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

In the fourth week of the month with exams, there were many instances of canceled classes.

One of them was the Magic Equipment and Artifacts class, which I attended every Monday afternoon. During this free time, I knew exactly what I had planned to do.

As soon as the beginner swordsmanship class ended, I asked Maelo Sanson if I could meet him privately in the afternoon.

“Even though we see each other every day, do you really miss me that much?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, well…”

Wasn’t it natural? I responded immediately, and as usual, Sanson gave me a playful grin and agreed to make time for me. I was grateful.

For some time now, I had been attempting to deconstruct the Cheongcheon Muai Sword Technique, removing unnecessary movements and recombining it with other sword forms to gradually create a new technique.

However, all swordsmanship is designed to move in various directions according to the situation. So, even if something is added or removed from the original form, it is merely a derivative and never the original source.

To create a true sword technique, I needed a foundation—a philosophy or temperament.

Just as the sword of Namgung imitates the heavens, the sword of Hwasan mimics the sheer cliffs and plum blossoms, and the sword of Jongnam is based on the heavy stones and rocky mountains, I too had to find a basis for my sword style.

My foundation was the world itself. I modeled it after the concept of Seoreon.

I had always looked to the sky. Now, I wanted to look down at the earth.

I wanted to descend from the heavens and sweep over the vast, compassionate land, reflecting on myself.

When descending from above, I intended to strike fiercely, like a lightning bolt, just as I did when I was first born into this land. When sweeping the ground, I wanted it to be gentle and warm, almost secretive. When returning to myself, it needed to embody a steady purpose.

The flow from the first to the fifth technique followed this concept. Sanson, observing my movements carefully, soon demonstrated the same technique using his own body. Quickly, slowly, and then even slower.

Watching the sword forms of a seasoned master, I was able to immediately identify areas of weakness.

“In the second technique…”

“In the second technique.”

We both simultaneously pointed it out, and then laughed.

As I stood in a listening posture, Sanson continued.

“Striking downward quickly is fine, but the posture places a lot of strain on the wrist. Even if you’re creating a sword style that suits you perfectly, it’s not good for one part of the body to bear too much pressure. If your goal is to teach others, this should be corrected.”

“Yes.”

“Also, about the motion where you sweep down… Honestly, I don’t quite understand. Mika, is this sword form designed for combat with people? At this height, only monsters like orcs might have their ankles snapped, but I’m not sure.”

I hesitated for a moment before answering quietly.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“…I… I’m not sure.”

“Don’t be too afraid of people.”

Sanson’s words startled me.

Understanding often strikes like a flash of lightning. I realized that I feared people more than monsters.

The monsters in those high mountains might invade and harm my people, but Seoreon was a powerful and just empire. I had always thought it easier for someone close to betray me and draw a sword.

I had killed many people and had been killed by others. Since I had never encountered monsters, it was natural that my sword techniques, which I was creating, were aimed at people.

Though Seoreon tried to shape me, it was the heart of the Central Plains that shaped me.

I realized this only through Sanson’s words.

Sanson, patting my shoulder as if to comfort me, continued.

“Of course, that’s not a bad thing. Outside Seoreon, combat between people does happen often. Your sword style is more lethal than the ones you used before… Anyway, the overall structure is not bad, so let’s refine it step by step.”

“Yes.”

Since I came from the Central Plains, I never possessed a sharp mind or a body made of iron.

I simply accumulated fame and skill steadily by doing what I needed to do, day in and day out.

Like a stone tower built with small stones, stacked tightly and carefully, but not grandly, my sword style shaped me.

Even now, that was how it was.

The flashy image of swiftly bringing down a sword to create a new technique did not suit me.

Step by step, I calmly calculated the precise angles of my hands and feet, weaving them together like threads, twisting and intertwining them carefully.

As he had done before, Maelo Sanson took a break after practicing each form for a while.

Every two hours, we would take a thirty-minute break, during which we would chat. Naturally, we began talking about internal energy cultivation and breathing techniques.

I had been silent about these topics before, as I lacked the means to explain them. But recently, thanks to Douglas and Boulder, I had learned how to explain them in Seoreon’s language, which made the explanations easier.

Sanson, after hearing this, made a thoughtful sound and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then laughed.

“I remember hearing this from Professor Mustang last semester, but I completely forgot. Since we never managed to sync up… Right, are you calling that mage every Tuesday?”

“Yes. Every Tuesday afternoon, I teach breathing techniques to Professor Mustang and Mage Boulder… or we work on documenting the breathing techniques.”

“Then, could I lend a hand tomorrow?”

“Yes, of course. I should be the one asking you for help.”

I felt it was a good decision to bring it up, and I couldn’t help but smile.

After training all day—morning, afternoon, and even the early hours of the day—I was completely exhausted by the time dinner came around.

Although I had much better stamina than my peers thanks to consistent training, my body had not yet reached its full potential. Repeating the high-difficulty sword forms had built up fatigue.

I was heading to wash up quickly before dinner when the door to the next room suddenly opened, and Shaiden poked his head out.

“Mika! You’re just coming in now?”

“Hmm. Did you eat?”

“No, I was waiting for you. Hurry up and wash up!”

“Alright.”

Shaiden was such a warm-hearted kid.

Not wanting to see him go hungry, I quickly washed off the fatigue. After finishing my meal, I decided to practice breathing techniques and maybe do some stretching to relieve the stress.

* * *

However, life doesn’t always go according to plan.

Instead of heading to the dining hall, Shaiden pulled me into his room.

I was surprised for three reasons.

The first was that Shaiden’s room was filled with flowers and paper decorations I had never seen before. The second was that there were not just close friends, but even some unfamiliar boys and girls crowded into the room.

And the third reason was…

“Happy birthday, Mika!”

“Happy birthday, Ernhardt Young Master!”

I was taken aback by the sight of a large chocolate cake on the table.

I quickly checked the date. Of course. It was a cool season, not too hot or too cold. I had completely forgotten that the last week of September was when we always threw big parties to celebrate.

It made sense, though, because I had heard that during academy years, there wouldn’t be a birthday party. A birthday party without the birthday person didn’t seem fitting, and since most nobles at the academy went through the same experience, a big ceremony would be held after graduation for the first birthday as an adult.

As I stood there, stunned, the kids pulled me over to the cake.

They sang loudly, just like the parties at the Ernhardt family, and handed me a long knife to cut the cake.

In a daze, I cut the cake and handed pieces to the kids.

Shaiden, who had stayed by my side, chattered happily.

“Actually, your birthday is tomorrow, but I figured you wouldn’t come out if we called you right at midnight, so we did it early. It was perfect to celebrate after the exams, when everyone had some free time.”

“…Ah…”

“Why do you look like that? You really didn’t know?”

“Hmm.”

I looked around the room.

It seemed like the decorations, which were skillfully done by the servants and helped along by the kids, had some imperfections, but that only made it more touching.

I accepted small gifts or cards from the children, thanking them each time.

For nearly a year, I hadn’t thought to celebrate other kids’ birthdays, so I felt embarrassed to receive all these gifts without having given anything in return.

Some of the children joked that they would invite me to their birthday parties next year, and I made a promise, crossing my fingers, to attend.

Later, I decided to ask Shaiden to make a birthday list for me. I thought that sharing this kind of affection would be enjoyable, and it made me feel happy, not bothered.

Several auxiliary tables were set around the main table, stacked with various foods.

The dishes were placed on large plates, and all the kids laughed and chatted as they shared the food.

I saw the grape beverage I had tasted when I won the duel against Kiadris. It had become more familiar and comforting, so I made a mental note to get a few bottles for myself.

There weren’t enough chairs, so some of us sat on the floor or leaned against the walls, but with delicious food and friends of my age, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

We even moved a sofa aside and sat in a circle on the floor, chatting, eating, and clinking our glasses filled with drinks.

After filling our bellies, we placed our empty plates on the table and began dancing together.

The boys might not have minded, but I was a little hesitant to hold hands with the girls, so I tried to hide myself. The children’s laughter grew louder.

I kept explaining that it wasn’t because I was shy, but because I wasn’t good at dancing, several times.

The kids opened their presents and tried them on.

Most of the gifts were simple toys that kids could easily find, but I thought they were perfectly fine.

Later, Damian hinted that there was a limit on the price of gifts, and I thanked him for it. It was a proper gift for friends, not one from family to family.

As the night wore on and past midnight, everyone was so energetic that they didn’t want to go back to their rooms. However, thirty minutes after midnight, the dormitory supervisor came and sent the kids back.

I learned that it wasn’t usually allowed for girls to enter the boys’ dormitory, but the kids had begged and pleaded to make an exception for the birthday party. I felt deeply grateful for this.

The young dormitory supervisor, who was just over twenty, glanced around the room once, then told Shaiden to have the servants come tomorrow and advised everyone to sleep early.

She patted my shoulder twice and smiled at me.

“Happy birthday, Ernhardt Young Master.”

“Thank you, Miss Dormitory Supervisor.”

I was filled with gratitude and bowed politely. She laughed loudly and wished me again before opening my door.

For some reason, my chest fluttered as I drifted off to sleep.