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

The first thing that came up was the question about the Orgen family.

Not yet having found my senior’s name in the Noble Yearbook class, I shook my head. Shayden sighed deeply, as if to say, “Of course you wouldn’t know,” and began explaining it step by step.

Anyone with a family name was considered a noble, and nobles were naturally recorded in the Noble Yearbook.

If someone wanted to keep a shameful incident or scandal from becoming public, they could pay a certain fee to have it excluded from the published Noble Yearbook.

However, if someone carried the title of nobility, it was expected and natural for them to know things like who married whom or who was born when they looked through the Yearbook.

But the Orgen family was different.

It was a story from several generations ago.

Orgen, who had sided with the mad emperor and led the charge against the noble families, was once a very powerful family. However, after they fled, there was no trace of them left. Since many families had fled during that time, the Orgen name was easily forgotten.

Now, the surname had become virtually meaningless, and people thought that anyone who claimed to be an Orgen would be lying.

And then Walter Orgen entered the Shearon Academy, carrying the Orgen name.

At just fifteen years old, Walter Orgen’s ability to maintain his noble title was put to the test.

Such matters were handled by the department that managed the Noble Yearbook.

Calypso Agrizent, at that time, was also working as a professor while overseeing that department. As Walter Orgen was a student at the academy, it was Calypso’s job to investigate the Orgen family.

Upon hearing this, I began to feel calm, as if I were in a lecture, and I was able to think clearly.

“…What does this have to do with the two becoming lovers?”

“Well, love always blooms suddenly, unexpectedly, and from places you don’t think of, right?”

“…”

So that’s why they fought… and ended up like this? It sounded like nonsense to me.

“…So?”

“During the time when Professor Calypso was observing Orgen-senpai… you know, he’s in the fencing club, right? Apparently, he noticed the tailing quite easily. But, senpai…”

“Yes?”

“…Professor Calypso kept saying that Orgen-senpai was watching him because he liked him.”

“What?”

I was stunned.

It was unbelievable. The Walter Orgen I knew was a cheerful and kind-hearted man. He was not the type to make up such stories.

Perhaps my surprise was too obvious, as Shayden patted my shoulder and offered me some tea. After taking a sip, he asked again.

“What does that mean?”

“Listen. Well… apparently, from Orgen-senpai’s perspective, there was a reason for such a claim. The Orgen family had fallen, and Walter Orgen had a rough upbringing. His parents were both unfaithful, and he had many half-siblings, so the only inheritance he had left was the title and name, which were just a facade.”

“…So?”

“So, he found it really strange that Professor Calypso kept looking at him and following him. He asked a close friend about it—’Why does that professor keep looking at me?’ His friend told him, ‘Maybe he likes you.'”

“No.”

“So, after thinking it over, senpai figured that since Professor Calypso looked young, the age difference wasn’t a big issue. He had a stable job, looked the part, and most importantly, he was showing so much love for him. How could he turn it down? So, he made a move, but then Professor Calypso told him to finish his studies before confessing.”

“No…!”

“But when he confessed after graduating, the professor didn’t accept it. From the professor’s point of view, it was natural. After all, he was a freshly graduated academy student… and he probably hadn’t taken it seriously from the start. By that point, the investigation into the Orgen family was almost finished.”

I took another sip of my tea. I was feeling frustrated. Shayden laughed lightly.

“Then Orgen-senpai postponed his graduation.”

“…How do you, or rather, how does Logan know about all of this?”

“Seems like… since the problem between them grew bigger, they probably held a small hearing… since it was an issue between a professor and a student, the academy got involved… and that’s how the story leaked. Apparently, everyone who knew, knew about it.”

I recalled the times when Walter Orgen had been losing in sparring matches. Myelo Sanson would have known about his slight faltering movements with the sword.

So, had he already surpassed the level of a top-tier swordsman? At the very least, he must have reached a peak level.

Now I understood the reason behind their fight. The professor had been insisting on graduation, while the student kept begging for his love to be returned.

But even then, was the confrontation voluntary? Wasn’t that an imposed action?

My head was a mess. Since Shayden was hesitating to say something, I urged him to continue.

“Well, I’m rooting for Orgen-senpai, you know?”

“…Why?”

“At the hearing, there were several professors including Calypso, the principal, the vice-principal, and some of Orgen-senpai’s friends. During the hearing, Orgen-senpai stood up, and while tears were falling, he asked the professor…”

“What did he say?”

“He asked, ‘Do you really not love me at all?’”

“Ahhh…”

“But Calypso couldn’t answer him.”

It was a ridiculous situation. I was stunned.

“So that means he didn’t like him, right?”

“No, not exactly! He’s saying that even he doesn’t know his own feelings, right?”

“Then why would he create such a scene in front of everyone like that?”

“How should I know?”

…That was true. I fell silent.

“Anyway, Professor Calypso made it public that they weren’t in a relationship, and Orgen-senpai’s request to postpone his graduation was approved, so he stayed at the academy for another year.”

“Right.”

“After that, Orgen-senpai openly started following Calypso around. Even though the professor didn’t like him, Orgen-senpai kept pursuing him because he liked the professor. …For two years, postponing his graduation.”

“What a crazy guy.”

Shayden looked at me, wide-eyed in surprise. I wasn’t someone who usually swore. I cleared my throat and told him to keep going.

Shayden gave an awkward smile and finished his story.

“It’s the love story of the century… Anyway, that’s all I know. Now, they’re almost officially considered a couple.”

So, it meant that Orgen had succeeded in his pursuit after chasing after the professor for so long.

But I still didn’t understand why I had witnessed such a scene earlier. My mind was troubled by it, and then Shayden asked what I had seen.

I hesitated before answering.

“They were just… behind the building.”

“Behind the building?”

“…Having a big fight.”

“Ah… I guess it’s probably because Orgen-senpai postponed his graduation again? After all, the academy is just a stepping stone. From Professor Calypso’s side, it might feel like he’s unintentionally holding Orgen-senpai back, which could be burdensome.”

“Why not just graduate and become a knight in the palace?”

“Well… I’ve heard that to work in the palace without any family backing, you need at least a few years of service in the Yuil Mountain Range. Usually, after graduating from the academy and undergoing practical training, once their skills improve, they join the Royal Knights as a common path.”

“…”

“If you suddenly get distanced like that… if I were Orgen-senpai, I’d feel anxious. Honestly, I’m not sure at our age, but after turning twenty, most people tend to avoid long-distance relationships. For marriage to work, your living environments have to overlap to some extent.”

“…But they’re both men, so they can’t get married, right?”

“That’s probably why. If they break up now, they won’t be able to share a surname anymore. There’s a growing public opinion that the empire’s laws should change, but it’s still far from being implemented.”

“…”

I was surprised that there was a public opinion pushing for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

I must be getting old and set in my ways. No, it was because such things didn’t happen in the Central Plains. It was an area I had never considered before.

Shayden, knowing that upperclassmen mostly knew about such stories but kept quiet, asked me not to spread the conversation elsewhere.

I thanked him for telling me and was about to leave his reception room when I suddenly checked the time.

Oops.

I had the Empire’s genealogy class and practical swordsmanship class scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

In all the shock and confusion, I had just realized that I missed the swordsmanship class.

When the timetable for the semester was set, I had expressed regret about not being able to attend a class I was particularly interested in, and three students who had been selected through a lottery had given up their slots for me. It was very embarrassing to have missed such an important class on the first day.

I hurried to the swordsmanship training hall.

***

It was the last hour of the three-hour class.

Wilton Roberts looked me up and down when I entered the training hall late and checked the time. I couldn’t bring myself to look up from embarrassment and guilt.

“Mikael Ernhardt. Didn’t you attend this class last semester too?”

“…I felt I was lacking in skill, so I wanted to receive a bit more teaching from you, Professor. I’m truly sorry for being late today.”

“I see. This semester, it’s number 10. You’ll have four chances after one person, so wait your turn.”

“Yes!”

Fortunately, the class content was the same as last semester, so I didn’t need to ask for a repeat explanation.

I quietly waited for my turn and stood in front of the 10-meter target when it was my turn.

The professor had said we should see how much practice we did during the break, which made me nervous. I focused, straightened my gaze, and used my elbow, making sure my shoulder didn’t shake.

As soon as I threw the dagger, Roberts let out a cold smile.

“I don’t even need to watch to know what swordsmanship you’re using, Mikael Ernhardt.”

“…What?”

“You’re using Flash Sword. It’s a speed-oriented, flashy style, emphasizing steps. The speed was fine, but the dagger hit slightly above where you were aiming, so that wasn’t intentional, was it?”

My face flushed from embarrassment.

I marveled at how Roberts, with a single glance, instantly understood the slight change in the angle and speed of the dagger I had adjusted to practice the technique of “Cheongcheon’s Way” during the winter break.

After a few more chuckles, Roberts stood and threw the dagger in a way that mirrored mine.

His breathing, the angle of his wrist, his shoulder, and even his gaze were exactly the same as mine.

I breathed in rhythm with the “Cheonggungdaeyeonshin” method. There were specific rules for the timing of each breath. It was astounding that Roberts could mimic my actions so easily after just watching me a few times.

I had never seen anyone from Shyeron who could breathe in the exact same way as me, and I widened my eyes in amazement.

“See, when you do it this way, the dagger naturally rides the wind. You used a lot of your wrist, so it works like this…”

Still in shock, I followed Roberts’ instructions. The dagger flew into the sky as if it carried the wind with it. My troubled mind, which had been in turmoil all day, melted away into the graceful movement of the dagger.