The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1129.1
Chapter 1129.1
Sling!! Thud!!
In practically an instant, the royal guards of the Great Empire of Ming had closed in and pointed their spears at Davey’s throat. They made it clear that they’d strike at the slightest movement.
Davey wasn’t sure if it was because he’d drawn a weapon so close to the Daughter of Heaven, or simply that they were Jang-Goong’s underlings.
The shock of being betrayed by the person one trusted most wasn’t something one could just shake off. His sudden action had clearly overstepped the bounds of what was acceptable in such a place.
“W-What is the meaning of this?! You would dare suspect Jang-Goong, who risked his life to protect the Daughter of Heaven?!”
Cries erupted from the gathered envoys, their stares filled with hostility. Some clicked their tongues indignantly while others held their breath, watching intently. Still, the one who seemed most stunned was the Daughter of Heaven herself.
She stared at Davey in a daze, seemingly forgetting all her previous talk about standing tall and showing strength.
Davey figured she was confused with what was happening.
“Daughter of Heaven, I’ll keep this simple so it’s easier to understand.” Davey pressed his sword closer to Jang-Goong as he spoke, “The poison that was in your body is a lethal toxin that’s nearly impossible to neutralize.”
Those unaware of the poison began murmuring in surprise. Amidst the commotion, he caught a glimpse of the Grand Emperor frowning. He knew it wasn’t from disapproval, but something else.
That reaction made him grin even more.
“Y-You did mention that! You said I was poisoned, Davey?”
“Yes. That’s when I first began to find your circumstances strange. If someone truly meant to kill you, wouldn’t they have used something more fast-acting? Why use a poison with a delayed effectiveness of several days?”
It didn’t make any sense to him why anyone would use delayed poison if the goal was to kill someone quickly. After all, a fast-acting poison would’ve been much more effective.
“In short, the ones who tried to kill you didn’t use the optimal type of poison. I first considered the possibility of it being on the blade, but that wasn’t it.”
In other words, they had fed her the poison.
“Why would anyone take such an approach to the poison?”
“If you think about it, there’s only one answer. Clearly, you were being used.”
Someone had been early to notice the abnormal behavior of the guards who’d suddenly tried to kill the Daughter of Heaven. That someone had then taken advantage and enticed the following events to happen.
“The poison in your body is extremely difficult to detect, and killing you on the spot would have ruined everything. They instead poisoned you first, stayed silent until the chaos unfolded, then ‘rescued’ you at the critical moment to ensure your escape.”
The one who saved her from the guards didn’t just take her to any mana gate, instead choosing an incomplete gate that wasn’t linked to any particular destination. It wasn’t just some common imitation like those widely used across the continent, either. It was one of the few ancient mana gates that had survived until the modern day.
Of course, in order to make it seem like she had truly escaped from the Great Empire of Ming, the entire palace had to appear as if it had been taken over.
Davey figured that was probably the Grand Emperor’s doing. Still, such coordination meant there had to have been one more player watching and manipulating everything behind the scenes.
Davey began, “The only person who could have done that is...”
“The one who commands the guards, and is always near them,” the Daughter of Heaven finished.
Jang-Goong’s expression darkened.
“It must have been the same one who accompanied you to the mana gate and clumsily entered in the coordinates for Heins Territory.”
It was dangerous to use a mana gate without any preparation, but the Daughter of Heaven had arrived at Heins Territory without issue.
“Jumping from the Great Empire of Ming to Heins Territory isn’t something someone can accomplish after only charging the mana gate for a day or two. A single jump of such a distance using a high-traffic mana gate already requires a whole year’s worth of mana, just to send one or two people.
“Even if the destination isn’t fixed, there are ways—although dangerous—to transport someone without establishing a corresponding gate on the other side.”
Even if she’d died from the side effects of the gate’s passage, that still would’ve achieved the desired effect. Even if she lived, being left in Heins Territory without support would have led to her eventual death.
That was the scenario he had likely wished for.
“What matters is that this someone had to manually adjust everything before the gate was activated. The only one who could’ve done that was the person right next to you at the time.”
That was why Davey fingered Jang-Goong as the traitor.
“This is utter nonsense! That’s nothing more than a baseless theory! Daughter of Heaven, you must not believe this man!” Jang-Goong shouted, his voice filled with desperation.
“Y-You’re right. I said I would trust you, Davey, but if you have no evidence...”
Still, it was undeniable that the circumstances and logic all lined up. It couldn’t have been anyone else but Jang-Goong, since he was the only one next to her at the time. The Grand Emperor was certainly a traitor, but he hadn’t been near the Daughter of Heaven like Jang-Goong had.
“Okay, then let’s take a look at the mana gate. If you can’t believe my assessment, we could even get help from the Mage Tower for the inspection.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“If the coordinates were set for somewhere nearby Heins Territory, and if the gate was prepared nearly a year in advance...”
As ancient mana gates were relics, most people in modern day only knew how to use a portion of their functions at most. Davey, however, understood their fundamental structure. He knew that everything would be revealed with an inspection.
However, Jang-Goong shook his head. “That’s impossible. The gate was destroyed by the rebel forces after the Daughter of Heaven passed through it.”
“That can be restored,” Davey countered.
“Nonsense, that—”
“Hey.” Davey cut him off and smiled smugly. “I’ll restore it right in front of you, just like I said was possible. You really didn’t think I could actually rebuild an ancient mana gate, did you?”
Jang-Goong desperately accused him, “You could be planning something!”
“There’s another way I could do it, too.”
Jang-Goong flinched.
Davey easily picked up on his hesitant behavior. “What’s wrong? Planning to run away?”
“You’re not even a citizen of this country. Why go this far?”
At that question, he answered honestly, “If I hadn’t found her, the Daughter of Heaven would’ve died in Heins Territory. You do understand the implications of such a thing, don’t you? What, you punch someone in the face and then get mad when they punch back?”
Hearing Davey claiming the impossible, Jang-Goong’s face darkened. “What will you do, Daughter of Heaven?”
She turned to Jang-Goong with a deeply conflicted expression. “Is it true? Jang-Goong... did you really betray me?”
“Daughter of Heaven...”
“Speak! I trusted you! When you supposedly risked your life to save me, I felt guilty for leaving you behind and fleeing on my own!”
Hearing her anguished outcry, Jang-Goong silently lowered his head. He said it best as he said nothing at all.
With a single tear rolling down her cheek, the Daughter of Heaven’s expression hardened. Tears falling, she glared at Jang-Goong with clenched teeth and spoke with difficulty, “Envoys, listen up.”
“Yes, Daughter of Heaven.”
“There were those among us who knew, some who didn’t, and some who looked the other way, watching which way the political winds blew.”
Surely, none had outright refused orders. Most of those types had already been purged.
“D-Daughter of Heaven...”
Though overwhelmed by sorrow, she did not crumble under the weight of her position. Her dignity remained. It was the same presence she’d shown during the negotiations with Emperor Contas.
“Twenty loyal officials visited my chambers on that fateful night. Their objective was to end my life.”
Gasps spread as she delivered the truth firsthand.
“Yet none responded when I called for aid. The reason is simple—a pawn of rebellion, embedded in the royal court, had seized control and made others turn a blind eye to the situation.”
Those officials had definitely been ordered to pretend not to hear a thing, remaining silent no matter what occurred in the royal court.
As she walked forward, her hands balled into tight fists. She slowly climbed the steps, her gaze fixed on the throne. “Someone tried to seize power by exploiting that day’s chaos.”
She turned and then sat down slowly on the throne.
Davey stepped back, sheathing his sword.
Seated on high, she looked down upon everyone with cold composure. “Grand Emperor, hear my decree.”
He was speechless.
“Did you believe that if I died, all of this trouble would resolve itself?”
The Grand Emperor trembled with clenched teeth. He had been assured that the Daughter of Heaven would die. Her survival messed up everything.
“Starting another rebellion here and now could be one way to go. They’re probably the hands and feet of the Grand Emperor,” she said, resting her chin in her hand arrogantly as she looked at the soldiers and generals guarding the royal court.
Her tears no longer fell. She knew better than anyone that it was no time to cry. “Unforntunately for you, I have a dear friend here who can protect me.”
“D-Daughter of Heaven...”
“Do you have any final words?”
At that question, the Grand Emperor lowered his head. He had gambled everything on her death. Suddenly discovering she was still alive, there were no other moves left for him to play. He had been so desperate that he had even destroyed the mana gate to prevent her return.
“P-Please... spare me.”
Knowing exactly what would happen if a singular overwhelming force like Davey turned hostile, he quickly began calculating the best move and begged for mercy.
Davey hadn’t intended to flaunt his influence by leveraging her own power. His presence alone was already enough to exert overwhelming pressure. The sharp-witted Daughter of Heaven had made full use of that.
“Royal guards, hear my decree! The Grand Emperor’s committed the grave crime of treason, and I hereby sentence him to death.”
Chapter 1129.1
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