The Extra System: Summoner of Shadows

"The plaintiff and defendants are now under oath. If caught telling anything but the truth, the court mage will know and alert us," said King Thalric before waving his hand. "Be seated, and let us begin this trial."

Cedric returned to his seat with a smile. Ember seemed distressed, but he gave her a reassuring nod and then watched the trial unfold. He began to understand how different the trial was from those in his previous life.

In a world where lies could be revealed by a clairvoyant mage, the process became more streamlined. As long as the target was weaker than the mage, they could enforce an oath of truth.

"Let the plaintiff begin," declared the king. 

Caroline began with a sob before telling the court what happened. In her words, she was meeting Cedric after a long period of knowing him, dismissing her guards because she trusted him. However, the moment they were alone, Cedric allegedly pushed her to the ground and began touching her inappropriately.

Ember watched for Cedric's reaction, but his face remained expressionless. Caroline even cried as she told the court that he threatened her with his status if she told anyone. One of her guards happened to hear them and rushed to her rescue. 

Silence descended on the Iron Court once she finished her story, only her sobs audible in the giant hall. No one dared to make a sound in front of the king, who turned toward his mage for confirmation.

"The oath remains," declared Aria, to the shock of the crowd. It proved that Caroline's words were true, and the crowd rose, shouting at the prince and accusing him of being a disgrace. Ember looked around in panic, but Prince Cedric was still smiling.

"Silence!" roared the king, his aura forcing their mouths shut. It was not fear, but absolute power that governed over life and death. King Thalric turned toward Cedric; his eyes were icier than ever. "What do you have to say in your defense, Cedric Everhart?"

Inside the court, rank and status were irrelevant. Therefore, the king did not address him as a prince but by his name. Hearing the king, Cedric rose with one arm behind his back as he strode forward.

"I deny that," said Cedric, head held high. "May I tell my side of the story?"

"Remember that once the oath is broken, your punishment will be twice as severe if the court rules against you," warned the king, and Cedric nodded with a smile. "Begin, then."

"I received numerous love letters from the plaintiff, leading me to believe that what we shared was love. We indeed met in her garden, and I dismissed my retainer at that time. That was my greatest mistake. 

"As we strolled through the garden, a vine coiled around my legs and caused me to fall over the plaintiff. It was unintentional, but I could not rise once I fell. The reason is simple: the vine was poisoned with magic!"

Hushed whispers rose in the crowd as Cedric not only defended himself but countered with an accusation of his own. The king slammed a fist on the table before him, and the crowd fell silent.

"Continue," demanded the king with a grim look. If Cedric's words turned out to be true, this was no longer a simple matter of honor—it could spell the beginning of war!

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Cedric nodded as he turned toward Caroline. "At that time, the plaintiff accused me of moving when I couldn't even rise because of the poison. Her guards seized me and threw me into a cell without my retainer's knowledge. The poison wrecked my body, but I survived long enough for my retainer to arrive and save me. 

"After that, I was escorted to a guesthouse where I was detained, but another assassin made an attempt on my life. I managed to escape into the duke's estate, where I came across a barn. Inside, I saw two figures—one of them being the plaintiff—conspiring against my life. 

"I ran from the barn, but the other assassin chased after me, and we engaged in a ferocious battle that almost killed me. My retainer arrived at the scene in time to save me, and here I am today, facing baseless accusations."

The court fell silent. No one could believe the story unfolding before them or the man delivering it with such charisma and eloquence. Defendants usually stammered out of fear or panic, but Cedric's storytelling was flawless.

King Thalric squinted at Cedric, who stood there with a smile. Once more, as before, he turned toward Aria, seeking her verdict on Cedric's words. In normal circumstances, no two sides could tell the truth without one of them confessing. However, the verdict arrived like a thunderclap.

"The oath remains," said Aria with an expressionless face. 

The entire courtroom fell silent, unable to comprehend what was happening. One of them should be lying, but both of them were telling the truth. In usual circumstances, this defied logic. But in a world where the skill Oathbreaker exists, things turned ugly.

King Thalric's face darkened, black lines creeping over his forehead, as someone dared to lie in his court. The other judge beside the king, was the Hand, raised a hand to speak.

"As the Hand, I have a vast network of information in the capital. I heard reports from my spies that an Oathbreaker skill appeared yesterday in the market. I fear that…"

His words remained unsaid, but his accusation was obvious. One of the two people before him had used the Oathbreaker skill to lie before the king and get away with it. 

In usual times, this would lead to the conclusion of the trial, as neither side would admit to using the skill. However, this was no civil case, as an assassination attempt on the prince of a kingdom had been made.

"Did you uncover who purchased it?" asked the king with a frown. 

"I could not uncover a name. But from what I heard, the person who purchased the skill was a woman with short black hair. Almost describing…"

Every pair of eyes in the courtroom turned toward Ember, who sat there in confusion, except for Cedric, who retained a thin smile. His green eyes locked on the Hand, who was attempting to accuse the prince of what Caroline bought from his auction house. 

"Prince Cedric," called the king with a glare that could rip one's soul out. "Have you used the skill Oathbreaker to deceive this trial?" 

"I have not, Your Majesty," said Cedric with a smile. However, he did not add anything more to defend himself. 

"He could lie about that too, if he used the skill," said the Hand with a shake of his head. "It is the law that if the court cannot reach a verdict using magic, then evidence must be gathered to decide. At the current moment, the evidence suggests that Cedric Everhart ordered his retainer to purchase the skill."

The entire court erupted in discussion. Many of the nobles were demanding that the prince pay the Price of Honor to compensate Caroline Ravenswood. Caroline herself was bursting into tears while her father consoled her. 

Cedric stood in the center of the courtroom, his hands behind his back and his head held high. His eyes were still glaring at the Hand, memorizing his thin face, hollow eyes, and receding hairline.

The king raised a hand, and the court turned quiet. Cedric expected him to announce the verdict against him, but was surprised to see the king silence the crowd before repeating his question.

"Cedric Everhart, defend yourself against these accusations. Of course, the court will gather more evidence, but the current verdict will be against you until new evidence surfaces."

Cedric looked at the king with mild surprise, as he expected the man to wrong him as well. But instead of answering, he nodded to the king and turned toward the Hand.

"You rotten scum," spat Cedric at the Hand. "How many others have you wronged using these webs of lies? Fear not, for today, I will expose what kind of filth you are and show your true self in front of this court."