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

Ivan, who had grilled the ham until its outer skin was sizzling with oil, handed me a plate piled high with large chunks of it.

Damien, who had also brought along the traditional Cieran drink I had once tasted after winning my duel with Kiadris, poured me a generous glass.

I quickly brought it to my lips, but the thick liquid dripped coldly between my fingers.

The sweet grape juice, along with the strong flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, hit my tongue with a satisfying crunch.

Sitting before the flickering campfire, drinking the deliciously warm meat and cold, ice-like beverage on a summer evening was an experience of pure bliss.

I handed a plate to Professor Cedric, who had come to watch the scene, and there was still plenty of meat left.

Later, when some classmates, attracted by the smell of the meat, asked for some, I turned the large pig’s hind leg this way and that to find the best-cooked parts, placing them on their plates. They in turn offered to repay the favor with desserts like pumpkin tarts and chocolate fudge.

We accepted all of them without hesitation.

We sat in a circle and chatted about various things.

Marianne kept asking the kids about their love lives, and it seemed like she had something to say, so I urged her to share her own story. She immediately became defensive and it was amusing.

“Ah, but I’m too shy. I feel like if I talk about it in front of this campfire, I’ll want to see it even more, so I don’t want to.”

“Want to see it?”

“Wow, can you not wait to see it even now?”

“Why didn’t you wear a ribbon in your hair today? Because senior Tenor isn’t here?”

“You people are unbelievable!”

Even Ivan, who usually stayed quiet, joined in to tease her, and it was hilarious.

I laughed loudly, and Marianne playfully slapped my shoulder, though as before, it didn’t hurt, so I let it be.

Cleaning the dishes and tidying up went quickly with everyone’s help.

Damien and Marianne went to wash the dishes, and I took care of the things that could be discarded.

Thanks to Cedric’s advice to be cautious of throwing meat bones near the campsite, as wild dogs or animals might be attracted, I made sure to dispose of them properly.

Ivan offered to come with me, but I refused, explaining that his slower pace wouldn’t help. He then asked if five years would be enough, which confused me for a moment. I recalled that Ivan had wanted to learn air walking from me last semester, and after some thought, I hesitated.

Seeing me hesitate, Ivan sighed and canceled his offer, so I decided to let it go.

After discarding the bones at a distance, I returned to find everything ready.

We decided to take turns on watch through the night, and I lay down to sleep.

It was a strange experience to sleep in a sleeping bag without a roof over me.

Cedric had insisted that the sleeping bags were cozy and comfortable, and indeed, it was just as he said. The sleeping bag had an open face area, and the seams perfectly matched, closing with a flap.

As I snuggled into the cocoon-like bag, it was so warm that I didn’t feel the cold air around me, as if I were lying on a soft bed.

The night sky above the vast prairie was filled with unfamiliar stars.

Looking at the many stars in Cieran, I felt nostalgic. Back in the central lands, I had traveled long distances day and night, so I often looked up at the night sky. I had learned the constellations early on, which helped me never get lost.

But here, in this place, I had no confidence in using the stars to find my direction.

The brilliant light river stretching across one side of the sky, the large star flashing red and yellow, and the two moons floating in between – no matter how many times I looked at them, they still felt unfamiliar.

No, this was something I would need to learn as well.

I knew that if my past self could do it, my present self could do it even better. This was one of the most important and admirable things I had learned at the academy.

To forget the fear of learning.

With this firm resolve in my heart, I tried to fall asleep.

In the distance, a consistent rhythmic cry of owls echoed through the night.

The sounds of crickets, the soft voices of the kids chatting, and the crackling of the campfire blended together as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke early, greeted by Damien, who had reached out to wake me and whispered a morning greeting with a smile. I returned his greeting with a smile as well.

As I watched Damien crawl back into his sleeping bag, I poked at the campfire with a stick we had been using to light it, stirring up the embers.

Being the youngest, I didn’t refuse the last shift for the night watch.

After a good rest, I looked up at the morning dew on the grass and the faint light of dawn, feeling the energy of nature seep deep into my soul. It felt good.

I stood up with my sword, careful not to disturb the sleeping kids.

I immediately began the first form of the *Changcheon Muaye Geombeop* (Celestial Boundless Sword Style). Suddenly, I recalled the question Meiji Boulder had asked me, which lingered in my mind. When I first heard him ask if it was possible to absorb the earth’s energy while drawing in the sky’s energy, I had been baffled, but now, reflecting on it, it seemed like a reasonable question.

Trying to execute the sword form in reverse, from the ground up instead of the usual from the sky down, was not easy.

I gripped my sword tightly and made a smooth, diagonal slash from left to right, then reset my stance. In an effort not to wake the children, each sword movement was slow and silent.

The sword wind generated from the far-reaching strike rustled the grass on the ground, which swayed gently without showing any sign of disturbance.

How much time had passed?

One by one, I began to hear the sounds of children waking behind me, so I stopped my movements. Some of the younger ones clapped, having noticed me releasing some inner energy to cool myself down, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, realizing they were playing around.

After everyone woke up, we had a quick breakfast and started packing up to return to the academy.

It was a journey that took less than three hours by carriage, but for the young ones trying to walk, it was a considerable challenge.

Cedric, seeing how exhausted some of the younger ones were, made sure they could ride in the carriage, but the children, knowing that even this march would be part of their assessment, chose to walk on.

As a result, once again, I ended up carrying the children’s bags. When I spotted Shaiden, also weighed down with bags, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why are you laughing, Mikael?”
“Because all the swordsmanship club members are also acting as pack carriers.”
“Ah, really…”
“Among them, Mikael looks like he’s not even struggling…”
“Because I’m not.”

By now, I had figured out the trick to efficiently pack all the supplies into two survival backpacks and had successfully packed everything. I slung one bag over each shoulder and held the herb box in front of me. Marianne then came up to me and curiously tilted her head.

“So, why are you okay carrying all this? This needs to be studied.”
“Just exercise regularly.”
“Mm, I’ll walk quietly.”

However, the journey to the academy was anything but quiet. The younger children were so adorable with their antics that I couldn’t help but laugh several times. By the time we arrived at the academy, I had laughed so much that my cheeks were sore.

—

**Sunday.** I woke up early, did my usual morning training, and after circulating my energy, I headed to the library.

Today, I noticed that Ruber, the child, wasn’t waiting at the door. Thinking he might already be inside, I headed to the large table, but he wasn’t there either.

Not wanting to wander around the study areas, I sat down at a desk.

After flipping through five pages of a book, I noticed Ruber rushing in, his face flushed from running.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Ah, sorry! I overslept…”
“It’s fine.”

He apologized repeatedly, so I gestured for him to sit next to me.

Originally, he and I were both students at the academy. The library to the dorms was only a 30-minute walk at a leisurely pace, so there was no real delay. Since I had already been studying, I hadn’t wasted any time.

I reassured him that it was fine, but I couldn’t understand why he still seemed so gloomy.

His handsome face looked even more downcast. Instead of comforting him, I decided to change the subject and opened my book to the part I had been curious about.

“By the way, there’s something I’ve marked to ask you about when you arrive…”
“Oh, right. What is it?”
“It’s about the succession of Iron Grimmsbane.”

“Ah, I see. Well, where do I begin…? I did mention before how the five noble houses rebuilt the foundation of Cieran… At that time, Grimmsbane…”

Just as I had expected, Ruber quickly became serious, his fair face turning focused as he compared my notes with the handouts and spent a long time explaining.

As I listened, nodding, I couldn’t help but notice how pretty his dark, glossy eyes were.

Did he mention he overslept? His earlobes and the back of his neck were damp, as though he had rushed to tidy up only his front before coming.

Amused by the situation, I lightly tapped his damp neck with my finger.

“Ah! Why… why?”
“Why didn’t you dry your hair before coming? You’re going to catch a cold.”
“Ah… Oh, I… I didn’t dry it?”
“Yes.”

Though it was midsummer, the Cieran Academy library was always slightly chilly.

Worried about leaving this delicate, wet child sitting there, I stood up.

“Shall we go out for a walk until your hair dries?”
“Uh? Yeah, okay. Let’s do that.”

I packed the handouts and notes into my bag and grabbed it with one hand.

Ruber, who had hurriedly sat down, also grabbed his bag from where he had carelessly thrown it.

Noticing his red face again, I thought it was a good idea to let him get some sunlight before he overheated, feeling pleased with myself.