Youngest on Top - Chapter 26

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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 26

As I stared quietly, Edmund cried out with a flushed face.

“Repaying a debt is only natural!”
“….”
“As a nobleman of great pride!”
“Sae didn’t say anything.”

Why was he making excuses?
As I looked at him with an incredulous gaze, Edmund bristled.

“You should show more courtesy toward those of noble standing.”

I let his words go in one ear and out the other as I drank the water.
Perhaps because I had only recently awakened, the water tasted remarkably sweet.

“Stop your nonsense and listen to me with proper respect!”

Once I finished the water, Edmund snatched the cup from my hands.
Then he poured another glass while speaking.

“I am absolutely not attending to some commoner!”
“….”

Yet I never said he was attending to me.

“You understand, right?”

Dmitri shook his head side to side as he spoke.

“Kids from that family are naturally unlucky.”
“Dmitri, did you already know Edmund?”
“Our families have connections.”

It was surprising information.
I widened my eyes and asked.

“Dmitri, you were a noble? (Dmitri, you were a noble?)”
“Of course? Just look at my face—nobility radiates from it, doesn’t it?”
“I had no idea…. That’s completely unexpected…. I never could have imagined….)”
“…Never could have imagined—.”
“I thought you were definitely an alley thug… or rather, an alley boss….)”
“You reckless little fool!”

Dmitri stretched my cheek out with his fingers.

“Ow! (Stop it!)”
“How exactly do you see me? Honestly.”
“Don’t bully Sae.”

Ilay pushed Dmitri aside and examined my cheek.
His tender touch gently cradled my cheek.

Just then, Randel entered the room.
He gazed at Dmitri, Ilay, and Edmund huddled together beside the bed, then smiled helplessly.

“I told you to wait a bit, but you couldn’t hold back and came in anyway.”
“W-we were just going to take a quick look.”
“We only wanted to confirm that Sae was doing well.”
“I didn’t want to come, but I followed them in case these troublemakers caused a scene.”

Those were the words of Dmitri, Ilay, and Edmund in that order.
I looked at Edmund with an incredulous expression.

At the three boys’ words, Randel smiled warmly.

“I’m not blaming you. It’s heartwarming to see how much you all care for the youngest.”
“The other children wanted to come too.”

The other children too?
That was unexpected.

Well, Dmitri’s subordinates were the type who adored anyone strong, so they followed me quite well.
But the other children….

“Ugh! Just you wait. When I get stronger, I’ll—hack!—I’m gonna crack your skull!”
“Argh! How did such a thug end up here?! Ack! This is killing me! How much longer—huff—do I have to keep doing this?!”
“Waaah! Mom! Dad! I’m gonna remember all of this!”

It seemed like they were just waiting for the right moment to stab me in the back.

‘…Wait. Could they actually be trying to come closer to stab me? Taking advantage of when I’m weakened?’

As I tilted my head in confusion, Randel set a tray down on the bedside table.

“Come on, Sae. Eat a little. You’ve had an empty stomach for far too long.”
“Yes.”

Randel, who was about to feed me the porridge, paused.

“Huh? Edmund, why are you holding the spoon? That’s for feeding Sae.”

Edmund had quickly grabbed the spoon from the tray.

Dmitri looked at Edmund with a disgusted expression.

“What, now you’ve got an appetite? How could you try to take food from a sick child…?”
“I wasn’t trying to take it! I was just—!”
“Just?”

Edmund clamped his mouth shut with an indignant expression.

“…Never mind.”

Ilay chuckled.

“What, were you trying to play attendant again?”
“I wasn’t playing attendant!”

Edmund glared at Ilay and Dmitri with a flushed face, then turned sharply and left.

“Honestly, such insolent brats.”

Grumbling all the way until the door closed.

“Come now, you two should head out as well.”

Randel spoke to Dmitri and Ilay.

“But—.”
“Sae needs rest too. The other children are probably waiting to hear news from you.”
“Yes….”

At the mention of the other children waiting, Dmitri and Ilay rose from their seats with reluctant expressions.

“Get better real quick!”
“Sae, see you later. I’ll come read to you.”

Ilay patted my back with a sweet smile.
Dmitri watched this with displeasure before cheerfully exclaiming.

“And when you’re better, let’s have a proper sparring match!”
“A sparring match…?”

Randel furrowed his brow.
I quickly shrank back and shook my head.

“N-no way, sparring’s scary….”
“What are you talking about! Your flame fist is the strongest—.”
“Let’s go. Come on.”

Ilay dragged Dmitri out.
Phew….

Randel scooped up a spoonful of porridge and carefully blew on it before feeding it to me.
As always, his touch was tender and gentle.
But.

‘He hasn’t looked at me directly since earlier.’

“Randel….”
“…What is it?”

He answers when I speak to him.

“Why aren’t you looking at Sae? (Why aren’t you looking at Sae?)”
“….”
“Did Sae do something wrong? (Did Sae do something wrong?)”
“….”

Randel, who was always kind, had never been like this before, and I grew anxious.

“Do you hate Sae? (Do you hate Sae?)”
“…That couldn’t possibly be true.”

Randel looked at me with eyes brimming with emotion.
He set down his spoon with a trembling breath and grasped my hand firmly.
He met my gaze seriously and whispered.

“Never do that again. If Sae hurts, I hurt more.”
“…Yes.”

I nodded obediently, and Randel smiled.
He was the Randel I always knew.

“You need to eat well to recover quickly.”
“Yes.”
“Once your recovery period ends, I’ll give you the pudding you love as a gift.”
“Yes!”

I ate with enthusiasm.
Feeling how much Randel had worried about me made my heart flutter with warmth.

After finishing the bowl and taking my medicine, Randel asked.

“Are you sleepy? Do you want to rest?”
“I’m very sleepy. I’ve slept a lot.”
“I see, then I should tell them you can come in now.”
“…?”
“There are many people waiting outside to see Sae.”

It was just as he said.
The room soon descended into chaos as visitors poured in.
Mogen, who loved children dearly, even cried.

“Ugh, Sae, you fool. You should have taken care of yourself first. Never, never do that again.”
“That’s right! Never do it again! Sob….”
“Oh my! Sae! How could you be so reckless, you little thing!”

‘Huh? Is it really something to worry about this much?’

Seeing grown adults with tears streaming down their faces, I felt a bit flustered.
As I stood there awkwardly, Derrick, the combat priest, spoke cheerfully.

“Shake it off and get back up! You’re a strong child! You’re like a tiger!”

Just as he reached out to pat my back, Randel quickly stopped him.

“He’s a patient, a patient.”
“Ah, I was just trying to encourage him.”

Derrick scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

There were gifts piled high from the get-well visits.
Mogen had removed his hat while I was unconscious, or so they said.
The one with rabbit ears was absolutely adorable.
Randel confiscated the mint chocolate, pudding, cookies, and cream puffs.
He said I had to finish my meal first before eating them.
Beckman gave me crayons, and Derrick gave me a mace.

…I understand the crayons, but why a mace?
Did he see me hitting the children around?

“Hahahaha! Didn’t Sae crack the High Priest’s head!”
“….”

Suddenly, a dark chapter of my past was summoned.

In any case, I was absolutely delighted.
So many gifts!
I’d only started receiving gifts about a month ago, but I never expected to get this many.

‘…They all care about me.’

Had I become one of them without even realizing it?
Ever since earlier, my stomach had been tingling with warmth.
The tickling sensation was so intense that I couldn’t stop smiling.

The door opened amid the cheerful chatter.
It was the High Priest and other elders.

For some reason, seeing the High Priest felt awkward.
I couldn’t meet his gaze and fidgeted with my hands.

“Sae.”
“Yes?”

The High Priest called me but remained silent for a long moment.
Puzzled, I lifted my head.

Tap.

Something large and warm covered the top of my head.

I went rigid.
The High Priest was slowly stroking my hair.

“This isn’t praise for doing well.”
“….”
“From now on, no matter what happens, prioritize your own safety. You don’t need to worry about the Divine Beasts.”

It was strange.
His voice was dry and rigid, yet somehow it sounded tender.

“Yes.”
“And.”

He handed me something.
It was a rabbit doll.
The singed and burnt parts had been carefully repaired.

“Thank you so much!”

When I greeted him, the High Priest’s lips curved upward gently.

‘What?’

I hadn’t misread it.

“Phew, even you, High Priest. What’s with that stiff expression! Sae, my dear boy, my precious treasure. I thought my heart would break. I was so worried something had happened to my beloved.”

Elder Devon, who was particularly fond of me, pulled me into a tight embrace and rubbed his face against mine.
His beard was terribly prickly.

As I turned my head to avoid his face, my eyes met Elder Sirius’s.

I tensed my body instinctively.
Sirius was always especially wary of me.
I wondered if he harbored doubts about this incident.

Sirius approached me slowly.
He looked down at me for a long moment before opening his mouth.

“Worrying everyone like that was not a good thing to do.”
“….”
“All matters have their priorities. As a trainee priest of the Main Temple, you must remember this.”
“Yes.”
“However, saving your friends was a courageous act.”
“…!”

I lifted my head in surprise.

“That is something I must thank you for. I am grateful.”

Sirius bowed his head, and I was startled.
Not knowing what to do, he spoke to me again, his tone stern.

“Recover quickly. You cannot remain bedridden after saving your friends.”

Then he began rummaging through his robes to retrieve something.

“This is a flower that blooms only on the cliffs of the Iceknife Mountain Range. It’s said to be excellent for cooling the heat accumulated in one’s body.”

What?
The Iceknife Mountain Range?

‘Isn’t it true that you can count on one hand the people who’ve entered that place and returned alive?’

“The tears of a mermaid from the North Sea. They say this is also excellent for burns.”
“….”
“The heart of a Kescarel is good for restoring vitality. And when taken together, what’s beneficial is….”

An endless stream of items continued to emerge.
And without exception, they were all rare medicinal materials.

Devon, who had been watching, asked in astonishment.

“Where on earth did you obtain such things?”
“I emptied the family vault.”
“…!”

So Sirius was wealthy after all.

“No, but can you even do that? What if your family finds out!”
“Then I’ll get sued.”

…So he wasn’t wealthy—he’d stolen it?

“Unbelievable! A man who carefully weighed every detail and acted with such caution, and now he’s a thief!”

I completely agreed with Devon’s sentiment.
Of all people, Sirius would do such a thing?
And for my sake?

“If I had inherited the family, it would all have been mine anyway.”
“But you didn’t! Your brother might come to kill you!”
“So be it.”

Sirius replied indifferently, then looked down at me with sharp eyes.
And he gave me a solemn warning.

“Eat all of it.”
“Yes…”

Should I really be eating this?
This is stolen goods…

Devon shook his head disapprovingly.

“They say when someone who’s usually rational gets obsessed, it’s even scarier. That sharp reason of theirs just vanished, completely!”

—he muttered.

* * *

Exhaustion came easily, even though I’d only received a visit after pushing my sacred power to its limit.
Seeing me doze off, the adults quietly left.

After sleeping and waking, night had already fallen.
The surroundings were quiet.
I gazed at the stars filling the night sky and offered a prayer.

‘Beloved Artemia, a fire in the Temple, in the dormitory where young trainee priests stay—this is truly a terrible tragedy.’

That morning, when I met Alkius in the underground, the blessed core was still intact.
Which meant—

‘Someone did this deliberately with intent, didn’t they? Daring to harm Artemia’s trainee priests in Artemia’s own Temple.’

My hands and feet trembled.

‘This is truly frightening and dreadful. Give your trembling lamb the strength to overcome this trial. With that strength—’

My heart pounded.

‘—let me catch that damned arsonist and make them pay!’

Furious.

“If I catch them, I’ll kill them!”

I gripped the Morning Bread of Justice tightly in my fist.

That was when it happened.

Click.
A faint sound reached my ears.

Both the window and the door were closed.
It couldn’t have been the wind.
More than anything, it sounded like the presence of another person.

‘Is someone in this room…?’

I pretended not to hear, feigning ignorance as I rolled only my eyes to survey the room.
The darkened chamber was dim, and moonlight and starlight filtering through the window cast hazy silhouettes.
Pockets of shadow pooled throughout the room—perfect places for someone to hide.

I slowly clenched my fists.

‘Could it be the arsonist?’

Under normal circumstances, I would have welcomed it, thinking how convenient that they came to me, and beaten them thoroughly.
But the problem was—.

‘I can’t use any power right now.’

My sacred power had been completely depleted.

—————
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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