The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

Chapter 387

Verdandi was the name of a beauty with a commoner background who became famous for being courted by countless suitors from royal and noble families. While the name Verdandi was not particularly unique, it did not entirely rule out the possibility that she could be the one. For Davey, the most efficient approach was to inquire among those who were paying attention and had a keen interest in the happenings on the continent.

‘Now, who else is alive in this place aside from me?’

The island had been completely razed to the ground, leaving behind only the black remnants of the Heresy Inquisition's church. The sea had also collapsed, contorting its shape and creating a treacherous whirlpool that deterred any reckless approach. Naturally, the impossibility of entering this place now also meant an impossibility of leaving.

Collosus, who had perished, was not particularly significant. He had merely been an obstacle employed by the Abyss princess, Urd, to orchestrate this chaos.

Davey silently turned around and approached the remains of the Heresy Inquisition Church, his fingers gesturing toward the ashen remnants of the ruined structure. The soot left by the burnt church stained his shining red hands, gradually transforming them into a dark hue.

"So, there's an underground chamber," Davey remarked.

Not too far from him, Davey discovered a door leading to an underground space, constructed from black rocks. The raw material, despite being relatively easy to process under extreme heat and pressure, had surprisingly withstood the impact of the White Nova—an irony that Davey found rather amusing.

He extracted the Divine Spear Longginus and utilized its substantial weight to forcefully strike the misaligned hinges of the door. Once the hinges gave way, Davey grasped the Red Ribbon and severed it. As he anticipated, the Red Ribbon, capable of cutting through anything physical, effortlessly sliced through the robust black rocks, splitting them into fragments.

Thud!!!

After shattering the doors, Davey gazed intently at the obscure passage that descended into the depths. It didn't take long for him to ascend the stairs and venture into the darkness, seemingly driven by an unseen force.

***

The underground prison of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition turned out to be far more expansive than Davey had anticipated. Its eerie silence was particularly unsettling, considering its purpose as a prison. Not a single indication of movement could be felt, and not a sliver of light penetrated its depths.

Davey strolled leisurely and unaffected through the desolate halls of this subterranean prison, shrouded in a foreboding atmosphere that seemed to hold the imminent presence of spirits.

Thud!!!

As Davey continued to walk, a loud and startling noise rang out not too far away from him.

“…”

Most people would have instinctively screamed and fled the moment they heard that deafening sound. However, Davey continued his stride without hesitation.

"It would have been quite interesting if I had brought Illyna along with me," Davey mused aloud. "Well, whether it was Illyna or Imperial Princess Aeria, it would have been fun. Princess Aeria, being naturally shy and timid, would have been easily frightened in a place like this. And as for Illyna? She always puts on a facade of toughness and strength. I wonder how she would fare in a situation like this."

After descending the stairs for an extended period, Davey finally arrived at the origin of the earlier noise. Employing the Red Ribbon, he severed the massive stone gates, revealing a chamber littered with shattered fragments of statues, presumably depicting goddess figures. It appeared that while the underground prison hadn't collapsed, the subsequent earthquake had taken its toll.

Within that space, Davey spotted a girl. She sat silently, adorned with red hair and donning heavy armor.

"Wasn't your name Clonnie O'Priscille?" Davey inquired.

She was the girl known for possessing a formidable power as a Trait Ability User. Davey observed her in silence before extending his fingers toward her and snapping them loudly.

Snap!!!

"Ugh..." Clonnie groaned, slowly lifting her gaze to meet Davey's.

Her eyes appeared vacant, as if she hadn't yet comprehended the situation she found herself in.

Evidently, this girl was an ardent fanatic. If Davey were Collosus Griam, he would have certainly exploited her to his advantage. It puzzled him why she was confined in this place.

"You two are acquainted, aren't you?" Davey asked.

"...Ah... Aaaaaah... It's the leader..." Clonnie smiled brightly, despite the pain and exhaustion. "Are you here to pass judgment on me?"

"Why would you think that?" Davey inquired.

"Because you're shining."

Davey fell silent at her words, his gaze fixated on the cross hanging around her neck. According to Warrior Reina, Clonnie used this cross to determine if someone was a heretic or not. If the cross turned black, they were deemed heretics. If the color remained unchanged, they were innocent.

In reality, the reason the cross did not react in front of Davey was that Collosus Griam, who had used it to deceive Clonnie by claiming it was a divine artifact, had already perished. However, she remained oblivious to this fact.

"I thought you were tainted. That's why I wanted to put you on trial. But your existence is noble and sacred! Noble! No one is allowed to besmirch your reputation! You are the one who has received God's love!"

"There are only a select few in this world who have received the Goddess' love."

"No, not at all. The Goddess loves all her creations, even the heretics who have rejected her. That's why we burn them, to cleanse their sins and transform their bones into white purity."

Clonnie's conviction was unwavering, leaving Davey speechless.

"It is evident that you are not a heretic. I have no right to judge and purify you. Perhaps your bones are already pure and white," Clonnie said, her face adorned with a pure and benevolent smile.

"The revelation you speak of is a lie," Davey chose to reveal the truth.

"Yes? What... What do you mean? The leader of the Inquisition claimed to have received the revelation and was granted the protection of God's Apostle, along with a bestowed divine artifact..."

"The so-called God's Apostle you mention is a mythical creature. And as for the divine artifact, it's nothing but a counterfeit. Around 80% to 90% of the people you have slain are not heretics, but innocent bystanders," Davey divulged, his words devoid of any sugar-coating.

He then tossed a dagger before the bewildered girl. "You don't need to contemplate the veracity of my words. You have hidden behind your beliefs and slaughtered innocents without delving deeper into the truth."

"...I... I killed the very people I was meant to protect and not the heretics?"

"That's correct." Davey left those words hanging as he passed by her, not bothering to free her from the chains that bound her. "Make your own choices."

Without hesitation, Davey left Clonnie, who stared blankly at the dagger lying in front of her, and continued his unhurried progress. He had heard the sound of the wind emanating from behind Clonnie, indicating another concealed space within this underground prison.

So, he went further inside only to see the same black rocks, which formed the foundation of the island, in front of him. Davey, without any regrets, used Red Ribbon and cut them down.

Rumble!!!

The wall swiftly crumbled, revealing a natural cave hidden within. Davey's gaze fell upon a small jewelry box situated at the far end of the space, emanating an aura of traps. Despite the apparent risks, Davey effortlessly reached the jewelry box, only to discover that it could only be opened with a key. However, he disregarded this requirement entirely and forcefully broke it open, retrieving the black stone nestled inside.

To the casual observer, it may have seemed like an ordinary black stone. However, upon closer inspection, one could discern another underlying power swirling within it—the altered power of the Abyss, an enigma to all present.

"So, there's something like this here," Davey remarked, rolling the black stone in his palms. It was then that his attention was drawn to the inscriptions on the cave walls.

Though the words were penned in a complex religious language, Davey found them relatively easy to decipher. From what he gleaned, it appeared that one of the previous leaders of the Heresy Inquisition had obtained this black stone from the ancient ruins concealed on the island, sealing it within this location.

The inscriptions further revealed that they were ignorant of the stone's purpose, but it exuded an uncanny chill upon contact and whispered strange voices in their ears. Consequently, it was deemed a heretical object—a complete rejection of God. This prompted the previous leader of the Heresy Inquisition to seal and conceal it here.

Davey believed that even the current leader of the organization, Collosus Griam, remained oblivious to the stone's existence. In fact, Davey had descended into the underground prison solely to ascertain if any relics resided there. His expectations had not been in vain. It could be said that Davey had thoroughly plundered the grave, leaving no miscellaneous items behind.

Ancient ruins held an air of profound mystery. Concealed from prying eyes, they housed numerous astonishing truths and artifacts. While Davey's knowledge of such places was limited, he held a steadfast belief—one born of instinct—that the Abyssal beings had been expelled tens of thousands of years ago due to a monumental clash with the entities from the Tionis Continent.

As Davey emerged from the natural cave and returned to the underground prison, the metallic scent of blood greeted him. For fanatics who lived solely for their faith, their lives held little significance. And when such individuals realized that their existence had strayed from their own truth and beliefs, they had only one extreme option—to engage in what they knew best.

***

Considerable time had elapsed since the incident involving the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition. The Holy Empire Valcias had officially declared to the continent that they had thwarted the Inquisition's coup d'etat. Furthermore, they announced a reduction in heresy trials and expressed their intent to transform the Heresy Inquisition into a more peaceful organization.

The Tionis Continent bore resemblances to Earth's medieval period, but it differed significantly in many ways. Unlike that era, where the prevalence of slavery and serfdom was rampant, the Tionis Continent boasted a high standard of living. It was a world where even commoners could live with bright, content smiles on their faces. The development of alchemy and magic contributed to the cleanliness of the streets and houses in this world. However, the most astonishing aspect lay in the citizens' exceptional aesthetic sense.

"Three months..." Davey murmured, tapping his fingers on the table while gazing at the card and the black stone before him.

It had been three months since he had dismantled the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, and thus far, he had discovered no information regarding the black stone.

Regarding Verdandi, Davey currently endeavored to determine the whereabouts of one of the continent's six greatest beauties. She represented a crucial element in his plans. However, he could not help but suspect that someone deliberately obstructed the dissemination of her information.

Progress with Megalodria, who was sealed within the card, had also been minimal. Davey planned to form a contract with the mythical beast once it returned to its normal state—that was his first step. However, the card occasionally trembled, as if urging Davey to release Megalodria from its confines.

In truth, Davey harbored little desire to extract the Card Album that contained those deranged individuals. The primary reason was its challenging nature to handle. Moreover, he could only bring it out of the Hall because it was constructed with his own soul.

Meanwhile, the Heins Territory busied itself with the auctioning of moon grass, a practice conducted every quarter of the year. Davey merely needed to monitor the weather and soil conditions where the grass grew. As for sales, he entrusted the task to the most competent individuals and relied on their periodic reports. Responding to their trust and loyalty, which far exceeded his expectations, Davey reciprocated with his own trust and loyalty—a sentiment he had previously conveyed to the demon Belial.

"Your Highness, everything has been arranged," Amy reported, accompanied by one of the dwarves.

"Very well," Davey replied calmly as he rose from his seat, retrieving the antique scissors from his desk and placing them into his pocket dimension. "Let us proceed with the completion ceremony."

Davey had already recruited a sufficient number of professors and instructors for the academy. With the construction now finished, it was time for him to establish wide-area protective magic and partake in a celebratory toast with a champagne bottle.

As the chairman of the largest academy on the continent, shouldn't he indulge in a bit of grandeur? Davey believed that the protective magic he employed should surpass that of the magic towers—a sentiment that would alleviate his slight embarrassment associated with the title.