The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 279: The Married Couple (7)

Two months had passed since the Battle for Zephys, and the Hyades Republic was barely recognisable from what it once was. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the government had been torn apart and rebuilt from its very foundations.

Nearly every member of the Demon Cult embedded within the state had been exposed and purged, their executions or imprisonments serving as grim warnings to any who still harboured heretical loyalties.

The High Council was formally abolished, its marble halls sealed, and its authority dissolved. In its place rose a provisional committee composed entirely of figures known for their uncompromising hostility toward the Demon Cult and the Utopia Church.

At the helm of this newborn federation stood Gerrick Ironblood, the Grand Marshal of Hyades.

Elected as the new Republic's first President by unanimous vote.

In his inaugural address, Gerrick pledged to mobilise every resource, every blade, and every able-bodied citizen of Hyades in preparation for the inevitable great war against the Demons. His words ignited hope among the populace—but hope alone could not mend a nation already splintering from within.

Despite the purge and the reforms, the Republic soon learned that victory at Zephys had only exposed deeper fractures. More than a fifth of Hyades' states declared independence, severing all political and military ties.

These renegade territories openly aligned themselves with the Demon Cult and the Utopia Church, swearing fealty not merely to the organisation, but to the Demon King himself.

To many outsiders, it was an unforgivable betrayal of humanity.

Yet the truth was far uglier—and far more understandable.

Most of the defecting states were the Republic's forgotten corners: industrial wastelands and famine-stricken cities crushed under decades of neglect.

Poverty, crime, and despair had become their daily reality, while the capital prospered in distant indifference. When the Demon Cult arrived bearing promises of power, purpose, and salvation, the temptation proved irresistible.

To those whom the Republic had already abandoned, betrayal felt less like treason and more like survival. These breakaway states soon united under a single banner, declaring themselves the Demon Empire.

Backed by the rapidly expanding Demon Cult, they became a malignant mirror of Hyades itself.

The Republic responded as any wounded nation would—by raising armies and attempting to crush the rebellion. Yet every campaign only worsened the situation. Each burned city, each civilian casualty, each heavy-handed occupation sowed fresh resentment, driving more people into the Demon Cult's embrace.

It became a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle.

The truth was inescapable: the Hyades Republic was losing a war it could not win through conventional means.

Left with no other choice, the new leadership turned to Amon and Eldorin's long-conceived plan—one born not of politics, but of precision. Rather than fighting the Cult's endless ranks, Eldorin would act as a mercenary force, striking directly at the Demon Cult's core.

No matter how vast the organisation became, if its Apostles were slain and its Prophet banished back to the Demon Realm, the Cult would eventually collapse under its own weight.

Unfortunately, those very executives—the Apostles and the Prophet—had vanished.

They went into hiding, scattering across the world like shadows at dawn.

No one knew their locations, nor their next move.

And so, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was nothing to chase.

With no immediate targets and no battles to fight, Amon made a decision he had postponed for far too long.

The Knight Order—Leon included—had spent months relentlessly hunting the Demon Cult, surviving on stolen sleep and borrowed strength.

Many had not seen their families or visited old friends in longer than they cared to remember. Their lives had become an exhausting loop of bloodshed and duty, with no room left for anything else. Recognising the toll it had taken, Amon granted the entire Order a month of leave.

As for himself, he returned to Solfea alongside Yue and Leon, intending to rest—if only briefly, finally.

He imagined quiet days, a proper bed, and moments of peace stolen from a world that never seemed to stop burning.

Alas, fate had other plans.

When Amon arrived, he was greeted not by warmth or comfort… but by a familiar stern face, waiting for him as if it had known he would come.

"Amon, have you forgotten about your mother?"

Amon's mom, Maya Solaris, stood angrily outside Amon's house, tapping her feet while watching her son drag his feet towards the door. Although she hadn't aged much, Amon could see the wrinkles slowly becoming more prominent, and the glossy sheen in her hair slowly deteriorated into white.

"Ah… Mom, I…"

"Hi, Mom!!! I missed you!"

Before Amon could reply, Yue leapt out from seemingly nowhere and hugged Maya tightly. The middle-aged woman twitched in visible disgust before pushing Yue far away from her as if she smelled like trash.

"Who are you calling mom?! You're not even married yet!"

"Heh, I like that you're still so shy~ Didn't I say I would take good care of your son?"

"It's this vixen… She's the one who has influenced you, right?! Because of her, you've forgotten all about your mother!"

"Now, now. Calm down! I brought gifts from the capital!"

Maya continued to spew curses while Yue playfully teased her. The mother-daughter-in-law dynamic between the two has always been a riot, and Amon tended to leave the pair alone, and this time was no different. He could always catch up with his mother, particularly since they were back to rest.

Fortunately, he saw yet another familiar face walking, shaking, while holding his head.

"Dad, you're here too."

"Amon, welcome back."

Amon's father, Aaron, looked haggard as he addressed his son. Over the past few months, it wasn't work stress that made him exhausted, but his wife's nagging. Despite Amon becoming the most powerful man on the planet, Maya still saw him as her precious little boy and worried about him nonstop.

When she heard that Amon had collapsed in the capital, it took everything in Aaron's power to stop his wife from crawling her way to Zephys.

As they say… a mother's love endures above all.

"Dad, I'm home," Amon embraced his father for the first time in what seemed like years. "Sorry for making you worry."

"No, it's nothing. We're just glad you're back home safe."

But as Aaron watched his son's radiant smile, all of that exhaustion melted away.

Truth was… it wasn't just Maya who worried about Amon. As his father, Aaron also wished to rush to his son's side. But, as a Guardian Knight of the Solaris House, he knew the bitter truth… He and Maya would only be Amon's liabilities.

If the Demon Cult or any enemy of Amon's sought to find a weakness… it would unquestionably be his family—particularly his wife Maya.

Maya didn't possess any combat skills and was an easy target for anyone who wished to harm Amon. Therefore, the best way to help Amon was simply just… not to get in his way.

"Dad, you've grown stronger."

Amon let out a subtle wince of admiration. Just with the simple exchange, Amon could tell that his father had advanced from a five Sun Guardian Knight to a six Sun Pillar Knight.

He was well aware of his father's capabilities and talents. If anything, it was a miracle that Aaron had reached the Guardian Knight level within the Solaris House. So for him to advance to a Pillar Knight…

"Haha, it's nothing on your level, but I did manage to grow somewhat… Also, the Patriarch has been treating me well."

Amon was likely unaware, but within the Solaris House, his family was treated like royalty. Although Aaron was a mere Guardian Knight, he was personally trained by the Golden Dragon Order Commander, Gallahad, and fed precious materials to help him advance.

Some might grumble about wasting resources on someone who is untalented, but most were well aware… it was a necessary expense to keep Amon happy.

His mother was invited to tea parties with the most powerful ladies in Solfea, and she was even offered an administrative position at a company that the Solaris House owns exclusively. Naturally, she turned it down, but it showed how much the Solaris House values Amon.

"How long will you be back?"

"A month, maybe longer. Eldorin is taking a break while we search for the Demon Cult headquarters."

"That's good. Spend some time with your mother. I know she might be annoying sometimes, but…"

"No, Dad… Don't worry about it. I'm glad to spend time with mom and you."

"I-Is that so?"

Aaron shook a little as he took a double-take to verify if the man before him was truly his son.

"I see… you've grown, haven't you?"

"That's what men tend to do."

"Haha, you're right… You're a grown man now."

Aaron looked up at his son, who was now towering over him. Pride welled up in his chest as he realised that the young boy who was aimless and couldn't cultivate the Nine Suns Heart Mantra, now stood at a peak he could only dream about.

"Now that I think about it… Isn't it about time you got married?"

"Ah, about that…"

Amon scratched his face, unable to give a firm answer. At first, Aaron was confused by his son's behaviour, but his confusion would be resolved relatively soon.

"Y-YOU! HOW DARE YOU TRICK MY SON INTO YOUR BED?! I KNEW IT! YOU WERE AFTER HIS BODY THIS ENTIRE TIME!"

"Mother, you have to understand I was forced to do it! I mean… It's your fault for giving birth to such a sexy young man."

"Y-YOU DAMNED FOX!!!"

"..."

"..."

For a good ten minutes, Amon and his father watched as Maya chased Yue around the house, unable to do anything to stop them.