Dark Dragon: The Summoned Hero Is A Villain

Chapter 316: Destined To Walk Alone

After three long days of confinement and questioning, Noah was finally released.

The agents of the Investigation Authority had found no evidence linking him or Arlo to the Puppeteer or to the explosion.

Still, the coldness in their eyes had told him enough. They hadn’t cleared him out of trust, only out of lack of proof.

The following week passed in uneasy quiet. The academy grounds felt subdued. Rumors spread like wildfire but quickly burned themselves out beneath the constant patrols and the tightening of school security.

Everyone pretended to move on, but beneath the surface, fear still coiled.

And then came the funeral.

It was held in the academy’s central courtyard, beneath the great willow that had stood since the school’s founding.

The weather was mercifully gentle, with gray skies, no rain, and only a cool wind that carried with it the fallen leaves.

Rows of black-clad students and faculty stood together in silence. Of course, there were no coffins, only small name markers and folded banners bearing the sigil of the academy.

For most of the missing, there had been nothing left to bury. And for the rest, their bodies had been transported to their families. After the Investigation Authority was done with the corpses of course.

The presider, an elderly man in ceremonial robes, stepped forward. His voice was low and calm, carrying easily across the courtyard.

"We gather here today to honor the fallen," he began. "Though many of their bodies could not be found, their spirits are not lost. The stars above remember them. The mana of this world remembers them. And we, those who remain, will remember them."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over the crowd.

"Loss," he said, "is the price we pay for courage. Each of these souls took their first step into magic knowing it could lead them to death. Yet they walked that path. And for that, we give thanks."

He bowed his head, and for a while, there was only silence.

Then came the eulogy, a short, heartfelt recount of names and faces. A few students wept quietly. Others stood still, faces expressionless, holding themselves together with effort. But most were simply... numb.

It wasn’t that they didn’t care that their fellow students had died. It was that they were not particularly close to those students to feel any strong emotions towards the death.

As for Noah, he stood near the back, his eyes fixed on the rows of banners fluttering in the wind.

The names written on them felt distant, like names he was reading in a story. And deep down, he had to admit what he felt. Nothing.

This world had hollowed him out. He had nothing to give and nothing to take. Except destruction. For death seemed to follow him wherever he went.

He barely noticed when someone stepped up beside him until the familiar voice gained his attention.

"Tragic, isn’t it?"

Noah turned his head slightly. High Magus Edric stood there, tall and solemn. His hair stirred faintly in the wind.

"High Magus," Noah greeted quietly.

Edric gave a faint nod, his eyes studying the markers ahead. "Such a waste," he murmured. "Young, talented lives. Gone before they had a chance to find purpose."

They stood in silence for a while, watching as the presider concluded the service with a final blessing.

Then Edric spoke again, his tone thoughtful. "You know, Noah... in our line of work, we rely on bonds to survive."

"Comrades, mentors, allies, people we can trust to watch our backs. Without that, even the strongest mage will fall."

He glanced at Noah.

"And yet," he continued, "the cruelest truth is that those same bonds can destroy us. The closer we grow to others, the harder it becomes to let go when death inevitably takes them. Grief kills as surely as any blade."

Noah listened quietly.

"That’s the paradox of being a mage," Edric said softly. "Our hearts make us strong, but they also make us vulnerable. And so, we walk a narrow line. Too much distance, and we lose our humanity. Too much closeness, and we lose ourselves in sorrow."

His eyes turned to the crowd. "It’s a balance very few ever manage to keep."

Noah didn’t respond. There wasn’t anything to say.

Edric chuckled lightly, though there was no joy in it. "When I read the reports on you, Noah, I see your name mentioned again and again, always alone. No permanent group. No attachments. It saddens me... and yet, it gives me relief."

Noah frowned slightly. "Relief?"

"Yes." Edric nodded absentmindedly. "Because in the years to come, your path will only grow darker. The fate you carry, the destiny that binds you, will not allow you to rely on others. You’ll have to walk it alone."

He sighed, shaking his head. "It’s an awful thing to say to someone your age. A burden no one should bear. But destiny doesn’t care for fairness."

Noah turned his eyes back to the banners. The wind caught them again, making them sway gently.

"I’ve seen what happens to those who try to hold onto too much," Edric continued quietly. "When you lose what you love, it breaks something inside you. And when mages break... the world around them tends to break, too."

For a moment, the High Magus seemed lost in his own memories. Then he looked at Noah again, his tone softer now. "Still, I wish it didn’t have to be that way. I wish you could have something more than just strength."

Noah said nothing. He didn’t trust his voice not to betray the strange weight that had settled in his chest.

The final prayer ended, and the crowd began to disperse. Students filed out in silence, faculty following behind.

The courtyard grew quieter as the mourners left, leaving only the sound of rustling leaves.

Edric remained where he stood, his eyes still on the horizon. "Walk with me," he said finally.

Noah glanced at him, then nodded.

Together, they turned from the courtyard, stepping down the stone path that wound through the academy’s gardens.