The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 875. The Blessing of Seeing the Light

“Prince Davey...”

The atmosphere turned cold, as if air itself had frozen in an instant.

It might have seemed like an outright act of invasion and intrusion, but the reason the knights couldn’t step forward was simple: a mysterious, overwhelming pressure held them in place.

It wasn’t some fighting spirit or murderousness, but something far more primal. No one could pinpoint it, but the source was clear—an overwhelming presence that came from a demigod, no, a being who had obtained divinity. It was something that clearly couldn’t possibly come from a mere human.

The King of Terraria glared silently at Davey.

The origins of his hostility were no mystery. He was the man who Maximus chose to harbor the two individuals he sent for safety. Moreover, his interference with the king’s actions just now most likely added fuel to the fire.

“Forgive me, Prince Davey,” the king said coldly. “But isn’t it rather rude to barge in uninvited like this?”

“Yes, I’m aware,” Davey replied calmly. “However, I felt the need to risk such rudeness because of something that I must tell Your Majesty.”

The king looked at the sword lying on the ground as his hand trembled. He then glared back at Davey.

“I will summon you for a discussion later. Leave for now.”

Even for a ruler consumed by obsession, his overwhelming presence seemed too much to handle. The king chose to dismiss him rather than forcefully expel him.

“Forgive my impertinence, Your Majesty, but this cannot wait. It’s a matter of utmost urgency.”

“What?”

“It’s important,” he insisted.

The king, locking eyes with him, hesitated for a moment before turning his back.

“If what you say turns out to be false, the Rowane Kingdom will pay dearly for it.”

‘The Rowane Kingdom... Well, that hardly matters to me.’

“Understood.”

With a cold smile, Davey began walking past the dangling Maximus.

“Hey, Davey, are you out of your mind...?” Maximus called out, his voice weary. His eyes were clouded with confusion.

“Don’t worry. The two you sent are already on their way to Heins Territory.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about... What the hell are you—?”

“Enough with the crap. Simply worry about yourself for now. I’m just here to handle some personal business.”

With that, Davey finally brushed past him. Maximus stared after him, expression a mix of worry and bewilderment.

“Please... Don’t do anything reckless.”

“I’ll handle it.”

* * *

“So then, you claim to have something to say to me. Go ahead.”

As soon as they returned to the royal palace chamber, the King of Terraria leaned back on his throne, looking at Davey with a stern expression.

“Please clear the room. Not a single person should remain.”

“What?!”

“It’s already outrageous enough that you’ve entered the royal palace without permission, and now what?!”

Nobles and royal guards alike protested vehemently, but Davey only responded with a cold smile.

“I suppose they can stay, then. However, in that case, there will be no negotiation.”

“Negotiation?”

“No, it’ll simply be an announcement.”

“An announcement... Hahahaha! This is the Terraria Kingdom! Do you truly believe you can threaten me here?”

“Anyone making a proposal does so for a reason. The choice is yours, Your Majesty.”

His words stopped the king’s laughter. He glared at Davey in silence for a long moment before finally nodding.

“Leave us.”

“B-But, Your Majesty!”

“I said leave.”

His firm command left them no choice but to withdraw themselves.

Davey glanced behind the throne and gestured at the empty space. “You might as well send out the ones hiding back there as well.”

The king shook his head. “Those men are my most loyal subjects. Speak your piece without worrying about them.”

“Very well, if you say so. It’s no loss to me.”

Davey reached into his coat and pulled out a small stack of documents.

“I will skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point.”

“Hm.”

“Cease all pursuit of the two individuals who sought asylum in the Rowane Kingdom.”

“Hmm?”

“Additionally, I ask you to refrain from interfering with Maximus in any way.”

“Prince, do you truly believe I would agree to such demands...?”

“If you agree, that’ll be the end for you.”

The king gave Davey a death glare.

“Prince. Do you wish to die?”

“Will you agree or not?”

“Leave this place at once if you’re going to spout such nonsense! I’ll be generous and overlook your insolence this one time.”

“Is that so? Then there’s no helping it.”

As if Davey was going along with the king, he tossed the stack of documents into the air. It was an act of flagrant disrespect toward a king, but his expression only grew colder.

As the papers scattered, the king twisted in rage, his body trembling. He rose to his feet, but before he could do anything, the papers stopped. They soon glowed faintly as they hovered in place.

And then, the king widened his eyes in shock.

“There are quite a lot, aren’t there?”

“...”

“The Terraria Kingdom prides itself on its strong royal authority. But there seemed to be a lot of, perhaps... irregularities in its foundation.”

“You insolent—!”

“Well, this is just a little appetizer. What would spreading such truths within the Terraria Kingdom accomplish anyway?”

At the same time, several sheets of paper gathered and flew toward the king.

“But you know... it seems you’ve done something that the Holy Empire strictly forbids.”

“...”

“Is that why you’re so obsessed with Maximus?”

“H-How did you... How could you possibly...?”

The king widened his eyes, his body trembling.

“If it had been an actual taboo of the human race, I would’ve shattered the Terraria Kingdom on the spot. Congratulations, though—you’ve managed not to cross that line. However...!”

“...”

“If I were to report this to the Pope of Valchas Empire with my status as a Saint...”

“...”

“That would make things... interesting, don’t you think?”

The Holy Empire, unlike the Three Empires, remained neutral. Even so, its influence and might were beyond imagination. The Terraria Kingdom, as a central kingdom, resided well within the military influence of the Holy Empire.

But more importantly, his actions directly violated the treaties signed between the Holy Empire and the International Federation.

“You asked how I came to know about all this, right?”

“...”

“Your Majesty, I gave you a chance.”

“T-These... How did you even...?”

His eyes shook violently, unable to comprehend how Davey had managed to acquire such information. It wasn’t something any ordinary intelligence guild would be able to uncover.

Davey hadn’t intended to take things this far, but the information Aina had uncovered about the Terraria Kingdom, by coincidence no less, had conveniently fallen into his hands at just the right time.

“How I found out isn’t what matters here.”

Davey spoke calmly, waving a hand. The scattered documents swirled in the air before neatly returning to his grasp.

“It is a flaw that emerged from your pursuit of perfection. I can understand that, at least. But whether the Holy Empire will be as understanding... Well, I’m not so sure.”

“...”

“Your Majesty, neither I nor the Rowane Kingdom have any intention of antagonizing the Terraria Kingdom.”

“Is that so? First you make threats, and now you expect peace?”

“Which is why I’m offering this deal—I’ll overlook all of this. Surely you’ll understand that as a Saint, this is very burdensome for me to ignore.”

The king ground his teeth in frustration. “What is it you want?”

“I asked for only two things to let all of this be unseen. It seems like Your Majesty is refusing.”

“...”

“Now, what should I do... If I demand something officially, there’s bound to be chatter. Perhaps I should ask for some of the royal family’s closely guarded secrets or treasures instead?”

Davey smiled faintly at the king.

* * * Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“Davey!!”

Maximus came rushing toward Davey, who was preparing to leave after concluding his conversation with the King of Terraria.

“What the hell did you do?!”

“What?”

“N-No, I mean... What on earth did you say to His Majesty to make him...?”

“All I did was have an honest discussion.”

Of course, persuading him was impossible considering the King of Terraria was a textbook sociopath.

In other words, he was an individual who stopped at nothing—no matter how unethical—to secure his own success. That was self-evident from the insane lengths he had gone to. Fortunately, either due to a lack of information or a slight restraint in his sociopathic tendencies, he hadn’t crossed the line into breaking taboos.

Which happened to be the only reason Davey had stopped where he did.

“I managed to squeeze a bit more out of him, though,” he muttered.

“...”

Maximus gave him a look of exasperation.

“So? What’s going to happen?”

“He agreed not to interfere in anything for the next five years.”

Five years of stagnation.

The king, in his relentless pursuit of perfection, had punished Maximus whenever he failed to meet expectations. But now, he wouldn’t be able to do that.

Davey assumed that the king was thinking that he could simply wait five years and resume his harassment. However, by then Maximus would’ve grown into such a formidable figure that even the king wouldn’t dare touch him.

The thought made Davey laugh uncontrollably on the spot.

“Pfft!! So he chose that in the end, did he?”

“What?”

“Nothing. Well, since things turned out like this, do you want to come to Heins Territory?”

Maximus shook his head at the offer.

"No. I don’t know how things turned out like this, but you’ve handed me something I would’ve had to fight for years before obtaining. So, I’ve decided to travel the continent,” he declared.

Davey then opened his Pocket Plane and tossed a pair of leather gloves and a necklace to him.

“These are... from the Terraria royal family?!”

His eyes widened in recognition of the items.

“They’re treasures of your Terraria Kingdom, passed down secretly within the royal family. I heard that even simply moving them in or out of the palace was a top-secret affair.”

“You’re unbelievable...”

His gaze demanded an explanation, but Davey simply ignored it.

“Take them. It’s usually my style to get everything I can once I’ve started negotiating, but I don’t need these.”

Davey handed over everything he had taken from the King of Terraria to Maximus. He had no personal need for such treasures, but taking them served a purpose of ensuring each other’s cooperation.

By accepting these items, the king acknowledged that Davey wouldn’t go back on his word. It was a material contract—one that ensured neither the Holy Empire nor the International Federation would ever hear about this incident.

“Davey...”

“Your sister and that maid of yours will be protected in Heins Territory for the time being. Do as you like.”

“My sister... She's been deeply shaken after losing her sight. Please take care of her.”

“Of course.”

Looking after a friend’s younger sister was hardly a burden. Still, what had happened to her left a bitter taste in his mouth. They had seared her eyes with a branding iron—an unthinkably cruel punishment for a child.

“She wasn’t born blind, right?”

“Davey?”

“Visit Heins Territory in about a month. I’ll have a surprise for you.”

* * *

Upon returning to Heins Territory, Illyna found herself deeply regretting the promise she had made with Davey.

“Now that it’s time to wear it... this is just too much...”

She held up a black outfit, her expression conflicted. While she was the one who had agreed to wear it, embarrassment overtook her once the moment had come. The outfit exposed more than half of her body, leaving her feeling self-conscious.

“Have I... gained weight?” she murmured anxiously, looking at herself from various angles.

While she hadn’t actually changed, the skin tight and revealing outfit made her more cautious than usual.

Meanwhile, across the room, Perserque was happily playing with Darian, who giggled uncontrollably. She had her cat tail and fluffy cat mittens on.

“Look at this! Look at this! Such soft, fluffy cat paws!” she teased.

“Kyaahahaha!”

Darian squirmed and laughed gleefully as Perserque continued to play along. Watching them, Illyna couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you embarrassed at all, Perserque?”

The paws and tail were striking enough, but the outfit she wore was also eye-catching, with a playful design and plenty of slits. It was full of charm and cuteness rather than elegance. It contrasted significantly with her usual image.

“A promise is a promise. Besides, no one else but Davey is going to see us, so what’s there to be embarrassed about? He said he’d report to the palace and then take care of his errands before returning, so let’s just focus on what we need to do.”

“My goodness. No wonder Davey said that he becomes scared of you every night...”