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

From Saturday morning, I immersed myself in making potions with the others in the alchemy classroom.

Instead of submitting a report, we had to submit the results of our completed potions to Cedric by Saturday of that week.

Despite failing twice, I succeeded on the third attempt and was satisfied with the result.

After having tried a few times, it was no longer difficult to pour the ingredients into the flask according to the measurements or weigh them out to ensure a precise amount.

The others and I clapped each other on the back several times, praising each other for our work.

When we greeted each other, we shook hands, when we met someone dear to us, we placed a hand on their arm or shoulder, and when something good happened, we clapped hands loudly. These things sometimes felt awkward or unfamiliar, but I didn’t mind them.

After submitting the potion and busying ourselves with praising each other and making jokes, we arrived at the library closer to dinner time, rather than lunch.

Ruber was sitting at the large table, studying as usual, so I dropped my bag and greeted him with a look.

“When did you get here?”

“Oh, just a little while ago. …Were you busy this morning?”

“I was finishing up some homework I missed yesterday and had to run to the classroom.”

Just then, Ruber’s stomach growled loudly.

Seeing his pale face turn red, I couldn’t help but laugh.

He said he had just arrived, but clearly, he hadn’t eaten lunch and had been sitting here studying since the morning.

Even though he was busy, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. It wasn’t even exam period; why was he sitting here starving?

“…It’s a little early, but how about we grab a meal?”

“Oh, no! It’s fine!”

Growl. Once again, Ruber’s stomach made a painful sound.

Swallowing my laughter, I looked at him and then grabbed my bag again, slinging it over my shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

It was already a few hours past lunchtime. Thinking of how he had been sitting here studying without eating, I felt both sorry for and impressed by him.

I knew there wouldn’t be food ready in the dining hall, so I took him to the cafeteria.

I ordered a sandwich and some bitter tea for him, and a strawberry cake and lemonade for myself, and we enjoyed the breeze outside.

Every table in the wide outdoor area had a canopy, and the autumn sunlight shining through was warm. I occasionally glanced at Ruber’s red cheeks and ears as he ate silently, his head bowed.

Then I realized that he had probably been waiting for me in the library all this time.

I knew that Ruber didn’t have many friends and liked to spend weekends with me, but I hadn’t considered that he might have waited for me on an empty stomach.

A wave of guilt hit me.

A child should be well-fed and well-rested, after all. Why was I worrying so much?

But I knew that if I pointed this out, he would deny it, saying he wasn’t uncomfortable.

After he finished the sandwich, I picked a strawberry from my cake and held it out to him.

“…Huh?”

“Here. Eat.”

“Ah, …Hmm. Okay. Thanks.”

Ruber smiled gently as he opened his mouth and ate the strawberry.

Seeing his face brighten, I was relieved that he liked fruit.

I quickly covered up my guilt and, after finishing the meal, realized only about thirty minutes had passed since we had sat down.

As I stood up, ready to return to the library, Ruber immediately grabbed my sleeve.

“Shall we take a short walk before going back?”

“…Huh?”

“…”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

I wondered if something urgent had come up, as he spoke without taking a breath, but then I realized how hard he had worked just to say that. It made me laugh.

Seeing me laugh, Ruber’s face turned bright red again, much like the strawberry he had just eaten.

Since this month’s camping report wasn’t required, I had more free time than usual. I couldn’t bring myself to turn down his request, so we walked side by side.

It was the pond again.

The Sherron Academy had many places to rest and sit, but for some reason, whenever I walked with Ruber, we always seemed to head toward this small bridge. We leaned on the railing and looked down below.

A school of fish rushed toward the surface at the sight of a shadow, thinking it was food, only to swim away when they realized it wasn’t.

A cool breeze tickled the back of my neck. I could hear someone laughing in the distance. I thought it was probably Lucilla playing with a ball, and Ruber furrowed his brow, complaining that even though she was his younger sister, she had too much energy.

“It’s good to have plenty of energy.”

“Too much of anything should be just enough…”

“Ruber-senpai is always so weak, it’s worrying.”

“…Me?”

Among the younger ones around me, he was the weakest.

I wasn’t sure if he only looked that way in front of me or if he was always like that, but it was true.

It seemed strange, considering how strong and lean his arms were when he wielded a sword.

Perhaps Ruber had realized it himself, as he asked again, “Me?” several times. I could tell he was a little embarrassed, so I just shrugged it off and didn’t push the matter.

I leaned against the railing and looked up at the boy’s face.

Sitting side by side might have felt comfortable, but thinking that I couldn’t look at his face so closely made me feel that this moment, standing together, might be better.

Even when I quietly observed him, I didn’t have the skill to read what he wanted to say from his expression. In the end, I asked it out loud.

“What did you want to say?”

“…”

“Senpai?”

“Uh? Uh… No, it’s just… I was just full and wanted to take a walk. It’s nothing serious…”

“I see.”

As he turned his gaze down at the pond, I too looked up at the distant sky.

Leaning against the railing, listening to the splash of fish swimming beneath us, I didn’t rush him and just took my time.

Ruber cleared his throat a few times, then, in a tired voice, called my name.

“…Ernhardt Young-sik.”

“Yes.”

“Soon, it will be November.”

“That’s right.”

“Then it will be exam time…”

“Probably.”

“…After the exams, I’ll be going home.”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t tell what he was trying to say, dragging it out like this. Still leaning on the railing, I turned my head slightly to look at his profile.

With his eyes cast downward, Ruber whispered without looking at me.

“…Before I leave, can you… look at my face just once before you go?”

“Uh?”

I was momentarily dumbfounded, not understanding why it had to be like that.

I straightened up. Ruber still didn’t lift his gaze from the pond. I could sense the tension in his hand, tightly gripping the railing.

“Why?”

“…Because… during the break, we won’t see each other for a while. That… ”

I briefly recalled if I had gone on a trip during the summer break without seeing him.

At that time, I thought Ruber had asked me out for a walk, though I couldn’t quite remember. My memory was a little hazy, so I nodded.

“Well, okay.”

It wasn’t a difficult thing to agree to, but Ruber’s face lit up like a flower, which surprised me.

He couldn’t hide his joy, and as he looked at me shyly, he nodded.

I had always thought of him as a crow, but seeing him now, he looked more like a puppy seeking attention.

I told him not to skip lunch on Sunday and to meet me afterward, patting his back a couple of times as he nodded obediently.

It felt strange, for some reason.

* * *

It was the Monday of the fourth week of October.

During beginner swordsmanship class, as the students started sparring with each other, I began to learn more about Benjamin.

In advanced swordsmanship, since there were many top-tier martial artists, we didn’t have much time to spar one-on-one with Benjamin. But in beginner swordsmanship, we had no choice but to spar against each other.

As I became more accustomed to crossing swords, I started to anticipate the direction of his strikes even before drawing my own sword.

Even when we researched new sword techniques to outsmart each other, it was funny and enjoyable to see how easily I could block them now, knowing what to expect.

The more I learned about his swordplay, the more my own style began to resemble his.

When we first started sparring, we did it with light hearts, but after just a few clashes, Benjamin began to strike with genuine intent, and I found it harder to dismiss his blows. I too became more serious in the sparring.

When we clashed blades once, I heard the ringing of metal. After two clashes, my elbow throbbed with pain.

We stepped back and caught our breath.

We both knew that if we tried to compete with sheer strength, neither of us would win, so when Benjamin and I sparred seriously, we often used swift sword techniques instead of heavy strikes.

To counter a sword descending like lightning, I couldn’t afford to blink or take anything lightly.

It was hard to tell whether he was wielding a one-handed or a two-handed sword. The power in his arm was that incredible.

When he made a diagonal strike from the lower left to the upper right, I didn’t block it with strength but instead, with our swords still locked, I jumped into the air.

I rose as high as this bridge and shot toward him like an arrow. Swinging my sword with a wide rotation, I struck his sword sharply.

With a loud *clang*, he staggered back two steps.

His wide-open eyes were cute and amusing, and I laughed out loud.

Those who had never been overpowered by force often didn’t know how to handle it when they received more strength than they expected.

I stood in front of him as he lowered his sword, acknowledging the win.

“How did you do that?”

“What do you mean?”

“You completely changed direction in mid-air without even planting your feet… How did you do it?”

“Right. Earlier, when Sir Claudian swung his sword, didn’t he put the weight on his left foot and focus the force on the middle of the sword’s blade?”

I stood next to him and mimicked his movements as I explained. From the distance, Maelo Sanson was smiling happily as he watched.