Youngest on Top - Chapter 91

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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 91

* * *

An invitation?
Why would I receive an invitation?

The Temple Priest handed me the invitation.
I grasped the delicate card in my small hands and swallowed hard.

‘I’ve never received anything like this before…’

The invitation was inscribed on thick paper with intricate silver foil patterns etched into its surface.
When I opened the envelope, a subtle yet refreshing fragrance wafted out.
I quickly withdrew the card.

The adults gathered above me nodded as they peered down at the invitation.

“It’s true that not many temples have awakened Sacred Maidens of this generation yet.”
“So the idea is for children who’ve already awakened as Sacred Maidens to gather and build fellowship…”
“Though whether it’ll be fellowship or warfare remains to be seen.”

Randel, Admiral Ekellan, and Kaiser murmured among themselves.
When I looked up, Randel smiled warmly at me.

“Think of it as nothing more than a casual tea party, not an official engagement. Just do as you wish.”
“No, it’s hardly a casual tea party. There will be undercurrents of intrigue beneath the surface.”

Kaiser immediately contradicted Randel.
Admiral Ekellan swiftly sided with Kaiser.

“Most Sacred Maidens are around the age of Trainee Priests. But you’re considerably younger than them.”
“You’re about to get caught up in underhanded schemes with children far older than you, and you’re just telling her to do as she pleases?”
“At the very least, you should explain the situation properly to her.”
“Hmph, you lack the qualifications to be a guardian.”

I looked back and forth between Admiral Ekellan and Kaiser as they fired volleys at each other.

‘Why… does it seem like the Admiral and Kaiser are being incredibly wary of Randel?’

What’s that about?

Despite their attacks, Randel smiled warmly without wavering.

“Sae will handle that just fine. There’s no way someone as clever and capable as Sae wouldn’t understand what lies beneath the tea party.”

Enrik: Did you hear that?
Enrik: He called you clever and capable lol
Enrik: If you were actually like that, we wouldn’t have gone through hell because of you.
Enrik: The best we can hope for is that you don’t beat up all the Sacred Maidens at that gathering.
Enrik: Wait, does he mean you’re good at beating people up?

‘Shut up.’

Unlike Enrik, who snickered mockingly, Admiral Ekellan and Kaiser flinched.

“Sae showed remarkable valor at the Reyatan gathering, facing children much older than I am.”

Randel added with the gentlest smile yet.

“Ah, that’s right. You two weren’t there, so you wouldn’t know?”
“….”
“….”
“I’m the one who’s spent the most time with Sae here.”

For some reason, Kaiser and Admiral Ekellan’s shoulders sagged.
The two of them glared at Randel with even fiercer eyes than before.

Thinking our kind Randel might actually be in trouble, I quickly stepped forward.

“Let’s go to the tea party.”
“….”
“Saelika’s fine. Combat doesn’t scare me.”
“….”

Admiral Ekellan and Kaiser’s faces grew even more frustrated.

“…?”

As I looked at him in confusion, Admiral Ekellan’s expression shifted as if he’d never said such a thing.
He winked at me with a playful grin and spoke.

“Then I should prepare to escort you. Befitting our apology’s first tea party.”

Kaiser’s eyebrows twitched at those words.

“Why would Admiral Ekellan, who has nothing to do with Artemisia Temple, escort this brat?”
“Why do I have nothing to do with Artemisia Temple? The Sacred Maiden of Artemisia, our apple, came to me and became an apple blossom for me.”
“Nonsense.”

Admiral Ekellan spoke to me.

“Come now, think about it carefully. It’s a perfect opportunity to show the other temples just how deep the relationship between me and our apple truly is. Isn’t this a wonderful chance?”

Before I could even respond, Kaiser interjected.

“Stay out of this, outsider. This brat is going with me.”
“Ha, you’re going to a young girl’s tea party? Let’s just hope you don’t make the children cry.”
“I’m not particularly thrilled about it, but since I’m this brat’s ‘father,’ I have no choice. At least it looks better than some ‘completely unrelated stranger.'”

Crackle!
As if they’d suddenly become a team attacking Randel, sparks flew between the two of them once more.

Just then, Randel tugged at my hand.

“Now then, let’s think about what kind of outfit our Sae should wear that day. Such things are important too. Shall we look at colors together so they complement the outfit I’ll be wearing?”
“Will Randel’s outfit and my outfit match well?”
“It’s good to coordinate our clothes if I’m to escort you that day.”
“Hey, Randel. What are you doing right now?”

Kaiser reacted immediately at those words.
He’d managed to hear everything even while facing off against Admiral Ekellan.

Kaiser suddenly pulled me toward him.

“I’m this kid’s father.”
“I’m Sae’s father too.”
“You’re just an extra option. This kid chose me first. That’s proof this kid thinks of me as more of a father.”
“I don’t know about that. I think Sae would consider me more of a father. After all, Sae spends the most time with me, doesn’t he?”
“…!”
“They say the body follows where the heart is.”

Randel laughed with ease.
Kaiser flinched, then turned his body away.
And he approached me.

“It may be an unofficial event, but this is your first time going outside as the Sacred Maiden. It’s very important.”
“Yes.”

Kaiser’s crimson eyes flickered like flames, and I shrank back slightly while nodding.

“It’s only natural that you choose me, the first one, for such an important occasion.”
“Sae prefers going with me, doesn’t he? You wanted to let everyone know how close Sae and I are.”

Both Kaiser and Admiral Ekellan stared at me with eyes that burned intensely, blazing with fervor.
Unable to bear that gaze, I took a step back, then another, slowly retreating.

Tap.
Something touched my back.
I turned to see Randel looking down at me with a kind smile.

“Sae, don’t feel pressured. Just say who you want to go with.”

Was Randel’s smiling face always this frightening?
I flinched, and I felt a presence behind me.

“I’m your first father. Not just any father.”
“Sae, use me.”
“Sae, just answer comfortably.”

‘Ahhhhhhh!’

My eyes spun dizzily from the pressure emanating from all three of them.

“Save me…!”

* * *

“So, you still haven’t decided?”
“Um…”

At my gloomy response, Ilay chuckled softly.
We were currently conversing in the gazebo of the eastern courtyard of the Trainee Priest Quarters.

“You should have just said it firmly.”
“If you’d answered right there on the spot, it wouldn’t have turned into such a mess.”
“That’s all it would take?”

I sighed deeply as if to say don’t even mention it, then nodded.

“Who do you want to go with?”

At Ilay’s question, I shrugged my shoulders.
This isn’t really a matter of who I want to go with.

Enrik: I don’t like any of them.
Enrik: Just go alone.
Enrik: You’re better off alone. Being alone suits you.

‘I didn’t even ask for Enrik’s opinion.’

Enrik: But why are you so weak?
Enrik: How are you ever going to summon an angel like this?

Why is he suddenly picking a fight?
It’s not like I want to be weak.

‘And by human standards, I’m incredibly strong for my age.’

I pouted and asked Ilay.

“What happened with what you asked about the monsters?”

I asked Ilay to see if he could dig up any additional information about Diana.
To conduct a deeper investigation.

“The information I mentioned before is all there is. That demon didn’t last long before dying.”

It was a reasonable point, so I nodded in agreement.

‘She wouldn’t have lasted long anyway.’

Diana’s constant coughing blood and collapsing wasn’t just an act.

‘As a demon while continuously duplicating and maintaining sacred power, her body must have been rejecting it.’

And it wasn’t just any sacred power—it was my superior-grade sacred power that she possessed.
The fact that she managed to endure even that long meant the replica human body was constructed remarkably well.

‘It makes sense that sacred power couldn’t heal it at all—it was actually poison to her.’

In that weakened state, she was also exposed to the radiance that erupted from the Sacred Maiden’s awakening.
Looking back, it was impressive she didn’t perish right then and there.

‘She’s definitely a high-ranking demon.’

I gathered my thoughts and asked.

“What about Behemoth’s true name—Shimgammi?”
“There seem to be quite a few similar names. Checking each one individually and tracing their movements will take more time.”
“Right, and now that Diana’s been exposed as a demon, they’ll desperately hide their tracks.”

Whether the creature’s master is the Temple Priest or not—I’ll have to wait for the adults to figure that out.

“But.”

Ilay, who was sitting across from me, tilted his head slightly to the side.
His fine silver hair, gleaming pale in the winter sunlight, slipped smoothly down across his cheek.

“Do we really need the adults to escort us?”

I looked at Ilay, wondering what he meant.

“What about me?”

Ilay smiled more sweetly than ever before.

* * *

“Honeybread!”

The moment I stepped out of the garden, Dmitri came rushing toward me from far away.
He was running so urgently that it seemed like clouds were billowing in his wake.

‘What on earth is going on?’

This was the first time Dmitri had rushed toward me like this, and I felt a sudden pang of worry.

‘Could something have happened at the Trainee Priest Quarters again—’
“Come with me!”

Dmitri skidded to a halt in front of me, speaking without even catching his breath.

“To that tea party or whatever!”
“With Dmitri?”
“Because I can protect Honeybread so you don’t get crushed!”

Dmitri puffed out his chest proudly.

“A tea party is just another name for a battlefield, right? I’ll knock down all those Sacred Maidens who try to pick a fight with Honeybread!”

Since when did a tea party become another name for a battlefield?

“Don’t knock ’em down. That’s not what we’re going for.”
“B-but surely Roana said….”

Edmund, who had drawn near without my noticing, let out a scoff.

“Hmph, if you carry on like that, you’ll only ruin the occasion. It’s best to have someone accustomed to such gatherings attend.”

As expected of a great noble.
Since what he said made sense, I was about to nod in agreement when Edmund continued speaking.

“It really should be someone with proper etiquette and decorum…. Someone like me, for instance….”
“….”

I regarded Edmund with clouded eyes.
You too?

The other children who had crowded around began dividing into factions and shouting.

“Honestly, we should go with the Captain! The Captain’s the best! The other temples will be totally demoralized!”
“Hmph, everyone would kneel before Edmund’s dignity and majesty. What could Dmitri possibly offer….”
“I think Ilay would be the perfect fit, actually. He quietly takes care of things behind the scenes, and more importantly, he reads situations quickly and sets the mood well. That’s what matters for a tea party.”
“The Captain!”
“Edmund!”
“Ilay really is….”

While the children bickered, one child muttered absently.

“…I want to go with Sae.”

The children who had been arguing froze at those words.
They exchanged glances cautiously before suddenly erupting in unison.

“Me, me too!”
“I want to go with Sae!”
“Little one, wouldn’t you consider me as your partner?”

After debating who was better, they were now in complete chaos trying to get me to choose them as partners.

“….”

I was exhausted.
Would I really be pushed around like this all the way until the tea party?
An ominous premonition washed over me.

* * *

Admiral Ekellan came to the Temple every single day to clock in.
Even when the weary Priests openly treated him as an unwelcome visitor, he remained unmoved.

He arrived with a carriage brimming with countless gifts, presenting each one to me one by one.

“I thought this would pair beautifully with our apples, so I couldn’t help but sweep it up the moment I saw it.”
“….”
“This one too, and this one. They all match so well. Everything matches so perfectly that I’m troubled deciding what to wear to the tea party.”

The invitation stated that since this was not an official engagement, I could attend without wearing the Sacred Maiden’s vestments.

Wouldn’t wearing the Sacred Maiden’s robes make it feel too much like performing official duties?
Please come dressed lightly, with a light heart.

Upon reading that, Admiral Ekellan spoke.

“Hmph, they say that, but if you actually dress too casually, you’ll be treated like a fool.”

The clothes worn by the Sacred Maiden were a matter of the Temple’s dignity.
It wasn’t for nothing that they gilded sacred paintings and embedded jewels in temple markers.
Wealth that couldn’t be easily approached demonstrated nobility.

“I’m quite skilled in these matters. Leave it to me.”

True to his reputation as a legendary philanderer, everything Admiral Ekellan brought was rare and beautiful.

“Oh! This matches too, doesn’t it?!”

The problem was there were too many.
Eventually, I couldn’t hold back and said something.

“If you bring this many, there won’t be anything left for other people to buy.”
“Don’t worry. Everyone in trade owes me favors. If I ask, they have to give, simple as that.”

Could he have extorted these?
I gazed at the charming man of the Southern Region with clouded eyes.

“I paid for them, I did.”

Admiral Ekellan chuckled and lightly tapped my cheek.
Then he carefully broached the subject.

“So, Sae, this tea party is essentially your grand debut—an important occasion for you.”

I saw this coming.
She says this every day, so there’s no way she’d skip it today.

“So I need you to—.”

Bang!
The door burst open with a violent sound.
This harsh noise of the door nearly breaking is all too familiar.

‘It’s Kaiser. Randel’s probably with him.’

It’s been a week of the same pattern repeating.
Admiral Ekellan visits every single day.
The moment Kaiser and Randel hear the news, they abandon their work and come running.
I’m past being accustomed to it—I’m sick of it.

But then.

“First you were kidnapping children, and now you’re coaxing them with sweet words and playing the role of guardian.”

The High Priest entered the room with a cold expression.
It had been so long since I’d seen him that I was somewhat startled.

‘…Or rather, I’d sense his presence, turn around, and he’d always be off doing something else in the distance.’

He wasn’t deliberately following me, but whenever I turned my head, the High Priest was visible somewhere nearby.

Admiral Ekellan’s brow furrowed.

“Kidnapping? I’m Sae’s uncle. No matter how much authority you hold as the Temple’s leader, you cannot sever the bond between an uncle and his niece.”

Wait, since when was Admiral Ekellan my uncle?

“After all, you’re not even this child’s father, are you?”

At those words, the High Priest regarded Admiral Ekellan with darkened eyes.

“That’s right. I’m not Sae’s father.”
“Then—.”
“I’m his grandfather!”

What?
What do you mean?

—————
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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