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

On the weekend, I met Ruber at the library.

It wasn’t a planned meeting. Just like last semester, I was attending both the intermediate and advanced swordsmanship classes with Ruber, but lately, I hadn’t been speaking to him much.

It was because I had felt awkward approaching him ever since that day we went to the night market together last semester.

Naturally, we hadn’t made any plans to meet this time, and no conversation about where to meet had come up. However, on Saturday, we ended up running into each other at the agreed-upon time and place.

It wasn’t Ruber’s fault.

It was only now that I realized meeting him regularly last semester had become a habit for me.

I hid my awkward feelings and spoke up, suggesting we study together. We studied, ate, and then I saw him off. When he asked if I would be at the same place at the same time tomorrow, I said yes, so Sunday was the same.

We sat facing each other at the large library table, copying notes from the previous class into our notebooks. From time to time, I couldn’t help but glance at Ruber. My eyes kept drifting toward him.

I blamed the noise from the other students talking about how handsome he was, but then I also blamed Ruber himself, because every time our eyes met, he gave me a gentle smile.

Ruber’s swordsmanship was excellent, and his character was diligent and upright. By next year, he would likely reach the peak of his martial prowess. But the thought that this young man would soon graduate and pick up a pen instead of a sword seemed hard to believe.

I felt a sense of regret.

…Yes, it was regret. It tugged at my heart.

When I didn’t take my eyes off Ruber’s face, he must have noticed, as he looked up and gave me another lazy smile. When I noticed a faint blush on his cheeks, I suddenly asked,

“When you graduate…”

“…Huh? Yeah?”

“Will you return to the Imperial Palace right away?”

“Umm… probably?”

Ruber put down the pen he had been holding after a brief pause.

“What about Ernhardt Young?”

“…I’m not sure. I plan to head to the Unique Mountain Range as soon as I graduate.”

“…Ah… When will you come back?”

“I suppose I’ll need to become a Grand Sword Master like Wesley before I can return.”

“…!”

Ruber’s eyes widened in surprise. The way his eyes and mouth grew round was so cute. Ah, now I understood why I had been feeling restless.

I recalled what Walter Organ had said about not wanting to go to the Unique Mountain Range. He said that when distance grows between people, their hearts drift apart as well.

Just a brief separation during the vacation had made Ruber’s demeanor much calmer. If we were apart for a long time, the faint feelings he had for me would likely disappear. There was no need to worry about the state of his heart.

This would likely be the last time I could see him so often and easily.

I suppose I had been secretly tempted by the child who seemed to have developed affection for me, as I pondered the curious nature of love. It was embarrassing to have entertained such nonsensical thoughts all through the break, thinking about this lovely child and wondering what it all meant.

On the other hand, I also felt a bit of relief. If time would naturally distance us, there was no need to push him away right away. I could continue treating him as I had before for the time being. That thought made me smile.

It wasn’t uncommon to see a young child admire and follow a relative, and I decided to think of it that way.

“Still, until next year, we’ll meet even during the break, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

“…Oh, yeah… You’re right… I guess so…”

“After the midterms, there’s a place other than the botanical garden I’d like to visit. Let’s go together.”

“…Okay, let’s do that.”

Once I realized the reason for my unease, I felt much lighter. I picked up my pen again.

In the afternoon, I had been studying well and had made considerable progress in my review. For some reason, Ruber seemed a bit more tired than usual, and I started to feel a little concerned.

I thought I should check if there was ginseng tea in Sieron.

On Monday, during the intermediate swordsmanship class.

While we were refining the forms and techniques of the Imperial sword style from the beginning, Maelo Sanson came forward, saying that it wasn’t going well, and pulled Ruber, Benjamin, and me aside.

He agreed that it was good to repeat what we already knew to engrain it in our bodies, but he suggested it would be better to learn something else, and I readily accepted.

Instead of the Imperial sword style, we were going to learn the Seiren sword style. It was the one Lucilla frequently used, and I had received a few private lessons from Sanson before, so it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.

However, I had thought that this style was more suited for women than men, and since I had never really considered honing such delicate techniques, I felt a bit puzzled.

“You two have a talent for more direct sword techniques, and I know you’ve been practicing and studying that style. Even though Michael uses a delicate technique, he still relies on sharp, quick strikes, without being able to properly retreat.”

“…”

“But swordsmanship isn’t about having one fixed, correct style. It’s good to train with techniques you haven’t tried before, discuss them, and apply them to your own methods.”

“Yes, Professor.”

That sounded reasonable and proper, and I quietly followed his advice with admiration.

We trained for a set amount of time and then took breaks as planned.

If it had been just Ruber and me, I would have indulged his little whims, and if it had been just Benjamin and me, we would have talked about our friends.

But sitting with both Ruber and Benjamin on either side, I wasn’t sure what to say.

The silence stretched on. After a while, Ruber, who had been quietly sitting, spoke first. His voice was gentle and affectionate.

“Claudian Young will… probably go to the Unique Mountain Range after graduation, right?”

“Yes? That’s right.”

It was such an obvious question that Benjamin, caught off guard, answered somewhat reluctantly.

Ruber nodded and lazily responded, “I see,” before falling silent again. Seizing the opportunity, Benjamin turned to me and asked,

“Ernhardt Young will go there too, right?”

“Yes, well… It’s a given, but…”

“I hope we’re assigned to the same group. Since we’ll have to cooperate for a long time, I heard that if classmates apply together, they’ll be put in the same group.”

“Yes, that’s true. Among our close friends, I think Ruber and I are the only ones who want to go to the Unique Mountain Range.”

“Yes, Rosé Young is more interested in management than swordsmanship.”

“I heard that Bill is also very determined to go to the Unique Mountain Range after graduation.”

As I spoke, Benjamin, who had been diligently practicing his swordsmanship, glanced over at Bill Brown and smiled happily. After learning how to control his strength, Benjamin often wore a relaxed expression, and I found it quite pleasant.

“That’s nice. Someone like Bill Brown would certainly be welcomed.”

While we were talking like that, I felt something lightly touch my shoulder. It was Ruber, who had been quiet all this time. He leaned his head against my shoulder and held his breath. I felt a tickling sensation at the back of my neck.

It seemed like he was jealous that I was talking to others. I found his cute behavior satisfying. I didn’t push him away because I wanted to show him more affection before he grew distant.

As I chatted with Benjamin, the break time quickly passed. I suddenly became concerned about Ruber, who had been quietly listening to us the whole time. I wondered if he wasn’t bored, so I gently wrapped my hand around his and comforted him.

“Let’s get started again.”

“…Mm…”

Ruber seemed weak all through the afternoon, during the Monster and Philosophy classes. When I asked him about it, he didn’t answer. He said he had a lot to think about and study, so even though it was Monday, I made sure he ate at the dormitory cafeteria before sending him back.

He had been leaning on me so much that I patted his head several times, but he still didn’t seem to regain his energy, which made me very worried.

The same thing happened during the advanced swordsmanship class the next day.

Since Ruber couldn’t stand straight and kept swaying, I told him it was okay to lean on me if he felt weak. Seeing him cling to my back like a monkey made me feel sorry for him, so I patted him a few times.

“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the infirmary?”

“…No, it’s nothing. I’m just a little tired…”

“It doesn’t seem like it’s nothing.”

I gently touched Ruber’s pale forehead. He didn’t have a fever, but I couldn’t help but feel both relieved and somewhat lonely. Just a while ago, he used to get flustered every time I held his hand, and now he seemed fine with this. It was a bittersweet feeling.

I sent him to the next class and went to find Sheyden to attend the land management class. After all, Sheyden was much more adept at dealing with people than I was, so I decided to ask for his advice.

“Recently, there’s a child who seems to have no energy.”

“Ah? Yeah, there is?”

“I don’t know how to cheer him up.”

Although I didn’t mention Ruber’s name, Sheyden immediately took me seriously and didn’t ask further questions. His calm tone showed that he had experience handling people.

“What have you tried so far?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, think about what you’ve done to cheer that person up. Then, see which one worked best. People need different approaches.”

“…”

What have I done for Ruber?

I had patted his head, comforted his shoulder, and hugged him for a moment… I stayed silent because I felt embarrassed to say it out loud, and Sheyden shrugged and immediately gave his advice.

“Try doing the most effective thing three more times.”

“Try it…?”

“If it doesn’t work, just do everything at once. It usually helps.”

“Mm… Yeah.”

It seemed like it would be a bit too embarrassing, but with no other option, I wiped my face with my dry hand. I decided I would try it at some point, depending on his condition. I thanked Sheyden and left.

The basic land management class was about handling documents and calculating the profits and expenses of a territory step by step.

Professor John Macbeth repeatedly emphasized how important it was to assess which businesses were thriving and which were struggling in a territory. He often used the example of Macbeth’s own estate. I learned how Edwin had gotten involved in her business.

Macbeth’s estate had been a barony under the Duchy of Kiadris.

John Macbeth had been preparing for years, ever since he confirmed that Edwin Kiadris was born of legitimate blood. He paved the way for trade, built up the land, constructed buildings, and negotiated with nearby territories. It was a difficult task for Macbeth’s family at the time.

But thanks to that, when Edwin Kiadris decided to start his own business, Macbeth was the first to present him with a polished business plan.

Macbeth’s estate became wealthy, and John Macbeth made a significant impact on the field of land management, eventually becoming a professor two years ago.

“Knowing and utilizing the human and material resources around you is incredibly important. So, for the midterm exam, I’d like each of you to investigate what resources your territories have and submit a report by the end of next month.”

For me, who had already decided to pass the territory of Ernhardt to Michael, this was an utterly perplexing task.

Seeing me sitting dumbfounded, Sheyden laughed out loud, and Damien whispered quietly to me.

“Do a good job on the assignment and pass it on to Michael later.”

…It was truly sound advice. I tried to steady my shaken heart.