An Extra’s Rise in an Eroge

'Sol, do you have a way out of this?' I asked her in my mind, hoping for a quick solution.

[Of course, there's a way,] she replied confidently.

A system window popped up in front of me, displaying an image of a green cloak adorned with intricate mystical patterns. Below it, the description read:n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

[Item: Invisibility Cloak]

[Rank: Rare]

[Description: Can make the wearer invisible.]

[Price: 50,000 EP]

Without a second thought, I purchased the item. 'Well, I'll earn it back from her,' I mused, smirking inwardly. Discover more stories at empire

The cloak materialized in my hands, seemingly out of nowhere, causing Alicia to gasp in surprise.

"What's that? Where did it come from?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"It's a magic item," I explained, holding it up for her to see. "An invisibility cloak. It can make you completely invisible. As for where it came from, I'll explain some other time."

Pausing for a moment, I grinned. "This is your way out. Wear this, and we'll sneak out of the manor together. Then we can stroll back inside and tell everyone we went out for a walk. Problem solved."

Her face lit up with relief and excitement. Without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

"Mmmhh! You're amazing, Arthur," she said, her voice filled with affection.

With that, I slipped out from under the blanket and stood up. "Let's go," I said confidently.

Alicia, who was sitting beside me, suddenly turned red, her face practically glowing crimson.

Confused, I tilted my head. "What's wrong? Weren't you the one anxious a moment ago?" I asked.

She sheepishly pointed downward, avoiding eye contact.

I followed her gaze and realized what had her so flustered—my morning wood was standing tall, proudly giving its salute. I had completely forgotten I was still naked.

"Ha...ha." I chuckled, scratching the back of my head, and teased, "Why are you acting shy now? It's not like you haven't seen it before."

As I reached down to gather my clothes from the floor, I added with a grin, "You were pretty bold yesterday. Where's that boldness now, hmm?"

Her face turned an even deeper shade of crimson, and she stammered, "C-Can you not be so blunt about it?"

I couldn't help but laugh softly at her adorable reaction as I dressed.

"Ha~ha, as you wish, my queen. Now, can we go?" I said, slipping on the cloak and gesturing for Alicia to join me.

But instead of stepping closer, she looked around, her eyes darting nervously. "Arthur? Where did you go?"

Realizing the issue, I quickly pulled the cloak off my head, reappearing before her. "Sorry about that—it seems it activates the moment I put it on," I explained, chuckling. "But judging by your reaction, it definitely works well."

I heard Sol's smug voice echo in my mind. [Hmph, of course, it works perfectly. The system only offers the best items.]

Alicia sighed in relief before stepping closer. She carefully moved under the cloak with me, pressing tightly against my side to fit. Her warmth and proximity didn't go unnoticed.

"Let's go," she whispered, her tone now resolute.

With that, I carefully cracked open the door and peeked outside. Seeing no one nearby, I opened it a little wider, and we both slipped out quietly.

As we made our way down the corridor, I saw maids and servants rushing about, checking each room methodically, moving closer to mine. My gaze landed on Cedric, who was with Kaela, searching frantically for his sister.

'They seem to be getting quite close,' I noted, briefly distracted.

However, my attention snapped to the old butler, Leonard, who was calmly seated off to the side, sipping tea with my maid, Lily.

As my eyes settled on him, his head turned in my direction as if he could see me.

'How is that possible? Sol said no one can detect my presence,' I thought. But just as I was reassuring myself, Leonard's face broke into a bright smile, and to my shock, he gave me a thumbs-up.

'What the hell?'

Lily, sitting beside him, noticed his reaction and glanced in my direction, but her expression was clueless. She shrugged and returned to sipping her tea.

'So... the cloak is working fine,' I concluded.

Trying to keep my composure, I called out to Sol in my mind.

'Sol, what's going on? I thought this cloak made me undetectable.'

Her response came with an annoyingly calm tone. [Oh, he can definitely see you. The item is just rare grade, and someone as strong as him can easily sense your presence.]

'And you didn't think to mention this?'

[Well, you can always upgrade it to legendary rank, which would remove these little drawbacks. I didn't think it was worth noting.]

'You're impossible.'

Alicia, thankfully, was too focused on the path ahead to notice the silent interaction between me and the old butler. I quickened my pace slightly, hoping to avoid any further acknowledgment from him.

Leonard, however, raised his teacup in a silent toast, his grin widening.

'Damn it, this guy...'

We hurriedly made our way out of the manor and slipped into the garden, heading toward a quiet area the servants hadn't searched yet. Once there, I removed the invisibility cloak, and we sat down on the damp grass, trying to act as casual as possible.

The morning garden was breathtaking, a scene too beautiful to ignore. Our original plan had been to stroll back inside, pretending nothing had happened, but the serene beauty around us made us pause.

The warm sunlight reflected off dew-laden flower petals, creating tiny rainbows with each gentle sway of the plants. A soft morning breeze rustled through the leaves, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers. It was as if the world itself was inviting us to stay a while longer.

I leaned back, letting the calm of the moment wash over me. Alicia sat beside me, saying nothing as she rested her head on my shoulder, her gaze fixed ahead. We shared the silence, a wordless understanding passing between us as we soaked in the tranquil scene.

In the distance, faint commotion echoed behind us, only to fade into silence moments later.

A group of maids appeared; their steps tentative as they came closer. Their eyes widened slightly upon seeing us, but they exchanged knowing glances and quietly retreated, careful not to disturb the young couple.

It seemed they understood better than to interrupt their young miss and young master during such a peaceful moment. Without a word, they turned and headed back, likely to inform Cedric and the other servants that Alicia had been found.

I chuckled softly, sensing their retreat but not caring enough to react. Alicia remained silent, her head still resting against me. For now, this small pocket of peace was ours alone.