Youngest on Top - Chapter 269

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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 269

Behemoth furrowed his brow.
It had always been his role to catch others off guard.
Being on the receiving end was far from pleasant.

“Did you know I would enter this place?”
“If you’ve orchestrated something within the gate, there must be a purpose.”
“Purpose, you say?”

Behemoth shrugged his shoulders.
Kaishurit spoke.

“There is one thing that strikes me as odd. You said earlier that ‘trivial creatures are putting on a show outside.’ Does that mean you have nothing to do with the commotion beyond?”
“Why would I reveal such things to you?”
“So you have nothing to do with it.”

Behemoth found himself somewhat at a loss.
The mere fact that there existed a human who conversed with him so casually was astounding.
And to perceive the deeper meaning within the dialogue itself.

‘Is he truly that accustomed to this?’

Up close, it became starkly visible.
The vicious curse undulating within Kaishurit’s being.
The abyss that had seeped into his very soul.

‘Having dwelt with torment worse than death his entire life, what could he possibly fear?’

He would never have experienced fear or dread, nor could he.
Yet such emotions were themselves derived from the yearning to survive.
In other words—.

‘He has never even conceived the desire to live.’

Unable to feel not only negative emotions but positive ones as well.
Not merely emotions.
Even the basic five senses—color, fragrance—would have been beyond his reach.

‘And yet, what makes him somewhat human—.’

The seal wrapped around Kaishurit as if protecting him.
Traces of repeated applications.

‘—Is it thanks to Darling?’

A human covered entirely in Saelika’s marks.
How displeasing.

‘Should I kill him.’

Crack.
Power surged through Behemoth’s fingertips.
In that moment.

“Make a contract with me.”

Words entirely unexpected came from Kaishurit’s mouth.

* * *

“Things are settling down nicely.”
“Yeah.”

I nodded at Ilay’s words.
No more people were transforming into demons.
Most of the demons had also returned to human form.
The injured, both major and minor, were being tended to well.
It was thanks to the personnel maintaining the defensive line switching over to healing.

“Pass along what I said to Teo.”
“Got it.”

Ilay nodded and left his seat.

“Lesha.”

At the call, I turned to see Ardin’s Father approaching me together with Serju Uncle.

“Father.”
“I was worried something might have happened inside.”
“Oh, what could happen? Look, I’m perfectly fine!”

As I boasted about my robustness, Uncle Serge interjected.

“Well, it was a completely sealed room, so of course I was worried.”
“…?”
“You were trapped alone in that secluded room with the Crown Prince!”

Is that really the issue right now?
Bewildered, I looked up just as my father placed his hand on my shoulder.
And he spoke with a serious expression.

“You must always be cautious of any man who suggests being alone in a quiet place.”
“….”
“I should have given you early education about this since childhood. This is my negligence.”

Faced with his genuine remorse, I found myself at a loss for words.
My father placed his hand on my head.

“I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”

Those words carried so much emotion.
Though I had joked about Shuri in a lighthearted way, I could see how deeply he had worried.
As much as he had once lost me.

“Father, Uncle, I have a favor to ask. Will you hear me out?”
“Anything.”
“If it’s a request from our Sago, we must grant it.”
“Then….”

When I explained what I needed, Uncle Serge jumped to his feet.

“Ah, no matter how much it’s Sago’s request, that…!”
“…Is it truly necessary?”

My father spoke with a grave, sunken expression.
Seeing that face, I felt a bit apologetic, but….

“Please, I’m begging you.”
“…All right.”

Ardin’s Father closed his eyes tightly as he spoke.
It was as though he had just made a life-or-death decision.

“…Is it really so difficult to give me all the original footage from today’s coronation ceremony?”
“Of course it is!”

Serju Uncle trembled violently.

“Do you know how much effort we put into capturing our Protagonist from every angle in three-dimensional detail as she ascended the platform!”
“Lesha, you must never delete it, not even by accident. Not even a single second.”
“….”

That’s enough.
I won’t even try to understand this.

I turned my body and gazed toward the gate.
Now all that remained was figuring out how to rescue Shuri.

* * *

Behemoth stared at Kaishurit with an incredulous expression.

“So you’re saying I should take the kidnapped darling to the orphanage affiliated with the Parmanase Temple?”

Kaishurit nodded and added.

“While keeping hidden the fact that Saelika is the daughter of Perardin Noishurael Duke.”

I hadn’t misheard.
That’s precisely why it was so absurd.

“Not with her family, not at the Artemisia Temple. You want me to leave her at the Parmanase Temple’s orphanage?”
“How many times are you going to ask? I’m not known for my patience.”
“….”

Behemoth was beyond angry—he was utterly dumbfounded.
Who dared speak such nonsense to him?

“You could do it, couldn’t you?”

Kaishurit asked with unwavering certainty.
Yet even for Behemoth, reversing time was no simple matter.

‘But—burrowing into time that has already been reversed… that might be possible. If I pay the appropriate price.’

When Saelika regressed, the timeline had already twisted.

‘If I exploit that warped fissure—.’

Sudden clarity struck him.

‘…So that’s why.’

“Let me ask you one thing. When I was kidnapped, who sent you to take me?”

Saelika, speaking such an abrupt question.
At first, I thought she was merely joking.

“Darling, aren’t you being a bit too aggressive?”
“Stop spouting nonsense and answer my question. Why did you take me to the orphanage under the Parmanase Temple? Who ordered you to do it?”

The orphanage under the Parmanase Temple.
Precise.

“I’m the one who should be getting angry. Did you mistake me for another man?”

“Ha…”

It wasn’t another man.
There was no mistake.
Saelika had recognized me exactly as I was.

‘Then—.’

Behemoth’s gaze turned toward Kaishurit.

‘Now I understand why my power resides within him.’

He had paid the price of the contract.

“What price?”
“Anything you desire from me is acceptable.”
“Anything? When making contracts with demons, one must always be cautious about the price.”
“It doesn’t matter.”

His words were firm and unwavering.
Irritated by this, I pressed further.

“Even your life—no, your very soul? You could be dragged into the demon realm and become my plaything, never dying, suffering eternally.”
“I already said it doesn’t matter. How many times must I repeat myself?”
“…How presumptuous for a mere human.”
“It’s fine. That child chose that life for themselves.”
“….”
“Whatever price they must pay, I will ensure they live that way. I will.”

Kaishurit glared at Behemoth.
Yet what appeared in his eyes was Saelika’s bashfully smiling face.

“In truth, it’s also thanks to Your Majesty.”

‘Saying that I was able to grow stronger because of you.’

“…Those words are enough.”

What I said then was sincere.
I had already made my decision by that time.

“…You really displease me.”

Behemoth murmured lowly.
Not that he lacked the desire to kill him outright—.

‘I think I’m beginning to understand why I would make a contract with this human.’

Behemoth let out a soft chuckle.

‘So that’s the life darling chose.’

I had no intention of granting Saelika everything she desired.
But.

‘That would certainly be more entertaining.’

Saelika had always brought me joy, after all.

“There’s no delicacy quite like a powerful soul bearing such a magnificent myth as yours. However, consuming it all at once would only cause indigestion.”
“….”
“What if I were to gnaw away at you bit by bit, while you still draw breath?”

A glimmer of recognition flickered in Kaishurit’s eyes.
Understanding dawned upon him.
His soul had been gnawed away all these years.

“Yes, you mortals typically call this a curse, don’t you?”
“….”
“The curse I carved directly into your soul transcends time and space. You will suffer under it from the moment of your birth.”
“….”
“As a child, you will live cursed without understanding why. Throughout your entire life, you will never even dream of a complete existence, alone in a world of ash.”
“….”
“Do you still wish to make a contract with me?”

Behemoth’s aura coiled around Kaishurit, writhing.
The curse sealed deep within stirred ferociously at the familiar presence, howling with savage hunger.

“I don’t care.”

Yet Kaishurit remained serene.

“The moment I understand the reason, I will be more willing than ever.”

He even smiled.

“No, even this terrible curse would feel sweet.”
“…!”
“My life was complete.”

It was not a world made of ash.

“Ah, hello….”

‘Because every moment I see you is drenched in light.’

“You bastard, you!”

That brilliantly vivid and crystalline radiance.

“Your Majesty, would you become my partner if you’re willing?”

A soft hand filled with warmth.

‘Because of you, I could see and feel everything.’

Hair that brushed against me like a tickle.
Round eyes gazing toward me.
Smiling lips.

That must be the color of the sun.
The color of sky and sea.
The color of a rose.
And simultaneously, a light more beautiful than any other color could ever be.

That was enough.
I had witnessed the most beautiful light in the world.

“Ha…. The curse that strangled you your entire life feels sweet to you?”
“Yes.”
“…You’re quite the stubborn one.”
“….”
“The contract is sealed.”

At those words, a pitch-black aura spread from Behemoth like venom.

“You’d do well to abandon any hope that Saelika might break your curse.”
“….”
“A contract properly established cannot be undone, not even by me.”
“I never made such calculations in the first place.”
“That’s fortunate then.”

Crack!
A vicious, suffocating force pierced through Kaishurit’s heart and soul.

Kaishurit’s pupils dilated from the agony of being torn apart while alive, then suddenly constricted.
Every blood vessel in his body bulged, and the whites of his eyes darkened to black.

“A stubborn one. An ordinary human would have died by now, yet he doesn’t even scream.”

Behemoth clicked his tongue.
But no amount of strength would matter.
Kaishurit could never break the curse, not even in death.

In that moment.

Whoooosh!
A fierce radiance erupted from Kaishurit’s chest.

“This is…!”

Behemoth involuntarily staggered backward.

A small stone gleamed upon Kaishurit’s chest.
A light that burned away the darkness consuming space itself.

“Artemia?”

A sacred relic infused with the breath of Artemia herself.
The power of the Kailum Crystal!

‘Why is it here?’

It was something Saelika, who could refuse nothing to Artemia, would cherish dearly and never part with.

‘You gave that to that bastard?!’

“Ha…!”

Behemoth’s eyes sharpened like a honed blade.
The curse that responded to him swelled even larger, swallowing Kaishurit whole.

“Hmph, a trivial thing….”

Kaishurit, who possessed not a shred of holy power, could never properly wield Artemia’s sacred relic.
Just now it had reacted only slightly thanks to the mythology dwelling within Kaishurit’s blood.

“…Since we made a contract, I have no choice but to fulfill it. But I’m displeased. I wish you would simply die.”

Unfortunately, it seemed he would not die.
The moment Behemoth turned his body after finishing his business.

Kuuuuuung!
An intensely powerful aura was felt from behind, making the hair stand on end.
A dazzling light incomparable to before was now pouring forth from Kaishurit!

‘How is this possible…?’

Kaishurit shouldn’t be able to properly handle the sacred relic?
Then, something appeared before Behemoth’s eyes.
A sacred stigma blooming on Kaishurit’s cheek!

‘A blessing…?’

It was the mark of a blessing!
The power of the blessing dwelling within Kaishurit had awakened the Kailum Crystal.

Charrrrrr!
Chains of light bound Behemoth’s curse.
As if to tear it apart.

However, a legitimately established contract cannot be stopped.
The seal of the curse began to inscribe itself upon Kaishurit’s body.
Yet—

“This doesn’t make sense….”

—Along with Artemisia’s divine power as well.

Behemoth stood motionless, saying nothing.
His face shrouded in darkness spoke volumes of his inner turmoil.
The young demon fluttered over and circled around Kaishurit.

“Right, something truly impossible has occurred. A blessing dwelling within a curse.”
“My darling… my darling kissed this bastard…!”
“Is that really the problem right now?!”

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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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