The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

The annihilation of Adamantium.

The resurrection of the ancient Vant race using mermaid scales.

Countless other incidents.

All happened within a single day.

Japan was left with the greatest fallout among those impacted. Though the power of stigmata Rinne had manifested was high-level holy magic, it wasn’t enough to bring back those who had died instantly.

Japan mobilized resources quickly in the aftermath, expressing deep sorrow for the dead and vehement anger toward Adamantium, the terrorist organization responsible for the catastrophe.

In contrast to Korea, which suffered minimal damage and deliberately suppressed the severity in press coverage, Japan publicly inflated their death toll.

The reason for this was simple: the higher the casualties, the more justification Japan had to intervene in matters concerning Adamantium.

Currently, Adamantium was the remains of a global enemy, but it was also a treasure trove of research data for anyone who could seize it.

Rinne, sitting on the couch with a blank face, was chewing on something as she looked at Davey.

“Rinne evaluates this new sensory data highly! Rinne declares this equivalent to the discovery of a new continent!”

Looking at her chew away, he could tell she was as relaxed as could be.

“A new continent, my foot. Is there anything else they said that I should know about?”

“Rinne reports that she has received a significant amount of sensory data and evaluates this highly!”

He figured the officials hadn’t said anything in particular when they tried to contact him through her.

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

Grabbing her arm, Davey manifested a magic circle.

The reason he had come to Japan in the first place was to prevent the catastrophic disaster caused by taboos, just as Kouna had foretold. There was no need for him to officially involve himself in the country’s matters beyond that.

The perpetrators who violated taboos had all been judged.

As soon as Rinne suppressed the resurrected Vant, Nelatrid had rained down on it with the heavy fist of heavenly judgment.

A god usually only intervened in cases of severe violations of taboos. Even Goddess Freyja often entrusted Davey with sending souls that broke taboos for judgment.

In other words, messengers usually took care of it instead of the gods themselves. However, Neltarid chose to act directly in this instance, sacrificing a portion of their power to unleash large-scale miracles. They had done so like they were releasing long-restrained fury.

All data related to the taboo was erased, and most of those who participated in the violation had perished under Neltarid’s divine punishment.

The countries were chomping at the bit eyeing Adamantium for its data, but unfortunately for them, that information no longer existed. It was lost to the ether.

In regards to the terrorist attack chaos, he consulted with Neltarid through Kain. During their meeting, he realized they had simply been waiting for the Vant incident to unfold.

He later found out that Neltarid needed the lifeless body of the resurrected Vant that consumed mermaid scales and blood—not exactly in line with a god of harmony’s image, but Davey supposed that was none of his business.

Mermaid So-Ya’s testimony confirmed their usefulness.

[The resurrection of the dead? Honestly, it’s nonsense. Can you really call back a soul that’s already reincarnated? My blood and scales don’t hold that kind of power. They can amplify the vitality of the living, making them nearly immortal, but reviving the dead isn’t within my scope of abilities. It’d just be bringing a lifeless body back—an empty shell without a soul.]

Neltarid planned to breathe a new soul into the resurrected Vant body in order to create more divine messengers.

Davey didn’t really care either way—Neltarid did need someone to act on their behalf, after all.

So-Ya left for somewhere in the Pacific, accompanied by Behemoth.

Though Davey had formed a contract with Behemoth, he saw no reason to keep it nearby. He figured he’d have to take So-Ya along as well in that case, which felt unnecessary.

Afterward, he passed all the tiresome political issues on to Kouna and Seo-Yoon to deal with. They groaned about it, but he simply ignored them and returned to Tionis.

“The surgery was a success. Here’s Baron Gorneo’s report.”

“Dada! Dada!”

“Darian, Daddy’s working right now. Just a moment, okay?”

“Waaaah! Bwaaaah!”

“Good grief…”

He skimmed through the documents Amy handed him while lightly patting Darian, who was in his lap eagerly trying to grab the papers.

He was his precious son, having grown old enough to throw the occasional tantrum. As his ears perked up, Davey ruffled his hair and spoke.

“Well done. Proceed as planned. Start with those in the territory who’ve lost their sight due to unfortunate accidents.”

There weren’t many, but he knew prioritizing them was the right thing to do.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Um, what about the cost?”

“The cost?”

“We’re not running a charity. But if we charge too much, some might not be able to afford the surgery.”

“Charge a high fee. Using black slime cores requires significant resources on our end too.”

“In that case...”

“Instead, allocate a quota for commoners. Allow a set number of surgeries for them each month.”

“How many should we aim for?”

“What’s the limit?”

“To avoid overworking the staff, fifty patients per month would be the max.”

“Then go with that for now.”

Amy nodded and left the room. He returned to cradling Darian and made a peaceful face.

“There’s no place like home.”

Heins Territory started out as a modest territory with a few hundred residents—it had grown into a bustling territory rivaling much larger ones.

Of course, with growth came areas that escaped his notice.

Click!

The door to his office creaked open, and someone peeked inside with an anxious expression.

“Myuu?”

“Uncle...”

Myuu ran straight for him, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Waaaah!!!”

She burst into sobs as she threw herself into his arms.

“Myuu? What’s wrong?”

“Waaah! Waaahhh!!!”

Seeing Myuu sobbing so sorrowfully, even Darian, who had been trying to hold back, finally broke into tears as well.

Juggling taking care of both crying children, Davey floundered trying to calm them—even a qualified father like him faced challenges when parenting.

“Davey, hand Darian over to me.”

Hearing the commotion, Perserque appeared and gently took Darian into her arms to soothe him. Illyna brought Evangeline, Blue Ribbon, and Red Ribbon as well. She looked around the office with a puzzled look.

Myuu and Darian were sobbing uncontrollably. While Davey panicked, unsure of how to console them, Perserque was holding and comforting Darian with a calm demeanor.

"Davey, did you do something?” Illyna asked.

"No, I’m just… taken aback as well.”

"Hmm..."

Illyna quietly approached Myuu, gently stroking her head. As she soothed her, she gradually began to calm down, although her hiccups indicated she was still struggling to hold back the remnants of her tears.

"Myuu, tell me, what's wrong? Did someone at the academy bully you?" Illyna asked softly.

"N-No... It's not that..." she sniffled, teardrops rolling down her cheeks.

"T-Tadia... Tadia..."

"Tadia?" Davey frowned slightly at the name, which sounded familiar.

She was a cadet at the academy whom Baron Gorneau had mentioned with interest. In fact, Davey had even encountered her briefly in the territory’s streets not long ago.

"Do you know Tadia?"

"She’s… She’s a friend who usually plays with me... but she…”

"What about Tadia?" Davey pressed gently.

"T-Tadia put... a rope around her neck and looked like she was in so much pain..."

The atmosphere in the room froze.

"What are you talking about?" Davey asked in a concerned voice.

"Sob… Waaahhh!!"

As Myuu burst into tears again, Darian and Evangeline—having only just been soothed calm—went right back to crying. Although cries weren’t contagious, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon looked distraught as they tried to comfort the wailing children.

"Don't cry..." Red Ribbon murmured, her voice trembling.

"If you keep crying, Blue Ribbon will be sad too…”

The room was now full of sobbing. Davey soon rose to his feet.

"I’ll figure out what’s going on."

Perserque nodded silently.

Davey wasted no time seeking out Amy and asked right away. "Has there been an incident at the Heins Academy recently?"

"Ah... Your Highness..." Amy hesitated before lowering her head apologetically.

"There was, wasn’t there?"

“I apologize, Your Highness. I should’ve reported it sooner, but things have been so hectic lately..."

"What happened?"

"The report just came in from Heins Academy—a cadet named Tadia attempted suicide in the school’s research lab."

He narrowed his eyes at her report.

"And how’s she doing?”

"Thankfully, the Earth Spirit that’s been protecting Myuu was able to save her in time, but…”

She trailed off before she explained that Tadia was still unconscious.

Davey recalled her academic record, as he was someone who reviewed all the student profiles at Heins Academy. He knew Tadia was a promising student with a bright future—hardly the profile of someone who would attempt suicide.

He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened at the academy for things to reach such an extreme.

"I’ll go to the academy and check on it myself," Davey responded.

"Y-Your Highness? Wouldn’t it be better to leave this to the investigators—"

"No. It seems I’ve been neglecting the academy too much lately."

“Understood. I’ll go make the preparations."

"No need. I’m going to visit incognito, so don’t let word spread."

Without waiting for a reply, Davey headed straight to Heins Academy.

He soon arrived at the medical ward, finding a girl lying in a bed in one of the wings. The physicians were startled by his sudden appearance, though they refrained from making a fuss after seeing the serious expression on his face.

"What happened here?" Davey demanded.

"A few hours ago, Tadia attempted to hang herself in the research lab. While she survived, she still hasn’t regained consciousness," one of the physicians reported.

Davey placed his hand on her neck and closed his eyes. Her pulse was faint—a clear sign of extreme frailty.

There were no signs of external influence or magic, which confirmed that Tadia had attempted to hang herself of her own will.

He couldn’t understand why she would do such a thing. Despite being a war orphan, she was also a top student with a profound talent and interest in medicine—she didn’t seem like someone who would take her own life.

He couldn’t figure it out.

"Your Highness… we will do everything we can to save her. You don’t need to—"

"What do the investigators think?"

"They... haven’t found anything unusual..."

No one would take their own life without a reason. After casting a healing spell on her neck, Davey stepped out of the room.

"Aina," Davey called out.

"Darn, I thought I hid well this time," Aina muttered, appearing from the shadows.

"Hide as hard as you want—I’ll still be able to find you.”

Aina pouted, her pride clearly stung by his remark. "I’m one of the best assassins in the world, you know."

"By ordinary standards, maybe."

"Hmph. Next time, I’ll make sure you can’t find me."

Ignoring her grumbling, Davey issued a command.

"You’ve heard about the situation, right? Find out what’s really going on."

"Understood.”

He knew she might not find something immediately, but he trusted she’d return with some information eventually.

About six hours later, she indeed reappeared, bringing news that was as surprising as it was troubling.

"It was definitely a suicide attempt. Apparently, there were even warning signs beforehand," she reported.

"Not even a fool would take their own life without a reason. Especially not her.”

"You seem to know her well.”

"I never forget someone I’ve seen once.”

Aina nodded quietly before continuing. "I don’t know all the details, but I heard Tadia had a serious argument with a newly appointed professor not long ago."

"An argument?"

"It seems to be related to her grades," she added.

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts

Editorb’s Thoughts

Damn, Tadia mad relatable if her professor was being a jerk about grades. Living in America, the idea of a professor having a grudge against me and purposely tanking my grade—thereby ruining my scholarships and financial aid—is literally my worst nightmare lol. Though I probably would’ve taken it out on the professor instead of myself 😂 Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Though all jokes aside, if you’re feeling like Tadia apparently felt then you should feel free to call/text any hotline to help you get through it <3 Though all jokes aside, if you’re feeling like Tadia apparently felt then you should feel free to call/text any hotline to help you get through it <3 I know we come from all different areas on the plant, so I’d recommend going to /i/iasp to find the resources best suited to you and your situation ~