Chapter Text
[Beginning of the introductory part]
Synesthesia is a mixture of feelings and sensations. Stimulation of one cognitive or sensory pathway leads to additional stimulation of another pathway. A variety of senses of perception can mix, but in this fanfiction the following combinations will be considered:
— Along with sound, Cale hears color,
— Perceives the shape, texture of an object, inhaling any smell, while not necessarily knowing what exactly it feels like,
— Feels the taste of words when reading, less often when listening to someone's speech.
Mirror-touch synesthesia is the ability to see and feel what other people see and feel. It's like empathy, but 100 times stronger. Examples:
— When Cale sees someone being touched on the shoulder, he feels as if he has been touched.
— If he sees how sad someone is, then he is sad too, but this feature will not be used in fan fiction.
— If someone in his field of vision is in pain, so he is in pain too.
Neurography is a creative method that helps to realize your problem and find a solution through drawing using a special algorithm.
In this fanfiction, color perception is important:
— Red – danger, threat
— Orange – confidence, arrogance
— Dirty-yellow – madness, fanaticism, obsession
— Yellow – fun, irony
— Lemon – disgust
— Light green – awe, embarrassment
— Green – happiness, contentment
— Light blue – honesty, naivety
— Blue – sadness, grief
— Blue – calmness, equanimity
— Gray – indifference, suspicion
— Dark gray – hatred, envy, greed, contempt
— Purple – lies, evasion
— Pink – romantic sympathy
— Black – fear, horror
This is the author's color perception, you may have a different one. The brown author does not perceive it at all... And yes, values will be added as the play progresses.
[End of the introductory part]
The young man could feel someone gently patting his body. The rough hand brought up thoughts of the hands of an exhausted parent. She was warm.
"Young master, it's morning," but the voice was very deep and red. The guy felt chills all over his body, and his eyes subconsciously opened. Instead of the bright sunlight coming through the window to warm the newly awakened person, he saw an old man standing next to him with a satisfied expression on his face:
"It's amazing that you woke up after just the first attempt."
"Eh?"
"The lord wants to have a meal with the young master, as it was once a long time ago. It looks like it will be possible today."
The young man saw a mirror over the old man's shoulder. It reflected a fiery-haired young man who seemed embarrassed to see himself.
"It seems that this guy is me."
"Young master Cale?" — The scarlet color has become thicker, hinting that the speaker is beginning to get annoyed.
Yes. He can hear colors when people are talking. This is a neurological disease called 'Synesthesia'. Even as a child, Kim Rok Soo noticed that he could 'see' with his ears or 'hear' with his eyes. Pretty quickly he realized that it was abnormal for an ordinary person, but just as quickly he learned how to use it.
The guy turned to the source of the restless voice to find an old man who looked like a servant, who was looking at him intently. But this old man was the least of the guy's worries right now. He had heard it clearly. 'Young master Cale.' The name was familiar. The guy said it slowly:
"Cale Henituse?"
The old servant looked at him as if he were looking at his grandson.
"Yes, that's your name, young master. I'm guessing you're still a little drunk."
Listening to the old man's words, the young man naturally thought of a name that was even more important than the name "Cale Henituse"...
"...Vicross..."
"Are you talking about my son?"
"...Chief..."
"Yes, my son is a chef. Do you need him to do something for your hangover?"
The guy felt that everything went dark around him, he began to feel dizzy. He lowered his head, resting it on his arm. The young man looked at the red hair that was falling in front of his face. It was a bright red color, very different from his original black hair.
Cale Henituse. Vicross. Vicross's father is Ron. These were the characters appearing at the beginning of 'The Birth of a Hero', the novella that the young man was reading before he fell asleep last night.
He shook his head and looked around. The guy could see the bedroom, which was completely different from the typical Korean design. She made me think of Europe. Every single thing in the room was extremely extravagant and luxurious.
"Young master?" The color started to darken.
A man named Ron, an old man who pretended to be worried and anxious.
"Cold water."
"Excuse me?"
He needed something to clear his mind. He could see Cale Henituse's face in the mirror behind Ron.
'Everything looks fine. Probably, Cale hasn't been beaten to a chop by the Main Character yet.'
His handsome face attracted the young man's attention. When he opened his eyes, the guy became Cale Henituse.
'Cale Henituse.' A nonentity who was beaten half to death by the main character at the beginning of the novel 'The Birth of a Hero.' It was him.
"Young master, I assume you don't want to swim in cold water. Are you asking for drinking water?"
Cale looked at Ron. The servant may pretend to be a benevolent old man, but in fact he was hiding his true identity as a cruel and vicious man. The scarlet color of his speech also spoke about this. The young man looked at Ron:
"Please bring me some drinking water," he needed to drink cold water and clear his mind first.
"I will arrange everything immediately."
"Thank you very much."
Ron flinched, and for a moment he had a strange expression on his face, but Cale did not notice it.
***
Ron had to leave the bedroom because there was only warm water in the room.
Suddenly, Cale's thoughts were interrupted again, but this time by a deafening bang on the glass. When the young man turned his gaze to the window, he couldn't help but open his eyes in shock. A huge raven with a crystal beak was hammering into the glass, demanding to be let in. This bastard was well known to Kim Rok Soo. It was one of his skills in that home world. Without thinking twice, the aristocrat went to the window.
"Ka-a-a-ar!"
A black bird happily flew into the bedroom when Cale opened the window, and perched heavily on the young man's shoulder. The raven began to pinch the aristocrat's delicate ear with its beak, greeting him.
"How the hell did you end up here, Requi?"
The raven was about to bark deafeningly again, but Cale, knowing Requiem's habits perfectly well, quickly grabbed him by the beak. The bird, feeling the warm palm of its owner, immediately disappeared. All that remained in the young man's hand was the crystal skull of a raven, suspended on a steel chain. It was the true look of the Requisite, oh, Requiem.
At first, when this feathered miracle first revealed itself, Kim Rok Soo, with a cold look in his eyes and voice, called him just a requisit. After getting used to the raven, he began to treat it a little warmer, turning it into a Prop. In the battles, the nickname Requi was glued to the huge raven, which turned into a Requiem by enemy thoughts.
Cale hid the pendant in one of the drawers and headed for the bathroom. If he was really inside the novel, then there must be a large mirror inside. As expected, there was a full-length mirror in the bathroom. Cale Henituse, who was very interested in his appearance and physical condition, installed this mirror here. No one else in this house had such a mirror.
The man in the mirror had fiery red hair and a pretty decent body.
'I really am Cale.'
The guy in the mirror really turned out to be Cale Henituse from the novel.
'The Birth of a Hero' was famous for its high-quality description of the appearance of each character. That's why the guy in front of the mirror had no choice but to accept that he really had turned into a count's nonentity.
Do people usually calm down when they are surprised and shocked? Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo, calmly thought about last night. It was a typical day off. It had been a while since he had last read a real book instead of a phone, so he went to the library to get some books there. He took the whole series at once, as he planned to devote the whole day to reading. The title of the book was, of course, 'The Birth of a Hero'. He managed to master the fifth volume before falling asleep. But when the young man woke up, he turned into Cale Henituse, the man whom the main character mercilessly beat up in the first volume.
'Will everything be as it happened in the novel?'
He felt unnaturally calm. As soon as the shock receded a little, the young man's mind also calmed down. He began to recall the contents of the first volume.
[The Birth of a Hero.] This novel was about the birth of heroes on the Western and Eastern continents, as well as their trials and growth. The main character was, of course, a Korean. He was a student who was transported into the world as soon as the boy entered high school. In addition, his lifespan equaled that of a dragon, which made him almost age-free.
Cale tore his gaze away from the mirror and stepped into the tub filled with warm water. He leaned on the edge and looked up at the ceiling. It was the expensive marble described in the novel. The estate where the aristocrat lived was really decorated with marble.
The young man began to mutter, looking at the ceiling.
'It doesn't look like I'm going to be bored...'
His life is like Kim Rok Soo. There really wasn't much to like about her. He was an orphan and never owned a large amount of money. He also did not have a person whom he loved more than life, as well as a friend for whom he was ready to give this very life. He continued to live because he couldn't die.
Yes, he couldn't have died.
He completely hated the idea of death or pain. He became an orphan after both of his parents died in a car accident when he was very young. Kim Rok Soo didn't like pain or death. No matter what it was, even if he had to roll on a pile of dog sh*t, it would be better than being dead.
'For that reason, I need to make sure I don't get beaten up first.'
The young man crossed his arms over his chest and fell into thought. He didn't know what happened to Cale after he was beaten up in the first volume. All that was known was that the main character, Choi Han, would survive many fateful encounters and overcome many challenges to become a hero along with his team members... Thus, the era will begin when he proves that he is a hero. The Kingdom of Roan, where Cale now lives, as well as many other places on the Western and Eastern continents, will be consumed by the war. This will really be a time for the heroes when they will be able to show their full potential.
The young man frowned. Kim Rok Soo, the man who became Cale. His life motto was simple: life without pain. Enjoying the little joys of life.
To live a peaceful life.
But then he heard Ron's voice coming from the bedroom. Cale thought about Ron's true identity. Ron was an assassin who left the Eastern Continent and crossed the sea. He pretended to be a benevolent old man, but the real Ron was a cruel and merciless man. A man who speaks in red. For Cale, this was a significant indicator.
"Yes, I'll be out soon."
He needed to push this old man to the main character and send him to a meeting.
The young man put on a bathrobe, then quickly left the bathroom. Ron stood with a smile on his face and a tray with a cup in his hands.
"And here is the young master."
Cale picked up the cup and walked past the old man. He didn't want to come into contact with such a dangerous old man.
"Thank you very much."
Ron's expression seemed strange again, but Cale had already walked past him. The young man drank cold water and began to think.
'There are too many strong people here.'
There were actually too many of them. No matter where the main character went, he always met strong creatures, or creatures with some secrets and secrets. They were both representatives of the human tribe and representatives of other races.
'I need strength so that at least I can protect myself, but no more.'
Cale thought about the various fateful encounters that took place in the first parts of the novel. The forces that strengthen the main character and the members of his party... He thought of those that would help him live a long life without pain. A couple came to mind. He just had to choose one... or several.
"Young master, we will begin to dress you."
"Oh, that's right, thank you."
The door soon opened and a couple of servants came in to help Ron dress Cale. Cale did not notice that Ron had a stoic expression on his face, unlike his usual self, at this time he was busy looking at the clothes that the servants had brought.
"Ah, we can do something simple today."
He hated really elaborate outfits. Simple clothes that allowed you to rest comfortably were much better.
"Yes, young master."
The servant in charge of the clothes quickly pulled out the simpler one, and Cale donned the most discreet of the suggested options. After he finished dressing, the young man frowned. Even this "simple" dress was extremely extravagant and did not appeal to him.
However, the reflection in the mirror was quite beautiful.
'He's really handsome, and any clothes on him look good.'
The face was indeed the most important part of the fashionista. He looked in the mirror, adjusted his sleeves before turning around and looking at Ron.
Ron was smiling again, like an affectionate grandfather.
With an inner shudder, Cale wondered how suspicious he would seem to the servant if he took Requi out of the drawer now? Nevertheless, having made up his mind, the young man with an absolutely calm, even face went to the chest of drawers and pulled out an ornament. He put it on his hand so that the pendant with the chain would not be visible.
"Ron, let's go."
"Yes, Young Master."
Cale followed Ron. It was nice that he didn't have to remember the layout of the manor's rooms. He just needed to follow the butler, and he would be led where he needed to be. All the servants Cale met shuddered and bowed respectfully before hurrying away. They seemed to be running away. A few black drops of sound fell on his eyes.
'Why are they so scared? Cale never hit people.'
"I'll open the door now."
"Of course."
The young man nodded at Ron. It was mentioned in the book that Cale had treated the butler, the one who raised him, like his own grandson ever since Cale was very young, as well as he treated his father. It was mentioned that he always treated Ron as a person. Of course, he really didn't think so. That's why it was easy for Cale to talk to Ron. He just needed to answer Ron's questions and treat him like a person.
"I hope you enjoy your breakfast," there was not a drop of color in his speech, wishing you a pleasant time.
"Thank you. Ron, make sure you eat well too."
Cale walked past Ron into the dining room. He saw family members sitting at the table. His father, the current head of the Henituse family, is fighting. Next to him sat Cale's stepmother, the Countess, as well as her son and daughter. The four people looked at the young man who entered.
"You're late today, again," a light green sound. Count Deruth was both glad, but at the same time he felt a certain emotion that could not be called positive.
Cale's gaze went to his father, who was talking. In "The Birth of a Hero," Cale's feelings for his father were described as follows:
[His father was the man Cale obeyed. The reason why this nonentity did not leave the house and got everything he wanted on the count's territory was entirely due to his father. Count Deruth Henituse.]
Now about the other three present.
His stepmother knew that he disliked her, and therefore avoided the young man.
Her smart firstborn, who found her older brother difficult to deal with.
And a pretty little sister who studiously avoided Cale.
But it wasn't because Cale was bothering them, or they were bothering him. They just treated each other like strangers.
The young man thought that this was a wonderful environment where one could live in quiet solitude.
"Sit down."
"Yes, Father."
Cale looked at the set table, which did not meet the simple definition of breakfast, and sat down in his seat. Then he felt something strange and raised his head:
"Is there something you want to tell me, Father?"
"... No, I'm not..." the color has changed, becoming closer to light green.
Deruth looked at his son. The rest of the family didn't take their eyes off him either. Cale made eye contact with everyone at the table. They all quickly turned away when the youth looked into their eyes before returning to the meal.
'They probably think I'm very difficult to handle.'
Cale also returned to his contemplation of the table. The meal was more like a sumptuous feast than the usual breakfast he consumed to fill his stomach, and it made him smile. First, he cut off half of the sausage with a knife.
'She's so juicy.'
He did not know why the juice flowed, as soon as he cut the sausage, whether it was because it was made by hand, or because the chef just cooks well, but the sight of the sausage made him feel hungry. Her scent was soft but elastic, perfect for chewing. Cale smiled without even knowing it.
*Klang!*
He heard something fall and looked up at his younger brother, Basen. Cale saw that his brother had dropped the fork from his hand.
"I'm sorry..." the boy's voice was also tinged with a light green color. He was clearly embarrassed.
Basen calmly apologized, as befitted a person with his character, who was described in the novel. The servant in charge of the food quickly approached the younger young master with a new fork, and picked up the fallen one from the floor. Watching this, Cale thought it was nice to be noble before focusing on the food in front of him again.
Cale had just discovered the first good thing about being in a novel. This breakfast was extremely luxurious and incredibly delicious, so much so that his stomach was absolutely happy. And these amazing shapes that come with the smell!
The smile never left his face.
"... Huh?"
He was so engrossed that he did not hear Brother Basen's shocked exclamation.
Cale looked around, examining the dishes in front of him. Then he pointed his fork at a dish of fruits he didn't recognize. After filling his stomach with meat, soup and bread, he wanted to try something new.
One of the fruits looked like an orange, but the color was more like a grape. Cale brought the fruit to his lips and bit into it.
"Mm-hmm..."
At that moment, sweet fruit juice filled his mouth. The young man really hated sour fruits, so this extremely sweet taste spreading in his mouth made him unconsciously swallow.
Immediately, he came across the gaze of his father, Deruth, who was looking intently at his son.
"Cale..."
Deruth quietly called his son's name, but did not hurry to speak further, apparently hesitating. Then he began to frown, and his jaw muscles began to move. Cale didn't like this kind of atmosphere, so he spoke first:
"It's delicious."
"Yes, it tastes like garbage... huh? Did you say it was delicious?" A strange mixture of light blue and light green.
"Yes, it's delicious."
This time, Cale picked up another fruit and smiled, feeling the pleasant sweetness in his mouth again. The jerk, Cale Henituse, never paid attention to etiquette.
He probably shouldn't have done this while talking to his father, the head of the family, but it didn't matter. First of all, he was a mere nobody.
'Being a jerk is best.'
No one cared how he behaved. As long as he can stop the main character from beating himself up, it will be a good life.
As Cale expected, no one criticized his complete lack of manners. In fact, a smile appeared on Derut's lips as he began to nod:
"Yes, it's very tasty. It's nice to see that you eat so much and enjoy your meal," the sound turned green, but there was a lot of gray there.
Deruth really seemed to be the only person who cared about Cale. He didn't even seem to care about how insignificant his son was. Well, a really caring father should probably try to fix Cale's personality... But that didn't bother the young man, because he wasn't the real Cale Henituse.
"Ees. Father, please make sure you eat properly too."
Basen let out another 'Ha' sound, and Cale, who heard it this time, looked at the boy. A fifteen-year-old Fable. The younger brother, with whom Cale had a three-year difference, and who hated the older brother.
Unlike a jerk like Cale, Basen was smart, honest, and very responsible. Family members insisted that Basen should become the next head of the family. Kim Rok Soo agreed with this proposal, even after he himself turned into Cale.
'Instead of complicating my life by taking responsibility for this territory, I would prefer to use my position as the Count's older brother to live peacefully and without looking back in peace and quiet in a part of this territory.'
He heard his brother sigh and realized that he was looking down at him, but what could Cale do about it?
As soon as Basen becomes the head of the family, his personality will become a little different, so he probably won't kill Cale, but in order not to put himself in danger and quietly move to a small village, Cale shouldn't have once again played on his younger brother's nerves.
'If that's not possible, then I just need to earn some money in advance, and then I can go somewhere where the war won't come.'
Cale pretended not to hear Basen's sigh and continued to eat. As soon as the meal was over, his father Deruth got up first. He seemed to be satisfied with his breakfast, as his face was beaming with a radiant smile.
"It was delicious."
If breakfast was like this every day, Cale would probably give up sleep just to eat all the time. Deruth looked at the family members who stood up after he did, before focusing his gaze on his firstborn, Cale.
"Son, do you need anything?" Still green is a good sign.
Cale decided to try his luck:
"Please give me some money."
"Of course, I'll give you as much as you want," Deruth replied without hesitation.
It was a really wealthy family.
"And is there an opportunity to purchase art paints today?"
Cale felt his younger siblings looking at him, but the young man did not consider it appropriate to be embarrassed. Isn't it better to ask for money and paints instead of drinking and making a fuss?
In addition, he needed money to start implementing his plans, and paints to come to terms with a new life.
"Of course, I will ask the servants to bring you paints and canvas."
"I don't need a canvas, but a few sheets of paper would be nice."
Cale began to smile, being satisfied with his father's answer. However, after returning to the room, he was speechless when he received a check from Hans's deputy butler.
The check, issued through a partnership with the Treasury Department and the Magic department, sent Cale's heart into a wild gallop.
'So much money?!'
It seems that this family didn't just have a lot of money. In fact, they seemed to have a lot of money.
The novel mentioned that Cale received a large allowance, but the exact amount was not mentioned. However, he could only understand how big the allowance was by looking at the amount indicated on the check.
'Ten million gallons.'
This is roughly equivalent to ten million Korean won. If that's the case, Cale may change his plans. He began to quickly calculate the options.
"I'll leave now, young master."
The deputy butler, after delivering the check, said goodbye, but Cale did not answer. Hans, the deputy butler, did not react to this in any way, believing it to be normal, and headed for the door. However, he was soon forced to stop. This happened because Cale got up from his seat and turned to Ron.…
"Ron, let's go to the my office."
Hans was worried about Cale's words. Ron seems to be too.
"... Did you say you wanted to go to the your office?"
Cale found it strange. This cunning old man's voice was trembling. Was there a reason why he couldn't go to the office?
"Yes. I don't think the bedroom is suitable for painting…"
He needed to go to the office to form a plan for the future. There was no sign of a desk in his room, not even a piece of paper. However, there were many bottles of expensive alcohol.
"I'm sorry, young master."
"For what?"
Cale looked at the worried deputy butler.
"This... We haven't had time to do the morning cleaning in the office yet," black words.
"Is that so? Well, that's all right, nothing will happen to the office if it is not cleaned one day."
"No, sir. We cannot allow this to happen."
For some reason, the deputy butler continued to insist. Then he smiled brightly and raised his finger.
"Please wait one hour! I will personally make sure that the office is completely cleaned so that it does not look like it has not been used for ten years, and I met you as if you left it only last night!" This time, Cale heard purple.
"Of course, whatever you want."
He didn't mind waiting an hour.
"Great! Then I will inform the Lord about it. By the way, should I bring paints and paper there as well?"
"There's no need to tell your father, but if you think it's necessary, you can, and about the paints, of course."
"Yes, young master. I will leave immediately."
"Okay, go ahead."
Like a well-trained deputy butler, Hans closed the door without making any noise and disappeared. He seemed to be in a great hurry. Cale knew that there were three deputy butlers who wanted to become an official butler. Maybe that's why Hans was so excited.
"Ron."
"Young master?"
"Why are you covering up for something like this?"
"My apologies, young master."
"No need to apologize."
Ron had an even stranger expression on his face than before. Cale put the precious check in his inside pocket. There were so many things to do that he didn't even have time to clarify one important question.:
"What's the date today?"
This question would have seemed strange if it had been asked by someone else, but the servant Ron answered in an invariably gentle voice colored in red.
"Today is the twenty-ninth day of the third month of the seven hundred and eighty-first year of the Felix Calendar."
"Mmm... This is a problem."
"Excuse me?"
"No, nothing."
Cale put his hand on the ten million gallons in his pocket again. The only thing he could trust was money, flowers, and smells.
"...Ron."
"Yes, young master."
"A cup of cold water, please."
"...I understand..."
After Ron left and he was left alone in the room, Cale covered his face with both hands.
The problem was that the city to which this twisted Choi Han arrived after leaving Harris Village was called Western and it was located in the center of the territory of Henituse.
Cale, who accidentally bumped into Choi Han, enraged the main character and ran into his own beating. That is, when Choi Han was supposed to get the first party member, reliable chef Vicross.
'...I was going to go there in advance and help him. But now, the best option to avoid being beaten was no longer available. If I had been able to protect the villagers, then everything would have been different, but at this point of no return there is nothing to be done. Now all that's left for me is to make sure that I act in such a way as to avoid being beaten by an angry Choi Han, who is advancing at a crazy speed, and will arrive at the walls of Western City by tomorrow.'
He needed to make sure that Ron and Vicross faced Choi Han. This was the only way for the trio to leave the area together, thus starting an official journey. Thus, he had only one course of action left.
'I just need to push them against each other and then get out of their way.'
When creating the best first impression, it was quite possible.
"Young master."
"Oh, thanks, Ron."
Cale took a sip from the cup Ron had brought, then frowned.
"Isn't that cold water?"
"It's lemonade."
He is a really treacherous man. He, like Kim Rok Soo, knows perfectly well that the real Cale hated sour things. Kim Rok Soo, however, too. But the butler still preferred to bring lemonade, which required more effort to prepare than simply filling a mug with cold water. Cale wanted to get angry at the sour taste, but he couldn't do it because he was afraid of this old killer. The young man could only drink the lemonade he had brought.
"Thank you, that's great."
"You're welcome, young sir. We can go to the office soon."
"Great."
Ron's soft and gentle smile made Cale feel a chill run down his spine. He felt for the ten million gallon check again for reassurance.
The only things in this world that could be trusted were money, colors, and smells.
