Youngest on Top - Chapter 261

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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 261

“You say that every time you see me.”

Teodor spoke shyly, his face flushed.
It was completely different from when he had denounced Amelia before that massive crowd.

“Well, you’ve grown well, so I tell you that you’ve grown well. Every time I see Teo, I’m just so proud that I can’t help but marvel.”

Saelika laughed playfully.
Teodor’s smile wavered at the sight of her face.

“…I’m sorry.”
“Hm?”
“If I had done better, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt like this.”

Teodor’s hand hesitantly grasped Saelika’s.
Her hand and arm were covered with consecrated talismans.

It felt like it was all his fault.
Teodor gazed at her with sorrowful eyes, recalling what had happened in the stadium.

.
.

Saelika had stood firm even as Amelia was dragged away by the guards.
When the crowd chanted her name and cheered, she even waved back with such composure.
But.

“Sae!”
“Youngest!”

The moment she left the arena and was out of sight of the spectators.

“Good heavens! What’s wrong with my body!!”
“Heal!”
“Damn it, no matter how much I heal, the bleeding won’t stop…!”

Saelika lost her balance and collapsed.
The priests beside her supported her and cast holy magic, but it proved largely ineffective.

Only upon seeing her ravaged body did I truly understand.
Amelia’s final attack—one that seemed capable of obliterating this massive stadium without a trace.
Saelika had blocked that attack entirely alone.

Everything behind Saelika remained unscathed.
But what of Saelika herself?
What condition was her body in, having absorbed the full brunt of that attack and its impact from the front?

From the stadium floor, Saelika appeared completely unaffected.
Far from being injured, she seemed stronger than ever before.

Standing firm with an intense presence, yielding not an inch, she resembled a war god incarnate.
Everyone knew she was wounded, yet simultaneously, no one could perceive it.

“How could you let yourself reach this state…!”
“Why didn’t you protect your own body!”
“You should have withdrawn immediately and sought treatment!!”

The Temple Priests of Artemia and Saelika’s family, including Perardin Noishurael Duke, cried out while striking their chests.

“I am the Sacred Maiden chosen by Artemia. I can never show weakness.”

Saelika’s face was deathly pale, drained of all color.
Yet her eyes alone remained perfectly clear and luminous.

“Fear and anxiety are the sustenance of calamity. With so many watching, I cannot afford to fall.”

I could only stand speechless at those words.
Even in such circumstances, Saelika thought of others first.
She endured by any means necessary—thinking of the future, worrying about calamity, determined to save the people.

“This… this…”

Fool. Idiot.
I couldn’t bring myself to say such things.
Yet I couldn’t offer praise either, saying she had done well or was remarkable.
Because then Saelika might sacrifice herself without hesitation.

Saelika laughed upon seeing the expressions on everyone’s faces.

“Don’t worry. Father’s daughter isn’t that weak.”

With those words, Saelika lost consciousness.
Even as her awareness faded completely, the smile she had worn to reassure others remained unfading on her face.

At that moment, everyone was so focused on watching Saelika that they didn’t notice.
Behind the corner.
In the shadows, a certain beastman was observing her.

.
.

Teodor’s face darkened as he recalled that time.

“If I had only stopped Amelia from taking Shuellina’s power—.”
“It’s Amelia’s fault for launching such an attack. And originally, she wouldn’t have been injured this badly.”
“But if I had—.”
“Something happened when we met with the beastmen, and the aftereffects haven’t fully settled yet… Anyway, it’s absolutely not Teo’s fault. You understand?”

Saelika gripped Teodor’s hand firmly as she spoke with conviction.
Eventually, Teodor nodded.

‘Such a strong person.’

It seemed far too natural for her to neglect her own pain.
That fact saddened me.

‘I wish the Sacred Maiden had someone to complain to about her suffering.’

And if possible—.

“That’s right. That guy has this habit of bottling everything up inside, so it’s definitely not your fault, Teo.”
“A habit? That’s too harsh, Ilay.”
“It’s a habit, and an incurable one at that. The High Priest told him since childhood to speak up when something hurts, but even now….”

Ilay launched into a lengthy sermon.
True to his nature as a capable priest, his lecture was quite impressive.
So much so that Saelika cried out with a cowed expression, “Please, I get it! Stop already!”

Teodor watched the scene with a warm smile on his face.

‘—I wish that person could be our older brother.’

Ilay felt that lingering gaze and stopped his sermon to turn toward his younger brother.

“Teo, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing, brother.”
“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

Making excuses to a clever older brother often backfires.
Teodor closed his mouth.
Then Ilay and Saelika stared at him intently before murmuring.

“Cute.”
“Really cute.”
“He’s my younger brother, but he’s seriously so cute? How can he be this adorable? He’s still just a baby, a baby.”
“Right? I raised him, but he’s impossibly cute. Where did this genius baby come from?”

Ilay and Saelika embraced Teodor, ruffling his hair and making a fuss over him.

“Haha….”

Teodor’s (a robust adult, spy, underworld boss, illegal information broker, property owner) recent concern.
I’m all grown up, but my older brother and the angel who’s even younger than me keep calling me cute and treating me like a baby.

* * *

“Gasp! This isn’t the time for this, come on!”

I finally came to my senses after coddling Teodor excessively.
Teodor was such a bewitching child that whenever I looked at him, I fell under a spell without realizing it.
A terrifying hypnosis that left me incapable of doing anything but adoring Teodor!

‘His appearance is similar to Ilay’s, but their cuteness is worlds apart.’

Perhaps it was because their personalities were so completely different.

‘Come to think of it, there is one other thing they share besides their looks.’

Despite his adorableness, Teodor was a major player who controlled the underworld.
Before my regression, Ilay had been the kingpin of the dark underworld, operating a large casino and trading in information.
After my regression, Teodor has taken on that role.

‘Teo doesn’t operate a casino, but rather places like dessert houses, coffee houses, and tea houses that noble ladies frequent….’

Teodor owns several buildings throughout the capital.
When I first asked why he was running a dessert house,

“Because you like desserts, Angel.”

—came that adorable response.

‘I thought he was just doing business back then. I never imagined he’d use it to become an information broker in the underworld.’

Of course, I heard his explanation for that too.

“I wondered what I could do to be helpful to you, Angel. Among those options, gathering information from the shadows seemed easiest and most natural. You could say it’s my specialty. Hehe.”
“Is it hereditary….”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”

In any case, I received tremendous help because of it.

“I never thought I’d actually be able to imprison Amelia.”
“Shuellina’s case was different, though.”
“Right, Shuellina had virtually no power or foundation to begin with. Amelia, on the other hand….”
“Has numerous temples under her control.”

A vow of servitude cannot be easily broken.
At least not in this generation.

“That would be resolved once the angel ascends as the High Priestess, wouldn’t it?”

The High Priestess is the entity that unifies all Sacred Maidens and all temples.
In other words, even if I am bound to Amelia now, the moment I ascend, she will belong to me.
Furthermore, as long as Amelia is a Sacred Maiden, she has no choice but to kneel before me.

“Amelia will try to be acquitted by any means before my coronation ceremony.”

At those words, Teodor produced a document.

“These are the nobles Parmanase is secretly contacting right now.”

Teodor, as expected.
Despite the circumstances being what they were, they must have met in secret, yet he possessed all the information.

“They are all powerful figures who had close ties with Amelia from before.”
“A lord who preserved his domain thanks to Amelia’s subjugation, a family head whose heir’s incurable disease was cured thanks to Amelia, those who accumulated wealth thanks to Amelia’s divine revelation… My, there are quite a few.”
“That’s not all. The Parmanase Temple has maintained connections with several great families since their ancestors’ time.”

Ilay set down the documents with a thud and spoke with an exasperated expression.

“Money, connections, and powerful figures. In this state, it would have been difficult to imprison her on grounds of ‘instigating Shuellina’ or ‘committing fraud in the preliminary tournament.'”
“Even if reported, she would have been acquitted.”
“If not acquitted, she would have been released on absurd grounds like ‘her future is too bright’ or ‘her past good deeds are remarkable.’ I know these things well.”

Thinking back, it was the right decision to seize the momentum that day and apprehend Amelia without giving her time to respond.

“Shu… The Kaishurit Crown Prince conveniently entangled her with the charge of ‘collusion with demons’—that was a masterstroke. The weight itself changed entirely.”
“Amelia’s side will desperately try to prove they have no connection to demons.”
“They will attempt to pin everything on Shuellina.”

At those words, Teodor spoke with a dejected expression.

“I wish I had witnessed Amelia making contact with the demons myself….”
“That was before Amelia completely trusted Teo. It couldn’t be helped.”
“The information I possess is merely this much.”

Teodor opened the door hidden behind the bookshelf.
Upon seeing the documents stacked like mountains, my jaw dropped.

“No, with evidence like this, we could even use it as a reversal in the trial—.”
“But if we’ve already bought off both the jury and the judge—.”
“Huh? Then there’s no need to follow the law at all, is there?”

Teodor tilted his head and spoke.
And he began to share his thoughts.

“Hmm….”

After hearing the entire explanation.
I stared at Teodor with a complicated expression.

“Laws aren’t meant to be followed—they’re meant to be broken in secret.”

That innocent boy was now saying such things with such a gentle face….

“That’s a good idea, isn’t it?”

I gave him a thumbs up.
Teodor grinned.

“I knew you’d like it. I learned it all from you, Angel. Hehe.”
“….”
“….”

What is this.
This uncomfortable feeling of being turned against myself.

* * *

In a darkened room.
The nobles gazed at their counterpart with worried expressions.

“No, what kind of timing is this? How can you ask for a meeting at a time like this!”
“Indeed. No matter how urgent it is, this time you’ve gone too far!”
“What do you have to say for yourself, Beatrix?”
“Well.”

Crimson lips parted as a sultry voice cut through the nobles’ complaints.

“Since I’ve committed no crime, naturally I can meet without shame.”
“…!”
“Isn’t that so?”
“Ahem! Hmph!”

The nobles cleared their throats and turned away.
The “crime” she spoke of was not Amelia’s transgression.
It referred to the sins of the nobles gathered in this place.

Not a single one among them was free from corruption.
Why had they come this far in the first place?
It was because of Beatrix’s threat to expose everything if they didn’t.

“The Parmanase Temple has always been helpful to friends. If you show friendship in this matter, I will ensure you are well compensated.”

After the threat, the coaxing voice was as cunning as a snake’s.

“But given what happened in the final selection, we cannot act so carelessly.”
“And collusion with demons no less. How are we to handle this!”
“Since it’s a false accusation, all that’s needed is to clear the misunderstanding.”

At Beatrix’s words, the nobles spoke with suspicious expressions.

“False? Are you certain?”
“You didn’t do something that could be held against you, did you….”
“You seemed to trust that man Ted quite a bit. If there’s evidence that could be misunderstood—.”
“Since it’s false, there is no evidence. No cleverly edited material to cause misunderstanding either.”

Beatrix spoke decisively.

“But the position of High Priestess has already been claimed by Saelika. If I meddle in this affair and something goes wrong….”
“If you abandon your friendship with me first, Count, then I too may have no choice but to abandon my friendship with you. Are you comfortable with our past being revealed?”
“Cough!”
“Don’t worry. Once Amelia’s grievances are resolved, it will be Amelia who stands at the High Priestess’s coronation ceremony.”

Beatrix smiled and began to explain her plan.

“Hmm, then….”
“But if we truly cooperate, our past dealings should be forgotten and left behind, yes?”
“Of course. And I shall promise you far more than that. As I always have.”

Beatrix smiled.
These foolish and greedy men always fell for it so easily.
Beatrix produced a contract.

“All trust is born from promises, after all.”

All that remained was to obtain their seals on the contract.
That was when it happened.

“C-Count!”

Suddenly the door burst open and the Count’s Adjutant rushed in.

“This is a disaster!”
“What is it! We’re in the middle of something important—.”
“Look at this first!”

The Adjutant thrust a portable Manashell toward the Count.
The Count’s eyes widened to the point of tearing as he saw what displayed on the Manashell’s screen.
Beatrix’s brow furrowed.

“What is the matter?”
“You cunning witch!!!”
“…?!”
“You dare deceive me with your treacherous tongue?!”

At his sudden change in demeanor, Beatrix’s face hardened like stone.

‘What in the world is happening…?’

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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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