Whats a Name

The temporary interrogation proceeded swiftly and simply. While Tyr turned a blind eye to the matter, looking away, Shei pulled over a chair and a desk, taking a seat opposite the man, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on them.

Here, first of all. I havent had the chance to ask this until now but

Confronted by Sheis penetrating gaze, the fake warden looked at Tyr anxiously, yet she remained silent and lowered her parasol to hide her eyes.

Now that she had him all to herself, Shei fixed a plain stare as she posed a question.

Your name is?

Pressured by Sheis intimidating presence, he glanced around timidly before mustering a response.

Tyr.

Hnn? You called?

Tyr raised her parasol slightly, but Shei motioned with her hand.

Thats not it. I think he misunderstood my question.

Shei started glaring again and clarified in a distinct tone.

Im talking about your name.

Tyr

A single instance might be a mistake, but from the second time on, its fate. Hearing him repeat the same answer, Tyr approached with confusion.

Is it possible that we share the same name? Tyr? What an extraordinary coincidence.

I dont think so. Looks like he got confused after hearing your name. Hold on.

Shei gripped Chun-aeng and held it upright with its side facing forward.

Skyblade Art, Heavenly Mirror. Mirages are the skys reflection of the earths shadow.

The air expanded wide and uneven, distorting the light in various directions. The compacted space of Chun-aeng refracted the light and directly illuminated the mans face.

Shei pointed at his mirrored reflection.

Here, look! Not at Tyr, but this person! Look at your reflection in the mirror!

Me My, name.

In an instant, his eyes widened. It was the first intense change visible on his face. His expression was stricken with pain as he clutched at his face, gasping sharply.

Shei silently observed him without pressing further, but Tyr couldnt bear to simply watch.

Let us stop here for now. It seems our eagerness got the better of us. If there are any questions, let us explore them patiently.

Shei firmly shook her head.

Wait. Im certain hell remember. Even if a persons lost their identity, its not easy to forget something youve known and used for so long, like a name. If he can forget a name hes carried his whole life, then he wouldve forgotten language as well.

However

And its necessary to ask, if only to retrieve his other memories. A name is the most vital component of identity, after all.

Knowledge instills certainty, and certainty breeds confidence. Sheis words were unexpectedly logical and self-assured, leaving Tyr speechless and yielding. Instead of continuing the debate, she prayed for the mans well-being, tightly clasping her hands together in worry.

A considerable amount of time passed, accompanied by his feeble groans. Yet as Tyrs heart burned black like a fuse, he broke the prolonged silence and managed to utter something with great effort.

Hu.

The two were unsure whether it was a thought uttered aloud or just a sigh. But then Tyr realized the groans had ceased and sought clarification.

Hu, did you say?

He nodded. Belatedly realizing that it was his name, Shei looked puzzled.

Hu? Thats your name?

Another nod followed. Shei briefly examined Hus face, falling into thought.

No surname? Oh, he mentioned being an orphan. Still, high-ranking officers in the State tend to have surnames But I guess they lost a lot of meaning after the kingdom disappeared. Maybe hes not attached to the name because he made it?

While Shei immersed herself in thoughts, temporarily going silent, Tyr cautiously approached and called out to Hu.

Hu?

In response, he turned toward her voice, reacting to his name. Tyr smiled warmly at that.

Hu, so that is your name. I discovered it too late. If I had known earlier, I would have called you more often.

While Tyr embraced the situation without a hint of doubt, Shei still couldnt shake off her suspicions.

Judging by his reaction, it does seem to be his name. Could it be an alias? No. If I start thinking that way, the speculations wont end.

Furrowing her brow, Shei retraced the name repeatedly in her mind, searching for any similar names within the memories of her regressions.

Hu. Hu. Hu

Do you know the name?

Give me a minute. Humanist, heuristic, hu It cant be.

Cant be?

After much contemplation, Shei shook her head.

Its my first time hearing it. I cant remember any similar names either.

Tyr responded wearily.

Then why dwell on the matter? If you do not know, simply say so from the beginning.

Its just more suspicious. I mean, a name I dont know? I should know almost every noteworthy figure there is, especially if its a State warden

Sheis words made sense from her perspective as she was familiar with most prominent figures of the Military State. She had already undergone 13 regressions, with roughly half of them involving conflicts with the State. Considering the remarkable abilities of this warden, it made no sense that she couldnt remember.

If he didnt drop dead somewhere in the abyss, that is.

But upon hearing Sheis murmurs, Tyr felt a touch of apprehension because she had learned, through the golem, that Hu wasnt a warden. Although she didnt place any importance on this fact, she wasnt sure about informing Shei. So she forcefully changed the subject.

The world is vast. Surely there are many you do not know. Now, more importantly.

Tyr put away her parasol and scurried closer to Hu.

Hu.

Hu turned to look at Tyr, who cheerfully called his name again.

Hu.

Yes.

Hu.

Tyr repeated his name without any particular purpose, slightly raising the pitch once and lowering it the next time. It was as if she was singing a song.

Hu reciprocated by calling her name.

Tyr.

Hehe. So this is your name, Hu.

Tyr was immersed in the act, seeming content with just knowing his name. It seemed she would spend the entire day calling him if left undisturbed.

However, Shei couldnt wait for Tyr to fully indulge herself in this game as the latter would never get bored. She intervened and continued with the questions.

Okay. Hu? I dont know if its real, but I know what to call you for now. So, whats your rank?

That question wiped the smile off Tyrs face, making her nervous. Meanwhile, Hu looked clueless at the mention of rank.

My rank?

If youre a real warden, then you should have a rank.

Uh

As Hu hesitated to answer, Tyr quickly interjected to shield him.

Rank? Does such a thing matter? It only confuses and holds no real significance.

Still, theres hardly anything more important if you want to know someones position in the Military State.

Ranks can change, you know. He may have forgotten such unstable memories. Why not we move on to something else. Hu?

Quickly changing the subject, Tyr called out to Hu before Shei could ask further. However, as she had never considered what to ask, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Do you have a favorite food, perhaps?

This could be an important question for some, since everything was relative, but not for Shei, at the least. She expressed her discontent.

What kind of question is that? You claim rank doesnt matter, yet you ask something even more pointless.

Well, you are not the only one who can ask questions.

I mean, thinking about it, even I didnt ask much aside from his name

Oh pipe down, boy. Are you going to nitpick every little thing your master does?

Only the master at times like this

Tyr forcibly silenced Shei, then quietly waited for Hus response. After some careful thought, he uttered a single word.

Beans.

Beans?

That reminded them of the plentiful canned beans in the cafeteria. Tyr was pleased. At least she could provide him with heaps of his favorite food.

But at that moment, an unexpected doubt emerged from Shei.

Its strange, no matter how I think about it!

What do you mean?

That he likes beans! It makes no sense!

How peculiar. And why would that be a problem?

Tyr knew beans to be a highly useful crop, yet Shei spoke as if it were common knowledge that the world hated beans.

The main ingredient in the States canned beans is one of their seven great inventions, a planting fertilizer called chimera beans. Theyre sown in resting fields to make the land so fertile that itll yield abundant harvests for the next couple of years.

Abundant harvests? Then is it not a wonderful thing?

It is. As a fertilizer. But when it comes to eating those beans? Its a no. A big fat no.

Shei shuddered, seeming chilled by the mere imagination, as she continued loudly.

Actual fertilizer might be better off as food. Chimera bean crops result in a field full of large beans, but for all their size, they taste disgusting. Theyve got this muddy texture, a bitter odor, and they stick to your tongue so much that you cant even swallow them without water. They say even a cow starved for three days would refuse them!

Tyr looked puzzled. With so many canned beans stacked in the cafeteria, it was hard to believe that even a starving cow would reject them.

Yet despite it all, everyone seems to eat those beans frequently.

Thats because the Military State collects and distributes those huge amounts of chimera beans! Its thanks to canning that they taste a hundred times better. If it wasnt for that, the State wouldve already dealt with numerous uprisings. Its a remarkable invention, but as food, its torture!

Is that why you alone did not eat the canned beans?

Huh? Well, yeah.

Tyr heaved a sigh and scolded Shei.

It is not my place to say as I did not know But after hearing your words, I feel you were harsh. Shei, you had other food yet you did not share it?

Eh?

Tyr was essentially asking if she had been enjoying delicious meals by herself while the others had to settle for beans.

Shei blinked dumbly for a moment, then began gesturing in her defense.

Thats not it. I did offer Azzy to eat together several times! Its just that my item produces dishes that are heavily seasoned, and they didnt suit her taste!

Then you never made that offer to Hu.

Huh? Yeah

Shei nodded timidly. Tyrs gaze turned colder, causing Shei to shrink back. With a soft sigh, she lowered her parasol and stood in front of Hu.

Let us stop. Prying answers from someone who is already troubled we should never have started this in the first place.

Huh? But I havent even finished asking about his abilities

Did you forget what the note said? It emphasized not to disturb him, even if his condition turned strange. Given that you two were strangers who did not even share food under normal circumstances, what right do you have to expect an answer from him?

Thats true, but do we really have to follow

Is it not a matter of trust? If you cannot even follow instructions in a note entrusted to you, how will you look him in the eye? Will you continue to wear a mask when facing him?

Tyrs logic was undeniable, leaving no room for further argument. However, Shei had something to say as well. Unusually, she raised her voice towards Tyr.

But hes the one wearing a mask!

While Hu blinked in confusion at suddenly being singled out, Shei shouted with fiery eyes as if unleashing her emotions.

Has he ever been completely straightforward with us? I didnt even know his name until today! Tell me honestly. If were to go by your words, to look at each other without masks! Shouldnt he have told us from the start?

Shei.

And right now, hes hiding something! Resolving it would bring some peace of mind! But when I get curious, he chases me off. When I ask, he says its a secret. And now that I try to dig a little deeper, oh hes lost his memory. How can I not suspect!

It wasnt like Shei wanted to be suspicious. Sure she endured some arguments and teasing with the man, but they also fought side by side once. And through it all, she begrudgingly admitted that he had grown on her.

But to someone who came from the future, who had peered beyond that veil the present was a powder keg, surrounded by fuses and ready to explode. The man named Hu was a warden of the Military State, so Shei always had to be on guard around him. Because he couldve been the very mastermind who had corrupted the Fragments of the Apocalypse.

If he didnt want to be suspected, then he shouldve been open from the get-go! After all the questionable things hes done! I want to believe him too!

If so, then you should approach him one step at a time instead of prying like this.

Its meaningless! In the end!

In the end, everything will return to zero.

Shei left her words unfinished.

Tyr regarded Shei with fresh eyes. Age-wise, they didnt look all too different but the latter was much younger physically. While this thought had occurred to her several times before, it was evident that Shei was objectively and subjectively youthful.

Tyr composed herself and began to calmly soothe Shei.

We all have things that are difficult to talk about. According to the note, he did not want his true self to be revealed. Can you wait a little longer for him?

Hmph. Whatever. The things weve discovered have no credibility anyway. Calling himself Tyr, claiming beans are his favorite

Shei whipped around.

Im leaving. The rest is up to you.

Shei disappeared into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. It showed no signs of opening again.

All they had discovered was the name Hu and, as an aside, his preference for beans. That was enough to make Tyr happy but unsolved questions still lingered in her mind. She looked at Hu and posed one final question.

Hu. Why did you tell such a lie from the beginning?

But naturally, he couldnt provide an answer.