Youngest on Top - Chapter 8

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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 8

* * *

The child burst into tears, trembling at how terrifying it all was.
Behind the High Priest, who had gone rigid, the Priesthood whispered among themselves.

“Did she draw herself as a Trainee Priest? Don’t children usually draw themselves as princesses?”
“So Sae thinks we priests are cooler than princesses?”
“And that looks like our temple in the background.”
“Wow, there’s so much sparkle everywhere.”
“Plus, Sae is holding the High Priest’s hand so tightly.”
“And there are hearts all over around the High Priest…”

But the High Priest was doing this to the child…

“Sae, sob, don’t take it away… sniff, Sae isn’t a thief…”

Wow.
The Priesthood looked at the High Priest as if he were garbage.

The High Priest reached out toward the child, but she stepped backward and dodged his hand.
The child ran to Randel.

“…”

The High Priest, rejected by the child for the first time, froze in place with his hand still outstretched.

“Scary…”

Sae whimpered and hid her body between Randel’s legs.
The Priesthood nodded in understanding.

“Right, right, it’s plenty scary.”
“When the High Priest scolds you, even I feel my knees go weak—how could this tiny thing endure it?”
“I’m telling you, my heart nearly stopped just now.”

Randel lifted the child, who had buried her face in my legs, into his arms.
The child didn’t resist his touch.
Far from resisting, she nestled deeper into his embrace.

“Sae, are you scared of the High Priest?”
“Mm…”
“But the High Priest is your friend, isn’t he?”
“No…”
“He’s not your friend?”
“Mm…”

Randel coaxed the child gently, yet something about his words felt oddly deliberate.
The expressions of the priests listening grew peculiar.

‘He’s doing this on purpose.’
‘He’s really driving the point home, isn’t he?’

Holding Saelica like a concubine cradling the firstborn heir, Randel turned his body and gazed at the High Priest.
His expression was as gentle and kind as always.
Yet somehow his face seemed to shine with an unusual radiance and vitality… or was that merely my imagination?

“High Priest, since Sae is so frightened of you, I’ll take her away for now.”
“…”
“She seems like she’ll only calm down once she’s away from you.”
“…”
“Then I’ll be going.”

Randel walked past the High Priest with unmistakable triumph and left the study.
The High Priest stood motionless, offering no response.
In his hand, he held the drawing that Saelica had made.

* * *

“How much longer are you all going to stand there?”

At the High Priest’s sharp question, the priests snapped back to attention.
There was a mountain of work waiting to be done.

The High Priest received the report with an unwavering demeanor.
As if nothing had happened at all.

After reviewing all the reports, the High Priest stepped away briefly.
The priesthood sighed and began chatting amongst themselves.

“The High Priest showed no sign of disturbance whatsoever.”
“Well, would the High Priest even concern himself with such matters?”
“I thought it might be different, honestly.”
“Ha, and you’ve watched the High Priest all this time without understanding him?”

They chuckled and made their way to the High Priest’s desk.
Given how overwhelmed the High Priest always was with work, they wanted to pre-sort the documents to make his tasks a little easier.

As one of the priests was organizing, a Manashell—a communication and calculation artifact powered by mana networks—caught his eye.
The crystal screen displayed the page the High Priest had been viewing.

How to get along with children.

‘What? Did I read that wrong?’

The priest rubbed his eyes and, with a sense of disbelief, touched the search bar.
Immediately, the recent search history appeared.

What children like.
Do children dislike music boxes?
Things children like more than pudding.
Ranking of gifts children like.

“….”

The other priests, finding it strange that he was staring blankly at the screen, drew closer.

“What’s wrong? What are you looking at….”
“Ah….”

The High Priest….

A solemn atmosphere suddenly descended upon them.

* * *

The next morning.
Randel brushed my hair and braided it into two pigtails, tying them up neatly.
He showed me the mirror and smiled.

“Our little Sae looks just like a princess.”

Randel is truly kind.
Seeing me remain downcast over yesterday’s events, he must have learned how to do this hairstyle specifically to cheer me up.

“I love Randel!”

Feeling apologetic, I threw my arms around him.
Seeing Randel laugh made my spirits lift as well.

“Well then, shall we go?”

Randel extended his hand, and I hesitantly asked.

“Are we going to see the High Priest?”
“Yes…”
“Will Sae get scolded if I go?”

Randel’s expression grew troubled.

I understood.
I wasn’t in a position to decide whether to go or not.
Considering my goal of becoming a trainee priest, I had to make a good impression.

But I was so frightened.
Just remembering the High Priest’s gaze upon me made my heart pound.

Randel knelt down to meet my eyes.

“If Sae doesn’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
“Really?”
“Really.”

A part of my adult self whispered that I should leave.
But.

“I wanna stay with Sae. I gotta see Daddy Mim.”

It was right after I said that.
I felt a piercing gaze from somewhere.
When I lifted my head, someone was standing in the doorway.
It was the High Priest.

‘Why is the High Priest here?’

He’d never come to my room before.
I was so startled that I could barely react, just staring blankly at the High Priest.

The High Priest raised one eyebrow and called out to me.

“Sae.”

He extended his hand toward me.
Normally, I would have rushed over and clung to him before he even finished extending his hand, but…

‘Ugh, I’m scared…’

The image of yesterday’s expression—one that seemed like it could kill me with just a glance—overlapped with his face.
I hid my body behind Randel.

“….”

The High Priest said nothing.
The moment I peeked my face out, wondering if he’d left, our eyes met.

“Are you really not going to look at me?”

How dare you decide whether to look at me or not—that unspoken rebuke made me shrink even smaller.
I hid my face behind Randel again.
I hid my face behind Randel again.

The elder standing behind the high priest let out a sigh.

“High Priest, you can’t speak to me like you’re interrogating me.”
“I wasn’t interrogating you.”
“Please speak more gently.”
“I was being perfectly gentle.”
“That’s exactly the problem—try speaking like Randel does.”

The High Priest’s gaze turned toward Randel.
Randel was patting me reassuringly, telling me it was fine.
For some reason, Randel’s shoulders seemed even more puffed up with pride than usual.

“Sae.”

The High Priest’s voice came from close by.
Startled, I lifted my head—.

“…?!”

A rabbit was looking down at me.

A fluffy, adorable face.
Tiny white ears perked up charmingly.
A plump belly and chubby little paws.
It was an absolutely lovable rabbit doll.

“Oh…”

Without thinking, I reached out, but the rabbit doll suddenly lifted up and away.

“You really won’t look at me?”

The rabbit doll dangled and swayed beside the High Priest’s face.

On the right: the frightening face of the High Priest.
On the left: the adorable rabbit companion.

I hesitated for a moment, then quietly reached out and grasped the rabbit’s paw.
I had no choice.
Our eyes had met.

In that instant.

“Eek?”

The High Priest suddenly lifted me up into his arms.
My vision shot upward so abruptly that I instinctively clung to him tightly.

“Here.”

The High Priest placed a rabbit doll into my embrace.
Soft and warm to the touch.

…The High Priest didn’t seem like such a terrible person after all.
Though he frightened me yesterday.

“…Thank you.”

At my gratitude, the High Priest let out a small cough.
Afterward, his lips curved upward with unmistakable pride as he glanced at Randel.

I was carried in the High Priest’s arms to his study.
While he worked, I played with the rabbit doll on his lap.

The priesthood members who entered to report seemed curious about the sight, stealing glances at me.

“High Priest… or rather, about that stone statue with the broken hair section.”

Could they be talking about that statue I broke?
I tensed up immediately.
Destruction of property—this time I truly had no excuse coming.

‘It’s fine. I can take a beating!’

I had plenty of experience being hit.
I should accept my punishment with dignity.

“We investigated because something seemed odd, and we discovered this pattern appearing and then disappearing.”

The paper the priest presented bore a geometric pattern drawn upon it.

“Dark magic?”
“Yes.”

Dark magic had been cast on the statue?

‘I sensed something was off, but…’

I’d dropped it while trying to examine it more closely because I felt an eerie aura. In hindsight, that concealed, barely perceptible energy was indeed characteristic of dark magic.
True, that subtly concealed and barely perceptible aura was indeed a characteristic of dark magic.

“Those petty bastards! They send a curse along with their congratulations?”
“We must crush them immediately!”
“We need to stomp on these right now!”

Everyone shared the same sentiment.
Everyone feels the same way.

But there was someone who shook their head.

“Sirius!”
“Protesting now won’t accomplish anything.”
“Dark magic appeared on a statue gifted by Parmanace. This is grounds for a report—an offense serious enough for expulsion from Octagon.”
“Evidence?”
“Of course, the pattern has vanished, and the statue is now just an ordinary stone. But the aura of dark magic still lingers.”
“That’s no proof it was a curse from Parmanace.”
“…!”
“…!”

Especially not when Artemeia lacked power while Parmanace wielded it.
Especially when Artemya is powerless and Pharmanath has power, even more so.

“…”
“The powerless cannot protest. The words of those with power become truth.”
“Where there is no power, one cannot protest. The words of those with power will become the truth.”

But I could tell he was more furious than anyone else in this room.
His fists, clenched so tightly his knuckles had turned white, spoke volumes instead.
His clenched fist, twisted so tightly that his knuckles turned white, was speaking for him instead.

The air in the study grew heavy.
Everyone understood that Sirius’s words were reality.
After all, they had experienced the sorrows of the weak far more than anyone else.

“Sae did an excellent job destroying the statue.”

Randel suddenly praised me, perhaps to lighten the mood.

“Truly a remarkable child.”
“The statue was made in the likeness of the High Priest, so the child found it curious. Who would have thought it would lead to such results?”

The atmosphere quickly became cheerful.
An elder who had been particularly fond of me quietly spoke to the High Priest.

“Considering everything that has happened, wouldn’t it be fair to say this has nothing to do with Parmanace?”
“Rather, we’ve uncovered Parmanace’s conspiracy.”
“Hmm….”

The High Priest stroked his chin.
My heart pounded as I looked up at him.

Just accept it already!
Say it’s good!

Then the High Priest looked at me.
I seized the moment and made my plea.

“Can I stay with everyone?”
“….”
“I wanna stay and play with everyone here.”
“….”
“Just like daddy!”

The High Priest, who had been staring at me intently, suddenly pinched my nose.
Ow!

* * *

After Saelika left, the High Priest asked the Priest in charge of the investigation how the child had come to the Temple.

“What are the results?”
“We received word just this morning. They say the findings are the same as before.”

Since there were irregularities in the previous investigation, they’d decided to conduct a thorough reexamination from the beginning and dispatched a different investigator.

“He should be returning soon. We can hear the full details then. He’s coming with the teacher from the orphanage where that child was.”
“…The child was at the orphanage?”
“Yes.”

The High Priest fell silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the empty seat beside him where the child had been sitting.

* * *

I hummed to myself as I placed a flower in the rabbit doll’s arms.

“This one’s for Bunny.”

Holding a doll for the first time was incredibly delightful.

“Should I give some to Randel too?”

I picked more flowers.
More than what I’d give to Randel.

…Not that I’m specifically trying to give any to the High Priest.

That’s when it happened.

“72!”

I jumped at the familiar designation—one I never expected to hear in this place.
Looking up, I saw Tom, the teacher from the orphanage, approaching with a priestess.

“Sam… Sam…”
“How on earth did you end up here? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”

Tom pulled me into a tight embrace.
I stood there awkwardly in his arms.
This was the first time my teacher had held me like this, and I didn’t know how to respond.

“Sigh… how did I end up in a place like this? Let’s go back.”
“I’m s-scared.”
“What?”
“I don’t wanna go.”

Tom’s face turned cold in an instant.
My body instinctively shrank back at the irritation blazing in his eyes.
Learned fear seized my ankles.

“Number 72, you’ve caused trouble again. You gave each other names, did you? You instigated it, they say?”
“What happens to children who misbehave?”

The orphanage teachers never hit the children.
It was the largest orphanage among those sponsored by Parmanasus, so visitors came constantly.
They were always careful not to leave marks on the children’s bodies.

Instead of corporal punishment, they made us reflect in the reflection room.
It was called a room, but it was barely a box my body could fit into.
That suffocating box let in not a single ray of light—I couldn’t even see my own body.

I had to keep reflecting inside it.
Keep reflecting, keep reflecting.
Until the lid that seemed like it would never open finally opened.

‘…I thought that wasn’t such a big deal.’

Compared to what I endured at Parmanasus Temple, it was heaven.
But why was my body trembling like this?
I must have grown weak from being in such comfort and safety here.

“Number 72, you need to listen to your teacher, don’t you? What happens if you don’t listen?”
“N-no… I don’t wanna go…”

I shook my head in terror.
I wondered why he was trying so hard to take me away.
The Parmanasus Temple priests still showed no interest in me.
I’d thought they would just conduct a cursory search of the area and be done with it…

‘Ah, I see. I’m property of Parmanasus Temple, after all…’

Children at the orphanage were assets of Parmanace, and they had to be managed properly.
The teachers weren’t caregivers raising children—they were more like administrators managing the assets of Parmanasus Temple.

‘Parmanace still doesn’t know that one child has disappeared.’

They were hiding it so the missing number wouldn’t be discovered during the next audit.
They could be held responsible for negligent management.
I could already picture what would happen to me if I returned.

“S-Sire…”
“Throwing a tantrum won’t help! You’re the reason I had to come all the way out here!”
“Um, sir. The child doesn’t want to go. Sae wants to stay here…”

The Temple Priest who came with Tom tried to stop him.
Tom sighed, letting out a long breath, and spoke to the Temple Priest.

“This child is managed by our orphanage. Or perhaps this child belongs to your organization instead?”
“…That’s not the case, but. The child clearly doesn’t want to go—.”
“Listen here.”

Tom twisted his lips into a sneer.

“You can’t raise a child properly by giving them everything they want. Discipline, you see. You have to control and manage children to do it right. Do you understand?”

It was audacious for a mere orphanage teacher to speak this way to a Temple Priest from Octagon.
There was a clear difference in status between them.
Having frequently dealt with Parmanace’s priesthood, he was simply mimicking their attitude.

“Let’s go.”

Tom grabbed the back of my neck roughly and dragged me along.
In that sudden motion, I dropped the rabbit doll I’d been holding.

“No, wait!”

I shook off Tom’s hand and quickly reached toward the rabbit doll.

“You—!”

Tom, furious, grabbed me.
My hand clawed at empty air, missing the falling rabbit doll.
I stared blankly at his raised hand coming toward me.

Tears welled up in my eyes.
I had come to this place for revenge.
Before my regression, I wanted to repay those who had made me this way in kind.

But now I finally understood.
I had come here to live.
To truly live this time.

And since arriving here, I was alive for the first time.
There were many moments of anxiety and worry—but.

The slightly stale cookies Mogen gave me.
The mint chocolate from the priestess.
The pudding Randel gifted me, saying he’d thought of me.
Derrick laughing heartily as he teased me, and the priests smiling whenever our eyes met.
And.

Instead of dodging the incoming hand, I grabbed the rabbit doll and held it tight to my chest.
I would never let it go.

Yet no matter how much time passed, I felt no pain.
Instead, a strangled, gasping sound escaped.

Cautiously opening my eyes, I saw Tom’s arm was ensnared by something.
A formidable, oppressive divine power.

“H-High Priest…!”

Tom cried out, his face drained of all color.
The High Priest’s eyes slowly shifted downward to regard him.

“Explain yourself.”
“Ah, I was merely d-disciplining the child…”

As if questioning when he’d grown so presumptuous, Tom stammered while cold sweat poured down his face.

“Discipline.”

A slow gaze passed over Tom and landed on me.
The moment his eyes met mine, glistening with tears, a sharp blade gleamed in that stare.
The High Priest ground out his words.

“How dare you lay hands on Artemeia’s Trainee Priests.”

—————
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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