Even lowered his head. A look of gloomy disappointment washed over his face, but inside, a sharp and cunning energy was at work. He spoke in a guilty tone, "I am sincerely ashamed. I truly took that Hero's posture by mistake."
"Oh! So you're asking for forgiveness now?" The cowboy stood up. He took a step toward Even and said with a voice full of hate, "I might have forgiven you if you hadn't denied the greatness of that Hero."
"Would you... Tell me his name?" Even's voice held a mysterious steadiness.
"Does your mouth have to move so much before you die?" The man leaned closer. The barrel of the revolver was now at point-blank range against Even's forehead. His finger was steady on the trigger.
Even let out a sigh and looked away. "I just want to hear the Great Hero's name one last time. If I hear it, I can explain to you why I failed to recognize him at first."
The cowboy laughed with disdain. He thought Even was just acting out of a fear of death. He lowered the revolver and began to mock Even's acting. "Oh, I see! This is very interesting. You insult him, but you don't even remember his name? What will you say next? This?" The man started to whine in a fake, crying voice, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I really didn't remember, I'll be careful next time. Please don't kill me!"
Suddenly, the man stopped acting and turned violent again. "I know you're going to beg for your life like that. But since I am going to die anyway, I don't want someone who insulted the Hero to stay alive. I will send you to hell with my own hands before I die, so I can meet that legend in heaven with pride!"
Even tilted his head to one side. He carefully showed the dried blood and the wound on the back of his head where an Orc had struck him earlier. He said in a trembling voice, "You don't know what happened to me. To tell the truth, I don't remember much. Look at this wound. I've even forgotten my own name, so how could I remember him?"
"Are you trying to start any kind of drama?" the man roared. He moved the revolver from Even's forehead and shoved the barrel directly into Even's mouth. He pressed it in cruelly and said, "Do you think I'm an idiot? You were perfectly fine in front of those Orc dogs! You were speaking their language so easily. Did your memory come back then?"
The touch of the cold metal inside his mouth sent a chill down Even's spine. But hearing the mention of 'speaking,' a new spark of an idea hit his brain like lightning.
He suddenly grabbed the cowboy's hand. With the gun still in his mouth, he mumbled unclearly, "Sp-eak-ing...! Yes, because I might be becoming a strange new phenomenon in this world!"
The man was startled by Even's sudden confidence and strange words. He pulled the revolver out of Even's mouth. "What do you mean?"
Even coughed for a while because the barrel had been pressing against his throat. He took a deep breath and said, "It's a bit strange. I was dying. Thinking it was the end of my life, I jumped into the sea."
The cowboy narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you alive?"
Even looked directly into the man's eyes, trying to sound as if he had been touched by something divine. "Someone saved me. They put their lips to mine and breathed new life into me. Then came that blow from the Orcs... and when I woke up, I was in front of their leader. Strangely, I could understand their language too."
Even then pretended as if a sharp pain had started in his head. He curled up in pain and looked at the cowboy with a pitiful gaze. "Really... if you want to kill me, just do it. I wanted to die on that shore anyway. But before I die, I just want to see the one who saved my life one last time. I want to know—why did I try to kill myself?"
"Total nonsense!" the man muttered, but his revolver lowered slightly.
Even stared into the cowboy's eyes. "I'm not stopping you. Kill me for the insult. I deserve it. If I insulted your Hero without knowing, I have no right to live."
Hearing this desperate confession, the man's murderous mood vanished. Killing a man who didn't even have his memory wasn't brave; it was wrong. At the very least, the man deserved to know the reason for his strange condition.
The cowboy stepped back a few paces. He slumped down against the wall of the pit. He looked up at the sky, where the twilight was slowly turning the air orange. He asked quietly, "So, can you answer my last questions? Why haven't the Orcs eaten us raw yet? And why did you say that? I wanted to die during the festival too?"
"I don't know!" Even answered directly. "But they were saying that because I am 'fat and healthy,' they want to serve me as a feast in a special festival. A person of my size isn't easily found in these forests or mountains; I am a prize catch to them. And the reason I said you wanted to die in the festival too was to save your life."
Even's voice became emotional. "You were cursing them in your language. Since I had no memory, I thought talking to monsters was normal. I was terrified... I couldn't stand to see a human being torn apart in front of my eyes. So, I committed the biggest sin of my life—I lied. I just didn't want to see a human die so horribly."
By the time he finished, Even's voice was heavy.
The man laughed loudly, as if Even's tragic story of 'memory loss' amused him. While laughing, he said, "This is truly strange! A human getting the power to talk to monsters. But there is no lack of magic in this world; nothing is impossible here. Maybe magic gave you this weird power."
The man quickly brushed away the serious mood. He looked at Even and said, "Liam Anderson... that was the name of the Great Hero. You wanted to know, right?"
Even froze like a stone. When he heard the name, his heart skipped a beat. His suspicion was correct. His own full name was Even Anderson. And the Great Hero of this world, the man who killed the Demon King, was Liam Anderson—his father!
Even pictured his old house. His father's old study room, the secret room above it, and that mysterious mirror—everything connected. His father wasn't just a normal man; he was the savior of this world!
He thought—'What if I told him right now that this Hero is my father? Would he believe me? Or would he think I'm mocking him and blow my head off?'
Even decided quickly. To survive in this world, he had to be very careful. It was better to keep his identity a secret for now. If anyone asked for his full name, he would change the title. He decided that in this world, he would be known only as 'Even.'
The cowboy put his revolver back in its holster and introduced himself. "And my name is Baron. You don't have to tell me your name, it's fine."
Even felt a huge sense of relief. 'Thank god, at least I don't have to worry about a fake name!'
"Alright, friend!"
—'Friend!!' Even shouted inside his head. The man who was just holding a gun to his forehead was now calling him 'friend'! Even thought, 'What kind of friendship is this!'
Baron seemed very calm and friendly now. The whole situation had changed. Where there was cold terror a moment ago, now it felt like a chat at a tea stall on a quiet afternoon. It was as if they weren't in an Orc hellhole, but just two old friends talking.
Baron added, "So friend, do you remember what the person who saved your life looked like?"
Even composed himself and replied, "Yes, a little. I was almost unconscious, so I didn't see the face clearly. But it was a young woman." Even realized there was no risk in this answer.
"A young woman!" Baron's eyes lit up. He had a look of teasing and humor on his face. "Truly strange! You tried to die and found the touch of a young woman? I've been an adventurer for years, and not a single girl has ever paid attention to me! What a fate! Maybe I have to die once to get a girl's touch too, haha!"
'Adventurer!' Even's memory hadn't actually failed him, but he had almost forgotten this detail under pressure. He had read about adventurer guilds and rankings in many web novels. He leaned toward Baron and asked, "Do adventurers have rankings?"
Baron suddenly looked hesitant, as if he wanted to hide his face. "Y—yes... rankings... of course they exist... why wouldn't they?"
"So, what rank are you?" Even asked directly.
Baron laughed loudly in discomfort and scratched his head. Looking away, he said, "Yes, yes, I am S-Rank!"
But when Even kept staring at him with disbelief, Baron's rank started to drop instantly. "Fine... okay, A-Rank!" Even's sharp gaze didn't move. "Fine... B!"
Finally, Baron got annoyed and pulled a worn wooden card from his pocket. He shoved it into Even's hand and turned his face away. Even looked at the card closely. On the edge of that wooden card, a large letter was carved—D.
When Even tried to look back at Baron, Baron quickly put a hand on Even's shoulder and said with a laugh, "Oh, forget it! Because of your memory loss, you probably don't know—this D-Rank is actually the strongest rank in the world!"
Even asked flatly, "If D is the strongest, then why are we stuck in this Orc pit?"
Baron was stunned for a moment, then spoke quickly, "Forget all that! Tell me the important stuff—when that girl held you, how did it feel?" Baron's face was full of curiosity, just like boys during a chat about a crush.
Even ignored his fear and his worries about the world and closed his eyes. He tried to remember a deep feeling and said, "I felt... something very soft, fluffy, and warm."
Baron was shaking with excitement, "And then? What happened next...?"
Even narrowed his eyes, trying to remember. "Then my feet... felt something like a slippery fish."
That was it. As soon as he heard those words, Baron's face turned pale. In an instant, his blood went cold, and he began to shake. It was as if Even had spoken the name of a forbidden monster. Baron stammered, "W-what are you saying? Are you in your right mind?"
Even looked surprised, "Why... what happened?"
"From what you're saying, it sounds like you're talking about a Mermaid! If it really was a Mermaid, how are you still alive?!"