The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1208

The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1208

Chapter 1208
Reina woke up and looked around with a dazed expression. She remembered screaming for a while after being crushed under Davey’s hands, then passing out like she had fainted.
She had no memories after that, so she assumed she had been asleep in the meantime.
“My body... feels light?”
Her body felt even better than before she had fallen. She moved her limbs this way and that, surprised at how comfortable she felt, like she could jump up and run around right then. She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
When she realized it was all thanks to the massage Davey had given her before she was knocked out, she felt a strange sense of guilt and gratitude. He had even found and loosened the spots she hadn't mentioned were sore. That made her all the more thankful.
Unlike her, who had once pointed a sword at him, he had given her so much.
Click!
“Oh! You're awake!”
The door opened, and Shuneria entered while sporting different hair and eye colors. She quickly disabled her artifact and returned to her original form, as if it were second nature.
“I brought you something to eat. There are too many eyes around, you know.” She pulled out some snacks from a pouch she had hidden in her clothing. “Sorry. The situation being what it is, I couldn't give you a proper welcome.”
“Don’t worry about it. More importantly...”
She noticed that Reina was looking for Davey. “Oh, right! I completely forgot. He stepped out for a bit. Said he had something to take care of.”
She continued, “
Ummm,
if it’s not rude to ask, what exactly is the relationship between you two?”
“Is there a reason you’re asking that kind of question?”
“It’s just... You two seem too different to be siblings...?
Ah,
I didn’t mean anything by that, it’s just...”
As Shuneria rambled awkwardly, Reina chuckled.
“That’s true. As for what he is to me...” She paused for a moment before answering, “He’s everything to me.”
“Oh my! So you’re lovers, then?”
“No, it’s not like that...”
“That’s fine. You two really look good together, you know.”
“I said it’s not like that!”
At her firm response, Shuneria gave an awkward laugh. “But you just said he’s everything to you. Most people wouldn’t say that unless they were in love...”
“He’s my savior. He literally saved my life. He even saved my whole world.”
“What kind of person is he, really? I have special eyes, you know.”
“Your eyes?”
“Yes. I have eyes that can see a person’s true essence. But... with him, I can’t see anything,” she said with a slight shudder. “Absolutely nothing. I’ve never seen anyone so... hollow before.”
Her explanation stirred something strange in Reina. It was the same kind of prideful feeling one got when someone praised a person dear to them.
When she first saw Davey, she had a gut feeling, but she never could remember if she ever truly felt his mana.
“Oh, right! That’s not actually what I meant to say.” Shuneria cut herself off and bowed her head to Reina with a respectful and graceful posture. “Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, my siblings and I would’ve been killed by the Emperor’s assassins.”
“Raise your head. I didn’t do it for gratitude.”
“Even so, the fact that you saved us remains true. Could you take a look at this for a moment?” She hesitated for a second, then handed Reina a piece of paper.
“It’s a wanted poster with the names and faces of terrorists accused of plotting to overthrow the state.”
To Reina’s surprise, Davey’s face was printed on it.
“That says ‘dead or alive.’ It seems the Empire has already branded him a dangerous individual,” Shuneria said gravely, but Reina looked on without much interest.
According to Davey, he had given the Empire more than enough warning, and they wouldn’t come after him again.
She couldn’t help but laugh at how foolish the human behind it must be.
“It wouldn’t have been easy for the Empire to issue something like this after the Emperor was assassinated...” Reina muttered to herself.
“I have connections with the resistance fighting against the Nacha Empire. They’ve secured one of the dimensional passage control devices stolen from the Empire,” Shuneria said with determined eyes. “I’ve been wanting to help, and now you two can escape to another world.”
Davey had said they’d stay for about a week, yet if the situation were truly as serious as Shuneria believed, that plan might have to change.
However, Reina shook her head. “No. If he decided to stay, I have no intention of questioning that.”
“But...”
“They invaded our homeland. This is the result.”
“Well said.”
Thunk!
At that moment, the door opened, and Davey walked in.
“Where did you go?”
“Well, since we're going to stay here for a week, I went to scout the area a bit. Anyways, gimme that.”
Seeing him hold out his hand, Shuneria reluctantly gave him the wanted poster.
“
Hmm...
”
Maybe it was the serious look on his face, but Shuneria involuntarily gulped.
“This looks weird, doesn’t it?”
Reina responded, “It’s pretty much an exact likeness.”
“I look this evil?”
“Well... sometimes, when you smile?” Reina answered cautiously, and Davey sighed.
“Are you guys not getting how serious this is?! The Empire’s out for blood! Once they know where we are, soldiers will be on us in an instant. You have to listen to me.”
She pleaded like she was about to cry. “The Imperial army has no mercy... If they catch you, it’s straight to the plaza for the guillotine and—”
She made a slicing motion across her neck with the side of her hand. “Got it? This isn’t something strength alone can handle. So don’t be stubborn...”
“Reina. On the way here, I saw a bakery selling this region’s specialty bread. Want some?”
“Sure!”
“Shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
Watching the two of them get up without a care in the world, Shuneria felt like she was going to explode with frustration.
All she’d wanted to do was thank them, and help move them to a safe place. Yet watching them act like they didn’t care at all, she was left questioning if she was truly trying to do the right thing for them.
With the appearance of a black dragon already bringing chaos to the world, their attitude only added fuel to the fire burning inside her.
“Wait! Then, at least take this!”
In the end, she had no choice but to make adjustments to her plan.
‘There’s no helping it. These people won’t listen to a damn word I say... If that’s the case, the only option is to cut off any trouble at the source...’
It was frustrating, but they were the ones who had saved her and her siblings. The Empire would be chasing them soon enough anyway so she figured if she included them in the escape, then everything would turn out fine.
“
Hmm...
Do we really have to do this?”
“W-What did you just say? Are you not seeing this?! Get it together! Once that wanted poster gets around, even people who used to call you family won’t hesitate to turn you in!”
The bounty was just that high. There was no other choice.
Considering how many independence fighters had been betrayed after being caught by the Nacha Empire, she knew there wasn’t much left to think about.
They said they came through a dimensional passage from another world. She didn’t know what kind of people they were, but surely anywhere would be safer than staying here.
“Yeah. I guess there could be a commotion.”
“Right?! That’s what I’m saying...”
“If things get noisy, I won’t be able to enjoy myself properly.”
He wasn’t listening at all.
She prayed silently for nothing to go wrong.
* * *
Unaware—or perhaps just indifferent—to the frustrations of Shuneria, Davey took Reina and strolled leisurely around the territory.
“
Ah,
thank you kindly.”
They had purchased the skewered meat of a red-feathered pheasant, a unique cuisine of the territory. It was one of the specialties Davey had noted while scouting the area.
“What kind of meat is this?”
“Red-crested pheasant. It’s from a place known for it, so give it a try.”
In the end, Davey didn’t use the disguise artifact Shuneria had offered him. If the goal was to avoid trouble while enjoying the moment, then the best approach was to avoid suspicion altogether by going all-in, balls to the wall. Thus, he ignored her shocked reaction and cast a face blindness spell on all three of them.
While people would still recognize them as people, their appearances would remain a cognitive blur, making it difficult for onlookers to maintain or even generate clear memories of their faces.
Even if someone knew they were using such an obviously suspicious spell, there’d be no way for them to explain it.
Some said that high-level magic, refined to its extreme, became indistinguishable from a miracle. It was similar to how scientists often said that highly advanced technology was no different from magic.
Thanks to the spells, the group wandered freely through the territory’s city without altering their appearances in the slightest.
Meanwhile, the nearby fortress was probably in turmoil, between the crippled deputy and Reina suddenly disappearing.
Reina stared silently at the reddish meat, steeling herself before cautiously taking a bite.
“I-It’s delicious,” she said with eyes wide in surprise.
“Right? Amazing, isn’t it?”
Illyna had always been a lightweight when it came with spicy food.
She had too much pride to admit it, so she pretended to handle it. Still, whenever Davey gave her something spicy as a prank, she ended up teary-eyed every time.
Even though she’d changed, Reina, who was still Illyna deep down, also preferred sweet over spicy foods.
Seeing her happily nibble the skewered meat, Davey held out a drink he'd bought.
“Here. Try this too.”
“What is it?”
“They said it’s fruit juice mixed with milk. It’s pretty good.”
Her eyes sparkled at the word fruit. She took the cup and sipped, her eyes lighting up again. “It’s sweet too! What kind of fruit is this?”
“
Hmmm
. From what I remember, it’s a pretty common one in this area. I’ll ask Aeria to make it for you later.”
“Really?
Hehe.
”
As she smiled brightly, still chewing on the meat, Davey felt a twitch at his waist.
Poof!!
The twin swords at his waist, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, materialized and scurried straight toward Reina.
“R-Red Ribbon wants some too!”
“Blue Ribbon too...”
Startled by the sudden appearance of the two kids, Shuneria gasped, but then sighed in relief that they weren't being attacked. “Those two are...?”
“My daughters.”
“Y-You’re married?! But you still look so young...”
Shuneria eyed Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon with a conflicted expression.
Seeing the two of them looking so adorable while munching on meat that Reina had handed them, Shuneria’s expression softened, and her face turned faintly red.
“Here...” Just then, Super Ribbon shyly approached and offered her a skewer.
Shuneria’s eyes sparkled. As she opened her mouth carefully, Red Ribbon gently fed her a bite.
“
Ahh!
So cute!”
Unable to resist anymore, she hugged both Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon.
Noticing that Reina looked at them with envy, Davey snuck the extra skewer he had right into her mouth.
“
Mmph?!
”
“Good, right?”
Davey grinned as her face flushed in surprise.
She seemed to understand the situation a second later and quickly looked down, her face turning bright red. “Don’t make me misunderstand.”
Seated beside her, Davey leaned back as he asked, “How’s the corruption in your body?”
“It’s definitely weakened, at least. I don’t know the exact reason, but it probably means your condition has improved, right?”
Her state was directly affected by his, after all.
The more he changed, the more she was thereby influenced, and the more she fell to corruption. So if her condition was improving, it necessarily meant that something within him was changing as well.
Davey wondered what had caused it. He remembered what Goddess Freyja had said—that once he began to change, the effects would spread outward, starting with Reina.
Until that point, everything had been stable. Yet something about the new dimension had triggered a major shift in him, ultimately affecting her as well.
It meant there was a problem with his mental state. Despite knowing the reasoning of that cause and effect, however, he still had no idea what the root of it was.
His first solution had been to return to his roots, attempting to act like his former self. As part of that, he wanted to ease Reina, who had suffered so much.
“
H
mm. So you are a couple with someone? But if you’re married already... is this like an affair or something?” Shuneria cautiously asked.
“I told you—we’re not a couple.”
“But the way you two act... It’s totally like lovers.”
Davey’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and Reina blushed.
‘Reina?’
He instinctively turned to look, but she quickly looked away, pretending to clear her throat.
“He’s my savior. That’s all.”
“Really?”
Shuneria seemed to have forgotten her constant worries about being exposed. She blended completely in with the group, like all her concerns had gone away while talking.
It made Davey feel a bit of a mischievous impulse.
Just as he was about to say something, a magical device Shuneria had been carrying suddenly began to vibrate and hum.
Whummm. Whummm!!
It emitted a red glow, and her face instantly drained of color upon seeing it.
“No way...”
“What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing. I-I have to go back. Here, take this!” She hastily handed over some kind of ID badge. “This should let you pass through without issue. Once you’re done here, head west to the next city!”
Just as she turned to flee in a hurry, she bumped into someone.
Unlike Shuneria, who was small and lightly built, the person she ran into was tall, heavily built, and even armored.
“
Ugh.
” Falling flat on her bottom, she let out a pained groan and slowly got up. She tried to apologize and leave, clearly in a rush.
However, once she locked eyes with the person she had run into, everything changed for her.
“T-The Imperial Executioner Corps...” she muttered under her breath.
The man who had been silently looking down at her let out a voice full of curiosity.
“Well, well, well. So you do know about the Executioners, miss. Interesting little spell you’ve got on you.”
He waved his hand, shattering the disguise artifact in an instant, inadvertently removing the face blindness spell with his anti-magic gear and revealing her true appearance.
“
Hmm.
I didn’t expect this? First-Class Wanted Criminal... Shuneria Recken,
huh?
” he muttered in awe before reaching out toward her.
Frozen in place, she couldn’t even flee.
“You... you came to capture me?”
“No, not exactly. Honestly, it was pure coincidence running into you. I was actually tracking a foolish assassin who tried to assassinate His Majesty. But hey, this is a lucky bonus.”
Shuneria seemed to believe Davey hadn’t been discovered yet. Resolved to protect him, she desperately tried to redirect the man’s attention.
“T-Then could you... pretend just this once that you didn’t see me?”
“I don’t think so. You’re a First-Class target.”
A twisted laugh made its way out from behind the mask.
“You’ve got plenty of info I want, but don’t worry. You’re a citizen of the Empire’s inner lands, so as long as you cooperate, you won’t be sent to Auvatz Prison Camp.”
He grabbed her by the shoulder. Normally, she would’ve shaken him off or tried to run.
However, with fear having seemingly paralyzed her, she couldn’t move at all.
Seeing her like that, Davey turned to Reina. “What should I do?”
“Save her, obviously.”
“That’ll end the date, you know?”
“This wasn’t a date. You’re like some dad entertaining his kid. Besides, I know you can always make time like this again.”
‘Fair enough.’
Davey smiled softly at her words. “Freeze.”
He then snapped his fingers and dispelled the face blindness spell.
The stronger impulse within him told him to kill the Executioner on the spot, but Davey suppressed it.
While he didn’t like it, it was far more important that he not lose control, else the backlash would hit Reina directly.
At that moment, he was...
A saintly man.
He smiled gently, reminding himself of the word ‘patience’ in his mind over and over.
‘This guy should really thank his lucky stars that he ran into me at the right time.’

.
!
Chapter 1208