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

The flying blade quickly aimed at Wilton Roberts’ brow.

The blade, infused with aura, slightly curved right before hitting Wilton’s face. However, Wilton didn’t even blink and caught the blade with his index and middle fingers.

I smiled at his broad grin, and I too grinned back.

“Perfect. Well done, Ernhardt.”

“Thank you.”

The classmates who had been in the lesson with us clapped loudly and whistled to congratulate him.

Though I felt a little embarrassed, I was truly proud, and gratefully accepted their congratulations. It had been a year since I had started learning how to use the blade freely, and I was extremely satisfied with my progress.

It’s said that there’s no end to learning, no matter how old you are, and indeed, I had never expected to handle a blade this well. Even someone like Zhuge Liang, who claimed to be able to predict the future, could not have foreseen this.

After today’s exam, I had other things to attend to and would be leaving the academy for the entire vacation period, so Wilton had already informed me that there would be no after-school lessons today.

Instead, he promised to give me private lessons at night next semester, even though I wouldn’t be taking the blade skills class.

I was deeply grateful. I bowed respectfully to Wilton as I saw him off.

I briefly exchanged greetings with the classmates who had attended the blade skills class, and as I was leaving the practice hall, I sensed a familiar presence. I walked straight toward Rubert, who was waiting for me from the side.

“Senior, what brings you here?”

“I think I’ll be busy tomorrow… and since you’ll be leaving on Friday, I wanted to say goodbye before you go.”

It seemed he had come to bid me farewell before the break.

It was a bit unusual, since we would be attending the Introduction to Monster Studies class together, but I easily accepted it, recalling the last time when I had unintentionally hurt the child’s feelings.

“Shall we take a walk?”

“Yeah, let’s.”

We headed toward the familiar pond. We climbed up the small bridge and stood side by side, leaning on the railing. The sky was full of stars, and the surrounding lights made the night more dazzling than the day. The sound of insects was silent in the still night, making it peaceful to gaze at the moon floating on the water.

Perhaps because summer was approaching, the air by the pond felt cool, and the refreshing night breeze brushed across my forehead.

I didn’t ask Rubert what he wanted to talk about. I had come to understand that just being in the same space quietly with him was enough for the child.

His thoughtful nature made me want to listen to everything he said, and it was only me who felt awkward about it.

Instead, I started a different conversation.

“You’ll still be in the capital during this summer vacation, right?”

“…Yeah, I think so. What about you, Ernhardt?”

“I’ll be going to my family’s estate, the Ernhardt estate.”

“I see… I wish I could go with you.”

He was joking. I smiled briefly, accepting it as a joke. He, as a prince, would never come to the Ernhardt estate. Probably never.

“But this winter vacation… I’ll be in the capital, so.”

“Right. It’s not long until then, Ernhardt’s debut in society.”

“By then, you won’t be so bored, Senior.”

“Yeah… I’m already worried. When Ernhardt makes his debut, society will be in an uproar.”

I laughed again. I had heard so much about how my mother, Seiren, had been a notable figure when she was the Lady of Valentia. I had no intention of flaunting that background.

“I’m not so worried.”

“You’re not?”

“I’m not. You’ll be there to help me.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

Rubert smiled briefly, then tilted his head toward me. His hand gently brushed through my hair. His touch was more cautious than before.

I caught a glimpse of the child’s ears turning red, but I tried not to think too much about it.

Rubert said it was enough, and he took hold of my wrist. I felt a little disappointed but quickly shook off the feeling.

Thursday afternoon, the third week of May. I properly said goodbye to Douglas and Boulder.

Before the last winter vacation, I had felt guilty about abandoning my experiments and rushing to the Valentia Duchy, so even during the exam period, I made sure to visit Professor Douglas’s office regularly.

However, every time I visited, I couldn’t help but frown.

The sight of three golems sitting in front of the wall in Douglas’s office was rather unappealing.

During last winter’s break, I had operated the golems for an extended period to gather more conclusive evidence, and I had heard that they would be running for even longer this time.

I had suggested leaving them at the Mage Tower, but Douglas explained that a curious mage might steal the golems if they were left there, so he decided to keep all three golems in his office.

The calm and good-natured Douglas had willingly agreed, and I was forced to see this scene every time.

At least, I had insisted that the golems should sit facing the wall instead of the front, and that they should be seated on the edges, which was a small blessing.

With their heads at the same height, the golems looked almost like strange decorative pieces when viewed from a distance with their blank eyes.

Curious, I asked Boulder, “Why do all three golems look like Mage Boulder?”

“Well… Huh, is it okay to model them after Ernhardt Young Master?”

“No.”

“Ah, I thought so. Professor Douglas wouldn’t allow that either.”

…That was a reasonable explanation.

Douglas gently smiled and reassured me that I could enjoy the vacation without worrying about the golems. He also encouraged me to think about a method for controlling the golems and bring it back later.

I appreciated his words much more than Boulder’s persistent requests about the method of manipulating them.

After politely bidding farewell, I left the office.

After finishing the intermediate swordsmanship class on Friday, I also expressed my gratitude to Maelo Sanson.

Maelo, who had constantly pestered me during breaks last year, hadn’t had as much time with me this semester since I had spent more time with Wilton Roberts. I felt a little regretful about that.

Perhaps he felt the same way, as he kindly told me that he would have plenty of free time next semester and that I should come to him if I had any questions. I thanked him several more times.

Once the Introduction to Monster Studies exam ended, Bill Brown was waiting outside the exam hall.

This was because, during the summer vacation, the Browns planned to visit the Ernhardt estate.

It seemed that my mother was even closer to Baroness Brown than I had realized. Her excitement was apparent even through the letter she had received, which mentioned spending the summer vacation with the Brown family.

Bill Brown had grown to show more polite and mature behavior throughout the semester.

When I first met him, he had resembled a young puppy wagging its tail, but now, he had developed the dignified bearing fitting his size.

When Bill Brown bowed politely to Rubert, Rubert smiled warmly and spoke kind words.

“Well then, see you next semester, Senior.”

“Yeah, enjoy your vacation, Brown Young Master.”

I closely watched Rubert’s face to see if there was any hint of unease, but from his pure smile, I couldn’t read anything else.

I took Bill and headed to the carriage. As we walked, Bill kept bumping into me, making it uncomfortable. I scolded him and tapped his broad back, telling him to walk properly.

Most of the time I spent with Bill was during the intermediate swordsmanship class, but now that it was just the two of us, I worried it might be awkward. However, Bill was so friendly that there was no time to feel that way.

Once we were seated in the carriage, I asked him if he had always been this affectionate. To my surprise, I learned something unexpected.

“Right now, I’m strong and healthy, but I was actually very frail when I was born.”

Feeling a bit awkward, Bill scratched his cheek and rubbed the back of his neck, but he continued with a shy voice, saying it was something he had wanted to share.

“I almost died several times before I turned five. That’s why my fifth birthday party was a small one. I didn’t know when I would die… Well, I had a younger sibling too…”

“…”

“I just accepted it at the time. I thought, ‘I’ll die soon anyway.’ Even as a child, I understood everything. After my mom hugged me, she would quickly run out of the room and cry…”

Even the greatest magic couldn’t change one’s inherent nature.

I had learned in the last class that magic could solve unnatural and sudden problems, but it was useless for changing someone’s inherent weakness or curing a congenital illness.

As I listened silently, Bill smiled.

“But, you picked up a sword at the age of five.”

“…Hmm.”

“It became quite a big rumor. At first, it was just that I had picked up a sword at the age of five, but later, everyone started calling me the ‘five-year-old sword master.’ I’m not sure if you know about this…”

I had no idea. I remained silent.

“And, you’re also the eldest son of William Ernhardt and Seirn Valentia, right? That made it even more incredible. It might have been even more so since Aunt Seirn completely disappeared from high society after marriage…”

“Yeah… so?”

“When I heard that, I got really curious. I thought, ‘If a five-year-old can do it, and I’m six, maybe I should at least swing a sword before I die.’ That’s what I thought.”

“That… is…”

“So, I started swinging the sword, and I got healthier. And once I got healthier, I felt grateful, and I wanted to become closer to you, and… that’s the story. So, my mom really likes you too. She says you saved my life.”

“I… had no idea about that.”

“Still…”

Bill smiled gently. I sighed softly. As the boy smiled and lowered his head again, I patted his prickly hair.

That this kid had survived thanks to me— it was hard to believe.

Each time I patted his head, Bill squinted his eyes and smiled.

“Before you entered the Academy, not many people had seen you, so they just heard that you were training in swordsmanship, that you were training again this time, and that you had reached a certain level… That’s all I heard.”

“…”

“But after you entered the Siren Academy, it became… really, really… amazing.”

“Really?”

“So, I wanted to meet you as soon as possible.”

He smiled widely and, leaning in, looked closely at my face. Feeling embarrassed, I gently pushed his forehead, making him sit back properly.