The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-391

The inside of the academy, which had not yet been named, was devoid of students but filled with zombies. No, they weren't exactly zombies, but rather people who had turned limp as they dragged their bodies around—a rather spectacular sight, if one were to ask Davey. They were the prime example of what humans would become if driven to their limits.

"S-Save..."

Davey walked out of the lecture hall, feeling at ease, leaving behind mages on the brink of death and faculty members barely clinging to life. Just as he expected, whether they were experts or professors, there was nothing that a human being couldn't endure.

However, Archbishop Alice did not respond to him. She hadn't slept well for a few days and was begging for mercy. Of course, when it came to mental power, Davey was no stranger to such hardships. Having experienced even more grueling training, this was nothing but a simple warm-up for him.

Davey believed that the speed of their growth was already sufficient for the faculty. All that remained was to secure students who would evolve into formidable individuals. He ran his academy like a business, but that didn't matter. It was the necessary approach in this field.

He embarked on this journey because of his promise to Myuu—to provide her with an education. If he could assist the families of the fallen soldiers and treat them well, that would be more than enough.

Different nations? They had all fought together, risking their lives for a common cause. What did it matter where they came from?

"Davey, have you not taught Baris or Winley in the same way?" Aeonitia asked, concerned.

"Each person has their own path to growth," Davey calmly replied, his gaze fixed on Aeonitia and the dwarves creating a large pond on one side of the academy.

Aeonitia seemed teary-eyed and reluctant, but she was working hard. At least her body betrayed no falsehoods.

"Aina," Davey called out to the figure lurking in the shadows after a brief silence.

"Yes?"

"Do you still have no information about those two women?"

"We still haven't found any information about the woman named Urd."

Davey hadn't expected any immediate breakthrough in gathering information about her.

"After investigating the characteristics of the woman named Verdandi that you mentioned, I discovered something."

"Why mention it now?"

"Then, I won't tell you." Aina pouted.

Her response was deeply disappointing, capable of leaving anyone dumbfounded.

But Davey was different. He touched the ring on his hand and called out, "Dirro."

Swoosh…

At that moment, a liquid substance dripped onto the floor, gradually solidifying into a figure. Due to the added functions, Davey had to wait and determine if Dirro needed the ability of language and communication. Hence, Dirro stood silently, awaiting Davey's instructions after forming its body.

"Tie her up," Davey ordered.

In an instant, Dirro transformed one of its hands into numerous tentacles and directed them toward Aina.

"Ugh?!" Aina stifled the scream that threatened to escape her lips and took a large step backward.

"That... No matter how you look at it, it's a bit too..." she weakly protested, her face alternating between pale and red, her breaths ragged.

"Speak. I will be the judge of whether your information is good or bad," Davey interrupted Dirro and warned Aina quietly.

He knew all too well that Aina Helishana, this accursed dark elf, had peculiar inclinations and saw such perverted actions as a form of reward.

"There was a passing mention of an angel's existence in the Heresy Inquisition's Heresy Judgment List," Aina glanced at Dirro as she slowly relayed the information she had acquired.

"An angel?" Davey queried.

"Yes. It is said that an entity referring to herself as an angel has made several appearances, healing the wounded and the disabled."

"So, what does that have to do with Verdandi?"

Davey believed that the woman named Verdandi was likely a princess wielding the perilous power of the Abyss. Her primary objective was probably to sow chaos in the Tionis Continent, yet she was healing and aiding humans? It made no sense and raised doubts.

"There are countless Trait Ability Users in the world. It's plausible for anyone possessing a Trait Ability to perform such actions," Aina explained. "Davey, do you think someone on this continent would assume the title of an angel?"

That was the pivotal question. In this world, the concept of angels was associated with the Divine Race. Therefore...

"It's worth investigating."

"The last reported sighting of Verdandi was in the northernmost region of the Eastern Continent, where rumors about an angel-like figure originated."

Even the location was intriguing.

"However, rumors concerning Verdandi in that area are conflicting. Considering the rumors about the so-called angelic being, a thorough investigation is warranted."

"Speak. What do you desire?"

"Lend me Annabelle."

Davey furrowed his brow in confusion.

Annabelle was a biological golem that still required several adjustments. Davey had initially designed her for stealth purposes, giving her the appearance of an elf. However, something had gone awry during the process. She had developed peculiar traits, often behaving like a ghost, reminiscent of the spirits seen in horror movies back on modern Earth. The major concern was that her actions and demeanor emitted an eerie and foreboding aura, capable of invoking extreme fear.

"Annabelle?" Davey questioned.

"I may require dark magic at some point during the process," Aina explained.

Davey glanced back at Rinne, who was silently trailing behind him. Rinne nodded, her eyes turning blue, and muttered...

[Code Access: 857-262. Granting Annabelle permission for a solo mission. Temporarily transferring ownership from Davey O’Rowane to Aina Helishana.]

In the case of living dolls and golems lacking a proper ego, the owner's imprint was of utmost importance.

Having temporarily transferred ownership of Annabelle to Aina, she bowed quietly to Davey and reminded him, "And...do you remember what I told you before?"

Davey smiled. "So?"

"You promised that you would lend me a helping hand someday... Don't forget this promise," Aina said, her voice carrying a tinge of bitterness, as she vanished into smoke.

***

Another week had passed just like that. Now, anyone Davey encountered on his path would jump and tremble in fear at the mere sight of his figure.

Initially, they had been filled with enthusiasm. However, as time went on, they began to comprehend the harsh reality of training under Davey's leadership and the arduous journey to become stronger within a short period.

It amused Davey to witness their once passionate gazes transform into pure terror as soon as they caught a glimpse of him.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Sir Olman.”

“Cough!!! Urk! Cough!!!”

The warehouse, meant to be an abandoned place to hide their supplies and goods, should have been deserted. However, as Davey entered nonchalantly, he spotted Sir Olman coughing violently among a stack of boxes the moment he called out.

"Hmm, you should let me know when you're hungry."

"Prince, Prince Davey... Why are you here in this place…?"

Olman was still a nobleman who had entered the elite course and risen to become the Pallan Empire's chief imperial knight. He was a man of strong moral principles and possessed enough talent to become a Sword Master at a young age. Yet, at that moment, this gentleman was squatting amidst a pile of boxes, stuffing potatoes into his mouth.

‘Maybe I should put some chocopie here somewhere?’

“Cough… Cough, cough, cough!!!”

Startled by Davey's sudden appearance, the very object of his fear, Olman found the potato he had stuffed in his mouth getting lodged in his throat. In the end, Davey had to approach the knight, pat him on the back, and offer him a bottle of water he had retrieved from his pocket plane.

"What I wanted to ask you is, what are you doing here...?"

Olman, his face pale, looked up at Davey and asked, his voice filled with desperation, "Prince, Prince Davey... Do you perhaps hold a grudge against me?"

***

"Aaaaaaaaack!!!" Archbishop Alice screamed, hurling whatever item she could grasp, displaying the behavior of someone in a state of hysteria.

"A monster... That guy is a monster!"

Alice, who had been designated as one of the Saintess Candidates since childhood, had lofty ambitions. She would do anything and everything as long as it didn't cross the line of becoming the Saintess Candidate. She worked tirelessly, even sacrificing sleep, until she saw the light. As a result, she was known to possess an astonishing amount of holy mana, except for a select few, within the Holy Empire.

However, the method Davey had instructed them to follow in order to enhance their proficiency in handling holy mana was utterly reckless and ignorant. For priests, the emphasis should lie not in their mastery of holy magic, but rather in maintaining a devout heart and mind. However, Davey had told them...

[Let's first improve your proficiency. Then, I will reveal to you the truth of the world and the god you serve. A sincere and faithful heart? Do you believe I can assist you in refining and remodeling yourselves with that? It varies from person to person. You all aren't new to this, are you?]

Then, he had imprisoned her within a magic circle brimming with holy mana, subjecting her to suffering.

[Let me make this clear: proficiency is the most vital aspect of holy magic. From now on, I will strip you of all your holy mana and use it against you, Archbishop Alice. If you wish to survive and continue living, you must ensure that I don't take everything away from you, understand? Haha.]

Thump… thump…

The sound of footsteps echoed from a distance. It wasn't Davey's main body; instead, it was just a clone formed from a strand of his hair. His true self was occupied with searching for the scattered knights who had hidden themselves from him.

It was indeed surprising that Alice was being manipulated by nothing more than a clone. However, that wasn't the crucial point. What mattered was that he was drawing near.

Creak…

Alice looked at the boy, who was sporting a bright smile on his face as he entered the room, with dark circles under her eyes. She immediately prayed a desperate plea to Goddess Freyja, ‘Goddess Freyja. Please grant this suffering lamb of yours a handful of your benevolence and mercy…’

A miracle would definitely come to find her as long as she believed.

“Prince Davey… As one person to another, please…”

“Let’s start.”

But there was no miracle.

***

The mages who had come to Heins Territory on the recommendation of Hellison Valestia were mostly at the 4th or 5th Circle. Some had been enticed by rumors about Prince Davey, while others were solely influenced by the sage's endorsement.

Yulis was originally intended to join them, but his involvement was significantly delayed due to an ongoing project he was working on.

These mages, willing to sacrifice even their souls in pursuit of knowledge, believed that by arriving early, they would have more opportunities for learning. However, everything had taken a twisted turn from the very beginning.

[You're all different from the others, right? Each one of you is a strong and resilient adult. Your endurance must be exceptional, so I'll raise the intensity a bit. From now on, your task is to decipher the formulas I've written on the paper I'll provide. How? That's for you to figure out. However, if you can't solve it within an hour, then...]

What followed was a baptism of hellish magical attacks. Mages were considered superior beings in the world, but at this very moment, they were nothing more than helpless fish on the chopping block.

Hell would be unleashed the moment they failed to solve the enigmatic formula they could only attempt to decipher through random guesswork. Naturally, in order to survive, the mages had to give their all. They were consumed by an unprecedented desperation to solve this problem, surpassing any previous instances in their lives.

Though they weren't entirely without assistance, as numerous reference books were provided for consultation, they questioned if there had ever been a moment in their lives when they practiced magic and studied formulas with such relentless dedication.

Thump… Thump…

The echoing sound of the footsteps of the sinister Saint resonated in their ears. It appeared that their time had run out once again.

"Oooooh... Goddess Freyja, I implore you..." pleaded an elderly man, seemingly around seventy years old. However, as a mage who had not worshiped any god in his lifetime, his plea for the goddess' mercy was heartfelt but straightforward.