Youngest on Top - Chapter 20

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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 20

* * *

Beckman was busy again today.
He seemed quite impressed by the intensive training the trainee priests were undergoing, and because of that, he wanted to teach them even more diligently.
But there was simply too much work.

‘That’s actually fortunate for me.’

“Artemisiaaaaa!”
“Believeeeee!”

Listening to the hymns echoing loudly once again, I hummed along.

“Come on! Bend properly, bend properly! Or should Sae bend for you? Let’s see how far you can bend!”

Occasionally helping the children along the way.

“But where is Edmund anyway?”

Despite it being class time, Edmund was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s probably writing a report.”

Ilay spoke up.

“A report?”
“He’s the representative for the kids who went on volunteer work. So he’s writing reports and talking with the priests. He’ll probably come back in the evening.”

Tsk, he got away cleanly.
If he experienced the taste of righteous justice, he wouldn’t pull stunts like yesterday again.

‘But there’s always tomorrow.’

I patted my Morning Bread, who lamented that he couldn’t breathe fire.

While I was busily helping the children, I received a summons.
I was called away.

“Why is the door locked…? Wait, what’s wrong with the children? They look like they’ve been tortured.”

The Priest who entered the Training Room was alarmed at the sight of the children’s condition.
He quickly composed himself and told me to follow him.

‘Why did he tell me to follow him?’

This Priest had no particular connection to me.
Moreover—

‘This doesn’t feel like he’s calling me for anything good…’

The Priest’s face was rigid and tense, and his pace was so quick it was hard to keep up.
I watched his expression carefully and asked.

“Um, what’s going on—”
“You’ll see when we get there.”

The Priest seemed displeased that I’d spoken to him, sweeping me with a contemptuous gaze.
Then he quickened his pace.

“Could you slow down a little…?”
“What kind of child makes so many demands?”

The Priest only walked faster instead.
I hurried after him, breathing heavily.
And I ventured to speak again.

“Um, Sae, I need to use the restroom.”
“Goodness, you’re full of complaints. Gawain is waiting, so hurry back.”
“Yes.”

I left the Priest behind and changed direction.

‘Gawain… where have I heard that name before?’

But I couldn’t remember where I’d heard it from.
Since I’d practically lived in the Main Temple before the trainee priests returned, I might have seen it while coming and going back then.

* * *

After returning from the restroom.
The Temple Priest brought me to a Study I’d never visited before.

“Lord Gawain, I’ve brought him.”

I gazed at the man sprawled lazily across the sofa.
This man must be Gawain.

‘Is this our first meeting?’

Or had I seen him while coming and going?
Well, I might have only heard his name when the adults were conversing.

“Hello.”

I greeted him politely first, but Gawain laughed as if he found it ridiculous.

“For a child, you’re quite shameless already.”

What was he talking about all of a sudden?

“If you’ve rolled in here, you should know your place and behave quietly. And you’re already going around hitting other trainee priests?”

Gasp.
How did he find out?

I was startled.
I never expected there’d be someone who wanted to reach a ‘state of needing to survive’!

But I’d hit those children to unblock their meridians.

“However…”
“No matter how envious or jealous you are, that’s no excuse.”
“…?”

Are you jealous? Envious?
What are you talking about?

“This is exactly why commoners without parents won’t do. They never received proper home education, so they end up like this. Tsk!”

Gawain looked me up and down before barking loudly.

“Why are you standing there like a fool? If you’ve done wrong, you should beg for forgiveness. Kneel down this instant!”

Giggle.
That’s when I heard laughter from beside me.
Turning around, that young woman sat there like a queen, her legs crossed.

‘Ah, so that’s what happened.’

It seemed she had pinned what she’d done last night onto me.
I stood my ground confidently.

“I won’t kneel.”
“What?”
“Sae, I didn’t hit her.”

I hit the other children, sure.
But I hadn’t hit her, so I had nothing to be ashamed of.

“She hit Sae. She pushed her head down.”

At my words, Gawain’s eyes widened as he stared at me.
Then he burst out laughing. “Puhahaha!”

“Ha! Look at this girl? What could a noble young lady like Roana possibly lack that she’d bully you?”
“…”
“Such vulgar behavior is only something a worm like you would do.”
“…”
“And then instead of reflecting, you shamelessly pin it on the victim!”

I looked at Roana.
She wore a smile drunk on victory across her face.
And before her lay an abundance of desserts.

Within the Artemisia Temple, where even speaking a family name is forbidden, she dares to call me a noble young lady.
Her tone, her atmosphere—everything about it felt off.
It seemed she wasn’t punishing me merely due to a misunderstanding.

‘Corrupt priests exist wherever you go.’

In fact, their absence would be the real anomaly.
Especially in the Artemisia Temple, which is already in poor condition—it’s the perfect breeding ground for parasites.

‘There’s no helping it. I’ll have to exterminate them myself.’

I tilted my head with an innocent expression.

“There is. Sae, I’m curious about something.”
“You, listen to what I’m—.”
“How much have you been pocketing?”

At my words, Gawain and every priest in the room wore a dumbfounded expression.
As if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

“Surely not!”

I gasped and covered my mouth with my small hand.

“You can’t even take bribes and you’re acting like a servant?”

I looked at them with pity.

“How pitiful….”

Gawain’s face twisted with rage and contempt.

“You filthy thing, not knowing your place and running your mouth…!”

He raised his hand toward me.

“Abandoned by your own parents, and you dare insult me?!”

The moment his hand came down sharply toward me.

“What did you just say?”

A chilling voice that seemed to freeze the very air cut through the room.
Gawain’s right hand, ensnared by vine-like energy, hung motionless in the air, unable to move even a fraction.

“R-Randel!”

Gawain cried out, his face drained of all color.

When I turned around, Randel stood there.
The gentle Randel wore an expression of cold fury I had never witnessed before.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that. This girl—”
“This girl?”
“No, this child provoked me first—”
“And?”

Randel asked with an expressionless face.

“So using such language and resorting to violence is entirely the child’s fault?”
“That’s not… I didn’t mean it that way…”

My eyes met Gawain’s as he stammered.
I smiled wickedly.

‘As if I would provoke him without thinking? I have no allies here.’

When I said I was going to the restroom, I actually didn’t go there.
I stopped a passing Priest and asked him to call Randel.
That he was coming to see Gawain.

I thought it was about time he arrived.
So I deliberately spoke in a small voice.

I locked eyes with Gawain and mouthed the words silently.

“Checkmate.”

Gawain’s eyes went wild when he saw the shape of my mouth.
With his left hand still moving, he pointed at me and shouted as if he might charge at any moment.

“Look! It’s all that cunning creature’s plan! Right now, that—.”
“Waaaaahhh—!”

I burst into tears.
Without much effort, tears streamed down my face.

Look at my situation.
As Artemia’s messenger, I should be revered by everyone in this temple.
Yet some brat suddenly picks a fight with me.
A parasite feeding off the temple crawls up to challenge me.
On top of that, I’m dying from exhaustion raising children who haven’t even awakened their sacred power!

‘This is how I’m living, Artemia! This is my life!’

Isn’t this too much, even for exile?!

“Sob, sniff! S-Sae made a mistake. Please don’t be angry. I made a mistake… (Sob, sniff! Sae was wrong. Please forgive me. I was wrong….)”

Tears poured out from the sorrow and injustice of it all.

“R-Randel! That’s an act, right now! Just a moment ago, she was laughing—.”
“Sniff, sniff!”
“No, she really was laughing….”
“Gawain.”

Randel lifted me into his arms and smiled coldly.

“I think it would be best if you stayed quiet.”

Large hands gently wiped away my tears.

“I’m a bit angry right now. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control my sacred power well.”

His voice was calm and measured.

“Back when I was inexperienced with controlling sacred power, didn’t I make quite a few ‘mistakes’?”

His tone was subtle.
It didn’t feel like a mistake at all.

“What Gawain does—whether he tears or shatters—is none of my concern.”

Randel smiled faintly.

“It’s simply not good for a child’s education and emotional development to witness bloodshed.”

I stared up at Randel blankly.
But wasn’t what he just said equally bad for a child’s emotional development…?

“Ugh…”

A stifled groan escaped, and I turned my head.
Blood dripped steadily from Gawain’s arm, which was ensnared by writhing vines.

Even in that state, Gawain’s face had gone pale with fear, his lips pressed firmly shut.
Like someone terrified that even the smallest sound might provoke a wild beast.

I had always assumed Randel was a Priest of the blessing school, given how warm and gentle he was.
But he was an offensive-type Priest.
It was completely unexpected.

“Tsk.”

Randel clicked his tongue and covered my eyes with his hand.

“Sae, we shouldn’t let filthy things enter our sight.”

His voice was incredibly gentle and affectionate.
Just like Randel always was.

* * *

Roana pressed both her hands firmly against her chest.

‘As expected of Randel…!’

How elegant it was, the way he toyed with others behind that soft and gentle face!
That strong and beautiful man deserved her admiration.

When Randel first arrived, I was flustered, but even that had faded from my mind.

‘After all, Randel is angry with Gawain, not me. I’ve done nothing wrong.’

Roana straightened her posture and sat with composed elegance.
Displaying the grace befitting a noblewoman.

But then.

“Such a pretty face, yet ruined. There, there, stop crying.”

Randel was entirely occupied with soothing and comforting the commoner in his arms.
He didn’t even glance in Roana’s direction.

‘…Well, Randel is always so kind, after all.’

Though there was no need for him to be kind even to such a lowborn wretch.
Someone so shameless, crawling upward without knowing her place.

But Randel surely understood who was truly noble and precious.

“Ahem, ahem!”

Roana gave a delicate cough to announce her presence.
Now Randel would notice her.
Then he would abandon that commoner at once and come to her.

But reality proved different.

“Your tears have stopped—how wonderful. Will you smile for me? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I want to see Sae smile again.”
“Randel…”
“Yes. You’re safe now. I’m here.”

Randel brushed back Saelika’s hair and smiled tenderly at her.

Even though she, a lady, had cleared her throat, he didn’t even glance in her direction.
As if she didn’t exist at all.

Her body trembled involuntarily at the humiliation.
Being treated like invisible air.

‘And to a commoner without even parents!’

She, the precious daughter of House Traicen!

Randel was none other than the High Priest’s adopted heir.
Moreover, with his beautiful appearance, gentle nature, and outstanding abilities, he was admired by all the trainee priests.

‘So naturally he should recognize me more and treat me better, right?’

People of matching status should be suited to each other.

‘Not with that lowborn trash!’

Roana rose from her seat, her skirt clenched tightly in her fists.

She needed to reveal the true nature of that rootless creature to Randel.
Of course, that incompetent would deny it, but it didn’t matter.
A child who could barely speak properly versus herself with her grace and refinement.
Whose words would be more credible?

Roana approached Randel with a demure demeanor.

“Um, Randel. There’s something you should know.”
“Something I should know?”

Randel’s gaze finally turned toward her.

“Of course, I understand your kindness toward the trainee priests, Randel. I too want to take good care of our youngest member who arrived late.”
“….”
“But precisely because of that, we should correct what’s wrong, shouldn’t we?”
“Are you saying Sae did something wrong?”

Roana startled and waved both hands frantically.

“I’m not defending Gawain’s actions. I was shocked too. How could he be so violent…? I’m so worried that Saelika’s heart might be hurt.”

Roana’s furrowed brow seemed filled with genuine concern.

“That’s not what I wanted to tell you about. It’s about what happened last night.”
“Last night?”
“…I think Saelika felt a bit of jealousy because she’s so young. Within the temple, we’re all one family regardless of status. But to me—.”
“Sae isn’t noble, that’s why, that’s why.”

A mumbling voice cut off Roana’s words.
The dejected child, unable to lift her head properly, whispered as if making a confession.

“Sae isn’t a noble.”
“You see? She felt inferior because she’s not a noble—.”
“Sae doesn’t have a mom and dad.”
“….”

Roana’s words caught in her throat.
She couldn’t very well say that Sae felt inferior about not having parents.

Seizing the moment, Saelika asked Roana a question.

“Right? Sister got angry at Sae because of that, didn’t you?”

Saelika lifted her head from Randel’s arms and looked down at Roana with a slight smirk.

You think you’re the only one who can tattle?
I can too!

Saelika had her own philosophy.
One must educate early.
She had no intention of letting this dark little lamb off easy.

—————
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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