Youngest on Top - Chapter 175

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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 175

* * *

Light surged forth in a torrent.
A brilliance so dazzling it seared the eyes.
And beyond that radiance, a silhouette wavered into being.

I held my breath.

Hair of gold as radiant as the sun itself.
Eyes of blue holding the vast expanse of the sky.
A gaze that contained towering mountains and a smile that held the depths of distant seas.
One whom all angels sing in unison to praise, whom all gods acknowledge.
And—
one whom I revere and love without end—

“Artemia.”

Artemia had manifested before me.

‘This cannot be.’

Even seeing it with my own eyes, I could not believe it.
For her sacred voice alone to grace this land is a miracle.
Yet for her very form to manifest as well—

‘How is this possible?’

Could such a thing even occur?
Was this truly permissible?
The very fabric of causality has been twisted—what price must Artemia have paid—

‘Ah.’

Every tumultuous thought dissolved in an instant.
The moment our eyes met.

“….”

Everything simply slipped away from my mind.
I couldn’t think of anything at all.
This was clearly a moment I shouldn’t let pass like this.
There had to be a reason why Artemia appeared before me in this form.

But my lips wouldn’t open.
I could only gaze at Artemia.
That alone was enough to make me feel complete.

—You’ve grown so much.

At that tender voice, tears threatened to spill from my eyes.
I held up my arms, which had become far more slender compared to my days as an angel, and spoke.

“But I’ve become this small, haven’t I?”

—You’ve grown so much.

I couldn’t understand Artemia’s words.
Artemia gazed at me in silence.

It was strange.
Artemia was such a magnificent being, surrounded by high angels and countless deities.
Meanwhile, I was a troublemaking youngest angel who wasn’t even permitted to serve at her side.
And yet.

‘Why does this gaze feel so familiar?’

It shouldn’t be possible.
It was I who, unwelcome as I was, always lingered around Artemia from afar, stealing glances.
Artemia would only smile when she happened to notice me.

‘And even that was but a fleeting moment.’

The deities beside her would redirect Artemia’s attention, glaring at me as if to say I had no place there.
As if asking what a mere flaw like me was doing, intruding upon Artemia.

I only ever received Artemia’s full attention when I made a mistake.
More precisely, when the other gods grew angry.
Artemia, in her kindness and compassion, protected even the lowliest of angels.

That was certainly the case.
So why did this feel so familiar?

—Saelika.

Even this summons.

It was the moment I was about to open my mouth.

Boom!
The world began to tremble.
The world that had bowed before Artemia’s authority, its very flow suspended.
It was a sign that the world was returning to its original course.

—Time is running short.

A large hand touched my forehead.

—Saelika, my child who is both the strongest and the most fragile.

It was the first time.
Artemia had called me “my child.”

—I am always by your side.

A clear and pure energy flowed into me from the forehead where her hand rested.

‘This is….’

As I contemplated the power filling my body, the hand that had touched my forehead withdrew.
I watched as Artemia’s divine form was engulfed in light.

—It is time to part.

Time began to flow once more.
I heard the sound of the frozen world stirring back to life.
Artemia was disappearing again like this.

‘I don’t want this.’

“Artemia…!”

I could no longer see Artemia’s face clearly.
But I could feel her gaze upon me.

“I know I’ve made so many mistakes. That’s why I was punished and exiled like this…”

My voice began to falter.
I braced myself, pressing hard through my toes.
I lifted my head and opened my eyes wide.
Beyond the piercing rays of light, I could see Artemia’s face.

“Still, was I of any help at all? This time, for Artemia—”

My words could not continue.

Eeeeeeeeek—
A ringing sound pierced through the space like it was tearing it apart.
My head felt as though it would shatter.

Even through that pain, I held my breath and listened intently.
I didn’t want to miss a single word from Artemia.
I wanted to hear her voice, even just a moment longer.

—Saelika. You always,

Before the world crumbled into disarray.
Artemia’s tender voice wrapped around me.

* * *

The priests were the first to sense something was amiss.
The moment the priests of Artemia felt the dissonance, they instinctively turned their attention to Saelika.
And the instant they saw the child’s face, their hearts sank.

“Sae?”
“What’s wrong!”

The priests rushed toward Saelika in alarm.
The trainee priests did the same.

“Honeybread, what’s the matter!”
“Who hurt our youngest! Who!”
“Ugh….”

Saelika couldn’t respond.
Tears streamed down uncontrollably.

—She had been my joy.

Being born with talent in sacred power wasn’t about receiving God’s selection.
Only the Sacred Maiden was a being directly chosen by God.

So Saelika wanted to do well.
Because Artemia chose me, a sinner, and gave me this chance.
Because she trusted and entrusted me, someone who always caused trouble.

This time, I had to be helpful.
This time, I had to succeed.
Otherwise, I’d tarnish Artemia’s name again.

Work hard.
Even if my nose bleeds during training.
Even if my unrefined fingertips shatter completely.
Don’t cry.
This isn’t pain.
Just keep your eyes forward and work hard.

‘Only then will Artemia not abandon me.’

And yet.

Artemia answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Even as she was defiling her own name—

‘I was Artemia’s joy.’

Always, forever.

Saelika lifted her head.
Through her blurred and wavering vision, she could see Artemia’s figure.
That smile seemed directed entirely at her.
Saelika smiled back.

A gleam.
Sunlight illuminated Artemia’s form like a halo.
The light that followed cast a brilliant radiance upon Saelika’s golden hair.
And—

“I… wings?”

The people gasped as brilliant light shattered like pristine white wings from behind Saelika’s back.

“What, what is this? Real wings?”
“An angel…?”

As the people rubbed their eyes and blinked, the wings—like an afterimage—vanished.

“Did we see it wrong?”

The people who had tilted their heads in confusion froze.
Could everyone present have seen it incorrectly at the same time?

“You saw it too? I’m certain it was a vision of wings on the Sacred Maiden’s back…”
“I saw it too!”
“Such a vision appears the moment the statue is restored?”
“Then this means—.”

A miracle through divine visions.
It was something that only appeared in mythology.

“Goodness, such a miracle on the day the Artemia Temple reclaimed its land!”
“Sacred Maiden Artemia has performed a miracle!”
“We just opened the Jedo branch today! Surely this is the revelation that Artemia would perform a miracle through Jedo!!”

The people chattered excitedly.
It was clear the news would spread like wildfire to those who hadn’t attended today.

The founding day of the Artemia Temple’s Jedo branch.
It was the moment when the names of the Artemia Temple and Saelika were etched deeply into the Empire’s history.

* * *

Parmanase Temple headquarters.
Inside the conference hall, heated voices unbecoming of a temple were being exchanged.

“What do you intend to do about this!”
“What did we say when Artemia was setting up their Jedo branch? That it would be fine since they’d just be wasting effort anyway?”
“But now the line in front of the Artemia branch is so long that traffic in the entire area is paralyzed!!”

It was propaganda that surpassed even the word “successful.”

“Even though we made moves to prevent the branch from being established, what can we do about the result!”
“That cunning demon woman used her schemes to ruin all our plans!”
“Why did we entrust this task to someone like Houston in the first place!!”
“Didn’t all of you agree back then?”

The priests glaring at one another breathed heavily.
They knew that mere recriminations would solve nothing.

“For decades, we’ve worked to push Artemia without a Sacred Maiden to the brink of the cliff.”

Without a Sacred Maiden, their immediate decline was unavoidable.
But what if a Sacred Maiden appeared in the next generation?
If not the next generation, then the one after?

So I subtly pulled strings behind the scenes, bit by bit, ensuring no one could trace Parmanase’s hand in it.
Making certain that even if the Sacred Maiden appeared, she could never rise again.

Sponsoring Molloresta, located in the same region as the Artemia Temple, to secure the top position in the Eastern Immovables was my doing.
Continuously inciting Reyatan, who yearned to become an Octagon, to trample upon Artemia was my doing as well.
All of it was Parmanase’s work.

“Yet the moment the Sacred Maiden appears, she climbs back up this quickly?”
“Looking purely at the rate of ascension, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it her peak.”

The priests fell silent.
Though none spoke it aloud, they all felt the same unease.

If Artemia maintained this upward momentum.
If she actually challenged Parmanase’s stronghold.

‘If that humiliating past, when we lived crushed beneath Artemia, were to repeat itself…!’

The Parmanase priests desperately denied that possibility.

“Anyway, she can’t possibly maintain this level of momentum.”
“Right, interest that rises quickly will fade just as fast.”
“To maintain the upward trend, there would need to be continuous issues and she’d have to resolve them well, but that’s impossible.”
“There won’t be any issues to begin with. No matter how exceptional the Sacred Maiden’s abilities are, there’s nothing she can do about that.”

The establishment of a branch temple is a major issue that captures everyone’s attention.
But subjugating the Dantalian Desert?

In truth, if Houston hadn’t made a public subjugation request, the Empire’s citizens wouldn’t have paid much attention to it.
It wasn’t even an incident that occurred within the Empire.

In other words, there simply won’t be another issue significant enough to draw such massive attention to Artemia.

“What do you think, Beatrix?”

The priests’ gazes turned in one direction.
Toward Beatrix, who was examining the large flowering tree within the conference hall.

“Hmm, it is a pity, though.”

Crimson nails caressed the petals.

“The fact that the child came from an orphanage sponsored by our Parmanase makes it all the more intriguing.”
“She was from an orphanage that cultivates ‘Positive Vessels.'”
“Indeed.”

Beatrix clenched the flower bud in her hand.

“How did she slip away from my grasp before even blooming?”
“….”
“Had she remained in that orphanage, I would have recognized that she would blossom into a magnificent flower.”
“I shall conduct a thorough investigation.”
“She would have been such a fitting flower for our Amelia. What a shame.”

Snap.
Beatrix broke the flower.

“But it’s fine. Amelia has so many flowers that suit her.”
“Yes, the Sacred Maiden is such a lovely person.”
“Since I’ve lost the most exquisite flower, I must gift her even more flowers to compensate.”

Crimson lips descended upon the broken flower.

* * *

“Are you ready?”

At Randel’s words, I shouted, “Just a moment!”
Then I hurriedly retrieved the brooch I had hidden deep within my room.

It was the brooch I had won from the “fake three angel statue” wager long ago.
The brooch that Grizelda had possessed, passed down through the imperial family.

‘An item with history but no special powers—just an ordinary thing.’

That’s what everyone believed, but it was actually a sacred relic.

‘Since I lived within the imperial palace until the Order’s branch was completed, I kept it hidden just in case.’

I planned to head back down to the main temple of Artemia and test out what I’d learned once I arrived.

‘I also have the power I received when Artemia manifested herself.’

“That should do it!”
“Good. Then let’s head back.”
“Yes!”

I nodded vigorously.
I couldn’t wait to return.
To the land where Artemia’s presence dwelled most deeply.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

“The other adults are waiting with bated breath for your return.”
“I heard Mogen has knitted so much while waiting for you that it fills an entire room.”

I now had a place to return to, people I missed.
And besides—

‘It’s quite magnificent.’

I gazed at the gleaming new structure before me.
The Jedo Temple branch was truly the pinnacle of cutting-edge magical engineering.

‘The money was well spent.’

Not only did the building shine brilliantly, but the Jedo branch itself was thriving with activity.

‘Is this what it feels like to return home with arms full of gifts?’

Perhaps it was because I, who had been such a troublemaker, had never experienced this before.
I felt a sense of pride.

Just then, Sirius Elder approached me with his characteristically cold expression.

“I’m managing the institutional branch well. Don’t worry.”
“Worry? Sirius Elder, you do everything better than anyone else.”
“Yes. Then go on now.”
“Yes!”
“….”
“…?”

I wiggled my hand that Sirius was holding.

“What’s wrong?”
“Um, you need to let go of my hand so I can leave, right?”
“Ah.”

Sirius nodded belatedly.
But he still didn’t release my hand.
His characteristically cold gaze fixed upon me.

“…A kiss.”
“…?!”
“A goodbye kiss?”
“….”

No, seriously, all the adults seem to have gone strange.
Sirius was the closest to normal, so how did things come to this?

‘At least the High Priest scolded the adults.’

While I was away, the High Priest apparently gave the strange adults a stern talking-to.
So once I get to the temple, everyone should return to normal.
I held onto that hope.

“The gate’s open. I’m really leaving now!”
“A kiss?”

Ugh, seriously!

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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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