Youngest on Top - Chapter 41

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 41

* * *

The trainee priests of Reyatan departed from the Main Building.
They were heading toward Artemia’s Training Temple.
With the adults having their own gathering, this time belonged entirely to the children.

“I wonder what kind of expressions those Artemisia idiots will have.”
“Well, they’ll probably be trembling in fear, won’t they?”

Just thinking about the last gathering made me laugh.
Those fools couldn’t do anything right and just kept shaking.
And in the end,

“P-p-please, save us, save us!”
“Mom─!”

They even burst into tears.
I couldn’t count how much the priests of Reyatan mocked that pathetic sight.

“They looked exactly like mice cornered by a cat.”
“Ahahaha! That’s the perfect comparison.”
“I heard the Training Temple even caught fire this time—it must look like a real mouse hole.”
“And like proper mice, they all managed to escape without anyone dying?”

The children of Reyatan giggled as they arrived at Artemia’s Training Temple.
The children of Artemisia were waiting in front of the Training Temple.

But then….

“Huh?”
“What is this….”

The children of Reyatan’s jaws dropped as they looked at the Training Temple.

‘It was supposed to have burned?’

I had expected everything to be dilapidated and shabby, but how wrong I was.
The buildings were as magnificent and ornate as befitted such a grand temple.

Not a single weathered corner in sight—structures that gleamed as though freshly constructed.
Towering ancient trees encircled the buildings like protective guardians watching over precious children.
Scattered throughout the expansive thicket were charming sculptures of divine beasts.

“The, the eyes on the statue….”

I recognized it instantly.
What that ore adorning the wolf’s eyes was.

“Mitamol…! (Sacred stone with purity exceeding 80 percent)”

It was mitamol—the very material the top two temples of the Octagon used to nourish the sacred power of their young priests.

‘This is insane! We don’t even have this at our temple!’

Of course we didn’t—it was astronomically expensive!
There were rumors that a single piece of mitamol was worth an entire central building of a temple.

“What, never seen mitamol before?”

A child from Artemisia, harboring deep resentment toward Reyatan, spoke with a sullen tone.
The trainee priests of Reyatan quickly shifted their expressions.

“It’s shocking, that’s all! What kind of incompetent trainee priests would place something like mitamol in their quarters?”
“They’re just trying to artificially inflate their reputation this way, aren’t they?”
“Y, you’re right—those priests at Artemisia are truly pitiful.”

The children of Reyatan quickly restored their pride.

Why should they be impressed by Artemisia?
No matter how much mitamol they possessed, it paled in comparison to their own capabilities.

‘When we become the Octagon, everything will be even better than this.’

The Convocation, despite its name, was essentially a stage for competition.
They were opponents who would face each other in contests.

Tensions were already running high, and now the two groups harbored genuine ill will toward each other.
Reyatan nursed an inferiority complex toward Artemisia, while Artemisia still bore the wounds from the last assembly.

The Reyatan trainees deliberately smirked and clicked their tongues in mockery.

“What a waste… Mitamol only helps those who’ve awakened their sacred power.”
“Right, for someone who hasn’t awakened, it’s like casting pearls before swine.”
“Why? You never know. Maybe this time two people will awaken.”

At their snickering, the Artemisia children flushed red with anger.
The Reyatan children glanced sideways at Ilay.

“If Ilay has to face us alone again, it’ll be pathetic.”
“I have the honor of the Octagon to uphold.”
“Oh please, you’re still the current Octagon~.”
“Pardon me. But what’s the difference, really? You’ll fall anyway.”
“Ah! You’re not planning to beat us up with your fists again because you couldn’t awaken your sacred power, are you? Like Dmitri did last assembly?”

The Reyatan children snickered and provoked Ilay and Dmitri.
In the last assembly, only two had stood out.

Ilay, the sole one to awaken his sacred power.
Dmitri, who hadn’t awakened but had thrashed the Reyatan children with his exceptional physical prowess.

The other Artemisia children were so pathetic that those two alone had caused us such trouble.

Then, one of Reyatan’s trainees stepped forward.
He was unusually large, and possessed strength to match his size.
This boy was Hendrick, the leader of Reyatan.

Hendrick approached Dmitri, the leader of Artemisia, with a smirk.

“Are you going to kick around undignified again this time?”
“What?”
“If you are, tell me beforehand.”
“Why would I.”
“You should have some pride as a trainee priest. Before you embarrass yourself with kicks again, I’ll break both your legs for you.”

At Hendrick’s provocation, Dmitri let out a soft laugh.

“Hey, Reyatan. Your little wild boar actually knows how to talk like a human?”
“What?”
“We’ve put beast feed over there, so eat it later if you get hungry.”
“You filthy rat bastard, where do you get off—!”
“Keep it reasonable. Don’t come crying for your mother after taking another kick from me.”

Fire flashed in Hendrick’s eyes.

“What?!”
“Bring it on.”

The boys instantly reached for each other.
Just as they were about to seize each other’s collars, Ilay stepped between them.

“Stop.”

Dmitri, who had glanced at Ilay for a moment, clicked his tongue and lowered his hand. It was a markedly different reaction from how he’d treated Ilay months ago.
It was a noticeably different reaction from how he had treated Elaine a few months ago.

Hendrick let out a bitter laugh.
Then he shoved Ilay hard.

“What’s a pretty boy like you doing getting in the way?!”

A hand like a cauldron lid grazed Ilay’s cheek.
As his pale face flushed red, sparks flew from the eyes of Artemia’s children.

“You bastards—!”
“What, you trash from Artemia!”
“Trash? Did you just call our Artemia trash? You bald Reyatan scum!”
“Bald? I just have thin hair! You want to die?!”
“You’re the ones who are finished—!”

Soon the other children joined in as well.
Just as the children from both sides were about to clash.

Sacred Maiden Helene walked over gracefully.

“My, fighting won’t do.”

The Reyatan trainee priests, who had been like fighting dogs, fell silent in an instant.

“Sacred Maiden…!”

At the mention of the Sacred Maiden, the Artemisia trainee priests hesitated.

The Sacred Maiden—the very heart of the temple.
While the High Priest’s role was to support and guide the temple, the Sacred Maiden was the symbol of divinity itself and the embodiment of power.

It was the first time the Artemisia children had ever seen a Sacred Maiden their own age.

Helene, wearing a gentle smile, surveyed the Artemisia trainee priests.
Her gaze came to rest on one figure.
A beautiful young boy with crimson hair.

“You’re Dmitri, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s… correct.”

The Sacred Maiden chuckled softly and approached Dmitri.

“I could tell at a glance—you look so dependable.”
“…”
“My, you’re quite tall. Your shoulders are as broad as an adult’s.”

Helene gently placed her hand on Dmitri’s shoulder.
Then she turned her head slightly to gaze at the beautiful young boy beside him, whose eyes gleamed like honey.

“Ah, I see! This must be Ilay!”

Helene leaned her face close to Ilay’s collarbone.

“Mmm, I can feel such a pleasant divine aura from you.”
“…”
“Don’t worry too much about what Hendrick said, alright? People like us should always show generosity to those around us. …Oh!”

Helene bounded toward Edmund, who stood further back.

“You’re Raphael of House Raphael, correct?”
“…Yes, that is correct.”
“Hehe, the young lord of House Raphael certainly carries himself with nobility. Such refinement.”

As she spoke, Helene turned to observe the three young boys.

‘So many raw gems scattered throughout this decaying place.’

Each of them possessed striking looks and exceptional abilities.

Dmitri, formidable through pure martial prowess alone, without any sacred power.
Ilay, whose sacred power quality was extraordinary despite his young age.
Edmund, a direct descendant of House Raphael, the great lords of the Eastern territories.

I thought only Kaiser was decent, but these trainee priests were quite impressive as well.
To think such raw gems existed within this crumbling Artemisia Temple.
This must surely be Lord Reyatan’s arrangement.

‘For me to have.’

If such magnificent young men were to protect her?
The Sacred Maidens of other temples would be green with envy.

‘Since things have come to this, I’ll keep them by my side and nurture them well.’

To serve her, the greatest treasure of this world, would surely be an immense honor for them.

* * *

‘Have they lost their minds?’

I ground my teeth in frustration.
The gift that the Reyatan Temple brought was rotting meat.

It wasn’t spoiled by accident during transport.
The flesh was completely decomposed—it was clear they had prepared rotten meat from the start.

The intention was obvious.
Food befitting your level is rotting meat—that’s what they meant.

“Should I kill them? (Should I kill them?)”

I muttered with a sharp gaze as I arrived at the Trainee Priest Quarters.
A crowd of children had gathered in front of the building.
And….

“Yes, let’s all get along well together.”

Reyatan’s Sacred Maiden clapped her hands with a snap as she spoke.

“It’s a gathering, right? We didn’t come here to fight.”
“B-but Sacred Maiden─.”
“Ufufu, we might even become one family later, you know.”

As she said this, Helene looked at Dmitri, Ilay, and Edmund with a bright smile.

“Isn’t that right?”

Helene tilted her head with a “right?”

I understood perfectly what she was implying.
A Sacred Maiden who had undergone a Second Awakening could alter the nature of sacred power.

In other words, she could transform an Artemisia Temple Priest into a Reyatan Temple Priest.
Of course, the priest’s own consent was necessary.

‘It’s quite a common occurrence to transfer that way.’

It was also the reason Artemisia had suffered from a labor shortage.
Capable priests had simply defected to other temples.

Helene looked back and forth between Dmitri, Ilay, and Edmund with a smile-filled face.

“So we─”
“When did Reyatan ever become one family with the Artemisia Temple?”

At my words, all the children turned to look at me.

Helene’s face crumpled for just a brief moment.
But soon she smiled brightly again and tilted her head with curiosity.

“My goodness?”
“Reyatan stays with Reyatan, Artemisia Temple stays with Artemisia Temple. We’re one family.”

Helene let out a sigh.

“I was worried there might be people who think like this….”
“….”
“All people in this world are one community created by the Creator, you know? So we should embrace each other.”

Helene approached me and spoke as if teaching a foolish person.
Like she pitied a child who didn’t know numbers.

“A community is all family?”
“What?”
“Mm, family means people who eat together. Family!”
“That’s…!”
“Ah, the Sacred Maiden of Reyatan didn’t know. That’s fine! If you don’t know, you can learn!”
“…!”

Helene glared at me fiercely. I could see her lips move silently as if muttering, “How dare you….”
But soon she narrowed her shoulders and drooped her eyebrows.

“That’s not what I meant—I was just saying I wanted us to get along. Did you dislike it?”

A liar.
Absolutely not what she meant.

‘She was trying to poach the promising ones.’

To compete with other Octagons after becoming one herself.
This meant she didn’t even view Artemisia as a competitor.

‘She sees us as a stepping stone to climb over.’

“We can only get along if we’re one family.”
“My goodness, you… I just wanted us to get along that well….”

Helene, who had been feigning great bewilderment, now wore a wounded expression.

“Ah, so you hate me?”
“What?”

Helene turned to face the children with a tearful look.

“It seems I’m not liked after all….”

With a pitiful expression, she gazed at the Artemisia children.

“I really do want to get along with all of you….”
“Huh?”

Our children blinked in confusion.
Helene continued with a bright smile.

“This is my first time at Artemisia, and there seem to be so many wonderful people here, don’t you think?”
“W-well, that’s true, but….”
“I can sense it.”
“Pardon?”
“You have such clear eyes. I can feel your purity. And your posture is so upright. You must come from a good family, don’t you?”

Helene praised each of the children one by one.

The children were subjected to my harsh treatment and rough handling every day.
And the adults were both understaffed and extremely busy with their duties.
As a result, it had been an eternity since our children had received such praise.

And receiving it from a Sacred Maiden their own age made it all the more special.
The praised children cleared their throats awkwardly with embarrassed faces.

“H-haha. How did you know such things about us?”
“S-Sacred Maiden, you are truly so compassionate and kind!”

Helene laughed softly.
Then she grasped her skirt and bent her waist in a light bow.

“I’m Helene Molita. Please call me Helene.”
“You’re… using formal speech?”
“Because I recognized you’ll all become outstanding priests. It’s only proper to show respect, isn’t it?”

The children beamed with delight.
A Sacred Maiden herself had called them “future outstanding priests”—they were thrilled.

Besides, Artemisia had no Sacred Maiden of its own.
They could only admire the very concept of one all the more.

Helene chuckled softly.

“I believe courtesy is paramount. Nitpicking someone’s words or speaking casually to them is disrespectful, wouldn’t you agree?”

As she spoke, she glanced sideways at me.
In other words, I lacked manners compared to her.

The children from Reyatan giggled in agreement.

“Yes, Sacred Maiden. Courtesy is indeed important.”
“Especially toward one’s superiors!”

They were perfectly synchronized with each other.
Then, in that instant.

“Really? Do I need to memorize the name of a Sacred Maiden from some other temple I’ll never see again?”

Ilay spoke up.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————