The Extra System: Summoner of Shadows

Aria took out a wand before Cedric could think of a plan. As the wand gathered mana, Cedric felt that strange sensation again, similar to what happened with Aric the Mask. It was the imminent feeling of death. 

"How about we calm down a little?" said Cedric, sweat rolling down his face. He could only see a flash before the entire balcony shook. A giant hole appeared in the wall next to his head, revealing the hallway he had just come from. 

"If anything comes out of your mouth that isn't the truth, the next strike will be aimed at your head," said Aria, a dangerous violet glow in her eyes. "Do not take me for a fool. Announce your identity or die." 

"…There's no way around it, then," muttered Cedric, his mouth twitching as he stared at the hole in the wall. He hadn't even seen the skill activate, but somehow, it was stronger than a shotgun from his previous world. "My name is Cedric Everhart." 

"Everhart?" muttered Aria, raising a brow. "Your brothers are students of mine. Are you a prince?" 

Cedric nodded and removed his hood, revealing his face. Aria stared at him with a frown as she lowered her wand, allowing Cedric to sigh in relief. Instead of spinning more lies, he decided to reveal the truth. 

"I have a trial tomorrow in the Iron Court. My retainer told me about a certain skill that could protect a person against the Oath of Truth, so I came here to investigate if someone was here to purchase it." 

"I heard about your case," said Aria, raising a brow. "Maybe you're here to purchase it yourself." 

"Have you seen me bid for it?" asked Cedric with a small laugh. "I just wanted to know if the duke or his minion obtained the skill. If they did, I need to make some countermeasures." 

"What kind of countermeasures?" asked Aria, confused. 

"I wanted to know who obtained the skill and demand they be placed under oath as well," said Cedric with a shrug. "I was on my way to figure that out before you stopped me." 

"Cedric Everhart… You're the ninth prince of the Aeloria Kingdom. Your reputation precedes you as a deadbeat, vain prince who always takes shortcuts," said Aria with a small smile. "Were you planning on investigating or robbing them?" 

"What can a tamer do in a physical fight?" asked Cedric, his eyes bulging. "And I might be a deadbeat, but I know how to pick my battles. I revealed my identity for that reason." 

"How did you learn the password to our balcony in the first place? It was only shared with the academy staff," said Aria, crossing her arms. "I can tell if you're lying, so speak the truth." 

Cedric had to think for a few seconds before he remembered the narrator mentioning that Aria was a master of clairvoyance. If that was the case… "I have a skill similar to your specialty." 

"A skill? As a tamer?" asked Aria, raising a brow. "You couldn't think of a better lie?" 

"You know it's not a lie," said Cedric with a shrug. The moment she considered him a tamer, he realized she was either bluffing or couldn't see through his lies. "Can I ask something in return?" 

"You cannot, but I'm curious enough to hear what you have to say," said Aria with a smirk as she raised a finger and swirled it around, making the couch change directions. Then, she sat down with one leg over the other, ready to judge him. "Talk." 

"Are you the mage responsible for my trial?" 

"What makes you think that I am?" 

"King Thalric mentioned that his mage was coming tomorrow. Although our interaction was brief, you've given several clues that you're a clairvoyant. I'm not one to believe in coincidences." 

"You have great deductive skills, but you're still labeled a deadbeat," muttered Aria with a smile as she placed a hand under her chin. "But I know that was a lie too. You learned about my clairvoyance from somewhere else, right?" 

Cedric realized that to win her favor as the one overseeing his trial, he needed to prove his worth. In the end, he decided to turn around and look at the door, giving the mage his back. 

"You can raise any number of fingers, and I'll be able to tell." 

"Is that a demonstration of some sort?" muttered Aria before she smirked, intrigued. "Alright, I can play along." 

"Three," muttered Cedric when he saw her raise three fingers using his Observe Skill. Then, she changed them to one. "One. Two. Five. Eight," Cedric said at astonishing speed before turning back toward her. "I'm a clairvoyant too." 

"That was an interesting trick, but it's far from being enough to be called clairvoyance," said Aria, squinting her eyes at him. "A clairvoyant mage is one who discerns lies from the truth, able to foresee the future. It's a class that appears once every century." 

"And I can't exist because you do?" Cedric laughed at the notion. Aria looked a little upset, but he knew this was how to win her over. "I can discern lies from the truth too. How about you tell me something?" 

"And if you fail to guess whether it's the truth or a lie?" 

"You can arrest me here and send me back to the king," said Cedric with a shrug. "You can call me an imposter or whatever." 

"You're risking your life to prove you're a clairvoyant," said Aria, perking up with a mysterious grin. "Alright, I'll tell you a story, and you have to tell me which part is a lie." 

"Go ahead," shot back Cedric as he activated the narrator. 

"One time, I was traveling in the forest alone," said the professor. "I came across a mighty dragon, who promised me a great fate. A year later, I awakened the power to see into others." 

Cedric nodded as he stared at the narration, surprised. When he glanced at her again, he couldn't help but sigh. "You didn't meet a dragon." 

"…That's wrong, I did meet a dragon," said Aria with a frown. Cedric stared at her, confused, and then read the narration again. 

"…But you are that dragon yourself." 

Silence fell once he revealed that. Cedric knew he was risking his life by exposing such a secret, but he also knew it would make her trust him. Aria was shocked, her violet eyes glowing with an eerie light. 

"…How did you know?" 

"A clairvoyant appears once every century," said Cedric with a shrug. "I just realized you're not just a clairvoyant; you're the Dragon of Deception, cursed to say nothing but the truth." 

Aria stood there, shaken, as Cedric continued to reveal her secrets. In truth, Cedric was more shocked than she was, because he had just met a pivotal character in the novel. If not for this woman, the protagonist would die in the first arc of the novel.