Youngest on Top - Chapter 120

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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 120

“S-Sae!”

Mogen rushed toward me with an urgent expression.
He spoke without even catching his breath.

“Kaiser has returned!”
“Wonderful!”

It was welcome news.
Kaiser had departed before the Assembly with Molorestia to subjugate demons.
I had already been thinking it was about time for his return.

‘It seems today is a day when good news arrives all at once.’

An invitation to the Imperial Palace, and now Kaiser returning.
I asked Mogen with a brightened face.

“Where is Kaiser? Is he reporting to the High Priest at the Main Building?”
“Well… that is…”

Mogen looked troubled.

‘Ah, I see.’

Kaiser and the High Priest must have clashed again.
Kaiser was the type who absolutely refused to listen to anyone else.
Still, as the Sacred Maiden, he wouldn’t ignore my words, so adults often came asking me to persuade him.

“I understand. I’ll speak to Kaiser about it.”
“That’s not it…”

Mogen looked at me, clearly unsure how to explain.

I hesitated.
Something felt wrong.
Why did Mogen look like he was about to cry…?

“Sae, steel yourself and prepare.”
“…?”
“Kaiser’s injuries… are severe. Perhaps soon….”

Mogen lowered his head with a gloomy expression.
I thought Mogen was joking.

‘Before my regression, Kaiser was never in danger at this point in time.’

A crisis wouldn’t befall Kaiser for several more years.
Yet suddenly, without any warning, his life was in danger?
I’d heard the monster subjugation was dangerous since Kaiser received a special request, but even so, this was too much.

“Did Derrick ask you to do this? Why are you playing such a prank?”
“…It’s not a joke.”
“It is a joke.”
“…I’m sorry. But Kaiser’s injuries… his life is in danger….”

Mogen grabbed me and spoke at length, but his words didn’t register.

Mogen never joked around like this, so why was he pranking me now?
It wasn’t even funny.

My chest ached as if it were tearing apart, and I suddenly stopped.
I realized I’d been running.
My breath came in gasps, and I could barely manage to exhale and inhale properly.

‘Ah.’

I’d forgotten to use my sacred power.
My lungs felt as though they might tear from the aftermath of running all the way here from the Trainee Priest Quarters using only my body’s strength.

How foolish.
After recovering my memories from the Heavenly Realm, using sacred power had become as natural to me as breathing, yet I’d forgotten it.

I steadied my breathing and grasped the door handle.
Beyond this door was Kaiser.

Click—
The doorknob turned uselessly in my grip.
Panicking, I tried again, but my hand had lost all strength, and it kept slipping.

My trembling hand flailed through the air as if unable to focus.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ilay gently pushed me aside.

“Let me open it.”

The door opened effortlessly under Ilay’s hand.
Even as the door swung open, I couldn’t bring myself to step through.

I was terrified.
Afraid.
What if Kaiser’s condition was far worse than I imagined….

I trembled, my breath caught in my chest.

How strange this was.
Across both my past life before regression and my current existence, I’d seen countless patients.
I’d witnessed the dying more times than I could count on my fingers.

Then why.

“Sae.”

When I looked up, Ilay was gazing down at me.
His honey-colored eyes were filled with concern and sympathy.

“If this is too difficult, take a little more time to prepare yourself. I’ll check on Kaiser and come back to tell you his condition, and then you can—.”
“No.”

His words jolted me back to clarity.

“Thank you for worrying about me. But I need to see this with my own eyes.”

Besides, I would be the most help in assessing Kaiser’s condition.
I clenched my fists and stepped forward.

“Sae has arrived.”

The adults in the room recognized me and our eyes met.
Seeing their grave expressions, my heart sank.

I slowly approached the bed.
And what I saw of Kaiser was—.

“…!”

Far worse than I had braced myself for.
Terrible wounds covered his entire body.
The white bandages, freshly changed, were soaked crimson.

‘This is….’

Mogen’s words held no exaggeration.
Kaiser truly….

‘
No. It can’t be.’

Today had been a good day.
Since the Assembly, the Temple had been flooded with visitors, and the Trainee Priests had grown stronger, displaying newfound confidence.
An invitation from the Imperial Palace had arrived, so all that remained was for Kaiser to return safely.

Truth be told, I hadn’t worried about Kaiser at all.
I naturally assumed he would return victorious and unharmed as always, triumphant as ever.

But something I never imagined happening has occurred so suddenly?

‘No.’

The moment my eyes widened, brilliant light erupted from my hands.
Golden radiance enveloped Kaiser.

But nothing improved.
Kaiser’s eyes, rigid and cold as a corpse’s, showed no sign of opening.
Instead, only my hands grasping him became stained deep crimson with his blood.

“Why, why won’t it work!”

I cast recovery magic on him countless times.
From the most powerful to the weakest.
I tried everything I could.
And even that wasn’t enough—I kept repeating it over and over again.

“Gasp, huff!”
“That’s enough.”

Randel grabbed both my arms.

“You’ll collapse if you keep this up.”
“I don’t care if I collapse! If I can just save Kaiser…!”

At my desperate cry, Randel’s face twisted in pain.
The High Priest spoke coldly.

“That would be true if there were any progress.”
“…!”
“But pouring out your sacred power with no effect whatsoever is a meaningless act.”

The High Priest was right.
Even if I exhausted my sacred power to the point of coughing blood, nothing would change.
My mind understood it, but I couldn’t accept it.

“But—.”
“If you continue like this and damage your body, it’s not something Kaiser would want.”

Quentin, Kaiser’s Adjutant, spoke.

“Kaiser… wouldn’t want that?”
“Yes.”

Yes, that would be true.
Despite his cold and harsh appearance, Kaiser was a kind person.

“Do you know why Kaiser responded to this request and took the field?”
“….”
“It was for the Sacred Maiden.”

Quentin spoke in a clipped tone.

“Kaiser could have avoided injury. But in that critical moment, he evacuated the others and recklessly threw himself alone into enemy lines. For the Sacred Maiden.”
“For me?”
“Yes, because regardless of the outcome, it would benefit the Sacred Maiden.”

How could this possibly benefit me?
By dying like this?

I couldn’t comprehend it.

‘Then Kaiser ended up like this because of me?’

Was that why something that didn’t happen before the regression occurred?

“Kaiser cherishes and values the Sacred Maiden that much.”
“….”
“So please don’t strain yourself meaninglessly and take care of your body….”

I stared blankly at Quentin.

Kaiser fought prepared to die.
And all of it was for me.
And he’s telling me not to struggle pointlessly and just stay still so I don’t hurt myself?
That’s what Kaiser would want too?

It felt like I’d been struck on the head.

Even at this very moment, Kaiser was drawing closer to death’s threshold with each passing second.
And he’s telling me what?

“I’ve poured healing magic and blessings into him, and this is the extent of it.”
“Any magic and blessings beyond that won’t take.”
“It seems the wounds inflicted by the demon race are preventing recovery.”

In other words, it meant that pouring more sacred power would be meaningless.
Under normal circumstances, I would have listened to the adults and cooled my head.
But now my chest only burned hotter.

Because it felt like they were telling me to abandon Kaiser.

‘I can’t do that.’

My actions moved faster than my thoughts.
Sacred power surged recklessly through me, and my Divine Heart ached as if it were shattering.

Enrik: Saelika!

Enrik’s dialogue window appeared, filling my entire vision.
It was an unmistakable warning.

I ignored it.
The adults gasped and tried to restrain me, but I continued to draw up my sacred power.

Enrik: You really won’t be able to turn back!

I didn’t care.

That was when it happened.
Something rough—something that didn’t feel like human skin—touched my fingertips.

“…!”

It was Kaiser.
Kaiser had opened his eyes and was reaching out toward me.

“Sa…e.”

His voice was faint and precarious.
A voice that didn’t suit the always confident and dignified Kaiser.

The sacred power I had forced up drained away in an instant.
I quickly grasped his hand.
Kaiser smiled at me.

“Why do you have that kind of expression on your face?”
“….”
“Who made you cry?”
“….”

I opened my mouth several times, wanting to answer, but no proper voice came out.
Kaiser’s hand brushed weakly against my cheek.
As if wiping away my tears.

“Don’t cry.”
“….”
“Still, I’m grateful I could see you.”
“I… I hate this….”
“….”
“Ugh, don’t speak as if it’s the end. Please— say that you’ll wake up soon, say that to me.”

Kaiser laughed.
But he never spoke the words I wanted to hear.

“How strange. You’re throwing a tantrum at me, of all people….”
“….”
“My daughter.”
“….”
“My precious daughter.”

With each word Kaiser spoke, his breathing trembled precariously.
Yet those crimson eyes gazing at me remained utterly serene, without the slightest wavering.

“I never thought there would be someone I’d give my life for.”
“….”
“But you appeared before my eyes.”

Kaiser laughed.
As if recalling our first meeting, his eyes gazing at my face grew distant.

“To be able to give my life for you, I—.”
“No!”

A scream tinged with terror burst from my lips.

“I hate it! I don’t care if I have to give up my life—I won’t accept that!”
“….”
“If you truly care about me, if you really think of me.”

I gripped Kaiser’s hand tightly.

“Please stay by my side.”
“Sae….”
“Don’t make me a child without a father—!”

Finally, I couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears. “Waaaahhhhh!”

“For the first time, *sob*, I finally have a father, *sniff*, and I want to be with him….”
“….”

Kaiser was my family—my father—for the first time across my past life, before my regression, and in this present life.

“*Sniff*, Father….”
“Sae.”
“I don’t want to be without you….”

Kaiser watched me quietly as I wept.
His hand touched the crown of my head.

“Don’t cry.”
“*Sniff*….”
“When you cry, I don’t know what to do.”

Kaiser smiled.

“You’re right. I cannot make you a child without a father.”
“….”
“I must find strength for your sake.”
“….”
“For you, I would even….”

Thud—.

“…?!”

Kaiser’s hand, which had been stroking the crown of my head, fell limply away.
I stared blankly at that hand before calling out to Kaiser.

“Kaiser?”

He did not answer.
His eyes, which had been looking at me, remained firmly shut.

“Kaiser! Father! Father!!!!”
“Sae, calm yourself!”
“First, compose yourself!”
“Kaiser’s breath has not yet ceased!”

The adults held me back.
At the words that Kaiser was not yet dead, I barely managed to steady my breathing.

‘Calm down.’

I clenched my hands tightly together.
I cannot lose Kaiser while I’m in a daze.
I must calm myself, assess the situation, and find a way forward.

‘Please, calm down. Please. Please.’

I chided myself over and over.

‘Artemia…’

Sacred magic does not work.
Even using my superior sacred power yields the same result.

But I can save him.
I must save him.
There is a way…

Enrik: Saelika!

A dialogue window filled my vision, and I snapped back to awareness.

‘Enrik?’

Enrik: Finally, you’re showing up.

‘Enrik, can you heal him?’

Enrik: You already know the answer.
Enrik: That’s why you didn’t ask me for my power right away.

He was right.
Enrik could see the past just as he once read Sae’s memories, but he couldn’t save someone who was dying.
Especially not if the reason they were dying was because of the Demon Realm.

Enrik: But if it were another angel besides me, who knows?

“…!”

Enrik: I never thought I’d be the one saying this first.
Enrik: But there’s a brother who’s perfect for this kind of thing, isn’t there?

Enrik was right.
There was a brother specialized for this kind of work.

One with tremendous healing power—

Enrik: Gechaban.

Gechaban.

—————
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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