The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
Chapter 1083

Chapter 1083

So-Ya, the mermaid from Earth, was feeling pretty down as she waited for Behemoth, who had suddenly disappeared, to return.

There was a saying that one might not notice when someone comes, but one definitely notices when they’re gone. Even though it had only been a short disappearance, the loneliness she felt was strangely intense.

“Ah! Guardian! Whoa!”

When Behemoth tore through space and reappeared, creating massive waves in the ocean, So-Ya got swept away by the surge.

A long, snowy-white beard snagged her and tossed her lightly onto its back.

“Geez! Where did you go?”

[Hmph! That damned contractor summoned me!]

“Really? Hmm. Well, I guess there’s nothing we can do about that. What did he need you for?”

[Even with my brilliant mind, I can't make sense of it! That punk summoned me only to send me right back again!]

Hearing its grumbling, So-Ya made a strange face. “Is that seriously all there is to it?”

[Ah! I just remembered!]

“What is it?!”

Ssss.

Its snowy beard moved again, grabbing her and pushing her toward somewhere on its body.

[That spot’s itchy! Scratch it for me!]

She made a twisted face of disbelief. “You said you remembered something important!”

[Exactly! I remembered the itch!]

“Fine...” So-Ya quickly slid down with a sigh, picked up a sharp sturdy stone, and started scratching at its thick, massive skin.

“Feel better?”

[Harder! You're too weak!]

“I’m not weak, you're just too tough!!”

Behemoth shot her a look at the apparent insult. Normally, Behemoth was ferocious enough to chomp someone down without a second thought, but it surprisingly started glowing with light and shrank into a much smaller form.

[This better?]

“Uhhh. I'll try.” As she kept scratching, So-Ya squinted.“Huh? Hey, Guardian.”

[What now!]

“What’s this?” Her eyes went wide when she noticed an odd pattern etched into the spot she was scratching.

[Is something there?]

Behemoth tried twisting its body to look, but its massive form made it impossible to get the right angle.

[Damn it! How annoying!]

“I don’t even know how to describe this pattern...”

Under its fin, So-Ya saw what seemed to be a special cross-like symbol engraved into its skin. She couldn’t figure out what it was for the life of her.

[Screw it! I’ll just rub it off!]

“But it looks cool! Are you sure you want to get rid of it?”

[Too much trouble! I’ll leave it!]

Hearing it grumble like a tsundere, So-Ya giggled. While others feared it, to So-Ya, Behemoth simply seemed ridiculously adorable.

“Alright, let’s head north! Those Adelie Gang jerks I don’t get along with? They teamed up with some orcas and attacked the seals! You know how close I am with the seals!”

[What the heck are you talking about?!]

“Oh, you know, it’s those crazy penguins. Still, the orcas are the real problem!”

[Hmph! Such a pain!]

“Oh, is it that you’re scared of the orcas?”

[How dare you!! As if I'd ever fear anything! Just lead the way!!]

So-Ya smiled mischievously. Behemoth was just too easy to handle.

As Behemoth swam, waves rolled in every direction. As she saw it go, So-Ya muttered to herself, “But that symbol... I swear I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

The feeling that she had seen it before lingered, but she soon shook her head.

“Ugh, whatever! Wait for me, Guardian!”

What mattered wasn’t remembering the symbol. The real priority was the pride battle against the orcas in the Northern Sea.

“Ow!” Just then, So-Ya shuddered and grabbed her arm.

“What? What is this?”

A strange wound had formed on her arm, like something had burrowed into her skin.

Ssss.

The wound closed up almost immediately, and So-Ya simply made a curious face before brushing it off and energetically swishing her tail to catch up with Behemoth.

* * *

Illyna landed swiftly from high up in the sky.

“This isn't right,” she said while grinding her teeth in frustration.

[Tsk.]

Goddess Freyja silently stared at Illyna, expressing her disappointment with her tablet.

Even though she was merely an avatar with a bespoke personality, she was still part of the Primordial Goddess. Hence, for a mere creation to lash out at its creator was nothing short of madness.

“I haven’t forgotten what you did for me,” Illyna muttered in a complicated tone. “But please, stop testing me when you don't even really mean it. I can't let Perserque worry any more than she already does.”

Goddess Freyja quietly shifted her gaze between Davey and Illyna. He wondered if she was talking about something he was unaware of.

Just as he was starting to feel suspicious because of her bitter attitude, his eyes widened in shock.

Goddess Freyja, who had been standing still, suddenly concealed her presence entirely, approached Davey, and kissed him on the cheek. She then stuck her tongue out playfully at Illyna.

“W-What are you doing?!” Illyna was about to shout more in panic, but before she could, Goddess Freyja threw a stone tablet about the size of Davey’s forearm at him and disappeared.

[The Primordial Mural. If you someday ever need something, look inside it.]

Watching her completely vanish, Davey stared blankly.

On the tablet was a depiction of a sun and a massive beast. Davey couldn't help but think that the beast looked very familiar.

“Ugh!!” Right after Goddess Freyja disappeared, Illyna grumbled furiously.

“What the hell was that about?!” Davey asked in confusion.

“Um. Uhhhh. Nothing!”

“You definitely know something. What did you do?”

When Davey pressed her, Illyna nervously averted her eyes. It wasn't long before she let out a heavy sigh.

“Are you... gonna get mad?”

“Let’s hear it first,” he said calmly.

Illyna then dropped her head gloomily. “Well...”

Even as he kept questioning her, she couldn't bring herself to answer for a long time. Watching her hesitate only made Davey even more certain that there was something going on he didn’t know about.

Eyes narrowed, Davey leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

Her eyes shot open. Her face flushed bright red as she wore an adorably flustered expression. “Huh?”

“Still not gonna tell me?”

“Uh, that, um!”

When Davey kissed her once more, Illyna looked like she was about to cry.

“Stop teasing her, Davey.”

At that moment, Perserque interrupted his teasing interrogation. She walked toward the two while munching on a lollipop, Rinne trotting alongside her.

“Don't try to ask about it, you don't need to find out.”

“What, you know too?” he asked in disbelief.

“As if I wouldn't.”

“Sorry, but I need to hear it.”

“Davey. This is...”

“Tell me,” he said firmly.

In response, Perserque let out a sigh. “Illynao could you go lead the guards in the rebuilding efforts? Even though the damage was minimized, a lot of things got wrecked when Behemoth suddenly appeared from the sky.”

“Ah. Okay.”

“Go on ahead,” she urged.

Illyna nodded with a complicated look on her face. Before leaving, she turned back to Davey, quickly kissed him on the cheek, and said, “I wasn't trying to betray you. I love you, Davey.”

With that, she sprinted away.

After a brief silence, Perserque took another look at the wrecked aftermath and asked, “Why did you summon Behemoth anyway? I thought its sheer size made it almost impossible to summon carelessly.”

“I didn’t summon him. The Goddess did.”

“The Goddess... summoned the Mythical Beast King on her own?”

“Yeah. On top of that, it even devoured the rift like it was nothing.”

Davey couldn’t help but marvel at how strange it was that a problem hadn’t arisen.

“Every event has a possibility in the future...” Perserque muttered to herself, then turned to Davey and said, “What does that phrase mean?”

“It means that every action Goddess Freyja takes carries the weight of all possible futures. Does that have something to do with what just happened?”

She nodded at his question before she shrank her body and perched herself on his shoulder. It had been a while since she’d last taken on her smaller form, making the moment feel strangely nostalgic. At the same time, it also made Davey miss the days when they had spent time together as old friends, before they had ever confessed their feelings.

“Remember when Goddess Freyja made Aeria carry your child?”

A bitter memory surfaced, and Davey couldn't help but frown. It wasn’t exactly something he wanted to remember.

Aeria had carried their child, only to lose it to the cycle of reincarnation. He hadn’t even been able to give the child a name. Remembering that child, he took a heavy breath and nodded.

As a father to that child, he was nothing but a complete failure. At the same time, a sudden thought flashed through his mind—he wondered if she was about to confirm what he was thinking.

Just as he suspected, his hunch was spot on.

“If Aeria had carried the child to term without losing it, would you have ever accepted her?”

Davey felt like he’d just been slammed with a wake-up call.

“It’s the same with Illyna. Because you accepted Aeria, Illyna naturally followed and entered your life too.”

“That’s because you...”

“Exactly. That’s why I said it’s about possibilities.”

Goddess Freyja had adjusted the world so that their aligned future would come. Even the changes caused by her actions that Davey couldn’t understand had shaped what’d come.

Davey remained silent, barely even breathing.

“That’s the way it is. So, do you regret hearing this now?”

“Doesn't it bother you? The child Aeria bore disappeared just for something like that.”

“You're misunderstanding something, Davey,” Perserque corrected.

“What?”

“When Aeria lost her memories and fell into the parallel world with you, she recovered her memories solely out of her love for you. That was a miracle so incredible that even the gods were shocked. As a result, Goddess Freyja granted Aeria the possibility of the future she wished for most.”

“Then why did the child have to die?”

Her miscarriage hadn’t been an accident.

“Wait, does that mean Goddess Freyja didn’t kill my child?”

“Haaaah. I wasn't going to say this,” she said with a sigh while looking at Davey. “A child who isn't born properly also has an unstable soul.”

“And?”

“That child's soul was later fully reborn.”

“No way...”

“That child’s name is Darian O’Rowane.”

Davey let out a hollow laugh at the absurd revelation.

“Your precious son. This is a secret, so don’t go running your mouth about it.”

The soul Davey thought to be lost had left behind its body and properly taken form, eventually finding its way back into his arms.

Darian was incredibly friendly and open to others. Thanks to that, Davey often saw his uncle on Earth grinning ear to ear every time he saw Darian.

“I heard all of this directly from Goddess Freyja not long ago. She must’ve judged that it’d no longer affect the future. That's also why I've been letting her mess around by your side without stepping in.”

‘No wonder she’s been so unusually lenient toward Goddess Freyja.’

“Go visit Earth.”

“Why?”

“Get me some ice cream.”

As she fluttered into the air, Rinne who had been silently waiting at the side suddenly jumped up with cheer.

“Master Davey! Rinne requests the full sixty-one-swirl from Bestkin Bobbins for the sake of an efficient babysitting experience! Rinne evaluates ‘My Dad is a Monster’ highly!”

Even though she had a totally expressionless face like Goddess Freyja, she somehow looked incredibly desperate.

“Uh, sure. Sixty-one kinds of ice cream, right?”

Seeing her nodding furiously, Davey couldn’t help but think that for Rinne, food was still the most important thing in the world.

* * *

The finances of Heins Territory were far too massive for what one would expect from a mere territory.

Of course, most of the revenue came not from internal commerce, but from the major businesses operated throughout the land. Thanks to them, despite having a relatively small population, the territory raked in enormous profits.

“Your Highness. Of all things, the place that got destroyed...”

Despite layering multiple barriers over it, that damned whale bastard somehow managed to devour the protective barriers and smash important business goods. A warehouse stocked with a large amount of expensive merchandise had been completely wrecked.

“We currently have enough cash on hand that it’s not a huge problem. However, we will definitely suffer some losses in the long run.”

Officially speaking, those losses were significant. If factored against the dealings with other dimensions, though, it wasn’t really much of a loss at all.

Dressed sharply in a sophisticated suit, Davey pressed his hand against his forehead as he listened to her report. Even so, it wasn’t like he could just shrug off the damage.

“How the hell should I roast that goddamned whale?”

Meanwhile, that thick-headed Mythical Beast King couldn’t care less, which made his blood boil even more.

Heins Territory offered its citizens substantial welfare benefits, which naturally meant high expenses. The situation didn’t leave him in a good mood. It was time to find a new stream of income.

“I'm against it,” Elder Goulda said firmly.

Unfortunately, Davey's thoughts about making profit from the geyser were rejected.

“The reason being?”

“Hmm. While I don't claim to know human society well, both the Boltis Kingdom and the Lyndis Empire tried similar businesses in the past.”

Considering the eastern continent was scattered with volcanic zones, it wasn’t surprising.

“A lot of money was invested, but guess how it turned out.”

“Judging by what you're saying, it didn't go very well.”

“Exactly. At first, there were plenty of tourists drawn in by the fancy lodgings and clean facilities, but that was all.

“Your Highness, the only places where hot spring businesses have succeeded are a few countries in the western continent. And even then, it’s mostly just neighboring tourists visiting regularly or its own citizens.”

Considering that they needed foreign income, that wasn’t the kind of news Davey wanted to hear.

“I went to inspect the geyser myself after your request, and I found a fair amount of impurities in the hot spring water. Even if it were used purely for hot springs, it wouldn’t be competitive. If there are impurities, it’s even more likely to cause problems.”

Elder Goulda was objectively pointing out how unfavorably the business would likely perform.

“So basically, it’s not competitive and it’s not safe either.”

Just having hot underground water wasn’t enough to turn it into a business venture. The moon grass and Aeonitia’s watches succeeded only because supply was scarce and demand was explosive. Even when dealing with radioactive material back on Earth, similar dynamics had applied.

By contrast, turning the geyser into something profitable seemed unlikely.

“Of course, it could still be useful for the internal economy and the welfare of the territory. If we just install filtration systems and replace them regularly, the impurities shouldn’t be a big issue.”

In short, it was no good for foreign trade. Davey waved it off, “Don’t worry. When it comes to humans, if you tell them it’s good for their health and skin, they'll come running no matter what.”

“Huh? But wouldn't that be false advertising...”

“Who said anything about false advertising? Don’t worry, I have a way.”

He knew that simply scattering spirits around the geyser wouldn’t have much of an effect, and using holy water would be too costly. However, there was exactly one person in the world capable of transforming an entire area into a sanctuary with just one soak.

The human green tea bag. No—technically speaking, divine green tea since they were a divnity.

When Davey finally organized his thoughts, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Umm. Your Highness?”

“Hehehe. Elder, just draw up an estimate for now.”

“Hmmm. If it’s just an estimate, I suppose that’s fine.”

Amy spoke up cautiously, “Also, Your Highness... We've received a message from the Alaui Merchant Company which has been handling the overall food supply for the territory.”

Davey gave a small nod. Cradling Darian who was wriggling in his arms, he gave him a bottle and waited patiently for Amy to continue.

She let out a sigh. “The ducal house of Murgent from the Alberta nation in the central continent has been supplying goods to us through the Alaui Merchant Company. However, they have decided to withdraw all their export items.”

“What?” Davey frowned. He believed there to be limits on how shameless someone could be in business.

The Alberta Kingdom was a major commercial and agricultural nation. Their cheaply cultivated wheat, rice, and various grains were a vital food source across many continents.

In fact, Davey had previously met with the Merchant Duke of Alberta and signed an agreement precisely because it had been mutually beneficial.

“Did that old geezer lose his mind?” he muttered.

Amy shook her head and continued reporting, “Actually... the Merchant Duke you made the agreement with passed away from a chronic illness two months ago, Your Highness. His young daughter has taken his place as the nation’s chancellor.”

‘As the chancellor? The position of a chancellor isn’t something that should just be inherited like that.’

While Davey was still trying to make sense of it, Illyna, who had been buried under a mountain of paperwork in a corner of the office, lifted her head slightly.

“You didn’t hear?”

“Hear what?”

“The Merchant Duke’s daughter—the new Chancellor of Alberta. She proposed to you.”

“What the hell are you talking about...?”

“I guess this is probably happening because I rejected her on your behalf?”

‘Wait, so, this is a trade retaliation?’