The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 329: The Demon Empire (2)

Hyarum, the Holy Church's homeland.

One of humanity's greatest strongholds.

For aeons, it had stood as an unyielding bastion against every threat to mankind—demons, false gods, and the countless horrors that lurked beyond the veil.

It was more than a fortress; it was a sanctuary.

A refuge for the displaced, a beacon of order in a fractured world. Within its gilded halls, history was not only preserved but revered. Guided by the Pope and upheld by the unwavering faith of its followers, the Holy Church of the Goddess Hyades represented the pinnacle of human virtue—the purest, most righteous society humanity had ever known.

And yet… within those very halls, something had broken.

A schism—no, a desecration—had taken root.

Sir Arthur Pagiel, Head Paladin of the Church's sacred order, knelt upon the cold marble floor. His arms trembled uncontrollably, his knees threatening to give way beneath him.

And still, he did not rise.

His head remained bowed, his gaze fixed upon the ground, as though even lifting his eyes would be an act of defiance he could not afford.

Above him stood the Pope of the Holy Church—the one who had once spoken as the Goddess's voice, who had devoted his life to serving at her feet. '

And now, she did exactly that. For the Pope stood in quiet reverence behind a young woman, one who appeared to be scarcely half her age.

Yet there was nothing youthful about her presence. The air itself seemed to bend around her, heavy with an authority that transcended mortal understanding.

Because the soul within that fragile body… was anything but young.

"Oh, great Goddess…"

The Pope widened her eyes in religious fervour. She gazed at Ellahan's visage with pure ecstasy. Not with lust or desire, but with fantasy. Even though the Holy Church has existed for thousands of years, there has never been an instance of the Goddess herself descending upon the world.

Even when the Solaris Saint, the one who was exalted to the right hand of Hyades, roamed the planet, the Goddess had never descended upon the mortal plane.

Those who prayed to her would occasionally hear her whispers and have their hearts filled with her holy power.

But none had ever met the Goddess Hyades in person… until now, that is.

"..."

Ellahan's eyes were hollow, as if her soul had been ripped clean from her body. But in truth, it was just the Goddess taking over her body, wholly unimpressed with the entire state of the Holy Church. If the Holy Church had just restrained the Solaris House and prevented the growth of Amon… Hyades wouldn't have had to descend in person.

Thus, she was displeased, despite being given everything by the Pope.

"G-Great Goddess… If I may be so bold… could you repeat your order?"

"Arthur, you fool! This is the Goddess! The creator of the heavens and earth! How dare you demand anything from her?!"

The Pope yelled once more, clearly displeased with Arthur's lack of respect. Alas, Arthur didn't blindly follow the Pope and Goddess like a zealot. Despite being one of the highest-ranking clergymen in the Holy Church, his faith in the Goddess came from her merciful doctrines that protected the weak and moved for the sake of humanity.

And yet…

"Great Goddess… Are you sure you want to eradicate the Solaris House?"

Since descending by taking over Ellahan's body, the Goddess gave the unthinkable order… She called for the Holy Church to wipe the Solaris House from the face of the planet, ignoring the threats of the Demon Race entirely.

"..."

Hyades in Ellahan's body looked down at Arthur, void of any compassion or mercy. The way the Goddess looked at Arthur was like a tyrant's gaze upon her subjects.

This wasn't the Goddess of Mercy taught in all the Holy Church's doctrines…

Hyades had absolute power over Arthur. Not only was he injected with her Holy Power, but he was overwhelmed by her divinity. Even though she wasn't able to use the full extent of her power, the Goddess was still the sovereign of the planet. Her existence alone could wipe Arthur off the planet. So, when talking back against the Goddess, Arthur felt his entire body crumble with agony.

"My order is absolute… Annihilate the Solaris House."

"B-But!"

"..."

Wordlessly… effortlessly… the Goddess's wrath weighed upon Arthur's body.

Even though he was the Head Paladin, he was but an ant against the Goddess. Every muscle and tendon in his body was aching, and his soul felt like there were a thousand boulders weighing on it. If he breathed another word… it would be his last.

Therefore… the Paladin could only reply:

"... I heed your order."

With Arthur's promise, the Goddess removed her gaze from the wringling man and turned towards the Pope, who was casting her fervent eyes on her.

"Oh, great Goddess. I will order the leaders of the Hyades Republic to kneel to the Holy Church. To bow to the one true sovereign!"

"... do as you please."

The Goddess didn't care too much about the Hyades Republic. Her prime focus was on eradicating Amon and the wings that held him up… the Solaris House.

If bringing the members of the Hyades Republic to their fold would help, the Goddess wouldn't interfere.

Meanwhile, as Arthur dragged his feet through the gilded halls, his mind churned in quiet turmoil.

The Goddess's orders were absolute.

And yet… this command cut deeper than any blade.

To destroy the Solaris House—such a decree stood in direct opposition to everything Arthur believed in. The Solaris House had never wavered in its duty to humanity. When calamity struck, it was they who stood at the forefront, bearing the brunt of the world's suffering.

They had fought the Titans when few others could, sacrificing countless lives to see them eradicated. And even now, with the Demon Empire ascendant, they continued to exhaust every last resource, cutting down demons in relentless defiance.

In every sense, they were humanity's shield—its first line of defence, and its final hope.

And yet, the Goddess had marked them for destruction.

Arthur's jaw tightened. This was not merely a matter of duty—it was personal. His closest friend, Sir Lucas, was the Solaris Lord's son. His own protégé, Leon Solaris, stood as both the Hero of the Solaris House and a champion of the Holy Church.

Bonds of loyalty, respect, and brotherhood intertwined him with the very people he was now ordered to condemn.

Nothing about this felt right.

Because no matter how heavy the burden, no matter how deeply it clashed with his convictions, he could not defy her.

He could not defy Hyades.

"Arthur…"

At that moment, an aged voice called out to the Head Paladin. Arthur raised his head and saw a clergyman in religious garb sauntering towards him. His weathered face was looking gaunt and his emerald eyes were showing signs of being muddied. Even without turning, Arthur could recongise that voice from a mile away.

"Archbishop Araquiel."

Ignatius Araquiel. One of the highest-ranked clergies beneath the Pope and, more importantly, the Saintess Ellahan's father.

"I see that the Goddess has bestowed a religious decree."

"... you were aware?"

"The day the Goddess returned in Ellahan's body, she made her intentions clear to the papal clergy."

"..."

It has been a few days since the Goddess descended upon the world. At first, the Archbishop was honoured that the Goddess would choose Ellahan's body as a host. But, as time went by, he started to worry about Ellahan. Not as the Archbishop, but as her grandfather.

She wasn't sure if Hyades would return Ellahan's body to her, or if his granddaughter was lost forever.

Needless to say, he couldn't voice his concerns. If he did, the other bishops would condemn him for heresy or even smite him down on the spot. After all, the Goddess's word was above the law. If she were displeased, they would eradicate anything in her path.

"The Goddess wishes to destroy the Solaris House… do you have any idea why?"

"She didn't say… and, do we, as faithful lambs of the Goddess, really dare to question her divine thoughts?"

"..."

The Archbishop spoke solemnly, but Arthur could see the despair hidden within his eyes.

Any logical thinker would second-guess the Goddess's orders, and they may even go against her ludicrous orders. But, Archbishop Araquiel couldn't do that.

"Arthur, when will you march out to face the Solaris House?"

"... I will gather all the Paladin Orders, create a plan, and march when the time is right."

"No, this is a pivotal time in our existence. We must protect the Goddess from anyone who might target her. Only march with your own Paladin Order, and do it as soon as possible, preferably tonight."

"... what?"

Even if Arthur gathered all of the Paladins in existence, there was no guarantee that the Solaris House would fall. Heck, even if he dragged the entirety of Hyarum to fight against the Solaris House, victory was uncertain.

Yet, Archbishop Araquiel wanted him to face the entirety of the Solaris House with just one Paladin Order?

It was practically suicide.

"Yes, and only bring your most loyal men. Loyal to you, and only you."

"..."

At that point, the Head Paladin was starting to understand the Archbishop's plan. As he stood frozen, mulling the blasphemous suggestion, the elderly Archbishop Araquiel handed him a sealed envelope and gave the order.

"Open this when you've reached Solfea. It will contain your next set of orders."

"... Archbishop, you."

"Go and fight for the righteous… Sir Arthur."