The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1107

The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1107

Chapter 1107
The Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabella of the Lyndis Empire. She was without question the continent’s strongest living being. It was to the extent that her individual martial power was comparable to that of an entire army.
In the Lyndis Empire, where beastfolk were looked down upon, she was the only one who openly supported Emperor Deorte and Aeria. Though her official role was to guard the country’s border far from the main city, there wasn’t a single soul in the imperial capital who dared to show her anything less than the utmost respect. This was especially so far those who guarded the emperor’s chambers.
Clack!!
“Welcome, Your Grace!”
“At ease.” Her voice was calm, but the weight behind her presence was suffocating. The knights bowed their heads with perfect form and quietly gave a signal to the chamber.
Moments later, the doors creaked open to reveal an elderly man.
Thud!!
“I have apprehended him as you requested, Your Majesty.”
“Well done, Grand Duchess.”
She made a gesture, then two muscular beastfolk entered and threw a man roughly to the ground.
“
Gghk!
Y-Your Majesty!”
“Welcome, Marquis Alka.”
“What is the meaning of this?! Designating me as a traitor? This is absurd, an utterly unfounded and baseless accusation!”
“Yes, I imagine it must be hard for you to accept,” the Emperor coldly spat, exuding absolute authority.
In Marquis Alka’s perspective, the man seated before him had long been reduced to a mere toothless tiger. Their relationship had never been cordial, even years prior.
The marquis had remained outwardly loyal, having never actively defied the emperor. Nonetheless, their ideologies had grown starkly opposed.
During the age of continental warfare, Emperor Deorte had been known as a terrifying ruler. His style of governance had always been for the Lyndis Empire, by the Lyndis Empire. Any who dared cross it, whether they be other empires or not, he made sure they were severely punished.
Back then, Marquis Alka had enjoyed close ties with the imperial family. Being a noble house of war alongside a war-hungry emperor, the two had been a perfect match.
However, things had changed. Deorte became a ruler softened by peace.
Following the miraculous agreement between the three empires, and the establishment of the International Federation, peace had spread across the continent. Lifted by the support of countless people, the scars of the past war had been replaced with unprecedented prosperity. Such a stark success throughout the continent made the past wars seem like a pitiful and ignorant farce.
However, Marquess Alka always made his wealth from war supplies. A stable peace would mean his inevitable ruin.
Separated by such a schism spanning generations, the two drifted apart due to conflicting interests.
The marquis desperately cried in his defense, “Your Majesty, why must I be subjected to such injustice?! Even if she is the Grand Duchess, she cannot simply drag me in like a traitor!!”
Deorte slowly raised his gaze from his wine, before Marquis Alka froze in place.
The cold, piercing eyes bore down on him, unleashing an intangible and overwhelming pressure.
He had always laughed at the man behind closed doors, calling him a toothless tiger. Suddenly facing the emperor’s intimidating gaze, he realized that it had all been his own delusion.
“So, you claim you are not a traitor. Is that what you’re saying, Marquis?”
“Y-Your Majesty...” Marquis Alka didn't know what to say.
“I see. Then please, allow me to help clarify it for you.”
Rising from his seat, the emperor slowly approached.
To the marquis, the man had seemed obsolete. The Lyndis royal family appeared to be nothing more than a relic of the past, yet the figure that stood before him had never truly lost his fangs. They had merely been hidden.
“Y-Your Majesty...”
Standing behind Emperor Deorte, the crown prince stood silently with eyes closed and head bowed.
The emperor extended his hand, so Kathryn swiftly drew the sword from her waist and respectfully presented it to him.
“What do you consider treason, Marquis Alka?”
“T-That would be...” He knew useless cleverness would not save him from peril. One wrong word, and he’d lose his head.
Cold sweat drenched his trembling body, gripped by fear.
He tried to think of what he could say to save himself, but it was of no use. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t grasp the emperor’s true intent.
“T-That...”
“Since you apparently don’t know, allow me to explain.”
Sling!
At the sound, his vision blurred. It became clear that Emperor Deorte had already decided his fate, regardless of the answer.
“To drag our rapidly growing, prosperously peaceful Lyndis Empire back into the foolish cycle of war. To waste its power and future. That is your crime.”
The blindly arrogant man’s death had already been set in stone, but he couldn’t give up. “Y-Your Majesty, I swear I don’t understand! I’ve never once tried to start a war!!”
“I see. You claim ignorance, then? That’s strange, given what’s happened in Alberta and Vatan. I could have sworn you were trying to drag our empire into the jaws of war.”
“T-That... That is slander! A baseless accusation! I-I swear I never orchestrated such things!!”
He had to find a weakness to exploit. It was the only way to survive, and he couldn’t let it slip through his fingers.
He was blindly hopeful, but the aged emperor before him had already ensured there was no escape route.
“Grand Duchess, .”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Following her short reply, Kathryn dropped to one knee and bowed her head with respect. The moment she began her , Marquis Alka felt all of the blood drain from his body.
“Based on testimony from several individuals Marquis Alka has since cut ties with, we dispatched troops and confirmed that he held secret meetings with nobles from both the Vatan Kingdom and the Alberta Kingdom. He also provided secret funding during these visits.”
“T-That... That’s a fabrication!”
“Marquis.” There was a chilling edge to the emperor’s gaze.
Marquis Alka trembled under his gaze. “Y-Your Majesty...”
“Do you truly believe I’ve only recently begun investigating your little schemes? Now, stand there and listen to your crimes!”
Kathryn continued her , detailing every aspect of the marquis’s long-laid plans, along with all the supporting evidence they had gathered. It was an overwhelming amount of work for just one noble house to handle, which was precisely why it left him with no room to escape.
The emperor sternly told him, “The current continent is no longer what it once was. Waging war is now less profitable than maintaining peace. More importantly...”
If war were recklessly waged, no one could predict how that monstrous being in the east, the emperor’s son-in-law Davey O’Rowane, would respond.
“War is a necessary evil, only to be chosen as a last resort. It is not some petty means for your personal profit.”
“P-Please, Your Majesty, spare me!”
“How lovely and concise—for a dying man’s final words.”
Squelch!!
Marquis Alka’s head hit the floor. Emperor Deorte looked down at the body with detached indifference before hanging the sword back to Kathryn.
“That line was something my son-in-law said once. Turns out it’s pretty useful.” He chuckled, but beneath it was a bubbling suppressed fury aimed at the fallen marquis.
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“Well then! Grand Duchess, you’ve worked hard collecting all this evidence. You may name your reward.”
“I would like a few months of vacation, Your Majesty.”
“Vacation?
Hmmm.
”
“Yes. I would like to go visit our adorable princess. I wouldn’t mind a rematch with Prince Davey, either.” Kathryn gave a wide grin.
Deorte slowly nodded. “Very well. Permission granted! I hope you win, getting a little revenge on my behalf.”
“I’m not sure how likely that is, but I’ll definitely give it everything I’ve got.”
* * *
Davey, dressed in formal wear, stood alongside Illyna at a royal party in Alberta.
“
Kyaaah!
”
Not far away, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon had the time of their lives stuffing their mouths with treats, completely enchanted by the myriad snacks.
Their irresistibly adorable behavior drew warm smiles from everyone who passed them by. People couldn’t help but stop and talk to them, asking questions meant for children. The two responded with purely innocent answers, so cute that it instantly made them the center of attention.
In the midst of all this stood a boy who looked to be no more than twelve, trying his best to flirt with Rinne.
“
Ah.
To meet a lady as cold and noble as yourself... I'm the eldest son of Count Vana’s household...”
The problem was, her entire focus was locked onto food.
Her appetite wasn’t simply large. It was in a whole other category, even when compared to the endlessly curious Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon.
“How does all that food even fit into that tiny body of hers?”
“No clue, but she definitely eats a lot.”
“Is it really okay for her to eat that much?” Illyna asked quietly as she tapped her glass against Davey’s.
“
Uhhh
. Honestly, that’s still a mystery to me too.”
“What? If you don’t know, then who does?”
“There was this one time we held an eating contest at the territory, but...”
Claiming she wanted to nibble on something small, Rinne had completely devoured an entire wild boar on the spot. As if that weren’t enough, she then joined the contest and ate five times more than any other contestant.
“From what I can tell, the concept of a limit to her stomach doesn’t exist in our reality.”
Illyna had no words.
“She just eats because it tastes good.”
Whatever she ate would always be converted into energy at an incredible speed. That speed had continuously evolved beyond imagination, driven by her relentless passion for food.
There were several nobles from Vatan at the venue, attending under the pretense of peace talks. Also present were Reina and her companions, all heroes who had stopped the war.
Maximus was making small talk with Reina, grinning with his usual cheer, while Morziana stood beside him, glaring and scolding him. Even Iro had joined, appearing in human form thanks to Verdandi.
It was hard to believe the entire kingdom had recently been on the verge of war.
From a distance, Reina glanced toward Davey and gave an awkward smile. Her expression turned faintly complicated for a brief second before she quickly masked it.
“Hey, Davey! Dance with me!” Right then, Illyna, swaying to the rhythm, reached out her hand to him.
He dramatically offered his arm. “Shall we, m’lady?”
“I’ll be in your care,” she giggled. With a beautiful smile, she gently placed her hand over Davey’s.
As the music began to flow, people started stepping onto the floor one by one.
As a former princess, Illyna had received extensive training in formal dance, evident in how she moved with practiced grace. Davey as well, thanks to Amy’s relentless nagging, had memorized the basics long ago.
As they danced to the soft melody, Illyna gradually drew closer to Davey.
‘Alright. She wants to play this game.’
His grin made Illyna flinch slightly, but it was already too late.
“
Ah?!
”
He pulled her in, wrapping his arm around her waist. He picked up the tempo to surprise her.
He teased, “
Huh?
Geez, keep up better, or else you’re gonna step on my feet!”
“
Ugh!
You just wait.”
Despite her pouty expression, she quickly started matching his pace.
Their fast tempo naturally drew attention, causing others to pause and turn their eyes toward them.
Though Illyna initially struggled to keep up, as expected of a former princess, she gradually adapted to his tempo. She smiled as she fell into rhythm with his steps.
“
Ohhh!
”
“What a wonderful sight.”
When the song ended, applause and compliments followed.
Traditionally, married couples were expected to dance more than once. Even so, Illyna, wearing a sulky expression, backed away after just one round.
“I’m done, you jerk. Just wait until tonight, then you'll see.”
It was as if she’d forgotten who the one always crying and begging after saying that same line was.
In the past, someone like Perserque could corner Davey. Alas, Illyna was no longer a threat to him.
After declaring she was going to take a break, about thirty minutes passed. The music started up again, and Illyna approached Davey once more.
“D-Davey...”
“
Hm?
”
“Dance with me.”
Hearing her request, Davey tilted his head slightly. The moment he took her hand, he sensed that something was off.
“Illyna?”
“Y-Yeah?”
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“Okay,” she replied with a bright-red face.
From somewhere across the room, the playful bickering of Maximus and Morziana echoed faintly in the background.
“That’s weird. Where’d she go?”
“Stop mumbling and just give me your hand, Prince.”
“Stop calling me that...”

.
!
Chapter 1107