The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1278

Super Ribbon’s blade tore through the demon.

Abel stared blankly at his father. It had definitely looked like that demon was about to say something, but his father had chopped it to pieces like it had nothing to do with him.

To be honest, Abel was still unfamiliar with the sight of Davey O’Rowane, his own father, fighting. He had heard that Davey was strong, but he had never really grasped just how strong. That was why he was so shocked.

Abel was born with great power, but he hadn’t been able to wield it properly when he was young. He was the kind of person who had honed his strength slowly through years of effort. Because of that, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of inferiority when he saw others like Darian, who grew stronger by the day, or Evangeline, who had been powerful since birth.

There was a saying that parents always give in to their children in the end. Though it wasn't exactly a fitting phrase for that moment, there was a time when both Evangeline and Darian had surpassed their father, and Abel had thought Davey left most matters to them for that reason.

People said Davey had once been incredible, but Abel had always believed those stories were a bit exaggerated.

Even when he’d met his father in person, the strength Davey had shown seemed powerful, but not something he wouldn’t be able to handle. Given that, Abel had believed Darian or Evangeline were stronger than their father in his prime.

The oldest, Super Ribbon, was a special case, so he’d always considered her an exception.

Abel used to think about whether it'd actually be useful to learn from his father, and he had his doubts. That much was true.

However, it only took a few seconds for that delusion to completely shatter. It was obvious to him now—the strength their father had shown while teaching them was just a tiny fraction of what he truly possessed.

“So that’s why Evangeline...”

He’d never imagined that his strength was the reason that Evangeline, who always bickered with Darian, would suddenly turn meek every time their father showed up.

Abel wondered if it’d be possible for anyone to block the sword strike from just now.

He knew magic stood no chance. That attack had devoured the wildly stretched time axis with some invisible force, shredding the defenseless demon to pieces. Abel had a feeling that it wasn’t his first time seeing such power, but the way his father executed it so smoothly was unimaginable.

The seamless, flowing chain of movements was like breathing. It was a level of power Abel had never seen before.

It didn’t take long for his once-arrogant heart to quiet down into respect.

“Kiaaaa!!!”

The demon, cut multiple times and fatally wounded, stumbled a few steps before falling apart, scattering like dust.

Davey watched in silence, as if he didn’t particularly like what he was seeing.

Once the demon had completely disappeared, he looked up at the sky.

“Even Super Ribbon’s power couldn’t kill it? Even Thanatos couldn’t hold out, either,” he muttered in a voice full of disbelief and exhaustion. “Well, that’s that. Are you hurt, Son?”

Abel, who was deep in his own thoughts, quickly looked at Davey in response. “Father... Just now... What did you do?”

“Stretched time is distortion. It’s not part of the fundamental laws but an external force acting upon it. So, I just ate it.”

Davey looked down at his hand, grimacing in annoyance.

“This is useless.” He scattered the power, presumably the force he’d just devoured, into the air. “Not like I need it.”

He walked past Abel and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. “Let’s go home, Son. Your mother’s probably worried sick by now.”

“Father?! B-But there are still things we need to take care of!!”

“Decisions should be made carefully. Also, Baris is probably in a lot of trouble after this.”

An entire royal palace had been obliterated. Most of the people had died, and even though the demon was gone, the sky was still red.

The only one who remained until the end, uninvited and out of the blue, was the one and only Saint of Tionis, Davey O’Rowane. Anyone could guess what kind of story would come out of this.

Abel, not knowing what his father had on his mind, had a complicated feeling. Even though he probably didn’t have much time left in this world, he silently followed him without a word.

* * *

After hearing the news from the royal capital, Perserque and Illyna wore troubled expressions.

“So basically, you’re taking the fall for everything... Right? And the one who started it all died at your hands?”

“For now, that’s how it looks. But honestly, the kill didn’t feel right,” Davey responded. “The International Federation’s going to make noise. They probably know how much of a mess they’ll face if they come at me directly, so they’ll pressure the Rowane royal family instead.

What had happened wasn’t some simple border scuffle. A whole kingdom’s royal palace had been wiped out!

The King of Haetan had survived initially, yet ended up dying in the aftermath. Not many nobles had survived, either, and so the Haetan Kingdom was left in complete anarchy.

Even during wartime, it was rare for an entire country to collapse like that. Davey also knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid all the criticism, even though it wasn’t entirely his fault. If it were just about him, he could ignore the criticism by laughing it off and later crush it somehow. Alas, he knew that’d only make things harder for Baris.

At the very least, he shouldn't ruin Baris’s path forward.

Baris had believed, without a doubt, that Davey would inherit the throne. But before he knew it, he had been forced to take that heavy burden himself. Then, despite how Davey had disrupted the balance of power within the royal family, Baris still supported him.

That was why Davey tried his best not to cause any trouble that’d make things harder for Baris.

“The International Federation’s probably going to call a summit soon. They’ll definitely ask for a detailed account of what happened.”

Perserque looked shocked for a second, then slowly said, “Wait. Don’t tell me you just came back without cleaning up the scene.”

“Yeah. It’ll serve as the only indirect evidence. If they move quickly, they could call the summit as early as tomorrow. I’ll either have to explain the situation and get them to cooperate—or crush them. It’s one or the other.”

If they clashed with the federation and it turned into a mutual destruction scenario, countless nations could fall at his hands. It wouldn’t be hard to avoid that outcome. He just had to go along with the flow a little.

After all, any intervention on his part would be crossing the line. He was someone who had already handed the throne to Baris. If Baris ever decided to go to war with the continent, Davey would step in. But since Baris opposed war, it was his duty as the older brother who had entrusted everything to his younger sibling to support him. Since there was still a possibility that the demon hadn’t been completely destroyed, letting internal divisions spread would be dangerous.

Perserque and Illyna nodded silently at his explanation.

Perserque, who had been quietly listening, cautiously asked, “But what about Abel?”

Davey assumed she asked because she was probably worried about their son’s condition, and wanted to see him for herself.

“He’s probably resting in my room.”

Hardly anyone in Heins Territory even knew about Abel’s presence yet, only a select few. Even people like Yosiah or Kona had only heard about him, and had no idea what he actually looked like. Given that situation, it was out of the question to let Abel stay in a regular guest room and perhaps be exposed to others.

Super Ribbon, who had been quietly reading a book, muttered with a slight frown, “I’m a little uneasy about this.”

* * *

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came for the alliance between the Gourmet Research Society and the Development Society, as Davey O’Rowane had returned to the lord’s manor, looking visibly exhausted.

As soon as Yuria and Aeonitia confirmed his location, they began coordinating their plan via long-distance communication.

“First, we lure the Gracious Savior into the spirit concealment chamber that the Development Society made. Then we lock just the two of them inside,” Yuria said.

“Wouldn't he just smash his way out right away?” Aeonitia commented.

“That's where Kouna comes in. She’ll butter him up by saying it’s something the Development Society had been working on with all their hearts, and that they’ll be really sad if he breaks it.”

Even Davey, who was cold-hearted and brutal, wouldn’t destroy something his younger sister and her group had worked hard to create.

At least, not right away.

“If it goes well, she’ll buy us enough time for us to open the door again and leave the two of them alone in there. That’s when the true value of our Gourmet Research Society will shine.”

Originally, both groups were more focused on stabbing each other in the back. Yet as they shared opinions and brainstormed ways to tackle the notoriously difficult Davey, they’d completely forgotten their rivalry and become utterly absorbed in the plan.

Yuria’s spirit magic, Marky’s strength, and Rinne’s manifestation abilities were used to their fullest extent, while the technicalities were handled by the Development Society's Aeonitia and Tiara.

The spirit concealment chamber they’d built together looked like just another artifact upon first glance. Yet, once activated, it turned the designated area into a completely sealed space.

“The usual Gracious Savior won’t even flinch. That’s why we’ll be using these,” Yuria said before pulling out several items she had prepared. “These are ephrem ignition berries, developed in the course of exploding mana stone research. They’re edible, but they work kind of like those charcoal briquettes on Earth.”

They also raised the surrounding temperature considerably.

“This one disrupts mana flow when activated, but we can’t go overboard. If it gets too intense, the whole chamber could blow. We’ll keep it at a moderately warm level.” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Finally—

“And this one, I got from Killer Rabbit. It’s an herb cultivated by succubi in the Demon World.”

Yuria had researched every herb for the sake of flavor. She was going to use everything at her disposal.

“I-Is that safe?” one of them meekly questioned.

“It’s fine!” Yuria reassured them all. “Gracious Savior doesn’t know anything about this plant. It’s grown secretly by succubi, and it supposedly enhances attraction between the sexes.”

Everything was ready. Yuria looked at the artifact and extended her pinky. “At first, I was thinking of betraying you.”

“Same here.”

“But this is way too fun. How about, just for this mission, we agree not to stab each other in the back?”

They had each only planned to lend minimal help and back out if things ever turned risky. With their minds changed, they finally poured everything into the plan.

“The spirits will observe and record everything happening in that room. It’s not like anything major is going to happen, but I’m sure Gracious Savior will be pretty flustered.”

Aeonitia stifled a laugh. “He’s tired right now, anyway. If he can just clear his mind for an hour or so, that should be enough.”

Kouna, wearing a sleek, elegant evening dress, and with her hair tied up to completely transform her image, was now on her way to his bedroom.

The plan was perfect!

Or so they thought.

What they didn’t know was that the one currently in that bedroom wasn’t Davey, but Abel.

* * *

Knock knock.

Startled by the sudden knock, Abel instinctively hid himself. He held his breath and scanned the area around him. Just in case something happened, he had been using a blindness spell to mask his damaged self and appear normal.

Thanks to that, anyone who encountered him probably wouldn’t get caught off guard and cause a ruckus. Unfortunately, since someone was trying to enter, the situation was about to become chaotic anyway.

He had been told no one would come.

Creaaak.

Despite receiving no response from inside, the door opened on its own and someone stepped into the room.

‘At this hour, coming in without permission? Who could it be? Mother? Or maybe Rinne, or Josiah who has a habit of sneaking in through the window?’

His head throbbed as he ran through the possibilities.

Then, Abel locked eyes with someone he hadn’t expected at all, and froze on the spot.

“K-Kouna?”

At the same time, she noticed something off in the voice she heard and flinched, stepping back in surprise.

Whummm!!

However, the moment Kouna entered, the Development Society and the Gourmet Research Society had already activated the sealed space they had prepared.

The two locked eyes, unintentionally trapped together in the enclosed chamber.

* * *

“Hmph. The plan’s flawless!” Yuria bragged with satisfaction.

“It really is,” Aeonitia agreed.

Aeonitia and Yuria watched from a distance with satisfied expressions as the barrier sealed the area completely.

The core structure was a barrier infused with spirit magic, built on an artifact created by Tiara and Aeonitia. It completely severed the space from the outside. No sound or vision passed through. Originally, it was designed for a different purpose, but after Davey rejected the idea, the project was practically scrapped.

Yuria suddenly noticed something in Aeonitia’s hands and raised a brow. “Aeonitia? What’s that you’re holding?”

“This? The rampage suppression device... Huh?” Her eyes widened in shock. “Why is this here?”

“What is it, exactly?”

“It’s a device that keeps the spirit energy in the barrier from going out of control. We are on the verge, to be honest.”

Yuria cautiously asked, “And if it does go out of control?”

“The barrier will become ridiculously strong—so strong that it’d be nearly impossible to break through it. I mean, the artifact uses some of Davey’s own power after all.”

If Davey found out she’d used an artifact he gave her for personal protection in order to do something like this, she was sure to get scolded.

The difference between a researcher and a psycho was a thin line.

“There... won’t be any problems, right?”

“What could go wrong? If the spirit energy does go wild, the duration just shortens. It was supposed to last an hour, and if it overloads, it’ll last maybe twenty to thirty minutes at best.”

In any case, there was no need for it to last longer than that.

Just as Aeonitia mumbled to herself, she and Yuria suddenly shivered. A chilling sensation had crept over their bodies like a wave of winter cold.

“That’s weird. Why is it so cold all of a sudden?”

“Guess it’s not just me.” Aeonitia pulled her coat tighter, trembling from the cold.

Then a voice called out, “Hey.”

The two froze instantly.

It was a voice they absolutely should not have heard.

* * *

Abel and Kouna stared at each other in shock, caught in a tense standoff.

“W-Who are you?” Kouna, seeing Abel’s bare face for the first time, raised one hand cautiously in defense.

The real problem was that she hadn’t brought any weapons into the sealed spirit chamber! To make matters worse, her powers were being constantly disrupted in the barrier, and she couldn’t muster any significant strength.

On the other hand, Abel found himself unable to process the sight before him. Kouna, who he had only recently married and whose waking face he thought he’d never see again, was suddenly standing in front of him in a stunning dress, looking as beautiful as ever.

She looked the same as he remembered, yet the aura she carried at that moment felt different. It was stirring something new in his chest, making his heart race.

Kouna demanded, “Answer me! Who are you?”

“P-Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not an intruder,” he insisted.

“And I’m supposed to believe that?”

“Yes. I mean....” Abel hesitated, unsure of what to say or do. But since he’d already been discovered, it felt better to tell the truth than come up with some clumsy lie.

Of course, he wasn’t about to reveal their relationship.

“So who are you?”

“M-My name is...” He started to mumble, but the sudden emotions of seeing her again hit him all at once. He staggered, struggling to meet eyes with her.

‘Urgh. My body’s overloading.’

Outwardly, Abel looked fine. The truth, however, was that his body was a complete mess. All it took was one wrong trigger, and things could instantly go south for him.

When he stumbled and nearly collapsed, Kouna’s eyes widened and she rushed to catch him. “Hey! Hey! Are you okay?!”

Abel heard her panicked voice as his vision blurred. He gave her a weak, bitter smile. He couldn’t think straight. His head was spinning. His body needed a few more minutes to adapt to the sudden changes.

‘You’re still... such a kind person.’

Her kindness in helping someone who might be an enemy, even asking if they were okay, was in truth a future Abel could no longer see.

He started to cry. He had wanted to see her so badly, wished for it so desperately. Why she had to be caught in that incident and never be able to open her eyes again, he didn’t know.

In the midst of impulse and confusion, Abel reached out blankly. His hand gently landed on her perfectly made up cheek.

“See? I told you you’d look beautiful in that kind of outfit, didn’t I, Kouna.”

“Y-You know my name?!”

“I... just need to sleep for a bit. Don’t go anywhere, stay by my side.”

With that, Abel closed his eyes. Even as he drifted off, he mumbled like a child talking in his sleep, “Stop pushing me away like that... You don’t even mean it, anyway.”

The pre-installed artifact had already begun spreading the hot air. A strangely stuffy warmth settled over the chamber.

Abel, who had looked so pained just moments before, suddenly looked peaceful. It seemed as if he’d simply fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Kouna instinctively began channeling her power to heal him, but then suddenly stopped. Only now did she realize just how bad his condition was.

‘These wounds... I’ve seen them somewhere before.’

“I... I need to get out—”

Crack!!!

In a panic, Kouna had unleashed her power into the air. Alas, the rampant seal didn’t budge under her force.

“Why won’t it break?!” She tried several more times in desperation, but nothing happened.

Completely trapped, Kouna could feel her face growing hot as the effect of the succubus fruit Yuria had snuck in took effect.

She was in a sealed chamber, with someone she’d never met. Yet, the stranger felt strangely familiar.

He seemed to know her very well. Right before he lost consciousness, he had looked at her with a warmth she’d never seen in anyone before.

That gaze; that single sentence; the touch of his fingertips.

They sent a strange, chilling thrill through her entire body.