The Extra System: Summoner of Shadows

After the initial excitement, Cedric managed to calm down. Even after obtaining new skills, he realized that the handcuffs prevented him from using those needing mana. Thus, he could only use Forgotten at the moment—just once a day. As he was struck with that realization, Cedric could no longer collapse in that rollercoaster of emotions. His thoughts were interrupted by hurried footsteps from outside before several people appeared before his cell.

"Is that him?" muttered an urgent voice. "How could you leave him in a place like this? Have you lost your goddamn minds? He is the prince!" shouted the voice at some other people.

The torches made it hard for Cedric to see well, and he could only make out that there were three people standing outside his cell. In the next instant, the guard from earlier hurried to unlock the doors as several people came rushing inside.

"Prince Cedric!" came a feminine voice as the light shone in his face. Cedric struggled to adjust to the light and saw that the newcomers were both dressed in white. There was the guard from earlier, the priest, and this new woman who wore some type of exotic armor. "I'm so sorry, sir!"

The woman knelt on the ground in front of him, her head bowing deeply. Cedric squinted to see her face, and the memory resurfaced like a drowned balloon, popping into his head. He remembered that he had a retainer, and she was the woman before him.

"No need for apologies," said Cedric as he forced a smile. "Can you take me out of here, Ember?"

"Of course, my lord," nodded the woman with short black hair and blue eyes. As she turned to the side, Cedric glimpsed the earring that he had once gifted her on her birthday. "Release him at once!"

"We cannot release him before the trial," said the priest with a frown. "But we can prepare for better accommodations. Please follow me."

The rest of the events happened quickly. Cedric lost the handcuffs that restrained his mana before the priest led them with several guards toward a better place. This was the first time Cedric witnessed the outside world.

The sun was setting on the horizon, casting an orange hue over the estate. Cedric shielded his eyes once he left the prison, squinting as he stared at the Ravenswood estate with its magnificent mansion and vast gardens.

"We will heal your wounds in a bit, my lord," said Ember as she offered him a hand to lead the way. Cedric nodded and took it, allowing her to guide him into a 'guest house' that acted as a prison. Guards surrounded the house as the two of them were allowed inside.

"Your trial will be held tomorrow. The injustice of your arrest will be taken into consideration, maybe lightening the sentence. For now, accept this as an apology, Prince Cedric," said the priest as he bowed slightly and raised his hand toward Cedric.

Lights shone from his hand as they covered Cedric with warmth. In the next moments, his wounds began to heal rapidly, and his pain disappeared. Once he was done, Cedric felt as if he had just woken up. The priest then excused himself and left.

Ember collapsed in front of Cedric the moment they were alone. She kowtowed on the ground loud enough for him to hear a pop. It surprised him as the woman began shouting, "Please forgive me, your highness! Your whereabouts were withheld from me for the past few hours! Please take my life as an apology!"

"Alright, I'll take your life," said Cedric with a smile as he moved his body. "You will have to serve as you have always done, Ember. Is that clear?"

"I… yes, my lord," said Ember with surprise, looking at Cedric with shock. Although never resorting to physical violence, Cedric was never this kind and collected when humiliated. "What happened, my lord?"

"I have been accused of assaulting the duke's daughter," muttered Cedric as he moved toward a wardrobe, looking for clothes that could fit him. "The accusations are baseless. The duke's daughter is framing me for this."

Cedric took out a few clothes from the wardrobe before he closed the door. Ember remained silent as she waited in the living room for him to change. Once he was done, he walked out to examine himself in the giant mirror on the wall.

His appearance had changed. Cedric now had messy brown hair with a pair of emerald eyes. Although that made him sound handsome, his features were barely average. His eyes looked dead, with eye bags underneath them. His nose was a little big for his face, and he had some freckles.

"…no wonder my Charisma is zero," muttered Cedric as he examined himself in the mirror. "I hope raising it will yield better results."

Even if Cedric did not allocate his extra point into Charisma, raising his level would naturally change his appearance. Taking that into account, he turned toward Ember, who was still deep in thought.

"Are you still deciding whether to believe me or not?" joked Cedric as he examined her. Ember was nothing short of a beauty by his world's standards. However, judging from the priest earlier who looked even prettier than her, he knew that it had to do with their level.

"I would always believe my lord," said Ember with a hand over her heart, but her face looked troubled. "But we landed in a sticky situation. Matters of honor are taken quite seriously in Valoria, which prohibits premarital relationships. Even if you had a consensual relationship with Lady Caroline, it would be bad."

"I understand that much," said Cedric as he rubbed his sore hands, which still felt the weight of the handcuffs. He walked toward the couch and sat down. "But the truth is there. We just have to find a way to show them what happened."

"I will do my best," said Ember as she bowed down. Cedric looked at her with a pondering expression before he decided to test out his skill Observe. The moment he activated it, he became aware of everything in his surroundings.

Cedric had an omniscient view of the living room. He could see everything happening in real-time, as if another pair of eyes were aiding him. Furthermore, a voice appeared in his mind.

[Ember bowed down once again to the deadbeat prince, vowing to find the truth that would exonerate him. Although she couldn't tell if he was telling the truth, she knew that he would never commit such a heinous crime.]

"Is there something wrong, my lord?" [asked Ember as she raised her head, confused by his piercing stare at her. The knight wondered if she displeased him in any way.]

Cedric felt a headache throbbing in his mind as the narrator seemed to explain everything happening around him. However, he also noticed that the voice did not mention anything outside of this room.

In the end, Cedric stopped his ability and observed the changes in his mana.

Just half a minute of that observation had cost him fifteen mana points from his pool. Since he had 31 in total, he would be able to use it for one minute before his mana pool was empty.

"Nothing wrong, Ember," said Cedric with a sigh. "In order to exonerate my name, I have to meet with Lady Caroline once more, with some witnesses. She is the one that could save me from this mess."

"But would she?" asked Ember as she rose with slight hesitation. "I can demand such a meeting, but I doubt it would yield any results."

"It wouldn't indeed, but I just need to meet her," said Cedric with a smile as he thought about one more function his system had.

[Characters Menu]