The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

—You entered quietly before, so why are you knocking now?

“Well, the door was locked back then, and I had to open it.”

Back then, it had been a secret mission. Davey had done what he did because he absolutely didn’t want to run into an elf, but the situation was different this time.

“This time, I have to bring out all the pointy ears inside the forest. The least I can do is knock.”

There was no way that Davey could be that nice.

—So, knocking is part of the plan.

Davey was not going to slash through the barrier with Blue Ribbon, but he was going to break it with destructive power. His knock was going to be an intense one.

“Hup!”

[Devil Ylgr’s Ultimate Exploding Fist]

[Compression]

[Reduction]

[Asura’s Ultimate Godly Fist]

“Pardon me! I have come to spread a great message!”

* * *

A girl slowly walked into the beautiful, vast forest with a mystical aura. She murmured, “The forest’s clean air is always pleasant to breathe in. Hah…”

The girl, buried deep in her coat's hood, took a deep breath in delight. She slowly brought her hood down, revealing her long blue hair that fell to her hips. It was tied in a thick braid. It was probably difficult to maintain, looking at how luscious it was. Her thick hair shone with no hint of dryness.

Aside from her blue hair, she was about one hundred and sixty-two centimeters tall, had clear emerald eyes, and a playful smile. She seemed to be in her teens due to her bright aura, but her relaxed and fresh smile made her seem like she was in her twenties.

“Ah! Lady Yuria!”

“Ah, Verdis, my friend. Have you been well?”

“Have you finally returned?!”

A few men appeared on the forest’s treetops once they saw Yuria Helishana. They were not human, but fairies or the forest’s residents. Their ears were longer than any other kind, had skin as clear and white as porcelain, and were also very beautiful. All the elves put their bows on their belt and gathered toward her as she walked past the grassy bushes, which almost shone with vitality.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Lady Yuria! I am glad you have returned safely! Lady Yuria!”

“It is all thanks to the spirits watching over me. Has anything happened in the forest while I was gone?”

“No, there weren’t any invaders, and the monsters were fine as well. The spirit beasts were quiet as well.”

“That is such a relief.”

“But…the contamination is getting worse. Some of the spirit beasts that were affected by it are running wild…” the elf man said dejectedly.

“Shall we go in?” Yuria said with a nod.

“Oh, no! We have held you up for too long! Let’s go right away! Everyone in the village is waiting for your safe return!”

With her distinct smile, Yuria quietly nodded at her people’s never-ending kindness. She had unintentionally returned to the forest for a little while, since the prince she was trying to approach had sent her back on vacation.

“You are beautiful as always, Lady Yuria.”

“Millia, my friend. You are more beautiful to me.”

“Oh my, you will be beaten if you say something like that.”

Yuria faintly smiled as the elf woman giggled playfully.

“Did your trip go well?”

“It was very interesting. I gained a lot from the trip.”

“You must be careful of humans. Your beauty cannot be hidden even if you disguise yourself as a human, Lady Yuria.”

“That’s right! I heard that humans are cruel and heinous! I heard they sell their own kind as slaves…”

“Oh my, how beastly…”

Yuria just quietly nodded, listening to the elves chattering amongst themselves. She then commented, “Of course, not all humans are kind. However, not all humans are evil, either.”

“But…”

“The place I went to has a kingdom’s prince.” Yuria said clearly and elegantly, as if she was telling an old tale, “He’s quite fascinating. He’s of quite a high rank among humans, but he works hard for even the lowest commoners. He is worthy of respect, even from an elf’s perspective.”

Some of the elves slowly nodded, as if they were fascinated by her story.

“There really…is a human like that?” An elf asked.

“Of course. Not all humans are the same. They are all different.”

That was when…

“Lady Yuria, with all due respect, all humans are horrible. You surely haven’t forgotten what happened to your mother, right? Have you also forgotten the reason why elves turned our backs on the world and erased the traces of our existence?”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the elf who spoke against Yuria. The elf continued, “Ahem, I understand that you left the forest to find a way to save it, but it was very foolish and dangerous. There’s an old saying that good things will happen when you listen to the advice of an elder.”

“Elder Condae.”

“You mustn’t forget it. Three hundred years ago at the capital of elves, we decided to turn our backs on the world. I do not know what the world is like now, but we may get caught if you keep leaving,” Elder Condae complained.

Yuria said cautiously, “Elder Condae, but…”

However, the elder elf went on like he had no intention of listening to Yuria. “No buts. Lady Yuria, you are the leader of the Moon Forest. Have some more responsibility as the leader and remember your divinity and purity as an elf. The human world that is full of greed does you no good, Lady Yuria.”

While Elder Condae criticized Yuria, some of the elves frowned.

“Elder Condae! Please watch your words! Lady Yuria did not go to the human world to entertain herself! She even brought the blessing of the spirits with her to not get caught!”

“Everyone, stop. All I can do right now is to be relieved at the condition of the forest, but I will find a solution soon,” Yuria said.

“This is the plan of the Spirit God and the World Tree. This situation is inevitable since we have gone against the will of the World Tree."

Yuria sighed at Elder Condae’s harsh words. She murmured, “Everything has a course. It is supposed to be our fate, but I cannot follow it this time.”

“Lady Yuria!”

Elder Condae frowned. “If it goes on like this, it will be too late for you to do anything, Lady Yuria! Humans are evil beings! They are not even worth comparing in terms of spirits! Do you really believe they will be of any help?!”

“I have had enough of it, Elder Condae!” At last, an elf guard shouted at Elder Condae in anger. “You are being rude to our leader!”

“Rude?! Rude is your current attitude toward me; what I am doing is giving advice! I am a noble of the Center! How dare a guard from the sticks raise his voice!! Wake up!! The outside world is nothing but corruption! If all of you were in your right mind, you would actually convince Lady Yuria to receive the purification from the World Tree!”

“That’s right! Being punished by the World Tree because of rejecting the marriage chosen by the World Tree is nothing to be proud of! It is something we should bow down and repent for!”

Not only did Elder Condae speak, but the other elders nodded along and spoke in agreement.

“Lady Yuria! It is time for you to stop being stubborn!”

“That’s right! Are you trying to follow the path of Aina?!”

Yuria massaged her head quietly. The elders were coming down on her hard now that they had gotten the chance to. At the same time, she revealed a strange smile. It was a small change, but Millia, the elf guard who had been with her for a long time, noticed it. Her eyes widened and had a single thought in her mind.

Normally, Yuria was elegant, quiet, and careful, but it was a big problem if she got mad. Yuria Helishana, the forest’s leader, was an elf who suppressed her sadism which was so extreme that she could let someone bleed out with a smile on her face.

“Elder Condae.”

“Yes, Lady Yuria!”

“Do you think you and the saints of the Divine Tree have the right to speak about my sister…”

When Millia, who knew how angry Yuria was, urgently went to stop her…

“Pardon me! I have come to spread a great message!”

Everyone tensed up upon hearing an echo of a voice.

At the same time, a huge explosion shook the entire forest with a catastrophic vibration.

* * *

—Davey… Wasn’t it a little too strong?

“Hm… No, it’s perfect.”

Davey intended on making a small hole, but instead, he crushed the entire barrier. It would require highly advanced spirit magic to fix it, but the barrier had to be broken anyways.

—They will be here at any time.

“Warning, Sir Davey. Many hostile presences are approaching. Rinne attacks?”

“We’re not here to fight. Let’s just wait for their warm welcome since we have already partly reached our goal.”

Of course, the warm welcome was accompanied by arrows. With a faint wind, arrows flew toward Davey from all directions. These arrows were faster than regular ones, but Rinne batted them away as if she had been waiting for them. Then, Rinne summoned a huge cannon on the back of its hand and aimed it at the other end of the forest as its cold, blue eyes shone.

Even during all this, the forest was silent like the elves were still trying to conceal themselves.

“Spirit arrows…” Davey murmured as he picked up the arrows that Rinne had shot down. “I even voiced my intentions of spreading good word…”

“…”

“Do you still think that I haven’t figured out you live here?”

As Davey spoke, the surrounding atmosphere vibrated a little.

“Lead me to the village. I have something to discuss with your leader.”

It might have been smart to show the dwarves a little respect as they had some interactions with humans. However, Davey thought it was obvious what kind of answer these pointy ears would give him. So…

“The choice is yours, but so is the responsibility.”

Perhaps it was better to pressure them.

Davey’s energy gradually intensified and suppressed the surroundings. He wasn’t lifting a finger, but his energy, which had flowed out naturally in response to the escalated situation, was suppressing the surroundings.

“Stop!!”

It was the other side who waved the white flag.