The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1279

It didn’t take long for Davey to realize something was wrong.

‘Why is there a person? People? Inside? Is something happening in the bedroom?’

Countless complicated thoughts raced through his mind.

Though no words were exchanged, Aeonitia and Yuria locked eyes instantly and quickly made a decision.

“Oh my, Gracious Savior! We were just about to come find you,” Yuria said sweetly.

“So, mind explaining what that is? I can already tell it's another one of your little accidents. We’ll deal with that later.”

Yuria broke into a cold sweat at his smile. It felt like her anxiety was climbing with no end in sight.

“Well... we were collaborating on a project, but it looks like something went wrong. We meant to show it to you, Gracious Savior.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I-it’s called a Secret Field!”

Yuria scrambled for a half-baked excuse. “T-That’s right, Davey! We were trying to develop a device that creates an isolated space that blocks out sound and vision, but I guess we lacked the skills. It thus spiraled out of control midway.”

Aeonitia also jumped in, throwing out one excuse after another.

Now that things had spiraled, they both knew that it wouldn’t end with a simple scolding if Davey found out what really happened.

“There’s someone in there.” He was sure of it.

“We thought... it was Kouna and you inside.”

Davey silently turned to look at the bedroom window and closed his eyes. “How strange...”

Then, he turned away. “Dismantle that within thirty minutes.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Davey walked away without another word. However, Yuria had a sudden gut feeling that he wasn’t as calm as his expression would suggest.

“Ummm. Are we going to be okay?”

Yuria answered with a hardened expression, her smile gone completely, “No. Out of everything that’s ever happened, this might be the worst of them.”

She had stayed by his side for a long time. There was no way she couldn’t tell what kind of state he was in.

When Davey disappeared without a word, Yuria slowly turned her head and bowed.

“Follow me. Now,” someone said in a sharp, commanding voice.

The next to appear was Perserque. Yuria pushed the hesitant Aeonitia aside and bowed her head. “Yes, ma’am.”

Aeonitia shot her a questioning look as if she was taking all the blame, but Yuria simply gave a bitter smile and said nothing.

* * *

Smack!!

The sound of a slap echoed through the room.

Yuria didn’t even touch her reddened cheek. She simply bowed her head.

“If it were anyone else, I wouldn't have done this.”

“Yes. I understand,” Yuria responded.

“You are a cherished citizen of Davey’s. And his family.” Perserque wasn’t aware of all the details, but she had pretty much gotten the gist of things.

She sighed quietly and took a seat.

It was just the two of them in her private chamber. After casting a spell to completely seal off the space, Perserque continued to speak. “I’m aware Kouna has a childish crush on Davey.”

Right now, Perserque and Yuria stood as the mistress of Heins Territory and her vassal.

It was a relationship Perserque normally detested for being too formal and stiff, yet this time, she couldn't let it slide.

“Given the situation, I am aware of Kouna's intentions. She probably wanted to make herself stand out to Davey, right? If he got flustered, that would’ve been even better in her eyes.”

For whatever reason, Kouna must’ve felt frustrated at being treated like a child by Davey. It wasn’t about Abel, nor was it because of how the two had become connected.

What mattered now was that Davey had already figured out the truth behind everything.

Perserque asked, “Do you understand why Davey turned around and walked away, even after realizing what was happening?”

“Yes...”

Even though he knew what was going on, Davey pretended like he didn’t. That wasn’t because Abel was the one involved with Kouna. It was because of the lingering guilt he carried. The guilt that’d never leave him.

“I feel sorry for Illyna and Aeria, but my past self thought I wouldn’t be able to bear Davey’s child or stay by his side forever.”

That was why Perserque had wanted to place Illyna and Aeria by his side. They’d already had feelings for him, and the inexperienced Davey had allowed them space in his heart without even realizing it.

If Perserque disappeared, she believed the two of them could fill that void left in his heart. If one wasn’t enough, then maybe two would be. That had been her logic.

Also, since they had taken a place in his heart before Perserque fully trusted Davey, she felt she had no right to take their places away.

Yet, in the end, everything unfolded in a way far from what she had expected. Now, those two women were left in an awkward position. Davey carried not only the burden of their love, but also the crushing guilt of having once promised that he loved only Perserque.

He had never said it aloud, but Perserque knew it. He had done everything he could for her, all while silently burying all his guilt so it wouldn’t hurt the other two.

“Davey is a man of deep emotions. He cares for others very much, but when it comes to relationships, he’s terribly indecisive thanks to his lack of experience. I was foolish, and I made it harder for him.”

Looking back, Perserque had been the one who started it all. Even if it was for Davey’s sake, she had been the one to ignite that storm.

“That’s why I can’t stand by and watch him suffer the guilt for something I caused.” That was the reason Perserque had slapped Yuria. “Because of my mistakes, Davey now lives carrying this guilt. So...”

No matter the reason, if someone tried to stir up that guilt, Perserque was even willing to become a demon if she had to, just to protect him.

“I am thankful this ended with a single slap. Thanks to that, things won’t spiral into a full disaster.”

Yuria, ever perceptive, understood the deeper meaning that Perserque had in mind. By acting this way, Perserque had shut down any chance for the situation to escalate further.

“Davey probably believes he doesn’t have the right to blame you for this.”

‘Then, surely, you know what you need to do now.’

Perserque silently pulled Yuria into a hug. “Thank you for making Davey smile. That’s why I don’t want any distrust to form between the two of you over this.”

Kouna may have started it out of childish impulse, but Yuria had no business entertaining that as if it were a game.

Yuria understood that, and she nodded quietly.

“Still... I didn’t expect you to take all the blame alone and cover for Aeonitia,” Perserque said with a slightly surprised face.

After all, Yuria was as infamous traitor.

“When I saw Gracious Savior’s face, I knew.” They had crossed a line they shouldn’t have. “Aeonitia is still just a child, isn’t she?”

Unlike Rinne and Marky, whom she betrayed on a daily basis, Aeonitia was a smart, bright girl—but still, just a girl. She was someone at the age where she should be cherished.

Perserque gave a faint smile. “You’re good at playing innocent.”

“Oh dear, was I caught?”

“Once this is over, Aeonitia will owe you.”

Yuria responded with a calm smile, “I think I should go check in on Gracious Savior.”

“Go on, then.”

* * *

Kouna silently stared at the unconscious young man.

At first, she thought it was just a coincidence. But the more she looked, the more certain she became. He was the owner of that handkerchief she had found.

She hadn’t heard the full story, and so never learned why her blood had stained the handkerchief he carried.

She hadn’t shed that much blood recently. She certainly didn’t know why Josiah’s magic had been used to keep the blood from being washed away, especially when Josiah herself had said she never enchanted it. In short, nothing made sense.

She wanted desperately to wake him up and ask. Yet even with just a glance, she could tell he wasn’t in good condition.

“Haitai... Haitai!!” Kouna called for her divine beast. A small tiger appeared before her, quietly locking eyes with her. “Give me enough power to break this barrier.”

At her request, Haitai looked around, then dissolved into light and flowed into her body.

Sling!!

At the same time, she drew her sword, ready to swing it and release blade energy.

Crash!!

Yet, before her blade could even move, the space shattered, revealing someone before her.

“Huh?”

The one who had broken the barrier was none other than Davey.

Kouna froze, staring at him like she’d just been caught doing something wrong. “S-So this is...”

“You okay?” he asked in a concerned voice.

His voice made Kouna feel like she was about to cry. That wasn’t what she wanted! She was being treated like a child again.

Yet she felt so relieved and happy inside. “This person...”

“It’s alright, I’ll take care of it. Go get some rest.”

Kouna slowly rose to her feet and passed by him, even though she wanted to turn back right that instant; she wanted to grab his arm and ask how she looked; she wanted to know if she looked pretty in her dress, makeup, and styled hair; and she wanted to ask if he thought she was beautiful now, if she didn’t just look like a child anymore.

However, the words didn’t come out.

As she walked away, trembling like a small wounded animal, Davey, who had been walking past her, stopped in his tracks.

“It suits you.” Startled, Kouna looked back at him, and he continued, “But don’t ever do something like this again.”

His tone was like a parent gently scolding a child.

Still, Kouna couldn’t respond. She had caught the faint, bitter emotion hidden behind his words. She realized there was no room for her in his heart. No matter how pretty she dressed or how hard she tried, there was no place for her to squeeze in.

Choking back her tears, Kouna turned and rushed out of the room.

* * *

The collapse of the Haetan royal castle threw the many nations of the International Federation into chaos overnight.

Though Haetan was only a small kingdom, its royal castle was still the heart of a sovereign nation, and that castle had been destroyed.

Countless people had been caught in the explosion, and even the king, who had narrowly survived the initial explosion, later passed away.

Still, the kingdom itself hadn’t fallen.

Fortunately, several members of the royal family had been away from the capital at the time. They immediately began requesting detailed information on the incident and inquiries on the presence of Davey O’Rowane. At the same time, they worked tirelessly to revive the royal house of Haetan.

Naturally, with suspicion already pointing to Davey O’Rowane as the one responsible for blowing up the royal castle, many nations were thrown into uproar.

“This is outrageous! How can someone deemed a Saint by the gods act with such arrogance?!” A young priest in a pristine white robe slammed the table with his fists.

“He’s right. I can accept that he's a Saint, considering he has a stigmata. Yet, I can’t understand this.”

Heated debates about Saint Davey O’Rowane had become a hot issue among the younger clergy within the Holy Empire.

As the future pillars of the empire, the youth of course weren’t forbidden from discussing or debating.

Knowing how people spoke ill of kings in private, Davey didn’t bother with petty gossip or criticisms like that.

However, perhaps because there were no restrictions, the discussions only grew more intense. Over time, their views became more firmly set.

“Frankly speaking, I cannot understand it. We wake at dawn, we pray, we spread the Goddess’s teachings, and we protect those in pain. Our Holy Empire is the true loyal servant of Goddess Freyja.”

One young priest passionately raised his voice, “I heard something about the last Day of Birth festival. Saintess Lena attended the event hosted by the Holy Empire, but that Saint Davey O’Rowane? He never showed up.”

“I know someone who was dispatched to Heins Territory for a few months. They told me Saint Davey never once attended a dawn prayer or held a public Mass for the goddess.”

“That’s not all! He is a servant of the divine who barely knows the scriptures! I heard he doesn’t even know the recitations of the passages that Goddess Freyja left us.”

Their argument was simple. Not only was it absurd that someone who didn’t pray, didn’t preach, and didn’t even follow the teachings could be called a Saint, but his actions were completely out of line with how a Saint was expected to conduct themselves.

“Every one of his actions tarnishes the honor of both our order and the Holy Empire.”

“We must speak out! We can’t just sit and watch anymore. If we raise our voices strongly enough, the higher ranks of the church will have to listen to us.”

“We must test whether he is truly fit to be a Saint—soon.”

As their debate began to cross the line, a priest walking by with a scripture in his hands stopped in his tracks. “Haaah. What’s to become of the Holy Empire at this rate?”

His name was Belliarm, Auxiliary Bishop. He was the priest who, not long after Davey had awoken from his coma, had made contact with him and provided various forms of support.

“Ah! Auxiliary Bishop Belliarm!” Noticing him from a distance, the young priests quickly stood and approached.

He turned to them and spoke, “Tell me, brothers. Do you all believe Grand Duke Davey of the Rowane Kingdom doesn’t behave as a proper Saint should?”

They weren't sure how to answer. “Well, that is...”

“Don’t worry, you can speak freely. Open debate is encouraged. That is the will of His Holiness, the Pope.”

The young priests exchanged nervous glances before one slowly spoke up, “Yes, we do. From what we’ve learned, Saint Davey O’Rowane is... well...”

“Not very Saint-like?”

“Yes! What I can’t understand is that he doesn’t even properly pray to the Goddess, nor does he hold Mass. Above all, I’ve even heard he can’t recite some of the core passages from the scriptures!”

A man like that being a saint made no sense to them. Belliarm was well aware of the young priests’ immature jealousy.

He also didn’t know Davey O’Rowane all that well. To him, Davey was someone with just the right amount of common sense. He was also someone far too secular to be called a man of faith.

The higher-ups avoided clashing with him at all costs. As long as Davey didn’t directly oppose the Holy Empire, they left him be.

However, the young ones were different.

“The Goddess moves with purpose. That’s not something mere creations like us should question,” Belliarm told them.

“But still—!”

“But still what? What is it you’re trying to say, Priest Roam?”

“That the Goddess made a mistake, choosing a delinquent like him—”

Belliarm instantly frowned at his comment, calling,“Priest Roam.”

“Eep!”

Startled, Roam fell silent as Belliarm gave him a stiff smile.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Go back to the confessional. Now.”

Though the other priests shared his sentiments, none of them had gone so far as to openly voice them like Roam just had.

Following Belliarm’s quiet rebuke, Roam slumped and trudged off to the confessional.

For a priest, someone who was supposed to dedicate everything to Goddess Freyja and spread her will, expressing doubt was enough to easily land him before the Inquisition for heresy.

Belliarm had let it slide, but others might not.

Especially other priests of the same rank, who saw him as competition.

Kneeling alone in the confessional, Roam whispered a prayer, “O’ God, forgive this foolish lamb.”

Then he suddenly felt a breeze stir around him. He paused mid-prayer and looked up.

“Found it. A suitable host.”

He saw a withered, grotesque creature clung to the ceiling of the confessional.

Paralyzed with fear, Roam tried to rise, only to collapse back down.

In the next moment, the monster dissolved into mist and slipped into his body.

After that day, Priest Roam vanished from the Holy Empire.