The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1232

The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1232

Chapter 1232
Josiah kept lunging at Davey for a good long while, but he didn’t play along with her antics.
In the end, she was the one who burned out and collapsed from exhaustion. All she could do was grind her teeth and mutter, “Just you wait...”
Stuck waiting for Count Chyde, Davey grew curious about Josiah’s teaching style. He decided to watch her lesson for a bit to pass the time, but he quickly came to a disappointing conclusion.
She was incredibly unskilled, improvising her lessons without any semblance of structure or curriculum.
While there was room for interpretation when it came to systematic teaching, her approach of creating everything on the fly from scratch, was absolute garbage. Strictly speaking, her teaching deserved the lowest possible score.
‘Why can’t she just do it? Why?’
However, such wishful thinking didn’t help anyone.
Josiah was a genius. Growing up with such exceptional ability, she had no idea how to efficiently teach someone with average talent.
Even if it was the same material, having clear milestones would’ve at least made things easier to teach and understand. Alas, her basics were hopelessly vague, which made the whole mess inevitable.
Davey’s teaching methods had turned Josiah into a capable mage, but she had only absorbed the framework of his methods. It was from there that she twisted them into a hellish training regimen based on her own standards.
Unlike Davey, who assessed his students and adjusted the difficulty accordingly, she forced her method without any moderation or adaptability, setting her own standards as the baseline. It was unlikely that it would ever lead to good results.
“
Ugh.
This is so frustrating...” Josiah muttered as she chewed one of her nails in frustration. She then went up to Davey and asked, “Do you think there’s any hope left for him?”
“To me, you’re no different from him,” he calmly responded.
“You tryna catch these hands, bro?!”
“Does it look like I’m just teasing you?”
She flinched, realizing Davey wasn’t just messing around with her.
“You need to tell me what I’m doing wrong, then...” she insisted.
“If you figure it out, I’ll pretend that the advance on your vacation hours never happened.” In other words, he’d give her paid time off.
Her eyes sparkled. “For real? You promised!”
“But you’re not the only problem,” he reminded her.
“
Huh?
”
Davey wondered if she realized that Mit Chyde was actually a bigger issue than she was. “That guy’s a problem too.”
Josiah gave his words some thought and headed back toward Mit. “Young master Mit is more of a problem?”
Once she’d left in thought, Illyna chimed in with a question. “You know magic heavily relies on the caster’s will, right?”
In other words, a mage who lost their composure couldn’t properly use their powers.
“
Hmmm.
Yeah, compared to swordsmanship, it’s a different field.”
Despite how Mit looked on the surface, his mental state was unstable. Back in Terraria Kingdom, Davey had met a friend named Maximus von Terraria, who also acted like a delinquent, though he and Mit Chyde were fundamentally different.
Maximus knew what was right and wrong. Mit Chyde, on the other hand, had no real understanding of the harm he caused. Maximus was the real deal, an honest self-aware man, and that was the difference between them.
“Illyna, how much shock do you think it’d take for a self-centered delinquent—one who thought he was always right and stepped on others without a care—to actually change?”
Illyna didn’t answer right away, unsure. People had different standards, after all.
Even if Mit Chyde had been a complete bastard, it was possible that someone like that could change because of a simple, single incident. Still, no matter how small the trigger, it must’ve felt like a massive shock to him, to the extent that his thoughts were likely still in disarray from it.
If things went wrong now, he’d revert to his old self just like before. Yet if he settled himself properly, he could finally realize what right and wrong truly meant.
People always say it’s hard to change a person. Though they weren’t wrong, saying that change was outright impossible wasn’t right either.
In the end, all Davey could do was sit back and munch on some popcorn while he gazed upon the absolute mess of an unqualified teacher and an unstable student.
Then, just as Josiah reached Mit Chyde and was about to speak, a group of footsteps came from afar.
“Illyna.” Davey pulled her close and suppressed their presence. Reina seemed to notice it too, lightly masking her own presence.
“
Huh?
”
Smack!!!
It was a full swing slap.
A man had entered and slapped Mit Chyde across the face. He looked down at Mit with the coldest expression.
“F-Father...”
“I didn’t say anything when you caused trouble at the academy, disgracing our family. You didn’t make any excuses either, so I assumed you at least understood your mistakes.”
Josiah watched as Mit Chyde speechlessly rolled from the force of the slap, tilting her head in confusion.
“But it seems you still haven’t come to your senses. I left you here so you could reflect, and what do you do? You sneak around behind my back, chasing after women?!”
“Father! She’s not—”
“I don’t want to hear it!! It was my mistake having any expectations for you. Royal Attendant! Lock him up in the dungeon, immediately!”
“Father!”
“Silence!!”
Smack!!
Another harsh slap, and Mit’s face twisted in pain at his father’s strict discipline.
Ignoring his son completely, Count Chyde said to Josiah, “You don’t seem like a commoner, at least. Young lady, I suggest you leave while you still can. I’ll have some attendants escort you out.”
It was a clear dismissal.
Josiah, who hadn’t expected him to arrive early, looked at him with a complicated expression. “My name is Josiah Frances.”
“And I’m Count Chyde. Did you have something to say?”
When he barked out his words like he no longer wanted to speak with her, Mit Chyde urgently shouted back, “Father! You’re misunderstanding—”
“Silence! What are you all still standing around for?! Drag him away already! Though I didn’t lay my hands on you in the past because you were my son, as of today, you are no longer any son of mine!”
Mit Chyde’s expression visibly darkened.
‘Well... This isn’t good.’
Watching the commotion from a distance, Davey slowly rose to his feet. He released the suppression on his presence. “Please calm down, Count Chyde.”
“And who might you be?” Startled by Davey’s sudden appearance, the count looked at him with wary eyes.
The knights behind him immediately assumed a defensive stance, drawing their swords. It was understandable. Davey was an outsider who had appeared out of nowhere, so it’d actually be unnatural for them to think that he was anything but an intruder.
“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Davey O’Rowane. Apologies for showing up unannounced, but I’ve come to speak with you regarding an urgent matter.”
Count Chyde paused, repeating the name under his breath before flinching. “Davey... Davey O’Rowane? Don’t tell me, the Saint of the Continent...”
“That title’s a bit much, you can just call me by name.”
“The Saint of the Continent... What would the Grand Duke of Heins be doing all the way out here in a foreign borderland?”
“There’s something urgent I will need your help with. If I may, could we speak privately for a moment?”
The count glanced at his son, eyes narrowing. “Please wait a moment. After I throw out this disgrace of a son—”
“That won’t be necessary. Leave him.”
The count’s expression twisted at his request. “Grand Duke, even for someone of your status, interfering in another family’s affairs is unseemly.”
Davey couldn’t tell if the count was hardheaded or simply persistent. Either way, just as the records said, Count Chyde was a man of strict principles, almost to a fault.
“Well, the decision’s yours to make...” Davey said with a faint smile. “But you might regret it.”
“Is that a threat? I don’t know what promises that bastard may have made to you...”
Davey approached, calmly saying, “There’s no reason for me to make threats. This is my first time meeting your son.”
He then glanced at Mit’s cheek, still swollen from the slap. “Are you confused?”
“
Huh?
”
“I asked if you’re confused. You feel like you’ve changed, but the world around you hasn’t. Now you must be starting to doubt yourself and your resolve, right?”
“Think it through carefully, because I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong.”
“I...”
Giving a soft smile, Davey gently healed the bruised cheek and turned away. “Count, do you have a moment?”
The Count, who had been watching Davey silently, gave a small nod.
* * *
Mit Chyde had been a delinquent, but something had caused him to change. He had undergone a significant emotional shift. However, since the change came from within and wasn’t from solid conviction, he was stuck in a transitional phase.
If he had been the main character of a transmigration novel who retained his memories, aware that his current behavior was excessive, it wouldn’t have been a problem. Alas, that wasn’t the case.
Clank—
The scent of fragrant tea spread through the air. It seemed to contain Sacred Grass, as Davey could feel the holy power emanating from it.
“Please, have some,” the Count offered.
“Thank you,” Davey responded, accepting the tea.
“May I ask what brought you all the way out to this remote region?”
“I apologize for visiting without notice.”
“No worries.”
Though he replied calmly, Davey knew it was just politeness. So rather than drag it out, he got straight to the point. “Count Chyde, I’d like to purchase some Sacred Grass.”
“Sacred Grass...? Forgive me, but I believe I already sent a reply saying that it won’t be possible.”
“Yes, I’m aware. Unfortunately, my situation is a bit urgent.”
“There are no exceptions.”
He was indeed as strict and principled as the records described.
Of course, Davey had known that already. There had to be a reason why someone like Count Chyde, who didn’t hold much political weight in his formal role, had been able to protect the Sacred Grass fields for so long.
Davey clarified, “I’m not asking you to do anything illegal. We don’t need much.”
“No matter how many times you ask, the answer is the same.”
“I noticed the Chyde family is carrying quite a heavy debt.”
Even under normal circumstances, their family bore significant debt. After Mit Chyde caused a massive incident at an academy, the burden had grown even worse. Being a man of unwavering character, the count had likely taken full responsibility for the massive debt without hesitation.
“That has nothing to do with you, Grand Duke.”
“I can take care of that debt.”
“Grand Duke...”
“I’m not asking you to cancel any existing contracts. You can just share a portion of the Sacred Grass you’ve set aside for research within your territory.”
“That’s not how I deal with things. It also doesn’t even make sense financially. Do you have any idea how much debt my family currently carries?”
“Nearly ninety thousand gold, I believe.”
“And you think the Sacred Grass I can offer is worth that much?”
“Of course not,” Davey answered.
“Then I have no reason to agree. There’s too much disparity between the value we’d each receive, and if I agree to this request simply because it’s coming from you, it sets a precedent for others to try the same.”
He left no room for exceptions. Davey, of course, had already predicted such a response.
If one bent the rules once, the second time came easier. That was always how corruption began. In that sense, Count Chyde was truly remarkable in his steadfast nature.
“But if things continue like this, your family will collapse.”
“I understand your concern, but that’s not something you need to worry about, Grand Duke. I apologize if my son’s disgraceful behavior gave you the wrong impression.”
He had shouted earlier, accusing his son of womanizing because he saw him with Josiah. However, he wasn’t aware that Josiah was a graduate student and assistant professor at Heins Academy. Once he learned the truth, Davey figured the man would quickly accept the exchange.
The Count had misdirected his energy.
Davey clarified, “That apology shouldn’t be for me.”
The man didn’t know what to say.
“Shouldn’t you be giving it to your son?”
“But that boy isn’t someone worth your concern, Grand Duke.”
“Not worth my concern?”
“I spoiled him too much, and that’s why he doesn’t know his place. All he ever does is cause trouble and mess around with women.”
Davey quietly lifted his teacup. “Is that what you truly think?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing, I was just curious. Sorry for wasting your time. You’ve made your stance clear, so I’ll be on my way.”
* * *
While it seemed like a simple contract on the surface, Mit Chyde had nonetheless made a contract with none other than a Vampire Lord. Josiah, of all people, knew better than anyone that such a contract could never be taken lightly. Whether it was out of a sense of responsibility or something else, she chose to stay behind and continue monitoring his magic herself.
He had a bad reputation for being a womanizer, but he seemed to have changed quite a bit. Even if he had any different intentions, there was nothing he could do against someone like Josiah.
Thus, Davey decided to respect her decision.
Illyna, however, was hesitant to leave. “But... is there no other way besides Sacred Grass?”
“To be frank, I don’t need it,” Davey answered.
Hearing that, Illyna, who had been letting Davey rest his head on her lap, tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean? I thought it was something important, and so that’s why you were poking around for it.”
“It’d be nice to have, sure, but it’s not like there aren’t any other options.”
There wasn’t any urgent necessity for that particular substance.
“Then there’s no need to obsess over it, I guess,” Illyna responded. “Since you offered to clear ninety thousand gold in debt, I figured it had to be serious.”
Davey shook his head. “Of course, that value doesn’t add up, but I was sure Count Chyde would never agree.”
Just as expected, the count had rejected his offer.
“
Hmmm.
But what if he had said yes?”
“Then I’d have to follow through on what I said.”
“You mean, actually pay off that much gold for him?!” she shouted in surprise.
Ninety thousand gold wasn’t some paltry sum to be handed out like it was nothing. It was an enormous amount of money in the eyes of anyone, regardless of status.
Davey shook his head. Then, he pulled out a set of documents that had all the information he had gathered from his Pocket Plane. “Their original debt wasn’t even that high, so where did the rest of it even come from?”
“Well, from the Central Academy...”
“Isn’t that strange?”
Seeing his faint smile, Illyna blinked in realization. “So then...”
“If he’d agreed, it wouldn’t have been hard for me to launch a full investigation and get to the bottom of things. Yet since he refused, there’s no need for me to go out of my way to help.”
“But think of Josiah... Maybe helping a little wouldn’t hurt?”
“This will be a learning opportunity for Josiah.”
Once she tried everything she could on her own and realized she couldn’t handle it alone, he might finally step in to give some help.
Just a little.

.
!
Chapter 1232