Youngest on Top - Chapter 145

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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 145

Brilliant golden hair.
Elegant yet somehow languid violet eyes.
Noble features with deep eyes and a prominent nose that harmonized perfectly.

‘…This.’

Though I was seeing this young boy for the first time, I could immediately discern his identity.

“Young Master Mikhael?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

The young boy bore a striking resemblance to Admiral Ekellan.

‘I’d heard that Young Master Mikhael was raised elsewhere, but he truly does resemble Admiral Ekellan.’

Perhaps because of his youth, he had a softer, more delicate appearance than the Admiral.

“But what about Saelika? Did you both enter the desert together?”
“Well…”

I hesitated before answering honestly.

“We lost our way.”

Young Master Mikhael blinked, seeming slightly taken aback.
Then he broke into a grin.

“Then would you grant me the joy of helping Saelika?”
“Thank you, Young Master Mikhael.”
“Young Master Mikhael? Drop the formality. Call me Mikhail. You’re close with my father, aren’t you? That makes us close too.”
“Did Admiral Ekellan tell you that?”
“Yes, he talked about Saelika constantly. He never stopped talking about you.”

I felt a bit embarrassed.

‘…Surely he didn’t go on about his behavior toward me in front of his son.’

“Let’s head to where my companions are. We can get some water and rest in the shade.”

Young Master Mikhael was sociable and kind.
Meeting someone willing to help so readily in the desert felt like a miracle.

‘Artemia guided us here! I always believed in Artemia! I never doubted for a moment!’

Saelika clasped her hands together as if to atone for her earlier irreverent thoughts.
Just then, Nelije whispered in my ear.

“Are you sure about this?”
“Oh, it’s fine. The Ekkelan family is one of the most distinguished noble houses in the Empire. His identity is certain.”
“I know the Ekkelan family’s reputation. Admiral Ekellan is famous even in Bennayser.”
“Then what’s the problem?”

I thought she was worried about following a stranger in the desert.

“That young master… something about him feels a bit… how do I put this… off?”
“…?”
“Calling someone an apple out of nowhere isn’t normal behavior.”

I felt like I’d heard something similar before.

“Well, that’s more like a nickname.”
“A nickname?”

Nelije stared intently at Saelika.
Saelika felt embarrassed again.

‘Why should I feel ashamed when he’s the one calling me an apple so confidently?’

Let me change the subject!
Saelika asked Mikhael.

“By the way, Young Master Mikhael, what brings you to the Dantallian Desert?”
“It’s a hobby of mine.”
“A hobby?”
“Yes, I enjoy hunting.”

Mikhail turned toward Saelika as he spoke.
His violet eyes smiled gently, and only then did Saelika truly perceive the landscape around her.

Behind the young boy.
The desert region they had just arrived at was filled with something other than sand.

The acrid stench of blood.
And countless corpses.

* * *

The capital of the Empire.
Admiral Ekellan’s regime residence.

Admiral Ekellan was playing chess with Demian.
The expressions of the two men gazing at the board were quite grave.
It was not because they were focused on the game.

“I feel….”
“…unsettled.”

Since morning, I had felt strangely unsettled.
It was the moment the two men fell silent again, their eyes fixed on the chessboard.

Knock, knock.
The door opened with the knock.
It was Admiral Ekellan’s Adjutant.

“Admiral.”
“Yes, have you found out?”

There was news he had been waiting for.
Admiral Ekellan asked with evident relief.

“Yes, Young Master Mikhael visited the Atren Territory and the Pakiasen Territory within the southwestern region of the Empire.”

Admiral Ekellan and Demian relaxed simultaneously.

“Yes.”
“That fellow has matured quite a bit.”

But it was too early to let my guard down.
The Adjutant continued, gauging the mood.

“However, his whereabouts have become unclear….”
“What?!”
“Surely there’s no need to worry? He is Young Master Mikhael, after all.”
“That’s precisely why I’m worried.”
“Come now, what kind of person is the Young Master? Even if you threw him into the middle of the ocean, he’d return saying he had a wonderful deep-sea tour, wouldn’t he?”
“No, I’m not worried about that fellow. I’m worried about something else.”
“…?”

Admiral Ekellan asked anxiously.

“Where did his whereabouts become unclear?”
“In the Pakhiasen Territory.”
“The Pakhiasen Territory, you say….”
“That’s the border.”

At Demian’s words, Admiral Ekellan also recalled the geography.

The Pakhiasen Territory was the border of the southwestern region of the Empire.
It was a domain neighboring both the Dantallian Desert and the Bennayser Kingdom.

“Damn it.”
“Surely that fellow didn’t cross the border on his own?”
“I’d like to think he didn’t, but….”

Both Admiral Ekellan and Demian fell silent.
They knew Mikhael’s character far too well.

From their reaction, the Adjutant realized what the two men were worried about.

“Surely not. The Young Master wouldn’t have gone to the Bennayser Kingdom.”
“True, that fellow wouldn’t have any interest in the Bennayser Kingdom.”
“Yes, unless it were a desert teeming with monsters.”

The Adjutant nodded at Demian’s words.

“As Young Master Demian says, even if we go, it’s just the Dantallian Desert. What are the odds of meeting the Sacred Maiden there?”

Saelika, who was being treated as a distinguished guest in the Bennayser Kingdom as an imperial envoy.
Young Master Mikhael, who was gleefully indulging in slaughter throughout the Dantallian Desert.
Above all, the Dantallian Desert was truly vast.

“It’s an event that won’t happen.”

Despite the Adjutant’s assertion, neither Demian nor Admiral Ekellan’s expressions cleared.
Rationally speaking, there was no way they’d meet, yet the feeling was unbearably foul.

“Besides, even if they did meet, what of it? Young Master Mikhael is a person. At least, for now.”
“Yes, a person. For the time being.”
“Human, at any rate. In any case.”

The Adjutant regarded the Admiral and Demian with clouded eyes.
It was truly ironic to hear such words from people who seemed the least human of all.
But he couldn’t dwell on such matters now.

‘If I’m not careful, both of them might just decide to head to the Bennayser Kingdom as is.’

How difficult it had been to stop Saelika from trying to sneak away with the envoy when she departed.

“Then wouldn’t it be fine if the Young Master and the Sacred Maiden met?”
“That’s different. He’s my son, but his personality is absolutely insufferable.”
“Absolutely not. He’s my brother, but his personality is dog-like.”
“….”

The Adjutant chose to say nothing more.
Though there was certainly much to say!

In the meantime, Admiral Ekellan and Demian grew serious once more.

“I’m uneasy.”
“Still, surely they won’t meet.”

Even as he nodded, the unease did not dissipate.

* * *

A thick stench of blood hung heavy in the air.
The acrid smell of charred flesh wafted from the scorched remains.
The parched sand was saturated with blood, stained black with its weight.

Nelije stared at the scene with a deathly pale face.
This was the first time in her life she had witnessed so many corpses.
And the condition of each one was…

‘I… I need to run.’

It was the moment Nelije turned to look at Saelika.

“Wow!”

Saelika let out an exclamation of admiration.

“That’s incredibly clean work! It looks like you handled all these monsters almost simultaneously?”

Saelika approached the corpse and examined the cross-section.

“Hmm, this doesn’t look like it was cut by a blade so much as magic…”
“Right. You figured it out quickly. Most people mistake it for aura strikes. Though they do recognize the charring marks as magic.”
“I’ve heard that Young Master Mikhael is an exceptional mage.”
“There’s no way Father or that guy would have told you about me.”
“It’s just rumor.”

Mikhael regarded Saelika with interest.
Saelika was rummaging through the monster’s corpse with curiosity written all over her face.
It was an expression one would rarely see on a child.

‘Is she tracking the taint from the corpse? Quite…’

Then, Mikhael’s Adjutant approached and asked.

“Young Master, who are these people?”
“Apple and Apple’s friend.”

Mikhail introduced me to his Adjutant, then turned to look at Nelije.
Nelije stood frozen, her face drained of all color.

‘Yes, that’s normal enough.’

Mikhail spoke as if sympathizing with her plight.

“She seems frightened.”
“And whose fault do you suppose that is?”

The Adjutant, clicking his tongue, approached Nelije with a rather courteous demeanor.

“Rest assured. Thanks to Young Master’s rampage, this entire area is secure. Of course, Young Master is the most dangerous one here. But he is still human. For now, at least.”
“….”
“You must be exhausted from crossing the desert. Come this way and take some rest….”

The Adjutant stopped walking.
Nelije, her face now a sickly blue rather than merely pale, had backed away with each step he took toward her.

“Ah, I see.”

Seeing her expression—as if she might faint at any moment—the Adjutant belatedly understood.
How his appearance must have seemed to this young girl.

Massive fangs capable of tearing Nelije apart in a single bite.
Eyes gleaming with the predatory light of a beast.
Combined with the corpses surrounding them, it would have stirred the darkest imaginings.
He must have appeared as a half-human, half-beast monster.

“My apologies. You were frightened, weren’t you?”

The Adjutant’s bestial visage shifted into human form.
Nelije came to her senses belatedly.

“N-no, it’s fine. I’m sorry. I was the one being rude….”
“Not at all. Your fear was understandable.”

The Adjutant smiled politely and guided Nelije toward the tent.

“The surroundings are a bit unsettling, but please rest comfortably. Here’s some sweet iced tea. You’ll feel much better after drinking it.”
“Thank you.”

Nelije accepted the iced tea with trembling hands.
But she couldn’t bring herself to drink it right away.

Among the beastfolk clans, those who carried mixed blood like that man were especially cruel and merciless.
The type whose bestial instincts overpowered human reason.
I’d heard there were cases where they devoured humans.

Nelije lifted her head and looked toward Saelika.
Other half-beast beastfolk surrounded Saelika.

Saelika appeared completely unbothered.
She showed neither surprise nor curiosity.
She simply surveyed the corpses while conversing with Mikhail.

“Hmm, so this is like a boundary line, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, we were planning to venture deeper. That way there would be more monsters. Larger ones would appear too.”
“Yet you’re taking us in the opposite direction. Young Master Mikhail, you’re truly kind.”
“I told you. Helping Saelika brings me joy.”

Mikhail smiled.

* * *

The iced tea was sweet and cold.
After watching Saelika finish a glass cleanly and drink more, Nelije began drinking as well.

‘I suppose I was being too sensitive.’

Nelije felt a bit embarrassed.
These people were her benefactors.
It seemed she had harbored unfounded prejudice and misunderstood them.

Looking at them again, Mikhail was a very kind and refined young man.
His eloquence and conversational skill were so good that listening to him left no room for boredom.

‘That’s right, I shouldn’t judge someone as sinister just because they call people by such a name!’

That vow had been made just five minutes ago.

“Wait, isn’t this a monster?” Nelije asked in bewilderment.

Mikhail laughed with unflappable composure.
Mikael laughed smoothly.

“There’s nothing better for traveling through the desert. It’s fast and comfortable.”

Nelije pondered.

“…Can I really trust these people?”

Saelika comforted Nellige.

“How are they different?”
“They lack malevolent energy. They’re essentially beasts—nothing more. They’re mistaken for monsters because of their appearance and their habit of preying on humans.”
“…”
“….”

No, that’s a problem in its own way.

“Then ride with me. Papuka is sturdy, so it should be fine for both of us to ride together.”

Nelije had no desire to ride something that might devour her at any moment.
Who could say?
Perhaps it would mistake her for a snack on its back.
I wonder if she thinks of herself as a snack carried on my back.

But seeing Saelica’s hand being pushed out…

I got it.

It was the moment when Nellige clasped Saelika’s hand.

The Papuka bared its fangs at Nelije.
Papuka bared its teeth at Nellige.

“…!”
“Don’t use that!”

Thwack!
Saelika gave Papuka a sharp flick on the forehead.

Kiiiiing….
Papuka whimpered and settled down obediently.

“Wow, did you see that?”
“I’ve never heard Papuka make that squeaking sound before.”

The beastmen around them whispered among themselves.
Nelije stiffened and asked hesitantly.

“I-is it really safe to ride?”
“It’s perfectly safe. The creature was just playing around. It was merely testing a frightened opponent.”

Michael’s Adjutant explained kindly.
Nelije felt uneasy but climbed onto Papuka anyway.
She was still a bit sorry for not drinking the iced tea right away earlier.
More than anything, she didn’t want to be a burden to Saelika anymore.

Mikhail watched with a smile on his face.
His Adjutant approached and whispered to him.

“The Sacred Maiden is certainly unusual, isn’t she? The Admiral is one thing, but it was unexpected that she won over Young Master Demian’s favor.”
“She won over that fool’s favor too?”
“Yes, surprising, isn’t it? Young Master Demian is always fixated on ‘that person,’ after all.”
“That idiot is hopelessly stubborn. But seeing the Sacred Maiden now, I think I understand a little.”

Mikhail’s smile changed slightly.
The Adjutant looked at him in surprise.
That was a genuine smile.
Not the fake one he always wore.

But there was more to be surprised about.

“This is turning out to be somewhat interesting.”

Fun?
Young Master Mikhael had secretly crossed the border and ventured into the desert teeming with monsters simply because he found things tedious and boring.
And yet, what did he say?

“Hmm, it’s not fun after all.”

That was it.

‘But he came here for fun?!’

Michael’s Adjutant stared at him with an expression as bewildered as if the sun had risen in the west.
Only then did he belatedly realize something.

“Um, Young Master?”
“What.”
“The Bennayser Kingdom is in that direction, not this way.”
“I know.”

Mikhael smiled.
His languid eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth curved upward.
This time, it was a genuine smile.

* * *

The Bennayser Kingdom was thrown into upheaval.
The head of the Empire’s delegation, who had ventured into the desert with Prince Ryubik, had gone missing.

“What are we to do about this?!”
“This could escalate into war!!”
“Why on earth did Prince Ryubik take the Sacred Maiden into the desert in the first place!”
“Is this the time to assign blame? We must find the Sacred Maiden at once!”
“Any word from the search parties? Still no sign of her?!”

The entire palace was in an uproar.
The outcome of war with the Empire was as predictable as fire.

Bennayser’s Knight Commander shouted harshly at the assembled knights.

“We must rescue the Sacred Maiden Saelika by any means necessary! Search every corner of the desert!!”

In that instant.
The Knight Commander felt his spine erupt with chills.
No—not just his spine, but his entire body was seized by goosebumps.
His heart constricted violently.
A suffocating pressure!

‘What… what on earth is this…!’

He forced his reluctant head to turn.
Standing there was a man who should not exist in this place.

Hair black as the deepest night.
Eyes redder than blood itself.
A man whose mere presence crushed the very space around him.

“Where is my daughter?”

Kaiser the Sacred Knight.

—————
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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