The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1269

Evangeline couldn’t stop thinking about her new baby brother.

She had heard that he carried something different within him, a power unlike anyone else. Even so, to her, he was nothing more than an adorable little brother.

She especially adored his tiny hands and little feet—he was so small that even Evangeline, still a child herself, could cradle him in just one arm. He couldn’t even open his eyes properly yet, and she found it unbearably cute.

Evangeline felt he was the kind of sibling that made a person want to do something for him, even if he was just lying there.

That same baby brother had been caught in a storm over his name. He had been offered a name that left his future unfixed, unable to promise him prosperity. It was that, or a name that guaranteed a good future but stole his freedom.

Either way, the baby had no say in the matter. If his name still wasn’t chosen before the upcoming Full Moon Festival, things would become complicated.

She had learned the details from Aeria, who had visited earlier to share updates about the child.

“What do you think?”

“I can understand wanting to give him the guarantee of a good life.”

It was a rather philosophical question they’d found themselves entrenched in.

Evangeline visited Davey’s younger sister Hyun-Ah, where she spoke with her two aunts. Both of them explained why it wasn’t just a simple matter.

“I think it’s better to give him a name like Abel tied to a guaranteed good future,” Hyun-Ah insisted.

“Oh, come on. A child isn’t a doll.”

Shin Yeon-Hee opposed the name Abel, while her sister Hyun-Ah instead wanted the boy to take it. Both made sense in their own way.

Hyun-Ah tried further to persuade her. “Think about it, Yeon-Hee. Isn’t a guaranteed good future better than an uncertain one?”

“First of all, it’s not truly guaranteed. Didn’t Davey say so himself? It’s just a guideline, not a promise.”

Though the child’s natural flow of fate might guide him toward that future, if something grew twisted along the way and he met a tragic end, nothing could be done about it.

“So Aeria, what do you want?”

“We’re also torn. I don’t want to give him the name Abel,” she replied. She believed that a parent’s duty was to give their son the most options, even if it meant uncertainty.

“But would that really include his own voice in the decision?” Yeon-Hee asked as she sat Evangeline between her legs and handed her an apple. “No matter how much parents love their child, they shouldn’t control the child’s life.”

“You’re right. That’s why it’s not an easy decision.”

“This Full Moon Festival... You have to decide before then?”

“Yes,” Aeria responded, followed by a sigh.

Yeon-Hee narrowed her eyes, then turned toward a man sitting on the sofa. His glasses rested on his nose as he kept tapping away at a tablet.

“What do you think, Uncle?”

He adjusted his glasses, still staring at the screen, and answered flatly, “A child isn’t a doll or plaything. A parent’s job is to show the road, not to force him to walk it.”

Yeon-Hee smirked. “See? Told you.”

“Uncle, seriously? If we can guarantee him a good future, shouldn’t we push him toward it? How else would he know what kind of future is coming?” Hyun-Ah argued.

“True, he wouldn’t know. But...” The uncle set down his tablet and looked up. “That’s not the same as giving him freedom.”

Hyun-Ah pressed, “So you’re saying it’s better to leave him to an uncertain future?”

Aeria, who had the same internal conflict, waited silently for his answer. While Evangeline didn’t quite understand all the moral implications, she grasped that both sides each had their own reasons.

The uncle then gave an unexpected answer. “It’s not like his parents are incompetent.”

Both Hyun-Ah and Yeon-Hee fell silent.

“Davey’s strong enough to keep his son from straying, girls. His body may have been weak as a youngster, but his spirit was always firm,” he said, glancing at Evangeline.

His stern face made him look intimidating, even almost angry in a way. Facing his stare, Evangeline felt her chest tighten as though she couldn’t breathe. She knew he was a good person, yet unlike Hyun-Ah and Yeon-Hee who she saw often, she found him hard to approach.

“Evangeline?”

She answered nervously under his sharp gaze, “Yes?”

The room filled with tension, until suddenly, his stern face bloomed into a smile. “I thought you’d like this, so I got it.”

He suddenly brought out a small box from behind his back and handed it to her.

“Ohh? It’s a Box Switch!” Her eyes sparkled in surprise.

Yes, her father could be called the richest man in the world, but he still insisted on forcing a frugal lifestyle on her.

Her uncle, on the other hand? While he understood that being thrifty and living sparingly had its place, he nonetheless thought Davey was too strict with her allowance.

“Call me grandpa.”

“Gr... Gr... Grandpa.”

Even though it may not have been the proper term given they weren’t related by blood, that didn’t matter to him. She was the daughter of the nephew whom he treated like his own son.

Facing his warm smile, Evangeline blushed and walked into his arms. He just chuckled happily and rubbed her cheek.

She suddenly shrieked, “Ow! Your... Your beard hurts!”

“Oh dear, sorry about that.” Only then did he seem to realize he was being a bit much and reluctantly let her go.

Hyun-Ah chuckled from the side. “Uncle, if people saw you acting like this outside, they’d laugh their heads off.”

After all, he had a reputation for being stern and strict in public.

He gave a big harrumph. “What does it matter? They can sue me if they don’t like it.”

“Where did you even learn to say stuff like that?”

“Hmm? Oh, I’ve been hearing it from some of the young interns lately.”

“So you went and made everyone lose their appetite during lunch again, huh,” Hyun-Ah commented.

Suffering her jab, he grimaced and snapped back. “Don’t talk nonsense! You guys should hurry up and get married already! Especially you, Shin Yeon-Hee!”

She couldn't believe she was suddenly catching strays. “Ah! U-Uncle!”

“You’re getting real close to the edge, you know.”

Her face went pale as she shouted back, “I’ll have you know, I’m seeing someone! Mind your business!!”

“Really? Then bring him home sometime soon. He better be solid. I don’t care how capable he is, as long as he’s loyal and only has eyes for you.”

“Oh come on!”

No one would think that these people were the ones running the world’s greatest corporation.

Letting out a hearty laugh, he turned to Aeria. “I’m not trying to pressure you guys, but I hope you’ll pass my message on to Davey.”

She nodded. “I’ll make sure he hears it.”

“A man can’t go around being that afraid of everything. If he keeps tapping at a bridge like that, he’ll wear it down before he ever crosses it.”

It was the kind of metaphor only the older generation used, but Aeria understood it perfectly.

She smiled softly, as though she had finally made up her mind. “Thank you all. Thanks to you, I’ve sorted out my own thoughts.”

Saying that, she reached to grab Evangeline. “Eva, shall we head back?”

“Huh? I’ve got a stream coming up soon, though...”

“Hmm. Then go ahead and just come next time. Still, your baby brother was just born...”

Evangeline kissed Aeria’s cheek and smiled sweetly. “I’m planning to take a solid break soon anyway.”

* * *

People say you can’t ignore the wisdom that comes with age.

That man’s advice hit Davey like a hammer.

“Davey, even after living a thousand years, some gaps in wisdom just can’t be closed.” Perserque chuckled, dressed in a flowing white gown, as she held the youngest in her arms.

“Yeah, no argument there.”

Both perspectives had their merits, yet as his uncle pointed out, there was one important fact Davey had overlooked.

He had to admit that the dream about his son becoming a playboy had made him overly cautious. Yet, that was just one of his many possible futures. Unlike other prophetic dreams, it could change with just a small shift in the present.

“Still, in a way, isn’t this the same as making promises you can’t keep?”

“You’ve done well so far, so I’ll continue to believe in you.”

Neither Aeria nor Illyna opposed the idea.

Davey smiled as he poked the cheek of the baby in his wife's arms. “Our youngest. From now on, your name is Abel.”

Abel O’Rowane.

To be honest, Davey still didn’t understand why Goddess Freyja had chosen that particular name. Yet, it didn’t matter. Once he made a decision, it wasn’t something he would easily go back on.

Perhaps even the baby found the name fitting, because Abel, who had been sleeping with a completely blank face, suddenly twitched and smiled brightly once Davey announced his new name.

“Aww! So cute...” Aeria practically squealed as she looked at him.

“Darian used to be totally expressionless. He smiles a lot now, though.”

Darian had barely shown any emotion as a newborn, while Abel had been smiling beautifully from the start.

“Alright, Davey. Time for feeding, so you better skedaddle.” Illyna soon pushed him out.

“Oh, right,” she suddenly added. “I heard Kouna came.”

“What?” He instantly made a puzzled face at the unexpected news.

Illlyna shook her head. “Davey, be nice to her, okay? Got it?”

She left those meaningful words behind, but he couldn’t help the complicated feeling that rose in him as memories of their last interaction resurfaced.

That’s when it happened.

Whummm.

Startled, Davey turned his head.

“Davey?” Illyna looked confused and called out his name, seeing him put on a surprised expression while staring out the window. “What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

‘I must be imagining things...’

Abel had been right there. Davey had felt his unique life wave, a blend of demonic force and divinity.

There was no way such waves could be spreading from anywhere else but right there.

In other words, he had to be mistaken.

More than anything, he didn’t understand why the sensation he’d felt just then hadn’t felt unpleasant, instead being strangely comforting.

“Guess I’m just a little tired. Might be time to stop by Earth soon. Gotta go see Uncle and that ugly octopus, as well. Maybe visit the Rowane royal family too.”

* * *

The moment Davey gave his youngest son the name Abel, the joint forces of the Gourmet Research Society and the Development Society, as well as Kouna, were already deep in thought, quickly plotting their next move.

They’d gathered under the pretense of revenge after going through so much because of Davey’s punishments, but they knew better than to get off track from what they loved—meddling.

The main objective was to fulfill Kouna’s request, and if Davey happened to get flustered in the process, that’d be enough for them to go home feeling satisfied. Even so, they all agreed they couldn’t afford to make any reckless moves that might truly provoke Davey.

They, veteran schemers, expertly laying out a light, simple plan before scattering.

“Think this’ll be okay?” Tiara asked.

Aeonitia let out a soft chuckle. “Do you really trust the Gourmet Research Society?”

“Nope, not at all. I’m not sure about Kouna, but that Gourmet Research Society? Never! They’re the icons of betrayal.”

“Then all we have to do is sit back and watch the show while we snack on some popcorn,” she said with a sly smile. “We’ll pretend to get along, then at the crucial moment, we’ll suddenly back out, leaving them high and dry. If anything goes wrong, those traitors at the Gourmet Research Society can take the fall!”

“Won’t this just cause even more trust issues?”

“Did you forget what happened last time? When we were hung after that fermentation device mess?” Aeonitia gritted her teeth. “They teased us nonstop!”

“After provoking Yuria, she almost flipped my skirt in front of everyone. I was mortified.”

Truthfully, Aeonitia and Tiara of the Development Society didn’t care so much about getting revenge on Davey. Their only goal was to mess with that annoying Gourmet Research Society.

“But what if something goes wrong?” Tiara cautiously asked.

Aeonitia grinned wickedly. “Among Earth’s culture, I heard this thing called April Fools’ Day is coming up soon. It’s a day where people can lie and get away with it. If things go south, we’ll just say it was an April Fools’ prank and try to smooth it over.”

Yet, that plan...

In another room, Yuria chuckled. “Fufufu. Everything’s going smoothly. Life’s been feeling pretty satisfying lately, hasn't it? Myuu’s off having fun with friends and doesn’t come to me much anymore, so I have more peace.”

“Rinne evaluates Yuria’s wicked scheme very highly. Rinne calculates that Myuu is avoiding contact due to those wicked schemes.”

The Gourmet Research Society was on the same page as their purported allies.

“Good thing the folks at the Development Society are so gullible! We absolutely cannot let any fallout land on us. This time, the entire society could blow up from the consequences. Whether we succeed or fail, we just have to pull out at the decisive moment.”

“What if we accidentally leave behind a trace of evidence?”

“In that case, we’ll just go beg. We can say we got curious about this Earth thing called April Fools’ Day and wanted to try it, only for it to get out of hand. They say people tend to be pretty forgiving with pranks on April Fools’ Day.”

Rinne nodded, while Marky looked thoroughly disturbed. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re really a high elf, and not a demon...”

“Oh dear, calling me a demon? I’ve never done anything I’d be ashamed of.” Yuria Helishana, the head of the Gourmet Research Society. To

In Marky’s eyes, that woman was a devil if there ever was one.

In the end, the only one unaware of all the turmoil and duplicitous deviance was Kouna, caught in the middle of it all.

“What should I wear so he’ll see me differently?”

What started as simple stubbornness had since become something else. With things having come so far, she found herself wanting to see that flustered expression of his that he made when he didn’t know what to do. She blushed as she held revealing outfits up to herself in her room before her mirror, one by one.

Of course, she never intended to actually do anything with him. Her goal was simple—fluster Davey, who still only saw her as a child.

She had no desire to stir up trouble in his household, so she planned to stop once she got enough of a reaction. She just wanted a bit of shock from Davey, watching as he began to see her not as a child, but a clearly grown woman.

That’d be enough for her.

Then it happened.

The door to the guest room she was staying in at the castle suddenly burst open, and as she turned her head in surprise, she met eyes with someone. They were red eyes that seemed like they’d been soaked in blood.

Startled by the unknown presence, she reflexively drew her beloved sword and infused it with Haitai’s power.

Sling!!

She dashed out in pursuit, but the strange sensation she’d felt just moments before was suddenly nowhere to be found.

“W-What was that...?” When she hurried outside, she suddenly noticed something on the floor. It was a handkerchief she’d never seen before, stained with what looked very much like blood.

Beneath it, a note was written.

K.R.

She couldn’t help but wonder whose initials they were.