Youngest on Top - Chapter 169

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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 169

* * *

“Ugh!”
“Gack…!”

The children instantly shielded their ears with holy power.
Yet the shockwave still rattled through their bodies.
Reflexively, holy power circulated through the Divine Circuit, dampening the impact.

‘…I suppose I should thank the youngest for this.’

Before panic could even set in, my body reacted first.
Thanks to being accustomed to taking hits.

“The core?”
“Still intact as it was when it shrieked.”

The children absorbed the shockwave while keeping their eyes fixed on the enemy.
Their fighting spirit remained unbroken even against a foe that could unleash such devastating power with a single cry.

It was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.
But.

‘I don’t think we’ll lose.’

This was actually better than before.
Earlier, while grinding through the mission Saelika had given us, we’d faced all manner of demons.
Now we were at least focused on confronting a single demon.
In fact, the children were holding their own against the core.
The core’s outer shell was already tattered and torn.

But then.

Kieeeee—!
Kieee!
Kyaaaaaaaa!!

The cries of demons began echoing from all directions.
Like the sound of leaves rustling against the forest in a windswept night without moonlight.
Desolate wails reverberated across the wasteland.

“This is bad….”

Disappointment flickered across Ilay’s face.
We were surrounded in an instant.
The other demons scattered throughout the desert had begun converging on our position.

“That cry earlier—it was calling the nearby demons.”
“Cowardly little thing, calling for mommy and daddy after getting roughed up.”
“I think it’s the other way around, actually.”
“This is going to be difficult.”

Not only were they numerous, but they were all massive creatures.
And worse—

Crack, crackle!
The demons’ bodies swelled even larger under the influence of the core’s turbid energy.
Spines erupted from their hides, and their venom corroded the ground to dust with the slightest contact.

“We have to fight all of them?”
“What, are you scared, Edmund?”
“Scared? Hardly!”
“Both of you, be quiet. Right now we need to figure out how to escape.”

At Ilay’s words, the children’s eyes grew serious.

Surrounded by demons that had grown even larger and more ferocious.
Cutting down one or two wouldn’t open a path for us.
This was a matter of physical impossibility.

“…We need a barrier. One strong enough to hold back demons of that caliber.”

That was the only way to carve a path through and escape the encirclement.

* * *

‘Perfect!’

Houston’s face broke into a satisfied smile.
For some time now, all the desert demons had grown stronger.
There was no way the Wyvern could be an ordinary one.

‘To think it possessed the ability to summon other demons like that! And it wasn’t just calling them—’

It had even enhanced them.

“What should we do? At this rate, something terrible will happen to the children.”
“I can’t bear to watch anymore.”

Those who had grown emotionally invested watching the children’s struggle shifted nervously, their faces etched with worry.
Yet there were more who assessed the situation with cold pragmatism.

‘If we lose the Trainee Priests here, Artemisia has no future.’
‘…I’ll need to recalculate this.’

The Temple Priests from the other temples, who had been watching for an opportunity, seized it.

“How unfortunate. If it were us, we would have brought a Divine Beast from the start….”
“Ah yes, Artemisia has only one Divine Beast, isn’t that right? What was its name—Alkiers?”
“Alkiers is too small to serve as a protective barrier.”
“Besides, they didn’t even bring it along.”
“Artemia’s judgment is truly lacking. Why send only children to such a dangerous place!”

A temple with only one Divine Beast—a pitiful state indeed.
Lacking in preparation and weak in judgment as well.

Their words planted these impressions firmly in the nobles’ minds.
Houston nodded along, driving the final nail into the coffin.

“In many ways, the limitations of a place that succeeded too suddenly are becoming apparent.”

A fortunate upstart.
Nothing more, nothing less.

The nobles’ expressions grew complicated.
Artemia, who had worked miracles by passing the institutional branch vote and stirred up a whirlwind.
But what of her actual capabilities?
Was she truly worth such acclaim?
Such doubts had begun to take root.

‘To overturn this, I need to purify the core.’

Mere purification alone wouldn’t suffice.
What meaning could there be in a pyrrhic victory, one gained while losing so many trainee priests?
Especially when that painful process was being broadcast live for all to witness.

A flawless victory with no casualties.
Anything less, and Artemia would be nothing but a lucky upstart without real ability.
And a perfect victory for Artemia was impossible.

‘Because Artemia has no divine beast.’

It was the moment Houston smiled.

“Look there!”

At someone’s cry, Houston lifted his head.

‘Why, did someone lose a limb or two? Now I can finally get what I—.’

Houston’s thoughts went no further.

Something was floating above Saelika’s two hands.
A ruby carved into the shape of a flower.
Golden light radiating from the child bathed the ruby flower in its glow.

Whoooosh—!
Flames erupted from the ruby flower, engulfing Saelika.

“…!”
“W-Why is there fire…!”

As people panicked, the flames subsided.
And what appeared in their midst was—.

“A, a Divine Beast?!”

It was a Divine Beast nuzzling against Saelika, licking at the flames playfully.

“Was there another Divine Beast in Artemisia?!”
“I was certain there was only Alkiers….”

Watching the astonished crowd, the nobles of Maxina’s faction smiled knowingly.

“That’s ancient history now.”
“Yes, a certain noble procured and donated an artifact housing a Divine Beast for the greater good, at great effort.”
“They foresaw that a day like this would come.”

Now that the Sacred Maiden had appeared, the dormant Divine Beasts began awakening gradually under her influence.
Thanks to this, power leaked from the artifacts containing Divine Beasts, allowing Maxina to obtain one.

“Don’t keep exaggerating my role. I’m simply pleased to be of help to these children facing such a grueling subjugation.”

Maxina spoke with ease.
I could feel Adelin’s murderous glare boring into me, and I couldn’t help but smile.

‘Hmph, did you really think I’d yield my time with Saelika so easily?’
‘Yield? Choose your words carefully. Saelika never chose you in the first place, so what are you yielding?’

The gazes of the two Empresses clashed sharply.
With this, they each had one win and one loss.
Back to square one.
The rivalry between the two Empresses would continue.

* * *

“Flammeus.”

At my call, the Divine Beast Flammeus excitedly surged his flames higher.

“Settle down, settle down.”

There was no stopping him.

“What’s wrong with smelling a bit like Aki? I’ve been with Aki for years, so it’s only natural—. Ugh, I said that’s enough?!”

The flames surged toward me again, so I quickly grabbed hold of them.

“I know. I’ve missed those days when we turned Parmanase’s territory into a sea of fire together. But can you calm down a bit?”

Rather than calming down, even larger flames clung to me.
There was nothing I could do about it.
I whispered to Flammeus.

“…But when I got in trouble for turning it into a sea of fire, what were you doing?”

The flames instantly diminished.
Then a cute fox wearing a collar of flames came into view.

“Let’s do well together, yeah?”

Flammeus let out a squeak and bounded toward the children.
The children were taken aback by how much smaller he was than an ordinary fox.

“Youngest, is protecting this divine beast the mission?”
“Even so, a mission in this situation— huh?”

Suddenly, as flames billowed forth, the children were left speechless.
Crimson flames engulfed the world, seeming as though they would burn eternally—.

“…A demon?”
“An, an Inferno?”

Even hellfire had appeared.

“It looks a bit frightening, but it’s holy flame.”
“This? No matter how I look at it, it’s hellfire.”
“How did that tiny fox ever….”

The children murmured with stunned expressions.

‘I can’t be fooled by appearances. He’s only coming back to get forgiveness for his mistakes.’

As I thought this, the flames grew to tower over the massive demon beast.
Literally, a barrier of fire had been created.

‘If this were the original Flammeus, he could sweep everything away as is.’

But this was the human realm, not the heavenly realm.
Moreover, Flammeus had just awakened moments ago.
The fact that I could amplify the flames to this degree was only because I kept the vessel containing Flammeus close to my chest and shared my divine power with it.

‘Above all, even if Flammeus could do it, he shouldn’t.’

The purpose of this desert subjugation.
It wasn’t to put the children through the wringer—no! It was to make them stronger.

“What are you doing?”

I called out to the children who stood dazed, watching the infernal flames.

“Get moving.”
“…!”
“Do you want me to do it for you?”
“No! We’ll handle it ourselves!”
“Everyone, battle formation!”
“With the barrier established, we’ll move around it as our center!”

* * *

The Meeting Hall was silent.
The only sound was the battle unfolding from the crystal display board.
People watched the combat with such concentration.

Boom!
Another massive demon beast collapsed.
As sand scattered and the ground trembled, someone let out a murmur of awe.

“Remarkable.”

It was truly an incredible battle.
Was this really a combat display by trainee priests?

Dozens of enhanced, massive demonic beasts.
The children didn’t retreat even a single step when facing enemies far stronger than themselves.
Instead, they moved boldly and deliberately into the fray as if accustomed to it, seizing every opportunity.
It was the watching adults whose hearts sank repeatedly at the sight.

And what of their coordinated attacks?
Most of the children said this was their first large-scale subjugation.
Yet they moved with clean precision as if they’d been synchronized for years.
The reason there were no serious casualties was because they backed each other up so seamlessly.

The watching Temple Priests from other temples unconsciously clicked their tongues.

‘What are Artemisia’s trainee priests training against every day—dragons?!’

I know it’s absurd.
But there was no other way to explain it.

Temple Priests who viewed Artemisia as an eyesore were actually expressing admiration.
What would the nobles think?

“Hmph, Artemisia made a poor judgment? That’s impossible.”
“Rather, the trainee priests alone would have been sufficient. That’s why only the children were sent.”
“She even brought legendary-grade equipment and divine beasts.”
“In truth, Artemisia gains nothing from this subjugation. Yet she made such preparations!”

Artemisia had exchanged the subjugation and Kaston trading rights with King Bennayser’s kingdom.
But wasn’t it the Emperor who obtained Kaston?

“…It must be for the same reason she forced a grueling march without proper rest.”
“Simply to save people trembling in fear!”

As Houston listened to the nobles’ whispers, his composure shattered.

‘What nonsense is this…!’

How cunning Saelika was!
The ease with which she threatened as if it were second nature, and the way her words twisted meanings whenever she opened her mouth.
Houston had nearly lost his teeth permanently to her schemes.

But how could I argue against the results right before my eyes?

“The Sacred Maiden of Artemisia truly knows nothing but giving to others.”
“She gives so generously. She could afford to keep something for herself….”
“Truly a saint…!”

The nobles showered her with praise without reservation.

* * *

‘I completely milked this situation.’

I nodded with a satisfied expression.
The Trainee Priests’ condition was completely different from a week ago.
To achieve this level of growth would have required several times the time and far greater expenses otherwise.

‘Indeed, putting them through hell—no! Real combat experience is the best teacher.’

“Children.”
“We can’t move anymore! No more! We can’t!”
“Just kill me instead!”

The children, who had been sprawled out in complete exhaustion, suddenly convulsed and sprang up.
Seeing their reaction, I felt a bit embarrassed.
Perhaps I had been too harsh with them.

“You did well.”
“…!”
“You were excellent.”
“….”

The children pursed their lips and looked at me before turning their heads away sharply.

“Who… who would be happy about that?”
“You really think one word of apology fixes all this suffering you’ve put us through?”
“We’ve been way too lenient with you. We’ve spoiled the youngest rotten.”

The children writhed on the ground, their bodies contorted.
Lying there like that, did they want to become earthworms?

Just then, Flammeus bounded toward me with a leap.
I scooped up the small fox into my arms.

“Yes, you worked hard too, Flammeus. You did well.”

Soft flame-colored fur tickled my arms.
It was rather warm, but I endured it and approached the collapsed core.

Whoooosh—!
My sacred power began to purify the core.

‘Huh? It’s resisting?’

I felt the demonic energy struggling to push back against my sacred power.
I raised my fist and struck the core hard.
The core, struck by sacred power, ceased its resistance.

‘Even after being knocked down, it still resists? That’s really strange.’

It was remarkably similar to the cores in the Demon Realm.
The demon beast Mikhail brought last time was like that, and so were the demons I encountered in the desert this time.

‘They’re all the same as when they were in the Demon Realm.’

They were merely lower-tier demons, but what if this didn’t end here?

The stronger a demon is, the more restrictions it faces in crossing over to the human realm.
It’s similar to why my brothers cannot descend directly into the human realm.

The mirror demon Diana, who once posed as a false Sacred Maiden, must have paid a considerable price to cross over into the human realm.

‘I don’t think Misa could possibly cross over, but…’

“Hmm….”

I was uneasy.
The reason I’d put the children through their paces was so they wouldn’t go around getting beaten up elsewhere.
Should I push them harder?

* * *

While Saelika pondered how to push the children further…no, how to raise them stronger.
There was a group watching her from afar.

“Did that child purify the core?”

The man muttered in a low voice.
Wearing a bone mask of a demon beast, only his mouth was visible on the man’s face.
However, his well-developed muscles, broad shoulders, and above all, the oppressive aura emanating from him were far from ordinary.

“To purify such contamination in one go…she might be ‘that person.'”
“Don’t jump to conclusions.”

At the man’s cold words, everyone present bowed their heads in unison.

“The omens of calamity have already appeared. The time approaches when the Demon King will descend.”

The man’s eyes, hidden behind the bone mask, turned toward Saelika.

“We must find the divine bloodline who will save the world before then.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————