The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 959. Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth

“Hey, are you okay?”

The red dragon Felius, who had been muttering to himself with a pale expression, slowly lifted his head. The sight of him so feeble, so unlike his usual confident demeanor, visibly unsettled his companions.

“I’m fine...”

“Hey, what’s going on with Felius?”

“How would I know? Hey, are you really okay?”

Felius, whose eyes trembled slightly as he stared at the floor, slowly stood up.

“No, that can’t be. Surely it couldn’t have...”

His bewildered companions exchanged uneasy glances before shrugging as they watched him walk away.

“What’s going on here?”

Just then, someone’s voice broke the silence.

“Ah, Elder Kais.”

“Still no word from Kaina?”

“No, we only received word that she’s on her way...”

“Tch. Where on earth is that bitch slacking off to now?”

Clicking his tongue in frustration, Kais turned his gaze toward Felius, who was still walking away like a zombie.

“What’s with that idiot?”

“We’re not sure. He’s been acting strange for a while now.”

“For a while?”

“Yes... Apparently, he’s saying there’s a human here.”

“The human... I saw it too. Are you telling me that human is the reason for this?”

“No, it’s not the human. It happened... after Felius faced off against the golem accompanying him. That’s when he started acting this way.”

Hearing this, Kais gave Felius a disdainful glance. He then muttered to himself quietly, ensuring no one else could hear.

“A human, huh? What a joke.”

“That... It’s said the human is Elder Marin’s guest. Apparently, he invoked his authority as an elder to make it so...”

“What? Ohhh, right. Hard to believe the old coot still remembers that rule. Did the others really accept it?”

“Of course it’s hard to accept. But for now, the consensus is to leave it be. Elder Marin’s move is a misstep that tightens the noose on the moderates, anyway. The priority now is not some insignificant human...”

“True.”

No one here had any intention of letting themselves be swayed by something as trivial as a single human.

“Hmph. Yes, I almost forgot the real objective because of that human. The monarch has delivered orders.”

At his words, the fallen dragons immediately stiffened and stood at attention.

“The operation will commence in three days. Until then, avoid causing any disturbances. And...”

Kais trailed off, his expression hardening as he recalled something.

When he first encountered the human, there had been something off—something that bypassed even his own senses and knocked him out in an instant. It was impossible to ignore such a presence, especially when they were preparing for war with the moderates.

However...

‘If I bring it up, these fools will realize I got taken out in a single hit.’

It was a matter of pride and duty for him. There was no doubt that the human posed a risk, but if Kais admitted what happened, his reputation would plummet in an instant.

As he mulled over the decision, Kais eventually nodded to himself.

“And...? Is there anything else we need to know?”

“No, nothing. Don’t concern yourselves with it,” Kais waved them off.

“Yes, sir.”

In the end, he chose his pride, burying the truth deep within.

What Kais didn’t know, however, was that someone nearby had been listening in on their entire conversation.

* * *

The invocation of the Elder Exception had not occurred in thousands of years.

Elder Marin, who had extended the invitation to Davey, was now in the middle of a heated argument with Elder Opal and Elder Kaiser.

“What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that in our current situation? Regardless of the reasoning, this undermines one of the key principles we could use to stand against the reformist dragons!”

“I have to agree—this is not something I can simply overlook.”

Elder Opal and Elder Kaiser weren’t holding back, making their points very clear.

“Now, now, calm yourselves. Yes, I acted hastily, but with his help, we may be able to win this war—without the need to sacrifice Rudelite!”

“No one is comfortable with the idea of sacrificing Rudelite, but don’t you think you’re being a little too optimistic and naive? He’s just a human, Elder!”

“He’s no ordinary human! He might be the only one capable of ending this civil war without further casualties!”

To them, Elder Marin was getting ahead of himself.

“I never said I’d help,” Davey chimed in.

He’d only step in if Rudel finally swallowed his pride and asked for help directly. It wasn’t a particularly difficult task, though, and whatever casualties occurred along the way could still be taken as opportunities to farm dragon hearts.

Opal and Kaiser immediately turned their piercing gazes toward him.

“Human, mind your tongue. We may be holding back because of Elder Marin, but you clearly don’t understand the situation you’re in.”

Opal growled, as if ready to strike at any moment. Kaiser, however, let out a dry laugh and held him back.

“Let’s not escalate things, Opal. For now, he is Marin’s guest.”

“Tch...”

Then Davey responded to Opal.

“Let’s get one thing straight: I came here because I was invited, and I couldn’t care less about your objections. Is this how dragons treat their guests—by barking at them?”

“You insolent bastard!” Opal roared, his fury boiling over.

“Do you have no fear? If Elder Marin hadn’t intervened earlier, your golem would’ve been destroyed! At the very least, show some gratitude—you’re so unbelievably arrogant!”

At his outburst, Davey tilted his head and asked, “Golem? Are you talking about Rinne?”

Rinne, who had been quietly gnawing on a chicken leg, looked up at Davey with a blank expression before returning to her snacking.

“Felius overpowered even Sapphire. How long do you think a mere golem like her would last against someone like him?”

What Opal didn’t know was that Rinne wasn’t just any golem. She was an apostle of an ancient god, and a race qualified to pose as an extermination unit. If he knew, he wouldn’t have been so quick to speak against her.

Not that it mattered to Davey. The dragons clearly believed that Felius could easily crush Rinne.

He figured there was no point in correcting their misunderstanding, so he decided to shift the focus to his own views on their situation.

“More than that, I’ve been meaning to say—you all seem remarkably carefree.”

His words made them flinch.

“What do you mean by that?” Elder Marin asked, his tone cautious but respectful.

“Nothing worth worrying about.”

“Please, share your thoughts. I will listen carefully.”

While Marin asked in a deferential tone, Opal turned red with anger. However, Marin remained resolute, refusing to back down.

“Speak, human... What do you mean by that?”

“What do you think I mean? Surely, you don’t believe the opposing faction of dragons came here just to perform some ritual, do you?”

His mocking tone made Opal furrow his brows.

“And what are you implying by that? Are you suggesting they’re plotting something?”

“If it were me, I’d certainly be plotting something.”

“And what makes you so sure?”

“I don’t know how sacred this ritual of yours is, but if I were in their position, would I waste time requesting a truce in the middle of a one-sided war? Or would I just wipe you all out, take this place over, and perform the ritual afterward?”

His words sent a cold chill through the room.

“You...!”

“Relax. This isn’t the reason I came here, and I’m sure you folks will take care of your own business. Besides, Elder Marin, I understand your intentions, but I have no interest in helping you.”

“Hmph! As if we’d need the help of a mere human!”

“Let’s hope you don’t change your tune later.”

Unable to contain his frustration, Opal stormed out of the room, fuming. Elder Kaiser followed closely, leaving only Elder Marin behind. He stared at Davey for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh.

“Please, feel free to rest during your stay.”

“Why don’t you just directly ask for help?” Davey asked.

“Because it wouldn’t change anything.”

Davey closed his eyes briefly and let out a soft sigh.

‘A sly old fox, indeed.’

“While you’re here, though,” Marin continued, “I hope you’ll take in the wonderful sights of this place.”

Davey snorted lightly and rose from his seat.

The Dragon’s Nest was home to numerous grand lairs. As Davey stepped out of Sapphire’s lair, he spotted Rudel in the distance. He was sitting next to Evangeline, telling various stories to a group of dragonlings.

Despite his grumbling, Rudel treated the children with exceptional kindness. The dragonlings, in turn, seemed strangely fond of Rudel, listening attentively even as he grumbled under his breath.

As Davey watched closely, he saw Rudel faintly smiling.

“Human brother.”

He turned to see a little blonde-haired girl holding out a tiny lizard.

“It’s delicious.”

“You’re... You’re telling me to eat it?”

“Yep!”

The young gold dragon, Runia, beamed at him with an innocent smile.

Davey let out a dry laugh, “Runia, right?”

“Yep!”

“Why aren’t you playing with the others over there?”

“Hmm... Because you give tasty things,” she replied, her smile as radiant as the sun.

Amused by her pure and cheerful demeanor, Davey chuckled softly. He reached into his Pocket Plane and pulled out a small box.

“Wow! What’s that?!”

“This, kiddo,” Davey said with a grin, tearing open the paper wrapping inside the box, “is something people often refer to as their guilty pleasure It’s called a moon pie. Wanna try one?”

Davey had stocked up on them because Evangeline loved them so much. Since he had plenty, he figured sharing a few wouldn’t hurt.

“Yes, I wanna try!”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly took the moon pie from Davey and bit into it with her tiny mouth. Her eyes widened immediately.

“Wha—what is this?! It’s delicious!” she squealed, her cheeks stuffed full of moon pie.

Her exclamation drew the attention of the others around them. Davey chuckled as he pulled out a few more from the box.

“Here. Eat as much as you want.”

He figured there was no good reason not to share when the kids clearly wanted some.

Eventually, a swarm of hatchlings crowded around him like bees flocking to flowers, taking the moon pies and devouring them with delight. But since they were only interested in the snack, as soon as he ran out, they all dispersed as if nothing had happened.

“Runia, aren’t you going to leave with the others?”

“No, I want to stay here. Human brother gives me yummy things.”

“Well, I appreciate your honesty.”

“Human brother! Are you going back out into the world soon?” she asked with a smile on her face.

“Probably?”

“That’s so cool... I want to go out too...”

Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.

“Hatchlings aren’t allowed to leave, are they?”

“They aren’t, but I heard it’s okay if they have a guardian.”

Of course, by “guardian” she was referring to dragons capable of polymorphing.

“But I don’t have a guardian.”

Davey recalled hearing that her parents had died in a battle against the fallen ones.

“Why do grown-ups always fight? It just hurts when they do...” Runia mumbled bitterly as she fished out another hidden moon pie from somewhere, tearing it open with practiced ease and taking a big bite.

Davey couldn’t help but wonder when she had managed to hide one away.

She finished it off in a flash, dusted off her hands, and stood up.

“They say guardians have to be strong. Are you strong, human?”

“Of course. I’m so strong that protecting you would be a piece of cake.”

He knew there was no reason to complicate things for a child. Sometimes, giving them the answer they wanted was enough.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Really? Are you even stronger than the grown-ups like Brother Rudel or Grandpa Marin?”

“What do you think?”

“Hmm... You look... kinda weak, though...”

"Actually, I’m ridiculously strong. If I wanted to, acting as your guardian would be a breeze.”

“Wow...”

Her innocent eyes sparkled even more as she wholeheartedly believed him.

Then, she seemed to fall deep into thought. After a moment, she clapped her tiny hands together.

“Human brother! Wait three days, okay? I’ll give you a gift!” she said with a beaming smile.

“A gift?”

“But if you like it, you have to promise to take me out into the world, okay?”

“You said you couldn’t leave without a guardian.”

“Human brother will be my guardian!”

Davey chuckled softly at her boldness, then made a promise he had no intention of keeping.

“Alright. I’ll take you—even if the other grown-ups try to stop us.”

Though he wasn’t going to live up to the promise, he figured it wouldn’t matter.

‘Little gold dragon, life is full of disappointments.’

Unaware of his thoughts, Runia was overjoyed.

“Really?! You promise?!”

She held out her pinky, and Davey, unable to refuse, linked his pinky with hers, just as he would with any child.

“Alright. That good enough for you?”

“Yup! Just wait, you’re gonna be so surprised!”

Despite her young and innocent demeanor, she was still a dragon. Even young dragons possessed immense potential and talent. And so, Davey found himself growing increasingly curious about this peculiar little gold dragon.

Then, three days passed.

During that time, the fallen dragon faction remained unusually quiet, refraining from causing any havoc. The moderates seemed to believe the truce was genuinely just for the upcoming ritual.

However, Davey felt like the other side was merely sharpening their claws, biding their time.

And now, the day Runia and Davey promised had arrived. But strangely, she didn’t show up. He wondered if she had a sudden change of heart.

He decided to head toward the small lair she stayed at to check on her. As he walked, the dragons he passed whispered among themselves, but none dared to confront him directly. It worked in his favor, allowing him to find her lair without interruption.

Her lair was painfully modest, almost barren. It was as if the lair was saying that she had no parents to care for her.

‘Weren’t hatchlings supposed to be protected?’

Whatever her situation was, Davey had visited to receive his promised gift, and he figured he could bring her another treat while he was at it.

He figured after all this time, Evangeline must’ve felt something stirring deep within her as she looked upon the Dragons’ Nest. After all, the Dragons’ Nest was a land blessed by the dragons themselves.

As Davey stepped inside her dark lair, where barely any light seeped through, he noticed a faint, distinct scent of mana lingering in the air.

He reached inside and tore apart a discreetly hung veil. It was a barrier that even a mere hatchling could’ve created. As he ventured deeper into the lair, he suddenly stopped.

The scene before him froze him in place.

There was blood splattered on the ground. There was a small necklace, something that looked like it had been carefully handcrafted, shattered on the ground.

Davey remembered Rudel mentioning that Runia, despite being a hatchling, had an exceptional talent and fascination for intricate handiwork.

And then, just beyond the broken necklace, he saw Runia drenched in blood, completely motionless.

“T-The human killed the hatchling!!”

A voice rang out behind him.

‘Why would someone suddenly frame me all of the sudden? Is there a reason they’d have to frame me?’

He figured this wasn’t about personal grudges—it was something much deeper.

His gaze dropped back to Runia, and he noticed that her eyes were missing.

His expression hardened as he pieced it together.

“She saw something she wasn’t supposed to...”