The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1245

The demon was crushed by Davey in an instant. The mysterious monster ultimately fell silent under the onslaught. Only after the massive force slammed down on it like a giant press, flattening it completely, did Davey finally take a breath.

Davey had reached out instinctively and taken it down, almost without realizing it. He didn’t know why he had done so, though he suspected that it was because of the small wound on Evangeline’s hand triggering his protective instincts. Perhaps it was that the thing had hit her.

Sure, those were part of the reason. However, it was most likely because of what she had said.

- Uwaaah! Dad!! That bastard!!!

Evangeline stuck out her tongue at the monster that he had taken out in the blink of an eye, then backed away from Davey like nothing had happened.

“Eva?”

“Hmph. Hmph!” Her face reddened, and she snorted, clearly trying to hide her embarrassment. She coughed awkwardly and looked away. “E-Ehem! Dad, you smell like sweat.”

“Ugh...” Davey raised his arms and sniffed his armpits. He knew she was just making excuses, but his heart still sank a little.

“But...” He heard Evangeline muttering softly near his ear, “You ended up like that because you were trying to find me.”

“Eva...”

“I-I mean, thanks for that, I guess.”

They were just words, yet hearing a simple thanks brought out a strange feeling in him. It felt like his frozen heart was quietly melting away. “Eva, let me give you a hug.”

Evangeline shouted, her face bright red, “H-How old do you think I am?! I’m too old to be hugged like a kid!!”

‘You're not even five yet.’

Still, he knew there was the point of saying so.

Davey silently watched her.

Then, as if she had finally made up her mind, Evangeline shuffled over. She gave him a quick hug, then just as quickly pulled away. “U-Ugh! Anyway! I just came all the way here because I got overwhelmed by the weird smell and couldn’t hold back my anger or whatever!”

“Eva.”

“I-I’m leaving first!”

Davey watched her dash off in a fluster. He then quietly looked down at his hand, unable to help but grin.

It hadn’t been long since Evangeline’s rebellious streak began to soften. He felt proud that it was softening earlier than expected. Even so, the way she still had that little bit of rebellion left, hugging him then running away, was unbearably adorable.

“So this is why fathers are called doting fathers for their daughters.”

Sure, Davey had already seen how cute daughters could be through Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, and Super Ribbon, but Evangeline had her own unique charm that sparkled in its own way.

Caught up in the moment, Davey shouted, “Evangeline!! Dad loves you so much!!”

He couldn’t stop smiling.

Her flustered voice came echoing back, from the distance, “Agh. Seriously!! Don’t yell weird stuff like that outside! It’s embarrassing!!”

Davey couldn’t help but laugh even more.

Before her rebellious phase, Evangeline used to constantly cling to him, saying that Davey was her favorite. However, once her rebellious phase hit, she had started to keep her distance. Frankly, Davey had felt a little sad about it.

Moments like what had just happened made him think that maybe it wasn’t so bad.

However, it felt like he was forgetting something, although it made no sense for someone with an eidetic memory to forget anything.

Then, the moment that strange feeling clicked, Davey suddenly remembered what he had pushed to the back of his mind.

“Oh! Josiah Frances.”

He had made a promise and promptly stabbed her in the back.

Davey looked silently at the demon’s corpse, now completely flattened like dried squid, then backed away, thinking it’d probably be fine.

* * *

Mit Chyde sat on the ground, blankly staring at the grotesque creature as it disappeared. Josiah, who had also been watching in vain, clenched her teeth in frustration.

“Damn it. Teacher!!” She knew the situation was urgent, so she wasn’t about to complain to Davey about it. However, she still couldn’t help but feel annoyed. “If we’d just had a little more time... Just a little more...”

Mit Chyde had lost the chance to break through the wall of the 3rd Circle, right in front of his eyes. Any mage could understand how devastating and heartbreaking that was.

They say hardships helped people grow. Mit Chyde, still just a 2nd Circle mage, had fought hard against a monster he could barely even endure, much less defeat.

He’d used every ounce of his strength and fought desperately. In a critical moment, he made a major mistake and took a serious injury.

Josiah was ready to put his training on hold for the time being as he healed back up after the battle finished. Well, until he stood back up.

Most mages were lunatics. It wasn’t uncommon for them to fall into trance-like states for the most bizarre of reasons.

That complete immersion in one’s own magical theory could bring forth explosive growth, even without realizing it. It was a rare phenomenon that could happen to any mage, regardless of which circle of magic they’d already reached. At that moment, it was the only path left for Mit Chyde to still reach the 3rd Circle in the remaining few days.

Josiah had felt a thrill once she recognized that trance in him. Her first student had finally experienced enlightenment, which also meant her teaching had paid off.

However, he’d let that opportunity slip right through his fingers.

Mit Chyde had been building on theories beyond his current level while in his trance, and when the enemy disappeared, he discharged all that energy at once. Alas, he failed to break the wall of the 3rd Circle and returned to normal.

To a mage, a trance like that was no different from a precious blessing, never to be squandered.

“I... I could’ve done it... I was right there,” he muttered with trembling regret.

Josiah walked up behind him in silence, her expression a mix of regret and sympathy. She patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. A trance doesn’t only happen once. You’ve already gone through it once, so it can always happen again.”

“But I missed the chance...”

“It’s okay. You can still do it. I’ll help you.”

“But... I was so close...” He continued to tremble, heavy with emotion. Josiah figured he was frustrated with the injustice of it all.

The old Mit Chyde wouldn’t have even understood such emotions, let alone expressed them. He would’ve lived a life entirely disconnected from any such thing as a trance.

However, he had since changed. The proof was right before her eyes, letting her know he was genuinely overflowing with a drive to improve.

“It’s okay. I’ll make sure you become a proper mage,” Josiah quietly comforted him. She then turned her head and gave a glare. “Teacher... You really are...”

“I screwed up, didn’t I?” Davey muttered bitterly from behind them, having arrived unnoticed.

“You know... they say any given person might never experience a trance in their entire life. I haven’t even had one myself yet,” Josiah grumbled, a tinge of bitterness in her voice.

“I’ll help,” Davey offered.

“It’s fine. It’s not your fault, it was just bad luck and timing. I’ll figure it out.” Josiah shook her head. “Anyways, what ever happened with what you were doing?”

“A demon race or whatever was born. It was just a newborn, though, so it didn't amount to much.”

“You could’ve waited just a little longer, then...”

Davey frowned, the ferocious light in his eyes returning. “That damned thing made Evangeline cry.”

“Ah...” All it took was that single sentence, and Josiah finally nodded in understanding.

She had already heard the news from Korea that Evangeline had flown off somewhere. She figured that girl had decided to chase the bad guys down.

“But seriously, how did she even find the place?”

“No idea.”

That truth was shrouded in mystery.

* * *

News of the Patroshists’ fall spread quickly across the world.

Naturally, that meant the remnants of the Nacha Empire—the terrorists who had assimilated into the Patroshists and appeared across the European continent—were also wiped out.

The current NATO Alliance, which had long been criticized for doing nothing but sucking up tax money, finally solidified its standing by emerging victorious in the conflict with the terrorist organization.

Of course, chances were pretty high that they hadn’t completely eradicated them all. Nonetheless, the top brass saw it as a significant success.

The one who had contributed the most to this outcome was, without question, General Bedolph. Yet for some reason, he passed the credit on to Lieutenant General Bonafrot instead.

Why he did it, Davey didn’t know. Frankly, he didn’t care.

Apparently, when Bonafrot received the news, he firmly declined the honor and instead spent a long time at the joint funeral of the soldiers who had died in the war.

Al Hajat observed, “They say he’s a competent man. A bit uptight, sure, but probably just clumsy with words. I’d bet he felt the most guilt over the deaths of those soldiers.”

“Who knows? Unless he says it himself, no one can be sure.”

“He might even be planning to step down after this.”

“You sure know a lot about someone else’s organization.”

“Well, NATO has quite a few ties to our own alliance, in one way or another.”

From Al Hajat’s perspective, someone had taken care of a problem on Earth without any assistance. He simply reaped the benefits without lifting a finger.

He handed Davey a wine glass with a gentle smile. “But the one who contributed the most to this operation—”

“Was Eva,” Davey interrupted. “Honestly, even for me, it would’ve taken quite some time to find that egg.”

“Exactly! She really did a great job.” Al Hajat kept smiling, clearly in an unusually good mood.

“Hold on. Eva’s the one who did well. Why are you the one looking so proud?”Davey asked.

Al Hajat let out a soft chuckle. “Well, Eva seems to like her uncle more than her dad.”

“What a joke. Ever heard the saying blood is thicker than water?”

“Then why don’t we put that to the test?” Al Hajat stood halfway from his seat and raised his phone like it was some kind of weapon. “Let’s ask her right now, and we’ll finally see who she likes more.”

“Heh. I already know the answer.”

“Scared?”

“You’re dreaming, asshole. Bring it on!”

* * *

News spread quickly that Mit Chyde’s suspension had ended, leading to his return to the academy.

While a formal hearing would soon take place, in the end, Josiah had failed in the plot to help him achieve the 3rd Circle as planned.

Missing that one crucial opportunity had been too great a setback.

Sure, maybe it could've worked if they were given a few more weeks to train. Yet the fact remained that, in the end, he simply didn’t make it in time.

House Chyde would be forced to pay an enormous fine after taking the blame for destroying the artifacts in the museum of the Central Academy.

Naturally, many of the artifacts destroyed had long histories behind them. The amount of compensation needed for those items alone was so astronomical that no single noble house could possibly afford it. That was especially so when considering that Count Chyde cultivated Sacred Grass, known for not profiting off of them in any significant way.

The family was bound to stagger and sink under the pressure. The one who had to be feeling the weight of it all more than anyone else was Mit Chyde himself.

Boom! Boom!!

Mit Chyde hurled spells recklessly before collapsing to the ground, gasping for air. Even after Josiah had left, he kept firing off magic like a man possessed. He’d been told to rest in order to avoid mana exhaustion, but he seemed on the verge of going insane.

“This isn’t it... This isn’t it...”

It was painfully clear why he was suffering so pitifully. He had lost a trance. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

A miraculous state for mages? Josiah had said he might experience it again, yet realistically, a trance was the kind of rare opportunity most mages only ever saw once in their lifetime, if at all.

Having missed such a chance, he couldn’t help but be desperate. Still, Davey never once tried to show up and fix everything. He knew it wasn’t his place to intervene.

“I told you to watch your mana and rest, didn’t I?”

Hearing the sternness in Josiah’s voice, Mit Chyde flinched and turned his head.

From the moment he’d returned to the academy, the chilly atmosphere had been eating him alive.

“The hearing is tomorrow. Tomorrow! If I don’t reach the 3rd Circle and get permission to use the artifact by then, it’s all over!”

“Get a grip. You’re at the academy, not an empty wasteland. Do you want Prince Vasilion to catch wind of your skills while you're here?”

He actually didn't know what to say.

“Be grateful I put up a barrier.”

“Then what do I do? I realized everything too late. Maybe if I had just worked a little harder, a little earlier...”

“Being able to regret something means you still have room to grow. In that sense, you’re in a better spot than I ever was.”

“Hah. Easy for you to say, when you’re a 6th Circle mage.” He let out a bitter laugh. “It’s over now! The promised Sacred Grass, everything—there’s nothing left! If I take on this debt, I’ll collapse, and House Chyde will collapse with me! It’ll all go according to that damned Vasilion bastard’s plans!”

Davey knew what Prince Vasilion was after. The man wanted to shake House Chyde to its core, then reach out with a fake helping hand, posing as a mediator to resolve the situation while surreptitiously taking control of the Chyde family.

All of it was part of his quest to claim the throne of the kingdom. Taking control of House Chyde, one of the most powerful neutral families, meant securing exactly that.

“All because of me... Because I was too stupid...” He crumbled to the floor, crying and sobbing. “If I’d had just a little more talent... Even ten more seconds back then...”

Josiah stared at him with a bitter expression.

As Davey watched them from afar, he calmly turned his head to see a woman approach.

She finally spoke, “No one makes a chancellor of a kingdom work this hard, Prince Davey.”

“Hey there, Chancellor Tsuna. What about the item?”

“Haaah. Here it is.”

Davey silently looked over at the kid Tsuna de Murgent had brought.

The boy, with bread in his mouth, dropped a small bag from his back and tossed it toward Davey.

Tsuna de Murgent was the young chancellor of the Alberta Kingdom, and the head of one of the most powerful trade guilds on the continent. She was also a tragic figure, having lost her father and even died once herself, thanks to Belga and the other spiritual entities.

There she was in some backwater, repaying a debt she owed Davey. He was the only reason she would ever approach the area.

“I got it using every resource I could get from both the vaults of the family and the guild. I’ve been paid, so I’m just delivering what was promised. There's no need to thank me.”

“Most people wouldn’t be able to get something this big in just a few days. You know, you could’ve just sent Belga alone.”

“Well... we’re friends, after all. I thought I’d stop by for a bit.”

“How sappy,” Davey muttered, and she let out a soft laugh.

“You told me that I used to like you, remember? I must admit I was curious how things would go this time. Anyway, now that it’s all done, I’ll head back. The profit was big enough this time, so I won’t complain, but if we do business again, send a formal letter,” she growled lightly. “And don’t just barge into a lady’s room in the middle of the night and start flirting.”

“It seemed pretty effective, though.”

Her face turned bright red. “If it were anyone else, I’d report you for harassing a royal chancellor. If you weren’t my benefactor, you wouldn’t be getting anything from me at all.” She let out a sigh. “Still, you must’ve had a lot of emergency funds lying around. You handed over a ridiculous amount of gold.”

“I just had to delay building one of those Decepticon fleet golems. That’s all. It’s no big deal. I’ll just rework the design and build something else.”

“Still, it’s strange. You, helping Mit Chyde?”

“Who said I’m helping him? Josiah is the one I'm helping.”

Josiah still hadn’t fully made the 6th Circle her own. The whole scenario was already a part of her training plan.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.” The way she said it was really annoying. “I’ll open a portal. Be careful on your way back.”

“Let’s grab a drink next time. I’ve actually got a good business idea, too. Come on, Belga. Once we get back, I’ll ask the chef to bake us some bread.”

“Okay.”

Tsuna tossed a small crystal orb to Davey, then disappeared beyond the dimensional gate alongside the spiritual entity, Belga.

Afterward, Davey opened the bag Belga had dropped off and let out a faint chuckle, seeing the enormous pile of mana stones within.

As expected of a chancellor who came from a savvy merchant background, she’d managed to secure the quantity without fail.

After checking the contents, Davey slowly walked forward and approached the sobbing Mit Chyde as well as Josiah, who was quietly consoling him.

“Huh? What's up, Teacher?”

“Found this on the way.” Davey tossed the mana stone–filled bag toward Josiah and turned around. “Use it or don’t. It’s whatever.”

As he tore through space and vanished, he heard her dumbfounded voice come from behind, ringing in his ear. “What the hell? Is this some kind of hidden camera prank? This isn’t the psychopath I know! Hey! Who are you?!”