The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-463

In the continent of Tionis, witches did not exist. Their origin stemmed from the past, when the Heresy Tribunal branded individuals with malicious abilities as witches. The problem was that this tribunal, which has since disappeared, was far from a legitimate group. Their primary objective had been to consolidate the power of their holy nation by creating fear.

Many innocent beings were sacrificed in the process — an undeniable truth. However, it was not as if there were no beings deserving of the title "witch." Individuals with such unique abilities that they could be considered superhuman; was she one of them?

The unidentified magical book she clutched and her appearance certainly gave off a witch-like impression, especially since she wore an unnecessarily pointy hat.

The real concern was something else.

"Little one, this is a dangerous place. Off you go," she said, waving her hand dismissively. Davey met her gaze squarely.

"Have we met before?"

"I'm not sure. Do you always engage in pointless endeavors?" she replied languidly, adjusting the magical book she held. It looked quite heavy at first glance.

"Little one..."

"You might be ageless, but from the looks of it, you seem more like the 'little one.' Let's get our titles straight," Davey interrupted.

"Hmm, witches don't age, you know."

"Are you the infamous witch from the Kingdom of Briouk?"

She responded with silence.

"Regardless, there's something I want to verify with you."

The Mass Teleport incident was vital to the Kingdom of Briouk, but Davey had his focus elsewhere.

"Is your name, by any chance, Verdandi?"

She remained silent.

The witch he met in the forest while searching for a monster — was she the Abyssal Princess, Urd's sister, Verdandi? It was difficult to tell just by looking. If she was indeed the real Abyssal Princess Verdandi, she would not bother hiding because she would not know that Davey was seeking her. Davey could not feel any abyssal power from her, making it difficult to judge.

“Perserque.”

Davey gave a subtle sign to Perserque to investigate her.

The witch’s eyes narrowed slightly. But just as she seemed about to say something…

Boom!

A massive sound and vibration emanated from the other side of the forest. In a flash, the witch disappeared, leaving Davey behind.

"She vanished in an instant."

"Did you check?"

"All I could confirm was her dominion over this magical boundary... Nothing more."

If even Perserque’s abyssal power could not discern the witch’s identity, it was likely she was not Verdandi. Moreover, the power she had just used was not abyssal, but the unique independent power found in certain individuals.

"It seems we hit a dead end."

Although Davey and his companions, Aina and Reina, had narrowed down their leads, what followed was entirely unexpected.

"Where could she be hiding that makes her so hard to find?" Davey mused, annoyance rising.

"If she were easy to locate, the Abyssal Princess Urd would have found her by now. I too wonder why she's been hiding in this world for so long."

"Let's go back."

If they had concluded she was not the Abyssal Princess Verdandi, there was no personal reason to continue searching. The clear-cut conclusion was somewhat deflating.

"Davey."

"Hmm?"

"What will you do once you find this Abyssal Princess Verdandi?"

To Perserque’s question, Davey, maintaining his usual expressionless demeanor, continued walking toward the edge of the forest. There had always been a predetermined answer to that question.

"I'll kill her."

He could not afford to leave any trace of the Abyssal intertwined with Perserque.

* * *

The witch's barrier was structured in a way that prevented crossing through the sky. A dense fog spread high above, rendering it completely invisible. As Davey moved toward the source of the incessant noise, he came across a scene of countless monsters surrounding people.

"My God..."

It was already too late. About a dozen knights appeared lifeless, lying on the cold forest floor in silence. The monsters around them were frenziedly feasting on their corpses. Though he had heard that an immediate search wouldn't occur, he had no time to dwell on it. Embracing White Tiger, who followed closely, he diverted the creatures' attention.

"Hey!"

The massive creatures hesitated momentarily and then turned their gaze toward him. They were Blood Boars, monsters Davey recognized from his time with the Reinforce Alpha Knights. He knew they were typically hunted by factions other than the Reinforce Alpha, specifically the main Last Wisp headquarters.

These carnivorous creatures were known for possessing strength many times that of a grizzly bear, and the blood stains around their mouths only added to their grotesque appearance. The creatures, jaws dripping with a mix of saliva and blood, growled and stared at Davey.

Maintaining a stoic expression, Davey whispered, “I’m sorry for disturbing your meal.”

White Tiger, nestled in his arms, flashed his eyes and emitted a low growl.

"White Tiger, punch."

The cat's powerful swipe proved surprisingly effective. In a swift motion, akin to Davey releasing him, White Tiger lunged at the Blood Boars with his large paws.

* * *

White Tiger was truly valiant. His powerful paws swiftly knocked down the mighty Blood Boars, relentlessly trampling and tearing them apart. White Tiger, embodying the majesty of a wild beast, was infused with a power resembling that of earth spirits.

With a final roar, after sending the last Blood Boar flying, White Tiger looked at Davey. Then, he suddenly lay down, stretching out as if he was about to nap after a job well done.

Approaching cautiously, Davey noticed White Tiger glancing at him before closing his eyes.

"Well done…"

Davey gently stroked White Tiger's side, eliciting a contented purr from him. Apparently, having a touch of arrogance was characteristic of these mystical creatures.

"Davey, look at this. It's the mark of the Briouk Kingdom's Royal Knights."

"Did they come for a search?" Davey guessed the Crown Prince must've made a unilateral decision while he was in the forest.

He silently observed the fallen knights, then collected the silver necklaces from their necks. Planning to bury the bodies there, he intended to only take items that could identify them. Amidst this, he found two video recording artifacts in one knight's armor storage. One was functioning, but the other appeared damaged and would not turn on.

"A video recording artifact... This one's still recording?"

"It might have information about who killed them," suggested Perserque.

Davey turned off the recording device and quickly reviewed the saved footage. It recorded the knights entering the forest, carefully making their way into the barrier. There seemed to be nothing unusual. However, the footage showed them walking into a strange fog and captured a shocking scene: a quadrupedal monster with green skin and massive muscles.

Recognizing the creature, Davey muttered, "King of Evil Beasts, Braga."

Known as the host of legions and magic, this beast had once imprisoned the arrogant wizard Merlin in a mana pumpkin for a long time without killing him. Although Merlin eventually emerged with overwhelming talents due to a series of coincidences, the creature’s magic baptism was undoubtedly responsible for the knights' demise.

Davey watched the footage in silence for a while, then stored the broken artifact in his Pocket Plane and kept the functioning one in his pocket.

Even if he were to gather the broken pieces, he intended to return the precious information about their deaths and the one responsible for it to the kingdom of Briouk. It would be the only thing that might ensure their deaths were not in vain.

"Broken pieces?"

"Well, curiosity got the better of me, so I thought I'd fix it."

Human curiosity was profoundly deep. Afterward, Davey gathered the bodies of the knights in one place. He then addressed White Tiger, saying, "Bury the bodies here."

The creature only flicked its tail, making no move to comply.

"White Pup."

Another tail flick. It seemed as though White Tiger was listening but chose not to act.

"Fire Chicken, attack."

Screeeeech!!!

At Davey's command, Fire Chicken lunged at White Pup, which quickly jumped away, putting distance between himself and Davey.

"Do you want to get hit, or will you listen?"

White Pup hesitated, glancing between Davey and Fire Chicken. Then, he gradually closed and opened his eyes. A surge of immense power emanated from it, causing the ground to shift, and soon the earth swallowed the bodies of the knights.

* * *

The news Davey brought turned the kingdom upside down. Although the Crown Prince had dispatched the knights without the King's order, no noble raised it as an issue. It was clear that most of the nobility sided with the Crown Prince over the King.

"King of Evil Beasts, Braga, is here... It makes sense. He's what they call a host of magic. It would not be strange for him to use the 8th Circle Teleport."

"Monsters using magic? That's laughable."

"Braga uses magic instinctively. He's a unique monster," Reina whispered to Davey, who nodded in agreement. "But surely, Braga was known to inhabit the southern part of the continent. Why now?"

Even as Davey conversed quietly with Reina, the royal hall was in turmoil.

"We can't ignore such a dangerous creature even for a day!"

"It's a monster that killed dozens of our proud knights in an instant. Do you think we can easily subdue it?"

The nobles' arguments intensified.

"We have the great sage, the saint, the warrior of light, and the princess of the sword here! Many more are willing to help!"

"This monster is an issue within our Briouk kingdom. Involving external forces is problematic!"

Amid the ongoing debates, Davey discreetly looked at the shattered artifact he held. It was damaged, likely due to the impact. But he wondered, “Doesn't this look like it was broken by human hands?”

“It's likely speculation. It probably broke during the intense battle,” Perserque reasoned.

Davey did not argue, considering Perserque's point more plausible. Still, he couldn't shake off his intuition that someone might not have wanted the contents to be known.

"But where did such a monster come from?"

"Perhaps the witch summoned it or created it to destroy the kingdom."

"How can that be..."

"We mustn't forget about the witch. She's accused of massacring innocent citizens of this kingdom long ago."

Davey thought of the black-haired girl he met in the forest. She herself said she was a dangerous witch. But even with Perserque's powers and his own judgment, he found it hard to believe she could commit such acts. The evidence pointed at her, especially since she was wandering the capital during the monster attack. Davey was convinced that there was more to her than met the eye.

"It's not speculation. It's a fact."

The previously silent Crown Prince, Greid Malon Briouk, adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses. He then stood and addressed the King. "Your Majesty, that monster came from the very magical realm that the witch controls!"

"Crown Prince, a peculiar monster that even uses spatial travel, appeared all of a sudden..."

"That's not the only evidence," he said coldly. "Some soldiers witnessed it. When that monster opened the passage and sent other monsters through, that witch was inside the capital."

The room was engulfed in an icy silence at his words.

"Is it really true?"

"It's evident. Everything fits now. According to the hero of light, the monster named Braga resides in the southern continent."

"And?"

"What more do you need to see? That damned witch summoned the monster from the south to destroy our Briouk Kingdom! Doesn't it all make sense?" Prince Greid Malon Briouk approached and knelt. "Please don't let more innocent people die, Your Majesty. I implore you to send a search party immediately to capture the witch and subdue the monster!"

"The monster is a product of unstable magic, but I've heard it uses the 8th Circle Mass Teleport. Do you think you can handle such a creature?"

Reina stepped forward, fidgeting with the grip of her sword. "Don't worry about that. King of Evil Beasts Braga is known as the host of legions and magic. But after using its magic excessively, it becomes incapacitated from casting for about a week. If we can counteract its multiple monster escorts and magic, especially now that its magic is sealed, it shouldn't be hard to subdue."

The time was ripe. Upon hearing her, the king clutched his head with one hand, seemingly overwhelmed.

"Grant us your approval, Your Majesty. If we continue to tolerate the witch, who knows what might happen in the future?"

Your passage is engaging and well-structured. Here's a slight refinement for smoother readability:

Prince Greid's words made Illyna and Yulis wince. His statement implied a threat to the king's reign. However, no one intervened. It was a rule that external powers could not interfere with internal state matters. Even a sage or an imperial princess had boundaries. Despite his son's stark warning, the king maintained his silence before finally opening his eyes.

"I'm ashamed to admit that our Briouk Kingdom, as it stands, might not be equipped to handle that monster."

Hellison Valestia slowly rose to his feet. "A magic-using monster? Intriguing. I can't guarantee extensive help, but as the elder of the Red and Central Towers, I'll lend a hand."

"Being an officially recognized hero, I should also assist. After all, I might be the only one with information on Braga."

"The Pallan Empire will also participate. Now that outside issues are involved, we will protect the kingdom in the name of the Central Empire."

Several other factions declared their positions—some chose neutrality, some opted for observation, and others pledged to join the fight. These decisions were made after careful deliberation of their respective organizations' interests.

"As for Davey the Saint..." Prince Greid turned to Davey and asked, prompting Davey to close and then slowly reopen his eyes.

The king's expression remained stern throughout. Both the prince and the king loved their kingdom. The only difference was the prince's eagerness to kill the witch and the king's intent to spare her.

“Davey, is this really the right path?”

“One would not knowingly take on blame. Perserque.”

"I'll help with defeating Braga. Well, maybe I'll ask for a share, okay?"

Laughter echoed around at Davey's lighthearted comment. And so, an alliance to deal with King of Evil Beasts Braga was formed.

As the meeting concluded, Davey glanced around at the dim surroundings before returning to his quarters. There, he placed a shattered magical artifact on a small desk. It was an artifact filled with some sort of magic but was damaged and non-functional.

'What secrets are you hiding?'

Driven by curiosity, Davey started disassembling the magic artifact, gradually modifying and repairing it.