Not-So an Extra

The long, thick, white eyelashes wriggled before slowly lifting open, revealing a pair of cerulean eyes.

As Adrian came to his senses, he felt warmth enveloping his entire body. 

He realized he was lying on a bed, covered with a blanket.

Looking upward, the darkness greeted him.

"Is this nighttime?"

Glancing to the left and right, he found himself surrounded by pitch darkness. 

However, strangely enough, he could still see the bed he was lying in with vivid clarity.

"Huh?"

Adrian sat on the bed and noticed he could see both of his hands while gazing at them.

"What?"

Scanning through the surroundings once again, he found himself trapped in a void of pitch darkness with no way out.

Only then a thought kicked in.

"Wait, is this—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a bright light flashed and a rectangular screen appeared, hovering not too far away from his bed.

"Talk about the devil, huh?"

He remembered this place.

This place was where he received the sight of Adrian's future—the gift room.

Nevertheless, he hoped he wouldn't wake up for another four months, because that would undoubtedly disrupt his plan to graduate within a year.

He despised it when events deviated from his carefully crafted plans.

"So, what do you have for me this time?"

As if on cue, the screen before him flickered to life, revealing a stunning cityscape.

Upon seeing the pristine white buildings and grand architecture, he assumed that it was the Capital City of the Aeon Empire, Agatha.

The road was bustling with people, and the air was filled with the buzzing sounds of citizens chatting and laughing.

A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes was seen leaving a Mercenary Agency building and walking down the street.

He donned a black robe with white trim.

The moment he caught sight of the figure, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. 

"Is that Adrian?" 

He scrutinized the features intently, and sure enough, it was him—except that he had dyed his hair.

"Ha."

He scoffed, now that Adrian dyed his hair blonde, the boy resembled Aerilyn a lot.

Folding his arms and leaning against the plush headboard, his mind drifted.

The last thing he remembered from his dream was Adrian running away from the Palace.

Since the boy was still in Agatha, he had a hunch that this sight was a continuation of his previous dream.

The blonde-haired boy continued on his way, entering one Mercenary Agency after another. 

This routine continued for a whole week, with him swiftly moving from one agency to the next.

The blonde boy wearily exited the Agency building, letting out a deep sigh as he stepped into the sunlight.

"Haa…"

Adrian lowered his head and stared at the book with the purple cover in his hand—it was the book Nathaniel gave him.

"I see."

He muttered in interest.

So, Adrian was also seeking the truth behind the book, just like him.

Upon glimpsing at the boy's expression, it was obvious that Adrian had come up empty-handed.

He had been searching for the same thing for over two years.

But it seemed as though he was stuck in one place, making no progress.

Nevertheless, he still had hope, his last stop would be the Tower's library.

If he couldn't find anything there, then that would put an end to his research.

Or perhaps he could discover the book's truth by watching this scene.

Putting the book into his Magical Sphere, Adrian continued his way.

—Boom!

A thunderous explosion reverberated throughout the city, causing the ground to shake violently.

The once bustling streets were now eerily silent with all eyes turned toward the source of the noise.

A billowing plume of thick black smoke rose high into the sky, revealing the majestic Sun Palace in the distance.

—Boom!

Another explosion echoed, followed by the battle cry in the distance.

"Kyaaa!!"

"The Sun Palace is under attack!!"

The once peaceful space was now filled with the deafening sound of terrified citizens screaming in panic.

In a frenzy, people scattered in every direction, desperate to escape the danger that loomed over them.

—Thud! —Thud!

Adrian found himself jostled and pushed by the panicked crowd. 

"Ah…"

His eyes were fixed on the castle and without realizing it, he began to run towards it.

Realizing something, his speed slowed down and came to a full stop.

Adrian stood motionless and lost in thought.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

The explosion continued to roar, its fiery blast sending plumes of black smoke rising into the sky. 

Amidst the chaos, a battle cry echoed through the air, followed by the deafening clash of metal.

With a heavy heart, Adrian stole one last glance at the Castle before turning to walk away.

The white-haired boy who was sitting on the bed frowned, his index finger tapping on his folded arm.

He tilted his head and hummed.

"Hmm… something doesn't add up."

It didn't make any sense, how come the Sun Palace could be easily breached like that?

What happened to the title of the strongest military on the continent?

But, wait—

Didn't Fredinand say something about Graham's execution in his last dream?

"Ah, I see."

If it was true, then the accident that occurred right now was aligned with the book:

« An accident happened on the execution day and resulted in the Lancaster Family escaping. »

So 'the accident' the book referred to was, the Lancaster's Knights launching an attack on the Sun Palace to save his Lord and his family, huh?

Since the Lancaster Family had served the Empire for generations, the Lancaster Knights were familiar with the Sun Castle and its layout. 

They had spent a lot of time in and out of the Castle, which gave them a good understanding of its structure. 

Or it was also plausible that Fredinand was the one who provided information to the Lancaster Knights.

—Whizz

As the sharp whizzing sound pierced through the air, all eyes turned upward to the sky and the citizens eventually stopped running.

Shortly after, multiple blue lights ascended toward the sky, moving in perfect unison until they converged at a single point.

A translucent barrier descended upon the city, resembling water sliding down a glass surface until it completely covered the urban landscape.

"Look! The city barrier has been activated!"

The sound of a man's shout echoed through the chaos, gradually transforming the atmosphere into one of calm once again.

The city barrier was a mechanism that was present in every major city in the Empire. 

It was designed to protect the city from external threats, such as monster attacks or enemy invasions. 

This could also have prevented the enemy from switching their attack from the Palace towards Agatha.

"L-Let's go home."

A citizen stammered, and with that, the rest followed suit, walking to their houses one by one.

Despite the barrier being activated, their hearts were still beating fast with adrenaline.

Adrian returned to the inn and decided to call it a day.

.

.

.

The following morning, a multitude of people gathered around the plaza, eagerly awaiting news of the previous day's accident.

The blonde-haired boy approached a sprawling fountain and darted toward the towering Chrono statue at its center. 

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a gold coin into the water, listening as it clinked against the other coins at the bottom. 

Closing his eyes, he made a wish and felt the cool mist from the fountain on his face. 

—Rattle —Rattle —Rattle 

Moments later, an armored knight strode into the plaza and pinned up a series of official documents on the notice board.

As soon as the armored knight vanished from sight, curious onlookers swarmed around the notice board.

Luckily, Adrian's diminutive size allowed him to deftly weave through the throngs.

[ Yesterday, a force under the command of Graham Lancaster stormed into the Sun Palace. 

Their goal was to prevent Lancaster's family from being executed. 

Graham managed to escape with his family and also kidnapped the Second Prince, Adrian Leilucis. ]

Adrian arched an eyebrow in surprise when he read his escape being referred to as a kidnapping.

Nonetheless, he breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that his grandfather and family had escaped the guillotine.

[As Graham Lancaster's crimes could no longer be tolerated, the Empire declared him the most wanted person on the continent. 

Anyone found harboring him would be considered an enemy of the Empire and would face the same consequences as Lancaster. 

Furthermore, anyone who reports the whereabouts of Gideon or Prince Adrian will be generously rewarded. 

·ƈθm Following this matter, all entry and exit points to cities throughout the Empire's territory will be subject to a thorough inspection.]

Adrian was left bewildered as he read the last sentence.

He also could see Graham and his portrait displayed below the notice.

Realizing that every entrance and exit would be checked, Adrian knew that this was his last opportunity to escape the city.

Without wasting any more time, he swiftly slipped out of the crowd.

However, as if struck by lightning, Adrian froze. 

He was beyond surprised when a black-haired boy with golden eyes on horseback entered his view.

"All of the people, why is Nathaniel here?"

Adrian muttered under his breath.

He hastily pulled up his black hood and turned his back to Nathaniel.

Before Adrian could take a single step, a familiar voice pierced his ears.

"Halt."

His heart skipped a beat for reasons he couldn't explain.

Ignoring the voice, he resumed his stride. 

However, the voice called out again.

"Yes, you. The boy in the black robes with the silver trim."

And Adrian knew, he fucked up.