The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory-Chapter 79

* * *

Yuta’s Laboratory.

A blurry image appeared on the large mirror hanging on the wall.

“Did you find out anything, Yuta?”

Though not perfectly clear, the reflection showed a middle-aged man with blond hair and red eyes. His voice, low and vibrating, echoed from inside the mirror.

“I mean the Divine Beast of Water that came to the Academy today.”

The mirror in Yuta’s room was a mid-tier Sacred Relic.

The resolution was poor, but it allowed real-time communication over long distances.

Due to the massive divine power required on both ends, it wasn’t something just anyone could use.

“I definitely sensed a strong surge of divine power.”

Yuta stood before the mirror, smiling softly.

Then, he replied slowly.

“Yes... I did look into it, but the Divine Beast of Water simply returned to the Lavendal Duke, so further investigation was impossible.”

“Hm.”

“I suspect that Young Lord Ray suppressed the Divine Beast’s rampage, and the resulting aftermath caused the power to leak.”

“No, I don’t think so... Try investigating from a different angle.”

The man inside the mirror cut Yuta off immediately.

His voice was kind and gentle, yet it carried an immense pressure.

Yuta immediately lowered his head with a gloomy expression.

“I apologize. I’m still... quite lacking. After all, I’m not the ‘true heir.’”

At that, the man in the mirror sharply asked,

“Are you absolutely sure that child isn’t at this year’s Academy intake? Positive?”

Yuta lifted his head again, smiling brightly with a sly glint in his eyes.

“Yes. I’ve looked at them one by one, and nothing stands out.”

He continued without pause.

“Well, Academy enrollment is declining these days, so it wouldn’t be strange if they didn’t attend...”

“We’ll see.”

The man in the mirror tilted his head slightly.

“But it’s also true that you tend to fall short when it matters...”

“Haha. I have no excuse.”

Yuta laughed softly, then changed the subject without missing a beat.

“Still, your complexion doesn’t look too good. Has something happened?”

“Ah.”

The man in the mirror let out a faint sigh.

“The Empress Dowager keeps getting pushed aside by the Emperor. He even cut off one of her closest aides this time... I didn’t expect a rift to form with the Saliod Count Family.”

“Could it have been a misunderstanding? Perhaps it should be cleared up...”

“No need. Once trust is broken, no amount of mediation can restore it.”

The man in the mirror waved a hand at Yuta’s suggestion.

“Cecil is gone, and you’re out in the field too, so I just have a bit more to take care of myself. It’s fine.”

“Yes...”

“The Noart family’s surprisingly tenacious. That slave bastard just got lucky. But it’s fine. Once that slave dies, his children will destroy the family themselves in no time.”

“Yes, I think so too. It was fortunate that even Julian Noart lost his memory.”

The man in the mirror looked pleased but didn’t say goodbye.

After a short silence, as if making a decision, he spoke again.

“Yuta, I think it would be best if I personally visited the Academy this time.”

“...Excuse me?”

“The Divine Beast of Water incident, and that child being of Academy age... it’s too important to leave solely to you.”

Yuta flinched, but quickly hid it and laughed lightly.

“Thinking about seeing you again already has me excited. I’ll make all the necessary preparations in advance.”

“Once this batch of students is verified, you can leave the Academy too. There’s no need for you to remain there.”

The man in the mirror issued the order lazily.

“Go to the Orgon Duchy and bring the Grass Divine Beast.”

“Of course.”

Yuta’s eyes curved into a smile as he replied.

“Everything will go according to your will, Father.”

“Good.”

The man in the mirror blinked slowly.

“No matter where they hide, power of that magnitude will reveal itself as it grows. It’s just a matter of time.”

With a faint fzzzt, the communication through the mirror was cut.

Yuta’s smiling face instantly turned cold.

“...Ha.”

He collapsed into a chair, panting.

His back was already soaked in sweat.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

* * *

Happy Birthday.

“Something feels off.”

With the parent meeting over, the Academy term was really nearing its end.

“Only one week left.”

Ray, Zahid, and I were still eating lunch together, just the three of us. During lunch breaks, we always sat on a bench and had ice cream from the student store for dessert.

The other students would constantly tease Ray, saying things like, “You seriously don’t get the hint, do you?” Because everyone knew that Zahid and I were engaged.

We even wore matching rings.

“You don’t even get alone time because of Ray.”

“It’s not like you live in the same estate. You probably barely see each other.”

That’s what they always said.

But they were wrong.

“Tonight, again.”

While Ray, who lost rock-paper-scissors, went to buy ice cream, I whispered quietly to Zahid.

“Let’s meet in the rose garden.”

We actually got a lot of time alone together.

Every other night, Zahid would secretly come to the rose garden to meet me. He came to receive divine power.

Apparently, getting divine power from me was less numbing than taking sedatives.

And I, too, with ulterior motives, gave it my all every time Zahid came.

“It’s just for divine power! That’s all!”

“Got it. While I’m coming to receive ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ divine power, I’ll try to make it something more. That’s how it all starts anyway.”

“Hey!”

Zahid would get flustered and stomp his feet whenever I said things like that.

I found it incredibly cute and laughed to myself.

Before regression, Zahid always acted like an adult around me, desperate to take care of me no matter what. But now, just a little teasing made him visibly flustered—it was pretty funny.

And I could understand now why he pretended not to open his heart to me.

He must be scared.

He was a kid who’d been betrayed for so long. Of course he’d be afraid of giving his heart to someone again.

It was Zahid himself who said that no one could be trusted. That he’d be like a kid who just lashed out all the time. That it wouldn’t be easy.

And the last promise I made was still valid.

“I don’t care. I’m coming to find you. No matter what, I’ll find you. And even if you say you hate it, I’m going to cling to you anyway.”

Who knows—maybe he’d already completely fallen for me on the inside.

“That guy probably acts like a complete brat on the outside, even if he’s totally in love with you on the inside. I know younger me better than anyone.”

Even if it didn’t show on the surface.

Ray returned with the ice creams. Zahid grabbed two from his hands, unwrapped mine first, and placed it in my hand.

“Once we finish the graduation exam, we’re done here, right?”

As I started eating the ice cream, I asked, and Zahid nodded absentmindedly.

Graduation exam.

Includes classwork and attitude scores.

If you weren’t planning to stay at the Academy to become a scholar, it wasn’t all that meaningful.

That’s also why Zahid didn’t care even when Theo and Yuta alternated giving him heavy deductions.

“Ah.”

Ray yawned lazily.

“There’s that final theology assignment... It’s kind of annoying. A one-on-one interview? Yuta Assistant Instructor is weirdly passionate about it.”

“Oh, right!”

I blinked and suddenly jumped up.

“I don’t know my interview date!”

Yuta definitely mentioned it before.

“This concludes today’s class. I’ve set individual interview times for final feedback—check the bulletin board. The location is the Theology Library.”

But because of the parent meeting excitement, I had totally forgotten.

“Well, then just go check it now.”

Zahid jumped down from the wall he’d been sitting on and took the lead.

“What’s with him?”

Ray laughed in disbelief.

“Why is he the one rushing off? It’s your interview.”

“Maybe he just wants to look after me. Can’t help himself.”

At my words, Zahid turned around and shouted, “It’s not like that! I just felt like walking!”

And then, as always, Ray threw out his daily line.

“Really? You don’t want to take care of your fiancée? Then how about marrying Lady Linna instead. Take over the Idra Duchy while you’re at it.”

“Do you want me to punch you?”

“Well, your punches do hurt.”

As we bickered our way to the bulletin board—

“Whoa. That was close.”

I checked the schedule Yuta had posted in the corner and let out a breath of relief.

“My appointment’s this afternoon.”

If I hadn’t suddenly remembered, I would’ve missed it completely. That would’ve tanked my grade.

I didn’t plan on staying at the Academy either, but getting a terrible score on the graduation exam would be pretty embarrassing.

“...But why the Theology Library instead of his lab?”

I turned around, asking idly.

“Huh...”

“Hmm?”

Both Zahid and Ray furrowed their brows and stiffened.

“What are you looking at?”

I followed their gaze to the largest bulletin posting—and froze just like them.

Attention! An honorable announcement for this class’s students—

As soon as I saw the Temple’s emblem stamped on the announcement, my breath caught.

Unconsciously, I stepped back and pressed close to Fire.

This Sacred Festival, the High Priest himself will visit the Academy to bestow his blessings.