Youngest on Top - Chapter 249

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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 249

* * *

A piercing chill tore through the air!
A sudden, biting cold rushed through my entire body.
The Artemia Priests flinched and instinctively raised their heads in unison.
Their gazes turned instinctively toward Saelika.

In that instant.
A deafening explosion erupted!

An overwhelmingly oppressive force, utterly unlike anything before, engulfed heaven and earth.
The sky crumbled and the ground split asunder.

“Ugh….”
“Don’t scatter! Hold the line!”

The Sacred Maidens cried out.
Even as they did, the Artemia Priests surged forward.

“Sae!”
“Little brother!”

Their eyes fixed on only one person.
Elizabeth screamed in horror.

“You fools! Come back! You’ll die like this!!”

A sickening crunch echoed out!
Ignoring her warning, a sinister aura erupted forth immediately.
A malevolent black energy carved through the sacred ground and surged toward the Artemia Priests.
There was no escape!

“Honeybread!!”

Elizabeth shut her eyes tight without thinking.
She couldn’t bear to witness the horrific scene about to unfold.

But.

“Why are you closing your eyes?”
“…?”
“You swore an oath of submission to the most trustworthy Sacred Maiden, didn’t you? Then you should trust the priests she leads as well.”

At Nelije’s words, Elizabeth opened her eyes.
The sight before her was completely different from what she had imagined.

“Ughhhgh!”
“You idiot! I told you not to rush forward with your body!”
“Edmund, you’re one to talk, aren’t you? What’s with that hand stretched out in front?”
“I’m deploying a barrier! And you, Roana, you…!”

A suffocating miasma surged forth, desecrating the sacred ground.
Artemia’s priests were holding back that miasma.

“This is impossible….”
“We can’t just stand by either. Petrea!”

At Dolores’s call, Petrea, the leader of Preytsha’s priests, stepped forward.
Artemia’s priests were in a situation where their hands and feet were bound.
The spirits fused with the intensified miasma were raging even more ferociously.
Now was the time to help them.

The moment Petrea drew her blade toward the spirits.

“…!”

The spirits crumbled before the blade even touched them.
And that wasn’t all.

“The spirits are… disappearing?”

The spirits that had been grotesquely multiplying vanished with a squelch.

“Wait. That means—.”

Everyone’s gaze converged on a single point.
Far in the distance, Saelika stood alone.
Trampling the fallen Demon beneath her feet.

One could not help but marvel.
Look at that commanding presence!
Stepping on the calamitous Demon, stepping again, stepping once more—quite deliberately and thoroughly.

“…She’s really stomping on him?”
“Does she have a personal grudge?”
“Well, he did put her through all that suffering, so it’s natural she’d hate him.”

Yet there seemed to be an emotion that couldn’t be explained by that alone.

“It almost feels like she’s punishing a perverted stalker.”
“Haha, that can’t be it.”
“Hahaha?”

The Sacred Maidens, sensing some inexplicable unease, offered awkward laughter.

* * *

“Honeybread!”

The children came rushing over in a crowd.
I clicked my tongue.

“You need to maintain formation. What are you doing, rushing over like that?”
“For us, protecting Honeybread is the top priority.”
“You think I’d lose to this bastard?”
“Would we lose to this trash?”

Not a single one of them backs down.
Ilay spoke up.

“Dmitri, take the children and go organize the situation. You need to lead them to the subjugated temples.”
“Why me! I’m staying with Honeybread! You always—”
“You’re the leader. Sae entrusted you as the leader she has the most faith in.”
“…!”

Dmitri lifted his chin with a snort and spoke.

“W-well, I suppose there’s no helping it. I’m the leader that Protagonist trusts most, after all.”

Dmitri strode away with his chest thrust out proudly, dragging the children along with him.
Watching him go, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“Such a simple-minded fellow….”
“But his abilities are certainly reliable.”

That much was true.
Ilay asked me a question.

“Are you alright?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re clearly not. Let me see.”
“I was just startled at the end, that’s all. More than that—”

I lowered my gaze.
Ilay followed my gaze downward as well.
There lay the Demon, covered in footprints, collapsed on the ground.

“…For a Demon King, he went down awfully easily.”
“No.”

I shook my head.
Ilay looked at me with confusion.

“That’s not Misa.”
“What do you mean….”

Thud.
I nudged the Demon with my foot.
The body that had been lying face-down rolled over, now facing upward toward the sky.

“This is…!”

An entirely different face was revealed.
I murmured softly.

“A Mirror Demon.”
“…Is it the same as with Diana?”

Mirror Demons can reflect and copy their targets like a mirror.
When I was younger, a Mirror Demon copied me and pretended to be Artemia’s Sacred Maiden.

“It’s a bit different from Diana. This Mirror Demon did copy Misa, that’s true. But.”
“….”
“The real Misa was the one controlling this creature.”
“…!”

It’s not difficult if Misa simply exerts his dominion—that’s all there is to it.
That’s also why he kept mentioning time to me.

“He copied himself perfectly and then manipulated it like a puppet?”
“Strictly speaking, not perfectly. Even the highest-ranking Mirror Demon can’t contain the Demon King’s power as-is.”

If it had been the real Misa, it wouldn’t have ended so simply.
Ilay, who had been silent for a moment, muttered.

“…I suppose we should be grateful the real Demon King didn’t cross over.”
“I wish that were the case….”
“…?”

Ilay looked at me.

“It’s strange that he went out of his way to send a fake. Of course, the price would have been less than crossing over directly.”
“Isn’t it for efficiency?”
“He’s a stalker without rhyme or reason, so he doesn’t calculate gains and losses or efficiency. He’s even invaded the Celestial Realm just for stalking.”
“…He really will do anything for stalking.”

I furrowed my brow.
The memory of meeting Misa’s possessed form in the forest came back to me.

[It’s rather unpleasant having another’s hands touch my darling.]
[But it’s thrilling somehow. I hate it, yet I love it.]

‘Did he choose this method simply because he’s a pervert?’

Honestly, I didn’t even want to understand it.
I just felt genuinely unsettled.

* * *

The Sacred Maidens and Priests who had vanquished the Demons returned in triumphant glory.

[ROOOAAARRR!!]
[KYAAAAAAAA!!!]

The roar of the crowd shook the stadium.
Among them, one Sacred Maiden received the loudest cheers by far.

[Saelika! Saelika! Saelika! Saelika!]

The people chanted her name at the top of their voices.
It didn’t matter which section of the stands they occupied.
Everyone, with one heart and one mind, cried out Saelika’s name.

“Ah, Sae…!”

Terese gazed at the spectacle with rapturous delight, her hands clasped together.

“How long has it been since I’ve seen our Sae up close like this…!”

The damned broadcast crystal’s condition had prevented me from seeing her properly.
I could only see her face clearly when she was close beside the other Sacred Maidens.

“Of course, seeing her in person is the best. Hehe, hehehehe!”

Terese smiled contentedly and glanced at the Manashell.

-So the Dragon-kin Princess is a fan of Sae…? Is this really happening?
-Not just any princess. She’s the lord of five palaces and a high priestess!
When I was really surrounded by the Yongin clan, my heart sank, but it turned out to be a false alarm, right? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
When Amelia was bragging about being close with the Yongin clan, I seriously wanted to punch her lolㅋㅋ
At that exact moment! The princess totally fanned out to Sae-nim hahahahahaha
Haha! Did you see Amelia’s face back then? It was so funny lol

“Hehehehe, ehehehehehe!”

Terese rolled across the sofa while clutching the doll to her chest.
There was someone watching her with a look of utter disdain.

“Are you still looking at that? Stop being so obsessed.”

It was Tarasius, Terese’s blood relative.
The joy on Terese’s face vanished in an instant.

“Be quiet. What would you know about it!”
“You’re something else.”
“I feel sorry for you, brother, not knowing the joy of fandom!”

Tarasius gazed at his sister with weary eyes before letting out a deep sigh.
His gaze turned toward the crystal display screen.
Saelika was waving her hand toward the crowds cheering her name.

“…So she really did defeat that Demon.”
“I told you so. I said Sae would definitely win, didn’t I?”
“The shockwave from the sacred domain she unleashed reached all the way to the heart of Akaman.”
“That’s the level of our Sae! Do you understand?”
“What exactly was that power she used at the very end…?”
“Excuse me. Aren’t you listening to me?”

Terese stared at Tarasius with pointed eyes before turning her head away.
New comments continued to appear on Manashell.

-But isn’t Prince Tarasius incredibly handsome too?
-Maybe it’s because he’s a dragon-kin, but he’s so exotic and sexy. Especially those eyes…!

‘Ugh.’

Terese gagged and glanced back at her brother.
What on earth was sexy and handsome about him?
Did everyone have their eyes crossed?

-Didn’t it seem like you didn’t communicate well with Sae either?
-Sigh, my pick was Prince Decaren of Plunder, so what do I do?
-I’m Prince Ryubik, the childhood friend of Victory.
-What are you talking about;; The real childhood friends are Ilay, Dmitri, and Priest Edmund!
-I was a hardcore Sae-Shuri supporter, but I’m wavering a bit. This is a secret from our Crown Prince.
-Why worry about it. Just combine all three princes like Myuat and make it a harem.

Terese quickly typed out a response.

-Anyone else is fine, but absolutely not that Tarasius bastard;; Are you insane? Pairing our Sae with someone like that?

Then comments came flooding in rapidly.

-What’s wrong with Prince Tarasius?
I’ve seen the Yongin tribe like this for the first time, and they’re all so handsome and pretty ㅠㅠ They have a somewhat dangerous elf vibe ㅠㅠ
-Is the writer possibly Princess Thérèse? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
No way, seriously? lol
“Aren’t you a fan of Princess Therese and Sae? Could it actually be real?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

‘Gasp, what? How did they know?’

While Terese was deliberating, a new comment appeared.

-I don’t think it’s Princess Terese. If I were Princess Terese, I’d definitely support my brother. That way Sae could become family.
└This is it!
└If they became family, we could shop together. Play dress-up games with Sae. Buy her delicious things. Watch her eat. Go on family trips. Hear her call us sister.
└Why am I an only child. Why don’t I have siblings?
-In my opinion, our girl would make a perfect Crown Princess!
└Here comes the concept-obsessed person again;
└Even if she ends up with Tarasius, she’d still become a princess consort….

It felt like her head had been struck with a hammer.

‘That’s… persuasive!’

But the last shred of conscience held her back.
Then Tarasius spoke.

“You said the human Sacred Maiden you like enjoys pudding, did you not?”

Princess Terese paused mid-nod, catching herself.

“…How did you know that?”
“…You told me before.”
“Hmm, did I? I told you about my hobbies? You, who knows nothing of the joy of my interests?”
“…Yes.”

Princess Terese’s eyes narrowed to slits.
She had never said such a thing to him.

‘Then….’

Princess Terese’s eyes gleamed like a leopard spotting its prey.

* * *

The banquet hall prepared for the Nobles in the stadium quickly transformed into a celebration.

“Congratulations on first place, Sacred Maiden Saelika.”
“Is it only first place we’re celebrating?”
“To think you’ve even subjugated the other Sacred Maidens who were rumored to be strong candidates for High Priestess.”
“A great tree casts a wide shadow, they say. Truly, you are remarkable, Saelika.”

Nobles of every stripe swarmed around Saelika.
Amelia watched the scene unfold, her hands clenching her skirts.

“Compose yourself.”
“…Grandmother.”
“This doesn’t suit you, always so composed.”
“You didn’t see it, Grandmother. How much humiliation I endured.”
“I saw it all from here.”
“From here! …It’s different from what you see from here.”

Amelia bit her lip hard.

“That sacred domain was… truly an absolute realm. I couldn’t penetrate it—.”
“It’s merely a temporary phenomenon that occurred right after she consumed formidable Sacred Maidens like Dolores and Elizabeth. The crowd’s fervor was intense within the stadium as well.”
“…You mean the spectators all supported Saelika at that moment?”
“The situation was dramatic. It was nothing but fortune born from exploiting that.”

However, Beatrix’s expression was equally grim.

“Isn’t the selection for High Priestess essentially over?”
“If not Saelika, then who on earth would become High Priestess?”

Such words continued to reach her ears.
Since nearly all the Sacred Maidens remaining in the selection had been subdued, only Saelika and Amelia were left.
And everyone was treating Saelika as though she had already become High Priestess.

“No, Mother Superior.”
“Amelia.”
“As long as this atmosphere persists, it’s not mere chance. Saelika will continue to steal my position. And she’ll become High Priestess in the next selection.”
“….”
“No, perhaps we won’t even reach the next selection. If the people rise up demanding Saelika be made High Priestess immediately.”

Amelia’s face was composed.
She left the banquet hall as she was.
Someone followed in her wake.

“Amelia.”
“…Emily.”
“I apologize. If only I had performed better….”

Amelia simply passed by Emily, who had bowed her head.
It was when she stepped onto the terrace, drew the curtain closed, and turned around.
Someone parted the curtain and entered.

“…!”
“Please forgive my rudeness.”

The man who had entered smiled sweetly.

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