Namgung Se-ga, the warrior, was reincarnated in Romance

It was Friday.

Thanks to consistent physical training during every beginner swordsmanship class this week, or perhaps because everyone made time for extra practice on their own, there wasn’t a single student who lagged behind during the class, earning us high praise.

Everyone envied how quickly they could recover because they were younger, but I suddenly realized that my body was the same now, and I felt content.

During the hunting and camping session with alchemy, I sat close to my familiar companions and awaited Professor Cedric.

Last semester, we were awkward and didn’t know what to say, so we kept quiet and just observed each other, but now that we were all friends, I was full of questions, eager to talk.

“Ah, familiar faces. How was your break, my little ones?”

Professor Cedric opened the door cheerfully, as always, and surveyed the students.

There were a few unfamiliar faces to me, but by listening to their conversations, it seemed that they were students who had been in different classes last semester and were now joining these groups.

Although he already knew, Cedric spoke in a tone as if confirming things and called the leaders of each group to write down the names of the members.

Since some students couldn’t attend classes at the same time as their group members, it took some time to gather the scattered ones and form new groups.

While Cedric was comparing the previous semester’s group lists with the newly written ones, the remaining students were busy catching up with each other.

Among them, Marianne’s story about how she was now taking a general studies class with the boy she had said she would meet was especially intriguing.

Marianne, who shyly hinted at it without saying much, made Jenny impatient. It was amusing to watch the other boys pretend not to listen while still eavesdropping.

They were at an age where it was natural for butterflies to seek flowers and flowers to attract bees—an innocent and heartwarming sight.

Just as Jenny was tugging at Marianne’s sleeve and whining, about to sulk, Cedric’s lively voice quieted the noise.

“Alright, alright. Group leaders, take your new group members to their seats. We’ll start by briefly going over how this semester will go, and then we’ll end class early, so please focus for a bit.”

Since no one in our group had changed, there was no need for introductions. I gave Ivan Holmos a light tap on the shoulder to thank him for returning to his seat.

“Welcome to the second semester of Hunting and Camping with Alchemy. As you all probably know by looking at the syllabus, this course is only available to those who took it last semester. Why? Because starting this semester, we’ll be heading outdoors to experience hunting and camping firsthand!”

Cedric’s loud, cheerful laugh was familiar and comforting.

He went on about how this world has many bitter lessons to offer, teasing us with things we’d encounter, and then slammed his hand down on the podium, grinning widely.

“Of course, we won’t be going out every week for an overnight stay because that would be too mentally and physically exhausting, so we’re planning to have field practice once a month, during the second week. In the first week, we’ll learn the theory about camping sites and safety, then in the second week, we’ll go out for the practical fieldwork, complete the assigned tasks, and in the third week, we’ll begin alchemy experiments with the various things we collected during the fieldwork. Finally, in the fourth week, we’ll submit reports.”

“Ugh.”

“Hey, who made that weird sound? Don’t want to write reports?”

No one answered. Cedric chuckled again, leaned forward with his elbows on the podium, and looked at the students, then flashed a playful smile.

“I thought you all would be used to writing reports by now, after last semester. Am I wrong? Since you’ll be submitting reports every month, the length will be reduced to about 10 pages minimum, with a maximum of 20 pages. But let’s practice writing them cleanly and concisely, cutting out any unnecessary sentences. How’s that? Sounds good, right?”

“Yes!”

Cheers erupted from all around. I let out a sigh of relief as well. One student raised their hand halfway and asked:

“What format will the midterm and final exams take?”

“Each report will be worth 20 points, and there will be 20 points for attitude, making the total score 100 points. Pay attention in class, because I’ll be watching.”

“Yes!”

As with last semester, it was clear that the midterms and finals would be in the third week of the odd-numbered months.

I was grateful that by submitting the camping class report on the Friday of the fourth week, I’d have extra time for exam preparation.

Also, since the field practice would only happen on the second week of each month, the other weekends would be free, which was a relief.

Suddenly, I had a question and raised my hand like the other students.

“I believe the syllabus mentioned that we should keep Saturdays free each week…”

“Well, that’s just a plan. If we don’t finish the experiments, we’ll have class on Saturday. Think of your group as a community of shared fate. Do well, okay?”

“…Yes.”

I cast a casual glance, as if reproaching myself for asking a useless question. I nodded contentedly, reassured that as long as I focused on what was required in class, there would be no major issues.

Cedric took a few more questions about the schedule and then began the class.

The first campsite of this semester was located in a plain area not far from the capital.

After gathering together during class, we traveled by carriage, explored the campsite, gathered the necessary herbs, and enjoyed camping. The following day, we would return to the academy by running.

Since we had already learned about the types of herbs that could be found in the plains last semester, I referred to the notes I had taken earlier as Cedric reviewed them with us once again.

I eagerly looked forward to next week’s class while discussing with my group members which food items to bring along for the trip.

* * *

As always on weekends, I finished my early morning training and headed to the library.

It was a solitary journey. I no longer needed Shayden’s help to organize or review my notes.

As Shayden had grown closer to me, I too had come to regard him with affection, and the boy no longer hovered around me like a nervous mother duck. It was a welcome change.

The main entrance of the academy library, like other academy buildings, was grand and majestic.

The large doors, wide enough for eight people to enter at once, were flanked by several columns that supported the decorative ceiling. As I entered, I noticed a familiar presence near one of the columns.

“…Ernhardt Young Master.”

“Hello, Senior.”

“You’re here to study, right? Which subject?”

Looking at the face of the raven-like boy approaching with friendliness, I couldn’t help but think of Shayden, who I had just left behind.

For some reason, this boy, despite never having saved my life like Shayden, was always so devoted to me, and I couldn’t understand why.

But it was no longer something I needed to hide.

I pulled out my notes from Professor Jurgen Kaiser’s Artifact class and Calyps Agrigent’s Empire Genealogy handouts.

As I expected, he was familiar with the subject, and upon hearing that he wanted to study together, I agreed, and we entered the library. Then, I asked him suddenly:

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Uh? Well, no, not exactly…”

“Not exactly?”

“…Actually, yes. I was waiting.”

Ernhardt’s pale cheeks flushed red.

It was almost pitiful how embarrassed he was over something so trivial. Being trained in martial arts, I had sharp senses, and I could easily pick up on his nervousness.

I could hear the sound of him swallowing, the beating of his heart, and the subtle tension in his clenched fist.

It wasn’t right for him to feel scolded just because he wanted to study together. If he, like Shayden, were to cross a line and intrude, I would have stopped him then and there.

I didn’t want to hurt the boy’s feelings, so I simply said calmly:

“It would be better to make plans in advance next time. It’s not like we can’t see each other during the week.”

“Ah, really… could we?”

“Of course. I plan to be in the library most weekends this semester. But you should focus on your own studies, Senior. If you need help, feel free to ask me then.”

“Okay. I will.”

He was obedient without adding anything unnecessary, and I couldn’t help but smile at how sweetly he responded.

Studying with Ernhardt wasn’t bad.

He was calm even while studying. He had a book open to his left and an empty notebook to the right, silently writing down notes without even making the sound of the pen scratch. It was peaceful, and I didn’t feel disturbed by anything.

However, Ernhardt would sometimes glance up at my face, and when our eyes met, he quickly looked down at his notebook again. I adjusted my posture, wondering if I was distracting the boy.

In the morning, I organized the content of the handouts and wrote them down in my notebook. In the afternoon, I repeated the process of memorizing the material by writing it on blank paper with a pencil.

During breaks, Ernhardt would occasionally look over at my notes and offer suggestions, such as which characteristics to focus on for easier memorization or which keywords from an event were important enough to remember. I appreciated his help.

We had a simple lunch at the academy’s restaurant, but in the evening, Ernhardt begged to go out, so we went out late for a meal together in the city before returning.

He suggested we study together again on Sunday, and I agreed.

On Sunday, we studied all day, and then went out for a meal together in the evening. On the way back, we walked instead of taking the carriage, strolling at a comfortable pace while observing the streets of the capital.

Ernhardt’s bright and cheerful expression as he looked at the central park fountain made me want to ruffle his hair, but I held myself back.