Chapter 571

Confronted with Leon’s outstretched right hand, Prince Andre, who looked like a boy of seven or eight, involuntarily revealed an expression of timidity on his face. He instinctively took half a step back and then shook his head frantically, saying, “I won’t go! They will definitely not forgive me!”

“Of course! Isn’t that obvious?”

Leon, upon hearing this, kept his hand extended while expressing exasperation: “You haven’t taken a good look at what you’ve done over the years, have you? Who could possibly forgive you for all that nonsense?”

“To be honest, if I were your father, my regrets staying in Repentance City wouldn’t just be misunderstandings between us but why I didn’t… um… why I even brought you into this world. They’d have to be crazy to forgive you, right?”

“…”

Wait… Do you even want to negotiate surrender?

Originally hoping to hear comforting words from Leon like “parents will never blame their children,” Andre instead received heart-piercing violent criticism, which shattered his already cracked mindset. With fear in his eyes, he wildly shook his head:

“No! I don’t want to go to Deathscape! Or Repentance City either. They won’t forgive me… so what should I…”

“Slap!”

Suddenly, Leon swung his hand and delivered a strong slap across the young prince’s face. While wiping off the imaginary greasepaint from his hand, he irritably told the stunned Andre:

“Stop messing around, alright? No one has any obligation to forgive you anyway. I’m not suggesting you apologize for them to feel better; it’s so YOU can feel better!”

“I…”

“You’re as much of a giant baby as the picture you’ve drawn yourself into!”

Looking at the prince covering his face, Leon pouted:

“The mark of adulthood isn’t height or beards but stepping out from under parental protection and taking responsibility for your own mistakes. You’re older than me, yet you’ve been overly protected, experiencing little hardship. Your mental state is that of an immature child.”

“I… I’m not…”

“Slap!”

“Don’t argue.”

Another slap followed, and finally feeling satisfied, Leon looked down at the flustered young prince, extending his hand again while speaking slowly: “If you truly believe you’re not, then grab my hand and prove it to me!”

“I… I’m scared…”

After being slapped twice, Andre’s psychological age seemed to regress to match his physical eight-year-old self. He turned away, unable to meet Leon’s gaze, tears welling up as he whispered:

“I still want to see them, but… they must be extremely angry. If they see me…”

“Slap!”

“Why are you hitting me?”

“Sorry, it was reflex.”

Wiping his hands on his clothes, Leon stared intently at Andre and asked:

“So even if they don’t forgive you, how could the situation get worse than it already is? You’re dead anyway. Even if they’re mad, they can’t kill you again. At worst, they might hit or scold you, but you’ll get to see them after decades, talk to them, maybe even be embraced by them once more.”

“To risk seeing fake parents in your painting, you dared defy the Clearing Bureau’s threat of obliteration, causing all these troubles. Now, just needing to endure some scolding, you can meet your real parents. What’s there left to hesitate about?”

“…”

Even though he had made the decision, his small arm felt as heavy as carrying a mountain. Despite trying multiple times, he couldn’t lift it high enough to reach Leon’s palm, only swaying helplessly below.

“You… lower your hand a bit…”

Struggling several times without success, the eight-year-old Andre couldn’t help but plead softly:

“You’re too tall. Lower your hand a little. I can’t reach…”

“You can.”

Glancing at the trembling arms of the young prince, Leon’s previously disdainful gaze softened, and his voice became gentle:

“Andre, the path ahead requires no help from anyone. The hand you need to grasp isn’t mine but your own belief. Only with unwavering determination to reunite with your family will you traverse the No Return Road and make it all the way to Repentance City to apologize to your parents, making amends for past wrongs… Finally, Andre, if you can hold my hand, then you’re no longer a child.”

Am I no longer a child…

Hearing Leon’s words, the eight-year-old Andre looked up, staring at the steady hand above him, then through the gaps in his fingers, saw a calm face devoid of contempt. Pouting, tears streaming down his cheeks, he softly questioned:

“So… do you want to save not just Phelia and the others but even me?”

“I haven’t saved you.”

Leon shook his head: “I merely told you that besides this dead-end road, there’s another path you can take. Whether or not to walk it is your choice. Besides, you haven’t been saved by anyone. You’ve simply stopped running away and learned to face your mistakes like an adult.”

Running away… facing…

After listening to Leon’s words, Andre’s trembling hand finally steadied, silently reaching upward to touch the warm and firm hand, then tightly gripping it.

“Good.”

Upon grabbing the tiny hand painted with greasepaint belonging to the eight-year-old, Leon’s face showed approval for the first time. Internally, he praised himself for the achievement of the “Trustworthy Brother” badge, which proved unexpectedly effective when Andre regressed to his eight-year-old state. Without it, things might have gone awry.

There are no useless badges, only treasures yet to find their use. Reminding himself never to underestimate any badge’s effectiveness, Leon, with the Gold-Level “Performance Master” skill active, held Andre’s now steadier hand gently and asked:

“I’ll ask one last time: Are you ready?”

“Hmm…”

Seeing Leon who, despite having let down his guard, did not seize the opportunity to subdue him but kindly inquired whether he was prepared, Andre nodded gratefully, his gaze resolute:

“I’m ready! No matter what awaits me, I want to see them again!”

“Alright.”

With a definitive response, Leon used the Three-Headed Dog God’s power to connect with the Gate of the Dead and forcefully pulled Andre’s soul out.

“Let’s go!”

After yanking Andre’s soul out of “Sunset Over Klok,” Leon opened the passage to the Gate of the Dead while kindly advising: “When you arrive, remember not to mention knowing me. If anyone notices something strange and asks why they sense my presence on you, just say I killed you and we’re sworn enemies.”

“Okay… Huh?”

What kind of nonsense is this? Didn’t you say you had connections and plenty of acquaintances there?