The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 838. Large Scale Moon Project

Davey disappeared.

The people left behind on the continent of Peslisa wore dazed expressions, unsure of what to say after witnessing such an extraordinary series of events.

“Tower Master...”

Elder Schweitz approached the Tower Master with a weary face and spoke hesitantly.

“Who in the world...?”

“Pardon?”

“Who in the world was that man?”

As any skeptic would agree, seeing is believing. This principle was the one the current Sapphire Tower Master lived by as well. However, with what just transpired, even witnessing it firsthand didn’t make it any easier to believe.

He could understand someone being powerful. He could even stretch his understanding to accept the idea of someone wielding control over the undead—something that seemed impossible for a human being. And for the man’s swordsmanship, he could also acknowledge it as some obscure technique beyond the knowledge or comprehension of most swordmasters.

But for a mere human to control the vitality of an entire continent, and then also...

“A human... A mere human... created a moon?”

The small moon floating in the sky left them speechless. Though smaller than the original moon that already orbited Peslisa, the man had molded a giant mass of earth and sent it into orbit in the sky. The Tower Master couldn’t believe any person, even a fabled 9th Circle mage, could possibly make such a thing.

‘No... It’s impossible!’

As the Tower Master grappled with disbelief, a thought suddenly struck him.

“Elder! The device! Bring the device now!”

“Device? Which one?”

“Bring the vitality measuring device! Hurry!”

Startled by the urgency in his voice, Schweitz scrambled to contact the others to bring the device. Once they received it, they activated it immediately before shock covered their faces.

The readings were clear: the vitality that had once far exceeded human limits of genetic tolerance had decreased dramatically.

“Elder... Tower Master...”

Before they could even fully process their discovery, a messenger brought in a letter and book. The others stared at them with confused looks.

“M-Mage Davey said we should read these if he disappeared. He left them behind.”

The Tower Master, compelled by a strange feeling, snatched the letter and tore it open. He read it—and slowly sank to his knees with a look of utter disbelief.

“What... What is the meaning of this!?”

Elder Schweitz, alarmed, picked up the book to read it for himself—then immediately slumped to the ground as well. The book was written in an incomprehensible language. Fortunately, the letter was in the common tongue of Peslisa.

[This book will be of great use to you. Interpret it as you will.]

This was all it said.

“T-Tower Master... Could it be...?”

What should’ve been a simple letter and book turned into the subject of wild speculation.

“It seems... a god descended among us...”

The six-winged angel in service of the divine, and a god capable of creating a moon.

Thinking along these lines, everything began to make sense—the overwhelming power, the absolute control, and the power to willfully manipulate the vitality that covered the entire continent.

“Elder... Build a temple.”

The Tower Master’s voice was solemn, filled with reverence.

“This... This is...”

He then knelt on the ground, clasping his hands together solemnly, seriously, and with deep reverence to pray. A mage that denied the existence of gods was now offering a prayer.

“This is scripture!”

But he was wrong.

The book Davey had left behind was merely an excerpt from the Introduction to Dark Magic that Rho Aias wrote. Even so, before long he became revered as a god, and the book was treated as sacred scripture.

Meanwhile, the ruined continent of Peslisa began to recover from the damage of the Red Void rifts, the Illuminati, and the Fallen Ones.

* * *

“Davey!”

The moment Davey returned to Tionis, Illyna rushed over to him. She threw herself into his arms without a second thought, ignoring the maids around them.

“Oof!”

She hugged him as if she was tackling him, almost knocking him off balance. Aeria stood behind her with a graceful smile, watching him with her warm gaze.

“How have you been? Good?”

“You’re really asking me that? Where the hell were you? Why did it take you so long to get back?”

“How many days was I gone?”

‘Wait, she’s right—leaving two newlyweds behind for several days is pretty strange.’

After all, he, Illyna, and Aeria still needed to go on their honeymoon. He wondered how things had ended up like this.

“Days? What are you even talking about?” Illyna raised her voice in frustration, her brow furrowing.

“What?”

Her sadness peaked, tears welling up in her eyes as she glared at him.

“Y-You’ve been missing for two months!”

Davey’s expression hardened.

‘Wait... But it’s only been a few days.’

He quickly turned toward one of the maids.

“Amy! What day is it today?”

“W-Well, Your Highness...”

When Amy told him the current date, Davey was utterly baffled. To him, it had only been a few days since he left for Peslisa. Yet here in Tionis, two months had passed.

‘That makes no sense...

The dimensional barrier did collapse, but for the times in each world to distort was extremely rare, almost unheard of. Other than early Earth, which had been thrown into chaos by the meddling of Neltarid, such inconsistencies were nearly impossible without divinity intervening.

Davey stopped mid-thought as a realization dawned on him.

“Davey?” Illyna called out.

"Nothing... It’s nothing."

Davey muttered with a stiff expression, glancing at the two standing before him.

"Sorry. Looks like the time distortion messed things up."

"Go on. Per has been waiting for you this whole time. And..."

"And what?"

Aeria’s face flushed a deep red, making Davey tilt his head in confusion.

* * *

When Davey finally went to find Perserque, he saw her sitting calmly, knitting something in her hands.

"I’m back, Per."

"And you are?”

"What?"

"You must be a guest. I apologize for not being prepared. Please come back another time."

"Hey, cut it out."

"Cut what out?"

She turned to him with a mischievous smile.

"You expect me to ‘cut it out’ when a husband abandoned his pregnant wives and went missing for two months? Is this a joke to you?"

"I didn’t mean to—time distorted. Wait...”

‘What?’

His face twisted in confusion as the atmosphere grew awkward. Then, he noticed the thing Perserque was knitting. It wasn’t a scarf or a large piece of clothing—it was a tiny outfit, small enough to fit a doll.

"What did you just say...?"

"Aeria. She’s pregnant, Davey."

Davey stood frozen, unable to speak. Slowly, he turned to Aeria, who smiled softly, her face still flustered with red.

"This time... I won’t lose it. I won’t lose our precious baby."

Davey couldn’t help but make a hardened face.

She had lost a child blessed by Goddess Freyja because of him. At the time, he hadn’t even laid a finger on her, but the damn primordial god implanted false memories of him in her mind, creating an immaculate conception. That was, pretty much, the reason he had accepted Aeria.

"When... When did you find out?"

"Not long ago. Normally, it would’ve taken longer for symptoms to appear, but Baron Gorneo discovered it during my health check.”

Baron Gorneo was now a professor of medicine at Heins Academy. Davey was indebted to him for keeping an eye on the health of Perserque, Aeria, and Illyna whenever he was gone.

Seeing Davey standing silently with a troubled expression, her face clouded with concern.

"Davey... Did you not want this to happen?" she asked in a gloomy tone.

But he was having trouble controlling himself from shaking.

"A father... I’m really going to be a father..."

In his past life, he was trapped in a hospital room and wasn’t able to meet anyone except through electronic screens. The idea of building a family seemed impossible. And even in this life, the weight of countless challenges had made it difficult for him to imagine starting a normal family.

But now, for the first time across both lives, he had a child—one that carried his blood.

Aeria was carrying his child.

"I... I’m going to be a father...?"

"Davey?"

"What.... What should I do first? Should I buy baby clothes? Or prepare a baby room? What about a mobile?!"[1]

"Calm down, you lunatic!"

"How am I supposed to stay calm about this?!"

As Davey stumbled, Illyna stared at him in disbelief while Perserque burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! You’re just like you were back then!"

"Back then...?" Aeria asked.

"On the day we got married," Perserque teased with a grin.

Illyna and Aeria both reddened, their heads sagged in embarrassment.

"Congratulations, Davey. You’re officially going to be a father now."

"T-Thanks, Aeria."

"No... Thank you, Davey... For giving me something so precious..."

Aeria began to cry softly, and Davey gently pulled her into his arms, holding her as she wept. Only after a while did she finally calm down. She then placed her hand on her belly, rubbing it tenderly. Watching her, Illyna giggled softly.

"You must be happy. Aeria insisted on telling you first, so no one else knows yet. But..." Perserque said with mischievous eyes.

"But what?" Davey asked.

"When Emperor Deorte of the Lyndis Empire finds out... things are going to get interesting."

Davey sighed, knowing exactly what she meant.

Her already being visibly pregnant would only prove that Davey had laid hands on Aeria before their wedding ceremony. And knowing Deorte—her doting father—it’d be a relief if he didn’t storm over with a sword in hand.

Of course, if that happened, Davey wasn’t planning to take it lying down. They were already bound by a marriage pact.

‘He is my father-in-law, after all... Maybe I’ll let him hit me once and then pay him back tenfold...’

"Must be nice... I’m a little jealous,” Illyna said.

"Don’t tease me too much. I was just lucky, that’s all,” Aeria responded.

"Better hope he doesn’t pick on me for not being the first to bear his child.”

"If that happens, I’ll personally crush Davey, so don’t worry," Perserque said with a wicked grin.

"Explain to me why I’d be the one getting crushed?!" Davey glared at her, but Perserque just smiled back playfully.

"Unlike you, I’m not planning on playing favorites with Illyna or Aeria."

"M-Me neither..." Aeria added nervously.

"Me too," Illyna chimed in softly.

This was how they had come together, understanding each other. And since Davey had no claim to any throne, there was no reason for any of the women to care about being the head wife.

Illyna smacked her lips and poked Aeria playfully, making her burst into giggles as she squirmed.

While everyone celebrated her pregnancy, Davey couldn’t help but notice Perserque. She had once longed for a child of her own, but her body couldn’t support a budding life. Even after raising her to the status of a demigod and metamorphosing her, childbirth was a gift that only Goddess Freyja could bestow with using a blessing.

Her original body had perished long ago, alongside the Unnamed King, Sword God Ares.

"I’m sorry, Perserque... for having a child before you..." Aeria whispered guiltily.

"I say this again, but I can’t have children, so stop apologizing."

"But still..."

"Enough."

Perserque made a firm expression.

"Even though I can’t have children of my own... Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon call me mom, which is more than enough for me,” she giggled.

Though not bound by blood, the only person that the two girls treated as their mother was Perserque.

Poof, poof!!

Right on cue, the two swords burst from the Pocket Plane on their own, transforming into two adorable little girls with red and blue hair. They both hugged Perserque and looked up to meet her eyes.

"Mommy! Red Ribbon played, she played with Rinne!”

"Blue Ribbon h-had fun too!"

They fumbled their words out of excitement, though Davey noticed that their pronunciation had gotten better. They were growing quickly, mostly thanks to the Dragon Heart infused with Arbit’s power of time.

They were getting stronger by the minute just like Super Ribbon as a whole.

"You two had fun, huh? I’m so glad," Perserque said in a warm voice.

“Hehe.”

“Mommy!”

The two girls dove into her arms, making Aeria and Illyna smile.

"Hey... How about giving me a hug too?" Illyna asked, awkwardly opening her arms.

The two girls looked at each other before turning to stare at Illyna in silence. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead as she fidgeted nervously. Davey could tell that all sorts of thoughts were racing through her mind.

‘What if they think it’d be awkward? But we've seen each other multiple times, right? But then what if they still want to keep their distance from me?’ Ilyna thought to herself.

But—

“Hehehe!”

With joyous giggles, the two girls leaped into her arms, putting her fears to rest.

"Eek! Ahhhh! I love you two!" Illyna exclaimed, her once-cold demeanor completely gone, replaced by pure delight.

Watching her radiate a smile, Davey chuckled.

"I think I’ll keep the pregnancy news just among us for now,” Aeria said.

"Why?"

"Because... you have other things to take care of at the moment, right?”

Aeria’s words made Davey pause.

"If word gets out, people will try to get in your way—whether for good or bad reasons."

She smiled gently. "We have plenty of time. I’ll wait."

"Just don’t take too long next time."

"I don’t plan to go far this time."

Davey was planning to resolve everything here in Tionis, as the vitality issue was nearly under control.

The enormous moon was a giant magic circle that could be seen across dimensions due to the thinning of the dimensional walls. It was simultaneously a rock and a mana channel that flowed across all worlds.

Goddess Freyja had called his endeavor a trial, but Davey knew true trials wouldn’t require such an impossible task.

‘The Moon Project... Let’s have a go at it. But first...’

Davey leaned down, pressing his ear against Aeria’s belly.

"Eek?!” Aeria squeaked, flustered, but Davey didn’t even flinch.

"Hmm... I don’t hear anything yet. Hey? It’s daddy. Can you say something for me?"

Davey couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

‘Hear me, people of Heins Territory! Your lord’s child is on the way!’

"Hey! The baby’s only two months along! How do you expect it to talk already?"

Illyna kicked him, abruptly putting an end to his playful antics.

1. Meaning a spinning mobile that hangs above a baby’s crib, not a mobile phone. ☜