"Hey hey hey! You over there, the one lying under the bridge using two broken planks as a mattress—yes, you! Stop lazing around and sleeping there. Come with me! Jake-sama and the others have started distributing today's free meals!"
"Pfft hahaha, yeah, you're really lucky, kid. Today's free meal is a brand-new flavor we've never had before. They say it's a recipe personally developed by Jake-sama—something about mashed potatoes and Sea King meat."
"Mmm, I really want to eat that Sea King meat again. Honestly, out of everything I've ever eaten, it's the only thing I'd call divine. You have no idea how incredibly tender and juicy that Sea King meat is. Even though it's meat, it doesn't feel greasy at all. It's more like a fruit—crisp, bouncy, and smooth in your mouth!"
Rosinante opened his eyes and realized that, without noticing, several other homeless people had gathered under the bridge where he was sleeping.
But could these people really be called homeless?
He stared at the group standing not far ahead of him, chatting among themselves.
Their ruddy cheeks, clean and tidy clothes, and polite demeanor made him inwardly puzzled.
Logically, shouldn't homeless people be disheveled, with greasy hair and skin covered in thick layers of dirt and grime?
How come these guys, despite being homeless, dressed like successful businessmen?
Rosinante was baffled.
He didn't know how to approach them, but the group seemed to sense his hesitation.
One of them, the oldest-looking man, smiled gently and said.
"We know what you're thinking, and we understand why you might feel ashamed of your appearance right now. But, my dear sir, let me tell you—not long ago, just a few days ago, we were in a far worse state than you. Even this useless old man here was already halfway into the grave."
Hearing the old man's words, Rosinante looked at him with an utterly astonished gaze before asking with unmistakable curiosity in his voice.
"Someone as optimistic as you actually wanted to commit suicide not long ago?"
The old man coughed twice before speaking slowly.
"How should I put this... To be precise, I'd say every homeless person here has had countless suicidal thoughts. The reason is actually quite simple. Flevance is a kingdom where I've watched everything change bit by bit since childhood. Maybe that's hard for you to understand—let me rephrase it."
"In Flevance, during its most prosperous days, I spent my entire life savings and most of my parents' money to buy my own house. The reason was simple—I'd found the love of my life. Though her family was very unhappy about it because mine wasn't wealthy enough, my beloved firmly chose me, so we were able to be together."
"After that, I worked over fifteen hours every day, holding down three jobs at once. Sometimes I'd even help out on fishing boats. Though exhausting, those were truly happy times. No matter how late I returned home, among all those lit windows, there was always one light left on just for me. That not-so-big little home was filled with a comforting atmosphere and the presence of my life's greatest love."
"I'm not some remarkable person—just an ordinary man. In that small house, my two children were born—a boy and a girl. What made me happiest was how both took after their mother's appearance, inheriting her beautiful features that far surpassed my own looks."
At this point, the old man pointed at his face for emphasis and added.
"Look—my nose isn't high enough, eyes not big enough, skin not fair enough, lips not shapely enough. My whole body's full of flaws. Thankfully my children didn't take after me too much—that would've been tragic. They resemble their mother completely... except for their arms and toes, which are exactly like mine."
Amid the good-natured chuckles from those around them, the old man rubbed his head cheerfully before he continue speaking to Rosinante.
"That tiny two-story house contained everything I ever cared about and cherished most in life. You could say my entire soul resided within those small walls—everything that mattered to me was in that little home."
"But... that precious home of mine vanished in the artillery fire during the third week of Flevance's uprising..."
"Honestly, dying from Amber Lead Disease wouldn't have driven me to such despair. Before this outbreak, no one knew how terrifying this disease could be. But... but..."
Here the old man's voice grew hoarse and subdued.
Looking at all of them, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Disease did not tear us apart, but what did were the relentless bombs from neighboring countries!"
As he spoke these words, the old man's body began to tremble uncontrollably, yet he still leaned against the wall for support, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"When that bomb fell into my small, happy home, my entire world shattered. Do you know what that feels like? My whole life—no, my parents' later years, my own life, my children's early years—all remained buried in that tiny house."
"When I arrived at the ruins of my home, the first thing that met my eyes were the barely recognizable remains of my family... Do you have any idea what that feels like?"
"I remember it was a rainy day. I knelt alone at the entrance of that ruin, looking at the things inside—each item filled with our memories—and couldn't help but burst into loud sobs."
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