The Useless Extra Knows It All....But Does He?-Chapter 362 - Distant Waves!

[Few Days ago]

The Fairmoore Territory lay bathed in the warm hues of late afternoon.

Rolling emerald hills stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with wind-kissed fields of golden grain and rows of ancient oak trees that whispered softly as the breeze passed through them. Rivers cut silver veins across the land, reflecting the sun like molten light. Unlike the harsh austerity of the Holy Kingdom, Fairmoore felt alive—a place of quiet wealth, careful governance, and long-standing traditions.

At the heart of it all stood Fairmoore Manor.

A vast estate of pale stone and darkwood spires, its architecture both elegant and formidable. Ivy climbed its outer walls, winding around tall arched windows, while banners bearing the crest of House Fairmoore fluttered proudly from the balconies. The manor did not scream power—but it radiated authority all the same.

Inside, the halls were alive with motion.

Servants hurried back and forth, their footsteps echoing softly against marble floors. The scent of polished wood and fresh tea lingered in the air. Sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows, casting fractured colors across the walls.

And within one of the highest chambers— 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

A man stood with his back turned.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. His posture was rigid, hands clasped behind him as he gazed out over the territory below. Silver-threaded black hair fell neatly down his back, and though his face was hidden, the weight of command radiated from him.

Count Fairmoore.

Behind him stood three figures.

Lilliane stood silently in the center, hands folded tightly in front of her. Her gaze was unfocused, hollow in a way that made the room feel colder than it should have been.

To her left stood Selena—calm, composed, though faint tension lingered in her shoulders.

To her right was Sylthara, her golden eyes sharp and observant, ears flicking on her head.

Selena finished speaking, her voice quiet but firm.

"...So that’s what happened."

The Count did not respond immediately.

He remained still, eyes fixed on the distant horizon beyond the window.

"I see..." he said at last.

His voice was deep, measured.

He turned around slowly.

His gaze passed over Selena and Sylthara before settling on Lilliane.

For just a moment—barely noticeable—his expression softened.

Then he straightened.

"You may go," he said calmly. "I need to speak with my daughter alone."

Selena hesitated.

Sylthara glanced at Lilliane, concern flickering across her features.

But Lilliane gave no reaction.

No nod. No protest.

Just silence.

The two girls exchanged a look before bowing lightly.

"Yes, Count Fairmoore."

They turned and left, the door closing softly behind them.

The corridor outside was long and quiet.

Sunlight streamed in through tall windows, illuminating the polished floors. Servants hurried past, carrying documents, trays, and folded linens. No one spoke. No one lingered.

Selena and Sylthara walked side by side.

Neither said a word.

The weight of what they had just witnessed lingered between them like an unspoken truth.

Eventually, they reached a door near the western wing of the manor.

Inside—

The room was spacious but simple. A sitting area with cushioned chairs, a low table, and tall shelves lined with books and artifacts. The curtains were half-drawn, letting in the amber glow of sunset.

Two figures stood near the center.

A young man with fiery red hair leaned against the table, arms crossed—Kyle. His usual carefree demeanor was subdued, eyes sharp with concern.

Beside him stood Aurelia, her crimson hair tied neatly behind her, posture straight yet tense. A faint warmth lingered around her, as if the fire she wielded was never truly dormant.

They turned as the door opened.

Aurelia spoke first.

"So..." she asked quietly, eyes flicking between Selena and Sylthara.

"How was the reaction?"

Selena exhaled softly.

"Better than I expected."

Aurelia nodded once.

No one smiled.

The silence stretched.

Then Kyle straightened, pushing off the table with a sigh.

"So..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are we finally going to talk about it?"

All eyes turned to him.

"You all know it," he continued, gaze sharp. "There’s no way that bastard is just going home. And no way he’s quietly meeting Eric either."

Sylthara blinked.

"...Am I missing something here?"

Aurelia closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.

She exhaled.

"Are you aware," she said slowly, "that the Holy Kingdom has a Saintess?"

Sylthara nodded. "Of course."

Aurelia continued, voice steady but heavy.

"She was a student at Arcadia. Same year as Luca and rest. During the final assessment, she and Luca encountered spatial expansion cultists."

Selena’s fingers tightened slightly at her sides.

"They fought them," Aurelia said. "She killed one to protect the students."

Silence followed.

"That act," Aurelia continued, "broke her faith as a Saintess."

Sylthara’s ears twitched.

"...And now?"

Aurelia looked up, eyes hard.

"She’s scheduled for execution."

The words hit like a blade.

Sylthara inhaled sharply.

"And Luca?" she asked quietly.

Aurelia’s gaze dropped for a moment.

Then she lifted it again.

"As we all know him," she said, voice low, "he won’t walk away from this."

The room fell silent.

Outside, the sun continued its slow descent.

And somewhere far away—

A storm was already beginning to form.

The room fell into a strange, heavy quiet after Sylthara’s words.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The firelight from the wall sconces flickered softly, casting long shadows that stretched across the polished floor. Outside, the manor remained calm—too calm—for the weight of what they were discussing.

Sylthara tilted her head slightly, ears twitching in confusion.

"...Why didn’t he tell us?" she asked quietly. "If he was going to do something like this... why keep it to himself? We could’ve helped."

Her golden eyes shifted from one face to another, genuinely puzzled.

"If he was going to face the Holy Kingdom," she continued, "wouldn’t it have been better to go together?"

No one answered her right away.

The silence wasn’t awkward.

It was heavy.

Then Selena exhaled slowly.

She crossed her arms, gaze lowering to the floor as if weighing her words carefully.

"Because stopping an execution isn’t just a fight," she said quietly. "It’s a declaration."

She lifted her eyes.

"It means challenging the authority of the Holy Kingdom itself. Not a noble. Not a faction. The entire religious system."

Her fingers tightened slightly.

"Even the Academy... even the Dean... would have to think twice before intervening in something like that."

Kyle frowned. "So what? That means we just sit back?"

Selena shook her head.

"No," she said firmly. "It means he didn’t want to drag us into something that could ruin us."

Her voice softened.

"He probably thought... if he went alone, the consequences would end with him."

Kyle clenched his fists.

"That idiot..." he muttered. "What’s the point of being friends if he keeps trying to shoulder everything alone?"

He looked up sharply.

"We all have backing. We all have people who would stand with us. If we showed up together, the pressure on the Holy Kingdom would be insane."

The room went quiet again.

Then Sylthara spoke.

"But... isn’t his backing already absurd?"

Everyone turned to her.

She tilted her head thoughtfully.

"I mean," she said slowly, counting on her fingers, "the Elven Queen personally invited him to the World Tree. The Mother Tree itself acknowledged him."

She glanced around.

"The dwarven empire is fond of him. With that absurdly powerful Durgan blackvein as his supposed ’slave’."

Her gaze shifted to Selena.

"The Tower Master calls him her disciple."

Then, almost casually—

"And then there’s the Human Empire."

The room stilled.

Sylthara continued, unfazed.

"The Empress has a child tied to him by fate. That alone makes him untouchable in half the world."

Silence.

Then—

Everyone’s eyes slowly drifted toward Aurelia.

Aurelia felt it instantly.

Selena stared at the ceiling.

Sylthara tilted her head innocently.

Everyone in common understanding quietly , instantly looked away.

Smack!!

Well except one.

"...Why are you looking at me?" she snapped

Aurelia’s cheeks tinted faintly red.

"Don’t even start," she warned.

No one said anything as Kyle rubbed the back of his head with a wronged expression.

Which somehow made it worse.

Sylthara continued anyway.

"And if we include the Saintess—before she lost her power—"

She paused.

"...I don’t think there’s anyone in this world with connections even remotely close to his."

The room went silent again.

Longer this time.

The realization settled slowly, heavily.

Kyle finally broke it with a short laugh.

"...When you put it like that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "that bastard really is ridiculously well-connected."

No one disagreed.

But then his expression hardened.

"Still," he said, voice firm, "none of that matters."

Everyone looked at him.

"He’s our friend," Kyle continued. "And so is the Saintess. I don’t care how strong the Holy Kingdom is or how dangerous this gets."

He met their gazes one by one.

"If he needs help, we go. That’s it."

A pause.

Then Sylthara smiled.

Selena nodded.

Aurelia exhaled and crossed her arms, lips curving slightly upward.

"...Yeah," she said quietly. "That sounds like him."

The tension in the room finally eased.

And then—

Creak.

The door opened just a little.

A soft sound followed.

All heads turned.

Pink hair peeked through the g

ap, messy and hesitant. Lilliane stood there, fingers clutching the edge of the door, eyes uncertain.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"...C-can I c-come as well?"