The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory

‘What on earth just happened? My divine power is barely anything!’
The sacred relic was supposed to require an immense amount of divine power to activate!
But my divine power had always been weak ever since it first manifested when I was five at the orphanage.

‘For the relic to respond to the meager power of a mere apprentice… Was it because I was so pitiful and desperate? How merciful…’
Well, there was no point in thinking about it. I wouldn’t find an answer no matter how hard I tried. More importantly, there was a far more pressing reality right in front of me.
‘I really have returned ten years into the past…’

I folded my arms, going over what I needed to do next.
‘Since I’m in Noart Manor, that means my brother is still alive.’
Julian Noart.

My older brother, twelve years my senior.
The heir to the Noart Count Family, who brought me here and cherished me dearly.
I knew exactly what would happen after Julian lost his memory in the accident. Zahid had told me everything before my regression.

“He lost everything to his relatives, was forced to leave the manor while still injured, and then got assassinated by the temple’s assassins. The temple never stopped targeting your brother.”
Julian, wounded and suffering from amnesia, was no longer the strongest warrior.
He was nothing but a clueless seventeen-year-old country bumpkin brat.

And so, despite his once overwhelming power, he met an utterly meaningless death.
“To make matters worse, Count Noart was overseas at the time… There was no one to protect Julian Noart.”
When I first heard that story, I cried for days in my prison cell.

But now, I had a chance to prevent it. I had to protect Julian this time.
And after that…
I had been granted this second chance thanks to the relic Zahid gave me.
I would never forget his kindness. I desperately wanted to see him again.

‘And if this is ten years in the past, then Zahid must also be struggling right now…’
But at this point in time, Zahid didn’t know me. If I went to the Dyfenril Duchy now, I would only be turned away.
‘The right time will come. I just have to wait.’

So, for now, I focused on my next goal.
I wanted revenge on the temple. They imprisoned me, subjected me to endless pain, and killed everyone I held dear.
‘If we do nothing, we’ll all die because of the temple anyway.’

If I couldn’t run, I had to fight.
‘The temple may be powerful now, but I know the future!’
Even while locked in a cell, I had learned so much from Zahid. I knew everything that was going to happen.

‘Zahid always explained things to me in detail since I was curious about the outside world.’
Not to mention, I had gained crucial knowledge of the temple’s inner workings through years of experiments.
‘First, I must make sure the Noart Count Family doesn’t fall.’

After Julian’s death, our grandfather passed away soon after. The incompetent relatives who inherited the title ultimately led the Noart family to ruin at the hands of the temple.
‘If I want to stand against the temple, I need the backing of the Noart family.’
That meant my first priority was stopping my scheming relatives from taking control of the estate.

‘I can do this. I have to do this. I’m not locked away anymore.’
Clenching my fists, I took a deep breath.
‘In my last life, I was always powerless and useless. I refuse to live like that again.’

And just as I was scanning today’s newspaper to better grasp the current timeline—
“Lady Rosie!”
A frantic knock sounded before my maid, Heidi, burst into the room.

“Lady Rosie, Lord Julian has regained consciousness!”
Ah.
At last, I knew exactly what day it was.

A few days ago, Julian had suffered a severe accident while carrying out a secret mission under Count Noart’s orders.
I didn’t know the specifics of the mission, but I was certain the temple was involved.
Zahid had once said something similar.

“At the time, the only force capable of doing that to your brother was the temple.”
Julian had been brought back to the manor in critical condition, unconscious the entire time. But today, he had finally woken up.
“But… there’s a problem…”

Heidi hesitated, her expression both relieved and sorrowful as she continued.
“…Lord Julian has partial amnesia. His last memories are from seven years ago.”
I swallowed dryly.

I had regressed to the exact day I left Julian behind.
‘Now, it’s finally…’
I took a deep breath.

‘This was inevitable.’
I had to prepare myself for the reality that my brother was no longer the doting, strongest protector I remembered.
I was about to meet a completely different Julian.

A reckless, arrogant brat.
“I went through a rough adolescence myself. If you saw how I was back then, you’d be horrified. You’d think, ‘God, what a cringeworthy, rebellious black-dragon-obsessed brat with no hope whatsoever…’”
Right now, Julian’s mental age wasn’t twenty-four. It was seventeen.

And the Noart estate was crawling with scheming relatives eager to get rid of him.
If I wanted to protect Julian, now was the time to steel myself.
“Lord Julian most likely won’t remember you, Lady Rosie.”

Julian had found me at the temple only fourteen months ago. If his last memory was from seven years ago, then of course, he wouldn’t remember me.
Heidi looked uncertain as she asked,
“…Do you still want to go see him?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them.
With unwavering resolve, I answered,
“Yes. I’m going to see my brother.”

 
****
“Ha…”

Julian let out a deep sigh, clutching his head.
“You’re telling me I’m twenty-four? Not seventeen? Seven years of my memory just vanished?”
“Yes. Right now, Lord Julian, you are suffering from partial amnesia.”

Seventeen-year-old Julian’s life had been miserable, the only son of a butcher in a rural town.
His father was a gambling addict, and his mother was an alcoholic. They fought every day. From what he had overheard, his mother was the daughter of a wealthy family, and his father had been one of their servants.
Apparently, she had run away with him after an affair resulted in Julian’s birth…

Eventually, his mother left when he was still a child.
After that, Julian endured a stormy adolescence in a broken home, earning the nickname ‘The Butcher’s Brat’ in town.
And yet, when he opened his eyes, he was suddenly twenty-four?

On top of that, he was the heir to the Noart Count Family?
“…You’re seriously telling me my mom was the daughter of the Noart family?”
“Yes. That makes you Count Noart’s grandson. You found out the truth when you were nineteen, at which point you entered Noart Manor and took on the Noart name.”

His lieutenant, Shulva, answered patiently.
Shulva had been Julian’s childhood friend. So even his seventeen-year-old self knew him.
“And over the next five years, you grew at an unbelievable rate in various fields, becoming undeniably the strongest among non-mages. Naturally, you were chosen as the heir to the count’s title. Also, this is the fifteenth time we’ve had this conversation, Lord Julian.”

At Shulva’s response, Julian clenched his fists and shouted.
“Damn it, I can’t get used to the way you talk! Since when did you start using such stiff honorifics with me?”
“I am no longer just your childhood friend, Lord Julian. I am now your subordinate, your lieutenant. And for reference, this is the fifteenth time I’ve answered that question.”

Shulva let out a long, weary sigh before gripping Julian’s hand firmly and looking him straight in the eye. Then, in a low voice, he said,
“If you still don’t believe me, would you like me to briefly return to my seventeen-year-old self and speak to you the way I used to?”
Finally, a different answer from Shulva, who had been repeating the same responses over and over.

Julian brightened at the suggestion and exclaimed,
“Oh! Yes, please, for the love of God, just talk like a normal person! How the hell am I supposed to believe all this?”
The moment Julian nodded, Shulva spoke with absolute seriousness.

“Stop repeating the same damn question like a goddamn parrot and just listen to people, you thick-skulled idiot.”
“…Uh, what?”
“You’re gonna need months to move properly again. I’m barely holding back the urge to smack some sense into your dumbass head. Watch yourself, you reckless little brat.”

After finishing his sentence, Shulva politely added,
“Shall I continue?”
“…Uh, no. No, I’m good. That’s… that’s enough.”

Julian flinched and shut his mouth.
In the full-length mirror across the room, he saw his reflection.
A young man with smooth silver hair and vibrant green eyes, looking neat and well-groomed.

But beneath the polished appearance, his body was covered in injuries. He was so badly wounded that he couldn’t even get out of bed.
The idea that he was the strongest in both swordsmanship and estate affairs seemed absurd. He couldn’t even move properly except for one arm.
And then—

Knock, knock.
A cautious voice called out.
“Um, Lord Julian? Did you just cough?”

A soft-spoken maid continued politely.
“Lady Rosie is here. May she see you now?”
Rosie?

Who the hell is that?
Julian tilted his head in confusion. Shulva, looking distressed, pressed his fingers to his temple.
Then, slowly, he answered the maid.

“Well… uh… I’m just worried Lady Rosie might be shocked… Not to mention, I haven’t even had the chance to explain the situation to her…”
Just as Julian was about to demand an explanation—who the hell was this Rosie girl?
“It’s fine. I already know everything.”

A small but clear and determined voice came from outside the door.
“I want to see my brother.”
…Brother?

What the hell is she talking about?
I don’t have a little sister.