Down the unpaved road, looking around where many two-story buildings are filling the right side of the road. Several small shops were open on the left side, displaying a wide variety of delicacies to try.
Kale walked aimlessly. Knowing he was in a strange state made it difficult for him to think clearly.
At least that was the thought a moment ago before Kale's eyes finally fell on a deserted fruit shop. He walked closer to the shop, seeing that the fruits there were still similar to where they used to be. "Little brother, want to buy some fruit?" The vendor smiled kindly at him as he pointed out the prices on his wares.
Kale wasn't even sure he had the money for it. He had only come here to ask a question to find a way out of his problems. "I'm honestly lost, can I ask where this is?"
The salesman's face changed slightly, but he still answered kindly, "This is the first floor. How did you get lost? Did you go here with your family or alone?"
Despite leaving the hustle and bustle of the capital, Kale still remembered there had never been a place called the first floor. So, where was the first floor?
"You look confused," said the salesman. The look on Kale's face was clear in his eyes, so he nodded in response.
"This is the first time I've heard of the first floor. Do you know the Moon Clan?" Kale asked again. He hoped he could find some hope this time. However, from the unconvincing look on the salesman's face, Kale doubted he would get a satisfactory answer.
"What's that name? Never heard of it."
Woe.
"Sun Clan?"
"Don't know either. I've never heard of anything like that before."
Kale squeezed his side hair. Where was he now if the two Clans that were the main axis of the world were not recognized by ordinary people?
Considering how he woke up without any spiritual power, it was enough to explain that he was not in the same world before.
There's no way, right? Did he switch worlds? Impossible. God wouldn't do that, right? Even if he wanted to give Kale another life, shouldn't he be born as a baby with no memories of his previous life?
Kale, who was lost in thought, momentarily ignored the sharp, suspicious gaze of the vendor. The merchant glanced at the surroundings, where he found the few humans he was looking for were also focused on his recent conversation with the stranger who claimed to be lost.
"By the way, you look clean, bro?" Kale raised his face slowly with a puzzled face.
What does clean mean? Kale looked at his clothes, he probably understood the meaning of clean here, referring to his clothes looking clean without any stains. Kale then turned to look at the seller, whose clothes looked shabby with several sewing marks everywhere. Like a resident of the countryside.
"Well, it's so clean that it makes 'us' a bit annoyed." Annoyed? Why annoyed?
Kale gasped, and he immediately glanced around. Something was wrong here. All the people around them were going about their respective activities while glancing at him sharply. Kale felt like he was being skinned alive.
He looked back at the vendor in front of him. He voiced again, "I have no ill intentions." Kale felt that if this was a suburb, the vendor might be offended by him being dressed in fancy clothes -- though it was nothing fancy -- just neat and clean to look at. However, the suburbs that rarely had those comforts, would not consider the clothes Kale was wearing as simple.
"I just want to go back home. That's why I asked in case you knew about it."
- TANG.
The sound of a knife cutting meat on a cutting board loudly made Kale turn his head to the side to find the butcher near the fruit shop glancing at him.
Kale now looked back at the fruit vendor to find that the gaze had not changed. He did not want to be here any longer. "Thank you for helping me, I'll be excused."
He turned to leave to collide with two large men. As her height only reached the men's chests he rubbed her reddened forehead slightly. "Sorry, I was in such a hurry that I didn't focus on seeing the road properly. Excuse me." Kale glanced down before walking to the side quickly.
His shoulder was held by one of the hands of the man there. "Our business is not over yet, boy." He pulled until Kale stood back up to face the two.
"I have apologized sincerely because after all, it was an accident that happened due to my negligence in action." One of the men who had been holding him back started laughing sarcastically while looking contemptuously at Kale.
"Just apologizing can solve the problem for you?"
"Of course?"
Kale felt confused. He was unintentional because he felt dangerous, turning around without paying attention to the road made him bump into the two men's chests. He had already apologized and Kale felt his business was over.
"Do you think a matter involving a nobleman's son is resolved with an apology?" asked the man beside him.
"I'm not a noble, I'm a commoner just like everyone else," Kale replied. How could they conclude him to be a nobleman, couldn't it be just because the clothes he was wearing looked clean and neat?
"Of course, your clothes can't lie to the public eye, noble boy." It was the clothes he was wearing.
Giddy to be arguing again. Kale decided to turn around quickly to avoid the two, to find two other large men standing not far from where he was. They were clenching their fists, making stalling motions as if they were about to beat the crap out of him.
Kale looked back, the two men still had not left. He ruffled his hair dizzily. "Okay, one second, hear me out. I have no further business with the four of you, I've already apologized for the accident and I consider it done."
"So, let me go." The four still did not move either. Kale was annoyed. He looked at the fruit vendor who looked relaxed. "Sir, I came to your shop just to ask where I am now, didn't I? I didn't even steal anything or commit any other crimes. If that was the case, it would have been obvious. I don't even have one percent of the money in my pocket."
Kale pulled up his pants pocket to show it was empty.
"We know. You didn't commit a crime against that fruit vendor," one of the four big men began to speak.
"However, the fact that you are a noble makes us 'quite' disturbed!" He then aimed his fist at Kale which he quickly dodged.
"I'm not a noble!"
"Who are we to believe your false boasts?!" From behind, Kale was attacked again. Kale avoided it. He did not want to retaliate, as there was a misunderstanding that needed to be cleared up to settle the current argument.
"I'm honest. I am no longer a noble. Before, yes, I was still a noble--"
"We knew it!" They attacked simultaneously. Kale jumped and dodged them quickly. All of the four men's martial arts moves were recorded in his memory. Kale could defeat all of them easily. However, he could not do so.
The four of them had a misunderstanding. Kale had to straighten it out and everything would be fine. That was the message taught by Yesan --- the older sister of his adoptive family, the woman who saved Kale and brought him into their warm family.
"Please listen to me!" In between Kale's explanations, the four of them took turns attacking him with various techniques. "I was a noble once. However, Father banished me and I ended up living as an ostracized commoner."
- BUGH
One fist managed to hit Kale. It sent him crashing to the ground. The four men surrounded him, Kale felt a bad feeling for the future. "Trust me. I'm not royalty. I'm just like you guys."
"Just like us, you say?" They felt offended.
"Uh, excuse me--"
A kick shot into his stomach. Kale let out a sound of pain. Another kick followed from a different direction, hitting his chest. It was very painful. Now, thousands of kicks began to fly at his body.
Kale could not let his upper body hurt any longer. So he turned his body around, protecting his front and exposing his back to thousands of kicks and stomps from different feet. He stayed still. Feeling everything without fighting back.
Just like he did back then.
For a moment, a mocking voice came from her ears. The same voices his cousins had made when Kale was very young and still living in the Moon Clan's residence.
He remembered every single sentence they said. All of those insults became wounds for him.
"Bastard."
"Bad luck."
"You should just die."
These were the cruel words that a child who had just turned five years old had to endure.
Kale knew nothing. He couldn't read or write. He slept and ate in the barn. He was only allowed to meet the servants who brought him food and blankets, but when he met a human other than his servant for the first time, Kale had to receive those painful words. How could Kale not remember all that?
Why did he have to die? Why was he considered a bad luck charm?
"I'm sorry..."
Kale did not know what laws were in place in his house at that time. He, who had just experienced the freedom of being out of the warehouse for the first time, was just following the orders of his cousins who were much older than him. Telling himself to bow down to receive the trampling and insults that hurt his feelings until now. Kale did it.
At that time, Kale could not understand. Why did he have to be stepped on like that? Was Kale not that valuable in their eyes?
"You are an unlucky child. Your presence here only brings misfortune."
Kale was left behind after they finished the routine. He lay limply under the rain, hitting his clothes-clad body with a few rips that exposed his bruised skin to the sky. As the rain further pierced him body with water. He realized how unfit Kale was to live.
"Forgive me, for having been born into this world..."
The same Kale as today. Still silently being stepped on repeatedly by the four big men who had a grudge against noble blood. "Stop, we can't let him die that quickly, right?"
One of them spoke. Kale opened his eyes slightly. 'It's over?'
"That's right. What's next?"
"Let's take it to the leader. Let him decide what to do with this child next." Nodding in agreement. Making two of the four men there immediately pull Kale's arm to get up.
They led Kale to a place.