words caught Merlin off guard. He stared at Linda’s calm, indifferent face, which somehow carried both hope and sadness.

Seeing that, how could he refuse?

Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Alright, I understand. Please tell me."

A faint smile appeared on Linda’s lips, but she quickly hid it.

"I want you to meet a student named Liora Aryn during the upcoming test. She’s from the Druid race. You know that race, don’t you?"

Merlin’s eyes widened, and his breath quickened.

"The Druid race, you say?" He swallowed hard. "Of course I... know about them."

The Druid race was one of the world’s ancient peoples. They were said to be born from trees and could live indefinitely, existing in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings.

That was why Merlin was so surprised to learn that a Druid would be taking part in the upcoming test.

Sensing his confusion, Linda quickly explained, "I’m sure you know the academy is opening more spots to non-human students. We’re doing this so these races can assist humans if a terrible threat emerges from beyond the Sky Wing Crack. One of the races I’m most interested in is the Druid race. They’re extremely powerful, especially because their strength comes from nature. Liora is the princess of the Druid race and will be the first of her kind to attend this academy."

"So..." Linda took a deep breath as she sipped her coffee again, then continued in a serious tone, "This mission is very important—and difficult. You’re the only one I can trust and rely on."

Linda couldn’t ignore the fact that the academy wasn’t entirely clean.

Some people—whether janitors or even professors—turned out to be evil figures in disguise.

That was why she couldn’t entrust this matter to anyone else.

As it happened, Merlin was a new student, which made his presence a perfect cover for approaching Liora legitimately.

Merlin fell silent for a moment, as if pondering Linda’s words. Liora... that name sounded familiar.

Suddenly, his memory snapped into focus, and his eyes widened in surprise.

’Liora... could she be that girl?’ His heart raced.

He recalled a scene from the novel The Lost Hero, where Abel got lost in a remote forest.

At that moment, Abel had just killed Lucius and was being hunted by the Arcadia royal palace. In his desperation, he encountered a Druid girl who offered him help.

There was no special interaction between them; the girl had simply offered her assistance.

Merlin recalled that the Druid girl’s name was never revealed.

But her features had been described: light green hair and eyes, with a mole under her eye.

If his guess was right, Liora was the same Druid girl mentioned in the novel.

"System, can you confirm whether Liora is the same Druid who saved Abel in the novel?" Merlin asked.

"[Ding! Analyzing master’s request... Ding! It will cost 7 system points to confirm. Do you want to pay it? Yes/No?]"

Merlin: "..."

He hadn’t expected that asking such a question would cost system points. Could the system have gone capitalist without him noticing?

Despite his irritation, he gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Use it!"

"[Ding! Analyzing... Ding! Your guess is correct, Master! The Liora you’re referring to is the same girl who appears in the novel The Lost Hero!]"

Merlin’s throat went dry, and a burning excitement trembled inside him.

’Damn... this is really my luck!’ he whispered inwardly, clenching his fists tightly.

Ever since Liora appeared in the novel, he had been fascinated by her unique character.

Unlike typical heroines, she showed no interest in Abel. She was gentle, innocent, and kind-hearted, yet she always kept her distance from the main character—even after he expressed interest.

In that way, she reminded him of Linda. And now, unexpectedly, the Druid girl would appear at the academy, taking the test alongside the other candidates.

The changes Merlin had set in motion were truly significant for the world of the novel.

"So, what do you think? Do you want to accept it or not?" Linda’s voice pulled Merlin from his thoughts.

Merlin looked at her casually and replied firmly, "I want it! Leave it to me!"

Linda was surprised. Earlier, Merlin had shown clear reluctance. So why did he seem so enthusiastic now?

Despite her confusion, she didn’t dwell on it and explained, "Your task is simple—I want you to approach Liora and become her friend. Make her feel comfortable at this academy and protect her from anyone who might harm her. Druids have a unique physique compared to ordinary humans, so I need you to keep her safe until the time comes. Can you accept this responsibility?"

Druids’ bodies were indeed different. They weren’t very tall, and their skin was often adorned with leaves.

This was because they were born from trees, and their physical traits reflected their origins.

Of course, they could assume a perfect human form after reaching the level equivalent to the Fourth Spirit Core.

But Liora was still a young Druid, equivalent to a five-year-old human child.

Merlin smiled and patted his chest.

"I accept. Leave it to me."

Linda smiled and nodded slightly. Only Merlin could handle this matter—she was certain of that.

"Oh, right. I want to tell you one more important thing," Linda said, crossing her legs. "I’ve prepared a surprise for the upcoming test. I’m sure you’ll be very surprised later."

Her words caught Merlin off guard. He furrowed his brow and asked almost instinctively, "What is it?"

Linda rolled her eyes. "If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise, will it? Just wait and see. You’ll definitely like it."

A mysterious smile spread across her lips.

...

In the academy cafeteria, Merlin sat with Luna and Nivis.

"So, did the Academy Head ask you to do something?" Luna asked curiously, sipping her orange juice.

Merlin smiled. "She... well, gave me an important task. It’s related to the upcoming test."

"An important task?" Luna and Nivis asked in unison.

The two exchanged awkward glances before lowering their heads to continue their lunch.

Merlin noticed their strange behavior. Suspicion flickered in his mind, but he didn’t press the issue and continued explaining.

"It’s a task involving a princess from the Druid race. The Master—I mean, the Academy Head—wants me to help her adjust to the academy and make her feel comfortable."

Nivis and Luna were people Merlin trusted, so there was no harm in telling them.

"A princess from the Druid race?" Luna and Nivis gasped in surprise.

They naturally knew about the Druid race. Unlike the elves or dragons, Druids were extremely secretive and rarely interacted with humans.

That was because they lived in a mysterious forest whose location was unknown.

So, a princess from that race coming to the academy was truly shocking news.

"Don’t tell anyone, understand? This stays between us," Merlin said, his expression serious.

Luna and Nivis nodded without a word.

"Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone," Luna said firmly. "You can count on that."

"Me too!" Nivis added.

Merlin was satisfied with their responses. But suddenly, the temperature around them seemed to drop.

"By the way... since she’s a girl, I hope you don’t cross the line. Understand?"

Luna’s cold tone made Merlin’s chest tighten. He met her sharp gaze and quickly nodded.

"Ahem! Don’t worry. I’ll keep my boundaries with her," he said calmly, though inside he was anxious.

He almost forgot that Luna was a yandere. Luckily, he hadn’t said anything foolish in front of her.

If he had... well, he didn’t want to imagine the consequences.