The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1235.1

The Gourmet Research Society devoted themselves to Mit Chyde’s development with an almost astonishing level of seriousness. While their methods were undeniably bizarre, thanks to their involvement, Josiah began to witness gradual improvement in the long-standing mana control issues Mit Chyde had been struggling with.

However...

‘That’s not it.’

“If we increase the volume and push him to the limit...”

‘That’s not how it should be done.’

“Here, try eating this.”

‘That’ll twist the mana flow...’

Though she didn’t voice it aloud, frustration rapidly built up in Josiah’s mind.

‘That’s not the way. This feels like the right method, instead...’

Conclusions she hadn’t been able to reach, stuck because of a lack of confidence and insufficient observations, began to solidify through this process.

“What? A sparring match?! Out of the blue?”

She wondered if he had been dragged while hunting monsters or something. A young man was hanging limply from both of Rinne’s hands as she fluttered her wings—Maximus von Terraria. He was a prince of the Terraria Kingdom, traveling across the continent to gain worldly experience.

“A deal was made, necessary for Master Davey’s acquisition of Sacred Grass. Rinne determines he will be able to help as a friend to accomplish it.”

“Couldn’t you have at least said something first, instead of just grabbing him and bringing him over...?” Josiah reluctantly asked.

“If it works out, Rinne promises cooperation with additional requests.”

“Okay, deal accepted.” She truly just changed her mind that quickly.

Cracking the knuckles of his gloved fists with a sharp sound, the bold young man stepped toward the dazed Mit Chyde and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, young noble. I’m Maximus von Terraria, Prince of Terraria Kingdom.”

“Uuuhh. Uh-huh.”

“Though, while I’m called a prince, I'm practically exiled, so no need to think too hard about statuses.”

Mit Chyde looked completely spaced out.

The odds that the person they dragged in to help him train would be a literal prince was close to none. Yet, there he was.

“But you’re a mage?”

“Ahhh. Y-Yes! I’m... a late 1st Circle mage!”

“Hmmm. So, what do you need me to do?”

“Pressure faster casting through close combat,” Rinne robotically informed him.

“Easy.” Maximus cracked his fingers again with a casual expression.

“T-Thank you...” Mit Chyde's face turned pale, but Maximus didn’t even blink.

“Aaaagh!!”

The inevitable scream came soon after.

Josiah stared blankly at Rinne’s extreme training regimen, and muttered to herself as if possessed, “That’s not how you’re supposed to do that... Why’d he manage the mana that way? He’s supposed to do the opposite... Why is he using that technique like that...?

Without realizing it, she had begun analyzing why the others weren’t behaving as she expected. Her previously uncertain theories began to solidify.

Mit Chyde’s growth surged at a remarkable pace, yet in truth, it was Josiah whose development truly began to skyrocket.

Yuria watched her from afar with a sly, wicked smile.

* * *

Three more days passed since the start of the absurd and chaotic training. With each passing day, Josiah found herself falling deeper into confusion.

‘’That... doesn’t feel right.’

The thoughts continued.

‘What Mit needs right now... isn’t that...’

What she failed to realize, however, was how vastly different most of those thoughts were from how she used to think back when she taught alone.

“Alright! Go ahead and drink this!”

“W-Wait! Is this another weird one?!” Mit asked in a panic.

“Nope, just a regular herbal tonic! Nothing dangerous! Now, bottoms up!”

‘That’s not it...’

Her hand began to tremble.

“Real combat experience. Rinne values real combat experience highly!”

Boom!! Crash!!

“Aaaargh!”

Josiah muttered, “No, that’s not it. That’s going to backfire...”

Mit Chyde was making clear progress. He was already on the verge of achieving the 2nd Circle. However, the bizarre antics of the Gourmet Research Society often canceled that growth out, turning any gains into net zero.

‘Grrrrk.’

She unknowingly clenched her jaw tight, and her teeth ground together before she even realized it. A sharp glint appeared in her eyes. She finally exploded, shouting with a force that shook the air, “I said that’s NOT it!!!”

Her eyes flew wide open as a massive amount of mana began to rotate around her, spiraling inward as it wrapped around her heart. The circle located at her heart then started spinning violently, as if of its own will, clashing with unstoppable force.

From that clash, a surge of power erupted before a new ring began to form.

“Oh my...”

“Circle breakthrough! Rinne analyzes that Josiah has broken through a circle.”

“Mages are all freakin’ lunatics,” Marky commented.

Mit Chyde, who was lying on the floor gasping for breath, stared at the three of them with a dumbfounded look.

Sure, mages were known for being eccentric, yet surely none could match those three. They were helpful, yes, but they were just as much menaces.

It was only thanks to their madness that Josiah had suddenly and unintentionally awakened.

It was certainly a serious situation.

Crack. Crack.

Accompanied by a sinister sound, mana wrapped tightly around Josiah’s body, and her form began to shift.

Mit Chyde, watching in a daze, muttered blankly, “6th Circle... Archmage.”

It was a realm of power that commanded absolute respect across the continent, a level comparable to that of a Swordmaster. Yet, in every way besides direct combat, leagues beyond them.

Once her metamorphosis finished, the swirling mana began to slowly disperse. Rather than a metamorphosis, it looked more like her body had become deeply fused with mana itself.

“Haaah.” She let out a slow, heavy breath.

Watching her, Yuria clapped her hands. “Congratulations! Looks like you’ve found a whole new level.”

“No...”

“Huh?”

“This isn’t it...” Josiah clutched her forehead with one hand, groaning in frustration. “Why... Why did I suddenly achieve the next level only when I was all frustrated...?’

Her expression was full of disbelief, unable to process the absurdity of what had just happened to her.

However, she soon put on a cold, eerie grin. Once she shattered through that immense wall, something clicked in her mind. Her perception expanded, and she realized one overwhelming truth.

Throwing both arms into the air, she shouted with a face full of confidence, “Heh. Hehehe. I... I am the Truth!!”

“Caution! Rinne analyzes that Josiah Frances’s mental state is extremely unstable.”

“Hey... what the hell’s wrong with her all of a sudden?”

Marky and Rinne stared at Josiah’s bizarre smile in confusion, while Yuria’s eyes lit up. “Wait a second. She just broke through to the 6th Circle, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Well, Gracious Savior told me something once. About what happens to mages when they break into the 6th Circle...”

Yuria’s eyes sparkled as she rummaged through her bag. Soon after, she activated a video storage mana stone.

* * *

“That concludes the current status report.”

“6th Circle, huh? The Mage Tower’s gonna bombard her with offers now.”

Very few mages outside of the Royal Magic Corps had reached the 6th Circle.

In terms of raw power, a 6th Circle Archmage and a Swordmaster could be considered equal. Yet outside of combat, which knights specialized in, mages had a much broader range of abilities.

“You really think Josiah would respond to such offers?”

“That’s up to her. Nonetheless, she broke through to the 6th Circle two days ago, right?”

“Yes. Josiah herself said she had completed the 6th Circle. After that... I don’t know what got into her, but she suddenly started teaching on her own again.”

As Davey fell silent, Yuria tilted her head, puzzled.

Next to him, Perserque giggled softly as she rubbed her belly. “Ahhh. It’s bringing back memories.”

“You too, huh? Same here.” Davey gave a dry chuckle, and Yuria’s face twisted in even deeper confusion. He asked, “Did you notice anything strange? Like a sudden obsession with self-enlightenment?”

“Actually, yes. She’s showing some signs of that, but I don’t really get it.” Yuria tapped her cheek with a finger as she asked, “Are all mages like that?”

“Breaking into the 6th Circle’s such a big deal because it means jumping over an enormous wall. Usually, when a mage reaches that level, it means their own personal theory has been fully realized. So, around that time is when most mages become extremely arrogant.”

Of course, whether it took days or years, they would eventually step back and objectively review their theories, only to realize just how embarrassing they had been acting. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Even Perserque hadn’t been able to avoid that phase. Neither had Davey. He, of course, knew exactly how to shut down a mage caught up in that arrogance.

“Didn’t expect it to happen this soon, but Josiah is technically my disciple. I’ll have to keep an eye on her.”

“If we’re lucky, she’ll rack up a whole library of cringe moments. They’ll all become good memories. Hehe,” Perserque chuckled.

“That’s the most geezer mindset I’ve ever heard.”

“Hmph...” she pouted.

Slam!!

“Teacher!!”

Speak of the devil. Josiah burst through the window of Davey’s room, wearing an expression like she owned the world.

She gave Davey a smug smile which he was all too familiar with.

“What’s going on with you? Did you eat something weird?”

“Hehe. I’ve finally reached the truth of existence!” she declared as she puffed out her chest proudly. “Your magic theory is amazing, Teacher, but my theory is perfect! This must be what you meant by the student surpassing the teacher, right?!”

Davey quickly commented, “Yeah, this one looks pretty bad. Yuria, you didn’t feed her anything strange, did you?”

Yuria quickly turned her gaze away.

‘This lunatic.’

Perserque found Josiah’s antics amusing and couldn’t help but chuckle softly to herself.

“So, your magic is flawless now?”

“Yes!”

Mages who had just broken into the 6th Circle tended to fervently believe in their own theories. While it varied from mage to mage, Josiah in particular seemed so intoxicated by the perfection of her ideas that she no longer even registered the superiority of those above her.

The more embarrassing moments she made in the meantime, the harder the shame would hit when clarity finally returned.

“Well then, congratulations.”

Maybe because Davey didn’t respond how she expected, Josiah’s smile twitched awkwardly. “Teacher, come with me.”

“Where to, exactly?”

It felt like watching a child beg for attention, or like a veteran player watching a newbie act all tough, taking the lead.

“Ugh...” Perserque suddenly pinched her nose, like she could feel a nosebleed coming on, and trembled all over.

Davey wished he could have recorded such a rare scene. When he turned his head, there was Yuria, already beaming as she carefully recorded the scene with a video storage mana stone.

“You get a bonus,” he commended her.

Yuria Helishana. She sure was an elf with incredible situational awareness. Aside from her constant habit of stirring up chaos, she was the perfect aide.