The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory-Chapter 121: Side Story – Julian (The Strongest)’s Last Mission

Julian was in the Emperor’s office, meeting with her in private.

The Emperor, wearing her uniform, was a 24-year-old woman with long red hair. She was as tall and solidly built as a grown man.

“Try this dacquoise, won’t you? It’s made from a rare nut from the Eastern Continent.”

She awkwardly smiled as she offered the tea snack to Julian seated across from her.

Naturally, Julian declined politely, as he always did.

“I’m fine, Your Majesty.”

Everything about Julian was exactly the same as usual.

His uniform was pressed like a blade, his posture perfectly composed without a single fault, and though his features were fierce, they were sculpted like those of a statue.

‘But on a day like this... couldn’t he look a little different?’

The Emperor glanced at Julian and sighed inwardly.

‘No matter how strong he is, he’s still human. He must be afraid.’

This private meeting would be their last—Julian was heading out on a tremendously dangerous mission.

The ancient map Duke Dyfenril had risked his life to retrieve.

After taking the map from the Temple, the Dyfenril couple lost their lives.

The Emperor clenched her fist, her expression heavy with sorrow.

‘I hate being this weak... I hate it so much.’

Judging by how extremely the Temple reacted, the map clearly held great significance. But they had no way to dig deeper.

Orgon and Idra had already fallen to the Temple. Of the noble houses, only Lavendal remained.

But Lavendal, though opposed to the Temple, was extremely cautious. After witnessing what happened to House Dyfenril, they would never step forward.

In the end, the Emperor had no choice but to send someone to the Noart Count Family in secret.

They weren’t a high-ranking noble house, but they were clearly opposed to the Temple.

And Julian had stepped forward, following the order of Count Noart.

“It’s likely to be Arhad. I’ll go confirm it myself,” Julian said as he picked up a copy of the map.

“But Arhad’s a ‘holy land’ designated by the Temple. Only individual tourists are allowed there...”

Which meant no armed escort. And as a ‘holy land’, it would surely be crawling with Temple priests.

“Your Majesty,”

Julian spoke in his usual unwavering tone.

“If this is a dangerous and difficult task that someone must carry out, then I’m the right person for it.”

“That’s... true.”

The Emperor nodded, swallowing dryly.

She knew better than anyone how strong Julian was. That was why the Temple had started monitoring House Noart—a house they had ignored until now.

All because of Julian’s appearance alone.

“Even so, I feel like I’m personally sending you into a lion’s den... It was I who secretly requested help from Count Noart, after all.”

“Your Majesty is the one who commands. I merely serve the sovereign who aligns with my beliefs.”

The Emperor slowly nodded.

There was nothing wrong with Julian’s words. Still, it worried her.

“Julian, please take care of yourself.”

Even the Dyfenril couple had died. The weight on the Emperor’s heart was heavy as she sent Julian off.

Julian looked quietly at her and, without changing tone, said:

“The Temple is my sworn enemy as well. I’m not doing this solely for Your Majesty. So no matter what happens to me, please do not feel guilty.”

“...You’re right. We cannot let the Temple run unchecked, not if we want a proper future for our descendants and the Empire.”

At those words, Julian blinked slowly, then let out a faint smile.

His expression softened slightly as he replied:

“Your Majesty, I was raised as a neglected butcher’s brat. I don’t understand high ideals all that well. I know them in theory, but in my heart, I still don’t fully grasp what you nobles aim for.”

The Emperor felt a strange pang at his use of the term “you nobles.”

As she ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) drew in a breath, Julian continued slowly.

“Still, I wanted to become the heir of the Noart Count Family. And as I followed my grandfather’s wishes, I naturally ended up at odds with the Temple.

The Temple likely already considers me a target for elimination... but now, I have something I must protect.”

What he meant to protect was clear.

The younger sister he had brought from the Temple—Rosie.

“She’s twelve now. Even if she’s currently safe in the annex of the Count’s estate... I can’t keep her locked up like that forever.

At this rate, the Temple could easily use her as a weakness against me.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

He wasn’t wrong. The fastest way to break someone was always to go after what they held dear.

“So I need to uproot the Temple before our Rosierosie comes of age.”

“It won’t be easy. The High Priest has lived for over a hundred years.”

“I came to the Count’s estate when I was nineteen. That very evening, I got beaten to a pulp by my relatives just for answering my grandfather’s question a little too well.”

The Emperor held her breath as she looked at him.

“That night, I decided I’d become the heir of House Noart. My friends from back home all said it was impossible.”

“...”

“If I had given up because it was hard, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

His words were polite, but the message was clear. No matter how difficult the task, he would see it through. He had come this far in just five years.

“Your Majesty, one last thing...”

Julian’s voice dropped.

His voice, which had until now remained respectful and distant, was tinged with something he couldn’t quite hide—worry.

“If I don’t make it back... could I ask you to look after our Rosierosie?

My grandfather likely wouldn’t ignore her, but she has the blood of a priest in her veins. That makes me uneasy.”

“Of course, Julian. Don’t worry about that.”

The Emperor reached out and clasped Julian’s hand, nodding.

“I may be a wreck right now, but surely I can protect one little girl.”

“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty.”

Julian gave a deep, formal bow, then gently removed his hand from hers. Rising with perfect decorum, he said:

“Then I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”

“...You must return. That is my one true command.”

Julian bowed once more and left the office. Even to the end, there was not a crack in his calm, detached demeanor.

The Emperor, left alone, absently touched the plate of dacquoise before suddenly rising.

‘These are rare. I should give them to Rosierosie!’

She wouldn’t eat them herself, but she knew Julian’s sister would gladly accept them if she said they were a gift.

Just as the Emperor opened the office door—

“You think walking around with your head held high makes a slave’s blood into a noble’s? What a joke.”

One of the imperial knights was picking a fight with Julian.

“Sniff sniff! Hey, don’t you smell something disgusting, like rotting meat?”

The Emperor burned with fury, ready to lash out.

“I swear, it reeks of some backwater butcher’s shop—ugh!”

The knight never finished his sentence.

Julian struck his stomach in one elegant, lightning-fast move that knocked him to the floor.

The collapsed knight clutched his abdomen, gasping.

“Ugh, ugh! Wh-what... this is the Imperial Palace... ugh!”

Without a word, Julian stomped on the knight’s cheek with his boot. His voice was chilling.

“If you hate the smell of meat, then get used to the stench of blood. At least your own blood won’t be so offensive to you.”

The absence of emotion in his tone made it all the more terrifying.

“Ugghh! Hhhk!”

The knight writhed, unable to stand, clutching his stomach.

Julian looked as if he were merely swatting a bug—not even angry.

The surrounding knights were too stunned to intervene. His presence alone was paralyzing.

“Ugh... hhk!”

The pressure of his boot was so strong it made a sickening crack—teeth breaking.

“Don’t worry. I know my place very well. That’s why I’m happy to tolerate the disgusting stench of an imperial knight’s blood.”

Julian lowered his gaze and spoke slowly.

“If I had met my little sister just a bit earlier, I probably never would’ve climbed this far.”

“Ugh...”

“I’m very good at knowing where the line is.”

Even as blood trickled from the knight’s mouth, Julian didn’t blink.

“And I really hate people who don’t know where the line is.”

He wiped his bloodied boot on the knight’s clothes and walked away as if nothing had happened.

The Emperor stood in silence, eyes full of melancholy. Slowly, she returned to her office.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺