The next day.
A broken and tired youth collapsed on his bed in the wee hours of the morning, his body wholly sore and wet. Whether he was drenched from sweat or rain, no one knew. But as the servants watched clouds form over his head and under his eyes, they didn't dare to approach or reproach their young master.
Amon felt like his entire soul was being dragged from his body while his body was being offered to the evil gods as a sacrifice. Ever since his transmigration, he had never felt this fatigued. Every part of his body was aching; his mind was empty, and his soul had the urge to transmigrate again.
"That monster…"
Amon spat as he recalled the hell he'd been put through under Alrock's supervision. The Solaris Lord pushed him to the limit multiple times, and there were moments when Amon thought he would die. The young Knight was tempted to reveal his true power and to at least draw blood from Alrock's nigh-indestructible body.
Unfortunately, that would bring him even more punishment.
Hence, Amon was forced to endure Alrock's punishing training all night long, and it was only when daybreak came did the Solaris Lord finally released Amon from his suffering.
Even if Amon were to ignore the physical stress he was under, the mental strain on his body was immense. He had just spent five months on a non-stop expedition to eliminate as many Greater Demons as possible. He also had to deal with Yue's constant flirting and teasing. There were many instances when Amon had to chase the girl from his bed or prevent her from peeking into the bathroom when he showered.
And just when he finally thought he was going to get some shut-eye.
"... what are you doing?"
Amon felt a familiar weight lying on his chest under his blanket. Looking down, he saw a massive bulge on the bed that wiggled about like a snail. At this moment, only one existence could be responsible for such a thing.
"You're slipping! You used to be able to sense me before I sneaked in!"
"... get out."
The fatigued Knight was too lazy to argue with the young woman who sneaked into his bed. In fact, he was too tired even to move a muscle and push the girl out. And it was something the imp readily exploited.
"That's mean! All I wanted to do was be the faithful wife who welcomes her husband home after a long day of work!"
"... What do you want, Yue?"
Usually, Amon would push his supposed future bride off the bed or even teach her a lesson or two for pushing his buttons. But ultimately, the Knight was too tired to do any of that. He gave the woman a side eye before dropping his heavy head onto the pillow and allowing his whole body to relax.
Yue happily moved in for a deeper snuggle, something that Amon didn't vehemently reject but, at the same time, didn't feel too good about.
"You seem tired, so I'll cut to the chase." Yue chuckled as she rested her head near Amon's neck and circled her fingers on his chest. "I'm returning to the Elune House today."
"Oh? I'm surprised you haven't left yet."
After going missing for five months, it was a wonder that the Elune House was taking its own sweet time to reclaim Yue. The last time the pair eloped, Yugor flew into a rage and barged straight to the Solaris House to demand compensation. If not for Alrock holding back the doting grandfather, Amon was sure he would have been castrated that day.
This time, however, the circumstances seemed a little different.
"Last year, I completely built up my faction in the Elune House. Also, I gave certain guarantees to my grandfather. So, he trusts me more this time."
"Good to know."
Amon wasn't very interested in the inner workings of the Elune House. It seemed that Yue had it all under control and that she would call for him if she needed any assistance. But as her power grew, Amon did not need to be overly concerned.
"However, five months is a long time… I must return to the Elune House and run some errands myself."
"Bon voyage."
At this point, Amon just wanted to sleep. So, the sooner he could chase Yue out of bed, the better. Alas, the ethereal beauty didn't think the same way. She smiled happily and brought her face closer to Amon's. Turning into a mount position, she looked down at Amon's face and locked eyes with his two golden beads for eyes.
"Won't you miss me?"
"I've seen you for five months. No."
"How mean…"
Yue pouted, but there was no true unhappiness on her face. Instead, she was basking at the opportunity for more skinship with Amon and happily giggled as she buried her face into Amon's arms. To the outside world, Yue was considered a Goddess in human flesh.
Her ethereal looks are a heavy topic even to this day, and her pictures have become more famous than even celebrities who used their faces to earn a living. Many worshipped her, and those who encountered her in real life were instantly smitten. One of the reasons why Yue could gather so many followers was precisely because of her beauty, and they served her faithfully in hopes of just seeing her smile.
And yet, if they saw her current expression as she fawned over a single man, they would likely vomit blood out of frustration.
"Haha, don't be that way; I have some important information for you before I leave."
"Hmmm?"
"Leon."
Hearing that familiar name, Amon's heavy eyelids snapped open. He gazed straight at Yue's ruby eyes, which reflected a 'gotcha' sentiment.
"Seriously, I thought it was funny initially, but now I'm starting to worry. Even if one of the world's most beautiful girls straddles you, your mind only thinks about that one man. Are you sure you don't swing that way?"
"... stop fooling around."
Amon rolled his eyes. This is not only because of Yue's statement that she is one of the most beautiful women in the world but also because of her absurd theory. Yes, Amon was overly concerned about Leon, but that was solely because he was the Protagonist of [Bright] and the hope for their future. And if she were to ask him if he likes men or women, Amon would most definitely say he preferred women.
Even now, as he watched Yue's near deity-like features, he felt a twinge churn in his heart. There wasn't a carnal desire, but there was no denying that Amon found Yue attractive.
It was just… his heart couldn't love just yet.
"Tch, perhaps I should keep you far away from that guy. Just in case he steals you away."
"Hah… I don't swing that way. Could you get to the point, please? I'm sleepy."
"Fine," slightly aggrieved, Yue sighed and divulged everything. "It seems our fears were right. He's going to be targeted during the upcoming Demonic Beast Purge."
"... by who?"
"One of the Elders who is antagonistic against Grandpa Alrock, Elder Horas."
Just because the Solaris House was a monolithic existence, it wasn't immune to internal politics. Heck, because of its long history, it was bound to have more politics than any regular organisation. Not everybody was happy with Alrock's rule as the current lord, and the only reason he had an iron grasp on his position was because he was the most powerful Knight in the Solaris House.
Especially since his most treasured son abandoned his post and disappeared.
Many were openly dissatisfied with how Alrock managed the house, and one of the dissenters was the ever-ambitious Elder Horas.
"Elder Horas… He doesn't defect to the Demon Cult in the future, but his ambitious moves will weaken the House. The Demon Cult will use that to trigger a calamity that would wipe out the Solaris House."
If there were one phrase to describe Elder Horas, it would be 'the mantis who stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' His blind ambition had divided the united Solaris House, eventually causing its demise due to external factors.
"As expected, shouldn't we eliminate him early?"
Amon always took the heads-on approach. If Elder Horas was the cause of many future troubles, the easiest way to resolve it was to eliminate the man before he could make any of those moves. Alas, his approach would always lead to more chaos and, potentially, a bigger mess.
"No, he's vital to Leon's growth. Also, although an idiot, he's fiercely loyal to the Solaris House. Losing a Knight of his calibre when we are preparing for a war against the Demon Cult is moronic."
Yue knew of her future husband's methods and firmly declined his obvious solution. She had been slowly changing his mindset of using iron to solve all his problems, but it seemed that his former life experience was still ingrained into every fibre of his being.
"How annoying… Fortunately, I will guard Leon during the Demonic Beast Purge so that nothing will happen."
"Hmmm? How did that come about?"
Inquisition flickered in Yue's crimson eyes as she stared straight at Amon. Understanding her confusion, Amon quickly narrates his encounter with Alrock.
"I see… Isn't this working entirely in our favour?"
"Yes, so you don't need to worry about Leon's safety."
"Well, I wasn't worried about that."
Even if Amon wasn't going to protect Leon, Yue had complete faith that the young hero would have escaped the tribulation unharmed. Leon Bright was the protagonist and the key to securing the future. As much as the Elders might connive and play underhanded tricks, the young Knight was destined for greatness. Falling to cheap ploys wasn't part of Leon's fate.
"Just out of curiosity, what did Elder Horas plan to do?"
"Quite simple. He intends to send a few True Knights from his faction to befriend Leon during his hunt. Then, they would lure him into a trap with a high concentration of Demonic Beasts. After all, directly interfering with Leon would raise suspicion. But if he gets the wrong information and walks into a trap on his own…"
"Oh."
Amon finally recalled reading about this ploy in [Bright]. It was considered Leon's first proper initiation into the Solaris House as he was plunged into the web of internal politics. In the original plot, Leon would fall for the trap due to his trusting nature and would be surrounded by dozens of Demonic Beasts. Granted, they were low-ranking Demonic Beasts, but it was an overwhelming situation for Leon, who was just an apprentice Knight.
And as Yue guessed, Leon would survive the onslaught and showcase his true power by massacring all of them. However, there was one variable.
"Ah, I massacred the Goblin camp that he was supposed to be trapped in."
"... you what?"
The young beauty furrowed her eyebrows and stared right at Amon's face. Unable to bear the pressure, he awkwardly turned away and replied:
"... it was an accident."
Amon was embarrassed, but what happened was precisely the truth. Participating in the Demonic Beast Purge as a True Knight was part of his duty. In one of the years, he accidentally stumbled across the Goblin camp after chasing the trails of kidnapped maidens.
Fulfilling his duty as a Knight, he massacred the Goblin camp and saved the aggrieved women within. At that moment, Amon didn't think he was doing anything wrong and the fact that the camp was part of Leon's trials entirely slipped his mind.
"You… I told you constantly not to do anything that might affect the timeline without consulting me first, right? Also, you forgot to inform me of the fact afterwards!"
"Like I said… it was unintentional."
"Hah… What do I do with you?" Yue rubbed her temples in worry. "No, you did a good deed. It should be celebrated, not chastised."
"Thanks?"
"But next time, please tell me whenever you do something crazy like that! Annihilating an entire Goblin camp on your own isn't normal! Not to mention, you saved so many women… How many of them saw your valiant figure as you rescued them from the pits of despair? Argh, I just hope none of them fall for you."
Those weren't words to describe women who had been kidnapped and tortured at the hands of beasts, but Amon turned a blind eye to Yue's ramblings.
"Okay, I've decided your punishment!"
"... What is it?"
"Put a baby in me!"
"Get out."
"Ow, don't be mean! Alright, how about let me sleep here until I leave? I'll be quiet so you can fall asleep comfortably in my arms!"
"If you're not out in five seconds, I'll kick you."
In the end, it took five whole minutes of push and pull before Amon finally got Yue out of his bed.