Tap. Tap.

Dylan leaned in and tapped his pencil on Sequencee’s paper.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to become the hero's companion?” He poked.

“...”

2 months from now, a hero-summoning ritual will take place in the capital of Equestria Empire. The last time that happened was 500 years ago, during the Last Era. It was when Demon Lord Rizal’s reign had pushed the human race to the brink of genocide.

“Then write that!” Dylan exclaimed.

“What?”

Hero Rika from 500 years ago was summoned to this world, and together with her companions, she set off on a journey to subjugate the demon lord and his demon generals. As cliche would have it, the hero returned triumphantly; victory to the humans.

However, every day comes a night. Beneath the celebratory flames of victory, people missed the fact that Demon Lord Rizal had a son.

“That’s your dream, right? Be honest!”

“The problem is about being honest or not honest, alright?!” Sequencee yelled back.

Bartonn Arch. A demon no one fathomed would rise to take the throne of despair that once haunted the human race 500 years ago.

And as history would repeat itself…

“Fine. I’ll write about my dream to be rich and have many wives, you write about the dream to become the hero’s companion, deal?”

"What is wrong with you.."

Sequencee sometimes wondered what lay inside Dylan’s brain. For a girlish boy like himself, he sure was imaginative for a kid who knew nothing about real society.

“Ahem. Excuse me boys, please stop talking and start writing.”

“Yes, Miss Suzy!”

"Sorry."

Suzy was the managing tutor of their class. She heaved a sigh and walked past their aisle.

However extreme their dreams may be, she would try to accept it– provided that it was within moral bounds of course.

Every student in this class had either lost their homes, families or victims of some tragedy.

After the war of the Last Era, Hero Rika drafted an education system for everyone, including commoners.

Her revolutionary ideas to bring knowledge to all were unprecedented for the era. It was a subject put in much debate, and many nobles were against it, thinking that this project would create political chaos. But to their stupefaction, the education system didn't produce the concerns they feared. In fact, it only helped reinforce the status of aristocracy, going out of the way to foster values of respect and cooperation.

Of course, it goes without saying that conflicts of interest have sparked because of what Hero Rika did. Nevertheless, these small revolts have given rise to a better, more sustainable nation where commoners and aristocrats live together as united Equestrians.

Tap. Tap.

Thumping the pencil on the table, Sequencee closed his eyes and thought deeply.

Tap. Tap.

He opened his eyes and wrote something down.

Rub.

Scribble.

“Hm..”

Rub. Scribble. Scribble. Rub. Scribble–

Sequencee wrote and erased, over and over again.

He knew what to aim for, he knew his purpose in life.

– His true desire.

Becoming the hero’s companion was only secondary.

“Are you not done yet?”

Three hours had passed since. Sequencee raised his head to find that he was the only one left in class.

Suzy came to his seat after arranging other students' papers into neat stacks.

“Oh gosh, what did you do?” she gawked with a grimace.

“Sorry.. do you have another piece?”

The repeated erasure had burnt a hole into the paper.

“Haah.. here you go. Really now, what’s the matter with you today?” Sequencee wasn't usually like this. She knew something from his past was weighing him down.

“I don’t know how to put it in words.”

“Hm.. then how about saying it out? I don't mind listening if you need an ear. It would help clarify your thoughts too, won't it?”

“I.. don’t think it’s appropriate though?”

“Why wouldn’t it? Your friend Dylan wrote something as ridiculous as finding 10 wives. I had him rewrite everything,” a shadow loomed over her eyes.

That ‘trap’ admitted that his life purpose was to create a harem? He must be serious about dying.

“I know you have a clear aim. So.. what exactly is troubling you, my dear?”

Suzy looked at Sequencee with an expression of deep concern. Embarrassed, he looked away.

He shook his head and picked up his hands and wrote two sentences. Should he receive any more sympathy from her, he might really go on and reveal his inner thoughts.

– I’ll enrol in Riestallia Academy.

– And become the hero’x companion.

Suzy did her best not to show the surprise on her face. She knew that Sequencee had big dreams, but to be the hero's companion that..

“Can this do?” Sequencee passed the paper to Suzy.

"I believe you can do it."

Three years had passed since the calamity struck Sequencee’s life.

===

“Please line up!”

“Slowly now, it’s quite hot.”

The canteen was bustling with students from all different classes. The bustle was a common sight for those used to living in Mane’s Home for Disaster Children. Like obedient sardines, they adhered to the disciplinary regulations that had long become a tradition.

Break the rules, and food will be off your plate.

Sequencee thanked the purveyors of his meal and left for his usual seat.

He sat on the bench alone.

A metal tray with curry rice, some vegetables and fruits, he placed his food on the round wooden stump.

It was a lavish meal for a kid like himself. If not for the directives incited by the hero 500 years ago, this wouldn’t have been possible.

He munched on his food as he considered his plans for the future.

He was now 17, which meant that he’ll have to leave for the streets to earn a living for himself very soon.

The home for unfortunate children like himself only permitted those below 17 to stay. After the basics have been provided, they will be sent out to become productive members of society. Everyone had to face this, Sequencee was no exception.

In light of this, there wasn’t a simpler direction to follow than to become a mercenary. Heck, some of the braver kids in their batch had already begun racking up cash doing odd jobs at the guilds.

It was a popularly lucrative field most orphans would try for. But it was also incredibly dangerous for obvious reasons.

It wasn’t that Sequencee feared death, rather, his thought was that this path to advance towards his goal wasn’t going to be effective.

Becoming a mercenary was one thing, reaching out to the hero was another.

He can’t achieve his goals alone, he understood. For the sake of his growth, hanging out with mercenaries wasn’t really the best idea. Unless he had some insane luck by his side, it was unlikely he would meet any decent people around to mentor him, as his experiences would warn him.

That said, his most important need here to achieve his true goal wasn't more strength or strong teammates.

It was fate.

Finishing up his meal, Sequencee tossed the tray into the wash bin before going off.

He headed to the dim garden near the dorm as per his routine. The moon peeking from beyond the dark clouds, stars flickering weakly in the sky.

He sat down on the low ledge beside a broken shed.

Then.. a small red bead appeared.

Following that, a green bead, yellow bead–

Earth, wind, fire, ice, water, darkness, light, lava, nature, glacier, summoning–

Magic was simply an extension of everyday life. Every one possesses the capability to generate a fireball or create ice. There was almost no limit to what one can do with magic.

Rather, magic was so vast that people came up with limiting classifications to explain them.

If one created a fire dragon, would that fall under fire element, creation magic, or summoning magic?

Jargons like these were merely semantics used by scholars to help people grasp the concept of magic fundamentals. It would be hard to refine control over magic otherwise.

On the contrary, following only the fundamentals will limit one's potential. True magicians know that you must first learn the rules to know how to break them.

Sequencee had his eyes closed, juggling the myriad of colourful beads floating around him. Tens of hundreds of them, each representing the fundamentals of each element of magic.

Most of the time he kept them hidden as he brought them with him throughout the day, just left unnoticed because of the [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze].

The beads came to a halt, Sequencee opened his eyes.

Spatial magic reacted to a presence.

He turned his head to meet her eyes.

“You’re here again?”

“Where were you?”

The beads resumed moving.

She sat down a distance away from him. Her grass-coloured hair looked bleak under the dark sky. One of ruby, the other of gold, she had heterochromia.

“We’re going to leave the school soon,” she said, light tension in her voice.

“I know that. So where were you earlier? Didn't see you at the cafeteria.”

“Are you seriously going to go to Riestallia Academy?”

“Answer my question.”

Leticia.. something. She never told Sequencee much about her past except that she was someone who got out of slavery by some unruly luck.

She arrived at this home about 2 years ago, one year later compared to his own arrival. Since then, they’ve had a sort of affinity with each other. Like himself, Leticia was someone who pursued ‘real’ strength, not for the purpose of fame or riches.

Some internal trauma in their hearts that have imprinted the need for power to save and protect. It was for a reason Sequencee could somehow relate to despite not knowing the full context of her past.

“Why Riestallia Academy? Do you even have the money?” Leticia found it hard to believe he would go somewhere so prestigious. They were freaking orphans.

“I don’t.”

“Then?”

Leticia who was seeking a similar path to strength and the reconciliation of her past was naturally drawn to him. Nevertheless–

“Then?” Sequencee parrotted her words.

“...”

Leticia tightened her hands into a fist.

It was unusual how she came to him now after having outright denied his presence the past week.

The chilly winds of the night blew.

Leticia began to conjure magic herself.

A water bead that looked more like a bubble, a fire bead the size of a match flame, an earth sphere the size of a tennis ball.

Trying to keep these three simultaneously activated was hard enough. Yet somehow, there was a monster capable of conjuring more than ten times the number she could. Furthermore, compresses each element of magic to a greater degree than anything she could ever achieve.

“Leticia.”

“Yeah what?”

“What’s going on with you this past week? I’m asking for the last time.”

“Aren’t you worried about life outside?”

The answer to her question was obvious.

“No.”

“I’m worried.”

“So what has it got to do with you avoiding me the past few days?”

Leticia lowered her head.

“Are you really.. really going to Riestallia Academy?”

She asked again.