The Extra System: Summoner of Shadows

Dragons had lifespans that easily surpassed a thousand years. If one was powerful enough, it could live for countless millennia. The Dragon of Deception was one such dragon, who had lived a thousand years entrapped inside a barrier.

One day, a child entered its turf. But that child was sick and nearing the end of her lifespan. Regardless of her circumstances, she brought joy to the dragon's life, becoming its solace against the imprisonment.

"How did you know about that?" asked Aria, glaring at him. Draconic marks appeared around her eyes, which shone bright violet.

"As I said, I am a clairvoyant, someone who can see what others cannot," said Cedric with a sigh. "And I know that revealing this secret puts my life at risk. You have every right to hide it."

"Then you know what's about to happen," threatened Aria as her wand rose once more, this time covered in violet light. "I have to ensure that no one knows my secret."

"You can indeed dispose of me, but I offer so much more if I'm alive," said Cedric with a smile. "I know how to remove the curse."

"Lies," spat Aria as the light around her wand grew unstable. "No one in this world knows how to lift a divine curse. And definitely not a human who just became an adult."

"My knowledge is vast, and you have seen proof. If I couldn't help you, then what sense would it make to reveal your secret? Would I just be throwing away my life?"

Aria was silent, looking at the young man before her. His eyes did not carry a shred of hesitation or deception, and she knew that better than anyone. This was the reason she didn't believe he could solve her puzzle.

Aria had indeed met a dragon, and she considered herself both Aria and the dragon at the same time. But the man before her knew details that no one could have known. There were no lies in her words, but they weren't entirely the truth either.

"You have one minute to tell me how to remove the curse."

"And why would I do that?" asked Cedric with genuine confusion. "You could just kill me once the curse is removed. And to begin with, it cannot be removed at the moment. It requires a great deal of preparation, items, and time."

"…How could I trust you?"

"You know me, Aria. If I turn out to be a liar, you can just turn into a dragon and come over to my kingdom to kill me. What would make me throw away my life like that? If anything, I'm glad we met."

"Glad?"

"Your fate is a great one, and I plan on preparing you for it," said Cedric with a smile. "But before that… we need to sort things out."

---

Ember had been a retainer for the Everhart Family because of her father, who was the previous queen's retainer. Once she awakened her class, her father introduced her to the deadbeat prince everyone talked about.

As a retainer, she was expected to protect and fulfill his every need. As long as certain boundaries remained, she was asked to do everything he desired. And Ember did just that, until the past two days.

Ember was sitting inside the guest mansion when His Highness returned, wearing a black cloak she had given him. Instead of using the door, however, the prince came walking through the wall, leaving her mind unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Everything is sorted out," Prince Cedric told her with a grin, and told her to get some sleep before the trial. Ember said she would, but couldn't bring herself to close her eyes. Anxiety was her companion tonight, since the prince had relied on her for everything until now.

"What can I do?" she asked herself this question countless times. But Ember had never been in a situation like this. The entire incident left her baffled, as she couldn't handle things in public. It required a master of shadows to pull the strings from the dark.

And then the trial arrived. Cedric wore his most confident smile with one of his fanciest attires. Ember was almost biting her nails off when he suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't look well. How about you rest for today?"

"Rest? But it's your trial, Your Highness," said Ember, confused. "What if they decide you are guilty?"

"Truth will prevail," he said again with a confident smile. "Trust me, Ember. Everything has been sorted out."

Ember did not understand how the deadbeat prince she knew had become so reliable. However, his confident smile and aura made her believe that somehow, he had indeed sorted things out. In the end, she followed him toward the Iron Court.

Many people gathered in the court to witness the verdict. Most of them were friends of Duke Ravenswood, who had invited them to show him support. For that reason, snarky remarks began flying the moment Cedric walked in.

Prince Cedric was thought to be a pushover, but he was anything but that today. He strode through the Iron Court with confidence that remained unaffected by the rumors whispered about him. He reached the center of the court and stood before the two judges.

"This junior greets the two judges of the court," said Cedric before he bowed, and then walked to sit at his table. Ember bowed to the judges as well and hurried to sit beside him.

Ember sat down, and Duke Ravenswood arrived with his daughter, sitting on the other side before the judges. The duke was glaring at them, but Cedric was looking at someone else. His gaze fell on one of the judges, who was the court's mage that King Thalric had mentioned.

'Oh, right. Most teenagers have a crush on the youngest mage in the world,' Ember remembered as she looked at the mage. If her memory served her correctly, she was Aria Valefire, the youngest professor at Arcane Academy.

"Order!" shouted the herald as he struck his cane to the ground. Silence descended on the court as he announced the arrival of the king. "All hail King Thalric Ardenthal, Defeater of Giants!"

"All hail!" 

Everyone inside the court rose from their seats, bowing their heads as the king walked toward the throne. Once he took his seat, he raised his hand, and the herald shouted for the audience to rise.

"Let the trial commence between Caroline Astrid Ravenswood and Cedric Everhart," announced the king as his eyes fell on the two. "But first… step forward for the mage to place you under oath."

Cedric and Caroline rose at the same time and walked to stand in front of Aria, who took out her wand. With a single motion, a giant magical circle appeared beneath the two, placing them under oath.

"Let your mouths utter nothing but the truth," commanded Aria as Cedric felt something seize his heart. The magical circle died down, and Cedric watched as a new notification from the system appeared.

[A spell has been cast on the user.]

[Blessing of ????? (X) has countered the spell.]

As he read the notification, his mouth couldn't help but twitch. Cedric always wondered what this passive skill was, but it seemed to be a protection method from the person who sent him here. It was to ensure that the secret about the novel was never revealed using this spell.