Dark Dragon: The Summoned Hero Is A Villain-Chapter 348: Rot In The Capital

Noah could feel the charged energy in the air.

Even though he was locked in what looked like a self contained apartment in a deep, dark place somewhere in Camelot, that didn't mean he was alone.

He had servants who fetched his water, cleaned the place, and prepared food for him. And he could feel their nervousness.

Something big had happened. And he was the only one who didn't know what it was.

Of course, he made a few theories on what it could be. Maybe Lady in Dark had attacked somewhere important again. Maybe the building of the Investigation Authority?

He sighed, leaning all the way back on the couch, sighing comfortably.

He'd tried to teleport out of here when he'd been left alone and his mana had recovered, but had discovered the wards in place that prevented exactly that.

Since he couldn't teleport, then his other option was to fight his way out, but he'd quickly discarded the idea.

Trying to fight his way out would give him away. Edric would know the compulsion ritual hadn't created the desired effect.

Not to mention, he had no idea where he was, and had no idea which way to take in order to escape.

If he tried, he might just end up getting lost.

It was better to simply gain their trust, and let them open the way out for him instead.

There was a click as the door finally opened, and Noah lazily lifted his head, opening one eye to gaze at it. In the next second, he sat up, completely alert.

The familiar female mage who had helped Edric root around inside his head walked in, her expression severe.

He'd come to know that her name was Daisy, and if he was being honest, it didn't fit. There was nothing beautiful or delicate about the woman in his eyes. Or maybe that was just his grudge speaking.

All he knew was that if he ever had a chance, he was killing her first.

"Noah Webb." She spoke, and Noah immediately rose to his feet, standing at attention. "Come."

She didn't elaborate, immediately turning and leaving.

For a moment, Noah was tempted to ignore her and sit down, but there was a tug on the shard of his soul that had been bound to Camelot and he sighed, remembering he had an act to play.

And so, he followed her. Their footsteps clicked against the stone floor, the sound echoing through the halls as they walked.

For the first time in what felt like a long time, he was finally out of the apartment.

He was about to ask her where they were going when he remembered that he wasn't supposed to.

The compulsion that had been placed on him had been absolute. Which meant that they expected him to follow their commands without question.

If they told him to jump into hell, he was supposed to do it, no questions asked. That meant asking questions now would only tip off Daisy to his current state of mind.

And he knew the woman was uncannily sharp. If she smelled anything fishy, she definitely won't let it go.

After minutes of walking, Noah finally passed through a window. He glanced surreptitiously to the side, making the motion casual, and what he saw almost made him freeze.

He kept walking, showing nothing of what was happening in his head.

He could see the capital city sprawled outside the building, and protected from where he was by high walls.

And judging from the angle and elevation, there was only one option for where he was.

The palace.

He almost chuckled. He should have expected that.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a door guarded by two palace guards. They saluted Daisy, and she waved the action off, before knocking on the door.

"Enter." A familiar voice said.

Daisy opened the door and walked in, Noah following after.

"You're here?" Edric looked up from the documents he had been reading, smiling at the sight of them.

His eyes roved over Noah, moving from head to toe, as if searching for something. A few seconds later, he nodded in satisfaction, looking back at Daisy.

He then reached across his desk and held out a document towards her.

"There's been a series of disappearances in the merchant quarter," he said. "I want you to look into it."

Daisy took the document and flipped through it, her eyes moving quickly across the pages. "Why has the Investigation Authority been pulled back?"

"Even if they might be compromised, this falls within their jurisdiction. We can do it separately and compare results. If they have any holes, then we can use this opportunity to fix it."

"You're right, but several key members of the merchant guild are among the missing," Edric said. "Given recent events, I'd rather the Purge handle it directly."

"The individuals involved are too important to the city's economy, so this is too delicate to be experimenting with."

"I don't want the investigation contaminated before it begins, and I don't want anyone with an interest in the outcome finding out we're looking."

Daisy closed the document. She said nothing, which Noah had come to understand was her version of agreement.

"Take Noah with you," Edric added, his gaze shifting briefly to Noah before moving back to her. "If you encounter anything that requires force, he's your resource."

Daisy glanced at Noah with the expression of someone who had been handed a tool they hadn't requested and weren't sure they trusted. She looked back at Edric and nodded once.

Edric returned to his documents.

They were dismissed.

Noah followed Daisy back out into the corridor, the door clicking shut behind them. She walked without speaking, the document tucked under one arm.

Noah kept his expression neutral and his eyes forward.

But his mind was moving.

Something was going on in the capital. Something that had made everyone nervous.

And he had to admit that he was curious. So, he'd stay for now. And when he'd satisfied his curiosity, he'd leave.

Immediately.

A/N: Apologies for the recent lack of chapters and thank you for your patience.