Youngest on Top - Chapter 283

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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 283

* * *

As the turbulent aura swept over Kaishurit, Behemoth spun around to observe Saelika’s reaction.
I was so eager to see how she would respond.
I wondered if she might chase me all the way to the Demon Realm like last time.

‘Ah, if only she would pursue me to the Demon Realm again like before.’

And the moment our eyes met.

“…!”

Behemoth flinched involuntarily.

Saelika’s blue eyes gleamed like heated steel.
Within them burned a vivid fury.
Or could it even be called fury?
That emotion bordered on despair.
No.
It wasn’t despair either.

I was simply overwhelmed.
Behemoth’s breath caught.
In that instant.

A tremendous force erupted from Saelika.
Space twisted and convulsed.
The fabric of reality could not withstand the immense weight of that power.

Just as that force was about to consume Behemoth entirely.

“…?!”

Saelika vanished.
Along with that fierce power, she disappeared without a trace.

“What in the world is this….”

Keimos, Behemoth’s attendant, muttered under his breath.
Even for someone who had lived through countless ages, this was a situation he couldn’t properly comprehend.
Cesare lifted his head and lowered his posture as he spoke.

“I had a bad feeling about that smell…. The heavens have opened. The Heavenly Realm has connected.”
“Surely that child didn’t go to the Heavenly Realm….”
“It’s not a matter of surely—it’s certain. The heavens opened and the angel vanished!”
“Does the Heavenly Realm just leave the mortal realm whenever it pleases? What about the agreement?”
“Ugh, I don’t know about that either!”
“More than that, what about that child’s power….”

While the retainers were in disarray.
Behemoth silently examined the energy drifting through the empty air.
The lingering scent of Saelika was so intense that merely touching the aura caused a sharp tingling sensation.

‘Those eyes from before.’

The pupils of Saelika that I had seen moments ago refused to fade from my mind.

I had seen eyes like that before.
Only once.
When Saelika, who had pursued me to the Demon Realm, could not return to the Heavenly Realm—

“…So what that lackey Parmanase said was true after all.”

—Artemia’s pupils had looked exactly like that when she descended upon the Demon Realm.

* * *

‘Am I dreaming right now?’

I stood there in a daze, thinking such thoughts.
I rubbed my eyes several times and opened them again, but the landscape before me remained unchanged.

Brilliantly radiant, gentle sunlight without equal.
Fresh, pleasant air.
Each time wildflowers rustled softly beneath my feet, their verdant fragrance wafted upward in waves.
My beloved homeland, so deeply missed.

‘Is this really the Heavenly Realm…?’
?’

Despite having lived here for over a thousand years, something felt strangely unfamiliar.
I had lived here for over a thousand years, yet it felt strangely unfamiliar.

“When was the last time I saw this land like this?”

A few years back, I had come here to steal—no, borrow Kailros’s power.
With Enrik’s guidance, I had broken through—no, passed through the gate.
Following Enrique’s guidance, we broke through—no, passed through the gate.

“It was incredibly difficult back then, really tough. And I had only just barely set foot at the beginning of it all.”

This wasn’t even the threshold of the Heavenly Realm, and the ascent had been effortless.
More precisely, I had no awareness of it at all.
To be precise, there was no awareness at all.

“How on earth did I end up here?”

Something inside snapped abruptly.
What came after, I couldn’t quite remember.
After that, I don’t remember well.

“It did feel like an enormous amount of power was pouring out from within my body, but…”

I hadn’t even known I possessed such power.
I didn’t know I had such power in me.

“Why do I really have such power?”

More precisely, I possessed exceptional power.
People often called me a mutant.
I often heard the word “mutant” as well.

But that power just now couldn’t be explained in such a way.
It was something that shouldn’t exist, no matter how strong one’s abilities were.
Rather, it was closer to an innate authority….

“Your precious daughter being torn to shreds in my hands!!”

In that moment, Amelia’s words flashed through my mind.

‘…That was just something she said to catch me off guard.’

If I hadn’t stood there like a fool in a daze back then, Shuri wouldn’t have been hurt in my place.

The fact that curses don’t work on Shuri.
That’s not a convenient, effortless result without any side effects.

Behemoth’s ferocious curse is devouring other curses.
That comes with proportional suffering, and what’s even worse is….

‘Behemoth’s curse grows stronger.’

That means Shuri’s soul is being consumed that much more.

‘Shuri….’

I shot up from my seat.
Regardless, I’ve made it to the Heavenly Realm.

‘This is my chance!’

For some reason, I’ve managed to infiltrate the Heavenly Realm.

‘No, it’s not really infiltration.’

After all, it’s my homeland, where my brothers live.

‘…If I’m discovered, I don’t know when I’ll be cast out, so I should take everything I can before that happens.’

If I take flight with such an open view, the other angels might spot me.
I moved forward cautiously.

‘Let me see. Badarler must have hidden the Fruit of God somewhere over there.’

The angels would never lay a hand on divine possessions, so it should still be there untouched.

‘Bingo.’

I gathered up plenty of the Fruit of God.

‘Preytsha had accumulated quite a bit of divine honey.’

For whatever reason, Preytsha used to give me alcohol infused with generous amounts of honey.
I collected plenty of honey from Preytsha’s garden.

Haruanus’s jewels too.
Reyatan’s poison.
Molloresta’s gold.
Sertaasen’s silk as well.

“Which angel would dare lay hands on the treasures of the gods!”
“You troublemaker!”

I could almost hear my brothers’ nagging echoing in my ears.
But I dismissed it lightly.
They were all far away, after all.

‘…And this isn’t causing trouble anyway.’

I was simply gathering a few local specialties(?) from my homeland after returning for the first time in ages.
What was wrong with going back to the mortal realm and sharing the good things from my home?

‘Besides, the gods and angels won’t say anything about it.’

They couldn’t directly interfere in the mortal realm because of the covenant.
And besides, I was the Grand Sacred Maiden.

‘All the Sacred Maidens who represent the gods in the mortal realm answer to me.’

I wasn’t abusing absolute law—the covenant—or silencing victims with power.
I hugged the treasures I had gathered close.

‘Items from the Heavenly Realm will be of great help in lifting Shuri’s curse.’

It was the moment I steeled my resolve.
Above, I heard the sound of angels’ wings beating.

I quickly flattened myself against the ground and hid my body in the undergrowth.
Peeking upward, I saw Leiyatan’s Angels.
They had discovered that the precious divine poison had vanished and had begun searching for it.

“Ugh, why did it suddenly disappear?”
“This never happened while Saelika was around.”
“Should we check Artemia’s dwelling first?”
“…!”

I was genuinely startled.

‘How did they know it was me?!’

It was a moment of panic.
Leiyatan’s Angels broke into peculiar smiles.

“Ah yes, certainly. There, a devastatingly beautiful poisonous flower always blooms.”
“Sigh, we’re so addicted to the poison that is Artemia that we can’t escape it.”
“….”

I glared at the angels with cold eyes.
Under normal circumstances, I would have leaped out and struck them immediately.

I lowered my gaze.
In my sight was reflected the delicate(?) form of Shuri, moaning over each glittering treasure.
I held the stolen treasure close to my chest.

‘…It would be best to move through the undergrowth like this.’

While the angels twisted their wings and spouted nonsense about Artemia being a ‘wily poisonous flower’ and how ‘beautiful flowers indeed bear poison’.
I carefully moved through the undergrowth, evading the angels.

How much time had passed?
The refreshing sound of running water reached my ears.

‘Water flows here?’

There was no particular sign of anyone nearby.
I carefully poked my head out from the undergrowth.

‘Is there a place like this in the Heavenly Realm?’

The Heavenly Realm was vast.
But there was nowhere I didn’t know, having roamed everywhere to escape my Brothers’ eyes.

Yet this place was somewhere I’d never seen before.
Water flowed gently along a beautifully carved stone aqueduct.
Delicate flower buds swayed along the water’s edge.
The air was unusually refreshing and crisp, wonderfully cool.

This was definitely a place I’d never seen before.
And yet.

‘Why… does it feel like I’ve seen this somewhere?’

A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me.

In that moment, I realized I wasn’t alone in this place.
Someone was sitting by the water’s edge.
My view was obscured by tree branches, so I couldn’t see who it was.

There was nothing good about being discovered in my current state.
Yet it was strange.
I couldn’t stop my hand from grasping the branches.

Thump, thump—
My heart pounded loudly.
I lifted the branches that had obscured my view.

‘Ah.’

Brilliant sunlight stabbed at my eyes.
Water scales glimmered and shone.
The verdant foliage was vivid enough to dazzle.

Among them.
Artemia was there.

“It has been quite some time since we’ve met like this.”

Artemia smiled.

“Saelika.”

Calling my name.

* * *

Thump, thump.
My ears rang with the sound of my heartbeat.
I stood frozen, unable to muster any response.

“Saelika.”

Only when Artemia called my name again did I snap back to my senses.
I quickly emerged from the undergrowth.

“Ah, Saelika, Artemia’s Messenger, greets Artemia.”

I swiftly knelt and bowed my head.
Artemia said nothing in response.
When I cautiously lifted my gaze, she was looking down at me with a smile on her face.

‘Why is she like that?’

Her smile seemed somehow bittersweet.

“Rise and come here.”

Artemia gestured to me.
Though bewildered, I approached as she beckoned.
In that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Am I allowed to come closer?’

Artemia had far too many gods and angels at her side.
All of them were renowned deities and celestial beings.

‘But I…’

Artemia’s shame.
Artemia’s blemish.
The Heavenly Realm’s disgrace.

That’s all I ever heard.

“Come closer, child.”

I shook my head.

“Is it truly alright for me to draw nearer?”
“….”
“W-well, though Artemia has been so kind as to tell me I’ve done well, I….”

I didn’t want my presence to tarnish Artemia’s name.

“Saelika.”

Artemia rose and approached me.
Her large, warm hand brushed away a fallen leaf tangled in my hair.

“Did I not tell you?”
“….”
“You are always my joy.”

Her azure eyes held me within their gaze.

“But I’ve only caused trouble?”
“In the mortal realm, you saved countless lives with that small frame of yours. Everything you do is always right….”

It was then.

Crash—crash—crash!
The treasures I had gathered tumbled down with a tremendous clatter.

“….”
“….”

Crash!
To make matters worse, the glass vial containing Reyatan’s poison shattered.
The lush meadow began to wither and burn in an instant.

“….”
“….”
“I, I mean, this was just to show the human realm how great Artemia is…. Sometimes there are children who don’t listen.”
“…Threats are wrong—.”

Artemia paused.

“—but Sae must have her reasons for doing so. I trust her.”
“Artemia…!”
“Everything my child does is right.”

I gazed at Artemia with eyes full of emotion.
Was there anyone else in this world who trusted their angel so completely?

I was deeply moved.
I vowed that for Artemia’s sake, I would steal Reyatan’s poison a hundred times over.

“Sae.”

Artemia placed her hand on my head.
It was a strange touch.
This was the first time Artemia had stroked my head like this.
Yet it felt strangely familiar.

“Sae.”

It was a strange call.
This wasn’t the first time Artemia had called me by name.
But her voice, her gaze.
As if I had been called this way before—strangely familiar.

“Sae.”

Yes, that’s exactly how it was.

“My precious child.”

My precious child, I whispered.

* * *

At that very moment, in the mortal realm.
Upon hearing the angels’ words that the heavens had opened, the Temple Priests of Artemia moved at once.
Tracking was simple.
The remnants of immense sacred power still lingered thick in the air.

“Youngest!”
“Sae!”
“Honey!”

The Priests who burst into the abandoned shrine froze.
The Crown Prince, his upper garments completely torn, was trapped inside a narrow glass chamber.

“Whoever did this has terrible taste.”
“Right. Not just confinement, but confinement in a glass chamber.”
“And stripped like that, no less.”
“This reeks of perverted inclinations.”

The Priests and clergy approached the glass chamber with cold eyes.

“Wait, hold on. This is….”

The glass chamber was actually a barrier.
The sacred power in the surroundings was so overwhelming that the barrier’s sacred power had gone undetected.
And who had cast that barrier was painfully obvious.

“My innocent daughter….”

The Fathers’ hearts shattered.

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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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