The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory
Chapter 80

The Sacred Festival was one of the holy days observed by the Temple, and it was just three days away. Which meant... the High Priest would be visiting the Academy in exactly three days.

“The High Priest is really coming?”

Cold sweat trickled down my back, but unlike me, the other students gathered around the bulletin board were glowing with excitement.

“A blessing—can you believe it? What an honor!”

“I think the only person our age who’s ever met the High Priest is Lady Linna Idra, right?”

“Lady Idra’s situation is different. She’s been summoned by the High Priest several times already... He’s shown her clear favor.”

“I can’t wait. I heard the High Priest is incredibly handsome!”

Like a festival had been announced, the children burst into cheerful chatter, giddy with joy. But Zahid, Ray, and I just exchanged awkward, tense glances.

* * *

That afternoon.

What the hell, what the hell.

I’d gone to the Theology Library for final feedback on my report, nervously gnawing on my fingernails the whole way.

Why is he coming?

Zahid had never mentioned anything like this before regression.

The High Priest... coming to the Academy?

This was someone who barely left the Temple. What the hell would bring him here?

And the only real difference between the past and now was... I had become Athena’s master.

“Anyway... the High Priest can never find out about this.”

“Oh, definitely. I’ll run to the ends of the earth if I have to.”

Not even twenty-four hours had passed since I’d vowed to avoid him for life.

It’s because of me, right? It has to be. I’m the only variable.

The blue mark on my thigh itched at the edge of my consciousness, driving me insane.

There’s no way I’d get caught and killed this easily... right?

Zahid had taught me how to hide the mark.

“Focus your mana like this. You can conceal it for about a day, no problem.”

He’d said I could hide it completely and told me not to worry.

But a High Priest-level powerhouse might see something else entirely.

Which left me with only one possible solution:

Should I just pull my mom’s stunt and grab an instructor by the hair so I get expelled before graduation?

I bounced my leg anxiously as a hundred escape plans raced through my head.

“You’re here early, Rosie.”

Yuta smiled gently as he sat across from me.

“I read your paper. Overall, it was very good. Hmm... But why do you keep staring at my head like that? You’re making me nervous.”

Hm.

If I yanked that luxurious blond hair and shook it around hard enough, would I get expelled naturally?

I could even shout something dramatic, like, “I’m the daughter of that good-for-nothing Valia! Fooled you with my top grades? Guess what, trash runs in the blood!”

I seriously considered it... but gave up.

Running away just because the High Priest was visiting might actually make me look more suspicious.

Yeah, maybe a midterm expulsion isn’t the best call. I’ll need to find something else...

Reluctantly, I tore my gaze away from his scalp and studied his face instead.

Hmm.

It was the first time we’d sat this close together.

Behind him, golden sunlight poured in through the large windows.

His shining blond hair, kind features, and pristine priest robes made him look like some kind of angel.

Setting aside my hatred for the Temple, he genuinely looked that way. It was a dazzling, refreshing sight.

According to Zahid... Yuta dies not long after leaving the Academy.

Maybe that’s why, even knowing he was from the Temple, I didn’t instinctively feel hostile toward him.

He looked like a harmless puppy, and thinking he would die soon made my heart soften.

And also... it feels like my guard drops around him, somehow.

Even though he was a theology teacher from the Temple, I couldn’t really bring myself to dislike him.

Maybe it was because he’d helped me out during that awkward tea time with Theo?

Or maybe I’m just weak to angelic faces?

Before my regression, I never saw Yuta in person, but I had heard his name inside the Temple.

He was popular among the young priestesses, and when the rumor of his death spread later, many of them had been heartbroken.

Yeah... he’s got the kind of looks and personality people would cry over.

While I sighed sullenly, Yuta pulled a box out of a large shopping bag.

“Here.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Inside the box was a small strawberry cake. It wasn’t large, but it was adorable and beautifully decorated.

Yuta smiled warmly as he explained,

“I heard from the others that I prepare small tea-time snacks during interviews.”

“Yes.”

Honestly, I’d already heard the gossip in class.

The other students mentioned how they’d eaten cookies, macarons, madeleines, or pound cake during their feedback sessions.

Of course, Zahid said he didn’t even get a glass of water and got points docked for no reason...

Yuta carefully inserted a candle into the cake.

“Huh? Even a candle? Why...?”

“I just feel like it’s something you should always do with a cake. I’ll handle the inserting—would you mind blowing it out, Miss Rosie?”

“Sure. Seems like a fair division of labor. Fuuuuuuu!”

I blew out the candle and began eating the cake while Yuta pulled out my report.

“Let’s start with the topic.”

“Okay.”

“The divine blessing given to the High Priest... A very safe, non-controversial theme. It comes across as blatant flattery toward those in power. Easy to let slide.”

I nodded in agreement at his analysis.

“Yes, you’re exactly right, Instructor. Every book only says good things about him, so there was no real need for a balanced perspective.”

The High Priest hadn’t aged in years and continued living like some kind of immortal.

The books all said the same thing: that it was divine blessing. That the god loved the Temple so much He abandoned the Divine Beasts bestowed upon the ducal families and granted power to the High Priest alone.

Since the weakening of the Divine Beasts began around then, the theory held some weight.

“Sustaining that much divine power without aging... Like you wrote, it could indeed be divine blessing.”

“Yes. It’s the perfect excuse, really. No need to prove anything.”

At this point, the leadership should have changed hands at least twice already.

Maybe the topic felt too easy and half-baked... is that showing?

Yuta’s expression wasn’t particularly pleased, so I tried to explain myself, a little flustered.

“I actually considered doing a piece on the love between parent and child, something the High Priest always emphasizes... but I wasn’t confident.”

Then I muttered honestly,

“I don’t have parents... I especially don’t know anything about my father.”

Yuta looked at me quietly for a moment, then asked,

“Do you want to know about your father, Miss Rosie?”

“To be honest... I’m curious.”

“He might not be a good person. Do you still want to know?”

“I’m not expecting much. Honestly, I bet he’s just some trash-tier low-ranking priest.”

When I trailed off, Yuta showed a strange expression—but quickly smiled and shifted topics.

“Well, let’s move on to your assignment comments, Miss Rosie. That seems more important for now. Let’s begin with the event in 332 B.C....”

Yuta began going over my hastily written report with serious dedication.

His voice was slow, monotone, and the content—dead boring.

Why does this feel exactly like Theo’s lectures?

The sunlight was warm, a pleasant breeze drifted through the windows, and I’d eaten my fill of sweets.

Sleep crept up on me like a tide.

No matter what danger might be approaching, in that moment, it was an unbelievably peaceful afternoon.

My chin in my hand, listening to Yuta’s voice, my eyes slowly closed.

“And in September of 211, the next High Priest, Arotinassu Kirita, as we see here...”

Whether or not he noticed I was dozing off, Yuta’s flat tone continued steadily.

No... falling asleep with just the two of us here would be so rude... especially in front of the instructor...

But ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) no student ever means to fall asleep.

Especially not when they’d spent the whole night tossing and turning over the new blue mark on their thigh.

The harder I tried to focus, the heavier my head got.

And a little later—

“...Rosie? Miss Rosie?”

I woke with a jolt, having fallen asleep at the desk.

Yuta was gently shaking my shoulder.