The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!

They were both surprised. Turning around, they saw a beautiful woman with brown hair, wearing glasses and a professional academy uniform.

"Secretary Melinda?" Merlin exclaimed.

She was the same person who had escorted him to meet Linda when he first arrived.

Melinda smiled and approached. "Sorry to bother you, Student Merlin," she said.

Merlin waved his right hand with a smile. "It's fine, Secretary Melinda. So… what brings you here?"

Melinda took a small breath before replying, "The academy head asked me to call you. She wants to give you your prize and tell you something important."

Merlin's eyebrows rose slightly in curiosity. "Something important? Do you know what it is?"

Shaking her head, Melinda said, "No, I don't."

Merlin was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. "All right, I understand. Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome, Student Merlin," Melinda replied with a slight smile.

She then turned and walked away, leaving the two of them behind.

"Huh… since you have business, I won't bother you anymore," Luna said, her voice tinged with sadness.

Merlin chuckled softly, clasping her left hand. "Why be sad? How about you come with me?"

"Eh?" Luna blinked in surprise. "Is that okay? Won't I just be in the way?"

Merlin patted her head gently. "Don't worry. You won't be in the way at all."

Coincidentally, his master and Luna had never met in person, so this was the perfect opportunity to introduce them.

"Yay!" Luna beamed, hugging Merlin's arm tightly, her well-developed chest pressing against him. "Let's go then!"

***

"Master, may I come in?"

Merlin's voice came from behind the door. Linda, relaxing on the sofa, opened her eyes and immediately sat up straight.

"Of course. Come in."

Clack!

The door slowly opened, and Merlin stepped inside, Luna following behind him.

Linda, who had been about to smile, suddenly froze. Her gaze fixed on Luna, filled with doubt and confusion.

Noticing her reaction, Merlin smiled and explained, "I brought Luna with me. I hope that's all right."

Luna quickly bowed to Linda. "Good afternoon, Academy Head. Sorry to bother you—I hope it's not an inconvenience."

Linda calmed herself and returned a gentle smile.

"It's fine. Please, sit down, both of you."

She got up to prepare drinks for them.

Merlin wanted to stop her. After all, Linda was his master, and it didn't feel right to let her serve them.

But he knew that if he tried, she would insist anyway. So, he chose to sit on the sofa with Luna.

A few minutes later, Linda returned with a small tray holding three cups—two of tea and one of coffee.

"You like coffee, right? I happened to get some beans from the western continent. They're delicious and unique. I'm sure you'll enjoy them."

She placed the coffee in front of Merlin, one cup of tea for Luna, and the other for herself.

"Thank you, Master," Merlin said, his eyes twinkling.

Over the past year, his taste in drinks had changed. He had once only enjoyed chocolate or tea, but now he appreciated all kinds of coffee.

Of course, this wasn't surprising—his soul belonged to an adult man. It was just that his body hadn't been ready for coffee until a year ago.

Now that it was, it felt as if a seal had finally been broken after decades.

"You're welcome," Linda said with a smile, turning to Luna. "I hope you enjoy the tea, Student Luna."

"Thank you, Academy Head."

Luna lifted her cup and took a sip. The warm, sweet, and slightly tangy flavors blended together, creating a unique and delightful sensation.

Her eyes slowly closed, forming a crescent shape, showing just how genuine her enjoyment was.

Merlin took a sip of his coffee, his expression lighting up with pleasure.

"It's delicious," he praised.

Indeed, coffee in this world was far superior to that on Earth, grown with special techniques, including magical potions and careful cultivation.

It was no wonder the beans tasted so exceptional.

"Oh, right, Master," Merlin said, tilting his head curiously. "Why did you call me? Is this about the prize?"

Linda set down her teacup and nodded slightly.

"Yes, it's about that. But there's something even more important. First, let's talk about your prize."

She opened her left palm. Instantly, a blue ball of light appeared and hovered above the table.

When the light faded, two objects materialized in front of Merlin—a coat and a black staff about twenty centimeters long.

"Hmmm?" A question mark seemed to hang over Merlin's head. "What is this?"

He picked up the coat and ran his fingers carefully over its surface.

"The coat you're holding is the Mythic-level Netherworld Coat," Linda explained casually. "The black staff is called Arkan, a legendary-ranked magic staff."

Merlin and Luna's faces froze. Merlin, especially, felt his heart racing.

"A mythic-level item, you say?" he swallowed hard. "Why would you give me a Mythic-level item as a prize?"

Luna also stared at Linda, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

Just moments ago, she and Merlin had joked about what kind of prize he might get.

Who would have thought the joke would come true?

Linda leaned back on the sofa, calm and leisurely. Instead of answering right away, she asked, "What's wrong with the prize? Don't you like it?"

Merlin cleared his throat. "It's not that, Master. You misunderstood. I just want to know your reason. Mythic-level items are extremely rare. I assume the academy doesn't have many of them, right?"

Linda's expression darkened. She took a deep breath, her voice carrying a hint of arrogance. "Who said that?"

"Huh?" Both Merlin and Luna were taken aback. They exchanged glances before looking back at Linda cautiously.

"How many Mythic-level items does the academy actually have?" Merlin asked, curiosity sharpening his tone.

Linda's arrogant smile widened.

"Ten," she replied.

Merlin and Luna gasped in unison. Ten sounded like a small number, but in reality, it was enormous.

Even the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia and the other two major kingdoms didn't possess more than three to five Mythic-level items.

"And besides, what I gave you isn't an item from the academy," Linda continued casually. "It's something I ordered a long time ago."

Merlin and Luna were stunned once more by her words.

"Wait…" Merlin frowned. "Don't tell me… you already knew I'd win the test?"

Linda gave him a playful wink. "You guessed right."

"Hiss!" Merlin couldn't hide his admiration.

Her confidence was extraordinary—she had ordered a Mythic-level item because she was certain of his abilities.

Merlin felt so moved that he almost teared up.

"Okay, don't be so dramatic," Linda said quickly, calming him before any tears could fall.

"There's another prize. Check your ID card."

Merlin hurriedly did so, and his eyes widened instantly. On the front of the card was a staggering number: 500,000 contribution points.

"This… isn't this a little too much?"