The Extra Can't be A Hero-Chapter 165: The Sword Saint (3)

Amon and his group were invited into the Sword Saint's humble home, where a pot of tea had just finished brewing. The inside of the hut was modest, but warm—built not for show, but for peace. Wooden beams lined the ceiling, darkened by time and smoke. Shelves along the walls held neatly arranged jars of dried herbs and roots, alongside small carved trinkets and a scattering of old, worn scrolls.

The Sword Saint moved with unhurried ease, setting a simple clay teapot on the low table between them. The scent of roasted barley and something faintly floral—maybe chamomile—rose from the steam. He poured without flourish, the motion smooth, practised, and precise, as though this too were a kata, part of some final, peaceful form.

Amon and his group sat cross-legged on the woven mats he had laid out, unsure of whether it was in their place to speak. Particularly Arya, she fidgeted on the spot, alternating her eyes between the Sword Saint and her brother, who was silently watching the old man's every move.

Thus, the hut was quiet, except for the gentle clinking of ceramic, the whistle of the distant wind, and the soft creaking of wood settling on the floor. He passed them their cups without a word, then sat opposite, his tea held in both hands. His back was straight, though not stiff. Even in stillness, there was a readiness to him—a coiled calm.

Kassadin Bromm.

The Sword Saint. The Pinnacle of Humanity. The Lord Protector of the Realm.

He went by many epithets and was once considered the most dominant human in the Hyades Republic. Alrock Solaris, the most powerful being in the Solaris House, was forced to admit his inferiority, and Kassadin was widely considered to be the miracle of the human race.

Not enhanced by an ancient bloodline. Nor was he empowered by an external mystical force.

Through sheer talent and hard work, Kassadin clawed his way to the top, earning the universal title of Sword Saint—the strongest of humanity.

And such a man was now…

"Bawi, you've grown quite disobedient! To bring in outsiders without my permission!"

"O-Oww… Gr-grandfather… I-It hurts…"

The stoic sword maiden broke her ice-queen exterior as the Sword Saint teasingly pinched her mochi-like cheeks. The maiden didn't seem to be too far off twenty, and yet, she was treated like a young child by her grandfather in front of their guests.

"Reflect on yourself! You're lucky they were just visitors. If they harboured any ill intent, you would have been kidnapped by them long ago! You stupid rock!"

"B-but, grandfather… You wouldn't have opened the path if you disapproved of them…"

"You still dare to talk back to me?! Is this puberty hitting?! Looks like my lessons haven't been stern enough!"

"I-I'm sowwwyyyy…"

It seemed surreal. The mighty Sword Saint was behaving like a tender, loving grandfather without a care in the world. Naturally, his words weren't without merit. If the sword maiden had brought in members of the Demon Cult, this entire scene would have been vastly different.

"Go tend to the garden! We're missing some vegetables for tonight's stew, so go and pick them up! And don't use your sword!"

"O-Okay…"

The Sword Saint sent the girl out under the pretence of gathering ingredients for tonight's dinner. But anyone with a shred of sense could tell he was giving her a polite excuse to leave, clearing the way for a proper conversation with their guests. Without missing a beat, Amon tapped Arya's shoulder and echoed the same request:

"Arya, help her with the garden."

"O-Okay!"

Almost immediately, the younger sister abided by her brother's orders. She knew that this wasn't the place for her, and tending to the garden with the sword maiden was better suited for her anyway.

"Hi! My name is Arya, I will help you with the garden!"

"Bawi… Nice to meet you…"

"Bawi? What a unique name! What does it mean?"

"It means…"

As the girls walked out of the hut, their voices melted into the backdrop as Amon and Yue faced the Sword Saint on opposite sides of the table. The tea was still piping hot, and neither side wished to break the silence. Hence, they stared at each other for a good two minutes.

Only after the tea had settled did the Sword Saint take a sip to soothe his dry throat, then he said:

"Before we get into business, shall we do proper introductions?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Kassadin." Amon introduced himself first, being the junior. "My name is Amon Solaris, the Commander of Eldorin. A newly formed Order created to eliminate the Demon Cult."

"My name is Yue Elune. Vice-Commander of the same Order."

The couple bowed their heads in unison, giving the Sword Saint a moment to stroke his beard with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Amon and Yue. My name is Kassadin Bromm, and as you may know me… I was the Sword Saint and Lord Protector of the Realm. But now, I'm just a simple farmer who lives in retired bliss."

The Sword Saint cracked a joke, easing the tension slightly. But his following words snapped it back into place, and the pair instinctively steeled themselves against the rising pressure.

"So… Why have you disrupted my simple peace?"

"..."

Amon couldn't breathe. The pressure that the Sword Saint emitted felt like a mountain had descended upon his body. After the Sword Saint famously abandoned his sword and disappeared from the world, many assumed that he'd lost his power and had become an old tiger that had lost its fangs.

But as Amon stood eye-to-eye with him, he firmly rejected that notion.

'Tiger that lost his fangs? He's a tiger in its prime.'

Amon mused to himself while the pressure continued to mount.

"No need to answer that… I know why you're here…"

The Sword Saint declared with a firm voice. Like a resonant church bell, his voice rang in their minds while his fingers clawed into the wooden tabletop. The sudden burst of emotion was glaring to see, and Amon braced himself for a full-on battle.

Had the Sword Saint already sided with the Demon Cult? Did he know that Amon was hunting cultists and was going to kill him? Must Amon fight to the bitter end already?

All of these questions flew through Amon's mind as Nyx unconsciously manifested itself on his waist.

Alas, just before sparks could fly…

"You're here to steal my precious granddaughter away, right?!"

"... what?"

Amon froze, completely gobsmacked by what he'd just heard. For a moment there, he thought he needed to clean his ears as he misheard the Sword Saint. But contrary to his expectations, the Sword Saint repeated himself with increased fervour:

"You saw how beautiful my granddaughter is, and you want to take her as your bride!"

"L-Lord Kassidin, y-you…"

"Don't try to make excuses! I know that gaze, the gaze of a horny brat who only thinks with his lower half! Let me tell you this, if you want to take her away, you will have to do it over my dead body!"

"..."

Utterly speechless, Amon couldn't react. Rather, he didn't know how to respond. The tension in his body evaporated away while his face flushed red, both in embarrassment and helplessness. Unfortunately, things weren't going to get better for him.

"Don't be stupid, Amon is only horny for me!"

Yue stood up in a fit of rage and yelled back at the Sword Saint.

"Do you think your sultry granddaughter could ever hope to attract my husband?! Your eyes must have gone bad with age!"

"Y-You! You dare call my granddaughter sultry?!" Not to be defeated, the Sword Saint rebuked with his retort. "She's not a sly vixen like you! Her innocence is like a lone daisy in the meadow! There's no girl more precious than her!"

Yue and the Sword Saint traded blows, not with swords, but insults. And this continued for a good while until Amon couldn't take it any more and bellowed out.

"P-Please… stop…"

The simple growl was enough to silence the pair as they fell back to their seats. Nursing his throbbing headache, Amon continued:

"Lord Kassadin, please stop playing around. You know that's not why we're here."

"Ah, you could notice? I would expect nothing less."

As if his earlier anger was a lie, the Sword Saint stifled a laugh as he said, "You're not like Alrock. That man was as dense as iron. I can't count the number of times we've gotten into a fight because of his stupidity."

Following that, he turned to Yue and said: "But young lass, you sure know how to spew venomous words. I'd almost lost myself in that chicanery and played along with your tune."

"Heh, I'm glad you liked that performance."

Yue bowed her head, and Amon could have sworn they clapped their hands together, as if they had found a common purpose. Nevertheless, Amon chose to ignore their newfound camaraderie and pushed ahead with the topic he had.

"Lord Kassadin, we're here because of the Demon Cult."

"Haha, what about them?" The Sword Saint sipped on his tea, enjoying its fragrance while kicking his feet up. "If you're asking me to come out of retirement to face them, then you're sorely mistaken. My old bones can't keep up with you young'uns anymore."

The Sword Saint lied as easily as he breathed. Even without a sword, he could eradicate an Apostle or two with ease, and in his full capacity, he could charge into the Demon Cult's base and walk out with the Prophet's head. But Amon wasn't going to rebuke him.

"We've received information that they're seeking you out."

"Well, yes," the Sword Saint replied with a frown. "Recently, they'd even come knocking on my door. Bawi managed to clean them up before they found me, but still… they're becoming a huge nuisance."

The old man showed signs of fatigue as he drifted into a daze. Most people enjoyed a long, peaceful life after retirement, but despite choosing a quiet existence, the Sword Saint's past fame and prestige made it impossible for others to leave him in peace.

"No matter how many times I tell others that I wish to live in peace until my dying breath, some people just can't seem to understand that…"

The Sword Saint's words were heavy, but at the same time, there was a silent jab at Amon and Yue, who chose to disrupt his retirement for their purposes. Alas, Amon had a good reason to break the man's peace.

"I would like to ask… have they contacted you?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"..."

Amon stayed silent, uncertain of how to move forward. His primary purpose in coming all this way was to stop the Sword Saint and the Demon Cult from allying — and, if possible, to prevent the future where the Sword Saint became humanity's First Calamity. But he couldn't just come out and say that, could he?

Alas, his silence already spoke volumes.

"Ah… I see, you're worried that they would convert me into a cultist, huh?"

"No…"

Amon shook his head and stared right into the Sword Saint's unassuming eyes. And with a firm affirmation, he said:

"I'm worried that you already are one."