Dark Dragon: The Summoned Hero Is A Villain

Chapter 284: Are You Scared?

Florian crossed the cafeteria floor with the swagger of someone who believed the room existed for him to walk through it.

Conversations dipped as he passed, with a few of his fellow third year students turning to watch.

"Isn’t that Florian’s cousin?"

"Yeah. They’re both grandsons of the principal. I heard they’ve got bad blood between them."

"Really? Then this should be fun to watch."

Florian’s uniform was neat and spotless, and a faint glint of light shimmered off the rings on his fingers as he walked.

He stopped at Noah and Arlo’s table, planting himself between them and the rest of the hall.

"Well," he drawled, "isn’t this a sight? The prodigal Kael slumming it with scum."

His dark eyes flicked towards Noah, his grin twisting. "Tell me, cousin. Has our family name fallen so low that you’re sharing tables with gutter trash now?"

Arlo’s expression didn’t change, though Noah sighed in exasperation.

By this point, Florian was sounding like a broken record to him. When would the man find himself an original insult, instead of recycling the same things?

"Careful, Florian," Arlo said quietly. "Your voice carries. Someone might actually start listening to the nonsense you keep spouting."

Florian’s grin widened. "Nonsense? You’re sitting with someone who doesn’t even belong here."

"You think the Kael family name should have to bear this because of you? You’ve already made us a laughingstock among the nobility. A noble heir fraternizing with the academy’s charity cases."

Arlo rose from his seat slowly, his green eyes cold. "You talk too much, cousin. Maybe that’s why everyone in the family keeps you around. You’re a fine distraction from their actual problems."

Florian’s amusement dimmed for a beat. "Careful what you say."

"No," Arlo said evenly, stepping closer. "You be careful. Because you’re the real disgrace to the Kael name. You think blood and breeding make you noble? They just make you loud."

The two cousins stood inches apart, tension thick enough to silence the nearby tables.

Florian’s smile returned, colder now. "If you think you can talk to me like that, prove it. Duel me."

Arlo tilted his head, his tone turning almost pleasant. "A duel? In the middle of the cafeteria? You must be desperate for attention."

Florian’s hands twitched. "Or maybe you’re just scared."

Arlo’s smile widened slightly. "Scared? No. I’m just not interested in wasting my time humiliating you in front of witnesses."

"If I fought you here, I’d get a lecture. And you’d get pity." He turned as if to sit again. "I’m not in the habit of handing out free lessons."

A ripple of laughter spread through the nearby students.

Florian’s face reddened, though his smirk stayed in place. "You always were good at running your mouth," he said. "Pity you’re not as brave as you pretend."

Before Arlo could reply, a voice rang out from somewhere across the cafeteria, loud, clear, and mocking.

"What’s the matter, Arlo? Are you scared?"

The room fell silent.

Florian’s smirk widened.

Arlo’s eyes narrowed.

And Noah, still seated, looked up sharply, searching for the source of the voice.

The crowd of students parted as a tall young man strode towards them. His grin was wide, his purple eyes glinting with mischief and arrogance.

"Now, this is a sight worth seeing," said Frederick Ramsay, his voice dripping with amusement. "The great Arlo Kael, hesitating before a fight. Tell me, are you scared, Kael?"

Arlo turned slightly, his expression flat. Florian, on the other hand, smirked with satisfaction as his ally approached.

"Is that..."

"Holy shit! This just got even better!"

"Arlo the Jester and Noah the reaper facing off against Florian and Frederick?! Who do you think will win?"

"It has to be Florian! He’s a fucking third year. Enough said."

"But we’ve never seen Noah lose a fight before!"

"No matter how strong he is, Florian’s a third year. That has to count for something."

As the heir of the First Premier of Camelot, it would be safe to say Frederick’s words had weight. Which means Florian had his backing.

Frederick came to a stop beside Florian, folding his arms as he eyed Arlo. "If you’re trembling, why not let someone else handle your battles for you?" he said.

Then his grin widened, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Noah. "How about this? You let your friend fight on your behalf, and I’ll fight on Florian’s."

Noah leaned back in his chair, lips curling into a lazy smile. "Oh?" he said. "I never knew Ines’ lapdog could fight."

The entire cafeteria went quiet. A few students gasped softly.

Frederick’s grin vanished, his expression twisting into fury. "What did you just call me?"

Noah tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Lapdog. Or do you prefer ’pet’? I forget which one she keeps closer."

Arlo snorted, enjoying the sudden tension.

Frederick, however, stepped forward angrily, flickers of lightning crackling around his fists. "You think you’re funny, Webb? I could break you in one strike."

"Are you sure about that?" Noah said lightly. "But I do know that whatever happens, you’d still come crawling for a treat after."

A few students snickered.

Frederick’s jaw tightened. The lightning cracked louder and he almost took another step forward, but Florian placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Forget it," Florian said coldly. "Scum like him isn’t worth your time."

He shot Noah one last look filled with disdain before turning to Arlo. "Enjoy your little victories while you can, cousin. Next time, you won’t have the luxury of words."

Frederick glared at Noah a moment longer before finally letting out a short, frustrated laugh. "You’re lucky he’s here," he muttered.

Noah gave him a lazy wave. "Go fetch, Ramsay."

Frederick’s teeth clenched, but Florian’s hand tightened on his shoulder.

Together, the two turned and left.

Silence filled the air around the table once more, broken only by the quiet clatter of dishes as conversations slowly resumed.

Arlo sat down heavily, letting out a tired sigh. "You really shouldn’t provoke people like that," he muttered.

Noah smirked. "Why not? It’s entertaining."

Arlo shook his head, rubbing his temple. "You don’t get it. Florian wanted that duel."

"He’s stronger than me right now, and he knows it. If I’d accepted, he’d have tried all he could to humiliate me in front of the academy. It would’ve strengthened his claim to be the next head of the Kael family."

Noah leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "So he’s playing politics."

"Always," Arlo said quietly. "That’s what the Kaels do best."

Noah watched Arlo quietly for a moment, thinking about it.

"Is it really that important?" he asked at last. "Being head of the family, I mean."

Arlo gave a small, humorless laugh. "To nobles? It’s everything."

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as he spoke. "Being family head is one of the highest honors you can have without being a great mage or a council member."

"It means power, influence, and control over centuries of heritage. And best of all, you don’t need to earn it with strength or skill. Most of the time, you’re just born to it."

He looked down at his hands, his voice quieting. "But birthright doesn’t guarantee acceptance. If you’re weak, the family finds someone else to follow. And that someone, right now, might end up being Florian."

Noah tilted his head. "And you care about that?"

Arlo stood, brushing off his coat. "I care about what it means. Florian leading the Kaels would be... bad. For everyone. But that’s not something I can fix tonight."

He then looked up at Noah. "I still have work to do. Notes to follow, people to question. You’ve done well, Noah. You should rest."

Noah shrugged. "If I rested every time someone told me to, I’d still be in bed today."

Arlo chuckled. "See you later."

And with that, he turned and left the cafeteria.

Noah sat there a moment longer before rising too. He slipped his hands into his pockets and left through the side doors, stepping out into the open courtyard.

The sky above was painted in deep streaks of red and violet, the sun already dipping below the towers.

Noah took the path towards the dorms, his boots clicking softly on the stone.

Halfway across the courtyard, the world tilted.

The sensation came out of nowhere, a sudden dizziness that blurred his vision.

His knees almost buckled, and his hands reached for anything to grab to steady himself. The ground seemed to ripple faintly under his feet, but the dizzying spell passed as quickly as it had come.

Noah blinked several times.

"What... was that?" he muttered.

He waited a few seconds more, but when nothing else happened, he brushed it off with a quiet exhale. It was probably fatigue.

He continued towards the dorm building, and when he got there, took the lift to the second floor.

When the doors slid open, he stepped out and walked down the hallway towards his room.

He wasn’t expecting anyone to be waiting, but standing right in front of his door was an academy staff member, an older man in the standard blue uniform.

He smiled when he saw Noah approach.

"Ah, Mr. Webb! Just the person I was looking for," the man said warmly. "A letter arrived for you."

He extended a neatly folded envelope, sealed with red wax.

Noah took it, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The seal on it was unmistakable. The envelope was stamped with the insignia of the Royal Family.