Okay I know, every time I talk about TCF it's some small detail from the first few chapters, I promise at some point I will talk about stuff from later in this novel.
But there's something about Cale looking at an old man in a baker's uniform, thinking 'I like his fitting outfit' and then just giving him a coin. He really gave this man for having style and looking the part. For some reason it's so precious to me and kinda funny. Like this is why i love Kim Rok Soo Cale Henituse. He literally loves spending the money. I dare say the only reason he likes getting money (other than it being nice to have money, especially if he didn't have much before) is because it allows him to spend said money: whether that be on his people, things he needs or just because he feels like it. It wasn't even a matter of 'oh yeah, their bread looks good', which is fair considering he's not the one eating it. It's literally just 'wow, this man really looks like a Baker, here have a million gallons for looking like a Baker. Wonderful. Good work. If war wasn't about to break out, im pretty sure Cale would actually dedicate himself to trying to find ways to end poverty in Western City, because this man is a workaholic who hates seeing people in pain, dying or suffering (unless they attack him and his people and even then he might let them stay, depending on the situation) and there's no way he's actually slacking off. I'm also pretty sure that's what he'd do after rebuilding from the war and helping with that. Like I can so clearly see him just looking at the starving people in the slums, saying 'yeah, no, not on my watch', and somehow ending or at least improving poverty. No one will convince me otherwise.
Edit: I always forget how many people are watching him. Like to be fair, most of them probably watched Cale too but, he has Hans keeping an eye on him and reporting to his dad when at home, the drivers reporting to Deruth on where he goes when not home, Billos watching him both when he's in the tea shop and from windows, Ron always being around and keeping an eye on him as much as he can, Beacrox watching him buy bread and go to the slums, the citizens watching him to see if he'll do anything crazy. The only time thus man is not being watched is when he's in the bathroom and when he's sleeping and even then Ron comes in every morning and for all we know people are checking in on him to make sure he didn't sneak out, but that last one is admittedly and exaggeration. Like this man gets very little privacy. Can we stop stalking him? Probably not. They're all just so curious what he's doing and Cale is just there like man, I gotta get back to the tree. Even in the slums he has On and Hong spying on him from the shadows to make sure the tree doesn't eat him. I was wrong Billos doesn't spy from windows, he just gets his subordinates to watch him then report to him. Cale, Cale, seriously, so many people are watching you at all times and reporting back to others. The first like tabloid magazine is gonna be created exclusively for stories about Cale and to keep up to date with what he's doing, and literally his entire friends and family members are gonna be subscribed to that magazine and sending in stories. The first RPF fanfiction community in this fantasy world is for Cale and his friends and family. The first paparazzi in this world are created just to follow Cale. And you know who the creater of all these things are? Clopeh. This is how Caleism spreads.
