Youngest on Top - Chapter 123

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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 123

Kaiser patted the small, trembling back with a bitter smile.
Weightless, yet more precious than anything in this world.
Holding her like this, the child’s warmth melted his heart with gentle tenderness.
Always.

“Dad…”

Saelika lifted her tear-filled eyes, gazing at Kaiser’s face again and again.
As if confirming he was well, unharmed, and that this man she held was truly her father.

Watching the child, Kaiser found himself thinking anew.

‘To this child, I am precious.’

Her eyes conveyed nothing less than this truth.
Desperate, yearning blue eyes.
Meeting that gaze, he understood instinctively.

I am not alone in thinking of this child as my daughter.
This child thinks of me as her father too.
I am this child’s father.

“Sae, Kazamin loves you!”

From their first meeting, the child had expressed herself without reservation.
How shocked he had been to learn that this uninhibited girl had actually suffered abuse at the Orphanage.

‘In truth, she was never accustomed to expressing her heart like this.’

Over the years they spent together, he came to understand naturally.
Though she carried herself boldly, Saelika was unfamiliar with kindness directed toward her.
How could a child unaccustomed to receiving love ever become skilled at expressing it?

Even knowing this, I grew impatient and anxious.
Whenever I saw the child beaming brightly at Randel.
When she called out “Dad!” to Randel, her cheeks flushing shyly.
Her eyes sparkled so brilliantly as she gazed at Randel—.

Perhaps I was not an important person to this child.

‘But it didn’t matter.’

It was fine even if I wasn’t important.
It was enough even if I wasn’t precious.

As long as this child needed me.
As long as I could be useful to her in some way.

My abilities and reputation certainly benefited Saelika.
So I wanted to be of even greater help.
And the result was….

‘Instead, I ended up making you cry like this.’

The child in my arms cried for a long time before finally calming down.
Sniffling, she lifted her head and spoke.

“I’m sorry, Dad. Because of me, you….”
“Because of you? What are you talking about?”
“It’s just….”

Saelika hesitated.
Kaiser, his brow furrowed, took out something he had been treasuring in his arms.

“It’s the opposite. You saved me.”

It was the Crepundia that Saelika had given me long ago.
Saelika’s eyes widened.

“You’ve still been keeping this? After all these years….”
“When you gave this to me, you asked me to be your father. To me, it’s a treasure more precious than anything else.”

A sharp, clipped voice.
Yet to Saelika’s ears, it sounded gentler and softer than any other voice in the world.

“And didn’t you do the same? You asked me never to leave you behind, no matter where I went. You asked me to regard this as your substitute.”
“….”
“So that it would feel like we were always together, no matter when or where.”

I had said such things to Kaiser, who departed on expeditions so frequently.

‘When we first met, Kaiser was tainted by demons, after all.’

With the Crepundia imbued with my divine power, there was no way he could become tainted again.

“So wherever I was, I felt as though I was always with you.”
“…Dad.”
“Even in the moment I was about to cross the threshold of death, you were there with me.”
“….”
“That’s why I didn’t give up and was able to return.”

Kaiser gently bumped his forehead against Saelika’s.

“Back to your side.”

While Saelika had journeyed to the Heavenly Realm and connected with Kailros, Kaiser may have already crossed the irreversible river.

But what allowed him to endure that time was the heart dwelling within Saelika’s Crepundia.
It was a protective charm crafted with utmost devotion from the very beginning, made with all her heart to protect Kaiser.

“And it was you who guided me back to you.”

Kaiser spoke while gazing at Saelika’s back, where wings had sprouted.
Saelika silently pulled Kaiser into a tight embrace.

“…Thank you for coming back to my side, Dad.”
“It was only natural.”

Watching Kaiser gaze at her with burning eyes, Saelika began to feel increasingly embarrassed.
She had cried all she could, and now her senses were gradually returning.

How embarrassing!

I burst into tears like a child and threw a tantrum.
Saelika cleared her throat to change the mood and asked.

“But what on earth happened?”

The person who had departed for the Phaeren Region in response to a support request had returned in this state.
What kind of battle could have caused this?

“It’s nothing serious. I simply made a poor judgment.”
“…So there were Demons after all?”
“Yes. Multiple high-ranking Demons. And on top of that—.”

Kaiser’s crimson eyes fixed intently upon Saelika.

“…Could it be that the Demon Realm—.”
“…?”
“Never mind.”

Kaiser seemed unwilling to say more.
Saelika fell into contemplation.

Multiple Demons appearing at once. My suspicions were correct after all.

When I heard that the battle in the Phaeren Region had dragged on long enough to warrant a request even to Kaiser, I had suspected Demon involvement.

This is definitely different from my previous life. What on earth is happening?

Then Randel approached and gently stroked Saelika’s head.

“You’ve worked hard, Sae.”
“No, it was only possible because everyone helped me.”

Randel smiled warmly and spoke to Kaiser.

“Just for today, allow me to monopolize my daughter.”
“It’s not about allowing anything—you have no choice but to do so anyway, don’t you?”

Randel and Kaiser exchanged glances before breaking into soft chuckles.

“Welcome back, Kaiser. Don’t worry my daughter anymore from now on.”
“I’ll take good care of my daughter myself.”
“And yet the one who’s supposed to look after my granddaughter comes back injured like this?”
“…High Priest.”
“Worthless fool. For my granddaughter’s sake, don’t get hurt again.”
“I’ll make sure to handle my duties well, sir.”
“…I don’t want to send my son ahead of me either.”

Kaiser, Randel, and Saelika all looked at the High Priest in surprise.
The High Priest turned his gaze out the window as if he hadn’t said anything at all.

“…Don’t worry. When you’re old and senile, I’ll mock you from beside you.”

Despite his rough words, Kaiser’s ears had flushed a deep red.

“Ahem!”
“Ahem!”

The High Priest and Kaiser both cleared their throats awkwardly, their faces reddening.
Saelika’s eyes narrowed at the warm, tender atmosphere that had settled over them.
Had they really exchanged words worthy of such sentiment?

“But what about these wings? Are they going to stay?”
“Ah, it’s because I used an angel’s divine power. They should disappear soon….”

Saelika turned around, her expression troubled.
The wings, now much smaller than when she’d used her full power, fluttered delicately with each movement.

“…!”

The adults’ faces lit up with surprise.
Saelika nodded.

‘They must be shocked. Using an angel’s divine power is only possible after connecting with the Heavenly Realm—.’

“So adorable…!”

But what tumbled from the astonished adults’ mouths was something entirely different.

“An angel….”
“A real angel has descended upon this land.”
“An angel of Artemisia Temple.”
“Our youngest is a sweetheart, a blessing, a treasure, a tiger, a chick, and a rabbit—and now an angel…!”
“….”

What were all these strange nicknames?
Saelika felt displeased.

Kailros: Hmm, you’ve accumulated quite the collection of peculiar names.

‘I didn’t ask for these nicknames, and they don’t even suit me anyway—.’

Kailros: They suit you.

“…?”

Kailros: They suit you perfectly.

“….”

Saelika decided to ignore him.

“You look as though you were born an angel from the very beginning.”

His words struck a nerve, and Saelika flinched.

Kailros: Hmm, how foolish and ignorant these mortals are.
Kailros: Looking at you now, they think you were born an angel from the start.

Kailros had always been displeased with Saelika’s appearance.

“Saelika! Can’t you maintain the proper bearing of Artemia’s Messenger!”
“What is that appearance! Why are your fists stained with blood again?”
“You’re diminishing Artemia’s dignity because of yourself!”

These were the words he always spoke.

Kailros: My younger brother’s true form is incomparably more noble than what you see now.
Kailros: Do you truly believe that by witnessing merely this appearance, you have glimpsed the depths of my heart, my soul, my very breath?

Why is he like this?
I had moved beyond mere chills—now I was genuinely frightened.

Kailros: Yet seeing that form brings me joy once more.
Kailros: I recall when you had existed for merely three hundred years.
Kailros: I would chase after you myself and teach you then.

‘…Teach me?’

Of course, Kailros had chased after me relentlessly.
To punish me.

Kailros: Those lovely days remain vivid even now.

Surely he doesn’t mean those “lovely days” as—

“The moment you fall into my grasp, you shall pay the price for bringing shame upon Artemia’s name.”
“How pathetic—so young yet unable to distinguish heaven from earth, only causing trouble.”
“It would be wise for you to kneel and beg forgiveness this very moment.”

‘…He can’t possibly be referring to that.’

Kailros: Sigh, how I wish I had been connected to you from the beginning instead of that fellow Enrik.
Kailros: What a shame that I never witnessed your younger self.
Kailros: I could have seen you again when you were so small and adorable you couldn’t even reach my knees.

…I am truly grateful that Enrik was the angel first connected to me.

* * *

After the tearful reunion concluded, Saelika finished an entire bowl of rice in moments.
When expending such tremendous energy, one must eat well to recover.
Patting her full belly, Saelika skillfully peeled the chocolate wrapper that Admiral Ekellan had sent.

At that moment, Quentin, Kaiser’s adjutant, approached Saelika.

“I apologize.”

Saelika was somewhat taken aback seeing him bow his head so abruptly.

“I was angry earlier and took it out on you without reason, Sacred Maiden.”
“Took it out on me?”
“Yes. Kaiser’s ordeal in the Phaeren Region wasn’t your fault. Yet I blamed you for it regardless….”
“Ah….”

I understood what Quentin was saying.

“But there must be a reason you said it that way. Isn’t that right?”

Quentin offered a bitter smile at Saelika’s question.

Originally, Kaiser had intended to refuse the support request from the Phaeren Region.
After all, the evaluation of the Eastern Temple was imminent.

“There will be a convocation request from Molorestia Temple. I cannot afford to be absent.”

This would be the first convocation with temples belonging to the Octagon.
Kaiser had planned to attend the convocation to support Saelika.

But then one day.

“Prepare for deployment to the Phaeren Region.”
“Pardon? But earlier you—.”
“No more questions. Just prepare.”

The intensity of his tone left Quentin no choice but to comply immediately.

And later, I learned the truth.
That day, Saelika had called Randel “father.”
Kaiser had witnessed it with his own eyes.

Saelika spoke in a subdued tone after hearing the explanation from Quentin.

“W-well, that may have happened, but Kaiser never asked me to call him father.”
“…He couldn’t have asked, could he?”
“…?”
“So I thought to myself: if only the Sacred Maiden had yielded a little more space to Kaiser.”
“….”
“Then perhaps Kaiser wouldn’t have pushed himself so hard—or so I believed.”

Saelika fell silent.

“I know how much the Sacred Maiden adores and cherishes Randel.”
“That’s—.”
“Of course it is. He’s been so kind to you.”
“….”
“But Kaiser, too, has always been sincere with you, however clumsily he expressed it.”

Quentin continued, observing Saelika’s silence.

“…Of course, at first he was rather frightening—no, terrifyingly so—but Kaiser was wrong then, yes. Yet still….”
“I know. You looked after me a lot back then.”

Quentin laughed at those words.

“I knew from that moment.”
“…?”
“That this little priestess would thaw Kaiser’s frozen heart.”

Saelika’s eyes widened.
She soon smiled softly.

“I’m grateful Kaiser has such a comrade.”
“I’m uncertain whether Kaiser considers me a comrade.”
“He will. I know because I’m Kaiser’s daughter.”
“…!”

Quentin laughed, exhaling a contented sigh.

“Whether young or now, I cannot match our Sacred Maiden.”

Saelika bowed her head, regarding that refreshed expression.

‘The truth is… Quentin was right.’

I chose Kaiser as my godfather out of necessity.
It was nothing like it had been with Randel.

‘Kaiser probably… sensed that.’

That’s why he couldn’t bring himself to ask me to call him father.
Saelika remembered that day.
She thought he would say something, but Kaiser simply turned away in silence.
That expression on his face then.

‘But.’

At some point, Kaiser had become someone truly precious to me.
Not because I needed him, but simply by existing.

I understood it desperately now.
When Kaiser faced danger, what I felt wasn’t the regret of losing someone I needed.
It was terror.
A vast, overwhelming terror that left no room for thought of the future.

Somewhere along the way, Kaiser had become my true father.

‘So I need to know.’
The words Kaiser had swallowed.
What happened with the Demons on the Phaeren Plains.
“Please tell me. What exactly happened? What occurred on the battlefield that put Kaiser in danger?”

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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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