Youngest on Top - Chapter 285

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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 285

* * *

Asquiel felt a wave of dizziness wash over me.
For one who possessed divine essence, experiencing such overwhelming vertigo was unprecedented.

Yet even clutching my head against the dizziness felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford.
I hurriedly checked beyond the window, drew the curtains, and scanned for any presence nearby.

“I’ve been checking the entire way here. There’s no one. And no angel or deity would find it strange that I, Asquiel, came looking for you.”
“That would only be true if things weren’t like this!”

Asquiel pointed to the gifts piled up in my room as if about to burst forth.
Though wrapped adorably, Asquiel’s eyes saw through them all.

“The essence of Portasen, the golden flowers of Kaertin, the spring water of Vislapo, the breath of Tarta, and even the crystals of Shesherodel!”

Beyond these, there were countless others.

“These are precious treasures that even the gods cannot easily obtain!”

Had anyone laid eyes upon them, suspicion would have naturally followed.

“How could I remain idle after entrusting my daughter to you?”
“In the first place, the reason she was entrusted to me was because keeping her close would be dangerous! You of all people know best what would happen if Saelika’s true identity were exposed…!”

Asquiel wasn’t even aware that I was scolding Artemia.
Artemia simply listened in silence.
The authority of a primary caregiver was truly formidable.

After continuing the scolding for some time, Asquiel clicked my tongue with a tsk.

“What angel would ever need such things? Possessing them only draws attention.”
“But there is no angel who is a baby. Babies have fragile bodies.”

Asquiel looked at Artemia with an incredulous expression.
The toy that Saelika had broken today was none other than a plaything imbued with Serha’s divine power.
And the child had gleefully shattered it, so what?
Weak?

“Absolutely not. If the child possesses the essence of Portacen, people will suspect something is amiss.”
“Then simply absorb it discreetly without drawing attention.”
“That won’t work either. Her power is already formidable as it is, and if she absorbs the essence on top of that….”

She might end up destroying divine statues instead of toys.
Already, whenever I saw Parmanace’s divine statues, Saelika’s chubby little fists would clench with such force that it was hardly reassuring….

“…Infants are sensitive to the cold.”

But even Asquiel couldn’t help but flinch at those words.

“If her body runs hot, she needs to be cooled properly. Otherwise, she could fall gravely ill.”
“What deity would have problems merely from being cold or running a fever….”
“She’s an infant.”
“….”

True, all the other deities had been fully formed from the moment of their creation.
But Saelika was an infant, and she hadn’t even been created in the conventional sense….

“To grow strong and healthy, she needs balanced nutrition. Isn’t she still far too small right now?”

Indeed, she was impossibly small.
An angel had once even
“Why do you carry bread so carefully in your arms?”
asked about it.

As my brothers said, I should feed her plenty of meat rich in divine power.
But since she hasn’t even grown teeth yet, feeding her is hardly satisfactory….

“…It would be better to feed her what she can eat properly. It won’t draw much attention anyway, and we can’t waste what we already have….”

Asquiel began reluctantly dragging out the gift.

“Dexarun’s horn? You captured a demonic beast you deliberately left alone to maintain balance?!”
“…That horn seemed like a fine plaything for the child.”
“Artemia.”
“…If she keeps it, she’ll develop resistance and grow stronger.”
“Sigh….”

Asquiel gave up arguing and examined the gifts.

‘The essence of Podeelia… this will certainly help cool the fever. But this would be even more effective used together with Napherun’s inner core. Ah, there’s Napherun’s inner core too.’

Click, click-click.
Contrary to the words she’d spoken against this, Asquiel’s hands deftly sorted through the gifts.

Artemia smiled watching her.
She would use every single one of them skillfully, without exception.

‘Sae.’

Artemia raised her hand and gently stroked her daughter’s hair.
Sae slept peacefully.
Her tiny wings fluttered softly now and then.

‘What dream are you having?’

Artemia swallowed her laughter and called to her daughter tenderly.

“Sae.”

Her voice was so full of affection that even speaking her name felt precious.

“My daughter.”

Asquiel gazed at the scene intently.

‘…To see such a smile.’

As if her mere existence was so beloved it was almost unbearable.
The weight of the mountain of gifts suddenly felt real.
Treasures so precious that even gods coveted them, not a single one without rarity.

‘All of this, alone, in secret….’

Loving and cherishing her so deeply, yet unable to even gaze upon her freely.
The more I love, the more I cherish—the more I must let go.

‘Perhaps it is no different from punishment.’

And yet, she wears such a happy expression.
Asquiel could not comprehend it.
However.

Asquiel remembered the sensation of those delicate, fluttering wings brushing against his chest.

‘…Still, I cannot understand.’

Asquiel stubbornly pressed his lips shut.

* * *

“No, brother.”

Enrik looked at Asquiel with an expression of disgust.

“Why would you bring the youngest to such a place?”
“…I did not bring him because I wanted to be with him.”
“Who said you did?”

Enrik’s face showed utter bewilderment.
If one were not guilty, why would such an answer come forth?

“…Sae refuses to be separated from me.”
“Even so, this is too much.”
“Yes, you went too far this time, brother.”
“As angels of Artemia, we should behave with common sense.”

Not other angels, but his own brothers speaking of common sense—it was utterly exasperating.
Yet Asquiel could only keep silent.

“Now you’ve gone and brought a child all the way to the battlefield…!”

Honestly, I had nothing to say.

“I’ve known for a while that Asquiel is a hopeless doting fool who never lets the child out of his sight!”
“Yeah, whenever he finds something good, he absolutely takes it to the youngest.”
“Last time he only fed that troublemaker. It’s not like we were going to steal it!”
“Even among hopeless doting fools, his obsession is something else.”

The Brothers were deeply mistaken.
There was no way they themselves were hopeless doting fools.

Asquiel still couldn’t understand Artemia.
He was simply caring for the lump of flesh because he’d been asked to, left with no choice.

“Ueh….”

The moment the ‘lump of flesh’ whimpered in his arms.
Asquiel reflexively patted its bottom.
And he warned in a low voice.

“Quiet. You’ll wake the child.”
“….”
“There, sleep more. Go to sleep now. That’s right.”
“….”

The Brothers stared at Asquiel with dumbfounded eyes.
That gaze resembled the look Asquiel cast upon Artemia.

“Are you really sure about this?”
“Which part are you talking about? Asquiel’s been off his rocker for ages, and having a child on a battlefield is….”
“Well, it should be fine. The eldest’s barrier won’t be breached.”
“Besides, it’s more unsettling to have the youngest alone in the Heavenly Realm….”

The Brothers fell into prolonged silence at those final words.
Yesterday, Sae had smashed Parmanace’s statue in half.
The Brothers had secretly glued it back together, but who knew how long it would last….

‘Just started eating meat and barely speaks coherently, and at this rate….’

The Brothers found themselves increasingly worried about what lay ahead.

* * *

‘I am not an eight-fold calamity.’

Asquiel swung his sword.
Lightning erupted from the blade, sweeping the demons away helplessly.

‘I am not an eight-fold calamity.’

Crash!
Another group of demons was swept away.

‘I am absolutely not an eight-fold calamity!’

The demons fell once more.
Then.

“What are you clutching so dearly?”

A playful voice echoed from nearby.

‘The Demon Realm Prince?’

The Demon Realm Prince, Behemoth.
The being I thought could never appear in such a place stood before my eyes.

Just then, Sae lifted her head from my arms.
Behemoth’s eyes narrowed.

“Bringing a child to such a place.”
“Aren’t you a child yourself?”
“At least I’m different from ‘that’ in your arms.”

A dark crimson aura extended from Behemoth’s hand.

‘Indeed, he is worthy of confidence.’

Even though he bore royal bloodline, the young demon was still just a child.
It was typical for such beings to fail in properly wielding their power.
Yet Behemoth’s strength overwhelmed even high-ranking adult demons.

‘Once he matures, he’ll surpass his father.’

Asquiel contemplated this leisurely.
After all, Behemoth’s attacks couldn’t penetrate his barrier anyway.
But then.

“…!”

Saelika thrust her chubby hand straight through the barrier.

“Sae!”

Crack!
Her small hand shattered Behemoth’s attack entirely.

Asquiel quickly reached out and grasped Saelika’s hand.
He intended to smooth things over however he could.

But something far greater occurred.

Smack!
Saelika’s other hand sent Behemoth’s jaw flying!
It was a remarkably perfect uppercut.

“Bad! Asquiel bang boom!”

She appeared furious that he had attacked Asquiel.

“Ha….”

Behemoth slowly lowered his head after taking the blow to his jaw.

Asquiel observed him.
He saw Behemoth’s eyes glimmering with an odd light.
It was unmistakably interest.

“That… no, that child— what’s her name?”
“…Why should I tell you?”
“Why? Because she’s going to be my bride.”

Asquiel experienced what it truly meant for one’s mind to come to a complete halt.
In that moment.

“I fell for you at first sight, darling. Let’s get married when you grow up.”

Saelika was receiving her first marriage proposal in her entire life.

.
.

After the battle ended.
Asquiel returned to the Heavenly Realm.
Artemia furrowed her brow upon seeing Asquiel.

“Asquiel, you were only supposed to maintain the barrier as usual. Why did you annihilate everything? You could have disrupted the balance.”
“Artemia.”

Asquiel spoke with an unusually excited expression.

“What do you think about subjugating the Demon Realm?”

Artemia cleared the area around her.
Once they were alone, she asked in a measured voice.

“Have you lost your mind? If we subjugate the Demon Realm, the order will—”
“The Prince of the Demon Realm proposed to Saelika.”
“…!”

Artemia rose slowly without a word.
That alone emanated an overwhelming presence, as if a great mountain towered before one’s eyes.
Such weight that it seemed nothing could shake her, even words concerning her own daughter!

“Lead the way. I shall go and crush him myself.”

Unfortunately, there was no rational being present in this place.

* * *

Time flowed peacefully (?) in this manner.

“Aaaaaargh!”
“Someone heal me!”
“Wait, I’m the one who needs help! I’m buried under debris.”
“That crazy mutant only has brute strength!”

Saelika scoffed and smashed the wall with her fist.

“How dare you insult Artemia!”
“You, stay right there!”
“Would you stay if you were me?”

Saelika stuck out her tongue and soared into the air with a flutter of her wings.
Over the long ages of the Heavenly Realm, Saelika had grown strong and sturdy.

“Insane, why is her wing power so incredible? What did she eat growing up?”

The angels chasing behind her huffed and puffed with effort, but the distance only widened.

“Looks like the youngest caused trouble again? The Parmanace lot are furious.”
“Leave it. Those narrow-minded Parmanace fools are throwing a fit because my little sister was bored and playing around.”
“Why were they even near that troublemaking brat in the first place? It’s the Parmanace lot’s fault.”
“Right, while the kid’s playing, we can rough them up a bit.”

The Brothers discussed this while cooking diligently.
They were in the middle of catching a divine beast from Molorestia since the youngest’s meals had been unsatisfying.

“But with this much commotion, don’t you think Asquiel will find out? The youngest is going to get scolded badly.”
“…!”
“We should stop her.”
“Let’s scold her first before he does.”
“That’s better. Then Asquiel won’t have to scold her.”

* * *

‘Damn it!’

Saelika bit her lip.
It was satisfying to punish those Parmanace wretches for daring to insult Artemia, but—

‘Of all things, to get caught by the Brothers!’

She was fleeing, but it was only a matter of time before they caught her.
How much more scolding would she endure for tarnishing Artemia’s reputation?

‘I’m completely trapped. There’s nowhere to hide here… wait?’

Saelika, who had been flying rapidly, faltered.
She saw something that shouldn’t exist in this place.

‘A gate?’

She didn’t know where it led, but it was a doorway.

‘Perfect!’

Without hesitation, Saelika plunged through the gate.
And then—

“…An angel?”

She met a man.
A man with golden irises that shimmered with crimson and azure light—eyes more beautiful than any jewel.

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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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