Youngest on Top - Chapter 199

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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 199

* * *

“Sae!”
“Over here!”

Inside the coffee house.
The Sacred Maidens waved their hands upon seeing me enter.
They were all Sacred Maidens who had grown familiar with each other while participating in the 7-Seed missions.

“Am I late? Wasn’t our appointment at 3 o’clock?”

I was surprised to find everyone already here despite arriving right on time.
At my words, the Sacred Maidens exchanged glances with each other and grinned widely.

Pop!
Small fireworks burst forth.
A lush bouquet of flowers was placed in my arms.

“Congratulations on placing first in 7-Seed!”
“I knew Sae would take first place from the very first mission!”
“Tomorrow’s the commercial shoot, right?”
“I’m so happy that someone as strong as Sacred Maiden Saelika is our 7-Seed representative!”

I blinked in bewilderment.
I had only heard that we were gathering to see the facilities, but I had no idea they were preparing such a surprise party.
After moving my lips a few times, I spoke.

“You all must have been disappointed…”

At my words, the Sacred Maidens chuckled softly.

“Come on, I never even dreamed of placing first from the start. Our temple doesn’t have many worshippers visiting anyway.”
“I’ll admit, once I actually entered the preliminaries, I got a bit ambitious. But Sae, I accepted your victory cleanly.”
“Right, I’m not even frustrated. If anything, I’m frustrated with myself for not building my skills. But watching you, I finally understand how Artemia managed her comeback.”

The Sacred Maidens laughed refreshingly.
But the relief wouldn’t last long.
Now that the third mission was complete, voting would open soon.
Which meant—

‘—someone would be eliminated.’

The Sacred Maidens who saw my expression shrugged their shoulders.

“If I return to the temple, I’m going to try much harder too.”
“Yeah, I realized I’ve been spoiled just because I’m a Sacred Maiden.”
“It’s embarrassing, but I never really cared about the preliminaries or promoting our temple. Even coming here, I was just planning to sightsee and go back.”
“….”
“But watching you, Sae, made me want to live more earnestly too.”

Seeing the Sacred Maidens laugh sheepishly, I felt strange.
Especially with their eyes sparkling with passion.

‘Did I really do anything worth this…?’

“What did I even do….”
“Sacred Maiden Saelika saved me from falling into a trap.”
“In the second mission, when the dungeon structure changed, you marked the safe path for those coming behind, didn’t you?”
“In the third mission, you even dealt with phantom monsters we missed. Without making a fuss about it.”
“Thanks to that, we could avoid combat. If it hadn’t been for you, we would’ve all put the hostages in danger.”

Those weren’t things I’d done specifically for them.

“It didn’t all air on the broadcast. But we know. We saw it all directly. You.”
“….”
“Working harder than anyone, pushing forward without stopping toward first place, yet never hesitating to help your competitors.”
“….”
“It was amazing.”

Suddenly, this place felt incredibly uncomfortable.
I’ve only caused trouble. I’m not someone that remarkable.

Anakin: Are you an idiot?
Anakin: Just accept compliments as compliments.
Kailros: My younger brother isn’t just cool—he’s adorable, cute, strong, and the best fighter, and….

My brothers’ words echoed in my mind.

Enrik: Who am I to blame?
Enrik: The youngest became like this because of us.
Anakin: What nonsense is that?
Anakin: Hey, troublemaker. Or a walking disaster, an outcast, a problem child—whatever.

‘….’

Anakin: You’re Artemia’s personally chosen representative.

‘….’

Anakin: So you can keep making mistakes like usual and act cocky and rude without worrying.

‘…What are they talking about? What did I do wrong?’

Anakin: Being completely shameless and brazen—that’s just like my younger brother.

No matter how rude I am, I’m probably not as bad as Anakin.

‘Still, whatever.’

My shoulders felt lighter.

“Thank you all for saying that.”
“What are you talking about! We should be thanking you!!”
“We only received help from the youngest throughout the entire mission.”

The Sacred Maidens, beaming with bright smiles, chattered away before lowering their voices.

“But Sae, are you sure you’re alright?”
“…?”
“You’re not being threatened or stalked, are you?”
“He’s been watching continuously since earlier….”
“It’s a little scary—.”

The Sacred Maiden turned her gaze toward the window and paused.

“—but he’s quite handsome.”
“The way he’s pressed against the window is sexy.”
“It’s cool, like a scene from a spy movie.”
“….”

I stared at the Sacred Maidens with a dumbfounded expression.

‘As expected of those chosen by the divine, they possess genuine discernment… or should I say, genuine sight? They truly have eyes that see the truth.’

Even in this situation, they’re judging by appearance first.
I turned my gaze out the window with a cold, weary look.
The adults clinging to the window frame quickly turned their heads away, pretending they weren’t there.

‘…I can see everything, Father….’

And why is Admiral Ekellan here with them?

‘Is it because of Shuri?’

I barely managed to stop him from ranting about plotting treason….
It seems he followed along just in case he might run into Shuri.

‘Shuri isn’t someone with idle time anyway….’

He rarely stays at the imperial palace and is always wandering across the kingdom.
There’s no way they’d run into each other so easily.

‘Wait. Are those Ilay, Demian, and Mikhail hiding in the grass over there?’

Those children who only fought whenever they met are now huddled together so amicably.

‘He’s been getting along well with them lately. Well, Ilay did say he needed to befriend people in power.’

Ilay had warned me about Shuri, then suddenly decided he would become friendly with those in power.

“Anyway, be careful. There’s nothing good about getting close to Crown Prince Kaishurit.”
“Why?”
“You must have felt it too. That unpleasant aura.”
“That’s not the Crown Prince’s aura—it’s the aura of a curse. It’s not his fault.”
“It’s his fault for secretly burying his aura in someone without permission.”
“…That’s— .”

‘It wasn’t buried in Sacred Maiden Saelika, but in Ricardo.’

I couldn’t say that.

“But this situation is an Operations Headquarters matter, isn’t it? The Crown Prince must have wanted him bound to the roses like that, right?”
“….”
“Besides, his clothes were torn. He couldn’t have done that himself. And he obviously delivered the lines as instructed.”
“Saelika.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you cut the vines cleanly with your holy power?”
“Huh?”
“The rose vines, I mean. If you’d cut them with holy power instead of trying to untangle them by hand, it would have been cleaner.”
“Oh… I guess I didn’t think of that?”
“…You didn’t think of it, you say.”

Ilay laughed sweetly.

“Well, I suppose you were flustered.”
“Where are you going?”
“Ah, I’m going to get better acquainted with some people in power.”
“Suddenly?”
“I just found a reason to take their hands.”
“…?”

It seemed he had chosen Mikhail and Demian as those people in power.

The Sacred Maidens whispered among themselves.

“They’re hiding in the grass, keeping watch, but… hmm, they don’t seem to be dangerous people.”
“Now that I look again, they’ve just arranged statues as landscaping.”
“Right, they’re statues. Don’t mind Sae. We can’t drive her away, understood?”
“Just stay still.”
“….”

Really, these Sacred Maidens are so honest.

* * *

The next day, at the voting encouragement advertisement filming location.
The Sacred Maidens who had claimed first place in each seed arrived one after another.

“Hello, Sacred Maiden Saelika.”
“You made quite an impression on the broadcast.”

The Sacred Maidens greeted me with smiles.
Being first place in each seed, they certainly had an exceptional presence and formidable impression.
That was when it happened.

“My little sister!!!”

At the loud voice, I turned to see Dolores, the Sacred Maiden of Preytsha, running toward me while waving her hand.

“You’re still beautiful and lovely as always today. Have you been well?”
“How about you, sister?”
“Me? Of course I haven’t been well. Being apart from Sae. I wish we’d been in the same seed.”
“….”

I really wonder how she can be so identical to Preytsha God.

“Dolores, you really are consistent.”

A Sacred Maiden with sea-colored hair approached with an arrogant and chic expression.
It was Elizabeth, the Sacred Maiden of Badareler.
Elizabeth tapped her lips with her fan as she looked down at me.
It seemed she was waiting for me to greet her first.

‘She really is a spitting image of Badareler too.’

It was a moment of admiration.

“Wow—!!”
“Incredible…!”

With soft exclamations, the atmosphere on the film set stirred with excitement.

“It’s really Amelia.”
“Amelia…!”

The afternoon sunlight streaming through the open doorway stretched long across the space.
Elegant footsteps descended upon the path of light.
In an instant, silence enveloped the room.

“Ah, you were all here already.”

A voice soft yet resonant with power.
Everyone in the room naturally turned their attention to Amelia.

‘It’s really her.’

A presence that overwhelmed the entire gathering simply by appearing.
Exactly as I had known her.
It was truly Amelia.

Those who had regained their senses immediately crowded around Amelia.

“Hello, Amelia. I am from the western region—”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Amelia!”
“I’ve heard much of your reputation, Amelia. I was particularly moved by the Akapel subjugation operation two years ago….”

Everyone was desperate to imprint themselves upon Amelia’s memory.
Elizabeth let out a dry laugh.

“Quite the dramatic entrance, wasn’t it.”
“It’s been a while, Betty.”

Amelia flashed a sly smile toward Elizabeth.
Her eyes, holding the verdant hue of new leaves, gleamed like foliage catching sunlight.
Amelia turned her gaze toward me.

‘Ah.’

How long had it been since I last beheld Amelia’s eyes?
They still possessed that captivating quality that drew people in.
She smiled brightly.

“You’re Saelika, the Sacred Maiden of Artemia’s temple, right? I watched the broadcast. You were impressive.”
“….”
“Oh, forgive me. I’m Amelia. I’m the Sacred Maiden of Parmanase’s temple.”
“Yes, Amelia.”

It was strange.
When I met Beatrix, I lost my composure so severely that reason abandoned me.
Memories from the past surged like a tidal wave, leaving me unable to regain my senses.

‘It’s different now.’

I was remarkably calm, even surprising myself.

“But Sae, seeing you made me want to live more earnestly too.”
“The broadcast didn’t show everything. But we know. We saw it all directly. You.”
“Our precious treasure! How can you be so admirable and beautiful!”
“You need do nothing at all, Saelika. Your mere existence is our joy.”

I grasped Amelia’s extended hand without hesitation.

Anakin: You are Artemia’s chosen representative, selected by her own hand.

“It’s wonderful to meet you.”

And I smiled while meeting her eyes directly.
Amelia’s eyes widened in surprise before narrowing into crescents.

“Saelika, I like you.”
“….”
“It’s strange. You feel so familiar, as if I’ve known you for a very long time.”
“What a coincidence.”

I smiled softly.

“I feel the same way.”

* * *

‘Ugh, that was exhausting.’

The commercial shoot was far more grueling than I had anticipated.
I never expected it would take this long.

‘Since I can’t see the final product myself…. I wonder how the advertisement will turn out.’

We shot dozens—no, hundreds of takes, making it impossible for me to predict the outcome.

‘And then there was that whole incident….’

I gazed at the coffee cup in my hand with an uncomfortable expression.
More precisely, the coffee cup with my face printed on it.

‘…What on earth was Perardin Noishurael Duke thinking? Is he insane?’

There was no way this wouldn’t become the talk of the town, and soon the mana network would be in an uproar.

‘That’s not the important issue right now.’

Now that I was out, I had something to take care of without the adults knowing.

‘The problem is that the adults and Ilay are waiting for me outside.’

The stalking(?) continued today as well.

‘Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.’

“Did you bring it, sister?”
“Hehe, of course I brought it. It’s my dear brother’s request, after all.”

By deliberately calling her sister, Dolores was absolutely delighted.
I changed into the clothes Dolores had brought and draped a robe over myself.

“Sigh, even like this you’re adorable.”

Dolores nuzzled my cheek affectionately before releasing me and whispering.

“I’ll keep watch, so go on.”

I nodded and began walking.
After traversing the corridor for a while and confirming no one was around, I wrapped my body in sacred power.
Soon my appearance transformed.
Into Ricardo’s form.

‘Good, I’ve slipped away safely—.’

It was the moment I let my guard down.
Seeing a figure appear before me, I startled and quickly lowered my head.

‘Please don’t recognize me. Please….’

But hope, as always, fell short.

“What a coincidence, Ricardo.”

Damn it, he saw through me.
I forced an awkward smile and lifted my head.

“Ha, Shuri. It’s been a while.”

Sweat beaded on my brow despite my smile.

‘Why of all people does Shuri have to be here!’

That busy man, of all times!

“That’s strange, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“Your movements always seem to overlap with Sacred Maiden Saelika’s.”
“D-did they?”
“Yeah. Like that time at Lake Anberc. And the forest where we met—it’s near the priest’s house that Saelika visits often.”
“Ha, haha….”
“The day we first met at the Papuka black market, coincidentally, Saelika and some trainee priests happened to go out in that area.”

That was ages ago—how did he even find that out?!
I’d heard that Edmund and Derrick’s legendary dance still lived on in stories….

“And whenever I went to meet you, Saelika was always there.”
“R-really? What a curious coincidence?”
“When things overlap this much, you can’t call it coincidence.”

Shuri’s eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.

“You wouldn’t happen to be….”

Gulp.
I swallowed hard.

“…friends with Sacred Maiden Saelika?”
“Huh?”

I was taken aback.
He came to that conclusion?
Was Shuri perhaps… an idiot?

But I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

“Yes! Yes! Friends! We’re definitely friends! Really close ones!! We’re almost always together! That’s probably why we keep running into each other.”

Shuri’s lips curved into a sinister smile.
It was an eerie expression.
Like watching prey caught in a trap….

“Is that so? If you’re such close friends, then you’d know that too, wouldn’t you?”
“Know what?”

Shuri smiled.
The way his eyes narrowed was different from before.
Subtly, seductively….
As if he were trying to tempt me….

“That Saelika likes me.”

…What?

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