The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1236

Mages were, in many ways, delicate beings. Of course, not in the sense that they’d shatter with a crack at the slightest touch, like some kind of brittle glass. On the contrary, their mental fortitude could be stronger than that of any other being.

However, it was that very quality which meant their mental framework was often incredibly intricate. Unlike ordinary people, they processed far more information than what they simply saw, making plenty of suppositions and inferences.

Josiah had come to realize that there were still holes in her theory. In the case of Mit Chyde, Davey figured he had surely begun to perceive and feel something as well, all on his own.

He had no intention of intervening directly. The negotiations with Count Chyde had fallen through, and with that, his reason for getting involved with them had vanished.

Even so, the fact that his disciple, Josiah Frances, had taken on her first personal disciple made it difficult for him to look the other way. It was obvious that, if left alone, Mit Chyde would never reach the 3rd Circle in time.

So, Davey offered a bit of help, though he didn’t exactly tell her he was doing it. He kept it a secret from her.

“You’re actually pretty considerate.” Perserque, gently running her hand through his hair as he lay in her lap, smiled softly. “You didn’t want your disciple to face her first real trial and end up crushed.”

“I never said that,” Davey retorted.

“Sure. Then let’s say you didn’t.” She giggled with amusement. “The wall of the 6th Circle really is something strange. Nine out of ten mages all go through the same symptoms.”

“It’s like a kid catching hero syndrome as they grow up.”

Living beings naturally developed a strong sense of self. People tended to assume that a mage, having trained their mental fortitude to the extreme, would be immune to such mortal drawbacks. However, the human psyche, even when sharpened to its peak, still belonged to a human.

“It’s funny to watch, sure, but you shouldn’t tease her forever. Besides, when you...”

“You better hush.” He suddenly sat up and pushed her down, pinning her beneath him with a smirk.

“Oh dear. Is it one of your deeply shameful memories?”

“Shhhh.”

“Though, considering the way you're acting, you seem unusually calm about it.”

“As someone with Absolute Memory, if I stayed attached to every little single detail of my life, I’d never be able to live long enough to die naturally.”

They say forgetfulness was a blessing, as it made it possible to forget embarrassing, painful, or even traumatic memories, allowing people to heal and move forward.

Hearing that, Perserque gave a faint, bitter smile. “I see... so that’s how you see it.”

However, Davey couldn’t forget it. He never forgot anything. The saying that time healed all wounds might apply to humans, yet for him, it was barely even half true.

“The heroes in the Hall... they’re real pieces of work.”

“Hm?”

“They'd tear me to shreds for fun, so often that I got used to it eventually.”

“What did they do to you?”

“Nothing much. I sat around, acting like some enlightened sage, all full of myself. You should’ve seen how much I flaunted in front of Odin. That damned temperamental mage found it so entertaining that she didn’t even bother correcting me. She just egged me on.”

Back when he had first reached the 6th Circle, drunk on his own arrogance, he’d gone off to rant all sorts of nonsense. He still couldn't forget how Odin smiled at him, nodding in agreement the entire time, never once stopping him.

It took him three whole years to recover from their combined teasing and come to his senses.

Odin still laughed about it and brought up his unforgettable memories when they would drink.

The so-called heroes of the Hall had roasted him so hard, and treated him like such garbage, that it made him wonder if they were even human.

Perserque, who had once glimpsed those memories through the authority of the Abyss, shivered slightly and covered her mouth as she imagined it.

“Don’t laugh!”

“So that’s why you stepped in to correct Josiah.”

Normally, Davey would’ve told her that she was right. “I mean, I wouldn’t have done anything if it was just her. Instead, she’s teaching a student now, so it wouldn’t be right to let it continue.”

He continued, “And you? What about your cringe period?”

She flinched slightly and turned away, avoiding his gaze as she stood up. “Well then. I should take the youngest one out for some fresh air—”

“Hold it. Where do you think you’re going?” Davey grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

She struggled in his grasp. “Let go!”

Davey exhaled quietly, then leaned in and blew gently into her ear. Her long ears twitched violently. Her legs gave out as she dropped to the floor, trembling.

Just as she knew him well, he knew her just as intimately. Perhaps that was what it meant to be married. In that regard, Perserque, Illyna, and Aeria couldn’t have been more different.

Perserque always focused her energy on teasing him. She had a strong sense of pride, and hated losing to him. So, she’d never show her weaknesses. Despite caring for him deeply, she often pretended not to. That aloof attitude made her all the more adorable.

On the other hand, Illyna was a headstrong wild boar. She never hid her affection, ever. To put it nicely, she was extremely forward. To put it bluntly, she held the upper hand and took the initiative the moment he let his guard down.

Her mindless displays of affection were overwhelming, but Davey understood why she acted the way she did. She had spent a long, long time suppressing that love.

Then there was Aeria, a woman who expressed her feelings very passively. To most, her personality seemed gentle and relaxed. In fact, some could even see it as almost boring. That perception had taken root quite firmly over time.

However, having spent many years as her husband, Davey knew better. Her nature as a Nine-Tails didn’t just vanish despite her soft demeanor. Even with the smallest of unconscious gestures, she had the skills to effortlessly stir him up and mess with his head. Even Perserque had seen her moves, and was left completely horrified by it.

As he recalled this, a certain feeling started to settle inside Davey. It was as if he was finding a conclusion to the story about Reina he had heard from Al at the Divine Tree's Land.

The strange behavior she’d been displaying, that both the rainbow slime and Nightmare had reported. More and more, Davey became convinced that her odd behavior was just another form of Illyna’s brainless affection, manifesting in a different way.

He had taken the advice that time would heal her, and she’d learn to restrain herself eventually, so he had yet to step in. However, in movies and dramas, characters with that kind of personality always ended up being terrifying.

At the end of the day, the real issue being faced was that Perserque simply wasn’t used to being teased. Her face turned bright red like a tomato. She had her hands over her cheeks, body curled up as if she wanted to disappear.

She was clearly overwhelmed with embarrassment.

“Perserque.”

“P-Please... just stop.”

‘Well, well, what do we have here?’

When someone who always acted strong suddenly showed a vulnerable side, it’d be natural for anyone who'd been constantly bullied by that person to start dreaming of revenge.

Come to think of it, she’d had her way with him just the previous night. Thinking back, Davey couldn’t help but smirk.

“D-Don’t come any closer!” she shrieked and tried to back away, but he didn’t give her the chance to escape.

‘If not now, then when?’

He already had a somewhat sadistic streak to begin with, and he smiled with the brightest, most innocent face he could muster. “Why? What’s wrong?”

She pretended not to know what he meant. They both understood that it was what she wanted at heart, entirely consenting, yet she decided to play along with the roleplay.

When he approached, Perserque panicked and let out a desperate scream. She shoved him away, scrambled onto the nearest bed, and wrapped the bed sheets around herself while stomping her feet in place. The only reason she wasn’t literally rolling around was that she was pregnant.

Still, on an emotional level, she was probably spinning like a motorcycle at full throttle.

“Stop!! I said no!! Get away! Get awaaaay!! Save me, little one!!”

“No worries. The reaction time between the prefrontal cortex and the hypothalamus-pituitary axis is faster than sight.”

She had no response.

“Brace yourself.”

Just then, Perserque threw out a hand in a certain direction. “Ah! Winley’s here!”

‘Please, does she really think that’s going to work?’

“Davey? Oh... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt your fun.”

He instantly whipped around to see Winley indeed standing there. However, her form soon flickered and vanished like an illusion.

His fist trembled with frustration. Perserque had used illusion magic! He knew it was something that came easy to her. In hindsight, there had been absolutely no reason for him to fall for it.

“You...!!”

But of course, Perserque was already long gone.

She had vanished like a fugitive, making her grand escape.

* * *

Despite the urgent mission objective of pushing a 2nd Circle mage to the 3rd Circle in what little time remained, Josiah had locked herself away, apparently still in shock.

Surprisingly, however, Mit Chyde had instead started trying to adapt a mana operation on his own, inspired by the magic Davey had shown him.

He was still just a 2nd Circle mage, basically a novice, but Davey had deliberately cast his spell in a way that deconstructed and laid it bare. Had another 8th Circle mage been watching, they would’ve noticed the flow and immediately understood how to reproduce it.

Of course, Mit had no realistic chance of reaching the 8th Circle, let alone reproducing a spell like Prometheus. However, just observing that mana flow, that control and execution, was enough to dramatically alter his perception.

“That vixen Perserque. Where’d she go?” Davey muttered, eyes flashing in irritation.

At the same time, Aeria, dressed in a rather revealing outfit and glaring at a corset, flinched in surprise. Her face instantly flushed red. “D-Darling!”

“Corset?”

“Ah. I just thought maybe I’d look better in it...”

Davey let out a long, hollow sigh at her awkward smile.

It was ridiculous. He couldn’t believe she was worried about how she looked, despite already having such a stunning body.

“Don’t. I’ll get mad if you wear that.”

“Ugh...”

“Perserque. Have you seen her?”

“Hmmm. I saw her running off in a hurry earlier. It looked like something urgent.”

“Thanks.” He reached up and gently stroked the fluffy ears atop her head. Her face turned even redder, and she quickly set the corset aside, flustered. Davey then ran off to catch Perserque.

Perserque had a sixth sense for knowing when she was about to get teased. The moment it happened, she would always vanish without a trace.

She had only ever dropped her pride and acted all affectionate with him once. It was when she found out she was able to have a child. That was the only time she’d ever shown such vulnerability.

Since she’d never let her guard down otherwise, Davey had no intention of missing such a rare opportunity. Steeling his resolve, he used every tool at his disposal and began tracking her down.

Even if she ran all the way to the ends of Tionis, he wasn’t going to let her get away!

However, a familiar voice cut through his focus, saying, “Brother.”

“Baris?” He almost thought it was another illusion. Surprisingly, the man before him was undeniably Baris.

“Your Majesty, what brings you here?”

“Brother, when we’re alone, please call me like you used to.”

“Sorry, Baris. Did you come alone?”

“I used the artifact you gave me to sneak in quietly. There’s something I have to talk to you about.” Judging by his tone, it didn’t sound like a light topic.

Davey sighed. He still needed to catch Perserque! “What’s up?”

“It’s not something others should hear.”

Snap!

Davey grabbed his arm before snapping with his own fingers, and the space around them shifted. The two of them were teleported into his private office, somewhere no one could eavesdrop.

Davey felt a familiar presence nearby, but ignored it for the time being. “Tea? Wine?”

“It’s the middle of the day, and I still have duties to fulfill. Tea, please.”

Watching Baris smile so calmly, Davey could see the weight of his crown. He truly was a father and a king.

“So? What’s going on?”

“Davey, do you know what people across the continent are calling you these days?”

“Hm?”

“They’re calling you a one-man empire. A one-man emperor.”

Objectively, it was accurate. His personal combat strength was enough to be considered a national-level power. However, he knew full well that Baris clearly hadn’t come just to share nicknames.

“I know you didn’t come all this way just for this. What’s the real issue?”

“Yes, of course. The small things, I can take care of on my end. Still, there are two things I have to bring to your attention.”

“Hmmm. Two things?” Davey said as he poured them tea.

Baris gently blew on it and took a slow sip before continuing, “First of all, in the recent national council meeting, there were a lot of complaints that you’re engaging in foreign affairs without reporting to the royal family.”

Davey currently held the title of Grand Duke, which technically made him a subject of the royal house.

“I don’t care, personally. You’ve never done anything to hurt the Rowane Kingdom, after all.”

“But whether we like it or not, there are purists who take issue with that kind of thing?”

“Yes.”

Davey couldn’t blame them. Technically, he was violating royal protocol by conducting diplomatic activities without clearance.

“To put it bluntly, there are nobles saying you’re the real king, and I’m just a puppet monarch...”

“Those sons of bitches.”

When Davey frowned, Baris quickly raised both hands in a placating gesture. “Haha, please calm down. Even kings get badmouthed behind closed doors. Those comments don’t carry much weight at the moment. Still, if anything comes up in the future, please just give me a heads-up. I’ll do what I can to prevent unnecessary trouble.”

The ideal solution would be to shut the mouths of those spreading such talk. Alas, since those people were clinging to principles and order, they had the upper hand in terms of justification.

Also, Davey wasn’t about to purge loyal, upright officials just because he didn’t like them. “Yeah. Got it.”

“Thank you, Davey.”

“What’s the second thing?”

“Well... it’s about Assistant Professor Josiah Frances and Sister-in-law Perserque.”

Davey was surprised to hear them being brought up. “Hm?”

“As you know... they’re a vampire and a demon, respectively.” Baris hadn’t been personally concerned about their identities. He had known for a while, after all. “Will... this not become a problem for us?”

“You mean, since both their races were recently at war with humans, if that fact gets out, things could get messy?”

The moment Davey said that, the faint presence hiding in the room stirred noticeably.

“Yes,” Baris replied.

“First off, the war between humans and demons is over. There won’t be another.”

“I know that. I believe it, but common folk and foreign dignitaries...”

“The chain of hatred between humans and demons isn’t something we can untangle overnight,” Davey told him.

“So then...?”

“The safest course is to make sure it doesn’t get out.”

If either of their true identities became known to the public, there’d be chaos in the streets. The cowards who had been keeping quiet would start to speak up, and the people would be deceived by them.

“Is it really okay to just leave it be? To be honest, there have already been rumors going around in the capital about a demon being spotted.”

“A demon?”

“Yes. It seems to be a demon nomad traveling in secrecy. I was investigating when I remembered Perserque, and so I came to talk.”

“Baris,” Davey said in a calm voice, and the presence in the room grew more obvious in its reaction. “I won’t make compromises on this—anyone who dares slander Perserque without knowing the truth, I’ll crush them.”

He paused, and Baris gulped in response.

“Anyone who tries to use her as leverage? I’ll make sure they understand why I’m called a one-man empire. No exceptions.”

The presence fell utterly silent.

There weren’t many people who would dare probe at the situation when knowing the truth. Those who didn’t... Well, they’d learn quickly once they stepped out of line.

Baris hesitated, clearly wanting to say more, but Davey stood up.

He walked over to the wardrobe in the quiet office.

Knock knock.

No answer.

Davey smiled, summoned a light saber with magic, and calmly cut out a perfect circle in the door. Peering inside, he smiled brightly. “Found you.”

Having been hidden inside, Perserque went completely pale.