Chapter 1 Episode 1: Constraint
Through the gaps in the trees, a young child ran, weaving between the trunks and branches.
She was Seneca.
Seneca was born in the vilge of Cordoba.
Raised by adventurer parents, she became something of a tomboy.
Her father was a swordsman, and her mother, a mage.
At the age of five, her father began teaching her swordsmanship for self-defence. Seneca threw herself into her training, eventually venturing alone into the nearby forest.
Armed with a stick she’d carved herself, she would swing it around with the enthusiasm of a warrior, earning her the nickname "Stick-swinging Seneca." The vilgers would cast her strange gnces, whispering behind her back.
What she was doing wasn’t really swordsmanship, just imitating it.
In the forest, free of monsters, she would pretend to be an adventurer, pying with small mice and rabbits as her foes.
But to Seneca, that was the most fun she could have.
Her mother used to say to her,
"You have far more magical power than any child your age should. When you turn ten, I’m certain your magic skills will manifest. Right now, you’re learning the sword from your father, but when your skills awaken, I’ll train you myself!"
Her mother always spoke with a smile, her voice filled with warmth as she spoke about the future.
The other vilge girls would spend their time by the forest entrance, pying house or collecting berries, preparing for their eventual roles as wives.
Her best friend, Kito, was one of the few who treated Seneca kindly, despite her being somewhat of an outcast in the vilge.
"Seneca, your hair is beautiful. It looks light brown, but when it catches the sunlight, it shines silver. And you have such delicate features. You’ll be a beauty when you grow up."
Though Kito was the same age as Seneca, she always seemed more like an older sister.
The boys of the vilge would venture into the forest together to py mock battles or practice their swords.
Seneca used to join them, but once she realised it was just a game, she began to keep her distance.
"You're a girl, yet you swing a stick around. Muddy Seneca!" they would taunt.
It was this teasing that made her withdraw further.
Seneca would often go deeper into the forest alone, training with the small animals as her opponents.
She was serious about it.
...
At the age of six, while entering the forest as usual, she encountered an unfamiliar boy. He was small, with dark hair.
He was swinging a wooden sword, crafted with great care, and Seneca immediately felt an affinity for him.
"Hey, who are you?"
When Seneca called out, the boy turned to face her.
His eyes, the colour of bluish-green jade, were captivating, drawing one in with their striking beauty.
"I’m Lucius. Who are you?"
"I’m Seneca. People call me ‘Stick-swinging’ or ‘Muddy Seneca.’ Have you heard of me?"
"I haven’t."
Without another word, Lucius resumed his practice, diligently swinging his wooden sword.
Seneca, taking a small step back, began to swing her own stick again.
There was something comforting in the quiet companionship of two people silently training with their swords.
From then on, whenever Seneca saw Lucius in the forest, they would both train together, and in between, they would talk.
According to the ever-informed Kito, Lucius was the son of an adventurer who had recently moved to the vilge.
He was somewhat timid, but his striking features had made him a topic of conversation among the vilge girls.
However, he remained aloof, not responding when invited to py, which, in a different way, made him an outsider, much like Seneca.
As fellow children of adventurers, it wasn’t long before Seneca’s and Lucius’ parents became acquainted.
Lucius’ father, having heard about Seneca’s swordsmanship, began taking an interest in her training. As a result, he gave her a wooden sword, just like Lucius'—and Seneca dove even further into her swordsmanship.
Watching this, Seneca’s parents finally gave in and agreed to begin training her in earnest.
Seneca’s father, a master of the sword, and Lucius’ father, a master of a different style, taught Seneca the two different approaches to swordsmanship. Under their guidance, both Seneca and Lucius’s sword skills began to improve rapidly.
...
By the time Seneca was seven, monsters began appearing in the forest. This forced Seneca to practice her swordpy within the safety of the vilge.
She and Lucius would often practice together.
The vilge girls, who had once thrown envious gnces at Seneca for spending so much time with Lucius, now began to speak ill of her.
The boys, who had once teased her in a pyful manner, now began to make cruel remarks, especially since Seneca’s skills were far superior to theirs.
Such remarks didn’t bother Seneca when she was alone, though.
She acted as though she didn’t care, but deep down, the words stung.
Yet, whenever she felt down, both her father and mother would embrace her, gently stroking her head, offering her quiet reassurance.
Because of them, Seneca managed to endure.
Only Kito and Lucius stood by her side, and this filled Seneca with immense gratitude.
It was in those moments, surrounded by their warmth and support, that Seneca felt truly happy.
...
One day, the vilge mayor burst into Seneca’s home, announcing that an Ork King had appeared in a nearby vilge.
It was likely to come this way as well, and a group of adventurers was needed to investigate and confront the threat. As such, Seneca’s and Lucius’s parents decided to travel to the neighbouring vilge.
Lucius’ mother, a cleric with healing magic, reassured Seneca that with their combined strength, no monster could defeat them.
Seneca believed it, and so did Lucius.
Before they departed, the four adults embraced their children tightly.
Seneca’s father said,
"Seneca, even while we’re gone, keep moving forward. Keep a positive spirit, and the path will open before you."
Her mother added,
"Seneca, you will grow into a remarkable adult, someone who will accomplish great things. Take care of yourself and walk the path you believe in."
Seneca only understood part of what they said, but their words were etched deeply in her mind.
Their embrace was stronger than usual, and Seneca could feel their love deep within her heart.
Seneca and Lucius were to stay at the mayor’s house until their parents returned. The mayor and his wife were kind, and they fed the children well during their stay.
Six days ter, Seneca and Lucius became orphans.
...
At the age of eight, Seneca and Lucius found themselves in an orphanage in the city of Baetica.
Their parents had sacrificed their lives to sy the Ork King, becoming heroes to the nearby vilges.
They had chosen to y down their lives for the sake of their beloved children.
After the attack, the mayor and his wife were unable to keep Seneca and Lucius, as other orphans now needed care too. Their inability to adopt them was a difficult decision, but it was one they had to make.
When the mayor’s wife took them to the orphanage, she secretly led them to the Adventurer’s Guild’s bank.
"The kingdom is offering a reward for the Ork King’s defeat. This is your share. The bank will use magic waves to identify it, so no one can take it from you. When you’re older, you can come for it. It’s enough to live comfortably for the rest of your lives in the countryside."
She hugged them tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"Seneca, Lucius, I truly thought of you both as my own children. I’m so sorry I couldn’t do more. If you can’t bear the life in the orphanage, come to Lusitania. We’ve moved there now."
Seneca and Lucius, too, cried.
The only pce they had known as home had been lost to them once again, this time to the monsters.
...
After the death of their parents, Seneca and Lucius clung to their sword training, seeking soce in it.
When they received word of their parents' deaths, only two swords returned.
Lucius took hold of Seneca’s father’s two-handed sword. It felt incredibly heavy in his hands, but it somehow brought him peace.
Seneca grasped Lucius’s father’s sword. The grip was thick and uncomfortable, but it seemed to grant her strength in return.
At first, Seneca was overwhelmed by grief.
Lucius, too, was shaken. But seeing Seneca so downhearted, he found the strength to rise.
When Seneca saw Lucius stand up, she tried to follow suit, but her body refused to move.
It was then that Lucius spoke.
"Seneca, we’ll become stronger. I’ll be the swordsman, and you’ll be the mage. We’ll become the greatest adventurers, because we’re the children of heroes."
Lucius extended his hand to her.
The timidity he once had was nowhere to be found.
He spoke with utter conviction, as though there was no doubt in his mind that they would become great adventurers.
Seneca took his hand.
"I might be a swordsman, and you a healer," she said.
"That’s fine. Just like our fathers, we’ll save people. And when the time comes, my partner will only be you."
Lucius’s smile at that moment was so radiant, Seneca knew she would never forget it.
