A Drunken Revelation

‘I am the Hero.’ I recalled a time not long ago when Helter had brought me to this very small pub. He had just resigned from his position then, his spirits profoundly low. Even back then, I’d harbored a suspicion that he would eventually succumb to a serious drinking habit. To my surprise, my prediction had proven eerily accurate. Watching him now, I thought, ‘This guy is definitely going to become an alcoholic.’

“Another bottle!”

That was his thirty-third bottle. The bar’s stock of liquor was already dwindling, nearly half-empty.

This was standard practice for him. Had the pub owner not been in such high spirits, thrilled to have the Hero gracing his establishment, he would never have allowed a single keg of that liquor to be brought in.

“Haven’t you had enough? It’s time to stop,” I urged.

“I can’t stop! Tonight, I drink until I drop!”

‘Oh, spare me. You’re a monster who can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. If you keep this up, you’ll probably drain the entire pub of its liquor!’

Liquor was already somewhat scarce in Newbie Village, and this particular pub’s alcohol was self-produced. Typically, there was a limited amount of liquor sold each year, with daily sales capped. If they sold an excessive amount in one day, the owner would surely weep tears of despair, unable to conduct business without any stock.

What’s more, this down-and-out great swordsman was truly destitute—even poorer than I was! I’d heard he always drank on credit whenever he came here, never once paying back his tabs. For the owner, dealing with such a seasoned patron was an absolute headache!

Later, when the owner visited Helter’s home to demand payment, Helter had the audacity to reasonably argue that he would definitely repay his debts once he became successful in a few decades. ‘I wanted to ask, living like this, will you truly prosper decades from now? Even if you do, considering the owner is already in his fifties, he won’t live long enough to see you settle your debts! Helter, is it really acceptable for you to be such a scoundrel?! You were once the undisputed master of the arena! You can’t let yourself fall so low!’

“Another bottle!”

It was his thirty-fourth bottle. ‘Goodness, how did his drinking speed up so much!’

“Stop, stop, stop! That’s enough! Why are you drinking so much today? If you keep going, it won’t just be your cerebellum that’s affected, but your cerebrum too! Your IQ will drop, do you understand?”

Helter paused.

“What’s a cerebellum? Don’t people only have one brain?”

‘Right, what even is a cerebellum?’

“Regardless of what a cerebellum is, this is incredibly bad for your health!” I snatched the bottle from his hand.

“Hey? What are you doing, Hero? Let me keep drinking! I’m fine…”

Observing his dazed eyes, I sensed something was deeply amiss. In the past, whenever I’d accompanied him drinking, his eyes would gleam with life. Today, they seemed considerably duller.

“Are you troubled by something again? You’re drinking your sorrows away…”

“Ah…” Helter froze once more.

“Is it about Lu Ren’s death…?”

“Mhm.”

Helter waved a hand dismissively, then propped his head up, looking profoundly troubled.

‘This guy actually cares about me so much? Truly a brother with whom I’ve shared a meal!’

“He was just an ordinary person; everyone eventually meets their end.”

“But to me, he wasn’t just ordinary… he was special.”

‘Special.’

‘Helter said I was special! So, in his heart, I was a unique existence, different from everyone else!’

‘Wow, a little touch of emotion stirred within me.’

“He was the only one willing to pour my drinks, pay my tabs, and help me home.”

‘Hmm…’

‘What does that even mean? That makes me special? Couldn’t anyone do those things? Couldn’t you have found something else to highlight our brotherhood?!’

‘Don’t you remember the last time I helped you hunt? Don’t you remember the time before that when I helped you repair your house? Don’t you remember the time before that when I laid flowers at your father’s funeral?!’

‘Why do you only recall those three things I always did when we drank together?’

“Brother, is there anything else? These don’t quite capture it.”

“Oh! And also, he was the only one who would ever scratch my back.”

‘This… when did this trivial matter even happen? I don’t remember it at all…’

“Anything else?”

“The last time, he made braised pork at his house, and I thought it was incredibly delicious!”

‘What? In your eyes, am I worth less than a plate of braised pork?!’

“Anything else…?”

“The time before last, when I drank too much and threw up, he was the one who cleaned up my vomit.”

“Brother! Can you be serious?! These things aren’t important!”

“Alright, little brother! Let me think carefully, oh! That’s right! There was one time he helped me treat a poisonous insect bite! That venom nearly took my life, and it’s thanks to his deep knowledge of poisons that I’m not dead now! Surely that’s enough to prove it!”

‘Finally! Finally, something somewhat substantial! This big oaf actually has some reliable moments.’

“It seems I still hold a place in your heart, eh?”

“Of course! Lu Ren!”

I smiled cheerfully and poured him another drink.

“One last drink, and then I’m taking you home. No lingering.”

“Alright!”

Helter grinned back, raised his cup, and took a gulp.

He suddenly froze, however! His entire body became as rigid as a statue!

“Lu Ren?”

“Mhm.”

Hearing my response, he slammed his cup heavily onto the table.

“You…”

“What’s wrong?” I tilted my head, puzzled.

“Did I mishear you because I’ve had too much to drink?”

“Huh? Mishear what?”

I asked, utterly bewildered.

“Lu Ren?”

He called my name again.

“Mhm.”

I instinctively responded again…

It was only then that the gravity of the situation dawned on me. ‘Damn it!!! Why did I answer him?! I’m not Lu Ren, the assassin, anymore! I’m Emily, the Hero!’

“Lu Ren! You’re alive after all!” Helter exclaimed, embracing me excitedly.

Everyone in the pub stared in unison at the boisterous oaf.

“Don’t mind him! He’s drunk and talking nonsense!” I hastily explained.

“Lu Ren! How did you end up like this?!”

“You’ve got the wrong person!”

“Then why did you answer just now, mmph mmph.”

I instantly clapped a hand over his mouth, terrified he would blurt out everything!

“Ahaha… I’ll just help him out first. Let’s go!”

“Mmph mmph mmph! [Translation: But you haven’t explained why!]” Helter kept mumbling incessantly.

Once he stood up…

I suddenly realized I was too short to cover his mouth effectively.

“Lu Ren! Explain yourself! Why have you become like this?!”

“What are you talking about?! Your brother died, so you must be hallucinating!”

‘I’m finished. Everyone in the pub was looking at me with skeptical eyes!’

‘I promised Key I wouldn’t expose my original identity! And now, this situation is critical!’

“Your tone, your mannerisms! I felt they were familiar from the start! Lu Ren! I can’t believe it’s really you!”

“Shut up! Let’s go! Get out of here first!”

“Why?”

“Just get out!”

After a flurry of shouting, Helter seemed to somewhat understand me, quietly following me out.

Although the people inside the pub remained completely oblivious to the situation.

“Lu Ren.”

I didn’t respond.

“Lu Ren.”

He called my name again.

“Hold on, let’s do this: we’ll go to your place first, alright? We can talk slowly there!”

“Alright, Lu Ren!”

“Brother, please don’t call me that name…”

“Alright, Lu Ren! I won’t call you Lu Ren anymore!”

“You just shut up, Helter!”

‘Damn it, this is all my carelessness! This idiot actually recognized me!’

‘Oh! Right, did Helter and I forget something when we left? Never mind, it can’t be anything major. The most crucial thing now is to keep Helter’s mouth shut and prevent news of the Hero’s death from spreading!’