Youngest on Top - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 103

It made sense.
Demian was under the influence of the Demon Sword.
He was already vulnerable to stress, and on top of that, he’d experienced betrayal from his closest confidant.
And they’d used his lost brother as bait.

‘It wouldn’t be strange if the kid was bedridden!’

I normally don’t use my head much, but when I do, I use it this well.
Impressive, right?

‘He’s delirious from the pain!’

Having reached a swift, rational, and perfectly sound conclusion, I shuffled my rear end over.
Then I patted the empty space I’d created—pat, pat!

“Lie here.”

When you’re in pain, you need to rest.

But Demian’s expression was strange.
He looked at me as though I were some inexplicable phenomenon.
I kindly explained it to him.

“Gonzanim, you need to rest. When you’re hurting, you must lie down.”
“….”
“Come on, hurry!”

Pat, pat!

He seemed about to say something, but then he just closed his mouth and lay down beside me.
I was startled by his obedience.

‘He really must be in pain. A lot of it.’

I patted him gently.

“Don’t cry.”
“….”

Demian flinched slightly but didn’t refuse my touch.

After patting him a few times, my eyelids grew heavy.
My vision blurred as drowsiness crept in.
It seemed my exhaustion hadn’t fully lifted.

But I felt like I was forgetting something.
What was it….

I tried to remember, but the hand patting my back was drawing me toward the realm of dreams.
Though awkward, the touch was careful, as if handling something precious.
Warm. So very warm.

‘Wait?’

This is strange.
I was clearly patting Demian, so why was I the one being patted?

But that confusion soon dissolved.

“You’re not the one hurting, you fool. I am.”

A soft voice.
Pat, pat.

“…There’s no helping it.”
“….”
“Since you won’t take care of yourself, I’ll have to do it for you.”

Before I could even comprehend those words, I sank into deep slumber.

* * *

Admiral Ekellan stood in the doorway, gazing at the two children sleeping side by side, and let out a soft chuckle.

“How alike they are.”
“Pardon?”

Augustin, the adjutant of Admiral Ekellan, stared at his superior with a bewildered expression.

“Shall I call the physician again?”

The Admiral’s gaze turned toward him.

“Admiral, your eyes… no, forgive me. It seems there’s a serious problem with your vision.”
“….”
“If not your eyes, then perhaps the part of your brain processing visual information is——”
“Want to hang upside down from the ship’s bow?”

Augustin rubbed his hands together saying, “Come now, why would you say that?”
The Admiral snorted and turned his head away.

Augustin’s insolence was nothing new.
Despite his noble birth, he spoke with the rough tongue of a sailor.

“How exactly are the two of them alike?”
“Obviously they’re alike. The problem is with your eyes, not mine.”
“Demian the Crown Prince is like a wild beast, whereas our Sacred Maiden Saelika is holy, compassionate, and performs miracles—truly an angel descended from heaven itself…!”
“You’ve changed.”

Admiral Ekellan regarded Augustin with an astonished look.

“If you must, drop them from the highest place possible—those mongrels who dare covet the position of our precious youngest lady.”

Wasn’t that what he used to say before?

Of course, it was also Augustin who defended Saelika once he realized the Artemisia Temple harbored no ulterior motives.
But that was purely a rational judgment….

“Before witnessing the miracle, I was nothing but a lowly creature.”

Augustin, true to his sailor’s nature, was a believer in superstition.

“What if we received a blessing from our Sacred Maiden Saelika before setting sail?”
“A blessing of apples?
“Surely it would grant us the power to part the seas and control the weather!”

The attendant standing behind the two men shook his head in dismay.

‘Augustin has clearly lost his mind to overwork. He was such a competent man too. What a shame.’

Parting the seas and controlling the weather.
Even if sailors loved exaggeration, this was too much.

‘Even if the Admiral is particularly fond of the Sacred Maiden, he wouldn’t fall for such nonsense….’

But then.

“Hmm, that does make sense. If she bestowed such a magnificent blessing, we should certainly make a generous donation, shouldn’t we?”

Admiral Ekellan nodded eagerly.

“Let’s see, I’ve heard the Pearl of Dagreta Strait has such beautiful coloring.”
“It would suit our Sacred Maiden Saelika’s complexion perfectly. And since it’s a disputed territory, this works out well.”
“Right, if we succeed in our campaign with a blessed ship, we should naturally offer the spoils to the Temple, shouldn’t we? I think there was such a law.”

No such law existed.
The attendant started to speak but closed his mouth.
The two of them would figure it out on their own.
Besides, he too was grateful to that young Sacred Maiden.

‘The Pearl of Dagreta…. It would suit her well.’

The attendant nodded contentedly and opened his mouth.

“I understand well what you said about the two of them resembling each other, sir.”
“Don’t you?”
“Yes, because pearls suit both of you so well. If I may say so, it would be best to acquire as much as possible through plunder… Pardon me. Through war reparations.”
“….”

Hubert, the Admiral’s attendant.
It was no accident that he followed the Admiral’s side, attending to his every move.

“What are you talking about? It’s not that—it’s something else they have in common.”

Admiral Ekellan regarded Hubert with an incredulous expression before turning away.

Two children lay sleeping on the bed, gazing at each other.
Both of them certainly did seem to suit pearls well.

The Admiral resolved in his heart to subjugate the Dagreta conflict zone.
Even the Emperor hadn’t listened when he said so.

“They both suit pearls well, but what they share in common is something else.”
“Something else?”
“They don’t realize they’re hurting themselves, yet they worry about others instead.”

Demian blamed himself in that way because he had given too much thought to the wounds of adults.
Saelika had always been indifferent to her own scars.
Even now, weren’t these two children comforting each other without seeing their own wounds?

“The role of an adult is to raise these children in a healthy way so they can say their pain is painful.”
“It’s quite remarkable to hear you discuss the proper role of an adult.”

At the suddenly interjecting voice, Admiral Ekellan turned around.

Randel stood there with a gentle smile.
It was a mystery how such a smile could feel so full of murderous intent.

“After kidnapping my daughter.”

Behind him, Kaiser’s red eyes gleamed fiercely.
He was openly radiating killing intent.

That’s right.
What Saelika had forgotten had appeared.

“Ha, kidnapping? This was merely a matter of protecting the child….”
“If it wasn’t kidnapping, why is the one who said she’d go to White Pearl here?”

Gerald dangled limply in Kaiser’s grasp.

“I was involved in that venture too, so I simply discussed it with everyone.”
“I’d prefer if you were excluded. Permanently.”
“Come on, why are you like this? Let’s think back to those passionate days we shared. Aren’t we comrades who’ve walked between life and death together!”
“Why don’t you stop walking that line and cross over to the other side entirely? I’ll help you as a comrade.”

Augustin watched their exchange with an enlightened smile.

‘Hmm, they still get along so well!’

* * *

Several days later.
Artemisia Temple welcomed an unprecedented crowd.
It was the day of the coronation ceremony for Saelika, the Sacred Maiden who had appeared, skipping two generations.

The media outlets that had profited from Saelika’s previous appearance came with their maximum personnel, without exception.

“We absolutely must! Capture it bigger! Make it look better! With vivid, immersive presence!”
“Don’t worry! Didn’t we just purchase new cameras?”
“Yes, they were so expensive my hands trembled. But it’s not wasteful at all! We’ll make more than that today!”
“Hmph, boasting over just one camera. We brought two.”
“Tsk tsk, you’re both amateurs. We’ve prepared four!”

It was when the reporters gathered in the press section were bickering.

“Wait, what is that?”

The reporters were astonished at the massive magical camera hovering in midair.

“Isn’t that one of the four camera artifacts that exist in the entire world?!”
“Insane, why is it here!”
“Just running it for one minute would melt high-purity mana stones!”
“What kind of insane media company is this? Do they want to go bankrupt?”
“It’s not even being broadcast in the temple square, why would they need that!”

Then, something else caught the reporters’ eyes.

“Wait, wait… there’s not just one?”
“Why, why are there two of them here…?”

The answer came quickly.
The owner had come to check if the camera was working properly.

“It’s running without any issues. We have plenty of mana stones as well.”
“Good, excellent. Don’t miss a single blink of that child’s eyes!”
“I can’t afford to waste even a single strand of my daughter’s hair.”

The journalists found their mouths falling open without realizing it.

‘That person… isn’t that Randel? That famous Temple Priest!’
‘Why is the High Priest checking the camera himself!’
‘Insane, why is Kaiser the Sacred Knight here?’

But their shock was far from over.

“Hmm, I should have brought another camera. One doesn’t seem like enough to capture all of our apple’s cuteness.”
“That’s exactly what I said.”

‘W-w-wait, Admiral Ekellan?!’
‘And next to him is the Perardin Noishurael Duke!’
‘So the owner of the other camera is Admiral Ekellan and the Perardin Noishurael Duke?!’

The journalists forgot all about getting their scoop and simply stared with gaping mouths.

In the meantime, Kaiser and Admiral Ekellan began bickering.

“Why are you filming someone else’s Sacred Maiden?”
“Everyone usually does.”
“She’s my daughter, so you need permission to film her.”
“Apple said it was fine. And I’m practically family to her.”
“Nonsense.”

The journalists stared at the two men with astonished expressions.

Was that really Kaiser, who led them to victory in the Holy War?
And why was the Admiral of the South acting like this?
Their words sounded exactly like they were competing for favor…

That was when it happened.

“There! That’s the Crown Prince’s carriage!”

At someone’s shout, the reporters snapped to attention.

“The Crown Prince?!”
“Quick, shoot now! Right now!”
“Write the article fast!”
“An unprecedented figure at the Sacred Maiden Saelika’s coronation!”

Only then did they realize they’d been distracted.
Caught up in the rivalry between the men called the strongest…

“Only four cameras exist in the entire world! Let’s connect this and pull out a headline!”
“Shoot quickly! They’re right in front of us now—this is our chance! Just featuring those five people’s faces prominently will change our sales numbers!”

The reporters’ hands moved with the dexterity of magicians.

* * *

With countless eyes upon her, Saelika walked forward with measured steps.
As she reached the sacred altar, the High Priest placed the Sacred Maiden’s crown upon her head.
Saelika turned around, gripping the Alice Celestia.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

Thunderous cheers erupted alongside applause.
Not only from the distinguished guests within the sacred hall, but the tremendous noise echoed from outside as well.
Loud enough to pierce through the thick walls of the building.

“Now, show your face directly to the people.”
“Yes, everyone must be waiting eagerly to see the Sacred Maiden’s face.”

Devon and Sirius urged Saelika forward with expressions of immense pride.

As Saelika stepped onto the balcony, her eyes widened.
It was an overwhelming sight.
A veritable sea of humanity stretched before her.

The moment Saelika’s face became visible, the crowd erupted in fervent enthusiasm, stamping their feet.

“The new Sacred Maiden of Artemisia!”
“Sacred Maiden Saelika!”
“Bless us!”
“May the Sacred Maiden walk with us!”

It was the first time so many people had called out her name with such radiant smiles.
Her heart raced.

She thought this didn’t belong to her.
Even after awakening as the Sacred Maiden, it felt like she was wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

Enrik: Open your eyes.
Enrik: And look properly.
Enrik: As the Sacred Maiden chosen by Artemia.

Saelika pressed down hard with her toes and held firm.
Then she slowly opened her eyes.

Countless people looked up at Saelika and cheered.
Faces full of reverence and joy.

The feeling that she was still wearing clothes that didn’t fit persisted, but Saelika endured it.
If the clothes didn’t fit, she would simply make them fit.

‘I mustn’t be ashamed. As Artemia’s Sacred Maiden.’

Saelika raised the Allis Celestia high above her head.
The folded wings of the Allis Celestia spread wide open.
And from it, brilliant light poured forth.

At that auspicious and gentle light, the people fell silent for a moment, gazing at Saelika.
Just by seeing it, just by touching the light, they felt purified.

“Waaaaaaah—!!”
“She already wields the Sacred Maiden’s halo!”
“Long live Sacred Maiden Saelika!”
“Long live Artemia!”

That was the moment.
A blue shadow emerged over the spreading light.

A majestic mane and a luxuriant tail.
Azure patterns shimmered across silver fur that gleamed brilliantly.

“A divine beast…?”
“It’s a divine beast! Alkius the divine beast has appeared again!”
“Oh, Artemia!”
“Sacred Maiden Saelika!”

At the divine beast’s appearance, the people cried out as though seized by fervent devotion.

‘Artemia….’

Always causing trouble, always breaking my heart, and so always receiving scolding.

‘I will surely restore your glory, Artemia!’

Alkius circled gracefully through the air and approached Saelika.
She affectionately rubbed her face against his, then hoisted herself onto his back.

‘It’s been a while, Aki.’

I could feel Alkius smiling with delight.
The divine beast leaped skyward and soared through the heavens.

Watching the people gasp in wonder, Saelika spoke out boldly.

“Believe in Artemisia!”
“We believe!!”
“Be happy!”
“We shall be happy!!”

Saelika nodded in satisfaction and whispered softly.

“And you’ll stay with me.”

—and so on.
The crowd roared in agreement with the sentiment.

* * *

Alkieus was absolutely delighted.
For nearly a year, I had been confined to stillness, conscious yet unable to move my body.
Now that I could spread my wings and soar freely, the joy was overwhelming.

“Still, I should head back now.”

After circling above the crowd a few times like a fan service, Alkieus couldn’t contain the excitement and bolted far into the distance.

“Everyone, wait for me.”

There was a schedule to keep.
Alkieus rumbled with slight displeasure, but soon turned back toward the Temple, racing through the sky.

Alkieus descended behind the Hall of Sanctity.
I leaped down from his back and gently stroked the bridge of his nose.

“Thank you.”

Alkieus, who had been enjoying the touch, suddenly bared his fangs and growled.
His gaze fixed behind me.

‘What is it?’

I turned around.
A young boy stood there.

Not in his usual light leather armor, but dressed in magnificent ceremonial robes befitting his station as Crown Prince.

‘…Shuri?’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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