The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory

"Well, take Rosie with you as well."

Murloc added in a mockingly benevolent tone.
"Whether he remembers or not, she is the little sister you cherish so much. It’s truly touching—I could almost shed a tear."
Everyone except Julian and Rosie nodded.

Some even hurriedly shouted in agreement.
And then—
"How utterly pathetic!"

A thunderous voice erupted from beyond the open doors, loud enough to make ears ring.
"Since when did all of you start trembling over a child’s slingshot?"
Every person in the conference hall turned in shock toward the door.

Towering height, imposing build, piercing and ferocious eyes, a body covered in scars like medals of war.
A man whose mere presence was enough to make others cower.
It was Count Caliban Noart.

His booming voice shook the room once more.
"The long-cherished goal of the Noart family is the downfall of the Temple! That means we must always be prepared to risk our lives against the dangers lurking ahead!"
The Temple held the greatest influence in the empire. Not even the imperial family, nor the four great ducal houses, dared to oppose it.

Yet a mere count of slave origin openly defied them. Naturally, the Temple viewed the Noart family as a nuisance.
Caliban roared in fury.
"And yet, here you all are, treating a child’s slingshot as a weapon and debating punishment—aren’t you ashamed?"

Everyone except Rosie looked as if they had been struck by lightning.
Of course they were stunned—Caliban had arrived far earlier than expected.
There hadn’t even been a word from him since he entered Teppan!
"A-a-a-a-ather?"

Murloc stammered, gasping for breath, his face pale as though he had seen a ghost.
"Pathetic fools…"
Clicking his tongue in disgust, Caliban’s piercing gaze swept across the room, one by one, until it finally landed on a single girl.

Rosie Noart, standing beside Julian, her breath caught in her throat.
 
****

Ah…
Her heart pounded.
Grandfather had arrived much earlier than in the previous timeline.

She had known he was due to arrive around now, but seeing it with her own eyes finally brought relief.
Honestly… when they mentioned sending Julian to the villa for ‘reflection,’ I was terrified.
Leaving the count’s estate in this situation meant walking straight into death.

In my past life, my brother died after leaving this house too…
The arrival of her grandfather chilled the room into silence.
Even Julian, who had been behaving like a reckless delinquent, grasped the shift in atmosphere and held his tongue.

Instead, he simply tightened his grip on her hand.
A strange warmth surged in her chest.
Truthfully, she hadn’t expected Julian to come here at all.

He knew nothing… He didn’t even recognize the faces of his own relatives…
And yet, he still came here.
"Don’t touch this kid anymore. If you want to throw a fit, then take it out on me—I’m the one who gave you the money."

It was purely for her sake.
Even though he had no idea what was going on, he still couldn’t leave her alone.
Julian’s palm, which held hers, was burning hot.

He had moved too fast, too far, relying on his crutch.
"A-a-a-a-ather? W-why did you come without sending word…?"
Murloc staggered backward.

Caliban shot him a glare.
"Why, were you hoping I wouldn’t?"
"N-no…! I-I just… There was no response through the communication gate…! A-and I heard there was a massive landslide on your way here…"

At that, Caliban roared in rage.
"What? You thought I’d get trapped by a mere landslide? Hah?! I’m a man who defies even natural disasters to get where I need to be!"
…

…Well, in the past life, he didn’t manage to avoid it.
After venting his frustration, Caliban added dismissively,
"I took a ship."

"…Excuse me?"
"I came by sea."
Striding forward, he settled into the seat at the head of the table—where Murloc had been sitting just moments ago.

The sea route… I knew it.
Traveling by sea was much faster for interregional movement.
Yet nobles, especially those in constant need of communication, avoided it.

Ships had no communication gates installed.
It was far more reasonable to take a slower route, stopping by cities along the way to check in.
But…

"A businessman must always answer when an interesting deal comes along."
Caliban’s piercing gaze locked onto Rosie.
The sheer pressure was overwhelming.

She swallowed dryly and slowly stood.
"Yes, Grandfather."
This was their first conversation.

All eyes were on them as Caliban spoke, deliberately and firmly.
"I’ve decided to accept your deal."
He held out a small envelope.

Inside was a bracelet, crafted from seashells.
[Please bring me back a bracelet made of seashells on your way home.]
Even knowing the future, she couldn’t have prevented the landslide.

But she could make sure he didn’t take that road in the first place.
‘The seashell bracelet was Grandfather’s first business product. Since I specifically mentioned it, he must have thought he had to recreate the exact conditions from back then.’
Picking up seashells on the white sandy beach, threading them one by one with fishing line on the way back by boat.

To do that, he had to go to the sea. And since he was already headed there, it was inevitable that he would take the sea route.
Returning to Solom and traveling by land would have been an enormous waste of time.
"Thank you, Grandfather."

I hurried forward and took the envelope containing the seashell bracelet from his hand.
"I’ve never been to the sea before. That’s why I really wanted this seashell bracelet."
"Here."

Grandfather stared at me and spoke.
"I put time and effort into making this bracelet myself. And my time is extremely expensive."
Everyone looked on in confusion.

Then, Grandfather raised an eyebrow and asked,
"So, how do you intend to pay for it?"
[Whatever price you set, I’ve prepared a compensation that will satisfy you instantly.]

I knew it. Of course, Grandfather would be curious about this compensation. And in the end, it was that very curiosity that made him accept the deal and take the sea route.
Grandfather was a businessman. No matter how young I was, he couldn’t ignore the phrase "a compensation that will satisfy you."
"And let me ask you in advance."

His green eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"What will you do if I don’t like your compensation?"
Without hesitation, I calmly replied,

"You can assign a hundred guards to watch over me, or keep me locked in a small room. Oh, but I do need a little sunlight…"
"Hah."
"But that won’t happen. Let me tell you my compensation first."

I looked straight into Grandfather’s eyes and spoke confidently.
"A few days ago, I submitted a marriage proposal to the Dyfenril Ducal House. I will ensure that it goes through."
Everyone in the room gasped.

Among the nobility, the Noart Count Family was considered new money, lacking a long-standing history. If a marriage alliance with a ducal house was secured, it would be an extraordinary event.
But before I could even explain further, Grandfather slammed his fist down on the table—then hesitated, casting a glance at me, and lowered his hand.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t angry.

"What? A marriage proposal? A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL?"
His voice boomed, shaking the entire conference hall.
"I am not some garbage who sells off his twelve-year-old granddaughter for marriage!" He glared at me. "This is the compensation you prepared? Hah?!"

His fury was so overwhelming that everyone in the hall instinctively shrank back.
"Julian will pass out from shock when he regains his memory! Do you have any idea how much your brother cherished you? And yet you’re selling yourself off?!"
Julian quietly muttered, "I already passed out from shock…"

But at least he had the sense not to say it aloud.
I remained unshaken and immediately responded,
"Ah, if you don’t like it, I’ll cancel it."

Of course, I meant canceling it as part of the compensation—not canceling the engagement itself.
I deliberately left that part ambiguous and quickly followed up.
"Then I’ll offer a different compensation."

"A different compensation…?"
Grandfather’s brow furrowed in an instant.