The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

“I knew she had a mischievous streak, but seriously, this is…” Illyna said with an expression of disbelief. “To think a three-year-old would run away from home….”

Of course, this three-year-old wasn’t just any child. She was a supreme expert, and her power could surpass even a master with adequate experience. Yet, to Davey she was still his precious little daughter. And that beloved daughter had run away.

The issue lay in her peculiar nature.

She had been born with the blessing of mana, which made her exceptionally sensitive to mana itself. To protect her, Davey had enchanted her belongings with tracking magic, but she had discarded them all before making her escape. Even the purse filled with platinum coins was left behind.

To make matters worse, both Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon had been coaxed into joining her, and she had taken the Transcendence’s Demise that Perserque cherished every day.

“At least Aina is with her—that’s somewhat comforting,” Davey muttered, though he kept his true feelings hidden.

With Aina at her side, he knew her safety would be somewhat assured. However, that didn’t mean Davey could just sit around doing nothing.

“Your Highness, we’ve received word from Lady Aina. She reports that they’re heading toward the northern ancient ruins,” Royal Attendant Bernile reported.

“Ha… Unbelievable,” Davey groaned while frowning. “Where are the guards I assigned to protect Evangeline?”

“Tell them that I’ll find them later for some personal training.”

“I’ll… make sure to pray for their souls,” Bernile said, his smile bitter as he bowed his head lightly.

“Don’t let this get out. I’ll bring her back soon enough.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Leaving behind those who wanted to accompany him, Davey took only Rinne and swiftly departed from Heins Territory, heading in the direction Aina had reported.

* * *

“Hm-hm.”

Crossing the border of the Rowane Kingdom and heading north, Evangeline made her way to a guild—a place common across multiple nations.

The trouble had begun a month before, when she stumbled upon a book in the study that sparked in her an immense fascination with the idea of adventures.

Heins Territory was a place of joy and comfort for her, of course. It was where her beloved father and mother resided, and the people greeted her with warm smiles whenever they saw her.

Of course, there were always a few who ignorantly dared to provoke her, but they usually ended up thoroughly humiliated—or completely crushed—by none other than her father, Davey O’Rowane.

To Evangeline, the kind of hero or warrior she dreamed of becoming wasn’t someone from a fairytale—it was her father, Davey O’Rowane. Becoming an amazing hero like him someday was the source of her determination.

Pushing her burgeoning dreams from her mind for a moment, Evangeline adjusted the mask she was wearing and continued on her way—she remembered her mother advising her to always wear one when venturing out alone. When she was with her father, she couldn’t have cared less.

By this point, she knew her father had probably realized she was gone. There was even a high likelihood that he was already on his way to find her. She was in no doubt that if she got caught this time, she’d get the scolding of a lifetime, and she might never get the chance to enjoy another adventure like this.

With that thought, Evangeline closed her eyes, recalling the events of the previous night. She had left behind a note and packed all the items she had gradually prepared over the previous weeks. She had convinced Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon—who had both warned her that it was a terrible idea—and hurriedly stuffed her belongings into her Pocket Plane before making her escape with her allowance.

Having overcome countless obstacles to pull off her miraculous escape, she was determined not to get caught or risk revealing her location to her father.

“How may I help you?”

“I’d like to register as an adventurer and mercenary.”

“Huh… So there are still naive youngsters chasing dreams these days.”

“If you could please issue me a badge.”

Evangeline lowered her calm voice as much as she could to make the demand. The bald man looked her over for a moment before speaking softly.

“Young lady, judging by your flawless fair skin, you must have grown up quite comfortably somewhere nice. These days, both mercenaries and adventurers have rough lives.”

“So?”

“I’m just saying this because you remind me of my own daughter, but you should really just go back home.”

Despite his intimidating appearance, his words were surprisingly kind. He then nodded toward her.

“Next.”

“Wha—wait! Hold on a second!”

“Nope! I’ve seen enough youngsters like you charge in recklessly, only to end up dead. It’s not happening—not on my watch.”

The guild worker waved her off, shaking his head in refusal.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Evangeline didn’t hesitate to unsheathe the sword at her hip.

Sling!! Slash!!

The massive desk in front of the man split cleanly in half.

“W-What the hell?!”

Standing there with her mask still on, Evangeline pointed her sword straight at the man while surging with a crimson aura.

“The badge. Now!”

Her demand was bold and unwavering. The man, who had been staring at her in disbelief, muttered under his breath.

“An… Expert…”

“Quickly!”

“A-Alright! I didn’t realize you were an Expert!”

While Sword Masters existed, they were exceedingly rare. Even being an Expert was enough to earn respect among mercenaries.

“Young lady… Well, at least you look very young. Is that perhaps a magic sword?”

“No.”

To be precise, it was a demonic sword.

Evangeline tilted her head slightly, her voice calm yet firm. “Are you going to give me the badge or not?”

“Alright, alright. Whatever the case, it’s not like I can turn away someone who can wield blade energy. But first, you have to sign this. It states that in the event of your injury or death during a mission, the guild will not be held liable or responsible for any damages,” he explained while pushing a document toward her.

Evangeline rubbed her chin with her small, pale hand as she carefully scanned the paper’s clauses. Afterward, she took out a quill and decisively signed her name.

Evangeline.

While one wouldn’t call her name common, it certainly wasn’t uncommon enough to draw immediate suspicion. The man looked at the document with a complicated face, tucked the signed document into his pocket, and quietly spoke.

“So, what kind of mission are you looking for?”

“Escort or extermination requests—heading north.”

“Turns out we’ve got a few of those. Take a look, and if you’re not sure about anything, just ask.”

As the man turned his attention elsewhere, Evangeline looked over her options. For the purpose of evading capture at the hands of her father, a long-term transport mission seemed far better than a quick monster extermination.

“Just a word of warning—mercenaries aren’t exactly the gentlest company,” the man added.

“This one will do,” she said with a bright smile, humming softly as she handed over one of the request forms.

It was an escort mission for a group of people heading to the northern region of the eastern continent.

“You want this one…? Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“The pay’s decent, but that’s because it’s going to be a grueling march. Whatever—if you’re set on it, that’s your call. Now, to seal the deal—”

He pulled out a red stamp and slammed it onto the form she had signed.

“There, all set. You’re in luck; departure is in six hours. You’ll be cutting it close if you still have preparations to make.”

“That’s fine!”

Her face lit up with a genuinely cheerful smile.

* * *

Clop, clop!

The group heading to the northern region of the eastern continent was composed of merchant and scholar groups. Precisely speaking, the scholars were heading to investigate the ancient ruins in the north, while the merchants were there to provide their supplying services.

Perched at the back of a wagon, Evangeline hummed a tune, her face full of excitement. Her whistling continued until she belatedly noticed how tense the atmosphere around her was.

“Huh? Why does everyone look so gloomy?”

Evangeline was only three years old—no matter how much she had learned, she still had an inherent innocence.

“Hey, kid. Do you think this is some kind of vacation?”

“Damn it. Whose idea was it to bring a brat like this along?”

It was no wonder why the mercenaries were skeptical of her. While her bright demeanor could be seen as endearing in some contexts, in their current situation, it only made her seem like a clueless child tagging along for fun.

“Guess the guild receptionist’s standards are slipping. Who the hell let someone like her take on a mission like this?”

Some openly doubted her, while others were outright hostile toward her. Realizing that the world was much darker than she anticipated, Evangeline felt momentarily flustered, but she still quickly forced a smile.

“Listen, kid. Why don’t you go back while you still can? This area is crawling with monsters. I don’t know where you’ve been playing around, but don’t go slowing us dow—”

Bang!!

“Ahh… ow….”

A loud and sudden crash brought the wagons to an abrupt halt.

Evangeline bumped her nose against the broad back of the mercenary in front of her. Clutching her nose with teary eyes, she whimpered, “Oww… It hurts….”

“Ugh… You’ve got to be kidding me…” one of the mercenaries grumbled.

While the group collectively muttered under their breaths and glared at Evangeline, she just continued to sniffle. Based on how they’d been acting, it seemed like only a matter of time before they scolded her outright. However, for some reason, they just couldn’t bring themselves to truly admonish her.

“Monsters!”

The culprit behind the wagon’s sudden halt was revealed.

Clang!! Clang-clang!!

The mercenaries drew their weapons upon hearing the cry, and quickly leaped out of the wagons. After all the commotion, Evangeline was left behind sitting alone. She quickly scrambled to follow suit, hopping down from the wagon after them.

“Red Ribbon.”

[Hehe, don’t worry, Eva. Red Ribbon will protect you.]

As she felt her reassuring will, Evangeline touched her mask and let out a faint smile. She pulled out a leather cord from her pocket and used it to tie her long black hair into a single ponytail.

There were around twenty mercenaries collectively standing at the ready.

- Kehehehe!!

- Kik-kik!!

The attackers were none other than small green evil ghouls dressed in ragged cloth—goblins. They screeched loudly, swarming in with staggering numbers. In no time at all, they had the merchants and scholars surrounded.

"Heek!! G-Goblins!"

The young female scholars and merchants made terrified faces, trembling at the sight of the small but ferocious monsters.

“Damn it! There are over fifty of them! Where the hell did so many goblins come from?!”

Even the weakest monsters could be overwhelming in such numbers. But amidst the rising tension, Evangeline smiled under her mask—she was simply excited for her first adventure.

“Wow… Goblins!”

“Hey, little lady! Stay back! Don’t you dare get in the way!”

“Huh? Why?”

“You’re asking why? Are you out of your mind?! Goblins go absolutely wild when they see women! Get back—now!”

Just as the mercenary predicted, the goblins soon had their attention focused solely on Evangeline.

“Ugh?!”

For the first time in her life, Evangeline felt intense hostility.

Her body froze on the spot.

Though her strength far exceeded that of the goblins, the sheer malevolence they radiated brought her to a halt. She couldn’t even think about using Red Ribbon in her hands.

Her whole body shivered, and she felt like tears were about to roll down facing such malevolence.

- Kik-kik!!

- Kehehehe!!

The goblins, noticing her innocent hesitation, surged forward with even greater fervor. But just as she instinctively took a step back—

Boom!

An invisible force struck the area with tremendous pressure.

- Kehe?!

- Kerere?!

The goblins stepped back with shocked faces at the sudden force.

Some unseen power was interfering with their assault. After that moment, having been freed from the crushing malice directed at her, Evangeline was no longer intimidated. Her expression shifted, and her stance exuded the aura of a true predator, one at the top of the food chain.

“Red Ribbon! Let’s go!”

As she charged, a crimson aura began to ripple along Red Ribbon’s edge.

“B-Blade energy?!”

“She’s an Expert?!”

Boom!! Thud!!

Evangeline launched herself forward, boots cracking the ground beneath her. Moving with a unique fluidity and immense power, she began massacring her way through the goblins with ruthless precision.

With the paralyzing malice no longer mentally restraining her, Evangeline was unstoppable. She darted through the chaos, cutting down goblins one after another.

Before anyone could react, three or four goblins had already fallen, blood spraying in every direction. In the blink of an eye, she took down five or six more, screams piercing the air.

The tiny girl who everyone had assumed to be a liability—the same girl who had acted like a rookie and froze in fear only moments before—turned out to be a seasoned warrior.

Even the most experienced mercenaries had rarely ever witnessed such a dramatic turn of events.

Clang!

A goblin swung its sword to counter one of her attacks.

Tap, tap, tap!!

Meanwhile, more goblin reinforcements poured in, their numbers growing by the second.

“Why are you all just standing there?! Even that kid is fighting! How long are you going to stand there all scared?! Move your ass!!”

“Raaahhh!!!”

The mercenaries, who had been in shock after seeing Evangeline, remembered their purpose in the convoy and fearlessly charged into the fray to join her in taking down the goblins.

In less than ten minutes of the battle’s beginning, most of the goblins had retreated. Those that remained were quickly being mopped up by Evangeline.

“...”

Davey watched from a distance while making a faint smile.

“See that? It’s more of a learning experience than you expected, isn’t it?”

Exposing someone to malice was a bitter but necessary lesson. As much as he wanted his precious daughter to only see the good in the world, there were times when sheltering her too much would bring about the opposite results.

“Looking at the way things are going… I’ll just watch her from afar for now,” Davey said.

He was, of course, the one to summon the invisible force that debuffed the goblins and weakened their malice earlier.

Standing beside him, Aina shrugged nonchalantly.

“At first, I thought we’d just grab her and head back, but… I figured it might be worth watching for a moment. Was I wrong?”

“No. You made the right call. I hadn’t considered this in this way.”

The mercenaries and merchants didn’t know who was behind Evangeline, protecting the young mercenary who had stumbled her way into their party.

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts

Editorb’s Thoughts

I always think to myself it’d be cool to live in these kinds of different times of mercenary guilds and adventure, with no capitalism or complicated internet society to deal with, but I suspect I’d still be just as lazy and inconsequential regardless of setting. There’s always shit to procrastinate and complain about while I dodge any and all responsibility lmao

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