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

He was someone I often thought about.

Edwin Kiadris was the youngest son of Duke Kiadris. He was also a 5th-circle mage.

I still had fond memories of the enjoyable sparring we had when he first came to the academy, when I reluctantly accepted his challenge, and surprisingly, the polite apology he gave afterward. It seemed we had agreed to spar again before his graduation, and though I didn’t have time, I regretted not being able to make it. It had been a while since I last saw him, so I greeted him warmly.

“Hello, Senior Kiadris.”

“You.”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you going to say hello? I’m not doing well, you know.”

What was this all of a sudden? Was he picking a fight? I was momentarily taken aback by his words.

He stood there, pouting, glaring at me fiercely, ignoring Bill Brown who was standing beside me. I gave Bill a gentle push.

“Go inside first.”

“…Okay, but…”

“It’s fine. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

No matter how much Edwin glared at me, I wasn’t intimidated. After giving Bill a wave to send him away, I approached Edwin.

He stood tall like an incense burner on an altar, breathing heavily, and I couldn’t help but think to myself that he looked quite well-dressed today.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s better to talk inside.”

“Lead the way.”

His dismissive gesture to give orders made me exasperated, but since age and seniority held weight at the academy, I reluctantly agreed and led him to my room. I planned to sit down and listen carefully to whatever he had to say.

As soon as the door closed behind us, he grumbled.

“Weren’t you trying to get close to mages?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Then why didn’t you ever come by?”

Ah.

I had to suppress a laugh.

I wiped my face with my dry hand and gestured for him to take a seat. Edwin, looking furious, walked with his elbows and knees stiff, as if trying to make his steps heavy. If the carpet hadn’t been there, his footsteps would’ve been loud.

Despite his feather-light appearance, the sound of him flopping onto the sofa was almost a thud. I had to fight the urge to laugh. When he was angry, he seemed to stiffen his legs as he walked, and that habit hadn’t changed.

Anyway, it seemed like this kid, just like others, had a knack for throwing tantrums.

“I’ve been busy during the semester.”

“No, no matter how busy you are!”

“Did you wait for me?”

“No! Not at all!”

Seeing Edwin answer so bluntly with a scowl made me suppress my laughter again. But as soon as he saw me smile, he clenched his lips in frustration, so I quickly stood up to prepare tea, trying to calm things down.

I brought back some lightly green tea for peace and calming, offering it to him as I apologized. Though it wasn’t really my fault, I decided it was best to pacify him first.

“I’m sorry.”

“Of course, you should be sorry!”

At last, I couldn’t hold back my laughter. When I laughed out loud, Edwin, looking somewhat embarrassed, straightened up and drank from his tea with proper posture.

To calm down the upset Edwin, I took out my academy notebook. This notebook, which I had been using since the early days of my first year, was worn with many signs of use, its edges frayed, but there was no problem in reading its contents.

I took out the timetables from the last semester and the semester before that and showed them to Edwin.

“I’ve been attending a lot of classes, so I haven’t had much free time. Really.”

“…You…”

“Go ahead, speak your mind.”

“…How have you been living like this? Do you even sleep?”

After all that growling, was he worrying about me? He was, after all, a soft-hearted guy at his core.

“Yes. I sleep well and eat well. I’ve just been studying for exams, other than eating and sleeping.”

“…I see, so the classes overlap, huh?”

He started flipping through my notebook, and then pointed to a professor’s name.

“Alan Lager, ‘The Growth and Understanding of Magical Creatures.’ Every Friday from 2 to 6 PM, four hours. Sign up. There should still be space for you.”

“…Huh?”

“Isn’t that a class you’d like? You’re obsessed with magic, aren’t you? I’ll help you get the credits before I graduate, so sign up for it.”

“Mm.”

Had Edwin always talked like this last year? I couldn’t quite remember. I’d thought of him as more aloof, but now I thought to myself, maybe he was always like this. I wrote down the course name and professor in my notebook.

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Don’t just keep it in mind, sign up for it.”

“Okay.”

I smiled again, and when he demanded I pour him another cup of tea, I indulged him.

Edwin sighed deeply and didn’t say anything more. His lips were pressed tightly together, and I idly watched as his dull lavender-colored hair gently scattered over his shoulder.

Unable to endure the silence any longer, I asked him how he’d been.

“How have you been?”

“…I’ve reached 6th circle.”

Not quite sure how to respond to this great achievement, I remained silent, and Edwin furrowed his brow and added an explanation.

“I’m a Sword Master now.”

“Oh, congratulations.”

It was a monumental achievement. It’s easy to say, but reaching the peak of mastery before even turning twenty was an unimaginable speed. Not even the great dragons of the Central Plains were that impressive. I couldn’t help but feel proud of Edwin and his hard work last year.

“How about a sparring match again?”

“Now, you’re not even a match for me.”

“I’ve improved a little myself.”

“How much?”

“Well…”

I had reached the peak in my previous life, the highest level of mastery. To put it in Siren’s terms, I had reached the Sword Master level. So, for me now, the gap between the best, the peak, and the ultimate wasn’t a matter of realization.

I had already attained that level; I was still young, and if I continued to grow in strength and cultivate my inner power, I could call myself a Sword Master.

When I didn’t speak up, Edwin sighed heavily and changed the subject.

“So, how have you been?”

“I’ve been well.”

“…So, well, how exactly?”

“Mm… I’ve been attending classes.”

Knowing that Edwin was getting frustrated with my lack of eloquence, I couldn’t help but laugh again. He told me not to laugh, and I replied that I understood, but I could still see him trying to stifle a smile. Out of curiosity, I asked:

“Were you perhaps waiting for me at the academy’s main gate?”

“Why? Is there a problem with that?”

“No, I just thought maybe you could have let me know in advance.”

“How could I have?”

I paused, realizing there was no way for him to have known where I’d be during the break. I didn’t have an answer, so I just said “I don’t know,” to which Edwin crossed his legs, sitting with an irritated posture as he pushed his hair behind his ear. Despite his frustration, there was something elegant about the gesture.

“I just thought…”

“Thought what?”

“I thought you were trying to scare me, so I sent the kid ahead.”

“The kid? Who… Ah, the one next to you?”

He nodded, and the kid huffed and scoffed.

“I think he’s at least ten years older than you.”

“It’s only a one-year difference.”

“…”

“Why?”

“Never mind, never mind. Anyway, I came here to tell you that.”

I noticed that Edwin couldn’t quite look me in the eye. He must’ve felt embarrassed. To ease things, I spoke gently.

“Thank you for looking out for me.”

“Forget it.”

Despite still grumbling, it seemed Edwin’s anger had eased, which made me feel pleased. Every time I looked at him, I couldn’t help but see the image of someone I knew, someone I missed, and perhaps even pitied.

Thanks to that, the time we spent chatting was comfortable. Although Edwin had initially been grumpy, when he asked me about the depths of magic, he explained it in a way that I could understand, adding various details.

It was only now that I learned that the binding spell he had used instead of a shield during our previous sparring match had been something he had invented on the spot, and I was deeply impressed.

I followed him out to the second-year dormitory door to see him off. At that spot, I noticed another familiar figure. Ruber Anti Siren, that poor and lovely kid, looked at me and Edwin in turn with a pale face, clearly shocked.

He must’ve come to find me as well. There was no need to explain further. Edwin gave Ruber a polite bow before leaving, and Ruber, accepting the bow, stood quietly. I took his wrist and led him inside.

“Let’s go in.”

It seemed like they had planned the whole day for this. I’d already arranged to meet with Shayden after the break to coordinate our timetables, but I had no idea when I’d be able to find him.

I served Ruber the same tea I had given Edwin. Ruber, having brought cookies for me, made me happy.

Sitting down with Ruber, who spoke softly and gently compared to Edwin’s sharp tone, I felt a sense of relaxation.

Ruber also chose a class he wanted to take with me. It was “The Encounter Between Monsters and Philosophy” by Professor Steven McCleef. I remembered liking the professor and his approach to teaching, as well as the way he conducted his exams.

However, that class was on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I promised to think about it and let him know which day worked best.

***

In the library’s small meeting room, I greeted some familiar faces and exchanged pleasantries. Shayden, who had arrived earlier, scattered the syllabus on the table and chuckled.

“Did the popular guy finally show up?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“As soon as you got to the academy, you met with Duke Kiadris and the prince alternately, huh?”

Has that already become a rumor? I was stunned.

When I asked where they had heard the story, I found out that Bill Brown, in a panic, had rushed to Shayden and told him all about it.

Well, I could see why he would be surprised. I thought I’d calm the kid down during our next intermediate swordsmanship class together.

As I laughed, Jenny offered me a seat, so I sat down. Now, I had to pick a few good courses from the twenty syllabi in front of me.

While chatting with everyone, I chose the courses I needed to take. Marianne said she wanted to take Ray Gibson’s class again this time, so I coldly told her to go alone, which earned a big laugh.