The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

"Feed him potatoes, I say!" Professor Olman insisted, his voice resolute.

"Why complicate things? Just send his soul to the Lord’s side and be done with it," Professor Alice suggested casually.

The professors continued their debate over the punishment, completely ignoring the reactions of Chonchi and Viche whose faces grew increasingly pale with each passing suggestion. Every professor glanced at them with murderous looks.

"This is slander! And those two test papers cannot be used as evidence!" Chonchi shouted, his voice trembling with indignation.

"Not evidence, you say?"

Baron Gorneo stood in response.

"The special question His Highness provided was exceptionally difficult, but solvable with effort.”

“That’s…”

“Also, if one could solve it, they would’ve noticed the change that Prince Davey had made. In fact, the revised problem was even easier in terms of difficulty. There’s no reason why a cadet would be able to answer the harder problem correctly but miss the easy question.”

In other words, for someone who didn’t grasp the problem but merely memorized the solution, it was almost impossible to notice the subtle changes. It was no different from swapping a question that required four additions and two multiplications with one that required eight additions instead.

“That’s…”

“Now, now, let’s not dwell on this too much. Why don’t we confirm it for ourselves?”

At Davey’s suggestion, everyone turned to look at him.

“Will that suffice?”

It was an extremely simple issue. The reason grade manipulation would be needed in the first place was because the manipulators couldn’t achieve high scores on their own.

In short, those who relied solely on their family backgrounds clearly hadn’t put in the necessary effort to answer the questions perfectly.

Professor Chonchi trembled at his words.

"See? We might as well just beat them up. All of our efforts to build a reputable institution have gone to waste because of those two,” Alice muttered, her hand pressing into the table hard enough to leave an imprint.

"Lock them up in solitary confinement and feed them potatoes. Not boiled ones, though—they’re too tasty," Olman added, still clutching onto his potato.

“How about we—”

“No, what I’m saying is—”

It almost seemed as if the professors were executioners, judging by how vehemently they were debating on how to punish the two. Meanwhile, Chonchi and Viche’s faces grew stiffer with every passing moment.

"Professor Chonchi," Davey called out.

"Hmph?! Y-Yes!”

"Do you have anything else to say?”

Chonchi hesitated, glancing around nervously before bowing his head.

"Please, forgive me! I never intended for it to reach this point...!"

"As many of you know, including those who joined later on, Heins Academy operates under an international treaty to establish it as a completely neutral institution. It forfeits any political or territorial advantages, existing for the sole purpose of universal education. That’s why, despite holding the position of headmaster, I delegate most of the school’s authority to the faculty and the Student Council."

‘In order to give students the opportunity and skills to become leaders themselves.’

"But now, you two have blatantly defied the most basic principles of the academy.”

Ssss…

“Hmph?”

"Engaging in corruption is your choice," he said coldly, "but every choice comes with consequences. Do you agree?"

Chonchi and Viche took steps back, their fear evident.

"W-What do you intend to do with us?!" Viche stammered.

"Hmmm, well I quite like Professor Alice’s suggestion.”

"To k-kill us?! You can’t! Your only authority over me is that of a Heins Academy headmaster and their subordinate faculty! I quit from this moment on!”

"Resigning solves everything, does it?"

“At least you won’t have the justification to—”

“Ah, trying to say that you’re no longer associated with Heins Academy and I can’t do anything as the headmaster?”

“Y-Yes! Since I will resign from my position immediately, this matter can be left to our respective nations to handle!"

“Y-Yes, me too! I request that our respective countries have jurisdiction over us!"

Realizing they had already been caught, they figured any further attempt at hiding was pointless, so they desperately resorted to brazen tactics.

The faculty at Heins Academy was mostly composed of individuals from various nations. In reality, there were only one or two professors from the Rowane Kingdom, a place which constantly struggled with a lack of talent. This also made it difficult to hold such individuals accountable; often, their wrongdoings ended with little more than hefty compensation payouts.

But—

Smack!

“Huh… What?!” Professor Chonchi gasped.

Thud!

Without hesitation, Davey grabbed him by the collar and delivered a punch. Blood spattered out along with several of his teeth as he tumbled across the floor.

“Grr... If this incident gets out, it’ll be a serious blow to the reputation of Heins Academy… If we handle this calmly, it can be kept under wraps—”

“You have no right to speak after causing this mess. Also, I have zero intention of keeping this under wraps.”

He gave Professor Chonchi a sinister smile, making him tremble in fear once again.

Davey raised the medical department’s textbook he had in his hand and struck down hard.

* * *

Causing such a ruckus in front of most of the faculty would naturally provoke backlash. However, the initial response from the other professors showed no sympathy for Professor Chonchi and Viche. After all, the two newcomers had nearly tarnished the prestigious image of Heins Academy, which they had worked so hard to build.

Regardless of when they joined or how renowned they were in the outside world, the professors at Heins Academy strictly adhered to a doctrine of mutual respect. This was one of the core principles of the academy, something Davey had strongly reinforced. Professors were to show consideration for one another and teach in equal conditions, free from any hierarchy.

Professor Chonchi may have been just a faculty member in the Medical Department, but Professor Viche Broker was a highly skilled sword expert. Seeing Professor Chonchi turn into a bloody mess made Viche react in self-defense.

“You...!!”

Fearing that he would end up in the same state as Professor Chonchi, Viche drew his sword. Then Olman set aside the potato he had been eating and unsheathed his own sword.

Yet Davey calmly stepped forward before he could do anything.

Slice!

Davey picked up a conductor’s baton lying nearby and swiftly brought it down.

Crash!

He shattered Viche’s sword, with the force knocking him backward as his body was flung away by the gust of wind.

“This is the very swordsmanship you claimed deserved a failing grade for being too sloppy.”

‘That’s…”

“And yet you can’t even defend against it. Frankly, I don’t think you’re qualified to teach. Nor do you have any special skills.”

Davey then turned to Olman.

“Professor Olman, if I recall correctly, you had full authority over recruiting new faculty members.”

“Sigh… Others highly recommended them, but I never thought they’d turn out to be such low-quality crony hires. My apologies, Headmaster.”

“Fine. I’ll deal with this.”

“Don’t... Don’t come any closer! Do you think you’ll walk away unscathed after doing this?! You’re too young to understand foreign politics—”

“At the very least, Prince Davey has already seen more of the world than you have in your entire life,” Professor Alice interjected. “And you’d do well to keep your mouth shut.”

“What?! Archbishop Alice! How dare you—”

“I’m holding myself back from beating you up myself right here, right now. Don’t test me.” Her voice was icy as she drew her staff, a common weapon among priests.

“Stay out of this, Professor Alice,” Davey said. “I’ll take full responsibility for this.”

“Prince Davey.”

“This was my oversight, so I’ll be the one to make it right.”

“...”

“Just as you have until now, continue to give it your all. I’ll provide you with my full support.”

Heins Academy was a place for students to learn. The moment its faculty became embroiled in politics, the academy's original purpose would inevitably be compromised.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Davey tossed aside the bloodstained medical textbook and picked up a hardcover swordsmanship manual with a jolly smile.

“Don’t be scared. This is just the beginning. And don’t bother expecting your home country to save you—I’ll crush you, no matter what it takes.”

Viche trembled uncontrollably in response. Finally, he pressed his forehead against the floor.

“P-Please forgive me! I was wrong!”

Only after realizing he was in over his head did he finally begin to beg. But by then, it was far too late to change anything.

* * *

Professor Chonchi had been accused of accepting substantial bribes to manipulate the grades of high-ranking noble children, including Koshia, as well as granting preferential treatment to other wealthy students by artificially improving their scores.

Similarly, Professor Viche Broker had acted as a middleman, connecting Professor Chonchi to the parents of these nobles and engaging in the same grade manipulation and discrimination against other students.

The troubling part was that these two weren’t the only ones involved.

After beating them to the point that the textbooks became unrecognizable, Davey erased their hair roots and cursed them. He had taken away their most valued asset.

He then publicly announced their wrongdoings to the world and formally demanded immense compensation for the damages they had caused.

What they had done was no accident or crime of ignorance—they were deliberate choices. Had they been forced into it, like Tadia, Davey might have taken their circumstances into consideration. However, this was not the case.

They had argued vehemently that it was wrong for commoners to even think they were entitled to education, and that they were helping the offsprings of those destined to lead nations, finishing off by angrily questioning what was wrong with lending those children a hand behind the scenes.

The real problem was that they failed to see any issue with their logic. To them, what they had done was the right thing to do, not worthy of getting singled out for.

A total of four professors were involved in the scheme, all from the newly appointed faculty. Additionally, there were twelve students who had benefited from the scandal. Even with the academy’s large student body, there were far more students involved than he had anticipated.

Davey decided to first personally address the most influential student involved in the matter—Koshia.

“Sit,” Davey said curtly.

With a stiff expression, Koshia complied and sat before him.

“You know why I called you here, don’t you?”

“Your Highness, please show respect. Even if I’ve been part of this unpleasant incident, you have no right to treat me with such disrespect. Show proper courtesy—”

“What’s your rank or status in your country?”

Davey figured his confident demeanor was coming from a belief that he had done nothing wrong. Upon further consideration, Davey figured that was probably the easiest way for a person like Koshia to get through such a situation. But Davey wasn’t interested in whether or not the noble felt remorse for his actions.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“W-What?”

“I asked what rank you hold in your country,” Davey repeated calmly.

“…”

“You’re Koshia Sharen, the sole heir of Duke Sharen, a major figure in the Central Continent. Beyond that, what else?”

“….”

“Didn’t you hear? Answer me.”

“That’s…”

“Let me guess. You were born into a noble family but hold no official position, correct?”

Of course, there were cases where children worked after being bestowed titles, but it was rare. In most cases, respect for noble children stemmed from the authority of their parents, not from themselves.

“Shall I ask another question, then? Alright. What do you think my status is?”

“...”

“I didn’t summon you here for some petty hierarchy play, Koshia Sharen. Your fate has already been decided.”

“T-That’s…”

Understanding a situation required firsthand observation; no amount of paperwork could replace what actually took place. That was why Davey confronted him directly.

“The professor who inflated your grades, Professor Chonchi, has admitted to taking bribes and manipulating grades. Professor Viche Broker also admitted to the same, and even confessed to orchestrating the connections between Professor Chonchi and noble families to enact similar schemes. Denial is meaningless at this point.”

Koshia glared back defiantly.

“I’ll ask you again. Why did you do it?”

“What’s so wrong about it?”

“What?”

“It’s already outrageous that some filthy orphan received your favor to enter this academy and receive education. On top of this, she maintained high grades. Commoners shouldn’t get smarter—they shouldn’t be treated well.”

“…”

“Humans who are treated kindly take that kindness as some sort of entitlement. Once they become smarter, they stop working and begin to complain.”

His words were chilling, but not unfamiliar.

“Is this the philosophy of your father, Duke Sharen?”

“It’s my belief as well. The thought of sitting in class with such peasants is revolting. And yet, you—you’re blinded by idealism! Thanks to this system you’ve built, commoners are growing close to nobles, and even looking down on them! How can you claim this is right—”

“And what exactly makes you so superior?” a voice interrupted sharply.

It was Illyna and Aeria, who had stepped into the room.

“You?!” Koshia spat.

“Did you not hear my question?” Illyna shot back. “What makes you superior to Tadia?”

“That’s…!”

“Surely you’re not suggesting that simply being born into nobility makes you better?”

Koshia gritted his teeth, unable to respond, and bowed his head in frustration.

“What are you two doing here?” Davey asked them.

“Perserque sent us to check on how things were going,” Illyna answered.

“And what’s she up to right now?”

“Evangeline isn’t feeling well—she’s running a fever. It seems like growing pains, but it’s worse than what most children go through. The physician said she’ll be fine, but…”

Davey could tell how worried she was by her voice. He abruptly stood and snapped his fingers.

As much as Koshia deserved punishment as the one who had actually taken advantage, he couldn’t simply turn him into a worse state than Professor Chonchi. Instead, he chose something else for him.

Davey plucked the hair follicles from his crown and cast a curse over him. He wouldn’t die—but he would never be involved in any sex life.

He had heard that Koshia had his eye on several commoner girls. Rendering him bald made sure he’d no longer be able to charm anyone.

Of course, Koshia wouldn’t realize the full extent of the curse until later. And unless he found someone on the level of a Death Lord dark mage, there’d be no way to find out that it was because of Davey’s curse.

“All done. It was foolish of me to expect anything worthwhile from you. Listen up: Because of your selfishness, no students from your Shan Kingdom will ever be admitted to Heins Academy again. That goes for most other nations involved in this affair as well.”

“You do realize the Shan Kingdom sends massive donations to Heins Territory, don’t you?” Koshia sneered. “If you expel me, those funds will be frozen.”

“And?”

“Do you think you can handle the consequences?”

Davey took a step closer, gripping his arrogant hand and slowly twisting it until there was a sickening crack.

‘Say goodbye to ever holding a sword again.’

“Arrrgh!!” Kosia screamed, clutching his broken arm.

“Still not getting what kind of situation you’re in, huh?” Davey muttered. With a flick of his hand, a blade of blue energy emerged.

Squelsh!!

He unhesitatingly pierced Koshia through the chest with deadly precision.

“Let’s see how Duke Sharen reacts to this."

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts

Editorb’s Thoughts

Damn, author goin’ hard on us bald dudes ( ಥ ʖ̯ ಥ ) Don’t worry bois, being bald doesn’t mean becoming incapable of charming anyone ever again. That is, not unless you’re my bald-as-hell boss Retired Pen—

….

I have had a sudden and fortuitous change of heart! My boss is great and supreme! All hail the supreme flightless bird!