The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1121.1
Chapter 1121.1
“Eva.” Super Ribbon sighed as she looked at Evangeline curled up in the dark room, burying her head in her knees and saying nothing.
Unlike Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, Super Ribbon possessed a considerably mature mind. Even if she could never become a complete, independent being like them, she had never once held a grudge about it.
“Eva.”
“Do you think I did something wrong too, Sis?”
“Oh Eva...”
“Dad smelled like alcohol! I hate the smell of alcohol...”
Super Ribbon sighed again and gently approached her. “So that’s it. Our Eva... You just don’t like it when Dad drinks,
huh?
”
As she quietly patted the crying Evangeline with a loving gaze, Super Ribbon knew there was something she needed to say. “Do you love dad, Eva?”
Evangeline flinched at the question. She used to really like her dad, but at one point, she thought those feelings of hers were too childish for her to be having.
“I... I don’t
not
like him.”
“That’s enough. Dad loves you very much, so if there’s something you really don’t like, as long as you tell him, then he won't keep doing it.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Sis.” Sniffling and hiccuping, Evangeline clung to Super Ribbon.
“Still, Eva... What you said to your mom earlier was wrong.”
“But—!”
“Eva, who do you love more, Mom or Dad?”
“B-Both...”
It was a difficult truth for her to admit—she truly didn’t dislike them. It was just that acting how she used to started to seem childish to her.
She was going through a rebellious phase, and that kind of mental shift was common to all living beings.
“Mom cherishes and loves you deeply. Even if you don’t share the same blood with her, she has loved and cared for you, perhaps even more than if you were her own.”
Evangeline still felt inclined to retort, “B-But still...”
“Eva, will you watch something with me for a second?” Super Ribbon showed a small artifact hanging from her necklace. It was one that could record and replay memories.
-
Who’s a good girl?
The video showed a younger Evangeline laughing joyfully alongside a Perserque who was overwhelmed with love, unable to contain her affection for her.
There were other moments as well, with Perserque doing things like crying helplessly as a young Evangeline burned up with a high fever; rushing in the middle of the night to comfort a crying hungry Evangeline; and softly singing lullabies with a gentle, pretty voice.
Anyone could see that bursting love was in her actions. It was raw, selfless, unfiltered love for someone she treasured above all else.
Evangeline couldn’t find anything to say as she watched. It wasn’t long before she realized that she had said something she never should have.
Watching her constantly changing expression, Super Ribbon asked in a gentle voice, “Even after seeing all that... is blood still what matters most?”
She didn’t know what to say. Eventually, Evangeline cried even harder.
“You know what to do now, right? Go to Mom. Hug her and say you’re sorry. Say you love her. You don’t need to explain everything; just that much is enough.”
“
Waaah!!
Sis!!”
“There, there. That’s my good girl. I’m sorry for hitting you.”
“
Huhuhu.
I’m sorry, Sis! I’m really sorry!!”
It was the kind of crying that could only come from a child who didn’t know how else to show remorse.
Super Ribbon gently pulled her into a hug as she sobbed uncontrollably. “
Pheww.
”
She nodded, stroking Evangeline’s hair as she comforted her. She couldn’t help but think that the book she bought from Earth had really come in handy, after all. She had always been unusually fond of studying.
Evangeline was in the period where she grew mentally yet was still unstable. While she might come to her senses for that moment, she’d probably revert back again after a few days. Such was the fickle nature of a living being’s heart.
In the past, maintaining her form had required an immense amount of power. Yet ever since Davey gained divinity and connected with her, she’d been able to remain in her form for much longer at a time.
“
Hic. Hic.
I wanna go... I wanna go to Mom!”
Super Ribbon, who looked at the now resolute Evangeline with proud eyes, nodded and gently brushed her hair back. “Let’s go together. I’ll be right by your side.”
“B-But I still hate the smell of alcohol on Dad!”
Of course, one couldn’t expect everything to be perfect from the get-go. For the moment, it was enough.
‘Hmm. This should be the right thing to do, right? The book said it’d work like this.’
From Super Ribbon’s perspective, she was simply following what she’d read in that book from Earth to help understand and comfort Evangeline.
‘I’d really like to attend school on Earth someday.’
With that thought, Super Ribbon continued to comfort Evangeline and eventually helped her back up to her feet.
* * *
“Do you know the current state of the Great Empire of Ming?”
“Not at all. I have no idea. What happened?”
“You were rather close with Emperor Contas, weren’t you?”
Back when the Empress Dowager’s faction held the regency, the Great Empire of Ming had pursued a hostile diplomatic stance toward neighboring nations.
However, that changed once the Daughter of Heaven officially inherited her rightful title and governing authority. Perhaps due to the purity of a child, or because it was just her nature, she had abruptly shifted the country’s entire administrative direction.
She’d said that it would be better if everyone could live well together, and that she wanted to create a world like that of the Saint of the eastern continent who saved countless lives. She had given the speech while trembling with fear in front of the leaders of the Hyeon Empire, the Contas Empire, and several other major powers. It had taken every ounce of courage she had to say so.
Davey had learned of the story in a letter.
After she shared her vision, the cold expression had been wiped from the face of Emperor Contas as he burst out laughing on the spot. Even the other nations had halted their conflicts for a time, moved by her shockingly pure and sincere heart.
“Let’s get back to the topic. The reason you came into the pub, pretending to be an adult and making a fool of yourself just to get some wine is...?”
“
Ah,
yes. I was trying to locate an information broker.”
‘An information broker, eh?’
Most information guilds required a special procedure to establish contact, as was the norm.
“
Hahhh.
Daughter of Heaven, how long have you been here?”
“A-Around three days spent in the forest. Then I found this territory, and it’s been about a day since I entered.”
Davey massaged his forehead. “And where is it you’ve been sleeping?”
“T-That is...”
She may have been scared, but humans couldn’t survive without sleep. Thankfully, her small frame had allowed her to find shelter under tree roots or inside small caves. Barely having any food, she had apparently been surviving on predominantly water.
“After I arrived, I learned this was the Heins Territory, but I feared that those pursuing me might still be tracking me, so I tried to approach you quietly.”
She had little more than a vague instinct for the direction of help when she came, hoping Davey would protect her, and had planned to return to the Great Empire of Ming afterward.
The problem was that she had no real knowledge about how information guilds worked. She didn’t understand the proper meeting protocols or negotiation methods. None of it at all. Instead, she’d grabbed random people in back alleys and requested info from them. They, of course, took advantage of her request, pocketing the fee and feeding her bogus information.
She had eventually wandered into the pub, still completely taken in by the lies, and made a ridiculous attempt to buy wine while pretending to be an adult. After that, when asked if she had money, she’d checked her belongings, only to find that all of her money was gone.
It was obvious to Davey that the people who pretended to help her had pickpocketed her while feeding her false leads.
Alas, no matter how good the security in a territory may be, perfect safety was impossible to achieve. Davey understood all too well that the gap between rich and poor often led to the formation of slums and back alleys. He had therefore implemented special policies to drag all those people out into the open, seeking to drastically minimize the presence of gang activity.
The only silver lining to her experience was that it only ended with pickpocketing. The Daughter of Heaven had a delicate, pretty face—too pure and too clean, clearly that of someone who had never experienced hardship. She was an obvious target. If those thugs had been even slightly more malicious, she might’ve never made it to Davey at all.
“
Hahhh.
This is seriously messed up.”
Of course, Davey had known there were still a few gangs lurking in the shadows. After wiping out a human trafficking ring and a drug cartel, most of the bigger players had fled, giving Heins Territory the reputation of a place where criminals ended up dead before they could even begin doing business.
However, wiping out every last petty thug was near impossible.
“How much did you spend on their fee?”
She sheepishly answered, “
Uhhh.
O-One platinum coin.”
‘A few dozen gold coins worth?’
Crack!!
Davey gripped the table so hard it shattered beneath his hands, making her eyes widen in shock.
“P-Please don’t be angry! I-It was my mistake!”
Clutching her face with both hands and trembling, it was clear the overwhelming emotion of the moment was stressing her out to near the breaking point.
“Do you remember what those guys looked like?”
She quickly nodded. “Of course! How could I forget them? One of them was rough and muscular with snow-white skin! The top of his head was shaved like a rooster’s comb, and the sides were smooth and bald!”
Davey probed, “And the other?”
“The other one was wearing a black hood, but judging from the fangs I saw, I think he might’ve been a beastfolk or an orc.”
Both were fairly common races in Heins Territory.
“I see. Don’t worry, Daughter of Heaven. I’ll make sure you’re safely returned to the Great Kingdom of Ming.”
Politics aside, seeing a child who had to suffer like that for nearly four days reminded Davey of Evangeline. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He continued, “But not right now.”
“Why not?”
“Just a gut feeling.”
At his response, she frowned. “W-Wasn’t there talk of war breaking out? I must return as soon as—
Ah,
forgive me. You have no real reason to go this far for me...”
“It’s really not a problem to help. It’s just... I have a bad feeling about all this.”
Everyone on the continent who had suffered individuality changes had already been restored.
.
!
Chapter 1121.1
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