The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 100: Reunion (3)

"Ella? What are you doing here?"

After twirling the young maiden in his arms a few rounds, Leon settled them down before asking the crucial question. Ellahan looked up at the young Knight with puppy eyes, before answering: "Why do you not want me here?"

"N-No, of course not!"

Leon stammered at his lover’s curt question, only to be met with another bright smile.

"Hehe, I missed you soooooo much!!!"

Ignoring the crowd of onlookers, Ellahan buried her face into the young Knight’s chest, nuzzling it like she was embracing the scented bolster. Intoxicated by the aroma she hadn’t experienced in a while, the Saintess of the Holy Church was late to react when another presence creeped up behind her.

"Alright, you should leave the tearful reunion for later."

A red-haired, handsome older gentleman peeled Ellahan away from Leon’s embrace. In a full breastplate and armour, it seemed like the man was about to be dispatched for war. But given how pristine his attire was, the man in shiny armour looked relatively at ease as he shot a meaningful gaze at Leon’s face.

Leon’s face brightened up as he recognised his first master as well as the man who had taken care of him during his stay at the Holy Church. The Head Paladin of Hyarum and a close friend of Leon’s father.

Sir Arthur Pagiel had made his return to the Solaris House.

"Sir Arthur!!!"

Leon was about to jump for a hug, when Sir Arthur stopped him by raising his hand. Taken aback initially, Sir Arthur’s next move answered many of Leon’s questions. The Head Paladin gestured for Ellahan to follow him before greeting Alrock with a respectful tone.

"Solaris Lord, forgive us for arriving on such short notice."

"... I didn’t hear of your visit."

"It was an invitation from the Elune Princess. We couldn’t decline such a tempting offer."

The Head Paladin and the Solaris Lord stared each other down, each wearing a smile that hid a thousand displeasantries. Ever since Leon summoned Ascalon, the Holy Church had been requesting an audience with the young hero. Sometimes, it even crossed the threshold of a request to a full-on beg. However, the Solaris House never once entertained the requests.

The Solaris House didn’t want their precious Ascalon as well as the potential third incarnation of the Solaris Hero being lost. On the other hand, the Holy Church viewed Ascalon as the Holy Blade, a relic that was akin to the icon of the Goddess herself. Furthermore, during the reign of the Solaris Saint, the Holy Church had near full custody of Ascalon, making them eager to regain those rights.

These two monolithic organisations were both vying for Ascalon as well as its wiedler.

Therefore, it was no wonder Alrock and Arthur couldn’t see eye-to-eye on this issue.

"Forgive me for calling them without your permission, Grandpa Alrock."

Yue approached the duo before giving a humble curtsy. The action surprised the Solaris Lord who could only give a rough cough.

"... You did this?"

"Yes," Yue answered without fear.

"I just wanted to bring the Holy Church into our partnership. Particularly, since we are hunting the Demon Cult. Among anyone in the Hyades Republic, no one can claim they had hunted more Demons than the Holy Church. Their experience will prove to be great for our cause. Also, they are willingly loaning the Saintess to our newly formed Demon Hunting unit. Don’t you think that’s a good deal?"

"..."

Alrock remained silent, speechless by the young woman’s acute acumen. But at the same time, he couldn’t rebut any of her words.

Firstly, Yue had proven to them time and time again that she wasn’t just a sheltered princess. In more cases than most, she represented the Elune House itself. There were even rumours that her authority now equalled that of his good friend, Yugor Elune, and was basically the new interim Lord in his place.

Hence, Alrock didn’t dare treat the young lass lightly, even though she seemed like a brainless lovebird whenever she was near Amon.

Secondly, Yue’s point about the Holy Church being the premier organisation for hunting Demons was true. In an age of peace, there was no one more adamant on hunting Demons than the Holy Church. They had even created a special Paladin force just for the hunt, even surpassing what the Solaris House had.

And finally, Yue’s proposal didn’t bring any demerits to the Solaris House. In exchange for visiting rights to Leon and Ascalon, the Solaris House would receive unconditional support from the Holy Church, even the inclusion of the Saintess.

It was a win-win for all.

"Sir Alrock, if I may be so bold. Perhaps we should discuss our terms at a separate venue. And leave the youngsters to their own devices."

Taking advantage of the opening Yue had created, Sir Arthur chipped in with a slight smile. He looked back at Leon and Ellahan, sending a wink to display his intentions. Seeing that, both the youngsters’ faces brightened up as they expectantly waited for Alrock’s decision.

And seeing his precious grandson so excited, Alrock knew that he was finally defeated. Letting out a heavy sigh, he begrudgingly replied.

"Okay. Let’s do that."

???

The moonless night was tranquil, without a single disturbance to shake the world. Draped in velvety darkness, the innumerable stars in the sky twinkled like a resplendent diamond mine that brought all eyes to them, triggering all sorts of imaginative thoughts.

The faint scent of earth and blossoms filled the air of the Solaris Garden, giving a rather romantic atmosphere for the two people enjoying a cup of tea in the serene flower bed. The heavenly beauty between the two lightly sipped on her flowery, rose tea while silently observing the young man who was gazing into the distance.

Taking a moment to really indulge in her senses, the young lady savoured the sweetness of her tea with the company of a handsome man. And not just any handsome man, HER handsome… most loved man.

It was for moments like this that gave Yue the power to keep going.

In the near future, the war with the Demon Cult will begin. Once that occurs, the number of times they would be able to sit like this in peace would greatly reduce. There were a few moments where Yue would have fleeting thoughts.

’Wouldn’t it better if they just left everything behind and lived a life of solitude?’

They were tempting thoughts, but dreams that she could never act on.

Yue didn’t turn back time just to spend time with her beloved. She also wanted to save the world, to rid the Demonic threat from humanity entirely. Nevertheless, it didn’t take away from the brief moment of enjoyment that laid before her.

"What are you thinking?"

Yue asked while holding back her grin.

"Nothing much," Amon shook his head before turning back to face the woman. He was slightly confused as to why Yue was in such a good mood, but he didn’t bother to question it.

"I just thought… it’s finally beginning."

Amon took his seat and picked up his ginger tea, giving it a slight sip.

"With the formation of Eldorin, we have created a place for the future heroes to develop and thrive. Now, we’ve even recruited the Saintess. Everything seems to fall into place that it almost feels scary."

"You’re right…"

Amon and Yue had planned many years for this to happen. Gathering resources for funding, creating Echelon with Bane at the helm to investigate the Demon Cult, and finally, growing their individual skills so that they were powerful enough. It was all leading to this moment.

And now that the fruits of their labour had materialised, it felt cathargic.

"The only problem that I have… it seems that my growth may stagnate soon."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"After reaching Six Suns and Moons, I’m reaching a limit. Yes, I can continue to cultivate the Nine Suns or Moons Heart Mantra to gather mana, but I doubt I can reach the Seventh tier or above at this rate. It feels like… the imbalance between my two mana affinities have become steeper."

Amon declared gloomily. If there was anyone else who heard his words, they would curse him into the bottom of the deepest Hell valley. He was already a monster that surpassed any young talent in history. And yet, he was saying that it wasn’t enough.

Fortunately, Yue understood her lover’s point completely. Therefore, she relaxed herself and asked.

"So which one is the dominant one? Your Solar or Lunar mana?"

"Lunar… as it always have been."

Amon replied with a sense of confusion and helplessness. Since transmigrating into Hyades, his Lunar mana had always surpassed his Solar one, which reflected in his cultivation of the techniques. Amon never had issues learning Lunar-based attacks; heck, one might say he thrived on them.

It was likely due to his past life, where he lived as Number 23 or as he was more menacingly known as, the Lunar Blade.

"If that’s the case… then why not solve it the same way we did before?"

"You mean…"

"Well, I didn’t think we would get to call her so soon, but…"

Yue took out a golden medallion from her storage space and traced the slightest bit of mana into it. In no time at all, a golden light burst forth and congregated itself into a humanoid figure.

Long, golden hair that seemed to defy the laws of physics dripped down from her tiny head as it shimmered like molten sunlight. A beauty with high cheekbones with a regal nose, the ancient beauty broke her rosy lips into an enigmatic smile. As she opened her eyes, Amon felt the skin crawl on his back, as if he were a mouse looking at an apex predator.

Vibrant, delicate horns formed a crown on her forehead, revealing that the woman wasn’t a mere mortal. She sashayed from her astral state into a physical one, showing off her slender frame while the fabric that flowed from her shoulders graced the garden.

Although Amon had never seen her in this state, there was no questioning who this entity was.

She was the Golden Dragon Progenitor, who had blessed him with her powers, and the entity sealed far north in the Necropolis of the Gods.

"Yval…"