Youngest on Top - Chapter 156

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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 156

* * *

Agnes Countess bit her lips firmly as she left the venue.

‘Not only Princess Grizelda, but even Duchess Alasia is protecting that lowly creature!’

She was in no mood to enjoy the gathering.
Agnes Countess hurried back to the Duke’s residence and immediately picked up the communication stone.
Before long, the other party’s voice came through.

[Agnes Countess.]
“Duchess Alasia is planning to open a branch vote for the Artemia Temple!”

Agnes Countess got straight to the point.

[I anticipated this from the moment the Caston trade succeeded.]
“You anticipated it?”
[But it’s unexpected that Duchess Alasia has moved. She’s not someone who would act just because someone asked her to.]
“Is this really the time to be so composed?!”

Agnes Countess ground her teeth.

“I hate it most when lowly creatures crawl up without knowing their place.”

With the help of the Parmanase Temple, her half-sister was prevented from even touching the system.
But there were still people whispering behind her back.

‘How dare a bastard born of lowly blood call herself my sister…!’

Whenever she saw Saelika thriving among the nobility, that bastard came to mind.
If she were to establish a branch in the system and take root…

‘Abhorrent!’

“You said he was definitely dead in King Bennayser’s kingdom! You should have made absolutely certain he was killed!”
[….]
“Yet not only did he return alive and well, but he even managed to establish a trade agreement with Caston. How exactly did you handle this?”
[Countess, I understand you’re upset and speaking out of frustration.]
“….”
[But Beatrix will not see it the same way.]
“…!”

Beatrix.
At that name, Agnes—who had been speaking so arrogantly—flinched.

[If she learns that you issued commands to our temple as though you had authority, she will not be pleased.]
“…I wasn’t commanding anyone.”
[Of course, I understand that.]

The voice on the other end of the communication spoke in gentle tones.
Agnes’s demeanor softened considerably as she opened her mouth again.

“Bennayser is far too distant. But Jedo is within Parmanase Temple’s own backyard, isn’t it?”
[….]
“You could prevent that heretical sect—with that lowly creature serving as Sacred Maiden—from establishing a branch within Jedo.”

The high-ranking nobles who possessed voting rights.
The majority of them maintained connections with Parmanase Temple.
Some noble houses, like Agnes’s own, had forged extremely close ties, while others merely dipped their toes in the waters.
Either way, they all had some connection.

“Meanwhile, Sacred Maiden Artemia’s temple is nothing but country bumpkins who’ve only just risen to prominence in Jedo.”
[….]
“If Parmanase Temple simply steps forward, wouldn’t the voting outcome be obvious?”
[….]
“Our ducal house stands ready to serve and dedicate ourselves to Parmanase.”
[It is always a joy to share purpose with one so faithful.]

Agnes’s lips curved upward in a smile.

“Hehe, once this matter is settled, I shall visit Parmanase Temple in person.”

With those words, the communication ended.
Agnes smiled, gripping the communication stone tightly.

Opening a branch vote at the Artemia Temple was a mistake.
No, it was actually a self-inflicted wound.

‘If she faces opposition and fails, she’ll only be cutting away at her own flesh.’

Who would want to become a devotee of a failed temple?
She would come to regret not holding the vote at all.

“Hehe, by then it will be too late to regret. The Artemia Temple will already be in decline.”

This was the price for that lowly creature overstepping her bounds.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Akastel regular assembly hall.
Time had passed, and it was now time to adjourn.

‘Those carriages….’

Carriages that occupied positions both inconspicuous yet somehow conspicuously noticeable.
The carriages bore no coat of arms.
Yet everyone knew exactly what those carriages were.

“Isn’t that the carriage the Emperor’s attendant uses for unofficial matters?”
“That one belongs to Empress Maxina’s close attendant….”
“There’s also a carriage used by Empress Adelin’s maid.”

The closest confidants of the imperial family.
They had arrived in unmarked—though unmistakably recognizable—carriages.

“What business brings them here…?”
“It seems like they’re waiting for someone?”
“But if His Majesty or the Empresses had business, they could simply summon them.”
“Exactly. The way they’re waiting like this suggests something significant is happening….”

‘Who on earth could it be?!’

The nobles were beginning to wonder.

“Apple!”

A voice sweet as honey dripping from a honeycomb rang out.
Everyone’s attention turned in that direction.

“My, Admiral Ekellan looks splendid as always today.”
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see him these days.”

The noblewomen smiled with delight.
A handsome man’s mere presence contributed to the happiness of life itself.
And a handsome man who was kind to children was even more captivating.

“Let me see, my apple. Your skin is so glossy and radiant—you must have been eating plenty of delicious things inside, haven’t you?”

Admiral Ekellan lifted Saelika high into the air with a broad grin.

“I told you not to call me that in front of others.”
“What else would I call an apple but an apple?”
“….”

When Saelika fell silent, Admiral Ekellan tilted his head curiously.

“That’s strange. Why are you letting it slide?”
“Because I’m grateful to you, Admiral.”
“Ah. My apple, how sharp you are with your calculations. Who do you take after to be so clever?”
“….”
“It must be me, then?”

Admiral Ekellan grinned smugly and boarded the carriage with the child.
The nobles watching them whispered among themselves.

“The Admiral’s behavior like that is still surprising, you know.”
“Yes, he was pleasant and kind, but there was always a distance about him.”
“I thought he was a philanderer, but he’s unexpectedly domestic… isn’t that incredibly attractive?”

It was then, as they were conversing.
Someone pointed toward the Emperor and Empress’s carriage.

“Wait, look over there.”

The Emperor’s attendants and the Empresses’ maids had emerged from the carriage at some point.
They watched Admiral Ekellan’s carriage disappear into the distance, their expressions troubled.
After exchanging wary glances with one another, they climbed back into the carriage.

“Wait, are we really leaving like this?”
“Could it be…?”
“Were the Emperor’s attendants and all the Empresses’ maids waiting for the same person?”

That alone was astonishing.

“They were waiting for Sacred Maiden Saelika, weren’t they?!”

The fact that the person in question was Artemia’s Sacred Maiden made it all the more shocking.

* * *

The Imperial Palace.
The Emperor received his attendant’s report and opened his mouth slowly.

“…So it seems this invitation too has been refused.”

Duke Makandor, who had been playing chess beside him, let out a soft chuckle.

“I thought Your Majesty would declare checkmate this time.”
“Be quiet.”

The attendant spoke up, seeing the Emperor’s displeased expression.

“For Sacred Maiden Artemia to dare refuse Your Majesty’s invitation twice—her audacity reaches the heavens.”
“Indeed, quite audacious.”

The Emperor nodded slowly.
And in the next moment.

“Hahahaha!!!”

He threw his head back and burst into laughter.

“You’re quite skilled, remarkably skilled!”
“Pardon?”

Unlike the bewildered Attendant, Duke Makandor nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, this is no ordinary person. I was curious how you managed to negotiate with King Bennayser in such a manner.”
“Yes. My expectations were completely off the mark.”
“Your Majesty’s expectations are always off the mark anyway. Just look at when you play chess—.”
“Silence!”

The Emperor dismissed the Duke’s words.
He turned to the still-bewildered Attendant and asked.

“Do you remember the excuse that child gave when she first refused to meet with me?”
“…She said she had to go on a date with her father.”
“You actually believed such a flimsy excuse about going on a date with her father?”
“I didn’t believe it at all, Your Majesty.”
“Right, neither did I. So I thought that child would be busy orchestrating the branch vote.”
“But in reality, she wasn’t busy with that at all.”

According to the reports, Sacred Maiden Saelika was indeed busy.
Playing tag with the Temple Priests.
The penalty for tag was a kiss.

That wasn’t all.
She went on dates with Kaiser and also with Randel.
And she played around with her peer Trainee Priests, exploring dessert shops throughout the district.

Truly, a busy time indeed!

“Thinking about it again, she really did nothing at all.”
“Right, why do you think that is? Could she really have been dating her father?”
“…That’s absolutely not it.”
“Right, absolutely not.”

The Emperor let out a sly chuckle.
The Attendant asked with a puzzled expression.

“Then why…?”
“Look at the results. That child did nothing and simply opened the branch vote.”
“…!”

Understanding flashed across the Attendant’s eyes.

“Your Majesty, are you saying that moving Duchess Alasia was Sacred Maiden Artemia’s intention?”
“Not just me. The two Empresses and Admiral Ekellan moved as well.”

The Emperor, the Empresses, and even the Southern Admiral all moved according to that child’s design?
The Attendant found it difficult to believe.

What if those four people hadn’t moved according to Saelika’s intention?
Then the branch vote wouldn’t have opened at all.
Wasn’t the risk far too great?

“Wouldn’t it have been more certain for the Sacred Maiden to visit Duchess Alasia directly and settle it?”
“Have you ever seen a diamond say of itself, ‘I’m incredibly valuable, please buy me’?”
“…No.”
“Chasing after the coattails of powerful people and appealing that you’re valuable only makes you look foolish.”
“Indeed, and that child has already proven she is a diamond by making the Caston trade a success.”

Duke Makandor nodded in agreement.
The Emperor spoke.

“A diamond of hundreds of carats in the finest quality isn’t shown to just anyone. Only to those who are worthy.”
“To be precise, only to those who have already spent considerable money, or those certain to continue spending it.”
“What you both mean is…?”
“To sit at the table, you must prove you’re a decent customer on this side as well. You must pay the table fee.”
“I thought moving Duchess Alasia was a decent table fee.”
“But the other competitors paid the same fee, so it became the baseline. Truly a clever child, isn’t she!”

Guffaw, guffaw, guffaw!
The Emperor laughed with delight.

“Even against the Emperor and Empresses, she’s calculating a table fee!”
“A date with Father, tag with kissing as punishment—she even deliberately did pointless things to set the stage. If that child had moved actively, we wouldn’t have noticed her intention.”
“Right, all those pointless things were to inform us. To pay the table fee.”

The Emperor and Duke Makandor laughed with keen interest written across their faces.

‘No matter how I think about it, that doesn’t seem right….’

The Attendant tilted his head while contemplating this.

‘It would actually be more credible if she really was busy on a date with her father—’

He stopped himself mid-thought and immediately shook his head.

‘No, that doesn’t make sense. Would anyone actually refuse a private audience with His Majesty the Emperor just because they had a date with their father?’

For an ordinary person, such a thing would be absolutely impossible.
Even a complete fool—no, even a father who doted on his daughter beyond reason—it would be impossible.

‘You’d have to be at least a complete idiot to do something like that….’

At that moment, the Emperor spoke sharply, having noticed the Attendant’s expression.

“It seems you still have unanswered questions.”
“Pardon? Ah, no, Your Majesty.”
“Just wait and see. The big money will start moving now.”
“Big money, you say….”
“Capitalists have a supernatural sense for the scent of profit.”

Knock, knock.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

“Enter.”

The door opened at the Emperor’s permission.
Upon seeing the man who entered, the Emperor asked.

“Well then, how did it go?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It appears that Gerald of the White Pearl Merchant Company has made contact with Sacred Maiden Artemia.”

The Attendant’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the Emperor.
The Emperor grinned wickedly.

“See? Was I not right?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty! How remarkable!!”
“White Pearl, then. One of the Empire’s three great merchant houses. They have the qualifications to join the game.”
“What will you do, Your Majesty?”

The Emperor stroked his chin at Duke Makandor’s words.

“Maxina and Adelin will put forth their branch approval votes as their entry fee.”
“Surely that is not an entry fee Your Majesty can offer.”
“True, I already promised my approval vote beforehand. Merely honoring a prior promise accomplishes nothing.”
“Then—.”
“I am Emperor in name, so I cannot offer less than Maxina or Adelin.”

The Emperor grinned wickedly.

“Hmm, let me think. Would something yellow suffice?”
“Something yellow… Do you mean gold ingots, Your Majesty? That would always be welcome.”
“But would the White Pearl merchant house not offer gold ingots as their entry fee?”
“Then—.”
“I mean the yolk of the egg.”
“…! Surely not that land…?!”

Duke Makandor looked at the Emperor in astonishment.

“Yes, that very land. Land is necessary to establish a branch.”

The Emperor glanced at his attendant.

“This time, you ask no questions.”
“I can only marvel at Your Majesty’s wisdom. How could I possibly object?”

The attendant seemed deeply impressed that White Pearl had moved immediately after the Emperor finished speaking.
The Emperor preened with satisfaction.

“Well, this much is basic for me. Wisdom, indeed.”
“Quite so. Had you possessed such wisdom, you would not have lost before.”
“What?”
“Checkmate.”

Duke Makandor moved his chess piece with a sly grin.

“…Just let me take back one move.”
“That is not possible.”

The Emperor’s attendant regarded his master with an ambiguous expression.

‘He’s so sharp…. He really does seem to be sharp….’

Why did doubt creep in when I saw him like this?

‘Could it be that Kaiser the Sacred Knight is just an idiot?’

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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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