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

April arrived.

In the intermediate swordsmanship class, in February, we learned the basics of the Imperial Swordsmanship, including its forms and stances, and in March, we learned how to apply the techniques of the Imperial Swordsmanship.

When April came, Maelo Sanson declared that he would now teach us how to use Imperial Swordsmanship to counter Imperial Swordsmanship. We were instructed to discard all previous sword techniques and, even in urgent situations, to internalize the ability to execute the Imperial Swordsmanship.

The sparring sessions conducted entirely with the Imperial Swordsmanship were linear and somewhat dull, but they were perfect for correcting ingrained bad habits.

I was pointed out for making my steps too quick, not allowing enough force to be applied between each step.

When using the Cheongcheon Moae Sword, the power within the sword technique and the force used to strike helped bridge the gap, covering up what I hadn’t realized was a weakness.

In the practical alchemy class, we aimed to make a balm that could soften the skin and hair.

In February, we learned how to make sunblock, and in March, we learned how to make a scar-removal ointment, so it made me wonder if intermediate alchemy was really just about beautifying oneself.

I shared this doubt with Cedric, and he laughed heartily before kindly answering.

“Alchemy is money, my friend.”

“…What?”

“Alchemy. The study of making gold. It means creating something valuable that can make money. Money itself is not a sin, and making luxury goods that many people need is not a bad thing. What matters is how you use the money you earn.”

“How do you mean, use it rightly…?”

“Right now, you don’t have the skills to research rare diseases with alchemy. For that kind of important research, you need a lot of money. What you’re learning now will serve as the intermediate steps to that.”

I quietly accepted his explanation. One of the kids in the adjacent group, with a mischievous voice, asked a question.

“What if we make money but can’t develop such a great medicine?”

“That too has its meaning. Whether it’s a good potion or a bad one, there must be somewhere to sell it. You’ll be contributing to expanding the alchemy market, even if you’re just kids like you.”

I glanced at Damian, who nodded in agreement.

…Suddenly, Cedric seemed more insightful than before.

I reflected on my previous nonchalant attitude and focused on grinding the materials in front of me, carefully melting them in oil.

This month, Briana Casablanca declared that she would lecture on the Sherton Desert and the terrain of the Five Kingdoms.

Just like her first lecture on the Only Mountain Range, she placed the Sherton Desert at the top of her list.

“The name Sherton Desert was given based on the way people live in the desert. In the Nine Gods’ Creation Myth, it’s said that on the first day the sea was created, on the second day the land, and on the third day, the sun and moon were born. The desert dwellers claim that on the third day, the sun was born before the moon.”

Even I, not particularly interested in mythology, knew the old tale. Briana marked several dots on the left side of the map she drew on the board.

“The sun, which was born in haste, was so hot that it completely scorched the land that had been created first. The goddess who created the sun hurriedly trapped its heat in her skirt and hid it in the west. In fact, the temperature rises the further west you go in the Sherton Desert, and some of the sand even boils.”

A student raised their hand, and Briana permitted the question.

“Has anyone crossed the Sherton Desert?”

“Of course. Zealous believers seeking traces of the gods call the land a holy place. It takes about a month, even if you start from the edge of the Felix Kingdom, but there’s still regular traffic.”

Briana then explained that, except for the Floyd Kingdom, all the other kingdoms border the Sherton Desert, but only the Felix Kingdom has an actual desert.

Vivian and Yullan are unaffected by the desert due to their high mountains, and Owen has the shadow of the Only Mountain Range to shield them.

I learned later that the dots Briana drew on the map represented the oases of the Sherton Desert.

However, she cautioned that the desert is always changing, and the locations of oases are also constantly shifting, so one must be careful.

Curious, I tapped Shayden’s hand with my quill.

“Why?”

“Does the Special Imperial Knight Order go to the Sherton Desert too?”

“Uh, they probably go near Owen. They don’t travel as far as the holy places we’re talking about.”

“Right.”

So it seemed that it wasn’t particularly relevant to me. I focused on my notes in preparation for the final exams.

Briana told us the locations of the oases and each sacred artifact. She said the traces left by the gods were immense, unlike those of humans, and I thought that someday, I would like to see them in person.

In basic first aid, Ray Gibson began to show his true nature.

I should have noticed earlier when he made us hold reeds and go into the water. As we began to learn how to handle various emergency situations, I reconsidered my thoughts on first aid.

I even wondered if this man wished for the children to experience accidents. However, as I listened, I realized there were many useful lessons. Learning which mosses were edible and which were not was at least more interesting than wrapping bandages around logs.

The practical magic concealment class was still enjoyable and engaging, but I preferred the time spent alone with Wilton after class.

It wasn’t the central continent’s style, but I learned to hide like the Sieron style.

On the central continent, one would manipulate inner energy to obscure the surrounding energy perception. However, the Sieron method of concealment involved hiding in the shadows and controlling one’s breathing.

I thought that such a small trick wouldn’t fool the eyes of a master, but when Wilton told me to close my eyes for a moment and demonstrated, I was greatly surprised.

After searching for him, unaware that he had climbed a tree behind me, I spent quite a while looking for him. After that, I became desperate to learn his secret. Like with the concealment technique, it was not something that could be learned in an instant.

I worked diligently, dreaming of the day I would reach that level too.

Thursdays were relatively free.

Since I had taught the Golem how to recognize the breathing technique, there was nothing for me to do. When Douglas or Boulder did their breathing exercises, they would sit for more than five hours, but now I only spent one or two hours on questions and answers before returning to my personal study.

Thursday afternoons were usually spent with Shayden. Ruber had to study monarch studies and diplomacy at that time, so he said he was very busy. I was actually relieved, as I had been worried that the little one would want to take up all my free time.

Among the classes I attended, aside from Maelo Sanson’s lectures, the Introduction to Monsterology was the most enjoyable. Thanks to making up with Ruber, we would sit together and exchange notes during class.

He still occasionally asked me to pat his head, but generally maintained a neutral attitude.

Especially during class, he didn’t mess around and focused earnestly on taking notes. Over the weekend, he enjoyed discussing with me the methods of dealing with monsters.

It was fascinating and fun to think about which form of the Imperial Swordsmanship would be best against a troll.

And then the buds in the pot that Jenny gave me began to bloom.

The first person to notice the flower buds was, of course, Shayden. After the bright yellow bud appeared, Shayden began visiting my sitting room every morning and evening. Once before breakfast and once before going to bed.

It wasn’t unusual, so I didn’t find it awkward. I too found myself often checking the pot.

One day, near the end of April, Shayden whispered excitedly from the morning.

“Today’s the day. It will bloom today.”

“How do you know?”

“Look, the front of the flower bud is opening.”

To me, it didn’t seem very different from yesterday, but since the child said so, I thought maybe it was true.

He insisted that we come back early today to watch the flower bloom, so I agreed and finished dinner early to return.

As usual, when entering the sitting room after sunset, I always had the magical lights turned on brightly.

Today, however, I opened the curtains to let the moonlight into the room. The cool night breeze that entered through the half-open window made the flower stem on the nearby shelf sway gently.

Shayden and I pulled over light chairs and sat down to look at the pot.

At my age, I had never done anything like this before. Rather than circling around the already bloomed flowers, looking for something to do, I found it very exciting to quietly wait for this small life to bloom.

However, when the moment arrived and the flower burst open, I didn’t blink once and simply watched.

It was beautiful.

There were no words to describe it.

The flower, bathed in the soft moonlight, bloomed with a pale yellow hue like a baby chick, but to my surprise, the inner petals were a clear, soft pink. It had yellow stamens, and the flowers were so many that the petals looked soft and fluffy.

Shayden, in a small voice as though speaking to a newborn animal, asked, “Do you know the name of this flower?”

“…No.”

“Prodil Aster. …It’s a type of flower whose color changes depending on the environment.”

I was amazed and gently touched the delicate tips of the petals. The slightly damp petals trembled and released pollen. I saw yellow pollen sticking to my fingertips.

Shayden said that this flower bloomed between late spring and early summer, and he was happy to see it before summer arrived. When I asked if he liked growing plants, he laughed and said not really, but that it was pretty.

As we continued to look at the flower, I noticed Shayden’s expression turn somewhat wistful, so I casually asked, “Does this flower have a meaning?”

“It does.”

“What is it?”

“…Clumsy first love.”

I tried to touch the flower again, but Shayden gently pulled my hand away. I stopped disturbing the flower and instead studied Shayden’s face.

He was staring at the flower so intently that pink petals seemed reflected in his eyes.

“…Most asters have meanings related to love. Pink symbolizes clumsy first love, yellow represents the joy of love, and red signifies passionate love… That’s why some people use this flower to tell their fortunes in love.”