The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

At her words, Davey quickly tamped down his rising aura. It was evident that she regarded him with caution.

"I've heard that humans come together, a man and a woman, to make a promise through a ritual called marriage, right?" She strolled leisurely, her gaze sweeping outward. "I'd rather not engage with you if I can avoid it, but I didn't come here to dawdle with you today."

She spoke nonchalantly, lightly swirling the wine in her glass. Then, she gently clinked her glass against Davey's, flashing a seductive smile. The princesses of the abyss, being fragments of deities, possessed a breathtaking beauty, akin to a living painting.ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N(o)vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.nᴇt

"Ah, humans are so deceptive. Filled with malice. How can one's exterior and interior be so disparate?" She cast a languid glance at some of the attendees in the banquet hall and chuckled.

"I don't believe humans can harbor as much malice as your kind."

"That's a laughable statement. At least we don't conceal our feelings. We speak the truth." She approached Davey with an easy grace and looked up at him. "You should be cautious of that blonde man over there. He's quite twisted inside."

The person she indicated was Prince Rendos de Pallan of the Pallan Empire. Davey had already found him somewhat disquieting, but Urd's gaze suggested something deeper. Of course, Davey didn't think he would do anything rash. Rendos might be unsettling, but he was not a foolish human.

"Well, I don't really concern myself with human matters."

As she raised her glass again for a toast, Davey stepped back, avoiding her advance. "Let's get to the point instead of playing games."

At his words, she promptly set her wine glass down nearby and approached him slowly. Seeing her act in such a manner, Davey's gaze wandered, and he spotted Aeria, whose face was a picture of shock. It was clear that, to her, this being named Urd was nothing short of a figure of terror.

Suddenly, dark wisps started emanating from beneath her feet, and before anyone could react, her entire form appeared to dissolve and vanish.

“…”

The abruptness of her disappearance left Davey utterly speechless. Her power was the power of erosion, the ability to erode things and control them at will. While she also possessed an exceptionally commanding presence among the princesses of the abyss, that was not the primary concern.

"Is it real, or did you carefully plan your deception?" The words she whispered into Davey’s ear before her departure were intriguing.

"Your Highness Aeria?"

Just then, perhaps due to some distress, Aeria began to breathe heavily. The nearby Fire Fox Archduke, Kathryn, looked alarmed and rushed to her side.

Without hesitation, Davey summoned divine power to his fingertips and quickly approached her.

It was evident that the consequences of hosting a Divine Entity included more than just exhaustion.

The quantity of his divine power, which he had felt could manifest up to the 9th rank without strain, had diminished. However, its quality had increased. While he had expected some changes after hosting a deity within him, this was not an unfavorable outcome. The quantity might have decreased, but improving its quality was no small feat. Nevertheless, there was no chance to fully gauge the effects of this elevated divine power.

"Huh?"

Before Davey could take any action, something remarkable occurred within Aeria. He noticed her emanated divine power that soothed and healed her, identical to his own.

Standing there, Davey silently observed. While all divine powers might seem similar, they change slightly when intertwined with the physical body. Mana itself had its unique nature for that reason. Yet, the divine power emanating from her was exactly identical to his own.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah... Yes." Aeria lowered her head shyly, her cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry. I need... to rest for a bit..."

Perhaps she had mistaken her vision of Urd as a hallucination, as she forced a smile and quickly excused herself.

"Anything wrong, Davey?" Illyna asked.

"There's the same divine power in Princess Aeria as in me."

Her eyes narrowed. "Can you explain it more simply?"

"Unless she herself or someone from birth possesses the ability to use divine power, it's impossible."

In other words, it was impossible in either case.

Saying this, Davey gently patted Illyna's shoulder and walked away, leaving her with a complicated expression.

* * *

Even though more people attended than expected, the ceremony proceeded smoothly.

"Why does this make people so nervous?" Davey pondered.

This wasn't merely a political or calculated marriage. His heart raced even more because genuine affection was involved. Despite always being together, the fact that they were now fully committing to each other made his heart flutter.

"Then, let's begin," said Archbishop Alice with a solemn expression.

The sight of the venue, brimming with guests, made everything feel truly real for Davey. When he glanced to one side, he spotted several individuals he hadn't anticipated to be in attendance.

"Prince Davey, are you ready?"

In response to Alice's question, he adjusted his sharp, dark-toned formal attire and nodded. "Please proceed."

Originally, the priestess designated to officiate had been Lena. Although she was not affiliated with the Holy Kingdom, the kingdom deemed that only a Saintess was fit to bless a Saint who had received the sacred mark, even if it was temporary. Of course, this decision was also influenced by the political situation within the Holy Kingdom, but the primary concern was Saintess Lena herself.

She was an unpredictable entity, especially in situations like this. Ultimately, thanks to the strong insistence of both Davey and Alice, Alice, who had once been considered a candidate for the Saintess position, assumed the officiating role. After all, neither the supreme religious leader nor the frail Pope could attend.

"Sigh, O noble and revered one," Alice began with a brief cough, glancing at the assembled crowd before softly starting the first passage of her prayer.

In that moment, a gentle and warm divine power began to emanate from her, filling the surroundings.

Suddenly, in response to Alice's divine energy, small blue and red lights began to drift down from the ceiling of the grand ceremonial hall.

"Wow..."

"It's beautiful..."

It was not some magical effect.

"It's fascinating," remarked a woman looking up in awe, addressing Davey.

"It's just a slight adjustment using alchemy."

"With all that happens in Heins territory, nothing seems surprising anymore."

After reciting her prayer, Alice then had Davey make several vows. As he followed her lead without hesitation, Archbishop Alice looked up with a bittersweet smile.

"Now, with the entrance of Lady Perserque, who is to become the bride, we will recite the vows."

With her words, large doors opened, revealing a figure veiled in a cloak.

"Wow..."

"Amazing..."

Several men exclaimed in admiration.

"My goodness..."

Silent gasps escaped from the women, unable to utter a word, as they gazed at the figure. The woman walking slowly toward them with her shimmering silver hair flowing down was incredibly beautiful.

Although many women across the continent were praised for their beauty, objectively speaking, Perserque's beauty was unparalleled. Even after witnessing four of the six renowned beauties of the continent, this fact remained unchanged.

"I wondered what kind of person she could be for Prince Davey to suddenly decide on a marriage. Now I understand," a guest whispered.

The bride, wearing a gown blessed and created by Emilia of the Holy Shrine, also wore a red earring that reminded Davey of his late mother and a necklace he had personally made for her. Slowly walking in, she was followed by Annabelle and Dirro, who had taken a feminine form.

Watching Perserque's entrance silently, Davey, undistracted by the surrounding exclamations of surprise and admiration, softly said, looking down at her, "You look beautiful."

In response, she slowly lifted her gaze, which was obscured by her veil. Still, her beauty and striking red eyes were evident.

"Davey, are you sure you won't regret this?"

"Regret? That's a joke," Davey replied.

She chuckled softly as if reassured by his words.

"Lady Perserque, before we proceed with the ceremony, you will recite your vows," said Archbishop Alice, who seemed unsurprised by Perserque's appearance, having been one of the people involved in her preparation.

"Prince Davey is truly blessed," Alice teased softly, ensuring only they could hear, then prompted Perserque to recite several vows.

Once they completed the necessary rituals, Alice turned to Davey, saying, "Now, let's begin the exchange of vows."

When Archbishop Alice signaled Davey, he took out two rings from the small box he held. He handed one to Perserque and kept the other for himself. They quietly slid the rings onto each other's fingers. The ring he had made for her was crafted meticulously. While it might seem like a mere ornamental ring, the power it held was astonishingly immense.

"Did you make it too extravagant?" she asked.

"It's not even finished," Davey replied.

Inside the ring was an ore that contained the 'Blood Pact' power of Josiah Frances, the Vampire Lord. However, Davey chose not to activate it here, as he couldn't possibly draw blood from her finger at such an event.

"Wow, the ring is beautiful," a voice chimed.

"I heard Prince Davey made it himself."

"Could he have crafted such beautiful rings and necklaces?"

"Exactly," another agreed.

"I wonder if I could ask Prince Davey to make one for me using an external craftsman," a woman whispered discreetly to her companion.

The exchange of vows, a promise that they belong to one another and would live for each other. Davey presented the ring to Perserque, and in response, she slid a ring onto his finger.

"Now, I will bless the engaged couple. Before the final ritual, if anyone opposes this union..." Archbishop Alice's voice was met with silence. "Kindly keep your objections to yourself, as I can't handle any disputes."

A few chuckles echoed in response, but no one voiced any objections. They were all aware of the consequences of opposing Davey.

"Now, please fulfill the vow in front of everyone," Archbishop Alice urged.

Davey gently took her hand and slowly pulled her close, lifting her veil. Her radiant face with snow-white skin and crimson eyes was unveiled.

"I miss the horns," he teased.

"Don't even dream about it," she retorted. While her horns had been a part of her identity, he couldn't dwell on it now. Davey leaned in, and their lips met. It felt soft and wonderful, sealing their union.

As the ceremony concluded, a green wind blew, and spirits, invisible to the average eye, appeared, scattering sparkling dust as a sign of their blessings. The entity behind this was the World Tree Seed.

Following the ceremony, there were small playful events. Perserque threw her bouquet, and it was caught surprisingly fast by a princess of the Felicity Kingdom, leading to a playful chase as per tradition.

Then there were other fun traditions, including the elf tradition of garter retrieval and a dwarf tradition of showcasing the groom's strength. Given that the Heins domain was not solely inhabited by humans, but also by elves, dwarfs, and beast folks, these events were embraced and enjoyed.

One memorable moment was when Davey, with Perserque seated on his shoulders, showcased an impressive number of push-ups. Ladies around murmured about Davey's exceptional strength, contrasting him with their own frail husbands. However, the joyous wedding took a sudden turn when a scream echoed through the venue.

“...Aaaahhhhh!!!”

The wedding video of Davey O'Rowane, the continent's prince, spread even as far as Earth. A user from America, who had gained access to the exclusive Tionis continent field, managed to live-stream the wedding. Thanks to this, the video became a trending topic not only in America but also in South Korea, where Alf Online was initially launched.

[Wow, is this real quality?]

[Seriously, I've seen it before, but the queen looks so superior.]

[Thanks for the show.]

[Insane, lol]

[Someone, get that rude jerk out. The queen is everyone's goddess.]

[I've heard about the top 6 beauties of the continent, but this surpasses that quality.]

[Lol, a very cute girl]

Dozens of comments poured in from various countries where players were enjoying the game in real-time. The streamer, with their playful and witty manner, attracted many viewers to the video featuring the wedding ceremony.

Most comments mentioned the good quality and how the game felt almost too realistic. There were also comments expressing envy and various other sentiments. However, where there are good comments, there are bound to be bad ones as well.

A man watching the live broadcast stared intently at his screen in a dimly lit room. Such a beautiful girl. Her existence made him feel as if she was born just for him.

"She's the one... My girl. She's mine."

His eyes widened, wanting to take in even more of the beautiful and captivating girl. Then, slowly but confidently, he began to type.