Dark Dragon: The Summoned Hero Is A Villain

Chapter 309: Puppeteer’s Visit

Noah and Arlo soon found themselves standing outside the doors of the principal’s office. After Florian had told them of the principal’s summons, they’d immediately left to see the man.

Neither spoke for a few seconds, both simply staring at the door. Finally, Arlo sighed and knocked twice.

"Come in," a calm, authoritative voice replied.

They entered.

The moment they entered the office, the first thing that hit them was the aroma of tea and burning incense that was in the air.

The other thing was the large desk at the centre of the room. And sitting behind the desk was Aldred Kael, the Principal of the Royal Academy, and Arlo’s grandfather.

Now that they were both before him, Noah found it hard to ignore the resemblance. How hadn’t he known? Well, he hadn’t really seen the principal close up a lot before. Not until after he returned from the Investigation Authority cells.

Despite his age, the man’s eyes held a twinkle that could be mistaken for a grandfatherly aura, but Noah had been here long enough to know that appearances are most often deceiving.

"Ah, there you are," Aldred said, looking up from his teacup. "Do close the door."

They obeyed.

"Sit," he said, motioning to the chairs opposite his desk.

Noah and Arlo sat.

Aldred poured himself another cup of tea, steam rising gently. "Would either of you care for tea?"

"No, thank you," Noah said politely.

Arlo shook his head.

Aldred nodded, setting the teapot down. "Good. Then let’s not waste time."

He leaned back in his chair, his voice even. "I must say, it’s becoming rather... alarming that the two of you always seem to be in the middle of every strange incident that occurs in this academy."

Arlo exhaled slowly. "Grandfather, it’s not like we—"

"Save it," Aldred interrupted mildly. "I’m not accusing you of anything... yet. But it is strange."

"I’m sure you can both see it. The Ben Stanley attack, the missing students, the... battle in your rooms... every single time, your names come up."

Noah kept his tone neutral. "It’s all a coincidence, sir. Wrong place, wrong time."

Aldred studied him for a long moment, his gaze weighing Noah’s words like a scale. Then, finally, he nodded. "Perhaps. You two have a knack for coincidence."

He stood, walking to the window. "Still, I called you here for another reason."

Both of them waited.

"The situation," Aldred continued, "has gone beyond what we can quietly contain. Word has reached the capital. The Investigation Authority is being sent here."

Noah and Arlo exchanged glances.

Aldred turned, his expression grave. "I’m telling you this now so that you’re not blindsided. As I’m sure you’re already aware, their methods are... intrusive."

"They’ll question staff, students, everyone. And considering your involvement in multiple incidents, you will be among the first they call."

Arlo’s jaw tightened. "Understood."

Aldred’s gaze shifted to Noah. "And you, especially. Your record with the Authority is already well known."

Noah said nothing.

Aldred softened his tone. "I’ll ensure that their inquiries are supervised. You won’t face them alone, not without a representative present. But I expect both of you to cooperate fully. Do not give them a reason to turn this school into their hunting ground."

"Yes, sir," Noah said quietly.

Aldred nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then you’re dismissed."

Noah and Arlo rose.

As they left, Aldred’s voice followed them, calm but filled with meaning. "And Arlo, try not to disappoint the Kael name any further."

"Yes, Grandfather," Arlo murmured before closing the door behind them.

[][][][][]

That night, Noah sat alone in his repaired dorm room. Everything had been returned to the state it was before. The walls and windows. As for the furniture, those had been replaced.

He leaned back on his new bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted between the meeting with Principal Kael and the threat of the Investigation Authority. They’d be here soon. Which meant he’d have to tread carefully.

Then suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His vision blurred.

He groaned, pressing a hand to his temple as the world tilted sideways. His mana flared instinctively, stabilizing him, but something was off. The air had gone cold. Unnaturally cold.

By the time his focus cleared, he wasn’t alone anymore.

A figure stood near the center of the room, cloaked in black, face hidden in darkness. Its presence was wrong, like a puppet left standing upright by invisible strings.

Noah’s eyes narrowed. "An undead."

The figure’s head tilted slightly. Then, in a distorted, echoing voice, it spoke. "I’ve heard you’ve been searching for me."

Noah straightened, his expression hardening. "The Puppeteer."

The voice chuckled. "That’s one name for me, yes."

Noah stared at the figure. This wasn’t the real puppeteer, no. The real puppeteer was simply speaking through this undead.

"Who are you?" Noah finally asked.

"Oh, I wouldn’t reveal that so easily," the puppet replied. "Where’s the fun in ruining the mystery?"

Noah’s eyes narrowed. "Then why are you here?"

The puppet’s head tilted again, almost playfully. "To see your face. The face of the hero everyone whispers about. I wanted to watch that face crumble when you realize you can’t stop what’s coming."

Noah gave a quiet laugh. "So that’s it. You’re just another overconfident pawn who thinks the world revolves around his little game."

The puppet’s tone grew colder. "Watch your mouth, hero."

"No," Noah said calmly, a grin forming on his lips. "You watch yours. I don’t think you quite understand what you are."

"You’re a speck. A nothing. You think you’re the one pulling the strings, but you’re just another puppet, but you don’t even know it. But by the time you realize it, you’ll be dead."

For a long moment, there was silence.

Then, the puppet laughed loudly, a sound that echoed softly around the room. "You’ll regret that arrogance, Noah Webb," he said. "You’ll regret ever mocking me."

The puppet’s head jerked unnaturally towards the window. "Soon, you’ll see how fragile your little academy truly is."

It leapt.

Noah moved instinctively, rushing towards the window, but before he could reach it, the puppet was already gone, vanishing into the night.

A moment later, the world erupted.

A massive explosion shook the air, creating a deafening roar that rattled the glass and made the floor quiver beneath his feet.

Flames burst in the distance as one of the academy’s buildings was engulfed in fire.