My name is Nada and…
I am nothing.
I am a boy born with a lot of personal burdens that are certainly heavy for a child like me to bear.
I am in my twelfth year of existence and still… just like on my past years, nothing changed a bit.
I have a slender and petite body that, others might mistake me for being an actual girl, much to my embarrassment. With a paper-thin arms and skinny appearance such as this, people will normally regard me as a being without any much of a use.
That is right. I am useless.
I live in a small village outside of a grand city called Estocia. Our home, as I still would like to call it, are close to the stables of wagon-pulling oxen that are native to our land. Sure, those creatures are loud when they are sleeping and they also reek an obnoxious odor when they defecate; but once you get used to it, staying at home is not that very bad.
Currently, I am the one who works for my family. My family is a rare case for me and personally, I like to keep it that way.
Throughout my childhood, my own idea of 'playing' and 'having fun' resided on my own volition to get a lot of works as many as I can. After all, I am the bread-winner of the family and it is up to me to provide the necessities for our own survival. I remember that one unforgettable season in my life where I managed to get six works and quests as a housecleaner, a messenger, an announcer, a promoter, a feeder, a secretary, and a servant. Everything was going well for a long run when eventually, due to the frailness of my body, I grew ill and had no choice but to drop them all.
That is right. I am weak.
My parents are swordfolks and they made a legacy for their own and respective crafts. My mother was a renowned swordswoman of the Estocian guild as she did a lot of legendary feats and deeds. My father on the other hand, is a renowned mercenary capable of taking famous bounties and criminals across the lands of Ea. Due to their similar line of interest and work, my mother and father married each other and as a fruit of their love, I was their offspring in their simple yet charming love story.
I remember from the beginning of my childhood on how happy our family was. Mother stays at home and will tend for my needs as a child while taking care of me with outmost love and care. Then, every week, due to the nature of his work, father will finally arrive at home and will bring me a lot of toys and food. Those were the simpler days… I realized how happy I was whenever I see mother and father smile at each other while they are teasing their own tastes in swords and when I will abruptly cut off their happy arguments, they will both start to laugh at me.
It was a nice and soul-warming memory.
One fine morning though, when I stood up to get ready for the morning, I heard the weeping voice of my mother and when I hurriedly reached to her side, I saw her collapsed body on the floor- bawling unrestrainedly with her head covered by her hands.
Near her direction, I saw a one and single parchment paper that said the following:
"Goodbye. I will be leaving you and Nada."
-Wolfcram
…
At that time, I never understood what are the impactions of those events as I wished that I will never perceive them in the first place.
As I eased the pain of my mother on her childish weeping, I prayed to the Heroes that I wish, all of these happenings and burdens were just a dream… a simple nightmare that we can wake into.
….
After a week, Mother lost her sanity.
She does not talk to me anymore. She talks loudly and shouts easily and every day, she walks outside the house to search for father.
That is right. I am cursed.
At that time, I do not know what to do…
I tried to reach out for help to everyone at that time but every time I talked to them, they drove me away…
"You disgusting swordless!"
"We don't need a swordless child like you!"
"Get out of the city and take your twisted mother with you!!!"
They said those words. Those thoughtless words about me and mother…
In my confusion, why would you say that mother is a swordless if she was a swordsfolk in the first place?
Why are we being treated like this???
Soon enough, I reached a village that is owned by our same faction and started living there. Fortunately for me, I also found a particular job in the city as an apprentice of a renowned swordsmith. Sure, the work is tough, especially Master as I think he is prejudiced in my own faction as a swordless but collectively, everything is not that bad.
I have experienced worse in the past, after all.
Besides, Master's daughter, Lady Astoria, is a nice girl.
She helps me when I am in trouble, she asks me for anything that might bring joy for my sake and all in all, she is a kind and compassionate woman.
Sure, she smacks me in rare occasions when I mess up in my tasks, but that is because it was entirely my fault and I can understand that she tries to teach me the consequences of failing.
So far, in this life of mine, everything is going well.
Even if my tragic past is looming in the back of my brain, I do not have any other choice but just to forget it.
To live is to move forward, after all.
However, …
In a one and fateful day, I was given a perspective…
While Lady-Smith was out in embarking a quest, a hooded and tall man appeared in front of me and talked about my past.
What was his name again…?
Ah…
He said it is Razorfang!
Also, he dubbed himself as a…
Ninjakuki…
Nijakukaki…
Ninja…?
I forgot…
He said that he watched my past and my entire childhood while pointing-out that FatherFate was being stingy of my bright future.
In order to change my bad life as of now, he said that I need to perform a small and quick ritual.
Ahahaha. I think, this guy is out of his senses!
Especially since he is dressed like that.
I was starting to doubt his words when he said something…
A sentence that connected with me in the course of my cursed life.
"It is the fault of the Swordsfolk, you know? Because of them, you experienced a lot of taxing tribulations and tragedies…"
When he said those words, images of my recent memories flashed in front of me.
We were poor because we are being discriminated.
Father left us because of his line of work.
Mother lost her mind because of Father's work.
…
It all makes sense.
In the end, he left me with a choice to change all of this.
This society, myself, and especially…
My mother.
I will put you back together, my sweet, dear mother.
"Do you not see it? You have the opportunity to change all of this!"
That night, his words of welcoming rang in my head.
The next day…
I have made my decision…
…
Oh sorry for telling you all of that! Were you bored? I imagine that you would be! After all, my life is not a fun story to listen to.
…
What was that?
I needed pity?
I needed help? Compassion?
Hahahahaha.
Certainly not.
I do not need those.
What I do want is one thing:
Change.
In the end, all I saw was a violet-tinged mist encircling in the darkness and eventually, it entered my body.
That is right.
My name is Nada.
I am nothing.