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

Thursday Afternoon.

The three golems I left behind before the summer break showed noticeable results.

The golem that breathed with Douglas’s method contained the largest mana stone, while the one that breathed with Boulder’s method contained the smallest. The golem I had carefully chosen to follow a specific meridian had a weak vortex swirling within its mana stone.

It was incredibly fascinating to see the flowing mana contained within them. Was this how the inner energy of martial artists in the central plains was structured? I found myself instinctively rubbing my lower abdomen.

“There’s a path here, between the shoulder blades and the tailbone. It shows a different flow than the others. Why did you set it up like this?”

“…Hmm. I think the issue is that there’s no intention behind it. I tried to imbue intention, but… it’s just…”

As usual, it was difficult to answer Boulder’s question with words. I thought for a while and finally managed to speak, but neither Douglas nor Boulder seemed to fully understand my explanation.

It was to be expected. I didn’t fully understand why I made that decision either.

Boulder, disappointed, slammed the ground. This golem was modeled after his own body, and once he understood the principles and broke through some blocked meridians, he could even create his own internal energy flow.

He was excited at the thought of applying his lifelong research to his own body.

After a long pause, Douglas gently concluded with a kind voice.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the golem Ernhardt created will develop. Let’s leave it as it is for a while longer and observe.”

“So, what about the other two…?”

“They follow the same experimental methods, and since there’s no other use for these golems, I’ll leave them for comparison.”

“…Okay.”

Noticing that I seemed a little uneasy, Douglas patted me gently on the shoulder.

“But something is definitely progressing. It’s very encouraging. The method that Ernhardt showed us for the golem’s mana drawing is roughly starting to take shape.”

“Mm.”

“Now’s the time to set a goal for upgrades. Do you have any goals in mind?”

I thought for a long time.

Earlier, when I had attended Maelo Sanson’s class, I had briefly considered the intricacies of the Cheonroejeawang Sin-gong (Heavenly Thunder King Divine Art).

The martial arts of the Nangung family are divided into two: the Cheonroejeawang Sin-gong passed down through the direct line, and the Changongdaeyeon Sin-gong that even collateral members like me can learn.

While both techniques follow the same flow in the beginning, they diverge as one progresses, with a significant gap forming later on.

However, once any martial art is understood and mastered, it will naturally flow in the same direction.

If I improved the Changongdaeyeon Sin-gong to a high level, it wouldn’t differ much from the Cheonroejeawang Sin-gong. I had never learned the specifics of the latter, only observing its form and outward appearance, but when I imagined the higher stages of it… I couldn’t help but be tempted.

“What I’m doing with my energy now, using my lower dantian… like this…”

I couldn’t explain it in words, so I demonstrated by drawing energy and gesturing with my whole body to show the direction. Despite my awkward hand gestures and movements, both Douglas and Boulder nodded, understanding right away.

“Right. You’re channeling your energy towards the right side of your body and then back again.”

“Can we try it more like this… in this direction?”

“Hmm?”

“…Like this?”

“Oh! You want to make a quick change in direction, don’t you?”

“…! Yes, that’s it.”

“Hm, I see. Let’s focus on the flow of energy and its directional change and research it further.”

“Okay.”

As Douglas said, I could clearly tell that something was progressing. My heart raced with excitement.

I glanced over at what Douglas and Boulder were writing and drawing on a piece of paper. If I could use a technique similar to the Cheonroejeawang Sin-gong in some way, even if not exactly the same, I would be very happy.

After some time, we all sat down together to chat informally.

As a token of gratitude, I gave Douglas and Boulder small paper bags.

Since I had previously given Douglas a gift after the break, I was hesitant to come empty-handed, and my father had given me these bags.

Inside were jars of jam made from Ernhardt family grapes, beautifully packaged.

Mage Boulder was thrilled, commenting that the jam from the Ernhardt Count’s grapes was famous and delicious. Compliments about his family were always music to his ears. We spent the rest of the time happily chatting.

***

Friday.

During the intermediate swordsmanship class, I informed my friends that I would be attending the lesson with Edwin later that afternoon.

Sheiden and Benjamin, who had already heard about it, remained silent, but Bill Brown whined that he wanted to attend the class too.

Although Bill had become much calmer, his careless personality would be a hindrance if he joined the class, and I felt I would need to take extra care of him. I told him we could attend another class together when the time came.

However, my empty words were quickly exposed, and Bill began whining even more. I awkwardly laughed, feeling embarrassed.

Ruvert stood quietly next to me, wearing a gentle smile.

I had thought several times that it was strange how often I found myself thinking about and being conscious of Ruvert.

It felt like I was doing something unnecessary, yet at the same time, I wondered if it was natural to be concerned about him. It had already been the previous semester when he told me he wouldn’t act that way towards me. I should have forgotten about it.

Yet, whenever I saw his round, lovely head with the small tied-up locks of hair at the back, slightly longer than before, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Now, it was impossible to ask if I was growing my own hair because I liked long hair.

Perhaps that’s why, as Edwin and I walked side by side to the afternoon class, I couldn’t help but think of Ruvert when I saw Edwin’s long, well-kept hair flowing gently.

Curious, I suddenly asked:

“Do you apply rose oil to your hair every morning, Senior?”

“What? No, it’s natural.”

“…Really?”

I thought to myself that the men from Sieron wouldn’t all be like that Walter fellow. Maybe Ruvert just tied his hair up without any special reason.

Thinking this, I didn’t say anything more, but Edwin quickly grumbled.

“Everyone uses something like balm, but not rose oil. Definitely not that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but why do you ask about such things?”

“I was just curious.”

It seemed like everyone did, but I hadn’t paid attention to things like that before. I nodded and moved on.

Edwin’s grumbling was something I was used to, so it didn’t bother me.

The class on magical creatures and their growth was part of the Magic Department’s curriculum. On the way to the magic building, Edwin, unable to keep up with my pace, showed his usual disgruntled expression. Watching him, I couldn’t help but ask:

“Senior, can’t you walk faster by using magic? Like that Blink spell or whatever.”

“Heh, if you use magic recklessly within the academy, you’ll get penalty points.”

“Oh.”

Indeed, using fire or water carelessly could hurt people. I readily accepted his explanation. Edwin continued:

“Every semester, there are always people who set fire to the training grounds behind the Magic Department. If you cast magic wrong, your grades for that semester can drop by half.”

“Really?”

“You saw it yourself, didn’t you?”

“Really? When…?”

“When we talked about having a sparring match earlier.”

It was only after Edwin’s explanation that I remembered. He was referring to the soot marks scattered around the empty lot behind the Magic Department building, where I had met with Edwin in private.

It seemed like random burn marks, but they were actually traces of magic. It was unexpected and left me a bit stunned.

“That’s why there aren’t any expensive trees near the Magic Department. No one here is sane enough…”

“…”

“Why do you look at me like that? I’m not one of them!”

“Yes, I know.”

What was I saying? I kept walking.

Professor Allen Lager was a tall man with a bluish complexion. He was nearly 2 meters tall. If he had a beard, he might have looked like Guan Yu, but he didn’t have one. Instead, his dark blue hair was cut very short.

In Central, it was common for men and women to have long hair unless they were monks, but it was only when I came to Sieron that I saw people keeping their hair short enough to expose their necks. Still, I had never seen anyone with hair cut this short.

The man with red eyes looked thin at first glance, but his wrists were thick and strong, indicating he was quite powerful.

“Nice to meet you all, I’m Allen Lager, and I’ll be teaching you about the growth and understanding of magical creatures.”

A work-study student walked around, handing out round, small objects to the students. In my hand, the small object fit perfectly, resembling a quail egg. The memory of receiving the purification magic sphere from Edwin earlier resurfaced, and I felt uneasy.

“This is a Ranunculus egg. There’s also a flower by the same name. Ranunculus is a typical magical creature that resembles a bird with a pair of wings. You can input mana into it to set a master, and it’s used to send and receive messages in the form of vocal language.”

A bird that can send and receive messages? I was the only one startled, looking at the egg again in surprise. Most of the students, sitting quietly, simply held the egg in their hands and listened to Allen’s explanation.

“Ranunculus usually hatches in about a month, and after hatching, it can start learning languages. The egg you received is your assignment for this semester. Hatch it, raise it, and submit it at the end of the semester. Points will be given based on the form, appearance, and level of growth of the Ranunculus.”

The egg was lukewarm, and it was hard to tell whether it had warmth or not. It was small and round, speckled like a quail egg. I wondered if whatever hatched from it would look like a quail.

Allen continued explaining about magical creatures.

“Magical creatures exist somewhere between living beings and inanimate objects. They don’t have a heartbeat, they don’t eat, and they don’t reproduce. They just exist in place, much like spirits.”

Spirits? I had only heard of them in fairy tales. It was intriguing and mysterious, but I didn’t ask any questions, as I could always ask Edwin about these small details later.

“Magical creature eggs form in the air when certain conditions are met. For Ranunculus, when there is 30mp of mana in the surrounding air, and Ranunculus flower pollen is scattered, it forms like a seed, and after three months, it grows to the size you are holding now.”

“Mp…?”

“Mana percentage. It’s a unit used to measure how much mana exists in a given space.”

I let out a confused sound when I heard something I didn’t understand, and Edwin immediately answered.

How did he know all that? The idea that an egg would form from pollen was fascinating and exciting, and I was in high spirits. Looking at Edwin’s proud expression, I finally understood why he had proudly brought me along. It was indeed an intriguing and fascinating subject.

Allen carefully explained how to raise the Ranunculus. I diligently took notes. Edwin, confidently telling me to trust him, showed off again. Surprisingly, he seemed quite dependable.