The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

“Are you telling me those damn bastards actually said that?”

Illyna seethed with anger, looking ready to grab Caldeiras and chase them down, even performing a posthumous execution if she had to.

“Damn it… Evangeline is…”

Davey stood nearby, still trapped in a whirlwind of emotions from his beloved daughter saying that she hated him.

“Perserque… What should I do…? Our poor Evangeline…”

“Ugh… Quiet down for a second, Davey,” Perserque sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead with a troubled expression. “This isn’t something that can be simply fixed with a brief thought.”

“…”

“The fact that you killed Evangeline’s parents, Eclipse and Hercules, is an undeniable fact,” she said in a calm voice. “It seems Evangeline is unwilling to believe it—but if she were to realize it’s true, do you think she could forgive you?”

Evangeline was precious to him, but he could only speak from his own point of view, not hers. Forcing his standards onto her would only make him a failure as a parent.

“Rinne is secretly following her. It’s not a situation where we can bring her back just yet.”

“Sigh…”

Illyna groaned, clutching her head—the situation was giving her a resounding headache.

At that moment, Aeria perked up her ears, Darian delicately resting in her arms.

“I hope Evangeline isn’t too hurt by all this.”@@novelbin@@

“What’s the best way to handle this?”

Evangeline was angry that Davey had lied to her, but deep down, she had to remember what Cancer’s servant Dark Knight had said. Davey loved Evangeline like his own daughter, and wanted nothing more than to continue raising her as he always had. However, if this truth caused her to distance herself from him, he didn’t know what he could do about it.

Among the Zodiacs, the constellation Taurus was the only one left that had woken up from their collective slumber, and Davey had no immediate way to deal with it.

Unless the Zodiacs were in the process of manifesting, there was no way for Davey to deal with them. Moreover, even if the twelve Zodiac constellations were poised in opposition, destroying an innocent one was not something he was inclined to do. ℞𝘈𝐍o͍ВĚṠ

What mattered most now was figuring out how to help ease Evangeline’s anger.

“Do you already miss her? Can't live without the feeling of Evangeline clinging desperately, calling you Daddy over and over?”

“People don’t know what they have until it’s gone. Of course I miss her already, even if it’s only been a few days.”

Davey let out a bitter laugh, and Illyna smiled lightly in return.

He knew he needed advice. But such hard-hitting and intelligent advice couldn't come from just anyone.

He began to mentally list the best candidates—those who had experience raising children and seemed skilled in handling such matters.

* * *

“So, you’ve come to me?”

“Could you give me any advice?”

The man leaning casually against his throne smirked at him.

“Prince Davey, do you even know where you are right now?”

“I’m well aware. This is the Conference Chamber of the Three Empire Union.”

Before him sat three figures. One of them was Emperor Deorte El Lyndis of the Lyndis Empire. Another was the Great Emperor Contas of the western continent. And finally…

“First of all, before we get down to business, congratulations on your ascension to Emperor. It’s been a year since we last met in person, Your Majesty Sullivan.”

“Thank you, Prince Davey. It’s a bit belated, but I’ll never forget the kindness you showed in ensuring my father’s soul could peacefully join the cycle of reincarnation.”

A year ago, there had been a regime change in the Pallan Empire.

The current Emperor Sullivan was formerly Crown Prince Sullivan. The former emperor, who was also Illyna’s father, had passed away. He left the world after living life to its fullest, holding Illyna’s hand tightly as she cried by his side. With a radiant, unburdened smile, he had entrusted the empire to Sullivan before finally departing.

After his death, Davey personally conducted a ritual to lay his soul to rest, allowing him to ascend peacefully into the cycle of reincarnation. Though Sullivan had officially become Emperor after the funeral, this was the first time he had seen him since the former emperor’s passing.

Now, standing tall with a commanding presence, Sullivan was no longer a Crown Prince but a young Emperor. The other two Emperors even seemed to acknowledge him to some degree.

The Three Empires stood as symbols of an age of peace, bringing an end to the continent that had long been embroiled in unending wars. While there was some speculation among the populace about underlying power struggles between the empires, the fact that their leaders had gathered in secret to discuss the future was itself a sign of peace.

And the key figure who had solidified that balance was none other than Davey.

He was an absolute deterrent.

Most wars were either initiated by misunderstandings or pursued for national interest. Yet, his sheer overwhelming existence suppressed any such attempts or considerations.

Of course, pent-up frustrations always eventually boil over, but even a temporary shift in atmosphere had demonstrated a significant benefit.

“You came at just the right time—the discussion was warning toward us fruitlessly talking in circles. Let’s take a short break.”

“Agreed.”

“Indeed. But next time, please follow proper procedure, Prince Davey. This is a gathering place for the Emperors of the Three Empires, heavily fortified with layers of protective magic…”

“Protective magic?”

‘I’m sorry. I hadn’t even noticed.’

“Truly, you make me question whether you’re human, achieving feats even the Great Sage wouldn’t dare attempt,” Emperor Deorte grumbled, his tone stern.

“I’ll keep it in mind, Father-in-law.”

“Cough! Ahem!”

He then glanced around tactfully before quietly asking, “By the way… did you not bring Darian with you?”

Davey chuckled lightly. “Do you wish to see your grandson?”

Given physical appearances alone, it wouldn’t be strange to call Darian his great-grandson.

“Ahem! I never said such a thing!”

“That’s unfortunate, because I actually did bring Darian with me.”

“Bring him here immediately!”

“That was a lie,” Davey smirked.

The room fell silent after his brutal prank. Sullivan chuckled softly, while the Great Emperor Contas broke into a boisterous laugh.

“Hahaha! Look at you, old man! Trying to act all dignified, only to end up like this!”

“Shut it, you fool!”

Watching Emperor Deorte and the Great Emperor glare at each other as if they were about to start a brawl, Davey spoke up to ease the tension.

“Given that both of you have experience raising daughters, I thought you might be able to give me some advice.”

“You’ve come to the wrong place,” Emperor Deorte replied bluntly.

“Pardon?”

“For this kind of complicated matter, the one you should seek out is none other than the Great Sage, not us.”

The Great Sage, Hellison Valestia.

He was a figure held in absolute trust and esteem by the Red Tower. Davey remembered him as a rather generous old man, though he had only briefly met him in Heins Territory.

“That old geezer would be perfect for this,” the Grand Emperor chimed in. “He knows everything about the weirdest and most random stuff of this world.”

Davey closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again with skepticism. “Forgive me, but as far as I know, the Great Sage has only one child—a son.”

“That’s true. A rare prime example of a decent family man. It feels like just yesterday that I first heard he’d married and had a son.”

“In that case,” Davey said firmly, “I believe advice from Your Majesties, both of whom have raised daughters, would be more useful.”

Emperor Deorte and Contas exchanged a glance.

“I see… You want our perspective of raising a daughter…”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Let’s treat this as entertainment, then. Go ahead and tell us what’s troubling you,” Emperor Deorte conceded.

Davey sighed deeply before speaking in a low voice. “Evangeline said she hates me.”

A brief silence followed.

Emperor Deorte raised his hand to cover his mouth. “That’s serious.”

“Oh my. Seems like you’ve truly caused some trouble this time.”

Seeing their unusually serious expressions, Davey began to explain. He shared the truth—part of it, at least. He told them about her anger and rebellion, and the truth about her biological parents.

To receive proper advice, some things couldn’t be hidden. So, Davey chose to confide in the two he felt he could trust.

* * *

The highest authorities who controlled the continent were now engaged in a heated debate over a single topic.

“A precious princess is not the same as a boisterous boy—she must not be raised like one! Grand Emperor, you must lack experience due to your youth,” Emperor Deorte argued sharply.

“Ridiculous! Overprotection is the quickest way to ruin a child, Emperor,” retorted the Grand Emperor.

Despite his youthful appearance, the Grand Emperor Contas was also a father to a grown daughter. However, the two rulers’ parenting philosophies couldn’t have been more different: Emperor Deorte leaned towards overprotection, while the Grand Emperor was in favor of a laissez-faire approach.

Frankly speaking—

“So you’re suggesting he immediately appease her with sweet words—even if it's all lies to calm her down? What a foolish idea,” Emperor Deorte said with a sneer.

“And if she finds out later? That’s sure to end well! Ha!” the Grand Emperor shot back.

‘These two. They’re absolutely no help.’

As Davey pondered who else might be able to provide useful advice, Sullivan handed him a small box.

“Prince Davey, could you give this to her?”

“What is it?” he asked, taking it in his hands.

“A hairpin. Apparently, it’s very popular among noble ladies as of late. The Empress and I picked it out together.”

Sullivan was clearly implying that the present was intended for Illyna, not Evangeline.

“Why not give it to her yourself… No, that wouldn’t work.”

Sullivan had always maintained the pretense of a strained relationship with Illyna, to avoid any potential issues.

“Well, alright.”

“By the way, any updates on their deliberation?”

“None. Things are rough.”

Sullivan sighed softly, his gaze shifting to the two rulers still engaged in their debate.

“Well, I’ve never raised a daughter myself…” Sullivan began.

“Yes?”

“But I wonder if there’s really a right answer to something like this.”

“May I ask what you mean?”

“Just visit her often; talk with her; listen to her worries; and hear her complaints.”

Davey widened his eyes slightly at that advice.

Of course.

Sullivan, unlike the previous Crown Prince, had always protected Illyna like his own daughter. He’d guided her from behind the scenes, ensuring she had a strong sense of justice and keeping her from going astray.

“Yes. Thank you for that. It was very helpful.”

Sullivan smiled faintly. “If you’re grateful, perhaps we can discuss trade—”

“Oh, let’s discuss trade agreements later. Mixing business and personal matters doesn’t suit a professional individual such as yourself.”

“Tch. Such a pity.”

Meanwhile, Emperor Deorte and the Grand Emperor continued to quarrel. Emperor Deorte seemed like he was about to draw his sword out any moment, while the Grand Emperor was on the verge of releasing his fist energy.

Seeing this, Davey quietly released his mana to neutralize their force. “I should get going.”

“By the way, there’s a message from the Hero of Light, Reina,” Sullivan said suddenly.

“Pardon?”

“She mentioned sightings of those belonging to the Inquisition Tribunal spreading across the continent.”

Davey flinched.

“Well, I suppose they’re probably just looking for heretics,” he said.

It didn’t seem like they were the same aggressive group from the past. However—

“What’s the issue?” Davey asked.

“Apparently, their behavior is… strange.”

“Strange how?”

“They’ve been targeting and eliminating followers of Syras and Cryas.”

“...”

The Sun God, Syras, and the Moon Goddess, Cryas, were acknowledged as minor branches within the Church of Freyja.

Though they weren’t deities that truly existed, Goddess Freyja had given them life, making them recognized within the doctrine.

‘Wait. If the star constellations exist, perhaps Syras might be a real entity as well.’

“That would blatantly violate the doctrine of the Church…”

“Exactly. And during the investigation, something unusual was uncovered.”

“Unusual?”

“Yes. They were reportedly carrying a peculiar scale, making people place their hands on it, then mercilessly slaughtering specific individuals.”

‘A scale, of all things…’

“Additionally, they called themselves judges serving Goddess Freyja. What’s bizarre is that one of them was identified, and it turns out she was an ordinary farmer until very recently.”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“Certainly. She single handedly massacred dozens of knights in pursuit of her. Because of this, there are already discussions happening with Saintess Lena of the Church of the Holy Empire. In fact, this meeting we’re having right now is partly related to that.”

‘Judges… The current Inquisition Tribunal doesn’t refer to themselves as such…’

They merely call themselves Executioners, claiming to carry out the heaven’s will.

However, the scales and the disturbing fact that an unremarkable farmer girl slaughtered dozens of knights with ease using an axe were both highly concerning.

“I understand.”

Davey slightly nodded in acknowledgment.

“You’re telling me this because you want me to investigate personally.”

“Well, it wasn’t the main intention, but I scratch your back, you scratch mine, right?”

“I’ll look into it and collect some info. However, handling it will still be your responsibility.”

“That’ll be more than enough.”

* * *

Late in the night, within a quiet forest—

Splat!

Blood mist splattered through the air as a young girl collapsed to the ground.

“…”

“Those who deny God deserve to die. You witch.”

“Why…? I didn’t do anything…” the girl whispered, trembling as she lay on the forest floor.

Surrounding her were countless figures clad in armor, their designs marked by a distinct pattern.

“Anyone who follows any being other than Goddess Freyja is a heretic. The scales have begun to tip against you all.”

“But I thought the Inquisition Tribunal didn’t…”

“We are Judges.”

“…”

The girl slowly raised her head in response as blood dripped from her lips.

“You… You’re not people from the Holy Empire, are you? In fact, you’re not even human.”

The leader of the group, a black-haired woman, stepped forward and raised a heavy axe above her head.

“By the will of the Goddess… judgment shall be executed.”

“You’re… making a mistake you’ll regret,” the girl murmured.

However, the expressions of the figures around her didn’t change—they were as lifeless as puppets.

“I… I have a gift to bring to Evangeline…”

“Execute.”

Crunch!

* * *

A report arrived at the Lord’s Office of Heins Territory.

It detailed an attack on Josiah Frances, a faculty member of Heins Academy. Once a promising magic student at Shakuntala, she had graduated early and begun training as a professor.

While traveling north across the continent, she had been ambushed by unknown assailants and was now fighting for her life.