READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 10: Fake Name
Cedric thought about the Trial of Shadows the next day while in the carriage. They were now being escorted to the Palace of Valoria, where the king would decide whether the accusations were true or not. After the incidents yesterday, Cedric was already tired of this mess.
Duke Ravenswood couldn't deny the truth before his eyes. Although he was skeptical of the cloaked corpse, the magical blood seal on its chest proved that he indeed belonged to the underworld.
Cedric was not mistreated even after his escape, and every guard was tasked with finding the other assassin that Cedric had buried under the fallen shelves. But even as night fell and the moon rose, the assassin was not found.
In the end, the sun rose and signaled the beginning of their journey to the capital. Duke Ravenswood understood that the events with the assassins, although yet to be confirmed, would cast suspicion on him since they happened on his estate. Thus, he traveled with them to meet the king.
Ember and Cedric had a long discussion regarding what happened and agreed that the Moonlight Knight should remain nearby at all times. Cedric no longer had the energy to fight against cultists and assassins; he just wanted to process his current reality.
The carriage was an excitement on its own, since he had never boarded one in his previous life. The horses had two horns that seemed capable of firing magical attacks, making Cedric think of the carriage as a tank, which drew a smile to his face.
"Are you worried, my lord?" asked the retainer while looking at Cedric for clues about his sudden change in character. She couldn't believe that Cedric could defeat the assassin, and no one would believe her even if she denied having a hand in it.
"A guilty man might get worried, but I trust the judgement of His Majesty," answered Cedric while staring out of the window, watching the scenery of mountains, flying monsters, and giant trees. "The current king of Valoria is known for his wisdom and impartiality. I doubt that the charges will pass."
"And what about the skill I mentioned?" asked Ember with worry, prompting Cedric to open his system again and look at the Character Sheet of Caroline.
[Character Sheet: Caroline Astrid Ravenswood]
[Titles: The Silver Tongue, Gold-Seeker, Temptress]
[Personality traits: Deceptive, Scheming, Insecure]
[Level: 31]
[Class: Charmer]
[Skills: Charm (D), Swindle (F), Minor Illusion (E), Inspection (D), Archery (C)]
[Background Story: Caroline Astrid Ravenswood is the third daughter of Duke Alfred Ravenswood, a man who earned his title through great contributions to the Valoria Kingdom. She is the daughter of his second wife, resulting in her inferior status in her father's estate. Once she turned fifteen, she was wed to Colin Flamesheart, an older man from Valoria. However, their engagement…]
Cedric skimmed over most of her background story since he cared so little about who she was and what she did. However, he understood the system better after unlocking the characters using SPs. The character sheet was indeed a terrifying ability.
For example, Cedric learned why Caroline worked with the cultist to lure the prince outside of Aeloria. In order to earn her own nobility title and remain unmarried, she needed to contribute to the kingdom.
Aric must have promised to reward her with something that would grant her that status. As Cedric thought about the man, he remembered how dark his background story was, and how Cedric was mentioned as the man who killed him.
Cedric needed to process that he killed a man, not a character in a novel. Aric had ambitions and reasons behind the mask that concealed his identity. Although his reasons were misguided, he still believed he was saving the world from summoners.
The Extra System rewarded Cedric with 25 SPs after his fight with Aric and eventual act of murder. It seemed that Aric was no simple character, as he was already a D-rank mage at the age of eighteen, with a level of 45.
Cedric wondered how he managed to win against such a terrifying character and could only think of one reason: overconfidence. Aric had assumed that Cedric was weak, only to be surprised by more than one skill that did not belong to the summoner class.
Another reason that Cedric could not deny were the three skills given to him as an extra character. They were, without a doubt, more powerful than anything this world had ever seen. Even their mana consumption was relatively low.
"HALT!" shouted a voice from ahead, and their carriage came to a stop. Cedric looked out from the menu and found the caravan was setting up camp even though it wasn't even noon yet.
"Did something happen?" questioned Cedric with confusion, looking out of the window.
"The chefs need some time to prepare lunch for the duke," explained Ember as she prepared to get off the carriage. "It can be a good chance for us to stretch our legs. We can even hunt in the forest."
"And they would let a prisoner do that?" asked Cedric with confusion.
"You are not any prisoner, but the prince of a kingdom. Unlike normal criminals who would run away and hide for the rest of their lives, you can't do that. Your family will be held accountable and your sentence would not be as harsh if they indeed find you guilty."
Cedric found that it made sense, somewhat. As he got off the carriage, he found that the servants were already installing tents and the mages erecting barriers around the camp. Everyone glared at him once they'd seen him, but no one dared to say anything.
"I can't wait to return to Aeloria," said Cedric with a sigh as he stretched his body. "At least, I wouldn't need to be on edge."
"It's not much different from the palace, though," said Ember, and Cedric was surprised before he reviewed the memories of the previous prince. He realized that it was indeed the same as here.
Cedric Everhart used to be vain because he had no place in the palace. No one respected him, so he went out to get drunk or sleep with women just to escape the coldness of the palace. But then again, everyone was busy with the kingdom, and he just wasted the treasury.
"Please remain in the carriage," came a voice from beside them as the priest from the church came forward. "Duke Ravenswood asked that you remain inside the carriage for safety reasons."
"We can take care of our own safety," said Ember with a coldness that Cedric did not expect her to have. "If you wish to imprison the prince using accusations only, then you can expect retaliation."
"…what if he escapes?" asked the priest as he glanced at Cedric, a little nervous for some reason.
"And that's another accusation. A prince of the Aeloria Kingdom would never do something like that," declared Ember. "We could have escaped yesterday but did not. That speaks volumes."
The priest hesitated before nodding and leaving, returning the news to the duke. In the meantime, Cedric had a lingering suspicion because of how the priest looked at him.
Caroline had been involved with Aric, who knew that Cedric was a summoner, somehow. Even if the oath proved that she lied, she could just reveal that truth, and Cedric would be imprisoned by the church. Seeing the priest nervous around him made him question whether he knew too. Moments later, the priest came back and told them that the duke trusted them.
"What's your name?" asked Cedric, and the priest flinched. However, he had no reason to be scared since he belonged to the church of Valoria, where Cedric had no power.
"My name is Ronald Evergreen," said the priest while standing with his back straight. "Can I do something for you, Your Highness?"
"No, not really. Thank you for taking care of me while I was in the prison cell," said Cedric with a nod. The priest nodded and left. At the same time, Cedric opened his character menu. There was no new addition of the priest. He must have given him a fake name, Cedric thought.
In order to register a character, Cedric needed to be close to them and know their name. Therefore, the priest must have given him a fake name, which raised Cedric's suspicions again. It seemed his ordeal was far from over.