The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

"Wow... The island used to be such a big and beautiful place," she murmured.

The island was reduced to nothing, without a single trace left behind. So-Ya stared wistfully at the empty expanse where it had once stood.

Davey had already left; she and Behemoth stayed. Earth was as much a home to her as anywhere, and it was clear Behemoth had no intention of leaving her side.

"I had so many gifts stored there..." she sighed, lamenting the loss of the many presents her human friends had given her. They had all been vaporized without a trace in the clash.

[Hmph. What trivial things to fuss over.]

Splash!

Behemoth powerfully whipped its massive tail, sending a towering wave of water over So-Ya. Drenched and defeated, she slumped over with a disappointed face—it grimaced as it saw her pitiful expression.

[Stop whining, you fool! Are you trying to raise your voice in front of me?]

"Huhhh, uwuuu…"

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she began to sniffle.

[Don’t… Don’t cry, I said!]

"Huhhh…"

[Ugh! Fine! Come with me, you fool!]

"W-Where are we going?"

[There’s a coral reef to the west of here. Go amuse yourself there if you want!]

With that, Behemoth began smoothly swimming away, making sure she stayed balanced on its massive back. She wiped her tears and put on a big smile.

"Protector, you’re the best!"

[Wha… Get off of me! Stop rubbing your face against me!]

"Hehe, I know you like it!”

[S-Shut up!]

Behemoth growled, though it continued to swim with careful precision.

Once feared as the Tyrant of the Undersea—a creature that would devour and destroy anything that displeased him, ignoring even Shane—Behemoth had undergone an undeniable transformation.

[Hold on tight, or you’ll fall, you fool!]

"Hehehe! Faster, Protector! Faster!"

[This is already fast! Maybe you’re just too weak!]

* * *

"Come here, Evangeline."

"Pa... Pa..."

Little Evangeline toddled forward, sucking on her tiny fingers as she made her way to King Krianes. Tilting her head, she looked up at him with curiosity.

He silently and carefully picked her up. Patting her back gently, he said softly, “Good girl. So sweet.”

“...”

Watching them in their peaceful interaction, Davey stayed silent. Unlike Darian, who was fast asleep, Evangeline’s boundless energy reminded everyone that she was still an ancient dragon at heart, no matter how much she mimicked human behavior. Her stamina far outclassed Darian’s.

“Good, good. Now, say ‘grandpa.’ Can you try that?”

“Pa… Pa…” Evangeline babbled, her gaze locking onto his. She was saying something, but it was incomprehensible.

“Evangeline, come here,” Davey said softly, extending his arms toward her.

Her eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she stretched her tiny arms toward him. Once in his embrace, she nestled against his chest, babbling incoherently while she played with her small hands.

“You look more at peace than usual,” King Krianes commented.

“Your Majesty,” Davey responded formally.

“What do you think?”

Davey didn’t sugarcoat his words. “There’s nothing that can be done about a human’s limited lifespan. It’s time for you to step down to focus on rest and recovery.”

At one point, Davey had told him to atone for his past sins and pass the throne to Baris. However, he found himself softening toward the old king over time. Whether it was sympathy or a realization that his condition was beyond repair, he wasn’t entirely sure.

He figured it was due to the fact that the man was his father, regardless of anything else.

“How much time do I have left?”

“Five years, at most.”

King Krianes was too exhausted. In fact, he had been worn down by the weight of remorse for as long as he could remember. Reversing the damage was no longer an option.

“I should probably feel sad,” he murmured, gazing out the window with a wistful smile.

“…”

“Does this news bring you satisfaction?”

Davey still just remained silent.

“Or does it make you feel uneasy?”

“Neither,” Davey finally said.

It was a strange mix of feelings—he knew he was calm, yet something uncomfortable pricked at him from within.

“When this father of yours dies, Baris will inherit the kingdom.”

“Yes, he will. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You… Do you truly have no interest in the throne?”

Instead of answering immediately, Davey glanced down at Evangeline, who was reaching up to poke at his cheek with her tiny fingers.

“I have only one concern… I can already see how much Baris will suffer when he ascends the throne.”

“Then for his sake, you could take the throne yourself.”

“I refuse. That will never happen.”

King Krianes said nothing. Instead, he raised his glass of wine and took a sip.

"The nobles are saying that you, not Baris, should ascend to King of the Rowane Kingdom.”

"Does Baris know about this?" Davey asked.

The nobles knew that the Kingdom had an exceptional older brother as a potential prince. Even though the younger brother Baris possessed the qualities of a wise ruler, and the older brother voluntarily gave up the throne, from their perspective, they clearly preferred Davey over Baris as the next king.

"He knows, which is probably why he has chosen to remain silent about it.”

There had been a time when Baris struggled deeply with feelings of inadequacy, spending a long time contemplating his perceived shortcomings. In the end, though, he had chosen to trust Davey. Even so, if such sentiments among the nobles persisted then the psychological burden he felt would only grow heavier.

Even if Baris claimed it didn’t bother him, it was only natural for those feelings of inferiority to have a place in his mind.

"Your mother and Lynesse Bariatta were once close friends. They cared for one another, believing their happiness could last forever."

Davey froze, his gaze locking on him.

"That story..."

"But even though Lynesse excelled in many areas, it was Lennie who received more love among the people," the King murmured, as if lost in recollection.

Davey said nothing, closing his eyes as the memories resurfaced.

"Lynesse was a pitiable woman," the King continued. "In the end, she lost her place to Lennie."

"You saw it happen, and yet you did nothing to stop it.”

The King met his gaze. "How is your relationship with Baris any different from those two?"

Davey couldn’t say anything at his question.

"Baris looks up to you, and you care deeply for him. But if things continue as they are, the weight of his burden will eventually crush him."

Davey knew that Baris wouldn’t be able to ignore the nobles’ sentiments once ascending to the throne. They would begin to wonder if Davey would’ve handled each situation better—something along the lines of “if he was in charge, surely things would be better!” Even if unspoken, the implications would still be present.

"No matter how much he trusts and follows you, it’s human nature—people change over time. One day, Baris may grow weary.”

"Your Majesty.”

"What more can a shameful father like me say to you?"

"Even if I intervene, the nobles’ sentiments aren't something I can change.”

"Sure, maybe. Even if you suppress them for now, that atmosphere will persist indefinitely."

"Then what should I do?"

Though he had cumulatively lived far longer than his father, he still couldn’t match the man’s insight when it came to such matters of state.

"What do you want to do?"

"Do you still wish for me to inherit the throne? If I did, Baris may feel slighted, but at least he wouldn’t spend his life being compared to me.”

"That would be one way."

"Or do you want me to act erratically and lose the nobles’ trust altogether?"

"That is also an option."

The throne—the life of royalty—was dirty and cruel, as it had always been.

"The position of king is fickle and unstable like that. No, the way of the world is like that. No matter how much you try to do your best, those around you will never let things be."

Even if Davey wielded an iron fist to suppress the nobles, it’d only be a temporary solution.

"It’s not so different from the relationship between a parent and child.”

“...”

"Do you treat Evangeline and Darian equally?"

Davey wanted him to stop asking obvious tough questions, but he couldn’t say anything.

Both were precious to him. Yet, deep down, he couldn’t deny the possibility that he might be seeing them differently. Perhaps he thought of Darian as his biological son, and Evangeline as simply an adopted daughter he had chosen to embrace.

Which may have even led him to pay more attention to Evangeline.

Darian was Davey and Aeria’s biological child. Evangeline, on the other hand, shared no blood with him—still, she was a child he had accepted wholeheartedly as his own. Both were important to him, but how she would perceive this distinction as she grew older was something not even he could predict.

"Someday, this child may grow up and feel heartbroken knowing she has no blood ties with you.”

"That’s quite possible.”

"When that day comes, make sure to show her how much you love her. Show her that blood ties are meaningless compared to that love."

It was a plea, one laced with regret. Mistakes were often realized far too late to fix, and hearing this from King Krianes himself carried a weight that Davey couldn’t ignore.

"I will," Davey replied solemnly, bowing his head in acknowledgment. “Your Majesty.”

Despite their discussion, he still couldn’t bring himself to address him as Father.

* * *

The Zodiac constellations weren’t making any immediate moves—for the time being, at least.

Taurus had been an exception, while Sword Lord Cancer, who had acted earlier, seemed to be tactfully watching after Davey had obliterated its creation.

So far, only two constellations had awakened. The rest remained dormant, showing no signs of any activity.

Fighting Sword Lord Cancer with a sword had been the most effective approach, while combating the ridiculously strong Strength God Taurus with martial arts was the most effective. It was almost unbelievable, but the best ways to deal significant damage to them were limited to their own specialized fields.

Magic would have little effect on Cancer, and defeating it required surpassing its swordsmanship. In essence, these creatures were overpowered, almost undefeatable. If he wanted to deal with all twelve Zodiac entities, Davey needed to master twelve different fields of power.

It was already questionable whether anyone other than Davey could even handle these demigod-level constellation beings. Objectively, the answer was no. The process was too difficult, and no one had that much time to reach their level of skills.

When he’d visited the Spirit World, the Great Spirit had mentioned that the situation with the moon was deteriorating. Davey had dismissed him, telling him to find someone else to deal with it—someone who wasn’t retired like he was. But now, it seemed inevitable that he’d have to intervene again.

Davey then thought it may be a good time to take on a disciple. Not someone he would train lightly, but a true successor—a disciple he could mercilessly push to the edge and teach everything he knew.

"Sigh, or maybe I should just let those bastards fight each other and hope their mess doesn’t affect the rest of us. Nevermind, that’s never going to happen. I’ll just take the kids on a picnic tomorrow and pretend none of this exists."

Lost in thought, Davey was abruptly startled by a presence that slipped past his senses and wrapped itself around his back.

His perception was unparalleled; it manifested no matter what, detecting everything in his surroundings. Even against a demigod, his sensitivity would instantly alert him. Illyna, with her continuum-severing ability; Perserque, an 8th Circle mage and above; and even the Zodiac entities sealed by Goddess Freyja herself—none could bypass his awareness so completely.

And yet…

This presence had slipped through everything.

"Hmph?"

Turning sharply, he made a face of disbelief. He saw a girl wrapped only in a silk blanket, her small hands clutching a doll—Evangeline’s beloved toy.

"…"

His mouth hung open, but no words came out. He couldn’t help but think that the situation was beyond anything he could have prepared himself for.

He noted her sleepy eyes, and figured she had just woken up. Her long, black hair flowed down her back to her waist.

She was, of course, none other than Evageline.

He’d heard that ancient dragons experience rapid growth after their growing pains subsided, but—

‘This is way too much!’

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts

Editorb’s Thoughts

Evangeline: Am I more than you bargained for yet?