The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-456

"Heh… Hehhehheh." A boy with a mischievously cute look let out a sinister laugh, contorting his face with malevolence. "How dare you challenge me, a faithful servant of Neltarid. Prepare yourself thoroughly."

The boy's name was Kain, and he referred to himself as a Valkyrie, claiming to serve an obscure deity named Neltarid. Davey noted that, despite Kain's very young appearance, which seemed to be around 10 to 13 years old, everyone knew he did not grow in the conventional way. After all, he was born just a day ago.

Using the unique power imbued with a peculiar light that he possessed, the boy poured some of it into a flask. Then, with another chilling laugh, he held up a seemingly ordinary potion bottle. "Perfect, it's complete. I wonder if the activated solution will reveal its effects when smelled or consumed? Shall we verify?"

Among the ways to test potions, one can determine their properties by smell. Unstopping the bottle, he brought it close to his nose. A look of satisfaction spread across his face, causing the blue wings on his back to flutter continuously.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a blonde girl entered unexpectedly. Caught off guard, Kain hastily concealed the potion bottle he was holding and forced a smile. "Mother! You look beautiful!"

"Aw, you don’t need to say that…"

Though she appeared flustered, there was a hint of amusement in Illyna's voice as she chuckled. "How do I look?"

"Umm… I might not comprehend human aesthetic senses well, but one thing is for sure. You are the most beautiful in the world!"

Blushing at Kain's response, Illyna touched her cheek.

"Should I find out…?"

"Nothing. Just stay put here for today."

Although he had been given the name Kain de Pallan, there were many complications regarding him appearing in official settings. Therefore, Illyna refrained from revealing Kain's existence to the outside world until a decision was reached.

"Thank you. By the way, what were you doing? What are these potions?"

Surveying the various potions and herbs, some from the Mage Tower, the Alchemist faction, and temples, Illyna cast a suspicious glance at Kain. He awkwardly waved his hands, dismissing her curiosity.

"Oh, it's nothing! Don't worry, Mother!"

"Hmm… Alright then."

Although still doubtful, Illyna left the room.

Kain exhaled deeply before laughing sinisterly once more. "Heheheh…"

Thanks to contact lenses made by Davey, Kain’s normally pupil-less blue eyes appeared as if they had blue pupils, concealing his true nature. "With this, I'll make that man drink it! Hehe… Hehe… Hehehe... Cough! Cough cough!"

Suddenly, he broke into uncontrollable laughter, choking on his own amusement. Tears formed as he suffered through the fit before he turned his head. In the mirror, a similar figure mirrored his actions.

[How's that? Looking forward to it?]

"Yes! I love it! Such a perfect potion."

[Yes. With that, you can punish the despicable human who was with your mother.]

"But going overboard wouldn’t be good."

[Hey, don't you trust me? We are servants of the harmonious deity Neltarid! I wouldn't advise you to harm someone. Besides, you initially wanted to kill that human because he tried to harm your mother.]

"That was because he tried to harm Mother."

[Excuses.]

"Are there no other Valkyries besides you and me?" Kain inquired.

The figure in the mirror nodded. [Sadly, no. Right now, I can't tell you everything, but in time, I will. One certain fact is that our race has faced extinction before.]

"But you're still here, right?"

[I am your only friend. Trust me, my friend. Even if all of our race is gone, I'll be by your side.]

At these words, Kain reached out with a bitter expression toward the figure, which stepped back.

[Now, return. The power of Neltarid aids you in many ways. Even though all Valkyries have perished, remember that we still have allies.]

The figure vanished, and Kain looked at the potion bottle in his hand. It was a potion that would cause itching for two hours upon consumption. Its effects were immediate, and it would certainly torment that despicable human. Clutching his small fist, a glint appeared in Kain's eyes.

* * *

Back at the fencing tournament and now at the magic tournament, events unfolded under the sponsorship of the Three Empires. This magic tournament was hosted by the Pallan Empire, and Crown Prince Sullivan sent Illyna outside the empire to establish her reputation by entrusting her with this task. It would be a great accomplishment if nothing went wrong.

The day before the tournament began, ten young boys and girls entered the banquet hall. Watching the scene from a distance, Davey unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.

"Big Brother!" A young girl with green hair rushed over and hugged Davey tightly.

Davey couldn't hide his smile as he embraced the young girl and patted her head. "Winley, you've grown so much."

She nuzzled her head against him, responding, "Why have you changed so much?"

"You recognize me?"

"How could I not recognize my own brother?"

Despite undergoing a transformation that made him appear to be in his twenties, Winley recognized Davey instantly.

"It's been a while, Davey. I've been so busy that I haven't been able to contact you properly."

"Hello, Yulis."

"I've heard a lot about you. Always doing something impressive. What happened to you, though? You've changed quite a bit."

Unlike Winley, Yulis did not seem to recognize Davey.

"I underwent a metamorphosis."

"Well, nothing about Davey should surprise me anymore."

It was almost impossible for someone of Davey's age to undergo such a transformation. Only Illyna was known to have achieved this at their age, and Davey's transformation was not widely known.

"Oh my, Yulis! Long time no see."

"Ah, Princess Illyna."

Initially following Davey, Illyna walked up, laughing.

Yulis grinned. "You've grown into a fine young woman, Illyna. More beautiful with each passing day."

Anyone listening would think it a romantic statement, but Illyna did not seem pleased. She complained, "You still treat me like a child."

"Hahaha..."

"Oh, look at the time! Sister! It's our first meeting, but I've heard so much about you!"

Winley, looking at a wristwatch made by Aeonitia, seemed surprised but soon playfully held both of Perserque's hands.

"Oh, it's been a while."

"Hehe, it's my first time seeing you. You're so beautiful."

"Thank you."

A playful look flashed in Perserque's eyes, which were filled with mischief. However, when Davey tugged her hair from behind, she pouted.

"You're always so quick-witted."

"Don't play unnecessary pranks."

Whenever she felt stressed from Davey's actions, Perserque tended to play pranks on those around her. Nevertheless, in their relationship, Davey always had the upper hand.

"I heard you two are getting married," Winley said.

"Well, we're still in the planning stages."

There was no need to hide it, so when Davey gave a vague answer, Winley looked at him in surprise.

"I was always curious about who my brother would get engaged to. I'm glad."

Winley had once learned about Perserque's identity through Davey. Due to her friendly nature, she managed to prevent any awkward atmosphere.

"I'll go into the banquet hall now."

"You're participating in this tournament?"

"Hehe. I'm a 4th Circle magician. I won't be easily defeated." Winley, laughing happily in her beautiful green dress, entered the hall.

Yulis grinned, commenting, "Winley has been looking forward to this tournament. She couldn't just sit by when her twin brother, Prince Baris, is participating."

Being a 4th Circle magician, Winley had rich combat experience since childhood. She should easily rank high.

"I'm a bit worried, though," Yulis muttered calmly.

"Worried?" Illyna asked.

"Actually, he's participating in this tournament."

"Who?"

"There's a boy from a common background who was recognized for his merits and became a young noble. His name is Merlin. He's exceptionally... No, he is an incredibly talented magician."

Davey waved his hand dismissively. "They're just kids, after all."

"No, he's reached the 5th Circle level at his young age. And furthermore..."

Davey noticed that Yulis trailed off as he smiled weakly.

"He crossed the 6th Circle's barrier while dueling with me."

"Duel?" Illyna seemed interested in the unexpected term and asked.

"Yes. It was an unintentional duel, but there's no hiding it. I lost to Merlin once."

Illyna looked genuinely surprised at Yulis’ words.

Who was Yulis? In the world of magic, he was hailed as one of the geniuses who reached the 'Swordmaster' level, or 6th Circle, in his mid-to-late 20s. Becoming a master as a mage was even more difficult than for swordsmen.

"I have nothing to hide. Yes, I was defeated by his magic once."

"Really... Weren't you at the beginning of the 6th Circle? Even if you're the same rank, there should be a gap in experience with you, Yulis..."

Illyna asked as if it was unbelievable, but Yulis refrained from answering.

"He handled magic in a quite fascinating way. Moreover, his talent was truly overwhelming. He was just entering the 6th Circle then, so he might have reached the expert level by now."

"That fast?"

"Merlin's mentor was only the 3rd Circle. He had long surpassed such a mentor. Many mage towers tried to recruit him, but there was one issue," Yulis said.

Davey silently looked at the banquet hall.

"He was extremely bored. His talent was so overwhelming that he couldn't find magic interesting. Despite his outstanding talent, my mentor believed it wasn't a good sign, so he was overlooked."

Merlin apparently did not have favorable feelings toward the towers. Upon the Great Sage's word, those who wanted to recruit him all backed off.

"I've heard he's been quite vocal about it. Saying he could surpass the Great Sage soon, that magic is too easy and boring for him, and that all the magicians here are fools."

"Goodness. There's a limit to arrogance." Illyna made a stunned expression.

"But his talent is real. Well, he isn't inherently bad. He just hasn't encountered any real challenges."

"To be honest, there are even more monstrous beings here." Illyna's gaze briefly met Davey's.

"What are you looking at?" Davey said.

"Anyway, his temper is just as bad."

"Hahaha... Well, I need to prepare to greet my mentor as I'm part of the organizing committee. My mentor, Sage Hellison Valestia, will be attending this competition. Illyna, you'll obviously be watching as an organizer, right? Davey, will you be participating?"

"Should I?" Davey made a joke, making Yulis break into a cold sweat.

"Even as a joke, stepping on the hopes of young talents seems wrong."

"So, I won't be participating." Davey was not interested in pointless slaughter. "I'll just watch and enjoy the competition, ensuring everything goes smoothly."

The last swordsmanship competition had been canceled midway due to an incident involving a vampire named Shari and the 7th Prince of the Boltis kingdom. So, this time, Davey just wanted to observe.

After Yulis left, only Perserque and Illyna remained, an awkward silence filling the space.

"Do you think that boy might hurt Winley?"

"He probably won't. Don't jump to conclusions."

If something did happen, that would be a different story. But, from what Davey knew, the boy named Merlin only showed overwhelming skills in duels and did not bully anyone.

"Mother!" A young boy wearing a robe ran quickly toward Illyna from a distance.

"Kain?"

"Mother! There you are!"

As Kain clung to Illyna like a baby bird to its mother, Davey could not help but click his tongue, which earned him a glare from the boy.

"What are you looking at, human?"

"You want to die?"

"Ugh!"

Seeing Kain instinctively shrink back, Illyna gently stroked his head. "I told you, Davey is a precious friend. You should apologize."

"But, but..."

"Do it now."

Surprisingly stern, Illyna's tone made Kain reluctantly pull out a small vial. It was a high-priced mana potion.

"Hmph! Just drink this!" Embarrassed, Kain handed Davey the potion.

Illyna chuckled. "Are you shy?"

"No, not at all!"

"Davey, the child is offering. Won't you accept?"

Davey silently took the potion from the boy. For a moment, he thought he saw a smirk on Kain's lips.

Suddenly, a playful glint appeared in Perserque's eyes. She asked, "By the way, Illyna, is the mana flow from the blood Davey donated okay?"

"Ah... Well, it was initially active, but it has been quite sluggish lately."

Davey responded to Illyna's remark, "Then, you should drink this, not me. You're lacking in total mana. It's fairly expensive, so you should have it."

Illyna hesitantly, almost doubtfully, took the bottle. "Will it really have an effect?"

"It'll be enough."

"Ah... Oh, Mother!"

"Why are you like that, Kain?"

As Illyna opened the bottle to smell its contents, Kain seemed visibly restless and uncomfortable.

"It's... it's..."

"What happened?"

"No, it's just..."

"Hmm?"

Just as Illyna was about to take a sip from the bottle, there was a sudden scream. Kain swooped in and snatched the bottle out of Illyna's hands. Then, he started gulping it down.

As this happened, both Davey and Perserque could not help but smirk as Kain’s face turned blue.

"Eugh..."

And then, the effect became instantly apparent.

"Ahahahahahahahaha!!"

Unable to contain himself, Kain began rolling on the ground in laughter. Illyna's face twisted in confusion and horror.

"What... what is this?"

"Just kids playing tricks, causing some mischief. It's just a tiny thing." Davey chuckled.

Even as Kain was sobbing, he could not stop laughing. All the while, he gave Davey a murderous glare.

Illyna tried to calm the boy down, but the effects did not fade easily. She said, "Davey! Do something!"

Davey simply shook his head. "Why should I...?"

Just then, from the direction of the banquet hall, Davey felt a familiar movement of mana. With a stern expression, he immediately began to walk toward it.

Perserque, dressed in a monochromatic dress, seemed to have sensed the same thing as she transformed into a smaller form and perched on Davey's shoulder.

A banquet was not a place for wielding magic. It was a place where the budding contributors to the continent's future from across borders built relationships. Yet, in such a place, mana moved. And it was unmistakably Winley's.