The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory-Chapter 19Vol 2.

Yuta, who had been eagerly trash-talking the old Julian, suddenly seemed to remember something and looked over at Zahid.

“But hey, don’t you need a sedative? You’ve just been holding that pipe for hours now.”

“Ah.”

Zahid grinned.

“I don’t need it anymore.”

Back on the Entoho, Rosie had poured her divine power into Zahid.

Before, it had been sealed off, so it only lasted a day or two, but this time, after receiving her divine power, it would probably last him years without needing more.

When she was eleven, if she had given Fire to the Temple, would she have been able to receive divine power of this level?

All this time, Yuta had said he could give Zahid divine power too, but Zahid had kept refusing.

It was truly pointless and irrational devotion. But that painful obsession and steadfast loyalty only he held—that was the essence of Dyfenril.

“Then why are you still holding on to it?”

“According to Rosie...”

Zahid raised his eyebrows and spoke.

“She said that if Duke Yuta publicly revealed this was a sedative and confiscated it, the prison guards would ease up their surveillance. Since it’s true I can’t even move from the pain without it.”

“Wow.”

Yuta clapped.

“Whose sister is she to be this smart? Honestly, she’s way too good to be re-engaged to the bottom-ranked student from the entrance exam.”

“That’s such an old Academy story... Just now, you really sounded like Assistant Theo.”

“No way. If I were Theo, when Count Noart asked the Academy to build a ‘Zahid Loser Hall,’ I wouldn’t have opposed it.”

“Don’t twist things. To be precise, it was called the ‘Zahid Hall,’ Duke.”

Then, completely ignoring Zahid’s words, Yuta started saying whatever he wanted.

“Oh, about the Temple prison you’ll be locked up in for about a month...”

Zahid didn’t even point out the sudden topic change, as if this kind of conversation was familiar to him.

Tilting his head, Yuta continued.

“There’s this underground prison so deep it doesn’t even need guards.”

“Well, anywhere’s fine.”

“It’s big enough that you could stay with your Divine Beast... And if you act like you’re in agony without the sedative, they might not assign any guards at all.”

“That’d be convenient for me.”

Then, Fire, who had been listening to Yuta and Zahid’s conversation, suddenly perked up his ears and let out a mournful bark.

“Woof woof!”

<What?>

“Woof woof woof woof woof!”

<You’re getting locked up again?>

Of course, no one could understand Fire’s words.

* * *

“Kiddo... You’re not hurt anywhere, right? Hm?”

Julian kept mumbling with a regretful look, stroking my head.

“You didn’t get bullied or anything for not being able to use magic at the Magic Tower, right?”

“Nope. I just lazed around and had fun for nine years, living with the mindset that it was enough just being alive. Did you work hard, though?”

From Bellotsa Harbor, we decided to head straight for the Noart estate. I planned to keep my identity hidden for a while.

I wanted to see Grandpa soon too. I was already excited, wondering how happy he’d be when he saw me.

“Of course, kiddo!”

And Julian immediately put on a smug face.

“I think I used to be really strong in intelligence warfare. So I focused my efforts on that. The foundation I’d already laid was pretty solid.”

“Ah, I see.”

Julian at thirty-three still treated me just as casually as he did nine years ago, but there was definitely a sense of maturity about him.

Actually, that weirdly twisted and tense vibe he had before losing his memory wasn’t there anymore. He just seemed like a carefree guy without any emotional baggage.

“Don’t you have a girl you like? I never thought you’d stay unmarried till thirty-three.”

“I’m not interested in marriage. His Majesty the Emperor keeps bringing it up like he wants to arrange something, but I always give the same answer.”

Julian grinned. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

“I’m gonna go all in risking my life against the Temple, so what did my future wife ever do to deserve that?”

“Wow, that’s wise.”

“You don’t get this great without that kind of mindset.”

Julian chuckled and ruffled my hair again.

I shrugged and looked at Julian, then said,

“Then, can I test just how great you are?”

“...Huh?”

“Hey, do some digging for me.”

“Dig what? Don’t tell me Zahid’s romantic history? But there probably isn’t any.”

Julian laughed at his own joke.

“But seriously, this is hilarious. I waited and waited just to see you again, and now I’m heading straight into a Temple prison... That brat’s gonna go nuts in there wanting to see you, don’t you think?”

He spoke with genuine amusement and delight. It was obvious that he and Zahid had gotten close over time.

Well, it had been nine years.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

They’d been working together toward the same goal for nine years—if they hadn’t gotten close, that’d be the weird part.

At the same time, it hit me just how absent I’d been during that time, and it left me a little wistful.

I pushed down that feeling and laughed.

“Wow, you’ve gotten really close with Zahid, huh? Yeah, you’d better get along. You’re gonna be family.”

“What are you talking about! My little sister is way too good for that brat!”

“In what way? Looks, family, wealth, skills, parents, personality—am I better than Zahid in any of those?”

“Hold on, if I think hard enough, I’ll come up with something.”

“What the hell, you were supposed to say personality!”

“...I can’t, not with a clear conscience.”

Julian grabbed his forehead and started seriously thinking about it, and seeing that made me feel pretty proud.

“See?”

I lifted my chin and grinned.

“He’s the guy I set my sights on since I was a kid. I’ve had this planned all along.”

“...Ha, geez.”

Julian sighed deeply, shaking his head.

“But knowing that brat’s been risking his neck for nine years thinking only about you, I can’t in good conscience object anymore.”

“Yeah, don’t you dare lose that conscience. Even if you get your memory back and return to being that wreck of a person you used to be.”

Every time Julian said something humane, I felt the need to throw in that condition.

When I warned him firmly, Julian smirked and crossed his arms.

“Hmph, don’t trust my conscience too much. Honestly, I’m thrilled I won’t have to see that brat all over you while he’s locked up.”

“Says who? That you won’t?”

At my slow reply, Julian slammed the table.

“What the hell? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going to see him? The Temple prison isn’t some imperial palace dungeon, you know? Visits are basically banned. No way. The Temple’s too dangerous!”

“Still, when the full moon rises... I should at least check in.”

At that, Julian’s eyes widened, and he shouted.

“Don’t even think about it! That brat wouldn’t want you in danger either!”

Honestly, Julian didn’t know me at all.

I valued myself too much to do reckless things.

I waved a hand and spoke seriously.

“Anyway, that’s not important. First, I have another urgent favor.”

“...A favor?”

“Yeah.”

“What is it? Just tell me.”

“Dig up some dirt on the Duchess of Idra.”

“The Duchess of Idra must be eagerly awaiting you, Lady.”

That’s what the Holy Knight Commander, Payton, had clearly said. And I remembered how Linna’s body had stiffened at those words.

There’s definitely something there...

The Temple had done many terrible things using the Earth Divine Beast. So on our side, we always had a negative view of Linna too.

But when I met Linna in person...

“The Duchess of Idra?”

Julian frowned and tilted his head.

“Wasn’t she having some extravagant recovery with a bunch of priests at the villa? Anyway, I’ll look into it. It’s a tightly guarded place, so it might be tricky.”

Julian spoke seriously.

Lowering my gaze, I rested my chin on my hand.

I remembered the cat-shaped Divine Beast that had silently jumped up and stared down at me from the window with such elegance. And then...

“If I’m going to give you a contract gift from the heart, I should at least give you a hand-embroidered handkerchief... but I’m terrible at embroidery... So this is better.”

On the night of my twelfth fake birthday. A pouch embroidered with Ethez flowers had been placed on my bed.

In the tightly monitored Noart estate, I could never figure out who had left it there...

The window had been open that night, and if it was Cashie, of course he could’ve quietly snuck that pouch in.

And the embroidery had been an absolute mess...

“And there’s no earth on a ship! Right? Ahahahahahaha! Where else in the world could be this great? Ahahahahahaha!”

Ethez flower embroidery was something you sent when you sincerely wanted to apologize.

I hadn’t forgotten that I’d planted Clara in the Idra Duchy. Or that when Clara stirred up the butterfly brooch incident, Linna had sent a forged letter.

At the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ time, I just thought the Idra Duchy was entirely on the Temple’s side, so I didn’t think too deeply about it.

I’d hoped that if I became the master of her Divine Beast, something miraculous might happen to help me defeat the High Priest, but I didn’t think it was likely. I didn’t think I could bring the Earth Divine Beast to my side.

But...

When she sent that Ethez flower embroidery, Linna was only eleven years old.

Looking back, there’s no way a child that young wasn’t suffering.

Linna and the Earth Divine Beast had done many terrible things helping the Temple.

But maybe, just maybe, the ground she was standing on had always been hell for her too.

I sat in thought for a moment, then added to Julian.

“Also, if there’s anything unusual about the dates when Lady Linna went to visit her, check that too.”

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