The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1302.2

Though word had already spread, those who saw Evangeline’s dragon painting in real-time during the livestream were affected the most.

The ones who came across it later through clips or other formats were, at least, somewhat better off.

“Pfft.” Davey couldn’t help but laugh. Sitting in his seat, he suddenly burst into chuckles, completely out of place for the situation.

It was funny how a single painting caused widespread enchantment among humans.

He’d seen all kinds of degenerates—people obsessed with vehicles, horses, and worse—but he had never imagined someone genuinely getting butterflies over a dragon.

As a result, the internet had been flooded with users screaming that Evangeline had unleashed a new kind of poison.

Countless gazes then turned toward Davey.

Nervous stares. Bewildered faces. There were a few who looked at him with absurdity, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with him.

“Prince Davey. No, Grand Duke now. Grand Duke Davey, why are you laughing?” Emperor Contas, who had just been locked in a heated debate with Arita, the demon representative, crossed his arms and asked with visible irritation.

‘He truly is a young blood with nerves of steel.’

“It’s nothing. Just remembered something funny,” Davey replied with a dismissive wave while covering his mouth slightly.

Seeing him, Arita’s expression hardened. It seemed she was asking him with her eyes why she was the one taking the hit while he, the Demon King himself, just sat back and watched the fiasco.

Some viewed his laugh with suspicion, wondering if it had a deeper meaning. Yet, those who knew him well just sighed, knowing it was genuine.

“Grand Duke Davey. Regardless, I hope you’re aware that you’re here as the representative of the Kingdom of Rowane.

“My apologies. Where were we?”

Contas gave Davey a look that said, What is wrong with this guy?

“Grand Duke. Hah. Forget it, explaining it would only waste my breath. Now then, to the demon representative. Our demands remain unchanged. According to the ceasefire agreement, we require five conditions namely to reduce your military forces to one-tenth of its current size; cease all further weapons development; pay the full reparations previously disclosed; disclose and open trade routes in demon-occupied regions; and finally, send a formal apology from the Demon King.”

“That’s way too much! There’s no way we’ll accept it.”

“Isn’t it absurd? The Demon King doesn’t even bother to show his face. As a representative, your manners are sorely lacking.”

“Don’t try to force horne etiquette on demons.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! This is human territory, and you’re hardly in a favorable position in these negotiations. You’re the losers here.”

“What did you just say?!”

Bang!

Arita shot up from her seat, enraged. At the same time, the two imperial guards flanking Emperor Contas immediately drew their swords.

Things seemed as if they could blow up at any second. Davey had expected something like this. From the beginning, Contas had been cornering Arita, pressuring her relentlessly.

Even as Astaroth’s granddaughter and the current leader of the Demon World, she was still young and lacked experience.

Compared to her, Contas, who had ruled an empire since childhood and was shameless and direct, she had no way to match him in this arena.

A full-blown clash seemed inevitable. The standoff had already lasted two full days, beginning a day before the chaos surrounding Evangeline’s painting erupted.

Things had gone smoothly during the preliminary negotiations, yet once the real issues were on the table, everything began falling apart.

Davey sat back, observing with casual interest, until Evangeline’s situation suddenly came to mind again. “Pfft!!”

He burst into laughter once more, and once again, all eyes zeroed in on him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t suppress it.

“Grand Duke Davey of House Rowane... Are you testing my patience?” Emperor Contas asked, his voice low and cold. “This entire assembly has gathered under your initiative, and this is how you conduct yourself?”

Davey waved his hand lightly. “Ahaha, my apologies. My daughter caused a little... incident. It just struck me as funny.”

“What did you say...?” Contas’s expression grew darker, more dangerous.

Davey didn’t care. He answered with a smile, “Listen, I promise it’s funny. My daughter painted a dragon, right? She did such a good job that everyone who saw it fell in love with the dragon. Like really?”

He had tried to phrase it in a way they could understand, but it wasn’t exactly a fitting story for a diplomatic assembly.

“It seems the Grand Duke is not prepared to participate in these talks. I’m sorry, but please leave. We’ll be filing an official complaint with the Rowane Kingdom,” Emperor Contas coldly declared.

Emperor Sullivan looked uneasy, probably worried that Davey would lose his temper and flip the entire table.

Yet Davey, still chuckling, calmly reined himself in. “Ah, sorry. My daughter just made me proud, is all. Anyway, where were we? Right, the negotiations.”

“Grand Duke, I already said you are dismissed and may return later. I've humored your antics enough. If you continue to mock me further, there will be no negotiations at all. I ask you again to remove yourself.”

Though Emperor Contas was generally friendly toward Davey, he had a firm sense of duty in formal matters. Davey himself also knew that his behavior had clearly crossed the line for an official international federation meeting.

Recognizing that, Davey slowly dropped his smile and nodded. “Alright. Well, the current proposal from the International Federation is unacceptable to the demons. The demons’ counteroffer, that they be granted the abandoned lands in the southwestern continent, is equally unacceptable.”

“Exactly.”

The demons’ demands were simple. They wanted a permanent non-aggression agreement between humans and demons after the ceasefire, and the handover of the unclaimed southwestern lands. Since neither side was budging, the negotiations had stalled completely.

Davey offered a calm, cutting question. “Then tell me... Are these demands actually necessary to the International Federation?”

“What did you say?”

“I’d like to propose something from a more long-term perspective. While the demons have their own unique technologies and culture, in order for their people to move to the human continent, several factors need to come into play.”

Strictly speaking, they didn’t actually need those factors, but he deliberately left those details out.

“That’s why they’re requesting the abandoned lands. They just need a space to interact with humans. At least on that point, it seems like we’re all in agreement.”

“But the matter of reparations can’t be brushed aside. The demons are war criminals!” the emperor snapped.

“They were, but those who led those old wars were all purged by the current Demon King. The present-day demons before you are the ones who opposed those wars.”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is whether or not the demons waged war against humans.”

Davey nodded at Emperor Contas’s rebuttal. “That’s right. No matter how we spin it, the fact that demons struck first doesn’t change.”

“So then, about the reparations—”

“Let’s approach reparations from a win-win angle. The resources in the demon territory could significantly benefit the development of the Tionis continent. For example, promathia steel and the hides, horns, meat, and milk of edible beasts that grow only in the Demon World. That isn't even mentioning rare reagent materials and herbs unique to that region.”

Those were things the humans could never obtain in wartime.

Facing Davey’s proposal, Emperor Contas crossed his arms. “Go on.”

“Think long-term. Suppose you do get reparations now—which is unlikely, by the way. Then what incentive do demons have to stay in close contact with humans? It’s not like anyone knows exactly where their territory is, so there’d be no fear of retaliation. So why’d they go out of their way to reconcile at a loss?”

They wouldn’t. Not a chance.

“Then why are the demons even pursuing reconciliation?” the emperor coldly asked.

“Because the current Demon King wants to break the cycle of hatred and foster peace. Is there really any point in clinging to millennia-old grudges we barely understand?”

“And yet, it was the demons who started the war.”

“Take a moment to recall the original lich, Nyx, who had reached the level between 8th and 9th Circle.”

Emperor Deorte of Lyndis flinched ever so slightly. He had already heard of Nyx through Reina.

“Monsters like him have been manipulating the demons for thousands of years. The demons were used and toyed by them.”

Emperor Contas stroked his chin thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Emperor Deorte gave Davey a sharp look, as if saying ‘well done.’”

His father-in-law was too damn sharp.

“That’s why I propose we fix the terms regarding resource exchange and diplomacy for a set period through a treaty. We’ll need to negotiate fair value, of course.”

Since the demons had initiated the war, they’d have to accept a slightly unfair deal, at least for the following five to ten years.

“For the next five years or so, the demons will supply resources to the affected nations at lower prices. It won’t be as heavy a burden as reparations.”

On the surface, it might look like they were squeezing the demons dry, but Davey knew it wouldn’t matter. Most of the resources he mentioned were buried deep within the Demon World in vast quantities. They weren’t even essential to the demons.

If they could exchange those miscellaneous items for the things they actually needed, then it would still be a worthwhile deal.

“Sure, any reparations you insist on getting through hostility might benefit the International Federation in the short term. However, just give it a few months and it’ll spark a whole new conflict on who gets what.”

Countries would all try to claim the biggest slice, while the nations that had suffered most might not be satisfied with either outcome. The truth was, they needed a stable, long-term supply of resources to rebuild. Clinging to hatred wouldn’t help them run a country.

Rather than uncertain reparations, long-term benefits were a far better deal.

“As for demon military forces—”

“Oh, that.” Davey shrugged. “The Demon King and I already made an agreement. If conflict arises between humans and demons, he and I will step in personally to resolve it. Whichever side starts the nonsense, I swear on Goddess Freyja to make sure they regret it.”

Coming from Davey himself, the message was clear. If either side pulled any stupid stunts after the agreement, he’d crush them without hesitation, regardless of whether they were a demon or a human.

It sounded reassuring, but everyone instinctively tensed.

“Grand Duke Davey... Since when were you so close with the demons?”

He gave a reply that wasn’t particularly kind. “A divine revelation. And... one more reason, but that’s personal.”

The divine revelation was only half true.

“The Goddess of Mercy told me she can no longer bear to watch her children shed blood for no reason, chained by ancient hatred.”

“So demons are her children too. That’s what you’re saying?”

“Kind of. Thousands of years ago, demons and humans didn’t have bad blood. All of this new hatred started with a few demons and humans, including that bastard Nyx.” 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Davey didn’t say his points outright, but he made sure to help them understand that the endless war was a result of people being manipulated by greedy monsters.

“The conditions first presented by the demons were based on negotiations I already held with the Demon King. Sure, the federation might suffer short-term losses, but everyone will benefit in the long-term.”

Then he turned to the others. “So then, what are your thoughts?”

“It was all decided from the start, wasn’t it?”

“Pallan stood at the frontlines of the war against the demons,” said Emperor Sullivan. “We cannot trust them so easily. But... if what Grand Duke Davey says truly offers long-term gain, we’ll think of it positively.”

If there was no profit in saying no, the wise move was to say yes.

Sullivan cast the first vote of approval. The position of a nation differed from that of the individual, so sentiment had no place in matters of state.

Sullivan voting in favor of the ceasefire wasn’t enough to finalize everything, but it did reveal which way the tide was turning.

Soon afterward, another individual spoke up. “The Lyndis Empire doesn't have much to gain even if they pay us reparations. Still, it’s not a bad thing to eliminate a potential backstabber.”

Even the Lyndis Empire cast a vote in favor of reconciliation. The Holy Empire’s representative couldn’t outright refuse after Goddess Freyja’s name was invoked, so they reluctantly gave their approval as well. After that, the other vassal states voiced their support or opposition, and the only one left to vote was the Grand Emperor of Contas.

“Your Majesty, do you need more time to make a decision?” Davey asked in a rather firm but polite tone.

The Grand Emperor looked at him, then closed his eyes. “No, I just wanted to see how things would play out.”

Ever since Davey launched that meteor and began persuading them, the outcome of the negotiations had already been set.

“What about the demons?”

“We support ending the war,” Arita responded. “There’s no point in continuing it any longer.”

So, by majority vote, the armistice between the International Federation and the demons proceeded swiftly.

It was all going according to plan. Since Davey had already coordinated much of this with the demons, there was no reason to drag things out.

Then it happened.

The Emperor of Contas silently looked at Arita then added, “There’s one matter we should address.”

“What is it?”

“A treaty like this, on a mere piece of paper, is too vague to place full trust in.”

“You’re saying we need a solid guarantee.”

At Davey’s reply, the emperor nodded. “Therefore, one of the kingdoms in the alliance should form a marital alliance with the demons. That will create a proper link between the two sides.”

Davey gave a small smile. That was exactly the kind of man the Emperor of Contas was, often using marriage as a political tool.

Of course, that was only how it looked on the surface. He wasn’t actually that heartless of a person.

“What’s this, Your Majesty? Planning to take this wild girl as your wife?”

“What? Hey! Are you insane?!” Arita exploded in anger, yelling at Davey, but the emperor looked like he was seriously considering it.

“Well, if it’s necessary, I’d do it. Still, isn’t there someone more fitting for the role?” He smirked and looked directly at Davey.

‘This guy... don’t tell me...’

“Prince Davey. You took it upon yourself to represent humanity and negotiate with the Demon King, so you should take responsibility too.”

“Your Majesty.”

Davey snapped his fingers with a smile.

At the same time, the sky above the negotiation hall began to split open.