Youngest on Top - Chapter 45

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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 45

Helene’s expression froze solid.

‘What… what is this?’

Helene whipped her head around to stare at the two figures.

Was this reality?
She couldn’t even believe the reports.

Gerald, someone so extraordinary, rushing toward that plain, unremarkable girl!
And he was beaming with a smile, treating her with such affection.

“Oh my, oh my, our brilliant little priest. How have you been? Hmm? Are you sleeping well?”

Helene couldn’t hide her bewildered expression as she stared at Gerald.

‘Is that really the same man who was radiating such charisma earlier?’

No, more than that—why was he treating that girl like this?
She was the one who should have received such treatment.

‘That girl is nothing, and I’m the Sacred Maiden!’

Helene clenched her skirt tightly at the unbelievable sight.

She wasn’t the only one taken aback.
Shedmon Elder was gritting his teeth as well.

‘C-could she have been a distinguished guest invited by Artemisia Temple?’

Saelika wore a lukewarm expression at Gerald’s fervent reaction.
Yet Gerald continued speaking to the child as if it were natural, familiar even.
And occasionally he exchanged greetings with the Reyatan Priests as well.
As if he knew Artemisia very well.

‘How in the world do people like Artemisia know the successor to the Whitepearl Merchant Guild!’

But that wasn’t what mattered.

Shedmon quickly composed his expression.
Then he approached Helene, who was glaring at Saelika.

“Sacred Maiden Helene.”

At that call, Helene caught herself with a start.
She quickly smoothed away the intensity in her gaze.
After straightening her posture, she approached Gerald with delicate steps.

“Oh, Saelika! So you were here!”

Helene spoke to Saelika as though Gerald wasn’t her true target.
Her voice was filled with apparent delight.

“I wanted to greet you, but I didn’t know you were here. There were so many people around me.”

As she spoke, Helene released a sigh as if troubled.

“I had to pay my respects to several distinguished guests.”
“….”
“They came from far away to see us, after all. I had to extend proper hospitality.”
“….”
“But who is this person…?”

Helene tilted her head as if she hadn’t heard about Gerald.
Then one of the Reyatan Priests quickly interjected with an answer.

“He is from the Whitepearl Merchant Company, Sacred Maiden Helene.”
“My goodness…! I was wondering who you were since you carried such refinement, and so it’s someone of such standing! How wonderful!”

Helene feigned admiration, then widened her eyes as she looked at Saelika.

“I thought something was wrong with this gentleman because you looked displeased. I wondered if perhaps he was someone unpleasant.”
“Sae’s mood is fine.”
“You were being discourteous…. Goodness, Sae, that won’t do. You must show respect to your elders.”

Helene continued with a troubled expression.

“Ah, you haven’t learned such things yet. That’s alright—you can learn from now on.”

Saelika stared at Helene with a bewildered expression.

‘What exactly did I do to Gerald?’

She hadn’t been particularly rude.
Moreover, if anything, it was Gerald who had made a scene in front of all those people—that was the discourteous behavior.

Yet Helene sighed as though she were genuinely concerned about Saelika.
Then, as if resigned to the situation, she approached Gerald.

“Please don’t be upset. Allow me to apologize on her behalf.”
“And you are?”

Helene smiled brightly, spreading her dress skirts wide as she bent her knees slightly.
It was a posture of perfect grace.

“I am Helene Molita, the Sacred Maiden of the Reyatan faith.”

Having said this, Helene naturally extended her hand toward Gerald.
It was an invitation for a kiss upon her hand.

Gerald stared intently at the offered hand.
And then….

“Ah, yes.”

Tap.

“…!”

Helene flinched, looking at Gerald’s indifferent face.
She, a Sacred Maiden, had offered her hand for a kiss, yet he had merely grazed it in a handshake.
It was scarcely different from brushing her hand away.

‘What… what is he doing?’

The Sacred Maiden extended her hand—how dare she do such a thing?
And in front of everyone, no less!

Helene bit her lip.
But Gerald paid her no attention whatsoever, turning instead to address Sae once more.

“Surely you’re not apologizing? Our little priest did nothing discourteous at all.”
“Huh? Sae didn’t do anything wrong, so why apologize?”
“See, you’re so refreshingly straightforward! If we apologized over every little thing between us, it would create distance, and that would be lonely~! Oh, and speaking of which, I’ve been thinking about what we discussed last time, and our little priest truly has remarkable insight. Reading the times the way you do, just like me…!”
“My ears hurt…..”
“They do? Where? Here?! Hoo, ho!”

Watching this unfold, Helene trembled with rage.

‘What on earth did that wretched girl do to make the heir of the Whitepearl Company treat me with such contempt?’

Did she slander me in a letter?
Yes, that had to be it.
So that man must have misunderstood her. There was no other explanation.
Otherwise, there was no way he would be so affectionate toward such a pitiful girl compared to herself.

‘Demonic wretch!’

Helene glared at Sae with a gaze that could tear her apart.

That was when it happened.

“Haha, our Sacred Maiden is like this. She’s eager to look after the child.”

Shedmon Elder and the Reyatan Priests interjected.

“At our temple, she was especially fond of young believers. She gave them all sorts of advice, and the children followed her devotedly.”
“She is so compassionate and kind, is she not? How perfectly befitting of a Sacred Maiden.”
“Hehe, surely this means Reyatan watches over us with benevolence.”

Unlike Artemisia.

The Reyatan Priests smiled subtly as they regarded Gerald.
The implication was clear: Artemisia had been abandoned by her god, which was why she had no Sacred Maiden.

Therefore, there is no value in investing in Artemisia.
The hand we must grasp belongs to Reyatan.

Helene lifted the corners of her lips deliberately and looked down at Saelika.

Saelika could not utter a single word.
Even the corners of her eyes drooped downward.
It was clear she had lost her spirit after hearing the priests’ words.

‘How dare she presume? She has no right.’

How foolish of her to attempt to rival the Sacred Maiden and suffer such humiliation.
Now Gerald would surely understand who the truly important person was.
Helene tucked her hair behind her ear with a bashful expression.

“Oh, you priests are too much. Please don’t say such things. You’re embarrassing me.”

The Reyatan priests waved their hands and chuckled.

“Embarrassing? It’s simply that you are so humble you fail to recognize your own brilliance.”
“We speak not merely as priests, but because you can already unite the novice priests at such a young age!”
“What Sacred Maiden would accomplish such a feat at so tender an age?”

The Reyatan priests deliberately spoke loudly so the distinguished guests could hear.
Then Helene laughed and replied with a giggle.

“I merely strive to repay the grace that Reyatan has bestowed upon me.”
“How admirable. Truly, our Sacred Maiden—”

It was at that very moment Shedmon spoke with satisfaction.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from outside.
The excited shouts of people.
Those who paused to listen soon smiled and nodded knowingly.

“Haha, it seems the people have begun wagering.”
“Wagering is surely a hallmark of the Conclave, is it not?”

Just as the people said, the spectators in the Plaza were chattering noisily.

“Pick your choice, pick! The stakes are climbing! The opportunity for a fortune is right here!”

The barkers darted between the crowds, raising their voices.
The barkers holding Reyatan tickets shouted.

“The rising powerhouse, Reyatan, riding the wave strong enough to challenge Octagon’s dominance!”
“The Sacred Maiden of this generation has already awakened, they say!”
“An emerging star on the verge of entering Octagon! A powerful temple that even the great nobles are watching!”
“Led by a Sacred Maiden who awakened at such a young age, unified priests whose strength even professional commentators have praised—that’s Reyatan, everyone!”

On the opposite side, someone holding Artemisia tickets shouted.

“Artemisia, with a history in Octagon! The fact that they’ve held that position all this time shows they have the strength to back it up!”

Compared to the lengthy pitch for Reyatan, Artemisia’s promotion felt almost perfunctory.

Even the number of barkers was drastically different.
There were over ten barkers holding Reyatan tickets, while Artemisia had only two.

The spectators chattered with keen interest.

“Who should I bet on? Artemisia Temple looks better than I expected, so I’m torn.”
“Still, shouldn’t it be Reyatan?”
“Of course you bet on the rising star. Artemisia is a setting sun.”
“A setting sun? It’s been ages since it was even a sun.”

The man chuckled, pleased with his own wit.

“Besides, didn’t you hear earlier? Reyatan has a Sacred Maiden! In Octagon, there aren’t many temples where the Sacred Maiden of this generation has already awakened.”
“By anyone’s measure, it has to be Reyatan.”

The area in front of the Reyatan barkers was crowded with people.
Meanwhile, the area in front of the Artemisia barkers was empty, with only flies buzzing about.

“Now, everyone! There are more chances for fortune! Purchase your tickets by predicting who will be the Divine Nova of this match!”

The “Divine Nova” referred to the one who displayed the most outstanding power in the match.
In other words, it meant choosing which priest would be the MVP.

“This is obviously Helene Molita!”
“Who else would become a Divine Nova if not the Sacred Maiden?”

People eagerly bought votes for Helene, the Sacred Maiden, as if possessed.
There was truly no room for doubt in anyone’s eyes.

Soon, Helene’s face appeared on the enormous crystal display board, positioned largest and highest.
The size and placement of one’s face was determined by the amount of gold wagered.

The Reyatan Priests, observing the situation, spoke with satisfaction.

“Everyone is hoping for our Sacred Maiden Helene to shine brilliantly!”

Shedmon spoke loudly to Helene, ensuring Gerald could hear.
Helene glanced at Gerald and curved her lips into a bright smile.

“I’m embarrassed and grateful. I’ll do my best to live up to everyone’s expectations!”

Helene clenched her fist adorably.
The Reyatan Priests glanced at the distinguished guests.

“Well, we cannot wager ourselves, but would you distinguished guests care to enjoy some entertainment?”
“Such amusement is indeed part of the festival’s joy.”

Shedmon chuckled and spoke to Count Noris.

“Count Noris, which side would you wager on, and how much?”
“Hmm, well…”

Count Noris, stroking his beard, spoke slowly.

“I’ll wager 500 gold on Reyatan’s victory. And up to 1,000 gold on our Sacred Maiden becoming a Divine Nova.”

Everyone gasped and widened their eyes in surprise.

“A th-thousand?!”
“A thousand gold! Such an enormous sum!”

Not only the distinguished guests but even the Priests dropped their jaws in astonishment.

“My goodness…”

Helene clasped her hands together and gazed at Count Noris with sparkling eyes.

“The amount doesn’t matter. What truly moves me is that you have such confidence and trust in me.”
“It is my honor, Sacred Maiden.”

Count Noris laughed heartily and raised his eyebrows slightly.

“However, I don’t make losing propositions.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s nothing to lose anyway, only more to gain, so a thousand gold is trivial.”

He was saying it was certain that Reyatan would win and Helene would become a Divine Nova.
He glanced toward Artemisia as he spoke.

“The pity is that even if I win the bet, the payout won’t amount to much.”

Since no one had wagered on Artemisia, there wouldn’t be much profit even in victory.
At those words, the faces of the Artemisia Temple priests hardened.

Meanwhile, the Reyatan priests looked absolutely delighted.

“As expected of Count Noris. Your eye for reading the flow is remarkable!”
“What of you, Gerald? How do you see it?”

The Reyatan priests pressed Gerald eagerly.

Count Noris was already saying as much, wasn’t he?
Since Gerald was even more knowledgeable about the flow of money, he would naturally choose them.

Shedmon smirked and glanced at High Priest Anatullio.

‘He boasts about inviting the heir of the Whitepearl Merchant Company, but that heir will choose us.’

Helene also glanced back at Saelika, who stood there vacantly.

‘All that pretense amounts to nothing. She’s worthless.’

She may be fond of the child because of her youth, but the money will go to him.
A merchant never engages in losing ventures, after all.

‘I wonder how much that smug expression will crumble.’

While Helene smiled, Gerald spoke gently.

“My answer was predetermined from the start. I’m also someone who never makes losing moves.”
“Ooh!”

The distinguished guests and Reyatan Priests all turned to Gerald with eager faces.

“120 million! All in cash.”

The people who had been excited until that moment froze.

“Pardon?”
“How much did you say?”

Had they misheard?

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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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