Youngest on Top - Chapter 73

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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 73

Kaiser’s Adjutant, Quentin, approached from the other side.
Quentin watched me scurrying after Kaiser on my short legs and spoke.

“Kaiser. At this rate, the child will collapse from exhaustion.”
“So?”
“How heartless you are….”

Quentin approached me with a smiling face.

“Well now, you must be Sae? I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
“H-hello….”

When I lived in Amelia’s care, I frequently attempted to escape in the beginning.
Each time, the Sacred Knight would catch me and drag me back after a harsh ordeal.
Perhaps because of that, my neck still shrinks into my shoulders whenever I see the Sacred Knight.

Quentin spoke to me in a soothing tone.

“It seems Kaiser has no intention of conversing right now. How about we exchange greetings another time?”

‘That won’t do!’

Who knows when I’ll encounter him again.
Since he just returned, our paths happen to overlap.
Once I start living in the Holy Knight barracks, it will be difficult to meet him.
Besides….

‘Given Kaiser’s personality, he’ll never think to speak with me again, not for the rest of my life.’

So I must make an impression on him while the opportunity presents itself.

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head vigorously.
Quentin’s expression became troubled.

“Then I’ll carry you.”

Dori dori.

“I’ll give you a piggyback ride.”

Dori dori dori.

“Here, have some candy.”

Dori dori dori dori.

I continued shaking my head.
Then I clung to Kaiser and spoke.

“I want to walk with Sae and Kaiser.”

Quentin’s eyes widened.
Looking surprised, he turned to Kaiser and laughed with a ha ha.

“What an unusual child. This is the first time I’ve seen a child follow Kaiser like this.”

Kaiser didn’t respond.
He still hadn’t even glanced at me once.

‘Did you think I’d give up that easily?’

Even when I was in the Heavenly Realm, it was Saelika I relied on.

I didn’t give up and followed Kaiser with a pitter-patter of footsteps.
The place we arrived at was Kaiser’s Room.
I thought we were going to his office, so I was a bit surprised to come to his room instead.

‘He really won’t say a single word to me.’

Kaiser removed his armor and then took off the clothes he wore beneath it.
His body was exposed.
His sculpted frame was covered in scars.

‘Why are there so many scars…?’

With sacred power, I could heal any wound without difficulty.
Just as my burn wounds had completely healed without a trace.
That’s why the Sacred Knights rarely bear scars, no matter what injuries they sustain.

Quentin’s expression grew awkward as he watched me stare blankly.

“Ah, it looks unsightly, doesn’t it? So just go outside—.”

I approached Kaiser and touched the scar.
Kaiser flinched and looked at me.

“Quentin, don’t say that.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not ugly at all!”

Quentin’s eyes widened.
The other children seemed to have a different reaction than I did.

“Kaiser, you could heal it.”
“…Pointless—.”
“But you should. It’s not ugly.”

If he had healed it, such a wound would have disappeared instantly.

“….”
“I know why you didn’t.”

I looked up at Kaiser.

“Because Kaiser is too kind.”
“What?”
“…?”

Quentin asked in surprise.

‘But why does Kaiser seem confused?’

In any case, I raised both my arms high and spoke.

“I took down the demon with my healing holy power. I didn’t leave a single drop of it.”
“….”
“I don’t care about scars. We need to end this quickly.”
“….”
“So Kaiser, don’t worry. These are just scars.”

He didn’t care for his own body.
He didn’t mind if ugly scars remained from missing the window for treatment.
His sole purpose was to protect people.
To free them from anxiety and pain, even if just a moment sooner.

Quentin stared at Kaiser with a shocked expression.

‘Did I think making scars was his hobby?’

If the Adjutant is that surprised, what should I do…?

“Nonsense.”

Kaiser coldly brushed my hand away.
But it didn’t hurt at all.

What I needed was Kaiser’s reputation.
More precisely, the reputation that Kaiser the Sacred Knight was my godfather.
But now I was beginning to genuinely like this man.

I clung tightly to his leg.

“Papa, stay here!”
“Let go.”
“Papa and I should be together!”
“That’s why—”
“I like Papa!”

Kaiser flinched at those words.
I looked up at Kaiser with a pouty face.

“I like Papa.”

Please don’t tell me to leave!
Hmph!

After that, I began following Kaiser around every single day.

* * *

Knock, knock.
Today, I reported to Kaiser’s Office as usual.

“Ha ha, Sae has arrived.”

Quentin opened the office door with a familiar smile.

“Isn’t it your training time?”
“I finished everything Beckman told me to do. He said I’m free for the rest of the time.”
“Is that so? Sae seems to be doing very well.”

Quentin praised me while subtly gauging Kaiser’s reaction.
Of course, Kaiser simply continued reading documents without any response.

‘Kaiser wouldn’t react to just a few words of praise.’

In any case, I was grateful for Quentin’s efforts.
It was worth having cultivated Quentin beforehand.

‘To capture the general, aim for the horse.’

I truly aimed for the horse—Quentin—to capture the general, Kaiser.

Not long ago, I sought out Quentin alone.
Bringing with me the most delicious confection from those Admiral Ekellan had given me.

“Quentin! Let’s eat some sweets together!”
“Th-this is…!”

No matter how much of a Holy Knight he was, Quentin had been a Holy Knight from a poor temple.
As expected, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head at the sight of such lavishly wrapped confections.

“Is… is it really okay for you to give me such a treat?”
“Because Quentin is such a wonderful Sacred Knight.”

Quentin is an excellent knight.
But because Kaiser is so extraordinary, his reputation was overshadowed by the Sacred Knight’s.
…Very much so.

I rubbed my palms together eagerly before Quentin.

“People say so. Kaiser is such a wonderful Sacred Knight. Saelika thinks so too.”
“Yes, Kaiser is truly an outstanding Sacred Knight. Sae should watch and learn from him, and later—”
“But if Quentin wasn’t here, Kaiser would have struggled too.”
“…!”

Kaiser isn’t the only one who’s the best. Quentin is the best too!

“Quentin helped Kaiser. Without stepping forward, working quietly behind the scenes. But people don’t know.”
“That’s true….”
“But Saelika knows!”

As I thumped my chest while speaking, Quentin’s eyes grew misty.

“Sae….”
“Saelika likes Quentin!”
“Sae…! *sniffles*”

And so Quentin was won over by me.
The bribe—the candy was well worth the result.

‘Now that I’ve got the soldiers on my side, I need to get the general next.’

Quentin never told me to leave like he did on the first day.
Instead, he subtly dropped hints to Kaiser about how wonderful I was.

“You must have wanted to see Kaiser so badly to have gone through all that trouble.”
“….”
“I hear the training standards for Trainee Priests have become quite high these days.”
“Indeed.”
“Is that so?”

Quentin glanced away, pretending not to notice.

‘Tsk. He’s scared.’

There was no helping it.
I had to step in myself.
I approached Kaiser and bounced up and down eagerly.

“Kaiser. Please look at me.”
“Go away.”
“Oh, Kaiser. Won’t you just hold the child? He wants it so badly—”

Kaiser, who had been reviewing documents, spoke in a low voice.

“Quentin.”

Quentin, startled, snapped his mouth shut.

‘Hmm, that didn’t work.’

I had carefully laid the groundwork, and finally reached the stage of asking him to hold me.

For the past few days, I had been circling around Kaiser, building up my approach. Drawing pictures, praying, reciting scripture.
While drawing pictures, praying, and reciting scripture.

At first, I drew pictures in the corner of his office, holding my breath.
Then, step by step, I moved my position closer to Kaiser.
From the side table to in front of the sofa, from the sofa to beside the magic lamp…

Yesterday, I even managed to lie on my belly just one step away from him!

Throughout all this, Kaiser said nothing.
Of course, he didn’t speak to me either.

But occasionally, he would lift his head and observe me.
Whether that was a good sign or a bad one, I couldn’t tell.
At least he wasn’t treating me like I was invisible anymore, like before.
So today was the time to close that final gap.

‘Do you think I’ll back down after one failure?’

This is but a small step for one human, yet a great leap for Artemisia Temple!
I spread both arms wide like the first human to taste meat roasted over fire.

And then—

“Kaiser! Please!”

I wrapped my arms around Kaiser’s legs as he sat, dangling helplessly.
Kaiser’s eyebrows twitched.
Then he lifted me up in one swift motion.

“Stop squirming around and go over there—.”

I seized that moment and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.
I felt Kaiser flinch.

“What are you doing…!”
“Kaiser and I are together!”

I tensed every muscle in my limbs to prevent him from prying me loose.
I would never let go.
I won’t be separated.
I desperately need you!
With that resolve, I clung to Kaiser’s waist like a koala.

“Sigh…”

Kaiser exhaled deeply and returned his gaze to the documents.
He had simply decided to ignore me in this state.

Somehow feeling victorious over Kaiser, I dangled there with a satisfied expression.

Knock, knock.
Many people came to Kaiser’s Office.

“Kaiser, regarding the settlement accounts— Ugh!”
“Kaiser, about replacing the consecrated weapons— Oof!”
“K-Kaiser has a child on his lap…!”
“Sae, you did it!”
“The Commander is capable of such a human gesture?”
“Hey…! Check the sun. Which direction did it rise from today?”

Each time the door opened, they caught sight of me and Kaiser, their eyes widening in astonishment.
It seemed they found it remarkable that a child was sitting on Kaiser’s lap.
Fortunately, all the Holy Knight Order members had taken a liking to me.
Of course, that was thanks to bribes.
Admiral Ekellan’s confections proved useful here as well.

Kaiser furrowed his brow.

“Stop talking and make your reports.”

I lifted my gaze to observe Kaiser while the members gave their reports.
Of course, each time Kaiser’s eyebrows twitched, a chill ran down my spine.

‘He really is handsome.’

But that wasn’t the important part.
From the moment I first met him, I sensed something peculiar about him.
To identify its nature, I needed to make close contact.

‘Isn’t this the perfect opportunity?’

Now that I finally had contact with Kaiser, I couldn’t afford to waste this chance.

‘Kaiser looks exceptionally perceptive, so I need to be careful….’

I extended my holy power with the utmost subtlety.
So gently that he wouldn’t notice.
There was no reason he would discover it anyway.
I wasn’t attacking or casting any significant holy magic—merely probing slightly.

‘He’ll think it’s power naturally emanating from me.’

Children can’t control their sacred power well, so they’re not good at restraint either.

I was carefully unfurling my sacred power in that manner when….

“Come down now.”

Kaiser, who had finished talking with the other knights, looked at me.

‘Wait, just a moment longer! I’m not done yet.’

I shook my head vigorously and clung even tighter.
I put all my strength into my arms and legs to avoid falling.
Kaiser, who had been pulling at the nape of my neck, furrowed his brow.

“How is a child this strong.”
“Sae is sturdy.”

Seeing me boast, Kaiser turned his head away as if exasperated.
Huh?
Did he just smile a moment ago?

‘Did I make Kaiser laugh?!’

I examined Kaiser’s face with hopeful eyes.
But when he looked back at me, his expression was as cold as always.

‘Ah, I must have imagined it.’

Since I absolutely refused to come down, Kaiser simply stood up while dangling me from his grip.
The knights looked at me hanging limply with curious eyes.

“Isn’t Sae afraid of Kaiser?”
“There was a child who fainted just from seeing Kaiser. He was a much bigger boy than you.”
“Kaiser’s presence is overwhelming even now—don’t you feel it?”

I hugged Kaiser’s neck even more tightly.

“Sae likes Kaiser.”
“…What?”

The knights were startled out of their wits.
Even Kaiser stared at me with a hardened expression.

“S-Sae, that, that person just said, said, said what?”

I tightened my grip on the hands around Kaiser’s neck and spoke.

“Pretty is annoying.”

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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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