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

The child rambled on with trivial words. I answered a few times.

But I don’t remember what I answered or what we had just talked about. I simply felt distant. Ruber, who had been quietly observing my expression, stood up.

He started walking again. I followed.

We arrived at the training ground, the place where we had sought to cut through the sorrow of the long night. It was the place where the two of us had sat together, watching the stars. Without realizing it, I looked up at the sky.

There were no stars, not even a single cloud in the blue sky. This time, I spoke first.

“Shall we go look at the stars for a moment?”

The child smiled.

“No.”

“…”

“There’s somewhere else I want to go.”

I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again. Without realizing it, I clenched my fist tightly.

The child, who was carefully observing the surroundings, had a little more hair now. As the wind blew across his shoulders, his black hair swayed gently, and I found it blinding.

Was it the brightness that dazzled me, or the cold that made my eyes sting?

The child quietly observed everything as if he didn’t want to forget a single thing. He carefully looked at every blade of grass, every tree, and every stone, before continuing to walk.

At the end of our steady walk, we entered the main hall.

It was the same auditorium where I had attended my first academy entrance ceremony. There were twelve chandeliers hanging down, and the stairs in front of the platform had seven steps. I remembered where I had stood.

…And I also remembered where Ruber had stood.

Ruber, dressed in the work-study student uniform, had been standing on the left side of the hall, alongside the other students, watching the new arrivals.

At that time, Ruber and Lucilla were the only top-class warriors among the students in the hall. I couldn’t take my eyes off the boy and girl who had reached the pinnacle of their skill so early in life.

For some reason, I stayed silent, feeling overwhelmed. Ruber smiled again.

“I first saw you here.”

“…”

I opened my mouth but closed it again. I hesitated, not knowing how to answer. A long sigh escaped me.

“You were a work-study student, right?”

“Haha, that’s right. Our eyes met.”

“…Yes.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off him because I was envious of how young and strong he had become.

Looking back, it’s embarrassing. I had envied this beautiful child… I didn’t know, after only two years, how precious he would become.

Ruber continued to speak, still smiling.

“You were the first person I saw glaring at me like that. I was so surprised.”

“…I wasn’t glaring.”

“It was funny, and it was fascinating, too…”

I felt as if my tongue was being twisted inside my mouth. I felt nervous.

What if the child says he likes me? I wasn’t prepared to answer. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to lose him, and I wasn’t confident in accepting his feelings fully.

I was afraid.

But Ruber did not bring up the words that would have embarrassed me. Instead, he smiled brightly, like a flower, and asked:

“Ah, it was really fun, wasn’t it?”

“…Ah…”

I wanted to respond, but my breath trembled, and I couldn’t make a proper sound. I cleared my throat. Ruber silently waited until I was calm enough to speak. I tried to make a smiling face.

However, I still found it hard to gauge my own expression.

“Yes. …It was very enjoyable. Thanks to you, senior.”

“I had fun too. After I graduate, let’s keep getting along, just like now.”

I looked at the hand that was suddenly extended toward me. I took it.

His hand, dampened by tension, was warm.

I learned the greeting and affection expressed by a handshake.

However, the trembling in my fingertips was something I didn’t know. I didn’t understand it. I had never heard a plea to promise the next time, with a smile on a face, while trembling hands held on tightly.

I want to protect him.

That thought suddenly welled up. I wanted to protect him. I desperately wished that this child would never lose his smile.

A black and pitiful bird flew deep into my chest and settled on my heart. Every time I felt this, it seemed like my throat was itching, as if I might cough.

Ruber cautiously pulled his hand away. When I realized that I had held his hand so tightly that it left a red mark, I wanted to apologize, but Ruber was quicker.

“Would it be okay if I ruffled your hair, Yeong-sik?”

“…Yes.”

His hand gently touched my hair.

It was only for a moment, a simple motion from top to bottom, but it was light and careful, and yet it felt like it was scraping the inside of my chest.

I stared at Ruber’s face in a daze. I was worried he might cry, but he wasn’t crying at all.

Ruber was still smiling, and I was the one who wanted to cry.

We stayed in the main hall for about thirty minutes.

He suggested we go eat, so I followed. We sat across from each other at the Owen-style restaurant, sharing a meal just like before. This time, I ate the herbs Ruber couldn’t eat.

We talked about classes that would be good to take next year, about past assignments, and my friends. Ruber acted as usual, and I did too.

After the outing, I walked Ruber to the door of the third-year dormitory. Instead of his usual cheerful “See you tomorrow,” Ruber said something different.

“I’m going to the Imperial Palace tomorrow morning, so I won’t be at the library.”

“…I see.”

“Contact me in December, if you have time.”

“Yes. I will.”

The smiling child then leaned forward, asking me to ruffle his hair.

I gently petted his soft, almost melting hair, feeling a sudden sense of loss. The grief surged up inside me, filling my chest.

Familiar with receiving affection and accustomed to lifting his head afterward, Ruber smiled again.

“Good night.”

“Good night, senior.”

I couldn’t believe how much my heart kept fluttering.

***

Sunday morning.

For the first time since I was born and began wielding a sword, I did not go to the training ground. I couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning for hours, staying awake through the night. Lying in the soft, cozy bed, I was squeezing a crow-shaped doll.

The doll, which I kept fiddling with, had become shiny with the wear of my hands. I often rubbed between its black eyes with my thumb. The sparkling seemed to resemble Ruber.

A servant child who looked after my duties peeked into my room and brought me a message.

“…Professor Sanson?”

“Yes. Professor Ernhardt said to stop by his office sometime today when it’s convenient for you.”

I checked the time.

It was already well past noon. I was surprised since Maestro Mello Sanson had never called me separately before, but my respect for him was always deep and unwavering.

I tried to shake off my uneasy feelings and stood up.

“Could you let him know that I’ll visit in two hours?”

“Yes, I will.”

I watched the servant bow and leave, then glanced at the mirror across the room. My disheveled appearance didn’t sit well with me, so I sat back down on the floor under the bed.

After calming my mind with some morning exercises and refreshing myself with cold water, I was able to make my way to Maestro Mello Sanson’s office.

Usually, when I had business with him, we’d meet in the training grounds, so this felt very unfamiliar.

Sanson’s office was filled with various well-used weapons, each placed on a sturdy stand. Aside from a large sofa and a table placed in the center of the room, there was no sign of a desk or bookshelves.

“Yo.”

“Yes, Professor. You called for me?”

“Yeah. I wanted to praise our hard-working Mikael a bit… and also ask you a favor.”

A favor? What could he possibly want from me?

I was taken aback and sat in the seat he offered. Instead of tea, he offered me strawberry juice from the academy cafeteria, which I gladly accepted since I liked it.

After watching me drink a few sips of juice, Sanson spoke.

“You’ve really been working hard, haven’t you?”

“…Yes…?”

“Do you plan to take all my classes again next year?”

“Yes.”

Sanson fell silent for a moment before he asked again, his face trying to suppress a smile.

“Even though I’m teaching both beginner and advanced swordsmanship next year?”

“…”

“I’m telling you not to. You won’t learn anything in the beginner class.”

I felt a bit hurt and fiddled with the juice glass in my hand, not knowing how to respond.

Sanson finally couldn’t hold in his laughter and chuckled loudly, sinking into the sofa. The large frame of his body made the furniture creak as it moved backward.

“Instead, I’ll give you my afternoon time.”

“…Yes?”

Sanson pulled out several pieces of paper, just as if he had been preparing this.

The papers were filled with the schedules of the last two years, each semester, listing the courses, the credits assigned, and my scores.

Seeing my confusion, Sanson handed over a graduation requirement document as well.

“Thanks to all the extra classes you’ve taken each semester, you’ve accumulated enough credits to graduate. I teach only in the mornings, and in the afternoons, I like to take care of energetic kids like you.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes, I’m planning to create a special class where your credits will count. Professor Mustang is also eyeing you. You’ll take advanced swordsmanship classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings, and in the afternoons, Professor Douglas and I have agreed to each teach you. You’ll get credits based on the hours, and the content will be closer to private tutoring. How about it, do you want to do it?”

It was an incredibly generous and exciting offer. I couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp. Trying not to show too much excitement like a child, I nodded carefully.

“Yes, I’d love to.”

“Great. Then, we’ll arrange the days with Professor Mustang…”

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I have a class with Professor Wilton Roberts on Wednesdays…”

“Wilton Roberts? The one who teaches magic?”

“Yes.”

Sanson paused for a moment, then laughed heartily, realizing I now had an unexpected rival. “Don’t worry,” he said, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat, and smiled brightly.