The Extra Can't be A Hero

The Hyades High Council.

The highest authority of the Hyades Republic.

Back in the days where humanity was fractured after the fall of the Dragons, the world was split into countless fiefdoms, kingdoms, and even empires. Humanity was already in a fragile state, yet they continued to fight against each other for supremacy and territory. The fracture was enough for Demons from the Demon Realm to invade the planet, triggering the First Great Demon War.

Weakened from the conceit and useless bickerings, humans were hopeless against the hungry Demons. Territories fell in record time, and the game of thrones proved utterly meaningless. It took the combined effort of the Solaris Saint, the most powerful human in recorded history, and the Goddess Hyades herself for the Great War to come to a close finally.

Give credit where it was due, humanity learnt from its mistakes. Knowing they were at severe risk of another invasion, humanity combined their forces and formed the Hyades Republic. No one human or organisation could stand above the others in the Republic.

All conflicts had to be resolved diplomatically, and each organisation had a seat in the government, no matter how big or small. There were no rulers, only diplomats. Each organisation would have a representative in parliament, where laws were made, and the mantra of all for one, one for all took root.

And above the parliament, there was the highest authority of Hyades Republic.

The Hyades High Council.

Consisting of only ten seats, they were the advisors to the government.

They were representatives from Hyades' most influential superpowers, and their authority was second to none.

The Pope of the Holy Church. The Chairman of the Hyades United Bank. The President of the Demon Hunter League. The Chief Guardian of the Nature. The Director of Scientific Research. The Grand Marshall of Hyades. The Archmagister of the Realm. The Prime Minister of the Hyades Republic. The Lord Protector of the Realm.

And of course, the leader of the world's oldest authority, the Lord of the Solaris House.

They were all considered the highest politicians of the land. Usually, a High Council meeting would occur in Zephys, the Capital of the Hyades Republic. Only convening once every five years, the Hyades High Council would meet to discuss peculiar occurrences of the planet, and decide on the general direction the government had to go in to face these issues.

Almost every time the High Council convened, it made headline news. The world was abuzz, eager to hear every detail of this prestigious summit, for it would affect the rest of their lives. It was a week-long affair, with every major leader clearing their schedules to participate.

Endless luxuries would be prepared—the best hotels with the most delicious foods. Dignitaries from every land would send representatives, hoping to get close to the action.

And yet, such a meeting was now being held in a meagre trade town of Alverton.

Never in Hyades' long history had such an event transpired, but unprecedented times demanded unprecedented measures.

"Thank you all for answering my emergency summons and coming all this way."

Alrock spoke for the first time as he addressed his fellow compatriots. They were all dignified individuals with hectic schedules. So, it was rare to catch them all in one place, especially since only a week had passed since the Foolish Lich's subjugation and the Demon Cult's appearances.

Their appearance so quickly only showed the severity of the issue and the influence of Alrock Solaris, the most influential Knight alive.

But even so, Alrock failed to summon every member of the High Council.

Of the ten members, only seven were present.

"The Chief Guardian of Nature cannot leave her post now, and the Pope is in the middle of a spiritual retreat. As for the Lord Protector of the Realm..."

The Lord Protector of the Realm has always been reserved for Hyades' most powerful human. In times of crisis, the Lord Protector would be the one who steps up and puts his or her body on the line for humanity's sake: the ultimate warrior and the Hyades Republic's first line of defence.

In the past, that person used to be the Sword Saint. His strength was so overwhelming and undeniable that even Alrock had to concede that title.

However, since the Sword Saint lost his mind and abandoned his sword, that position remained vacant.

"Alrock, let's get to the point."

A gravelly voice cut Alrock's opening speech. In any other circumstances, a person would be out of their mind to interrupt the Solaris Lord, one of the world's most influential humans. But now, everyone present had the same amount of influence, if not more than Alrock.

As for the power…

"Gerrick, you're as straightforward as ever."

Alrock sighed as he glanced at the man who was just as massive as he was. A living colossus at more than 2.5 metres tall, he was made out of muscle, iron, and unshakable will. His presence alone was enough to fill the room, and even though he seemed advanced in age, the indomitable vigour in his black eyes couldn't be contained.

"I don't lead our Republic's armies through formalities and needless chat, let me tell you that."

Gerrick Ironblood.

The Grand Marshal of the Hyades Republic—a martial artist at the absolute peak of his power and an unmatched master of hand-to-hand combat. No, he was the undisputed greatest martial artist in the world. Were it not for Alrock and the Sword Saint, the title of Lord Protector of the Realm would have been his without question. Yet even without it, the role he held—commanding the Republic's armies—was a weighty responsibility he had carried with unwavering excellence for years.

"Alright, let's start with the first order of business. As of today, the Solaris House will take over Alverton and place it under martial law. It will last until the end of our investigation on the collusion between its Governor, Valen Wrenleigh, and the Lich that was discovered."

"Is there a need for the Solaris House to handle this independently? We can have the Republic Knights take over."

The Prime Minister, a debonair bureaucrat with a diplomatic mind, attempted to curb the Solaris influence. The Solaris House has always enjoyed special privileges because of its historical prestige. To those not born with superior bloodlines, it was an eyesore and a point of disgust.

While the Prime Minister herself didn't have any beef with Solaris House, many of her ministers didn't see the monolithic power all that favourably. If she allowed Alrock to do as he pleased without prior approval from parliament, it could cause discontent among the Republic Ministers, who believed that no one should be above the law.

"Due to the urgent nature of the situation, it would be best if the Solaris House takes full responsibility. Please understand that we have no intention of usurping the diplomatic order; we are holding Alverton for at most one or two months."

"... if that's the case."

Knowing when to back down, the Prime Minister returned to her silent ways.

"I'm more interested in the Lich you mentioned."

A suave gentleman in his fifties rose his arm and garnered everyone's attention. His hair, a deep raven-black, flowed past his shoulders, sleek and untamed, though meticulously tied back at the nape of his neck with a silver clasp etched with forgotten runes. But it was his eyes that commanded attention. Violet, almost glowing with an ethereal intensity, they seemed to pierce through the very fabric of reality.

Those were unmistakably the features of the Amaris House, the most extraordinary magician household on the planet.

"I heard that foul creature was a former member of my family."

"Archmagister, it was confirmed by your nephew who was personally present at the scene."

"Oh, I'm not denying that. I just wish to aid in the investigation. The Amaris House fully supports your occupation, but we wish to be part of the investigation. I trust you would have no issue there?"

"... Of course, Archmagister."

Jex Amaris.

Yet another sly fox. While his words were pure and kind, there were numerous layers for his decision to aid the Solaris House. Firstly, he wanted to cleanse any wrongdoings of the Amaris House, showing clearly that they abhor the Lich and would do everything possible to eliminate it. Next, he wished to have Amaris mages present on the scene so that they can dictate the evidence. They didn't intend to tamper with anything but wanted to ensure that no harm would fall upon the name Amaris during the Solaris House's investigations. And finally, Jex wanted the world to know that the Amaris was allied with the Solaris.

One stone of his killed three birds.

Truly a master in politics.

Though, none of it directly went against the interest of the Solaris House, so Alrock didn't protest.

"Let's bring the accused and witnesses into the chamber to hear their accounts."

At his order, the chambers' door opened, unveiling the dishevelled Governor who had spent days chained up in his home. Following his lead, Amon and Yue strode into the room with confident steps while Leon trailed not far behind.

For Leon, standing in front of all these big wigs was nerve-wracking. Mainly since most of the attention in the room was now directed at him, everyone knew that Hyades had chosen this generation's hero, and he was currently part of the Solaris House. However, because of Alrock's strict policy of hiding him from the world, many never saw Leon's face.

But now, they were finally able to meet this enigmatic hero.

As for Amon and Yue, they were entirely focused on the council members in the room.

Many of them were heroes, but a few would betray humanity and stand with the Demon Cult in the future. While Amon didn't know if they were corrupted yet, it didn't change his perception of them.

As for Yue…

'Huehuehue… Soon, I will get to record a S-rank scene of Amon the Great!'