The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1011

Woochi shot up from his seat, his face pale as he anxiously gnawed at his fingernails.

“No... No. It’s still okay.”

Muttering to himself, he then turned to Davey with a serious expression.

"Davey! You said Jangsan Tiger is dead, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"Good. That’s all that matters. The only ones I couldn’t take care of were Jangsan Tiger and Shiverwock. Since you’ve taken in Shiverwock and Jangsan Tiger has been dealt with—"

He trembled.

"Don’t dig any deeper."

"Why not?"

"You dumbass! If I tell you not to, just listen for once!"

Poof!!

A cloud of smoke exploded around him, and in an instant, he’d transformed into a bird and vanished.

His sudden retreat made it clear—he had no intention of saying anything more.

Davey could tell it wasn’t something he needed to meddle in, but seeing Woochi react the way he did...

"Ugh. Now I really want to look into it.”

One thing was certain—Woochi knew who the owner of the hairpin was.

And he was terrified of her.

"Don’t do anything reckless, Davey," Ares muttered. "That bastard must have his reasons for acting that way."

"I’ll keep that in mind," Davey replied casually. "But where did Odin run off to?"

"Didn’t you have something else to deal with?"

"Already took care of it. The hairpin, remember?"

Ares simply let out a loud yawn before promptly dozing off.

The hall fell silent. Davey leisurely walked for a bit before reopening a rift in space.

He figured there was no way he could find Odin—she was probably hiding like her life depended on it.

* * *

Thud, thud, thud!!

Dokkaebi King Shiverwock tore across the plains at full speed, eyes full of fear.

It had once been the Dokkaebi King, a being who struck fear into humans.

However, it was nothing here.

The humans were startled by it, sure, but they didn’t truly fear it.

That, however, wasn’t the worst part. What was truly driving it insane was the monstrous rabbit sprinting after it at full speed.

It had barely escaped the rabbit by putting its life on the line. But the rabbit had somehow tracked it down, anyway.

It knew getting caught didn’t mean death or regret. It was a completely different matter.

Shiverwock could tell that the insane rabbit was even enjoying the whole situation.

[If you get caught, three thousand squats. Eight sets.]

The rabbit even kept repeating the same sentence over and over again.

For the first time in its long existence, Shiverwock felt true fear.

It wondered what terrible sin it had committed in the past to deserve this hell.

But the worst part was that that muscle-brained rabbit was its so-called castle-mate.

It was also staying at the same castle it had to stay at.

In other words, it was going to be stuck with that damned rabbit forever.

- Might as well have a good time if you can’t avoid Killer Rabbit!!

That was what Davey had casually said.

Maybe embracing it was technically an option, but it was just too much for Shiverwock.

‘Damn it! I can’t let myself get caught! I have to escape—!’

With sheer desperation, Shiverwock sprinted like its life depended on it.

But what it didn’t realize was that despite thinking it was running in a straight line out of town, it was still in Heins Territory and wouldn't be leaving.

Nor did it realize that the ground it was trampling over was part of an undeveloped region currently under cultivation.

And with each step, its movements were infusing the land with more energy, enriching the soil.

* * *

"No, it's this one!"

"No, it's not! It looks different!"

Ever since Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon had grown a bit, the two began to argue from time to time.

They had spread out a giant puzzle, large enough to fill an entire room, and had been working together to assemble it from the pieces. But, of course, another disagreement had broken out between them.

As the two bickered, Darian, who had been sitting nearby watching them, suddenly let out a cheerful cry and tried to put a puzzle piece in his mouth.

Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon panicked and rushed to stop him.

"Ah, no! Darian!"

"You can’t eat that! It’s not good for you!”

Darian blinked his big round eyes at them, then suddenly beamed and snuggled into Red Ribbon’s arms. He grabbed her small hand and pressed it against his cheek, giggling in delight.

Seeing this, Blue Ribbon sniffled, and she reached out as well. After a brief moment of hesitation, Darian let go of one of Red Ribbon’s hands and grabbed Blue Ribbon’s, pressing it against his other cheek with a bright laugh.

"Darian, let’s do the puzzle together!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon adored their little brother, and they eagerly invited him to join them.

Unfortunately, Darian had no idea what they meant and was more interested in playing with their hands.

"Darian, don’t bother your sisters too much," Evangeline said as she watched the scene with a smile. She had been sketching the three of them, but then scooped Darian up into her arms.

Red Ribbon quickly placed her hands on her hips.

"He’s not bothering us!"

"Yeah, yeah! Eva, help us too! The puzzle is too big!"

The puzzle wasn’t some ordinary toy from Tionis.

Davey had personally gone to a puzzle manufacturer on Earth and had it custom-made.

Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon had taken an interest in it, and for the past week, they had been coming here whenever they had free time to work on it.

"Oooh... This piece looks like your hair!”

Blue Ribbon pointed at a section of the puzzle that had been completed.

Red Ribbon twirled a strand of her bright red hair and giggled.

"This part looks like Blue Ribbon!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Watching them clap their hands in joy, Evangeline couldn't help but smile warmly.

Even though she had been increasing the intensity of her training lately in her pursuit of becoming a hero, she still made time to visit the puzzle room regularly to sketch her sisters and Darian playing together. It had become a favorite hobby of hers.

"Oh, right! Daddy told me something! There’s something called Christmas on Earth!"

"Christmas?"

"What’s that?"

The two girls paused and turned to Evangeline, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Christmas! Wait, I have something related to it."

Excited, she rushed over to a nearby box where she kept her toys. After rummaging for a moment, she pulled out a small children’s book.

Then, she opened it and began reading.

"When winter gets cold and the new year is near, a grandpa in a red suit comes down the chimney!"

Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon’s eyes sparkled.

"A chimney?!"

"A grandpa? In winter?"

They looked at each other, tilting their heads in confusion.

"But Grandpa is in the royal palace..."

"He said he can’t come here!"

Pitying their innocence, Evangeline quickly shook her head.

"No, no! Not that grandpa! This one wears red clothes and carries a huge sack on his back!"

The twins exchanged puzzled glances.

"Why would a grandpa come here?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Because he gives presents to good kids!"

The mention of presents made them widen their eyes.

"P-Presents?!"

"Really?!"

A moment before, they had been confused, but now, they were hooked.

"Yep! Santa Claus watches over all the kids in the world! Then, when the time comes, he rides a big sleigh pulled by reindeers and flies across the sky! And he gives presents to kids!"

No longer questioning why such a peculiar grandpa existed, the two immediately began thinking about what presents they wanted.

"R-Red Ribbon wants chicken skewers..."

"Blue Ribbon thinks roast duck is tasty!"

Their wishes were so simple that it almost felt absurd.

If someone overheard, they might think Davey was starving them or something.

"E-Eva! When is he coming?!"

"Is he coming here too?!"

Their eyes sparkled with excitement as they eagerly shouted.

"Red Ribbon is going to ask for chicken skewers!"

"B-Blue Ribbon wants roast duck!"

After hearing them boldly declare their wishes, Evangeline chuckled as she flipped through the children’s book.

"But Santa only gives presents to good children!"

Both girls froze, their eyes wide.

"And he only gives presents to kids who don’t cry!"

Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon slowly turned to look at each other.

Then they hesitantly asked, "E-Eva, does that mean fighting makes us bad kids?"

"Ummmm. Probably?"

"Hic..."

Red Ribbon’s eyes began to well up with tears, but before she could start crying, Blue Ribbon panicked and put a hand over her mouth.

"D-Don’t cry! If you cry, Santa won’t come!"

"Sniff! Y-Yeah! No crying!"

After exchanging a few hushed whispers, the two suddenly lit up.

"What if we start being good from now on? Then maybe he’ll still come?”

"Hmm... Maybe? I think so?"

Evangeline herself wasn’t entirely sure, but she answered hopefully.

After all...

‘I... I also have something I want.’

Her physical body had grown quickly, and her mind was far more developed, than an average human child. However, she was still a child at heart.

‘T-There’s something I want to...’

But before she could dwell on it any longer—

"Hah! This isn’t the time to be sitting around!”

Red Ribbon suddenly sprang to her feet.

She hurried over to a corner of the playroom, grabbed a neatly folded piece of fabric, tied it around her waist, and then hoisted Darian onto her back.

Given her tiny frame, the sight of her carrying Darian made it look like a child carrying another child.

It was a rather odd sight, but she moved with determined ease.

"Let’s go! We have to do good deeds! That’s the only way he’ll come!”

"But... how do we do that?" Blue Ribbon asked.

Red Ribbon stroked her chin in deep thought.

"Umm. Hmmm."

"What if we give Daddy a kiss? Won’t that make us good kids?"

"No way—we already do that every day! That can’t be enough to make us good kids!"

"Hm."

The two made sad faces, and a moment of silence followed. Evangeline, watching them, unknowingly began sketching their expressions onto her canvas.

Just then, Blue Ribbon’s eyes widened with realization.

"I-I have a great idea!"

* * *

Woochi was a truly qualified absolute hero at running away.

After failing to get a proper answer out of him, Davey had returned to Earth—only to see Amy sprinting toward him with a scared face.

Davey had been helping her get her life back on track in all kinds of ways, so he knew there’d be no way she’d be walking around in her work outfit at the moment.

But she clearly was, and when she came in front of him, she placed her hands on her knees, gasping for breath.

"I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Your Highness..."

"What’s wrong? What happened?"

Seeing her on the verge of tears, he assumed something serious had happened.

Davey stiffened slightly and asked her to explain.

After hesitating for a good minute, she finally blurted out, "I-I was only supposed to buy a few, but...!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and soon enough, they started falling.

"I... I bought too many jewels."

"You bought too many?"

Taking the invoice from her trembling hands, Davey skimmed through the list with a serious expression.

"The dwarves in the territory were supposed to handle the crafting."

Dwarves were far superior to most artisans when it came to jewel craftsmanship. He knew their work would increase both the beauty and value of the pieces. That was why he had told Amy to pick out some jewels she liked.

"I-I thought three would be enough, but before I knew it, I had bought six."

The jewels she listed weren’t cheap, by any means—he could tell that the list’s contents were the work of Aeria and Perserque. He knew there was no way Amy, who was normally so frugal, would’ve picked strictly the most expensive ones.

That meant those two had convinced—no, manipulated—her to remove all the cheaper options from the list entirely.

"Yeah... Six, huh? That’s a problem."

"I’m sorry, Your Highness! I’ll return them right away—!"

"It’s not enough.”

Amy froze, her mouth gaping in shock.

"Right?" Davey said while rubbing his chin, watching Perserque walk in

"Even with Aeria and I pushing her, she still held out for a long time. She really struggled against us.”

She had probably endured relentless attempts at persuasion and negotiations and finalized on six.

Sighing, Davey tucked the invoice into his pocket.

"Tell the jeweler we’ll pay in full. And have them bring over their entire list of top-grade pieces. I told them to prepare at least twenty, and you only got six?"

"Y-Your Highness?!"

Ignoring her shocked face, Davey patted her shoulder and walked past her.

"Illyna’s going to take care of you, so you don’t have to worry about that."

Just as he was about to walk away, Perserque quietly sent him a message through her mind.

‘It seems like Amy has had someone on her mind for a while now.’

Davey smirked in satisfaction.

"Good. I’ll have to meet him sometime."

"Your Highness! Three! Even three is too much! Why would I need jewels?!"

"Twenty. No objections."

He figured Amy must’ve barely fended off Aeria and Perserque’s efforts.

But against him?

She stood no chance.

"Y-Your Highness—"

"Thirty."

"Hrmph?!”

Her eyes widened in sheer horror as she staggered. He could tell she was already considering the cost and how it would impact the territory’s budget.

She was definitely a workaholic.

"T-That’s too much! No noble would ever buy that many top-grade—!"

"Forty."

"Your Highneeeeesss!!!"

But it was obvious who was going to win the battle of stubbornness.

In the end, Amy gave in, unable to stand by and watch the number increase any further.

Sure, forty jewels were excessive—borderline wasteful—but Davey didn’t care in the slightest.

"Hmm. I suppose I could learn a thing or two from your recklessness every now and then."

Perserque, who had been watching the negotiation with amusement, chuckled.

"If Illyna’s taking over, then there’s nothing to worry about."

"Oh, right. Aeria was looking for Darian."

"Darian? I think Red Ribbon had him."

"Apparently, they all disappeared from the playroom, so she’s been searching everywhere."

Davey shrugged and turned to look out the window.

Beyond the bustling crowd of people carrying out their daily tasks, he spotted a tiny girl with bright red hair waddling along, carrying Darian on her back.

"There she is. But what’s she doing?”

He watched Red Ribbon exchange quick hand signals with Blue Ribbon before darting off toward a group of maids and ladies-in-waiting struggling with heavy loads.

She said something to them, then immediately began lifting one of their large baskets herself.

They screamed in panic and rushed after the girls as they took off running.

"She’s causing trouble again."

As he watched Red Ribbon running with a basket on her head and Darian giggling while still perched on her back, he opened the window.

"Red Ribbon, where are you going in such a hurry?"

Hearing his voice, Red Ribbon came to a stop and looked up.

Then, she grinned sheepishly.

"Hehe... It’s a secwet!"

"A secret, huh?"

"Yes! It’s a secwet that Red Ribbon is doing a good... Oops!!”

She quickly lamped her hands over her mouth.

Unfortunately, that meant she let go of the very large basket she had been carrying. The items in the basket scattered across the ground.

"Waaah! I dropped it! I’m a bad kid now!"

Seeing Red Ribbon burst into dramatic wails, Davey and Perserque exchanged confused looks.

* * *

Hyun-Ah was busy preparing to distribute information about the two rifts that had recently appeared in the United States to other nations.

Her older brother, Davey, had taken care of the problem, wiping out the rifts entirely. Thanks to him, the American public stabilized once again, but there was no guarantee that such anomalies wouldn’t appear again.

"Haaa. I just want to sleep."

The unexpected scale of the incident had been exhausting, both mentally and physically. She was ready to take a rest.

"This is Hyun-Ah. Can I get a cup of coffee, please?" she said in a tired voice.

- Of course.

About five minutes after making her request over the hotline, someone knocked on the door of her office at the U.S. branch.

"Come in."

She set down the documents she had been reviewing and got up from her seat.

Once the door opened, a strange fragrance filled the air.

At the same time, a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Her mind grew hazy, but she noticed that a woman was standing before her.

"Huh? I could have sworn I was tracking Woochi’s qi. Who the hell is this?”