Chapter 1: The Boy Who Fell into the Sky

“Happy birthday, Fabir hyung.”  

“Thanks.”

All the members of the orphanage gathered for me.  

It should have been a joyful birthday, but I couldn’t feel that way at all. Why, you ask?  

“You have to live bravely wherever you go. Got it?”  

“Yes…”  

Because today, having become an adult, I have to leave the orphanage.  

The head nun held my hands tightly.  

“I’m not doing this because I dislike you. Don’t feel resentful.”  

“I know. Thank you for raising me all this time.”  

“Stay healthy. And when you settle somewhere, be sure to let us know how you’re doing.”  

“Yes…”  

“Hyung, take care…”  

“Oppa! Waaah!”  

Even though farewells come around every time.  

Trudge, trudge.  

Leaving my saddened siblings behind, I forced my heavy feet to move forward.  

Knowing how tough things are for the orphanage, I couldn’t bring myself to ask to stay longer.  

Now, I truly have nowhere to lean on but my own body. No home, no temple, nothing.  

“Haa…”  

A sigh escaped me naturally.  

Where do I even go now?  

Grrrr.  

Ugh, to think I’m hungry at a time like this.  

Sniff, sniff.  

“This… the smell of bread?”  

Drawn by the delicious aroma, I stopped in front of a bakery. 

Freshly baked, warm bread was flaunting its tempting appearance.  

It looks so good…  

I hurriedly rummaged through my pockets. 

All I had was a single silver coin. 

My entire fortune.  

“…Ugh.”  

I need to save as much money as possible until I settle properly.  

But! I really want to eat…  

The glossy bread shimmered before my eyes. 

How delicious would it be to take a bite of that warm bread?  

The soft, fluffy texture, with its nutty flavor bursting with every chew, must be divine.  

Gulp.  

Just thinking about it made my mouth water.  

No, I can’t give in like this!  

Shake, shake.  

I shook my head, trying to fend off my hunger.  

“What a delicious smell!”  

At that moment, a child passing by the bakery tugged at their mother’s hand.  

“Mom! Let’s buy this!”  

“My baby, what do you want to eat?”  

“This one! And this! And that one too!”  

“Three? Such a greedy little one. Alright, fine. You’re at that age where you eat a lot.”  

“Yay!”  

The child hugged their mother tightly, acting spoiled for no apparent reason.  

“Here’s your order, packed up.”  

“Sell lots!”  

I couldn’t take my eyes off the mother and child as they walked away.  

I’m jealous…  

A luxury I could never have.  

If only I had a mom who’d spoil me or buy me delicious food.  

Maybe because I was hungry and had nowhere to go, my heart ached more than usual today.  

Sniff.  

I sniffled and forced a smile onto my face.  

Feeling sorry for myself won’t make a home appear, and staying here will only make me hungrier.  

Just as I was about to move on—  

“…Huh?”  

There was a wallet lying at my feet.  

It was definitely the one the mother and child had been holding while paying.  

They must have dropped it by accident.  

Grab.  

I picked up the wallet. It felt quite heavy.  

With this…  

I could eat warm bread right now. Maybe even stay at an inn for a day or two.  

The thought made my hand, holding the wallet, tremble. 

This money felt so precious.  

It’s not stealing. I just found it on the ground.  

If I just turned a blind eye, no one would know.  

For a fleeting moment, my mind raced with temptation.  

…No.  

I straightened my twisted lips.  

I’ve never lived in a way that would shame me.  

Being labeled an orphan was enough. I couldn’t bear to let myself be called a thief or a lowlife.  

If I run now, I can catch up to them.  

I dashed in the direction the mother and child had gone.  

“Excuse me, ma’am!”  

“Yes? Me?”  

“Huff, huff… You dropped this!”  

“Oh my! My wallet!”  

The woman’s eyes widened as she checked the wallet.  

“I found it in front of the bakery. You must have dropped it while paying.”  

“Goodness! When did I drop it? Thank you so much!”  

“No problem.”  

Grrrr.  

Running made my stomach rumble even more.  

I gave an awkward smile.  

“Haha… Why’s my stomach acting up?”  

“Oh, if you don’t mind, would you like some bread? I bought plenty today.”  

“What? Oh, no, it’s fine.”  

Drip.  

Despite my refusing hand, saliva dripped from my mouth. It was beyond my control.  

Seeing this, the woman quickly pulled a piece of bread from her bag and handed it to me.  

“Please take it as a thank you.”  

“…Th-thank you.”  

“It’s freshly baked, so it’ll be delicious. Eat it before it cools.”  

The woman smiled warmly.  

“Thank you so much for finding my wallet. You should thank the nice hyung too, right?”  

“Hyung! Thank you!”  

The mother and child left me with their gratitude and turned away.  

“…Bread!”  

The bread was still warm. Unable to resist, I took a big bite right there.  

“So, so good!”  

The bread was sweeter and more delicious than I’d imagined. 

I was so moved that tears almost welled up.  

Munch, munch.  

I devoured the bread in no time.  

“Ah… I feel alive.”  

Rubbing my full stomach, a smile naturally spread across my face.  

To think a single piece of bread could make me this happy.  

“But now, where am I going to sleep…”  

Where would I spend the night?  

With barely enough money to buy bread, an inn was out of the question.  

No matter how much I thought, no answer came.  

“Ugh… Is sleeping on the streets my only option?”  

It’s early summer, so I wouldn’t die sleeping outside. 

Adventurers often camp out, so why couldn’t I?  

Let’s see. Is there a good spot somewhere?  

I scanned my surroundings. 

As I headed toward an alley corner—  

“Woof! Woof!”  

“Whoa, you scared me!”  

A large dog, tied to a leash, growled at me.  

“Okay, okay, calm down!”  

As if warning me to stay away from the house, it bared its sharp teeth and barked fiercely.  

In the end, I had to turn away as if fleeing.  

Even after that, I kept looking for other places, but sleeping on the streets in this village wasn’t easy.  

“This is my spot! Get lost!”  

A drunken man, sloshed since midday, growled at me like the dog from before.  

“Who’s loitering in front of my house?”  

“Looking so normal, yet… Tsk tsk!”  

“S-sorry!”  

I was even mistaken for a thief or a creep.  

“Sigh…”  

Sleeping on the streets isn’t as easy as I thought.  

To think there’s not a single place in this village for me to rest.  

“…It’s so unfair.”  

Tears welled up in my eyes for a moment.  

Sniff.  

No, I can’t let myself wallow in self-pity. 

I need to be strong to keep going.  

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I headed toward the forest.  

***

“The world is so unfair!”  

The world is unfair. 

So much is decided from the moment you’re born.  

Some are born emperors, wielding wealth and power, while others gain fame with their innate talents.  

Sadly, I didn’t belong to either group.  

Even the ordinary life of being cared for by parents wasn’t granted to me.  

“How can there not be a single place in this vast world for me to rest comfortably?”  

“Chirp!”  

A giant bird in front of me patted my back with its wing.  

“Thanks, Dorori. You’re the only one who understands me.”  

This guy is Dorori.  

We became friends after I treated him when he was injured and collapsed.  

I nestled into Dorori’s warm embrace. Being held like this felt comforting.  

How am I going to live from now on…?  

I have no talent for swordsmanship, so being an adventurer is out of the question. 

Too busy surviving, I never learned any proper skills.  

All I have is my body, a mediocre ability to connect with animals, and some farming skills I picked up helping with village harvests during busy seasons.  

The days ahead felt daunting.  

“I want to live comfortably in a cozy home, eating delicious food to my heart’s content!”  

In a warm space just for me, sharing tasty meals with loved ones, living happily together… I could live so well if I had that.  

“Isn’t there some spare land somewhere? I could farm if I had that. Well… that’s probably impossible.”  

A futile hope.  

When I can’t even find a place to sleep, how could I possibly get land?  

“Dorori, you’ll stay with me tonight, right? I’m scared of being alone in the forest.”  

“Chirp?”  

“No? Why not? I have nowhere else to go!”  

“Chirp! Chirp!”  

Dorori flapped his wings, trying to dissuade me.  

“Wolves?”  

It’s still midday, but at night, wolves might attack.  

A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t want to die screaming in the forest.  

“Ugh! Seriously! What am I supposed to do?!”  

The world felt so harsh. 

The resolve I’d mustered to be strong crumbled in an instant.  

At that moment—  

“Chirp!”  

Grab.  

Dorori wrapped me in his talons.  

“Hey! What are you doing all of a sudden?”  

Flap, flap.  

Dorori took off into the sky with me in tow.  

“Wha—?”  

I was being dragged somewhere by a house-sized bird.  

In other words, I was kidnapped.  

All I could see below were clouds. 

Falling from here would mean death.  

I couldn’t comprehend how I ended up in this situation.  

“You’re not going to drop me here, are you?”  

“Chirp!”  

He just said something ominous.  

“Haha, no way, right? You’re joking, right?”  

“Chirp!”  

Swoosh.  

He spread his talons.  

“Huh?”  

I plummeted downward.  

“Aaaaah!”  

Dorori grew smaller in my vision. I flailed my arms, but there was nothing to grab.  

My eighteen years of youth are ending so futilely.  

Tears blurred my eyes. 

There was no way to stop my fall.  

I shut my eyes tightly.  

All I could do was pray.  

But then—  

Poof!  

Something caught me after a short while.  

It felt like landing on soft cotton or a fluffy blanket.  

It was a height that should’ve shattered my body upon hitting the ground.  

Where did I land? 

Is there anything this soft on the earth?  

Touching the ground, it felt like stroking a plush stuffed toy.  

Who would’ve laid something like this on the ground?  

I cautiously opened my eyes.  

“Where in the world…”  

Lying flat, I slowly got up.  

The ground was covered in white, fluffy clumps.  

“This is…”  

Upon closer inspection, it was a field of plants.  

They seemed to be fiber-producing plants, like cotton. 

Thanks to them, I landed without injury.  

“Phew, I’m alive.”  

Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked around.  

“Could it be…”  

Everything around was blue.  

The sea?  

If only it were that simple.  

The sun, close enough to touch, and clouds like mist unfolded before my eyes.  

Does that mean I’m above the sky?  

Then, the place I’m standing on…  

“…A floating island?!”  

Indeed, it was unmistakably a floating island.