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

"The number of victims keeps rising, doesn't it? If this continues, it's not impossible that Droswen City will be affected too."

Merlin's steps suddenly halted when he heard that. He glanced at the two men walking past him, grew pensive for a moment, then decided to turn around and follow them.

"Yeah, I was thinking that too. Wouldn't this be a disaster for all of us? I can't imagine everyone getting the same disease as those villagers."

"I can't imagine it either. Fortunately, the investigation has already begun. We just need to wait for the results."

The two continued talking about the villagers who had contracted the strange disease. But then, a voice suddenly came from behind them.

"Can you guys tell me about that matter?"

Startled, they turned around and saw a little boy standing there, his hood covering his face.

The two soldiers exchanged glances before frowning.

"Don't interfere, kid. You'd better go to your mother," the soldier on the right said, waving his left hand.

His comrade nodded in agreement. Then Merlin lifted his hood, instantly freezing both of them in place.

"Young Master Merlin?" they exclaimed in panic.

Passersby were drawn by the commotion and looked at them in confusion.

"Follow me," Merlin ordered as he lowered his hood again and walked toward a narrow alley on the left.

The two soldiers didn't dare to argue and immediately followed him. Once they reached the alley, Merlin leaned against the wall, folded his arms across his chest, and shot them a sharp look.

"Tell me now what happened to those villagers," he commanded coldly.

This plague problem was very serious. If he wasn't mistaken, nearly fifty percent of Droswen City's population had died because of it.

Although the novel didn't describe it in detail, he had learned the truth directly from the author, Michiku-sensei.

The soldier on the right stiffly nodded and began to explain everything in detail.

Merlin might still be a child, but they didn't dare take him lightly. His mischievous and troublesome behavior was already well known throughout the city. They didn't want to become his next target.

After ten minutes of explanation, Merlin's expression turned grim.

"So what you're saying is, there are already fifty victims? Most of them have died, and the investigation is still incomplete?"

"Yes, Young Master," the soldier replied with a soft sigh. "The situation is quite complicated. Somehow, the villagers were suddenly infected by a very mysterious disease. We've summoned all available mages, and they're trying to heal the victims. But sadly, all their efforts have been in vain. This disease is new to them."

Merlin fell silent for a moment before asking, "Have you checked the forest, the ground, or the river?"

"We have, Young Master," the soldier on the left answered. "But we didn't find any irregularities. The waterways are clean, the surrounding forest is safe, and the ground is uncontaminated."

"So that's it…" Merlin narrowed his eyes.

Well, he had expected this outcome. In Catrine's narration in the novel, the plague had nearly destroyed Droswen City.

Naturally, the soldiers were unable to find the source until the plague finally spread and claimed many lives.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and said, "Well, thank you for the information. You may leave now."

Without waiting for a response, Merlin turned around and walked away.

As soon as he was gone, the two soldiers exchanged glances.

"It seems what the other soldiers said was true… Young Master Merlin has changed," the soldier on the left whispered.

"You're right," his comrade replied with a tone of relief and admiration. "This is a blessing for the Clay family… and also for the city of Droswen."

***

"[Would you like to check it out now, Master?]" the system's curious voice echoed in his mind.

"No," Merlin shook his head. "Now's not the time. I still need to gather more information. Maybe I'll go tomorrow. Coincidentally, Linda has some business, and training is temporarily suspended."

He knew the plague spreading through the village wouldn't be easy to handle, so thorough preparation was essential.

While chatting with the system, he subconsciously arrived at the Celestia Jewelry Store, where he was greeted by the same staff member as before.

"Oh? You're back, Young Master? I thought you'd forgotten about me," she teased with a small chuckle.

"I promised you I'd buy it. How could I forget?" Merlin laughed along. "Then, please take me to the necklace from before, Cashira."

Cashira gave a small nod and immediately accompanied him to the second floor, where the necklace he wanted was displayed.

Once there, Cashira opened the glass case protecting it and carefully picked it up.

"Would you like to pay in cash or through an account?" she asked respectfully.

Merlin was about to answer, but then he suddenly remembered the five-star card from Margaret.

Without a second thought, he took the card out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"How about I pay with this?"

The moment Cashira saw the card, shock instantly spread across her face.

"A five-star gold card…?" She gasped.

She stared at Merlin with a mix of fear and disbelief.

Seeing her reaction, Merlin couldn't help but smile.

'As expected, this store belonged to the Beethoven family.'

The Beethoven family was involved in many businesses, including restaurants and jewelry. Naturally, all their ventures were high-end and catered to the wealthy.

After all, business among the rich always moved faster than the market for ordinary people—let alone the poor.

It took Cashira a moment to recover from her shock. She swallowed nervously and accepted the card with trembling hands.

"Y-Young Master… Is this card… genuine?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Of course," Merlin replied casually. "Your young lady gave it to me earlier."

"Young lady?" Her eyes widened, and her gaze on Merlin instantly changed. What was merely respectful at first had now become sincere—almost as if she were standing before the store owner herself.

"Can Young Master wait for a moment? I'll have the other staff prepare some drinks for you."

Merlin simply nodded, and Cashira quickly ran toward the other staff. Shortly after, he was escorted to a special room that was both beautiful and exclusive.

"Is this a VIP room—no, it should be VVIP," he whispered softly.

Just as he was lost in thought, a staff member arrived with a cup of hot chocolate and carefully placed it on the table.

"Here is your hot chocolate, Young Master. Please enjoy."

Merlin smiled, took the cup, and sipped slowly. It tasted quite good—not inferior to the one in Eliza's office.

It didn't take long for Cashira to bring what he wanted.

"The Twilight Tears necklace is in this box, Young Master. And this is your card," Cashira said respectfully.

Merlin accepted it and gave a small nod. "Thank you, Cashira."

"You're welcome, Young Master," she replied with a polite smile. "If you need anything, please visit our shop. We'll do everything we can to assist you."

Merlin didn't refuse her kindness. Since the pie had fallen from the sky and landed right in front of him, why shouldn't he eat it?

After a brief chat, Merlin decided to leave. Cashira offered to accompany him, but he politely declined.

As he disappeared from view, Cashira and a few of the staff let out a soft sigh.

"What a fortunate boy…"