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

Steven McCliff came in wearing a white, airy dress shirt with a tightly fitted vest over it.

I remembered that he had worn a coat with wide flared edges even on cold days, and thought he was trying to look quite fashionable. Ruber then asked if I thought that kind of look was stylish.

“No, you look just right as you are,” I answered, but for some reason, I found it hard to look directly at him.

“In Introduction to Monsters, we covered the biological structure, habits, and the value of by-products of various monsters. By now, you all should know that monsters are magical, mutated lifeforms,” Steven said in a neat voice as he instructed us to open the fourth page of the textbook.

“We hunt monsters, disassemble them, and sell their parts. There are always people who question how humane this process is. After all, humans are always affected by other beings,” he continued.

The Sieran Empire granted titles to people, but those titles were not eternal.

There were instances like Walter Organ, who lost his title only to regain it, or Jenny, who earned a title through her own hard work. Of course, there were also many nobles who had their titles stripped in places I knew nothing about.

Our attitude toward beasts also varied. At times, we treated them gently as though they were children, but if they posed a threat to humans, we quickly discarded them, like sifting out rotten grains.

“If we regard monsters as living beings, is it truly right to slaughter an entire species? In this course, we will spend considerable time pondering this issue. For instance, let’s begin by looking at slimes, which are now frequently used as alchemy ingredients,” he said.

I was taken aback once again.

Everyone in Sieran had always told me that sharing accurate information and exercising proper control was the right thing to do, and I mostly complied. As a result, I had come to think that Sieran’s way of life was better than the Central Plains.

Determining the morality of actions that everyone deems correct had always been a difficult task for me.

But hearing that there were people who consistently believed that killing monsters too easily was wrong, I couldn’t help but be surprised. I had lived my life believing that it was only right to hunt down beasts that harmed people. How far did their compassion extend? I felt uncertain if I could follow their example.

My hands were stained with much blood.

Blood from both savage beasts and violent humans. I had gone to places where unjust and sorrowful stories unfolded, beheaded the wicked, and handed their corpses over to my enemies. I had thought it was justifiable because those I had killed had acted maliciously.

The idea that even monsters born with evil intent could be pitied and cared for was astonishing. I had always considered myself a compassionate person, but now I realized I was not. The people of Sieran had lived with a hundred or a thousand times more mercy than I ever had. I was learning kindness through written words, and felt deeply ashamed of myself.

I easily became engrossed in the lesson about whether slimes have pain or not. The sound of Ruber’s breath beside me no longer stood out in my mind.

As I learned about ways to end a monster’s life without causing it unnecessary pain, I couldn’t help but think of the evil figures from the southern continent and the subjugates of the demonic sects. Thinking of those who treated humans more roughly than monsters, a surge of anger welled up inside me.

The study of humanity and morality seemed endless. I was deeply impressed.

After the class ended, when I looked at Ruber’s face, I wondered if it was he who had guided me to this moment by reading the harsh thoughts in my mind that I didn’t even realize I had.

I felt a wave of gratitude rising within me. As I stared at him, a bit overwhelmed, Ruber spoke in a gentle voice.

“What should we have for dinner tonight?”

“I’m not sure.”

It was still early in the semester, and there was no real rush. I could now clearly read what Ruber wanted. He was likely suggesting that the two of us go out for a meal together.

The way he waited for me to say it instead of asking directly made him look pitiable, charming, and endearing—though I knew it was my own fault for thinking so.

After a brief pause, I hesitantly replied.

“If there’s something you want to eat, we can go out and have it.”

Ruber smiled softly and nodded in agreement.

On the way, we caught a carriage. I sat across from the boy as usual.

When we were setting our schedules earlier, Ruber had told me all about what happened during the break, so now there wasn’t much left to talk about, and the carriage ride was quiet.

I looked at his face carefully. Ruber was now seventeen. Hearing my friends constantly tell me how handsome he was, I took a good look and realized they were right. He was starting to show the air of a young man.

As I stared at him for a while, Ruber rubbed his face and asked.

“…Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s just…”

“Just?”

I briefly hesitated, wondering whether I should speak. But Ruber seemed to have sorted out his own feelings, so it would be strange for me to act awkward now.

“It just looks nice.”

It was probably better than saying he was pretty, but Ruber got embarrassed, and we both became a little awkward. It seemed like it wasn’t the right time for such things.

I quickly waved my hand dismissively, saying it was just an empty comment and that there was no need to be embarrassed. Ruber didn’t lift his head for a long time.

Tuesday, advanced swordsmanship class.

Walter Organ stood beside Maelo Sanson and officially announced that his skill level had reached a new peak.

He had reached the pinnacle level of Sword Expert, which seemed to be expected. Sanson, who probably already knew, stood there motionlessly and clapped his hands, calling for a congratulatory cheer. It felt a little amusing.

This would truly be Walter Organ’s last semester. His goal was to reach Sword Master before graduating, a level that only a handful of warriors in the Central Plains had reached.

In the martial world of the Central Plains, I ranked as the fifty-eighth best warrior.

There were still a few others behind me who had reached the peak level, so across the vast Central Plains, there were no more than a hundred or so Sword Masters.

I had been fortunate enough to reach the peak before my life ended, but most warriors never even made it to the elite level before dying. The idea of reaching the pinnacle was a far-off dream for most.

But at the Sieran Academy, it was said that every child who awakened their aura would become a Sword Master before they died, and it was commonly accepted.

There was Douglas Mustang, who awakened their aura with delicate care, and Maelo Sanson, who calmly guided them down the right path. Dozens of peak-level masters focused more on properly training the children than on looking after themselves.

While the martial world in the Central Plains had only a few true experts, Sieran had Maelo and Wesley as the only two powerful figures. Perhaps that was the reason.

But in my eyes, guiding many children to break through their limits was…

No, it was an issue that couldn’t be compared. I shook my head and forgot about it.

The first class of advanced swordsmanship this semester began with a sparring match between Maelo Sanson and Walter Organ.

Walter demonstrated his ability to freely control his aura, showing off his skills in front of the still-developing students. Sanson helped him so that he could display his full abilities.

I watched as his aura circled his lower abdomen and spread across his body, wrapping around his sword in a mesmerizing way.

Though he had not yet reached the level of sword qi (a stage where one can harm others with just their sword aura), I was certain he would surpass the barrier within this semester. I could tell, not because I had heard it from Sanson, but because, just by looking at it, it seemed clear that with a bit of realization, he would easily break through.

I, too, had been practicing how to use my aura from time to time.

However, my inner energy, coiled in my lower abdomen, was in a state of resistance and turmoil, making it difficult.

I wondered why the aura resisted so strongly while accepting other forms of energy. I peered into my lower abdomen, but, as expected, there was no answer.

But I couldn’t blame the Changgung Dae Yeon Shin Gong (a martial arts technique). Considering that I had reached this level without the memories of my past life, I had to admit I had made significant progress.

I secretly envied all the sword masters I had met in Sieran.

Just because one receives proper instruction doesn’t mean they will grow up correctly. Most of them had far better talents than I did. Thinking like that, I couldn’t afford to become complacent or take it easy.

After class, Walter called me aside to once again thank me, praising my contribution.

Having already received several meals from him last semester, I was tired of hearing his gratitude, so I simply gave him my congratulations and waved him off.

In the afternoon, I had the Basic Territory Management class with Sheiden and Damien.

The professor, John Macbeth, was a woman with silver hair and eyes. From a distance, I was startled because her pupils were not visible, but I didn’t let it show. Seeing the other students accept her so naturally made me realize just how diverse the world was.

Macbeth, taller than other women of her age, wore a refined suit and stood at the podium.

“The most important things in managing a territory are people, money, and trust,” she said.

Her precise and upright pronunciation made me believe she could easily be a master of Eumgong (a martial art that uses sound and music). I nodded along with her words, naturally trusting her voice.

Macbeth emphasized that trust comes from people, and thus people are the most important, before continuing.

“You all, who are taking this class, are very likely to inherit territories that have been passed down through generations. Therefore, you will have established friendships from your families. Regardless of the scale of your assets, remember this: those friendships are your greatest asset.”

She was absolutely right. Sheiden and Damien were the perfect examples. I hadn’t done much, only inheriting my friendships from my family, but now there was no one I valued more than them.

Sheiden, glancing at me as I nodded, suddenly let out a small laugh.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just a bit surprising.”

Since it would be rude to continue chatting during class, I didn’t say anything further, but it seemed that Sheiden had noticed how I had accepted my friends with an open heart. Feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed, I adjusted my attire.

When the class ended, as usual, Sheiden provided some additional information about the professor.

“Baroness Macbeth’s family was once a very small one. They only became prosperous in recent generations, thanks to the efforts of Professor John Macbeth.”

“How so?”

“She managed the trade between the Duke of Grimsbane and Bivan. As you know, trade through the Saras River naturally touches the Indus Bay, so Yulan always had priority over Bivan. She broke through that using land trade, not sea trade.”

“Wow.”

“She’s connected to Edwin Kiadris. Keep that in mind.”

I was quietly listening, when suddenly, I was taken aback.

“Is he really seventeen now? How could that be?”

“Technically, it’s Professor Macbeth who made the connection with the Kiadris family through Edwin. It won’t affect your grades right away, but when there are issues between the Valentia and Kiadris families later on, she’ll be someone to pay attention to.”

“…Got it.”

I suddenly remembered Edwin, who had been whining earlier.

I wondered if he was someone who got along well with people who had a colder demeanor.

Although, when I saw him throwing tantrums and acting spoiled, it didn’t seem like that was the case… Anyway, it was hard to tell.