Youngest on Top - Chapter 152

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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 152

Randel smiled as he watched me tilt my head in confusion.

“Well, how did he get here?”
“Randel.”
“As far as I know, no news of a disappearance reached the Temple of Artemia. We desperately suppressed the spread of such news from Bennaiser, after all. It would be a serious international incident.”
“Ilay.”

Kaiser called out to Randel and Ilay while grinding his teeth audibly.
Then he spoke to me.

“…I simply had a bad feeling about it.”

I wondered if one would really come all this way just because of a bad feeling.

‘Well, if it’s Kaiser Dad, maybe he could.’

He had just asked if I was in a foul mood and what had happened inside, after all.
Perhaps with such a developed sense of intuition, he acts immediately whenever he has a bad feeling.
That was the moment I came to accept it.

“A feeling, a feeling indeed.”
“Well, it’s not entirely wrong. Emotionally spe—, ahem.”

Randel and Ilay, who had been muttering, fell silent under Kaiser’s terrifying gaze.
Yet they were stifling their laughter as they looked at Kaiser….

‘What is this really? It seems like there’s another reason.’

At that moment, Kaiser suddenly lifted me up.

“Don’t concern yourself with trivial matters. We need to head to the Temple of Balotelo at once. There isn’t much time if we’re to leave Bennaiser by evening.”
“Yes, of course!”

What matters now isn’t why Kaiser came here.
I quickly nodded and headed toward the Temple of Balotelo.

* * *

The Balotelo Temple.
Nelije paced nervously.

‘Did things go well at the palace?’

Without word from Saelika, there was no way to know.
Just then, Dinah, Nelije’s grandmother, approached.
Nelije asked immediately.

“How does it look? What’s the situation outside?”
“Still quiet.”
“That’s strange. This is exactly the kind of story the journalists should be running with right now….”
“…If there were any complications with the plan.”
“There won’t be. She’ll handle it well.”
“But the promised time—.”
“Even if there were complications, she would have resolved them in the end.”

Dinah regarded her granddaughter with newfound respect.

‘For Nelije to show such unwavering faith, just what kind of child is Artemia’s Sacred Maiden?’

Nelije’s gaze turned toward a warehouse no longer in use.
That warehouse was actually a passage leading outside.

‘If things go as planned, Saelika should have already opened that door and come out.’

But more than an hour had passed since the scheduled time, and there was still no word.
Then it happened.

“I sense a presence. She’s here.”

At Dinah’s words, Nelije swallowed hard.

“Given how late she is, she might need help.”

Nelije knew all too well how terrifying the Queen was.
It wasn’t just about devising schemes to put her in a political disadvantage—.

‘If the Queen truly wanted to, she could kill someone.’

Perhaps I was being chased by soldiers.
Or maybe some of my companions were injured.

Just then, the warehouse door swung open.
Nelije tensed, watching the door as it opened.
Indeed, Saelika looked different from usual.
Saelika wasn’t walking on her own—

“Why is she being carried…?”

She was being carried.
And by an incredibly handsome man at that.

“A-are you hurt?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”

Indeed, she didn’t appear to have any visible injuries.
Considering how she’d been pummeling demons with her bare fists, it seemed unlikely she’d be hurt.

“Nelije.”

Saelika called out to her upon spotting Nelije.
The handsome man then approached naturally, still cradling Saelika in his arms.

“Did you wait long?”
“Um, a bit. But….”
“What?”
“Why are you being carried?”
“Oh.”

Saelika let out a small gasp, as if only then realizing she was being carried.
Nelije was utterly bewildered.

‘Just how often does she get carried around like this?’

Saelika whispered something in a low voice.

“Please, put me down, Kaiser Dad.”

Nelije was startled by that name.

‘Kaiser? Could it be that Kaiser the Sacred Knight?’

A man who was practically a living legend.
Indeed, his appearance and presence were extraordinary.
The problem was—.

“Why must I put her down? There’s no problem with things as they are.”
“No, how can we have a proper conversation while I’m being held?”
“Why can’t we? I haven’t covered your mouth, have I?”
“I have feet too. I can walk on my own.”
“Why should my daughter have to walk on such delicate feet when I’m here?”
“….”

Saelika stared at Kaiser with an incredulous expression.
But what was even more absurd and ridiculous were Nelije and Dinah’s reactions.

‘Is that man really Kaiser the Sacred Knight?!’

A man throwing a tantrum because he didn’t want to put down the child?!

“Please put me down now.”
“….”
“Next time I’m only playing with Randel Dad!”
“…!”
“I mean it.”
“That absolutely cannot happen.”

Kaiser quickly set Saelika down on the ground.
But reluctant as he was to let her go, he hugged her tightly once more and nuzzled his face against her plump cheeks.

“….”
“….”

Nelije and Dinah watched the scene unfold with expressions of utter speechlessness.

Kaiser the Sacred Knight, whose wake leaves only demon blood, bones, and corpses behind.
To think he would be so helpless!

When would Saelika arrive? Had something happened?
All that anxious waiting felt foolish now.

Saelika, standing on her own feet, spoke to Nelije.

“Ahem, sorry for being late. My conversation with His Majesty ran long.”
“Mm, with His Majesty, you say?”
“Y-yes, really.”
“I see. Who am I to judge?”

Saelika’s cheeks flushed crimson.
Nelije regarded her with fresh eyes.
I had never seen Saelika embarrassed before.

Once the atmosphere had settled somewhat, Dinah spoke up.

“So you are the Sacred Maiden of Artemia.”
“And you must be Nelije’s godmother.”
“I’m Dinah. Thank you so much for saving our Nelije. And on top of that, finding a way to exterminate the pests infesting the Valotelo Temple. You’re truly remarkable.”
“I did it for my own benefit. After all, I gain something from joining hands with Nelije.”

Though she spoke quite shrewdly, the child fidgeted with her fingers somewhat awkwardly.
Dinah tilted her head at the sight.

‘Is praise unfamiliar to her?’

Judging by Kaiser’s behavior alone, she seemed like a child raised with abundant love, so why?

Nelije grabbed Saelika’s hand and pulled her along.

“Let’s move to another location. This place is secluded, but someone could still come by.”
“Right.”

Nelije felt along the wall surface.
The wall shifted, revealing another secret passage.
As they entered the passage, Saelika asked a question.

“What about Frederick?”
“He still knows nothing. I’m continuing to deceive him as you suggested.”
“Well done.”

If Frederick somehow discovered everything and contacted Parmanase, matters would become troublesome.
Even if I confined him and prevented him from doing anything, Parmanase might still notice the irregularity.
The best outcome was to remain undiscovered until everything concluded.

“How have these two days been? Did you eliminate the bats?”

These two days since Saelika returned from the desert, negotiated with the Queen, and delivered a surprise gift at the gathering.
Nelije and Dinah had been moving busily as well.
They identified all the priests who had made contact with Frederick or acted under his orders.

“Yes, quite the catch. I worried we might miss them if Frederick moved too cautiously.”
“….”
“When the Matriarch returned and began suspecting him, she turned the temple upside down. And when I came back alive on top of that, he must have grown desperate.”
“Exactly.”
“Everything unfolded as you predicted.”
“Once you had him cornered with blackmail, he had no choice but to move his pawns.”

Nelije regarded Saelika anew.
How could a child even younger than herself conceive of all this?
Because she was intelligent?
Yes, that could certainly be it.
But more than that—

‘It’s as if she’s experienced this before.’

In that moment, Saelika turned to look at Nelije.

“I’m relieved you’re safe.”
“What?”
“My one concern throughout this was your safety.”
“….”
“Frederick might have hurt you if things went wrong.”
“It’s fine. A priest can’t kill the Sacred Maiden anyway, can they?”
“….”

Saelika did not respond.
The moment Nelije, sensing something odd, was about to ask again.

“We’ve arrived.”

Dinah spoke.
As she pulled the candelabra on the wall, the wall began to move.
The wall connected to High Priest Baltelo’s chamber.

* * *

Enrik: What is this aura?
Kailros: Still the unpleasant aura of a vermin.

Even without listening to Enrik and Kailros, I felt it too.

‘A demon.’

It had left its aura behind without any attempt to conceal it.

‘Or perhaps it wasn’t entirely careless.’

Nelije and Dinah seemed unable to sense anything at all.
Kaiser, Randel, and Ilay furrowed their brows at the strange dissonance.
But they couldn’t pinpoint it accurately.
It would be different if the three of them took time to investigate or used their holy power.

‘They did manage some deception, at least.’

But to my eyes as a former angel, it was perfectly clear.
Nelije asked.

“How is it? Can you heal our High Priest like you did the King?”
“This isn’t an illness—it’s a curse.”
“A curse? But—but—.”
“You wouldn’t sense the curse. But it is one.”

Dinah furrowed her brows.

“I understand Saelika’s skills are remarkable. But the reason we can’t sense the curse at all—.”
“No, there must be a separate reason we can’t sense it, Grandmother. Isn’t that right, Saelika?”
“She cast an illusion over it.”

Nelije murmured softly, “An illusion….”

“It’s not a serious curse. Rather, it’s a shallow one. That’s precisely why you couldn’t sense it.”

Of course, even a shallow curse is potent enough to kill someone instantly.
The High Priest survives only because of the sacred power he possesses.

‘But compared to the curse placed on Shuri, this is child’s play.’

Shuri’s curse is so overwhelming that even ordinary people without developed spiritual sensitivity recoil from it.

‘Actually, without even comparing them, this really is just a prank. Such twisted taste can only be—.’

Enrik: This is exactly the kind of thing that bastard Misa would do.
Enrik: What the hell is that guy anyway?
Enrik: The Demon King shouldn’t be able to descend into the mortal realm arbitrarily, right?

It’s similar to how Enrik and Kailros can’t descend easily.

Kailros: That vermin is still chasing after my brother’s tail.
Kailros: Why does he keep coveting someone when he doesn’t even know his place?

‘Wait, I placed the curse on a High Priest from a completely unrelated temple. Why does he conclude that Misa is chasing after me?’

Kailros: Considering my brother’s loveliness, it’s an extremely reasonable conclusion.

‘….’

I still haven’t gotten used to Kailros acting like this.
Enrik remained silent, as if he might vomit.

“So you can break the curse?”
“I can break it. Because I can see it.”
“Really?!”

Nelije’s face brightened considerably.
But Dinah’s expression darkened.

“That’s quite a problem.”
“A problem, Your Majesty?”
“Saelika is the Sacred Maiden of Artemia, and the High Priest serves Balotelo.”
“…!”

Nelije’s face stiffened visibly.
She too had grasped the nature of the problem.
I drove the point home to Nelije, whose lips trembled as if she wanted to deny it.

“Artemia’s divine power and Balotelo’s divine power have different wavelengths.”
“….”
“If I perform the blessing with my divine power, it will cause a collision.”
“Then….”
“There are three ways to resolve this.”

I raised one finger.

“First, you increase the influence of Balotelo’s temple while training diligently yourself.”
“Increase my strength?”
“Then you’ll be able to see the curse too. Randel and Kaiser have already begun to perceive it, haven’t they?”
“Yes. After learning that a curse was placed, we began to see it once we channeled our divine power.”

At Randel’s words, Nelije’s complexion grew pale.

“To reach the level of Randel and Kaiser….”
“You don’t need to match them—even reaching Ilay’s level would suffice.”

Of course, reaching even Ilay’s level would be difficult.
No matter how much I amplified her abilities, Ilay possessed such keen senses that he detected Preytsha’s divine power from that great distance.

“That’s impossible.”

Dinah spoke.

“By the time he reaches that level, the High Priest won’t be able to hold on. Besides, influence can’t be raised in such a short period.”
“That’s true.”
“So, what’s the second method then?”
“The High Priest of Valotelo becomes a priest of Artemia.”
“That’s also impossible.”
“Yes, changing the nature of sacred power requires the person’s consent. But the High Priest is in a situation where he cannot give consent.”

How could he consent when he wasn’t even awake?

Nelije remained silent with her head bowed.
I waited for her quietly.
Soon, Nelije opened her mouth.

“The third method is the proposal you mentioned before.”
“Yes.”

I nodded.

“Now it’s time to truly choose.”

* * *

We left the Valotelo Temple and headed toward the portal.
Ilay muttered.

“Isn’t this basically a pyramid scheme?”
“A pyramid scheme?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Your expression suggests it’s not something good.”
“More like a creative economy money-making scheme born from capitalism.”
“…?”
“One thing’s for sure—we’re definitely going to benefit from this. We’re becoming Diamond rank, aren’t we?”
“That’s what I’m asking—what does that even mean?”
“Anyway, these gods here…. Well, I suppose. There was even a god who kidnapped a married woman just because she caught his fancy, so Earth’s no different.”
“….”

Ilay seemed unwilling to answer.
I ignored him and asked something else.

“What about the others’ preparations?”
“Probably went well? Communications are down anyway.”
“Well, they must have handled it fine on their own.”

I nodded and gazed at the portal device.
It was operating as Ryubik had promised.
Now all that remained was to return to the Empire!

* * *

In the social circles of the Imperial capital.

“Have you heard? About the Caston trade deal.”
“Oh yes, I heard. Apparently it was a complete failure.”
“I also heard that Bennaizer decided to trade with the Akaldin Kingdom!”
“No, of all places, to lose to the Akaldin Kingdom! What on earth did they do going there so confidently?!”

Agnes Countess chuckled as she listened to the whispers of the noblewomen.
She waved her fan languidly and spoke to Grizelda Princess.

“My, what shall we do, Your Highness? That lowly creature you chose over Zabelina seems to have caused quite the incident.”
“Rumors are merely rumors.”
“But isn’t this rumor too specific? Especially with the Akaldin Kingdom’s name mentioned.”
“….”
“It’s fortunate. That lowly creature will never set foot in Akastel again.”
“We shall see.”

Agnes Countess, giggling softly, lowered her voice and whispered.

“This is truly top secret, but I heard that lowly creature has gone missing.”
“…!”
“They say she’s probably already dead, or something like that.”
“Countess.”
“I’m only saying this because I pity Your Highness for still clinging to hope. You must face reality now.”
“….”
“Why did you switch to that lowly creature anyway?”

Agnes laughed and moved away.
Grizelda stood rooted to the spot, her fists clenched tightly.

‘…Not only did the trade negotiations fail, but he’s dead? How on earth did this happen?’

Seeing how confidently Agnes spoke, this was hardly mere gossip.
That was when it happened.
The doors to the banquet hall swung open.

—————
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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