Novel The Max Level Hero has Returned! - Chapter 88

Chapter 88

It would’ve been difficult for Baris to predict what would happen if he had stepped into the forest that was being showered with lightning bolts. Considering his character, it was actually amazing that Baris had waited around for three hours. Yulis and Winley ran out after him.

“Big Brother!!” Winley quickly came out with a surprised look on her pale face. She ran into Davey’s arms, burying her small physique into his. She asked worriedly, “Big Brother… Are you hurt anywhere?! Do you know how worried I was?!”

Of course, Davey was still over 180 centimeters tall and was pretty muscular. The problem was that everyone else was around 190 centimeters tall or had a huge physique. Because of that, Davey could only be considered to be ordinary, since men with rather small physiques were all around 180 centimeters tall.

“Hey! I told you not to come out!” Baris shouted at Winley.

“Shut up! How could I have just sat back and relaxed when Big Brother wasn’t back yet?” Winley shouted after Baris criticized her. She stroked Davey’s cheek and looked like she was going to cry. “Big Brother! Are you hurt anywhere? You’re okay? Right?”

“Yes, I’m fine, Winley.” Davey chuckled and patted Winley’s head like usual. As tears began forming in Winley’s eyes, Davey glanced at Yulis and asked, “Did anything happen after you came back?”

“Ah… Yes, sir. You completely destroyed the place.” Yulis bitterly smiled, as if he was a little sick of it.

“Honestly, I should’ve told you this when I first saw you,” Davey told Yulis his exact thoughts. Then, he nodded gratefully. “Thank you for keeping my dear sister safe. I will never forget this.”

Yulis may not have been helpful, but he had gone to the facility to find Winley without considering his own life. And he had done so only after having met Winley a few days ago.

“I did nothing. All I know is something bad would’ve happened if you weren’t there, sir.”

“…”

“I couldn’t even protect Lady Winley when I was by her side, and I am an elder of the Red Tower. It is a shameful reality. Also… The cure…” Yulis said.

“Oh, that?” Chuckling, Davey pulled out a pouch from his chest and lightly shook it. “That guy, Lington, kept most of it safe. I guess it was too valuable to throw away.”

Yulis nodded in relief.

“Let Winley and Yulis stay here for treatment. I did already do some basic treatments, but you never know.” Davey just wanted to let Winley and Yulis rest.

Baris then pushed the two inside, not willing to accept any arguments or retorts.

Winley, who looked displeased, had no choice but to go inside with a sigh.

“Anyway, when did Class-5 Yulis start calling Winley that? Big Brother, do you think he has bad intentions for Winley?” Baris, clearly, was still very worried about his sister.

Davey chuckled. He could see Baris showing his wariness of Yulis as soon as Yulis was gone. Then, Davey answered very seriously, “I actually think it’s the opposite…”

“Huh? No… That makes no sense. How can Winley, that tomboy…”

“…”

“Really?” Baris stared at Davey in disbelief. Then, he shook his head. “I guess you might be right…” Baris kept sighing as if he thought this situation was ridiculous.

However, Perserque began joking around and suddenly pulled on Davey’s cheek in this solemn atmosphere. He winced.

‘Ow, what is it this time?’

-You are nothing but an idiot!

‘What’s the problem?’

-…You are usually pretty smart, but you’ve got this situation wrong. It’s the other way around…

Perserque sighed when Davey still didn’t understand. He then muttered to her,

‘Are you saying that it was Yulis who fell in love with Winley at first sight? That’s nonsense. Then, how do you explain how she acted?’

Winley had blushed when she first saw Yulis, and she had been like that since coming to the Ordem Territory. As soon as Davey entered a place where she and Yulis had been alone together, Winley was startled and tried to suppress her embarrassment. She did look like a child hiding something.

-I don’t know! Just live without knowing forever!

‘Man…’

Davey just shrugged. He thought that Perserque turning away after snapping at him was ridiculous.

* * *

Baris brought Davey to the seigneur’s palace while telling the latter a part of the situation that had caused this situation. Just like Davey had expected, Count Lington had intentionally spread this disease in the territory by using the barbarians. Davey listened like it was nothing new, but Baris was still fuming.

The entire situation was comical. It was like a robber who got caught pretending to be the homeowner after breaking in. The funny thing was that Baron Gorneo had been the one to hint about this fact. At first, he had been strongly against Davey doing anything in this territory; perhaps it had been his way of telling Davey to get out without getting too involved and shedding unnecessary blood.

“You are quick,” Baron Gorneo commented.

It seemed that Davey was right.

-That’s the truth.

Perserque mumbled to Davey as she examined the thoughts in Gorneo’s mind.

“To be honest, I knew that Lington was dangerous, but I couldn’t do anything since I didn’t have any evidence nor was anything revealed. However, now that this kind of thing has happened, it wouldn’t cause any problems for you, right?” Baron Gorneo explained as he administered the medicine that Davey had handed to him.

“That would make no sense. It would be tyrannous of the Empire to protest about this,” Baris pointed out.

Baron Gorneo nodded. “Honestly, it’s funny how the world works. A small, weak kingdom would have no choice but to keep quiet if someone were to nitpick on them. However…” Baron Gorneo trailed off, then spoke with determination. “I will make sure that this incident causes no problems. Your Highness, your accomplishments aren’t small, and they shouldn’t be glazed over because of this.”

Although he was one of the weakest council members, Baron Gorneo was determined to not compromise on this.

* * *

The state of the territory greatly improved once the medicine was replicated and distributed. There was more than that too. A cured patient couldn’t get reinfected, so Davey made Baris introduce a vaccination system to the entire territory.

A newborn baby couldn’t have an antibody to this disease. The best possible thing to do was to try to vaccinate people regularly to get rid of this problem. Not only that, but since there were a lot of mercenaries who entered the territory, he made Baris vaccinate them as well to completely get rid of this ‘Melting Acceleration Virus’. However, he couldn’t do anything about the remaining virus yet.

“Over three hundred people of the Ordem Territory have died from this.”

“At least that’s the only casualty count.”

“Does that not even phase you?” Jack threw out a question.

‘Now he knows how to come up and talk. Since it’s come to this, let’s have a chat.’

Davey thought as he sat in his chair, playing around with his mana.

He then asked, “It’s a relief that the disease only caused this much damage. How many residents do you think the Ordem Territory has?”

“That is…”

“The best thing to do in medicine is prevention. What do you think the next best thing is?”

Jack, or Aina Helishana, answered Davey after some pondering. “Fast…recovery and prevention afterward.”

“And the next thing?”

“Quarantine…”

“This damn disease is a mad invader that has no intention of cooperating with an intellectual being. Humans have been at war with these invaders for a long time, and they will keep battling,” Davey pointed out.

Jack kept quiet, then said, “You knew about the disease, Your Highness.”

“Indeed.”

“How much did you know about it?”

“Hm… Does this have a cost as well?”

“I am also an information merchant. I am calculating the precise cost with a point system.”

Davey couldn’t help but laugh at Jack’s unexpected response. He answered, “I’m worried that you’re going to ask for an organ or something, because of all the points I’ve accumulated.”

“I value my life, so…”

“From someone who practices medicine, this damn invader is so dangerous that it’s a relief that the disease has been stopped.”

Jack said nothing.

This disease had killed millions of people in another continent. It was dangerous to try treating it as a doctor, so it really was a relief that it had only taken a few hundred people this time; although, Davey did feel a little sorry for the ones who had died.

If Davey wasn’t here and this disease had spread outside the territory, half of the eastern continent would’ve been wiped out, starting with the Ordem Territory. No, it could’ve spread to the mid-continent and even created chaos in the entire Tionis continent. Considering that, Lington was truly fearless since this ridiculous virus would’ve spread throughout the continent if even one thing had gone wrong.

“You are very peculiar, Your Highness.”

“So, hurry up and tell me. I think that it’s time to say what you want.”

“I need to collect more points. I will serve you with everything I have.”

“I don’t know what you’re planning to ask for that requires you to serve me with everything you have… Why don’t you just come and work for me?”

“Are you going to take me in?”

Davey chuckled at Jack’s question before saying, “Am I crazy?”

‘I don’t care where you’re from or what your past is, but at least take off your disguise if you want to say that.’

It was unsure what Jack, or Aina Helishana, felt from Davey’s gaze. But he just stayed silent.

* * *

Rumble!!! Crash!!

The carriage, which was moving roughly, didn’t slow down even after getting out of the forest.

“Sir Belross! Our pursuers are no longer following us!”

“The horses will not be able to tolerate the journey for much longer!”

“

Sigh…

Slow down! Balter! Rock! Keep guarding the surroundings and prepare in case there’s a surprise attack!”

There were seven knights who currently escorted the carriage, but there were far more before.

“Damn it, those assassins!” The old knight clenched his jaw in a display of anger. Even if he was a Swordmaster, there was no way he could have avoided sustaining any injuries if assassins attacked them day and night. There was a monstrous being on this continent who was an exception to that rule, but they didn’t know about that.

“Your Highness, this is Belross! Are you hurt anywhere?!”

After the old knight shouted, a coughing sound could be heard from inside the silent carriage. Then, the soft voice of a girl could be heard. “I—I’m fine…”