The Max Level Hero Has Returned! - Chapter 684

Things were a little bit better for Baris, because the age gap between him and Lady Felicity was nearly nonexistent by the time there was a subtle romantic tension in the air between them. So in Baris’s case, Davey allowed a bit of leniency. And since they were already engaged anyway, Davey thought it was unnecessary to intervene in their relationship. But as for Yulis…

“Since when?” Davey asked quietly.

“…”

From Yulis’s lack of response, Davey called him out, “Mr. Yulis.”

“Brother!” Winley yelled.

“Winley, could you wait just a bit?”

Davey smiled brightly as he gently patted Winley’s head. On the other hand, Yulis’ face became more ashen.

“I will take care of that thief for sure!” [1]

“Ah… No!” Winley screamed.

Davey simply ignored Winley’s scream, smiling brightly as he looked at Yulis, who was floating in mid-air and seemingly terrified of the powerful binding magic that was impossible to dispel at his level.

“Prince Davey, you achieve great feats every time I see you,” Yulis noted.

“Since when did you start eyeing on Winley?” Davey repeated.

“From the very beginning,” Yulis responded with a faint smile.

“…”

“Prince Davey, you knew from the start why I risked myself before, didn’t you?”

There had been rumors in the past that Yulis and Illyna would become engaged. But Yulis and Illyna themselves did not care at all about their relationship and had no intention of getting engaged.

Indeed, Davey was aware. It was an unusual match between a popular Red Tower elder and a princess from a small kingdom. But even though she was royal, she didn’t have a solid network of support. This made her practically a liability. And even if she was at least a princess and not a prince, their union remained unlikely.

Yulis was hailed as a genius across the continent, and yet he put everything on the line—even his life—to go against Count Lington for Winley’s sake, even though he didn’t have to. It wasn’t until recently that Winley’s standing was bolstered because of Davey’s support. Before that, she had only been a mere royal with no network of support. Though Winley once helped Yulis, it was ultimately his love for her that drove him to risk his life just to aid and protect her. Yulis continued to be close to Davey as well, claiming that he would assist Davey in gaining knowledge and developing magic spells for the same reason.

“Still, isn’t the age gap a bit too much?”

“Hahaha…” Yulis chuckled softly as his glasses slightly shifted.

“Brother! Please approve our relationship!” Winley pleaded.

“What?”

“I know the age gap is a bit big… but I don’t regret it,” Winley said, gently stroking her lean belly.

Glancing at Winley, Perserque made a bitter expression, while Davey watched in surprise as a smile tugged at Winley’s lips. It was surprising to see her speak with such determination. After all, she used to call him brother as she followed him around. But it seemed as though she was ready to leave the nest and take flight. Davey wondered if he was doing the right thing by being so protective, and that concern did not last long.

“Hmm…” Davey sighed.

‘Right, if they find happiness in it, what can I do? Especially now that a child in her belly is involved,’ Davey thought.

Davey wondered if he had the right to oppose the decision Winley made. If Yulis was not a good man, Davey would have certainly stepped in, maybe even using force. But Yulis was surprisingly among the better humans, even with his status. And it was for that reason that Davey had saved him several times and had been supportive of him.

‘Maybe it’s better for Winley to have Yulis by her side,’ Davey thought.

However, Yulis’ goodness and Davey’s worry remained separate issues.

“Mr. Yulis.”.

“Yes, Prince Davey.”

“I understand. It’s ridiculous for me to say anything when you both wish for it, especially since I’ve done nothing for her”

A brother’s true love did not only mean being protective, but also blessing her happiness when it was needed.

“Please take care of Winley,” Davey said.

“Yes.”

“Winley, we need to talk later.”

Winley nervously fidgeted at Davey’s words. She already had a guess about what was coming for her.

Davey then said, “No choice then. I’ll have to address Winley’s situation a bit hastily.”

To this, Yulis responded, “What are you planning…?”

“You’re going to live with that face forever, aren’t you? So, I thought about getting some skincare treatment for my sister.”

Davey’s remark made everyone look puzzled.

He felt compelled to come up with some sort of plan for Winley, although it would not exactly be Metamorphosis.

“Uh, yes?” Yulis responded, wondering why Davey would suddenly do so.

At Yulis’ confusion, Davey then muttered bitterly, “Mr. Yulis, you know that those who undergo the Metamorphosis hardly age throughout their lifetime.”

Masters, who had failed to reach Deep Enlightenment and yet accomplished a basic-level Metamorphosis, tended to live without aging much. And this would definitely apply to Yulis, who had surpassed the Sixth Circle.

Then why do figures like Sage Hellison or Emperor Deorte look old? Firstly, like in Sage Hellison’s case, they could already be too old when they went through Metamorphosis. Second, similar to the case with Emperor Deorte, it was likely that they applied their power too much after Metamorphosis. And lastly, some choose to age despite the Metamorphosis, which was a rare will-driven change. A person’s apparent age and physique would then essentially remain unchanged after Deep Enlightenment. But it was very uncommon for average individuals to be able to reach that realm.

“Staying young is a blessing,” Davey noted.

But there were drawbacks to this blessing. What would Winley think as she watched Yulis stay youthful while she aged? They probably thought that because they loved one another, their outward appearance was irrelevant. But in due course, the disparity in their apparent age could become a source of distress.

Davey believed that they would be tormented in the end. After all, he had seen many people go through the same situation, so he knew that the difference in lifespan was a critical factor in relationships. It was natural for masters to live longer, so if Winley died before Yulis, he would then have to face certain problems.

“But can you handle it?” Davey asked.

In their case, one would age and the other would not, and the aging partner would have to bear more pain as time went on. On top of that, even if the one who did not age made an effort to reassure their aging lover, the root of the problem would not be resolved. Should someone truly comprehend this, then they would be able to let go of their desire to keep their youthful appearance.

Hearing Davey’s question, Winley remained silent as she was filled with complex thoughts.

Yulis then said, “But Winley is just at the threshold of the Fourth Circle. To advance further…”

If Davey intervened, there could be a way to raise the level of her circle. But it seemed Yulis was worried about how much suffering Winley would have to go through in order for her to achieve a higher level. And from such a display of concern, Yulis’s genuine care for Winley became clear and evident.

“I will handle that. Just promise me one thing, Yulis,” Davey said as his gaze met Yulis’s. “I believe that the price humans pay for their freedom is responsibility.”

“That is true,” Yulis responded.

“Do not let her down,” Davey reminded with a warning tone. “If tears were to fall from her eyes, I swear to make you weep blood in return.”

With a face that had gone pale once again from the threat, Yulis answered, “That would not happen, and I would never dare do that because I value my life.”

“That’s enough. You just need to take responsibility,” Davey stated firmly.

As Davey was about to turn away, Perserque approached him. “Hmm… Davey. Can you stand by those words?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“What about that princess from the Lyndis Empire then?”

As he looked at Perserque as if he was seeking an answer to why the conversation had taken a strange turn, Davey asked, “Princess Aeria? What does she have to do with me?”

Chuckling, Perserque dodged the question and said, “Who knows? You’d have to figure that one out.”

Perserque’s words bothered Davey. While he had regrets about his failure to end his relationship with Princess Aeria, he still wouldn’t be able to do so even if he were to go back in time. She was the most confusing presence for him. At least now, she was no longer that confusing to him.

“At least there won’t be any problems as long as I don’t end up with a child from a one-night stand,” Davey mused.

“Goddess Freyja really plays her own game,” Perserque remarked vaguely and chose not to say anything more.

Because by now, Davey should have realized what Perserque had been trying to say.

Training Winley to become a Sixth Circle mage, which was equivalent to a master level, was difficult, given that she was a novice at the Fourth Circle. But what mattered to Winley was the outcome of being able to keep her youth, rather than the painful process of Metamorphosis.

But there were a lot of alternative methods, and so there was no need for Winley to reach the master level just to stay youthful. Davey also found it worthwhile to try a new method of evolution with Winley, and given his demigod level of spirit, he could even act as the catalyst for evolution. Winley then needed to prepare for the growth, both physically and mentally.

But their world, Tionis, was too peaceful for such preparations. The only solution was to thrust her into a world teeming with enemies yet still relatively safe. And Davey had the perfect place in mind.

Cling!

He pulled out the Dimensional Key as he called Winley.

“Brother?” Winley, who was puzzled, approached him.

“You’ll need to be prepared to change.”

It was like how a level one character gathers experience to reach the maximum level.

“I need to be prepared?” Winley asked.

“Yes. Just trust me.”

“But… Brother. I’m okay, really.”

“Really? I hope my concern is only an overreaction, but are you truly confident that you’ll be alright when you watch the one you love grow older while you stay the same?”

A mix of emotions marred Winley’s face. She would not be okay with the situation, even though Yulis might be.

“What should I do?”

With a clap of his hands, Davey answered, “You need something to act as a catalyst for your body’s transformation. It’s just like leveling up and changing status in a game.”

“And?”

“Let’s go hunting. There’s a place teeming with experience points.”

Davey’s uncertain smile gave Winley a bout of fear.

“If you slay the boss mobs alone, your body will gradually meet the evolution requirements.”

Meeting the minimum requirements would be enough, and Davey could then force her transformation with the level of his spirit right after.

“You trust me?”

“Yes… Yes?”

“Don’t worry, Winley. You won’t die.”

Since she chose to be with Yulis, Davey felt obligated, albeit strictly, to prevent any chance of her unhappiness.

So he proceeded to activate the Dimensional Key. But their destination was not in Tionis. Instead, they were going to a different dimension entirely—Alf Online.

***

Emperor Deorte struggled with a headache as he faced an elderly man before him.

“Have you confirmed it?”

“It’s not certain… but… it appears to be a pregnancy, Your Majesty.”

“…”

Emperor Deorte staggered as he clutched his head.

“You… Your Majesty!” Alberth gasped and immediately rushed over to support the emperor..

Usually, Emperor Deorte was a strong father, and yet he looked utterly drained by the news.

“Ah… Alberth… Even Goddess Freyja is too indifferent,” he murmured bitterly. But his bitterness turned to frustration as he shouted, “Who is it? Who impregnated our Aeria?!”

It was not just about being blocked from a matrimonial alliance; the entire situation was just absurdly appalling.

“Please calm yourself, Your Majesty. You know that it is impossible for the princess to involve herself with just any outsider,” the physician said in an attempt to pacify the emperor.

But Emperor Deorte remained visibly shaken. He then twitched as he said, “What? Then…”

“I took the liberty of using a sample of Prince Davey’s hair to magically extract and confirm the paternity of the child within the princess.”

“Go on.”

“We’ve found and verified the identity of the child’s father.”

“Speak. Is it the man I’m thinking of?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Prepare yourself, Albus. We’re going to the Kingdom of Rowane.”

The emperor of the Lyndis Empire himself was on the move.

“I will make him take responsibility, even if it costs me my life!”

1. South Koreans refer to men who date or marry women of much younger ages as thieves. ☜