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

It was Thursday morning.

Normally, I would wake up early every day, walk around the training grounds behind the dormitory, perform my breathing exercises, shower, and then head to the large training grounds to wait for Maelo Sanson, arriving thirty minutes before the swordsmanship class began.

That was my routine until now.

But today, I found myself hesitating halfway to the training grounds, embarrassed to face Walter Orgen.

I knew the other students, who were also taking advanced swordsmanship, would be waiting for me, but the things I saw at lunch yesterday were not easily forgotten, making me feel uncertain.

No, it wasn’t my fault. It was the fault of the people who did such things on a public path, so I shouldn’t be embarrassed. Even though I tried to convince myself, it wasn’t easy to take the first step.

Then, a familiar voice called out to me.

“Hey, kid. We’ve got something to talk about, don’t we?”

“…”

I couldn’t say yes or no and looked up at Walter, who had placed his arm around my shoulder.

As always, his long hair was neatly braided and secured at the back of his head. He smiled warmly and led me along.

It was clear that he had expected me to come out early and had been waiting for me.

He led me behind the small warehouse next to the training grounds, where he removed his hand from my shoulder and surprisingly apologized in a polite manner.

“First off, I’m sorry for making you see that unpleasant scene.”

“Eh? No, no… It’s fine.”

“I didn’t even think to check on you yesterday. You were so shocked, you almost crawled away. You didn’t get lost, did you?”

“Of course not…”

Walter Orgen smiled brightly.

His eyes, which curved slightly upward, had always made him seem like a pleasant person, but today, for some reason, I found his smile to be somewhat mischievous.

I hesitated for a moment, but since his attitude was so casual, I decided to act confidently as well.

“Were you two fighting yesterday?”

“Well, you could say that.”

“…I see.”

“No need to look so stiff. I’m really fine. I’m the type of person who wants to spread the word that you’re mine, whether you like it or not.”

Mine.

The word made me think of Calypse Agrizent’s passionate expression, and I felt a little uncomfortable. Seeing someone deliberately use a term that their partner doesn’t like, it seemed Walter had more of a mischievous side than I initially thought.

Lost in that thought, I was standing there blankly when Walter tapped my shoulder and smiled again. His bright smile, with his even, white teeth, gave him a warm impression.

“We’ll start class soon. We can talk more later. Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t a big deal.”

“…Ah, okay.”

What more could there be to say? I had apologized, and he had accepted it.

If there was something he wanted to tell me not to mention to others, I wished he would say it now. I wasn’t the kind of person who would easily repeat such words.

In today’s advanced swordsmanship class, Ruber and Lucilla stepped into the sparring ring. My mind, filled with the scenes and conversations I had briefly forgotten while throwing daggers yesterday, was too cluttered to focus on the sparring.

Then, I suddenly realized something.

Was it because I was living in Shyeron? Why was I so interested in the love lives of others?

I had lived for several decades without ever understanding love or romantic feelings, yet I had lived quite well. I felt fulfilled by simply eradicating evil and assisting my family and mentors with a calm and peaceful heart.

I wondered if my body had become younger, whether my mind had also grown younger. But then, I thought, no matter what, I shouldn’t let my thoughts become as immature as my body, and I couldn’t help but click my tongue in disapproval.

In today’s sparring, Lucilla won.

Ruber, with a somewhat sulky expression, came running over to me and started talking about how many mistakes he had made during the sparring, expressing his concern.

However, I hadn’t really seen the sparring in detail, so I couldn’t offer any commentary. I simply told him it was fine and that he had done well, but this only made the sulking boy sulk even more.

Seeing him so pitiful, I promised that next time I would make sure to watch and cheer him on, even shaking on it with my pinky finger.

It wasn’t like I was taking care of a child in a performance, but the way he acted was so endearing that I couldn’t help but indulge him.

Since I was with my friends, I found it difficult to make time for Walter after class. Especially since there were things I couldn’t talk about in front of others, it made it even harder.

Having made a promise to talk later, I exchanged a brief nod with him and then moved with my friends to the dining hall.

Still, deep down, I was relieved that Walter, being a reasonable person, didn’t say anything that would embarrass me.

I knew I wouldn’t have been able to endure if he had said something inappropriate and would have run off right then and there.

My mind was still in turmoil.

***

Thursday afternoon.

The sound of Mage Boulder’s whining was so loud, it was more unbearable than the screaming of the Penga men, and I covered my ears.

It had been a long time since I had seen Boulder after the winter break. It was uncomfortable to hear the middle-aged man complain in a whiny, childish voice.

“Why! Why did you just leave it like that? The creation of unmoving mana crystals has been something found in previous mana collection processes, so it was obvious this would happen! This time, we could’ve avoided randomly creating mana crystals by using the Middle-stage techniques without performing the Qi-breathing exercises, or we could’ve used a potion to keep the mana we captured in a steady flow without creating crystals!”

“Ah… yes.”

“How was your break, huh? Was it fun? Exciting? I bet you were happy!”

“Yes.”

“Pretend to listen at least! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you these past two months?!”

“So, what should I do first?”

Douglas swallowed his laughter and briefly stared at the ceiling.

After a few more sharp words from Boulder, he quickly opened the stack of documents he had brought with him.

Half of the words written in the report were ones I didn’t understand even after hearing explanations, but half of them, with some explanation, were things I could understand.

And the remaining part was the problem and homework I had to solve.

Finally, the damn golem stopped its Qi-breathing exercises.

Boulder pulled the mana stones from the golem’s fingers and toes, then swiftly sliced open its chest with a sharp dagger.

Inside the golem’s middle stage, a blue orb about the size of a grown-up’s fist was nestled.

“See? This is the mana crystal that’s been forming since October through the Qi-breathing exercises. Before the winter break, it was only as small as a pinky nail, but now look how much it’s grown.”

Boulder rummaged through the golem’s insides, observing how the energy flowed, measuring the newly widened channels with a ruler.

I had gotten a little used to it by now and didn’t feel nauseous like I did at first. I just thought to myself, I should stay away from that ruler.

Now that I thought about it, I saw Ruber often, but I wondered if Edwin was doing alright.

Since our living spaces were so far apart, it was difficult to catch up with him even when I planned to.

Perhaps sensing I had momentarily lost focus, Boulder waved the mana crystal he was holding in front of me. I quickly pulled away from his wet hand, which was covered in some liquid I didn’t recognize.

It seemed like the time of playing around with the golem’s innards had finally ended. Thank goodness for that.

“The process of creating the first crystal was long, but once the seed was formed, I could see it growing day by day. The purity is higher than regular mana stones. It’s clear that the Qi-breathing exercise process greatly helps with mana collection.”

“Mana collection?”

“I’ve been saying it since earlier. The act of separating and gathering trace elements from various substances is called ‘collection,’ and in this case, it refers to drawing mana from the air and storing it within the body,” Boulder explained.

“Ah… So, what does ‘purity’ mean?” I asked.

“Do you remember when we were treated by the Jing Qi Doctor, and Professor Mustang and I expelled waste through our skin?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“In Sieron, we don’t use mana in that way. There’s nothing that acts like a filter or purification device. You just absorb what you can, and then release it in the same manner. This applies to both mages and knights,” Boulder continued.

“Right.”

“But when you practice Qi-breathing, the more you do it, the more you start to show a resistance to the impurities within your blood and mana itself,” he added.

“Since it’s an act of receiving the heavens’ righteous will,” I commented.

“Yes. Well… it sounds like religious talk, but it’s true,” Boulder said, with a hint of embarrassment.

Religious talk? Now that he mentioned it, I had never encountered any religious figures in Sieron. I had often heard about the Nine Gods’ creation myth, but I suddenly wondered where their temples were located. Did they use the power of the gods, or did they use mana?

Boulder was making a big effort to explain everything in a way I could understand.

I tried my best to listen, but I could clearly tell he was quite talkative. After a long while of him rambling, he finally got to the point.

“Right now, inside the lower abdomen of Ernheart, there’s a living and moving mana crystal. The problem is that what the golem creates is frozen mana, like a mana stone,” Boulder continued. “Ernheart believes the issue lies in the Qi-breathing process, where there’s no human will involved.”

“Yes.”

“So, starting today!” Boulder said, his enthusiasm growing.

“We, Mage Boulder and I, will take turns practicing Qi-breathing exercises,” Douglas interrupted, having been standing silently while Boulder went on.

With a bright smile, Boulder nodded eagerly, and I sighed deeply.

So it’s really happening.

I wasn’t too surprised, as I had been informed by Douglas earlier. Still, I was relieved that Boulder had insisted on taking the lead. As he gave his approval, I saw him cross his legs and place his hands on his knees.

“Is this the correct position?” he asked.

“Yes, but the hands should be more relaxed… make them round, as if holding an egg. Yes, keep your mouth closed, straighten your back, open your chest, and tilt your chin slightly, as if you’re looking up at the sky. You may close your eyes if you like,” I instructed.

Inside, I wondered how I could follow this precisely without having fully learned the correct rituals of the Archery Qigong method by just watching its shape and direction.

Indeed, Boulder spent thirty minutes struggling, then another thirty minutes spinning in circles. After an hour, he was crying and throwing a tantrum.

I felt so exhausted watching him that I started to feel dizzy.