Youngest on Top - Chapter 166

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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 166

* * *

‘Good.’

Saelika was quite satisfied.
We took a walk together in the park and even had an open heart-to-heart conversation.
At first glance, the bond between the brothers had grown considerably stronger.

“It’s cotton candy. Apple, would you like some cotton candy?”
“Yes!”

Saelika nodded enthusiastically.

‘Mikhail wants to build memories with his older brother too!’

He wanted to ask Demian to eat some, but felt too shy, so he spoke to Saelika first instead.
Sure enough, Mikhail subtly urged Demian.

“Brother, eat the bear-shaped cotton candy. Your ‘cute’ little brother picked it out specially for you.”

Demian’s face twisted awkwardly at his brother’s sudden affection.
Saelika was moved.

‘He even picked out a bear shape. So Demian looks cute in Mikhail’s eyes too! This is mutual!’
‘Stubborn bear cub, go pout somewhere else and stop interrupting my time with Apple.’
‘…Mikhail, do you know? Bears tear people apart.’

Demian’s eyes flashed as if he might tear Mikhail to shreds.
Mikhail’s smile deepened.
He tore off a piece of cat-shaped cotton candy and held it out to Saelika.

“Let’s share this with our Apple.”
“Saelika, say ‘aah.'”

Demian didn’t back down either, tearing off the bear’s ear and offering it.
Saelika looked at the two boys offering cotton candy from both sides and realized something.

‘This is exactly what I thought!’

They’re too embarrassed to do it for each other, so they’re taking it out on me instead!

‘Time to push them one step closer to honesty!’

“Since you brothers are meeting after so many years, why don’t you feed each other as a celebration?”
“What?”
“Wait—.”

Snap.
Saelika grabbed both young boys by the arm.
The boys immediately tried to wrench their arms free upon realizing her intention—.

‘Why, why is she so strong?!’
‘Why is she using divine power for something like this?!’

A soft glow emanated from Saelika’s arms.
It was the touch of the sacred.
The boys struggled so hard their arms trembled, but against the power of a holy god, it was futile.

In the end, cotton candy touched both their lips.
It was horrible.
The boys clamped their mouths shut.

“What’s wrong? Embarrassed? Open your mouth quickly.”
“….”
“….”

The boys tensed their jaws without saying a word.
If they spoke, they’d have to open their mouths.

‘I’m getting goosebumps from that bastard feeding me cotton candy!’

“Really… you two are both stubborn and shy.”

Saelika furrowed her brows sharply.
At the same moment, strength flooded into the child’s hands.

Crack!
Hands that could pummel even monsters bare-fisted.
The two young men’s mouths fell open at the sudden attack(?), and Saelika didn’t miss the opportunity.

“…!”
“…!”

A sweet, tender sensation filled their mouths.
Brotherly love (physical) had been achieved!

“M-damn….”

Mikhail muttered a curse.
Demian’s face had gone deathly pale as he clamped his mouth shut.

“Delicious, isn’t it? Seeing such affectionate brotherly bonds makes me so happy.”

Saelika winked at Demian.
The tender, heartwarming moment with the younger brother Demian had so longed for.
That wish had come true!

‘Wow, he must be truly moved. His back is trembling.’

Overwhelmed by intense emotion, Demian kept his mouth shut and bowed his head.

‘Still, as an older brother, he cares so much for a lunatic like Mikhail.’

Demian had suffered greatly too.
He’d lost his youngest brother, and the only one remaining was a madman.

‘How hard it must be to have a disobedient brother who only causes trouble.’

Enrik: You’re one to talk.
Enrik: I’m getting teary-eyed….

‘What about me? Honestly, I was a good brother.’

Enrik: What?
Enrik: Compared to you, Mikhail is as docile as they come.
Enrik: At least he hasn’t started any wars.

This was truly unfair.
I had never started a war.
I simply had some rather intense disputes with several people.
The ones who got beaten and then dragged reinforcements here were the ones at fault.

Enrik: …After all, Mikhail is kind and gentle.
Kailros: What’s wrong with my brother?
Kailros: My brother merely threw a small tantrum to get my attention.
Kailros: It was adorable.
Enrik: …?
Enrik: Has something actually gone wrong with your frontal lobe?
Enrik: Don’t you remember how you were thrashing about saying you’d break the youngest’s legs back then, you bastard?
Kailros: Ah, you mean when my brother and I had that delightful breath-holding game together?
Enrik: ….

‘Both my brothers are truly strange, I tell you.’

I shook my head and looked up.
Before my eyes stood a colossal statue of Parmanace.

‘Originally, that spot held a statue of our handsome Artemia.’

Seeing it with my own eyes made it all the more irritating.
Even more so watching the people who visited the park offer brief prayers before the statue.

‘I absolutely must restore our handsome Artemia’s statue to that place.’

The humiliation of losing our handsome Artemia’s shrine to someone like Parmanace.
The insult of tearing down the statue of our handsome Artemia and erecting Parmanace’s statue in that exact spot.

They deliberately made it into a park so everyone could see Parmanace’s statue whenever they wished—a greater humiliation still.
It was like breaking a flag and brazenly planting a new one in its place, displaying it twenty-four hours a day for all the world to see.

‘I’ll repay this insult with interest.’

To do that, I first needed to recover Artemia’s statue.

‘But since I have no idea where the original statue that was supposed to be here went….’

That statue was no ordinary one.
It was a historic statue that had once been the symbol of the Regime’s branch.
Commonly known as the “Miracle Statue.”
Naturally, it was a sacred relic.

‘I wish someone would suddenly discover it and donate it to us.’

Was it because the land had appeared for free?
I kept finding myself hoping for free things.

‘Then how furious would those Parmanace bastards be?’

Just then, Demian asked.

“Saelika, you said you’re leaving for the Dantallian Desert next week?”
“Yeah.”
“…Ahem, I happen to have business in the desert too. Why don’t we go together—.”
“Apology, shall we recreate the memories of old times in the desert together? We had such a good time.”
“Not necessary.”

Saelika’s expression turned serious.

“But you saw it yourself, right? How much stronger the desert beasts have become. If I’m there—.”
“I’d have to deal with lunatics as well as beasts.”
“Lunatic? You called me a cute kitty last time.”

Saelika didn’t think his words deserved a response.
As a result, there was a pitiful being who harbored an even greater misunderstanding.

‘Cute… kitty…?’

Thump!
Demian’s pupils trembled from the shock.
Saelika, unaware of this fact, fell into deep thought.

‘The demons have certainly grown stronger. It would be nice to have another divine beast. And if there were new divine artifacts….’

But I couldn’t obtain them by next week.
Unless someone suddenly gifted them to me, the way the two Empress Consorts suddenly offered to present the sacred relic and divine statue.

‘Ah, even so, not this time…. I shouldn’t expect that much.’

A miraculous divine statue, a divine beast, and divine artifacts too.
Wanting to gain everything at once without effort.

‘Even I have some conscience!’

Even as I thought this, I glanced up at the sky.

‘…Though, come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve actually lived with much conscience?’

Right, Artemia?
That’s just how it is.
Hmm.

* * *

At that moment, in the Imperial Palace.
Duke Makandor opened his mouth.

“Is the preparation timed with the cotton candy sign, as you ordered?”
“That’s the one.”

The Emperor nodded.
Only the Attendant failed to understand the situation.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to….”
“Tsk! When did you become so oblivious? The ‘plump statue’ we lost in Artemisia. Of course we need to prepare that statue!”
“…”
It’s the ‘Miracle Statue,’ not the ‘plump statue.'”
Duke Makandor corrected him with an exasperated expression.
What in the world was a ‘plump statue’ anyway?
“No, it’s definitely the ‘plump statue.’ It distributes bread, after all.”
“It performed a miracle by dividing small pieces of bread to feed thousands of people, which is why it’s called the ‘Miracle Statue.'”
“Small pieces of bread? What are you talking about? Do you know what the people said when they saw the ‘plump statue’ back then?”

“That bread… it truly looked enormous and delicious.”
“Truly grand and magnificent! Of course, I mean the bread.”
“Ahem, truly a remarkable loaf.”

Duke Makandor’s expression became subtle.

“Who on earth relayed such nonsense to Your Majesty? It must have been before Your Majesty was even born.”
“My father did.”
“…!”

It was the late Emperor’s own words.
The Attendant spoke up promptly.

“As far as I know, it was indeed the ‘plump statue.’ A grand and magnificent loaf of bread it was.”
“See? I told you it was right.”

Duke Makandor regarded the Attendant with a look of betrayal.

“But, Duke. Did you say nonsense?”
“…I meant it as words that grab the ears—correct words.”
“Hmm.”
“I speak the truth.”
“Then teach me one move… no, two moves.”

The Emperor casually moved a piece on the chessboard.
At the Emperor’s petty behavior, the Duke pressed his lips together.

The Attendant carefully opened his mouth.

“But if Your Majesty were to prepare bread, cough, bread for a new deity, how do you think Parmanace would view it?”
“They’d naturally despise it.”

Like cotton candy washed in water, Saelika’s plan to make Parmanace disappear from the Park.
The Emperor had just endorsed that plan.

“Then how will—.”
“It’s fine. I’ll listen to Parmanace’s request as well.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Parmanace must have made contact with Saelika one more time already.”
“Yes, Priest Houston visited Lady Saelika today.”
“Then he’ll come to me soon as well.”
“It must be because of the land Your Majesty granted to Artemisia.”
“No. He’ll speak to me about the conquest of the Dantallian Desert.”

The Attendant gazed at the Emperor with an uncertain expression.
The Emperor was certainly a young ruler with keen insight.

‘But he just said something as absurd as cotton candy, so I can’t quite trust him….’

That was when it happened.
A knock sounded, and a voice announced from beyond the door.

“Your Majesty, Priest Houston of Parmanace has arrived.”
“…!”

The Attendant stared at the Emperor with astonished eyes.
The Emperor spoke with a smug tone.

“Let him in.”

Houston entered the chamber and bowed respectfully to the Emperor.

“Well, what brings you here?”
“I heard that Your Majesty has granted land to Artemisia.”
“Is there a problem with me doing as I wish with my own land?”
“Certainly not. I did not come to speak of that. It concerns the conquest of the Dantallian Desert.”

The attendant startled and clapped a hand over his mouth.
The Emperor regarded the attendant with a look that asked, ‘Did you see?’
The attendant nodded frantically.

His Majesty the Emperor truly possessed boundless insight.
Every word His Majesty spoke was correct.

‘In other words, the flower language of cotton candy was—’

[I shall make you disappear from this world like cotton candy washed away in water!]

—that.

‘…Saelika, what a terrifying child!’

Political subtext was truly cruel and astonishing.
The attendant trembled uncontrollably.

* * *

Houston gazed at the Emperor with unwavering resolve.

‘This is my last chance.’

To seize control of the Bennayser Kingdom.
To nullify the Artemisia Regime branch vote.
To use the Regime branch’s territory to bring down Artemisia.
All of it had failed.

‘Because of that insufferably arrogant woman!’

“Holes everywhere~”
Just recalling the child’s face spinning around with those words made his teeth grind.

‘Beatrix will not tolerate any further failure.’

So now, he had to stake everything on this.

“Surely you’re not suggesting you’d obstruct the subjugation? Even Parmanace couldn’t escape international condemnation for that.”
“Of course not. Naturally, I support the subjugation.”
“Then?”
“What concerns me is something else. Artemia went as Your Majesty’s envoy and secured the position of state religion in the Bennayser Kingdom.”
“….”
“Rather than fulfilling her duties as Your Majesty’s envoy, she’s colluding with a foreign power, isn’t she?”
“That’s quite an exaggeration.”
“But this subjugation will only deepen Artemia’s ties with foreign nations.”
“Stop dancing around the issue. Say what you truly want.”

Houston smiled wickedly.

“To prevent collusion with foreign powers, shouldn’t the subjugation process be made completely transparent?”
“…!”

The Emperor, Duke Makandor, and the Attendant stared at Houston with astonished eyes.

A public subjugation!
That carried far too much risk for Artemia.
Especially now, when the desert’s monsters had grown unprecedentedly powerful.
Houston surely knew this and was making the proposal precisely because of it.

But Houston didn’t stop there.

“If Artemia learns of the public subjugation, she’ll hide the collusion even more carefully.”
“You mean….”
“You must proceed with the public subjugation while keeping it hidden from Artemia.”
“….”

A thick silence descended.
The Emperor gazed at Houston, then slowly nodded.

“Yes, that would be best to discern Artemia’s true intentions.”
“Your Majesty, this is far too disadvantageous a condition for Artemia!”

Duke Makandor protested.
But the Emperor was resolute.

“That is a trial Artemia must overcome as well. If she fails at that, then it simply means her abilities have reached their limit.”
“How wise, Your Majesty!”

As Houston cried out, undisguised triumph bloomed across his face.

‘With this, that arrogant priestess is finished!’

Even if Artemia succeeded in the subjugation, she would inevitably suffer losses.
War was no simple matter.
If it was difficult even for grown adults, what of young priests still in their youth?

‘During the subjugation, she will surely reveal an ugly, terrified expression before the demonic beasts.’

Even a fleeting moment would suffice.
Parmanace possessed more than enough power to magnify and reproduce that instant endlessly!

* * *

Before my eyes stretched a vast desert.
I marveled anew at the sight.

‘Wow, this is the perfect place to put children through their paces.’

—————
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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