The Extra Can't be A Hero-Chapter 162: A Drink For the Weary (4)

"..."

Amon's words rang within Lucas's ears for a good minute. He couldn't fathom why such a person would consider himself second fiddle to his son, but at the same time, the small amount of doubt he had for Amon all but vanished.

At first, Lucas only meant to assess the young man, watching closely for any hint that he might pose a threat to Leon. But the more time he spent around Amon, the clearer it became—Amon had no intention of harming Leon. In fact, his desire to help guide Leon in the right direction was so genuine that it left Lucas feeling humbled.

But even with Amon's confidence, Lucas could only break a wry smile.

"Amon… I appreciate your sentiment, and I don't know how you learnt about Aluria and the disaster sealed in the lake, but… this is a matter that you can't handle."

Knowing that Amon's feelings were genuine, Lucas firmly tapped on his shoulder and gave him a warm piece of advice.

"Your future is bright, Amon Solaris. Don't throw it all on some naive belief in your strength. The disaster is my problem. There's no need to get involved in my…"

"Excuse me, Sir Lucas, but… are you dumb?"

"H-Huh?"

The sudden shift in Amon's tone stunned Lucas, and he stood frozen while the young Knight drank a sip from his beer.

"I don't care about you. My goal is to help Leon, and saving your life is just a happy coincidence."

"..."

Words failed to leave Lucas. He opened his mouth to respond, but his thoughts were a haze—Amon's words had stunned him that deeply.

"Besides, did you think that this matter is solely your problem? What if you fail to subdue the disaster beneath the lake? Wouldn't you be unleashing an ancient apocalypse into the world? I know you are smart enough to realise that."

"Y-yes, but!"

"Don't be foolish, Sir Lucas. The reason why I'm bringing this up to you isn't because I'm one to make empty promises. I know of a way to avert the disaster."

Amon's golden eyes were crystal clear as he promised the fallen Knight. There was no falsehood in his words, as even if Lucas hadn't appeared in front of him today, Amon would have travelled to find him and resolve the disaster he was facing.

Why?

For it was the Second Calamity that humanity would face.

Six calamities were primed to destroy the world, and they progressively got more devastating. The First Calamity had to do with the Sword Saint, which was why Amon dropped everything in Eldorin and rushed to Espadavale with Yue by his side. However, that was just the beginning.

In [Bright], the Second Calamity closely followed the First Calamity, causing untold amounts of death and destruction that the Hyades Republic took years to recover from.

Even though the timeline has been altered with Amon and Yue's constant interference, the events remained intact.

If Lucas continued on his path, the Second Calamity would come into existence, and the world would suffer from his choice.

Hence, Amon warned Lucas with absolute certainty.

"Don't be a fool, Sir Lucas. Based on our calculations, the seal can last for one more year. If you follow my instructions, not only will we be able to avert the disaster, but we will also be able to save your wife. This I guarantee. So sit back, relax, and wait for your joyful family reunion."

"... I don't know how you know so much about us."

Lucas cast the young man a look of utter disbelief, as though struggling to grasp the reality before him—and in truth, he was. Amon had dropped revelations like thunderclaps, and Lucas stood dazed beneath their echo. Imagine bearing a burden so heavy it had nearly broken him, a problem so consuming he'd been ready to lay down his life for even a chance at resolution. And then came Amon, calm as dawn, handing him the answer as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Lucas felt betrayed—and angry. It was irrational, he knew, like a man dying of thirst resenting the jug of water handed to him. Yet reason had little hold on a mind frayed by desperation. Like one lost in the desert, parched and half-mad, his thoughts twisted in the heat of it all, unable to distinguish salvation from slight.

"But if you did… why did you wait so long to find us? Why wait this long… to save us?"

"I was busy," Amon didn't mind the resentment, and instead replied honestly.

"The Demon Cult has been increasing its activities rapidly. At the same time, we needed to grow stronger, both as an organisation and individually, to deal with the disasters at hand. Finally… It took some time to locate you."

"A-Ah…"

Realising his mistake, Lucas dried his throat with a cough. Over the years, Lucas exhausted all his options, and he had almost given up hope. And that made him touchy, even though Amon was offered assistance with no strings attached.

Speaking of which…

"What do you want in return?"

"Like I said, if you fail, the world will experience a disaster. I want to avoid that."

"I see…"

Lucas drew in a breath as though tasting the air for the first time, and the golden hue of his eyes, once dulled by shadow, flared anew, ignited with a fire that had long lain dormant.

"If you are able to do as you promised… If you can save my wife and reunite my family… I, Lucas Bright, will serve you till my dying breath."

"..."

Amon glanced back at the reignited Knight, and couldn't help but curl his lips. In [Bright], Lucas perished in the Second Calamity, failing to save his wife and triggering a disaster that almost crippled the Solaris House. Leon would go through the suffering of losing his parents, and it reignited his desire to live up to his mantle as the Hero.

But in this reality, Amon was going to change that.

Lucas was a Sun Knight with Seven Suns condensed. A feat that profoundly showcased his talent. Before Amon broke all the modern records, Lucas was considered the most prodigal talent in a hundred years. If it weren't for his unique situation, Lucas would have condensed Eight Suns, equalling Alrock's power.

In Amon's point of view, Lucas was a valuable asset that couldn't be lost just because of the Second Calamity. If Amon could rescue the man from that situation, the Solaris House would gain another Alrock, massively tipping the scales in their favour.

Therefore, even if Lucas didn't pledge his allegiance to Amon, he would have saved him without asking for payment.

"Do as you wish," Amon brushed the man aside before repeating: "But don't release the seal on the lake until I visit. I will finish up my business with the Sword Saint before heading over to your location. It should take no longer than six months."

"..."

Lucas fell silent, his eyes glistening with glee and hope, something that was absent just moments prior. However, before he left, Lucas gave Amon one final word of advice.

"I don't know why you're finding the Sword Saint, but… If you wish to win him over to your side, you will be facing a tall hurdle."

"... How so?"

"Albeit for a short time, I had learnt the sword under him. The Sword Saint, Master Kassadim, he's… more obsessive than anyone I know."

Amon was caught off guard. He had no idea that Lucas had a prior relationship with the Sword Saint. After all, even though he had read [Bright], he wasn't all-knowing. There were some blind spots that Amon hadn't read or heard about, giving way for Lucas to give him some timely advice.

"That's how he climbed to the height of the sword—surpassing even my old man. He was obsessed with the sword and would do anything to become stronger. I have no idea why he went mad and abandoned the one love in his life, but if he's determined to stay in hiding, you'll have a hard time convincing him to leave."

"I see… Thank you…"

Truth is, Amon knew the Sword Saint's desires and had concocted a plan on how he could lure the world's most powerful man out of hiding and to stand by his side. But knowing the extent of the Sword Saint's obsession was helpful in his negotiations.

"Then… I shall eagerly wait for your arrival."

With that, Lucas Bright put back his hood and walked out of the pub. With the storm gone, the pub owner finally gathered the courage to step out from the kitchen and squirrelled his way back to Amon.

"L-Lord Solaris, I-I…"

"I'm sorry for the commotion."

Amon reached into his bag and dropped a considerable amount of cash on the counter. When the owner saw the amount, his eyes bulged and he looked back at Amon as if he were the lord and saviour.

"This is for the repairs. If I were you, I would close down the pub to perform renovations, perhaps travel for a few months."

"Y-Yes! I will heed your advice!"

Amon smiled before finally leaving the empty pub behind, his eyes wandering to the mountainside where he suspected the Sword Saint was.

'... Let's see how stubborn that old man is.'