The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-443

A week passed by in a flash.

In addition to the person named Kuina, who was being hailed as an immortal and whom Aina had discovered, Davey also asked to investigate other individuals. However, this time, he didn't commission Aina alone but utilized the power of the entire Echo Guild.

Since Echo Guild wanted to collaborate with him and establish a bridge connecting them, they readily accepted Davey's request.

Of course, Davey had no intention of harming these individuals once he found them. To be honest, he was primarily interested in understanding the principles and workings of their abilities. However, his interest went no further than that—neither more nor less.

Davey still had limited knowledge about this unfamiliar world. Goddess Freyja was the great will that had existed since the beginning of time, but Davey knew only a fraction of her.

"How can you say that so confidently?" Perserque asked, her hands gripping the reins of the carriages they were using for transportation around the academy. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and her driving skills had significantly improved since their first ride.

Davey gazed at the tranquil scenery of the academy from the fast-moving carriage. He gently patted Rinne, who clung to his neck, on her head and asked, "Rinne, are all the weapons you can manifest based on my memories?"

"Rinne denies this explanation. Rinne has judged that it was part of the knowledge installed in Rinne's brain circuits from the very beginning."

Rinne's weapons were primarily created and manifested by gathering particles of light. Using rebar and referring to it as the Savior of Mankind during battles was just Rinne's personal preference. As for the high-temperature gun and the unique type of lightsaber she wielded in addition to the rebar, these were weapons not found in Davey's memories.

There was no other explanation except that they had been part of her programming from the very start. If that were the case, it would indicate her origin.

"But the ancient civilization from 10,000 years ago created similar things several times..."

"No relic related to Rinne's weapons has been excavated so far. Even the Abyss monsters did not possess detailed information about Rinne."

Perserque appeared surprised upon hearing Davey's words. Davey continued with his speculations as they headed toward the academy's enormous central auditorium.

"The Abyss itself did not have extensive knowledge of Rinne's existence. Moreover, they were not well-acquainted with the weapons Rinne wields. I'm merely offering a conjecture; I don't possess concrete proof."

The issue here was that the ruins where Hercules' clone had fought Abyss creatures for 10,000 years were similar in structure to the ruins controlling the entire Heins Territory or the ruins where Rinne's body and the God of Machinery (Deus Ex Machina) were discovered. Such a uniform design suggested a nearly impossible time gap between their constructions. So, how did this happen?

"Who knows? That's the part I'm still skeptical about. But if we think about it further..."

"Davey, we have arrived at the central auditorium." Rinne stretched out her finger and pointed at the auditorium.

Davey slowly stood up and placed Rinne on the ground. The central auditorium was buzzing with activity as many people had already gathered inside.

"There's only one possibility I can think of right now. The race or technology that created Rinne 10,000 years ago was extremely secretive."

It was a hypothesis with almost no chance of being true. Moreover...

"It could have been a civilization that existed for a very brief time."

If this were the case, it meant that the civilization that created Rinne had quickly fallen, and another civilization, the one responsible for Hercules' clone, had risen and fallen just as swiftly.

This was also an unlikely possibility. That was because it was not the effect caused by the simple flow of cause and effect. It meant that the entire civilization had completely evaporated and God’s will had created an entire new life form.

***

"You don't seem happy," Davey remarked.

Perserque's eyes widened in shock upon hearing Davey's words.

"Your expression hasn't been good since we discussed that topic earlier."

"Ah, it's nothing, Davey."

She seemed to be concealing something, but Davey didn't pry any further. Perserque was no longer under his leadership; she was now a respected adversary. He couldn't force her to reveal her concerns.

Upon entering the auditorium, countless eyes fixated on Davey. Most of them were in their early teens, some even younger. By Earth's standards, they were children at elementary or middle school age.

These children had all lost their parents in various wars, making them bereaved families. They were completely adrift, uncertain about their future and survival. It was far from amusing to consider their gathering as a mere attempt to overlook the needs of these war victims.

Although the Tionis Continent was known for its relative freedom and disregard for common norms, this area was inevitably neglectful. The only thing left for these victims was their honor; there was no real compensation. Hence, Davey felt compelled to embrace them. The reason behind his choice lay with one little girl, the very reason he decided to take them in.

When Davey glanced to one side, he spotted Myuu in her academy uniform. The girl excitedly jumped and waved at Davey upon seeing him.

‘You said that you wanted to go to school, right? Well then, I’d rather make one than leave you in the hands of someone else.’

***

Compensations were provided to the bereaved families of war veterans. For those in this category, it was a matter of concern. Young children, still unfamiliar with how the world worked, believed that the nation and the government were simply helping them. However, for those who had already learned the harsh realities of life, it was a different story.

Even though these children may have been ignorant and lacked education, they were not slow-witted. To them, nobles were distant figures perched at the top of society, individuals who could capriciously take their lives without reason. For those who could fend for themselves and act as adults, it wasn't a significant issue. However, for young children who had only lived with a single parent, carrying the label of a bereaved family made their lives much more challenging.

They now had to worry about whether they would have enough to eat tomorrow. But something had changed. Someone had promised to solve these problems for them.

Roseid, a boy in his early to mid-teens, was the son of a commoner. His father had died while serving as a soldier in the Pallan Empire. His father had been an exceptional hunter who volunteered as a soldier to protect his kingdom and home during the war.

However, Roseid's father never returned. The last time Roseid saw him, they had a small argument in the morning. Roseid felt bitterness. The only things his father had left behind were a sharp dagger and a well-maintained, albeit somewhat aged, bow.

While Roseid aspired to follow in his father's footsteps and become a hunter, the path was still far beyond his reach. His inability to work made it difficult for him to procure food for survival. Although he could rely on his neighbors for a time, Roseid knew that when they reached their limits, he would be forced to take risks to survive—either by hunting on his own or begging on the streets.

Despite considering this unfair, Roseid felt he had no other option. He eventually ventured into the forest to hunt for food, tracing a path he had taken with his father when he was younger. Although he was still young, he had learned many things from his father.

However, he ventured into the forest on market day, and unfortunately, encountered a wild monster that seriously injured him. Left with a battered body that could no longer hunt, Roseid found himself in despair.

Lacking the resources to eat properly, Roseid's health deteriorated, and his body wasted away. Those around him had reached their limits and were unable to provide further assistance. They were already struggling to make ends meet, so helping others became an impossible task.

Roseid gradually reached his breaking point. Just as he could no longer bear it and contemplated ending his life, he heard that a noble from another nation was looking for him. This noble promised to heal his body, provide him with an education, shelter, and clothing.

At first, Roseid couldn't believe it. After all, weren't all nobles the same? He remembered the tyranny of the noble from his previous territory, who had conscripted people overnight to gain favor with his attractive mother. However, Roseid had no means to refuse this offer, so he ultimately agreed.

Then, he arrived in Heins Territory. It was entirely different from any place he had lived before. Living there felt like a dream.

As Roseid rode in a luxurious carriage, a mode of transportation he had never experienced before, he couldn't help but wonder how they would use him. However, his thoughts were interrupted when they entered a massive building. Why? Because there were many children in situations similar to his own. Perhaps they were genuinely trying to compensate him for his father's service? This thought suddenly crossed his mind.

As Roseid followed the woman guiding him through the academy, he witnessed an eerie scene. Although people were present, what greeted him and the other children were translucent figures dressed strangely.

These were actually the spirits of the deceased from a lost civilization that had been cursed 5,000 years ago. However, their curse had already been lifted, initially only in the parallel world. Surprisingly, a week later, the ghosts on this side were also liberated from their curse.

[What? Ghost? Brat, do you want to die? Tch!]

The male ghost roared angrily, floating quickly until he was in front of Roseid and fixing him with a sharp glare.

[Hey.]

“Y-Yes, sir!”

[Do you think I’m a ghost?]

“Not at all, sir!”

Roseid thought that he should deny it first, since the male ghost obviously got angry when being called a ghost. However, ghosts were not your ordinary beings.

[I’m obviously a ghost, but you’re saying that I don’t look like a ghost. What the hell, are you an idiot?]

Grit…

Roseid gritted his teeth when he heard the man’s very blunt words.

‘What the hell is he saying? Is he a crazy ghost?’

No, why was a ghost wandering around this place in the first place? But the surprise didn't end there. Roseid was assigned to a dormitory and provided with various supplies. When he ventured outside to explore the academy, he saw numerous ghosts.

Adding to the ghosts, there were also various beings from different races, including beastfolk, dwarves, elves, and others, within this academy that appeared to be meant for noble children. Of course, the ghosts were not students of the academy.

[Kyaaaack!!! This is the ladies’ restroom! Get out of here!!!]

‘D-Damn it! There’s a ghost blocking the restrooms!’

The moment he entered the restroom, a ghost appeared and went hysterical, kicking him out in the process. Roseid just couldn't understand what the hell this place was.

“That’s the ladies’ restroom.”

“Ladies’ restroom? Are the restrooms for men and women separate?” Roseid asked incredulously.

Whether in public or private settings, restrooms for commoners were not separated by gender. From what Roseid had heard, there weren't even proper toilets and restrooms in many territories around twenty to thirty years ago.

One of the boys explained to him, “I don’t know either. Anyway, that pattern is for the ladies’ restroom, and this is for the men’s restroom.”

Then, the boy said they should go inside. So, he pulled Roseid with him, and...

[Hmm. These are amazing muscles. Yes. This is truly satisfying. Hmm? What’s going on here?]

“Ah…”

[You probably came in here because you have something to do, no? Then, I won’t bother you.]

Roseid’s jaw dropped open when he saw a muscular ghost scatter with the wind. But he wasn’t the only one that was surprised.

After the academy’s internal tour, the children were herded into a strange carriage and were sent to the central auditorium. One of the humans that sat in the front row manipulated something with his hand, and the carriage began to move on its own. It was quite bizarre too.

Not long after, Roseid arrived in a beautiful and magnificent hall, a hall that he would never be able to see as a commoner, and saw countless students standing side by side. He could not help but gulp when he saw some people standing in front of the podium.

“Fufufufu… Welcome… Welcome…” A man smiled grimly while holding a potato in his hand. The man was obviously a strapping and handsome young man but strangely enough, Roseid’s instincts were saying that he was dangerous.

“I can’t be the only one that suffered. I’ll make sure to knock all of the education that I received into you.”

If Roseid did not hear those murmurs then he might have felt at ease. But that wasn’t all. There was also a woman among the priests. That woman was called the symbol of benevolence and mercy, the Goddess’ daughter. These people were all beautiful. However, Roseid noticed the hidden feelings contained in their benevolent smiles. And that made cold sweat drip down his back.

“No matter who it is, we will catch them and turn them into a priest with monstrous abilities.”

“Aaaah… Aaaah! My power is overflowing!”

They somehow sounded like they were very determined to teach. It was strange. For a moment, Roseid wondered whether this place was truly a place where nobles attended. However, he could not make any conclusion. In the first place, Roseid and the other children here had no way of knowing that the people standing on the podium were all bigshots that would never be seen in any other academies.

Not long after, amidst the silence that enveloped everyone, the hero of the continent, the person that was called the Saint and the one that started all of this, appeared. His age was not that much different from Roseid. However, the aura and momentum in those eyes was completely different from all of the other nobles that Roseid had seen. Roseid felt something deeper than the skills and dignity that he had seen from his father but in a way there was a playfulness in his eyes.

Everyone’s eyes grew wide in shock when they saw a silver-haired girl walking beside the hero of the continent. No matter how poor he was when he grew up, it did not mean that he did not have eyes. The girl that was walking side by side with the boy was just too beautiful.

The girl showed a troubled smile. Perhaps it was because she felt troubled by the burdensome stares that were directed at her body. Usually, they would get their necks chopped off if they dared to look at someone like that. However, they could not take their eyes off of her. It was as if they were possessed by her beauty.

When the black-haired boy reached the center of the podium, where the knights, the priests, and the mages stood, the silence that enveloped the children finally broke apart.

“Welcome everyone. I’m sure all of you here are very surprised, no? You’re probably asking why this situation is happening?”

The buzz disappeared at the boy’s words.

“You can’t think of it as a mere reward. It doesn’t matter who did it, no? Thank you, everyone. Thanks to the strength that your parents have lent us, the continent has overcome the crisis, and we were able to maintain the peace.”

They thought that it was nothing but a mere lip service. Well, that was what the quick-witted older children had thought. As for the younger ones? They were just mesmerized by the appearance of their pretty and handsome older brothers and older sisters. However, most of the children thought that no matter what the boy said he would only talk about dignity and honor. But then, they fell silent at the boy’s following words.

“I might not be able to replace your parents’ existence but in the name of this continent’s Saint, I promise you… I will never forget your parents’ contributions. They are the great and mighty heroes that saved this continent. Since your parents could no longer hear me, I will tell you this instead. Thank you. Thanks to you, many people survived and lived.”

The straightforward words felt foreign to the children. That was when they heard someone sniffle loudly somewhere.

There were some children that thought that it would be alright even after hearing that their fathers had passed away. If this place was such a difficult place to live in then they’d rather have their parents die here and be born in a better place. They thought that it was fine. At the very least they were able to quickly escape the hard life of a commoner. So… why?

“Sob… sob, sob, sob…”

“Sob, sob, sob…”

So, why were they crying?