The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 803

"Lies!! This is ridiculous! Why would Davey suddenly kill someone?!”

Crown Prince Sullivan, her second brother, who had been staying at the palace to welcome guests, frowned at Illyna’s outburst.

“Why are you asking me that right now?”

“I bet you had something to do with this!”

“Illyna de Pallan!!!”

Startled by his stern tone, Illyna flinched and stepped back.

“Do you think I have that much spare time? Do you really think it’s okay to just spit out every thought that comes into your foolish head?”

“My apologies… Crown Prince. That was out of line... I misspoke."

Illyna realized she had jumped to an unreasonable conclusion. After all, Sullivan had nothing to gain by framing Davey like that.

“The circumstances lined up too perfectly. It’s true that Count Gulan\'s young son flirted with Princess Perserque, and it’s also true that Prince Davey was found at the scene. Even if the smell of blood had spread and led him to it, it’s also true that no one else bothered to go there.”

"Big brother."

“By the time the smell of blood had begun spreading, Prince Davey was already there. Which means!! Prince Davey was there before the smell even spread.”

“What does that have to do with it...? But he met with Duke Neto La Lili.”

"Yes. And I’ve already confirmed that. He also gave me the exact time he met with Prince Davey.”

"Then..."

“But that doesn’t set him free from suspicion. Davey is strong, stronger than any Master. How long do you think it would take him to cover a few hundred meters Illyna?”

“Sullivan... Do you really think Davey did this?”

"No,” he said in a firm tone, frowning.

“I know better than anyone that he’s not the clumsy type. But there’s nothing we can do. This is Rowane Kingdom’s issue, not ours.”

"Sullivan!!"

“What is it? Who is he to you, for you to treat him with such importance?!”

‘A close friend? A protector and a protectee?’ she thought.

But it didn’t matter what their relationship was. Amongst the royalty or nobility, there was an unspoken rule against meddling in the affairs of another country.

“Illyna. You need to know when to step in and when to stay back—that’s a virtue a member of the royal family must have. It’s especially important now when you’re about to get married. If useless rumors spread, you’re the one who’ll suffer...”

“I’m sorry, but I can\'t do that. Davey had no intention of killing him; he was only investigating him. And that guy... If that noble were someone evil, he would’ve cut him down without mercy, but he wouldn\'t brutally kill a kid like that.”

‘He would’ve rather killed him cleanly, then ripped his soul out and crushed it,’ she thought.

Illyna sighed and turned away. Sullivan called after her firmly.

“We’re going back soon. You will also get prepared to go to the imperial palace. Get started with your bridal classes. Don’t tarnish the reputation of the Pallan Empire or lose your standing.”

"I\'m not going."

“Don’t be childish, Illyna! Didn’t I make it clear?! You’re marrying Duke Lili…”

“I’m not marrying him!!”

“You…!”

“I’m going to be with him for the rest of my life. I made myself clear. Don’t try to do anything foolish.”

“Illyna.”

“It’s my life. I decide! If this gets in the way of my status as a member of the royal family, then I’ll leave the royal family.”

Swoosh, grasp!!

Sullivan shot up, ready to slap Illyna, but she easily blocked his hand. It was only natural; Illyna had grown strong, so strong that no one could defeat her except one person.

“Illyna.”

"Please, I beg you… Sullivan”

"What?"

“I know you don’t like me, but... Please, just this once… to honor big brother’s will…”

“...”

Seeing her tear up saddened Sullivan.

“He isn’t someone who would do something reckless over something so trivial. So, I’m going to prove his innocence.”

Sullivan remained stunned, standing still as Illyna stormed out. He stayed silent for a while, then frowned.

“Davey, that guy… He better not have taken advantage of Illyna when he doesn’t intend to take responsibility…” he muttered nervously, biting his nails.

“You’ve grown so much… So much that my worries are futile...”

Despite the bitterness, he smiled like a father proud of his grown daughter.

***

Since Davey was strong enough to overpower not just ordinary people, but even master-level individuals, the chances of him being blamed for the crime was high. It was amusing that the very reason they suspected him was also the reason they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

Of course, within both his kingdom and other countries, his existence held far more significance than that of some nameless young man of a Count family. There was a good chance he would be released after facing only a modest penalty. As for Count Gulan, he might be heartbroken with grief over his loss, but ruling a nation was an emotionless business.

But this was all in the general case.

Considering the incident occurred with the representatives from many countries present, the Kingdom of Rowane found itself in an awkward position.

Davey didn’t resist as he was imprisoned in the palace. He figured he needed to first understand his opponent in order to defeat them.

He knew that identifying the criminal was important, but it was just as crucial to see how he could transform the spirit mana linked to the unique power the criminal had left behind—to claim it as his own.

He had amplified his divine power using mana, creating an overwhelming difference in strength and vastly enhanced firepower. The restrictions on high-level sacred magic had vanished as well.

The same went for his elemental mana. He had achieved the level above the three levels corresponding to the 9th Circle. Now, he could wield it with full control. In simple terms, the restrictions had simply disappeared.

Cold fire, hot ice, solid wind, frictionless earth—there were countless forms his power could take on. The complexity of his divine power played a big role in allowing him to overcome the original limitations of elemental mana.

And now, he wondered how his devil mana would transform. Even though it hadn’t hatched yet from its developmental egg, deep inside, he hoped that he’d be able to use the Death Lord\'s original magic.

"Davey!!”

"Brother!"

The first people to visit Davey while he was imprisoned in the palace were his younger siblings, the ones he held dearly in his heart. Baris, Winley, Tanya, and even Aeonitia, who was the child of his enemy and was once afraid of him but now followed him, had arrived. All four came clamoring so that they could see him.

"Sorry, Your Highnesses! There’s a rule that no one is allowed in!”

“I am the prince of this country! Open the door this instant!”

"But... Your Highness!"

“Don’t give me any ‘but’s or say sorry! Open the door immediately!!”

Davey figured there was nothing good coming if he let them keep banging on the door. He got up, unlocked the door, and swung it open.

"Davey!!"

"Brother!"

As soon as Davey appeared with a calm expression, Baris and Winley rushed to him, hugging him tightly.

"Davey! It’s okay! You were framed! I will definitely, definitely clear your name!”

"Brother… Brother, you haven’t been starving, have you? Why are you so skinny...?”

“Enough of the drama… Tsk.”

Davey gently rebuked them and flicked them on their foreheads before pushing them back.

“What are you royals doing losing your heads like this? You’re making it hard on the knights.”

"Davey!!” Baris shouted, almost in tears.

Davey noticed just how exceptionally emotional Baris was. But honestly, he was grateful; it showed how much he cared.

“Baris. Do you see me as someone who’d be shaken by something like this?”

"Ah… No."

“How about you, Winley?”

“No… But I’m worried! Brother, it’s not true, right? You’re not the kind of person who would kill someone for no reason!”

“What would you all do if I actually said I killed him?”

All four of them fell silent at his question.

“Are you… being serious?”

“Of course I’m not, it’s a lie you idiot. For what reason would I kill someone as insignificant as him?”

‘Besides, if I really intended to kill him, I would’ve cornered him properly before finishing him off. It certainly wouldn’t be by some sloppy stabbing like the criminal did’ he thought to himself.

“Brother, don’t worry. I will...”

“No. You all stay out of this.”

Baris widened his eyes at his answer.

“People from different nations are watching our every move. Any action you take could jeopardize your future.”

“But how can we stay quiet when our brother has been falsely accused?!”

“Geez, it’s not like I’ll be staying still doing nothing too.”

Davey spoke calmly and tapped Baris on the shoulder, grinning.

“I don’t know who the bastard behind this is, but I plan to show them that they’ve messed with the wrong person. Until then, don’t do anything reckless.”

“If you need anything… please tell me. I’ll help however I can.”

"Alright. I’ll let you know if I need anything, so don’t worry and get going.”

The four of them let out a sigh of relief as Davey chuckled. But they weren’t the only ones who came to see him—Perserque, Illyna, and Aeria had also visited. They knew very well that he would have had no intention of killing anyone, so they were indignant and eager to find the real culprit. However, Davey resolutely stopped them as well.

“Don’t do anything foolish.”

“How can we just stay still?! We know it wasn’t you! How can you just accept this when we all know it wasn’t you?!”

“Illyna… Illyna’s right! If something goes wrong, your future could be in serious jeopardy…”

Davey knew it wasn’t just his future on the line. If things went south, not even his royal status would protect him from severe punishment, especially given that the corpse had been brutally mutilated.

But Davey wasn’t planning to rely on them. This wasn’t a situation where brute strength was the solution—it felt far more dangerous in a different way. He managed to persuade the three of them to leave, but the next person to show up caught him by surprise.

“Did you kill him?” the figure asked calmly.

“I didn’t kill him,” Davey answered as he quietly opened his eyes.

“Okay… That’s all I needed to hear.”

Davey\'s biological father, King Krianes O’Rowane, didn’t ask any further questions.

“Alright. I know you’re not the kind of person who would lie about something like this.”

“I’m sorry to ask, but please do your best to prevent Baris from doing anything reckless.”

King Krianes nodded quietly. He then placed his hand on his son’s shoulder and pulled him into a hug.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“...”

“I’ve been a terrible father to you ‘til the end…”

“I won’t be able to send you off because of my current situation. Besides, there’s no need for Your Majesty to feel sorry in the first place. Please don’t worry.”

As Davey responded coldly and stepped away, bowing his head, King Krianes looked at him quietly before turning around and leaving.

Davey later heard from the knights guarding the gate that Count Gulan, the father of the deceased young man of the Gulan family, had wept tears of blood in his grief. Desperate to find the person responsible, he began selling off his family’s assets to gather information and threw himself into political maneuvering, determined to uncover the truth behind his son\'s death.

Davey was currently being held as the prime suspect. There were the three noble sons who had followed Count Gulan’s young heir, but beyond them, there was no one else who could be considered as the murderer.

He sat down on the bed, lost in thought. The song, the peculiar scent that ordinary beings couldn’t detect, and the enchanted scroll that Count Gulan’s young son’s spirit had given Davey secretly before his death—it was all part of a trap targeting him.

The only culprit Davey could think of was someone who found him and his position disapproving. Or someone who determined that he was interfering with their plans. And lastly, the traitor that was supposedly helping Thanatos. He kept pondering how to piece the puzzle together and make sense of it all, as being extremely cautious was crucial.

He wondered why the culprit behind this felt the need to frame him in the first place.

For him, it was easy to suspect Duke Neto La Lili. Davey figured he could’ve taken advantage of their conversation to delay his arrival at the scene, since it was almost as if he knew what was there. But on the other hand, there was no clear motive. He had no reason to be against Davey and no reason to set him up like this. And even if he did, there was something that didn’t add up.

Davey then wondered about the possibility of an accomplice. As Davey kept thinking, the two forces in his hand gathered and dispersed repeatedly. He waited for the unknown power and spirit mana he had consumed to fully integrate into his body.

He knew speculation was just that; there was no concrete evidence. Therefore, he figured it’d be better to focus on finding clear evidence on how the crime had happened rather than wasting his energy.

“Prince Davey.”

As Davey was trying to clear his thoughts and focus on channeling his mana, the door to his confinement cell opened and four knights walked in.

“Long time no see, Marquis Peiltris.”

“Your Highness…”

The Sword Master, Marquis Peiltris, looked at Davey with a complicated expression and then knelt on one knee.

“If you would, I will guide you to the courtroom.”

“Pushing for a trial in a situation like this... Things are getting done pretty fast.”

“I agree… But Your Highness, did you really not kill him?”

“Why would I handle things so inefficiently?”

Davey thought it would’ve made more sense to expose his crimes publicly and then deal with him if he had to do such a thing.

Marquis Peiltris nodded quietly.

“Based on my experience assisting you, it’s hard to believe that you caused this incident. It seems too sloppy of a job.”

He sighed deeply and continued.

“But… What are you going to do? Surprisingly enough, circumstantial evidence keeps pointing to you as the culprit...”

“If one bites a crazy dog, one’s bound to get rabies as well.”

“Your Highness?”

“For now, all we have to do is watch the spectacle unfold,” Davey said as he entered the courtroom, proudly facing the seven judges and the numerous nobles gathered.

He noticed fear, doubt, hostility, and a mix of other emotions flickering in their eyes. He also noticed Count Gulan, seated on one side looking haggard. He knew that no father could remain sane after the brutal murder of their son.

When he spotted Davey, his emotions of anger, hate, helplessness, and sadness surged.

‘He has nothing to do with this incident. He’s not a suspect,’ Davey thought.

"Your Highness.”

“Start the trial,” Davey responded.

Duke Neto La Lili was also present. Although Davey suspected him of being involved, he needed to uncover who all was truly behind this absurd setup.

He thought about using hypnosis to force a confession as an option, but the power he had consumed dissipated his mana, preventing him from fully utilizing his magic. He wasn’t going to gamble with unpredictable magic that could result in significant losses. This meant it wasn’t a power a mere human could possess. Though, thanks to this, he was able to convert his devil mana and obtain newly transformed devil mana.

He stood confidently as the judge nodded, signaling the start of the trial.

“The trial for this murder case will now begin.”

As soon as the trial commenced, a nobleman stood up, walked forward with a serious expression, and stroked his mustache.

“Respected Judge, I will begin interrogating the suspect.”

When the judge nodded, the nobleman approached Davey and looked at him intently. Since Davey was considered the actual criminal, even though he was a royalty, the nobleman didn’t nod.

“His Royal Highness Prince Davey O’Rowane, a young man who was a member of the Count Gulan family was brutally murdered the other day in the outer garden of the royal palace. I believe you are aware of this.”

“It’s only natural, since I witnessed the aftermath firsthand.”

The nobleman asked nervously, “If you don’t mind, may I ask why you were there?”

Davey answered truthfully, without lying. “The smell.”

The nobleman frowned at his calm response. “Are you saying you went there because of the smell of blood? The smell of blood spread after you arrived. In other words, your testimony...”

“I never said it was the smell of blood.”

“Pardon?”

Everyone directed their attention to Davey.

“It was a unique smell—a very unpleasant yet captivating scent. So, I went there to investigate what it was. In the process, I met Duke Neto La Lili.”

“Is this true, Duke Neto La Lili?” the nobleman asked.

“Yes, it’s true,” Neto replied with a soft smile. “As I’ve said before, I don’t believe Prince Davey is the culprit. Although it seemed like he was in a hurry to get there, there was too little time for His Highness to commit an impulsive murder.”

At first glance, his remarks in Davey’s defense seemed like he was trying to protect him, but Davey couldn’t help but smirk.

“Not enough time… While it may be presumptuous of me to mention, Your Highness possesses strength greater than that of any Master level individual. If he had intended to, he would’ve had plenty of time to reach the scene quickly and kill him.”

“That’s just speculation. Is there any reason for him to do so?” Marquis Peiltris, who was defending Davey, spoke in a serious tone.

“There is a good reason. Count Gulan\'s young san was flirting with Princess Perserque, and was caught by the prince himself. Above all, it’s impossible to get to that location by coincidence.”

“But he said… he smelled something!” Marquis Peiltris hastily retorted.

Though he was trying to defend Davey, he had too little information, and nothing was certain at the moment.

The interrogator stroked his mustache and asked back, “Duke Neto La Lili, let me ask you. As a beastfolk, I’ve heard that you have an extremely keen sense of smell.”

‘Beastfolk…?’ Davey thought.

“Yes…Yes, that’s correct,” Neto replied calmly.

“Did you ever smell the scent that Prince Davey is referring to?”

Duke Neto La Lili hesitated to answer. “That is…”

“Duke, we appreciate your cooperation, but please tell us the truth. I assure you, no harm will come to you.”

It was absurd that a duke from an empire would attend the trial of a small kingdom as a witness, but this was what the current situation was, as he willingly volunteered to come forward. After a moment of hesitation, Duke Neto La Lili quietly answered.

“That is… No, I did not detect any smell,” he said with a conflicted expression.

“With that, I will conclude the interrogation and proceed to the defense’s cross-examination,” the nobleman said, stepping back. The crowd murmured as they looked at Davey back and forth.

Just when Marquis Peiltris, acting as Davey’s defender, was about to speak, Davey interrupted.

“The stab wound.”

“Pardon?”

Everyone turned their attention to Davey.

“The length of the sword was one meter and ten centimeters, and the blade was a double-edged longsword. In fact, the weapon was found at the scene. Isn’t that right?”

When Davey raised his head and asked on behalf of Marquis Peiltris, a familiar-looking knight nodded. It was Orpha, the 7th Knight of the Inner Palace.

“Yes, you’re right. When we went to the scene after hearing the alarm from the magic device that detects the scent of blood, Your Highness was holding the sword…”

‘No longer need to suspect Knight Commander Orpha,’ he thought.

“Was that the weapon?”

“From what it appeared, yes.”

“Really? Interesting; the stab marks should seem quite unusual to come from it.”

Then all their eyes turned back to Davey.

“The cuts; the depth of the wounds. Given the circumstances, they aren’t wounds a longsword could make. Am I wrong?”

“How did you…?”

“They’re probably investigating that as we speak. The answer will come soon enough.”

Davey spoke calmly, turning his head. As soon as he finished talking, several wizards entered the room. They were the ones investigating the case.

“We are here to update you. The stab wound on Count Gulan’s young son was not caused by the longsword found at the scene, but by a much smaller main-gauche-type dagger.”

“See?” Davey said with a grin.

“Someone lured me with a scent only I could detect, and before that bribed Count Gulan’s young son to get close to me on purpose.”

“...”

“And then, using his special power, he summoned and killed Count Gulan’s young son, then lured me in and spread the smell of blood all at once.”

“B-But the estimated time of Count Gulan’s young son’s death coincides with the time you met him! Moreover, the mana tool that detects the scent of blood…”

“Crimes that seem to be in line perfectly should be suspected from the start,” Davey answered. The audience fell silent.

“Let me conclude my defense for now. Please, continue.”

Davey took a step back with a cold smile on his face. He knew the culprit was in the room.

Even if Duke Neto La Liri was found to be guilty, Davey needed to determine whether he was the sole culprit or if he had an accomplice. At the same time, he had to keep practicing how to harness the power that had created the strange smell, refining his control to activate it fully.

At that moment, he noticed Perserque, who had been watching him from afar, get up from her seat and leave the room with a troubled expression.

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook\'s Thoughts

Editorb’s Thought:

Everyone in the courtroom once Davey figures out his new smelly power