The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1281
Boom!! Boom!!
The Valchas Empire, also known as the Holy Empire, was a symbol of peace. Yet, there in the middle of its thriving capital, massive explosions and strange phenomena were unfolding.
Screams and chaos. A horrifying scene that seemed utterly unimaginable in a city devoted to the goddess was taking place.
“The Paladin Knights! What are they doing?!” someone screamed.
“The 1st, 3rd, and 11th Divisions are currently subduing and protecting the panicked citizens caught up in the chaos. The 4th, 7th, 8th, and 12th Divisions are evacuating the wounded and those left exposed to danger!”
“What about the rest of the knights?!”
“They’ve been dispatched to investigate the anomalies appearing all over the city!”
The situation was complete chaos. In the reddened sky above, one could see ghostly white forms being sucked upward. They didn’t feel like souls, yet relating them to life energy didn’t seem right either.
Davey had seen that crimson sky before.
The sky above the royal castle of Haetan had looked just like that.
“In other words...”
“This is...”
“It’s identical to what we saw at the Royal Castle in Haetan,” Davey confirmed. “But unlike there, something here is being absorbed.”
As she watched the pale forms rising into the sky from all directions, Alice spotted a man staggering out of an alleyway. His body trembled, and then something expelled itself from within him before he suddenly collapsed.
She rushed toward him. “It looked like his soul left his body.”
“No, it’s not a soul,” Davey told her.
She placed her hand on the fallen man. While he was still breathing, it was clear that his condition wasn’t good, almost as if all his strength had been drained.
“Move it! There are urgent patients everywhere!”
Priests scrambled frantically in all directions. The Holy Empire had descended into utter chaos, practically struck by a sudden act of terrorism.
Perhaps everything stemmed from the faint scent of apostasy he’d picked up moments before.
Ever since attaining divinity, Davey had been able to sense subtle shifts in the environment, like the unique scent emitted when someone who once served a god turned their back on them. Even though this was his first time smelling it, he instantly knew what it indicated.
Sling.
Without a word, Davey summoned Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon into his hands.
Alice turned to him, grabbing his arm. “You can’t go right now. If you disappear in the middle of all this, people will start to suspect you of being the culprit.”
“So what?” Davey replied.
“If I were your retainer, I’d advise you to avoid creating any unnecessary suspicion. It might be wise to stabilize the situation first.”
While letting someone else handle what needed to be done for now.
“Professor Alice.”
“Yes?”
Davey coldly answered, “How about we take this opportunity to wipe out every last bastard standing in the way?”
“I’ll do my best...” Alice trembled at his response, as if chills had run down her spine. “Sometimes you’re scary simply because you’re terrifyingly honest.”
Davey couldn’t be bothered. “Then I’ll leave the nuisances to you.”
“If you could also find and destroy the one behind this mess, I’d be grateful.” Since the incident had turned her homeland upside down, it was only natural for her to feel that way.
“A priestess serving a god can say something like that?” Davey was surprised.
“I’m just a low-ranking cleric.”
‘Since when did a former archbishop be regarded as a low-ranking cleric?’
“Besides, the so-called Saint is worse than I am.”
Sometimes, Davey wondered if the woman was slowly becoming more and more twisted.
Tap!
Kicking off the ground lightly, Davey dashed toward the direction where Aeria's tracking artifact was pinging.
Once he secured Abel and Aeria's safety, he’d send them away or move them somewhere safe before continuing to pursue the demon. If he left that thing alive, he knew it’d definitely become a bigger threat later. There was no way he’d let it walk free.
“Grrrr.”
The Holy Empire had numerous varied barrier systems. They were precisely the reason its capital had long been called an impregnable fortress. The barriers to the sanctuary accessible from within the empire were especially strong.
Of course, Davey had overridden those restrictions once before. Yet this was the first time he felt absolutely no resistance.
After moving for a bit, Davey came to a stop in front of several priests who appeared to have been waiting for him.
They blocked his path, preventing him from going any farther, and glared at him.
“Saint Davey O'Rowane, Grand Duke.”
“What do you want?” He was in a rush. There was no way he’d spare any niceties when he was being stalled. Davey glared coldly at them, and they exchanged glances.
Then, one of them slowly stepped forward and spoke, “Where are you heading?”
“And I need to report that to you?” Davey countered.
“Watch your tone! Even if you are the Saint, we are ordained priests of the Holy Empire—”
“Yeah, got it. Rookie priest.”
Their expressions twisted even further at the remark. An ordained priest of the Holy Empire wasn’t someone people usually spoke harshly to.
Yet, the ones in front of him were merely young men lacking proper discipline. Hot-blooded, and still unaware of how to control themselves. Judging by appearances, they were probably in their late teens at most, fresh faces barely having set foot into the world.
Among the mixed group of male and female priests, a blond young man who looked to be of the highest rank stepped forward and stared at Davey. “We need to use your power. The Holy Empire is under attack by an unknown force. If this continues, innocent people will—”
Davey interrupted, “And what are people like you, who claim to know that, doing here?”
“What?” The young priest flinched at his question and then hardened his expression slightly. “That’s why we need your strength. With your power, you could save the people being dragged into this.”
That was their plea. If Davey truly was the Saint revered across the continent, if he truly served the Goddess of Mercy, then he shouldn’t turn a blind eye to those suffering right in front of his eyes.
“Is that an official request from the higher-ups of the Holy Empire?” Davey asked.
“Does that matter right now? People are in danger! They’ve done nothing wrong!”
So it wasn’t from the higher-ups. It seemed to be a few young priests taking matters into their own hands. Even so, there wasn’t a hint of hesitation on their faces.
“What’s your rank?”
“Auxiliary Bishop Tophenne of House Seims. Even if you are a Saint, please observe proper decorum. I’m showing you respect, am I not?”
For someone claiming to be respectful, he sure had a hostile gaze.
An Auxiliary Bishop wasn’t necessarily a high rank. Above that were Suffragan Bishops, Archbishops, Diocesan Heads, and more.
Still, reaching that position at his age was no small feat.
He was probably one of the elites Alice often mentioned from powerful families within the Holy Empire.
“Auxiliary Bishop Tophenne. So basically, you’re trying to ask me what the hell I’m doing while everyone else is busy doing their part? Is that it?” Davey asked.
Tophenne was flustered. “I-I didn’t say it like that!! But even so—”
“Then shouldn’t you be saving as many people as you can instead of wasting time getting in someone else’s way?”
There hadn’t been any direct attacks, but people were collapsing and falling into confusion after losing something. In such a situation, Davey couldn’t believe this Tophenne really had time to stall someone else.
As Davey moved to pass by him without hesitation, he suddenly reached out. “Stop! You are the Saint! How can the Saint ignore those in pain—”
Sling.
Davey raised his sword to the young man’s neck, and his eyes went wide.
“Hey. Kid. Before you demand something from others, how about taking a good look at yourself first.”
“You... You feel nothing when seeing those people suffer?”
There was no point in responding to that question. Davey ignored the stunned young man and summoned a massive amount of water, dousing a nearby building engulfed in flames.
Ssshhh!!!
Steam hissed up as the fire was taken out, and Davey walked away through the haze.
Even as he disappeared, the young elite priest, Auxiliary Bishop Tophenne, said nothing. He simply continued to glare at his back.
Davey knew that guy would probably become a headache later, but he had no intention of wasting even one more second worrying about him.
* * *
Abel stood next to Aeria.
There was no direct threat in the area, and those with a certain level of resistance hadn't had the pale-white essence pulled from their bodies. The two appeared relatively unharmed.
“Father!” Abel called out, seeing Davey arrive.
“You’re both unharmed?”
“Yes. Mother’s safe, too.”
Just as he said, Aeria looked startled but remained composed as she rotated a water spirit over a collapsed individual.
He had already tried healing victims through holy magic and the power of spirits. Neither had worked, so Davey wasn’t surprised anymore.
He told Abel, “Alright, I’ll open a warp gate. Take Aeria and return to the territory.”
“I can still fight,” Abel insisted in a firm voice, expressing his hostility toward the demon. “My body’s not in the best shape, but I can still cast some magic.”
“You want me to send your mother by herself?”
Abel wasn’t sure how to respond. “That’s not what I meant...”
“Son,” Davey called out to him before patting his shoulder. “We don’t know where it’s hiding, or if it’s even the same one as before. Until we know for sure, we need to be extremely cautious. Let your guard down for one second, and you’ll get badly hurt.”
He should’ve known better, as someone who had been struck once already.
Abel insisted, “But that thing can’t beat you, right? If you’re actually being cautious this time—”
He would be making a serious mistake.
“Nothing is absolute in this world,” Davey reminded him.
That was especially true when assessing the demon—it moved as if it existed beyond normal power systems, like the power of the Abyss from the past. It was barely affected by ordinary forces.
“Haaah.”Only then did Abel let out a faint breath.
Though Davey didn’t know how long the crisis would last, unless that demon was completely eliminated, it seemed it was going to continue. Presumably, at least.
However, the demon then did something unexpected.
“I-It... stopped!”
The sky remained red, but the pale-white soul-like things were no longer rising into it.
The citizens of the Holy Empire, who had been paralyzed by fear and worried that their own souls would be taken next, collapsed to the ground once the chaos suddenly came to an unceremonious halt. The catastrophe that had come without warning had vanished just as suddenly.
Davey frowned as he watched the aftermath. The only lead he had to track the thing was now gone, and the urge to launch a reckless pursuit flared up within him.
“Dad! Wake up! Dad!!” A young boy clung to a limp middle-aged man, bawling.
Those who’d had something taken from them still hadn't recovered, even though the crisis was over.
Abel spoke up, “Father, what happened with that thing?”
Davey immediately tore open space, creating a dimensional rift. “You two go first. I’m going to investigate, since there should still be some traces left.”
He watched as Abel, fists trembling in frustration, suppressed his rage and took Aeria through the rift.
Since Abel was an 8th Circle mage, Davey figured he’d return once he deemed Aeria safe.
After they departed, Davey moved as if drawn by something. Ignoring the screams echoing from every direction and the sounds of flames crackling, he kept walking until he arrived where his instincts led him. It wasn’t long before he stopped and silently took in the sight before him.
In the dark, narrow alley, black ink drawings could be seen scattered across the walls and the ground. It looked like twisted ritual markings drawn by demon worshipers.
He raised his hand and slowly released divine power, drawing in every piece of information from the area.
The first thing he sensed was holy power, tainted by the scent of apostasy.
“That means someone on the inside was helping the demon...”
He next felt the lingering trace of power that the demon had occasionally displayed during their clashes.
Davey couldn’t make a precise comparison since he hadn’t seen another member of the demon race, but the energy closely resembled the one he had killed twice before.
‘Haetan first, and now the Holy Empire.’
One could assume the demon’s next target might be another kingdom. Unfortunately, Davey had no real means of tracking it and determining which one it would be.
So, he instead released his divine power in an attempt to resonate with the goddess.
That’s when someone smacked the back of his head really hard.
“Daphne?” he called out with surprise, rubbing his head.
“What the hell are you doing, dumbass?” The voice was gruff, but that was hardly surprising.
“When did you come down here?”
“I made a bet on whether you’d handle this well or not. It looked like you were about to screw it up, so I snuck down to fix it.”
Davey couldn’t help but chuckle. “So you’re saying this isn’t as serious as it looks?”
“We don’t know, either, the goddess just told us to watch. Whether she’s testing you or that demon, not even we could say.”
The demon race had last run wild ten thousand years in the past. No one truly remembered those days anymore. Not even someone like Daphne, a legendary hero from ancient times, knew much about them.
“I’ll give you some advice from the sidelines, since I’ve built up some power in the meantime as well. Unfortunately, I can’t actually use it, but I can manifest here for about a day.”
“Works for me.” If Daphne helped, things would be easier for him.
Then, Davey remembered something.
Lucia Shelman, his classmate from Alpha Reinforcements, was an extreme devotee of Daphne’s. That meant the First Saintess Daphne was considered a legendary figure in the Holy Empire of Valchas.
Davey couldn’t help but wonder what the people would say if they found out the laid-back woman standing next to him was the same Daphne they so revered.
“Come to think of it, do you remember back when we got tangled up with that beast lair mess? And the whole Lucia Shelman thing?”
Even Lucia had blown up in anger at him when she didn’t actually know Daphne, accusing Davey of defiling the name of the First Saintess.
That time, it had just been Lucia Shelman. He wondered how the entire Holy Empire would react.
“Doesn’t matter. No one here but you knows I’m that Daphne, so don’t get any bright ideas and just keep that little mouth of yours shut.” She lightly tapped Davey on the back, then activated her divine power and erased the bizarre demonic scribbles filling the alley.
* * *
Auxiliary Bishop Tophenne of House Seims clenched his fists as he watched the people of the Holy Empire cry out in agony.
“You’ll be alright. You’ll recover soon.” He struggled to suppress the rage boiling inside him.
He had never imagined that the Holy Empire, practically a sanctuary, would be attacked.
The fury he felt wouldn’t subside easily. However, what angered and confused him most was that damned Saint.
The Saintess he respected most, Lady Lena, had been tirelessly moving from place to place, tending to the wounded and doing everything she could to ease pain and suffering in a past tragedy. Although her divine magic hadn’t outright stopped the catastrophe, word had come in later that she’d managed to identify and track down the apparent terrorist responsible, bringing the chaos to an end.
That only made his fury burn hotter.
She had worked so hard, yet that Saint of Tionis, one who received the stigmata before anyone else, wasn’t stepping up.
He was a man chosen by the Goddess of Mercy, entrusted with her will! The way he apparently looked upon the suffering of others as if it had nothing to do with him made Tophenne furious.
He couldn’t accept that such a man bore the stigmata of the Goddess. Yet, there were still fools who blindly believed that Saint Davey must've done something behind the scenes.
Tophenne wanted to deny it. He wanted to say Davey wasn’t that kind of man. Still, even he didn’t truly know why Davey had acted the way he had.
Younger factions within the Holy Empire had been expressing dissatisfaction with the irreverent and unruly Saint. Priest Roam had been the most vocal critic among them.
Tophenne, bound by his family’s position, had always officially maintained neutrality.
As a noble son from an elite family, he’d trained from a young age with the goal of becoming a priest.
There were times when he’d felt bitterness watching someone else receiving the love of the gods, despite all his efforts.
At the end of the day, a Saint was a Saint. They were someone chosen by the divine. He couldn’t believe someone like that could have such a character. Whatever respect or reverence he had left for Davey had disappeared completely in the catastrophe.
“Anyone who turns their back on the suffering has no right to be a Saint.” As he muttered under his breath and stood up, agonizing pain shot through his wrist. “Ghhk?!”
Startled by the sudden jolt, he staggered backward. What shocked him more than the pain was the shape of the mark appearing on his skin.
“This! Could it be, a stigmata?!” He froze, eyes wide with stupefaction and disbelief. Then, a heavy voice echoed in his mind.
[You have been chosen. Dedicate your body and soul in devotion as the apostle of the Divine.]
He dropped to his knees. Tears streamed down his face as he nodded repeatedly. “Yes. Yes! I offer my body and soul to the divine!!”
Tophenne could no longer think rationally. The sheer fact that he had received a stigmata and heard a divine revelation overwhelmed him.
The voice echoed in his mind once more.
[There is one among you who bears a false stigmata. You will recognize him the moment you see him. Stop him.]
‘Davey O'Rowane!’
His eyes flashed.
‘His stigmata was fake?! Has the entire continent been deceived by him?’
Rage and betrayal consumed him, his body trembling with fury.
[Roam. He will assist you.]
Following those words, someone in a snow-white robe pulled low over their face stepped toward him. “Auxiliary Bishop Tophenne? I am Roam.”
“You...?”
Roam, who had recently been declared missing, now stood before him.
Tophenne, as someone who had always stayed neutral, had never personally liked the man. Yet, in the face of divine revelation, personal feelings meant nothing.
“Is there anything I can help with?” he cautiously asked the man.
“Yes. If that man is truly a fraud, we must take action. If it is really as they say and he caused this tragedy, I will expose his true face and stop him, even if I must burn my life to do it. I will obey the word of the divine!”
Tophenne was ready to mobilize every resource available to him.
He bore the mark of God, and he had received a divine message. That was why he didn’t see it.
He didn’t see the cold, eerie smile Roam was making.
[Move. The interference was annoying, but I’ve harvested a great amount of human time.]
Then with a whisper only Roam could hear, the demon’s voice echoed in his mind.
[To return without being discovered by him, his feet must be bound. Once my goal is complete, I will grant you the power to rival even the Saint of the Continent.]
Tophenne and Roam both despised Davey’s existence, but their motives were not the same.
