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

I was left alone with Prince Ruber in the throwing knife practice area.

I was secretly relieved that he suggested staying behind to continue training instead of wasting time with unnecessary idle chatter.

When I mentioned this, Ruber nodded, wearing a bright smile on his pale face.

“I thought you’d say that, Ernhardt Young Master.”

“‘You thought I’d say that’…?”

“You really like learning new things. Especially when it’s something related to swordsmanship or martial arts. Since your skills have improved a little since last week, I thought you wouldn’t want to stop in the middle.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I briefly replied and got into position.

Sieron’s speech was naturally soft, but there was something about the boy’s unusually kind tone that felt endearing. A small smile escaped me.

I also appreciated his effort to consistently pay attention to me and show consideration.

Ruber, like a puppy bringing back a bone, handed me the throwing knife, making sure I gripped it correctly. He even corrected my fingers one by one, showing me how to hold it properly. It was a gesture I could do myself after repeating it dozens of times, which made me laugh once again.

After checking my posture, Ruber looked up at me and quickly stepped back. I threw the knife, and the sound of it hitting the target rang out. It landed just two inches off-center, but because I put so much force into the throw, about half of the blade was embedded in the target, making it hard to see.

“I prefer this over going out and playing,” I said.

“…I’m glad.”

“But, you’re only helping me and not really practicing anything yourself. Is that alright?”

“Eh? No, no. I mean… you know, there’s a saying that you learn while teaching, right? By watching your form, I’m reminding myself of the fundamentals—basic techniques. It’s really helpful for me.”

“Really?”

When I reached out, Ruber handed me another throwing knife.

Instead of taking it, I wrapped my hand around his wrist. I supported his wrist with my four fingers, turning the inside of his wrist upward and pressing my thumb on the pulse.

It would have seemed rude in Central China, but in Sieron, it was common for people to casually grab each other’s hands, so I thought it was only a moment of curiosity.

It wasn’t something unusual between men.

I held his strong wrist, examining its shape. Ruber was tall, and his body was long and lean, and his hands reflected that. I thought that once he grew a little more, he would easily be able to hold two or three throwing knives at once.

His fingers were slender, but the joints were thick, showing signs of consistent training.

There was callus above the second joint of his index finger, and the palm of his hand was hardened in the shape of a swordsman’s grip. I could tell from the strong pulse that his internal energy flowed robustly.

It was a great body, optimized for martial arts.

“…Ah, uh… why are you holding my hand suddenly?”

“I just thought it would be good if you used a one-handed sword,” I replied casually.

“Should I switch?”

“Eh?”

“Ah, no. Why? You think my hands aren’t good for using a two-handed sword?”

“I only know how to use a one-handed sword, so I don’t know how to repay you for helping me.”

“Ah… you want to teach me swordsmanship?”

I let go of his wrist.

Ruber, still holding his hand in mid-air, looked down at his palm. If someone like him were walking around in the streets of Central China, he would have been taken in by a major martial arts sect long ago.

He was an incredible talent, so much so that I, who had never considered taking on a disciple, felt a strange longing.

He clearly didn’t seem like someone who needed to train from scratch on the basics.

Of course, training methods were different for everyone, and I too repeated the Three Calamities Sword Form whenever I hit a wall, so I couldn’t say that what he said was wrong.

I briefly marveled and then took the throwing knife that Ruber was still holding.

As I took the knife, I added a line.

“I won’t forget this kindness. If you ever need help, even if I can’t use my family’s name, I’ll consider doing what I can to assist.”

“Eh… You’ll only consider it?”

“Your bloodline and position are a bit overwhelming for me.”

“…Ah.”

Ruber immediately fell silent, and I felt a bit sorry for him.

The boy’s innocent and kind nature was one thing, but the dangers my family could face because of his bloodline were another matter entirely.

After that, Ruber occasionally adjusted my posture or checked the angle of my arms, but he didn’t say anything else.

His face, which had been bright, seemed oddly subdued, which caught my attention. After throwing my eighth knife, I suggested we take a break, rubbing my right elbow.

We sat across from each other at a table in the corner of the practice area. I hadn’t moved my body much, so while my muscles were tired, I wasn’t sweating.

As I sat in silence, the boy looked up at me, his dark eyes meeting mine. He hesitated for a long while, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

Then, he sighed, his voice coming out strained.

“…Is being a prince getting in the way of me becoming close to you, Ernhardt Young Master?”

“Yes.”

“…Why? Is it because if I become emperor, you’d be worried that our closeness would be a burden?”

I carefully chose my words, not wanting to upset him.

“It’s not exactly that… It’s just that since the Sieron Empire is so vast, I believe the authority of the emperor is even greater. Naturally, there would be more people coveting the throne.”

“…I see.”

“I value the safety of my family very highly, so I don’t want to get caught up in succession struggles.”

“Wait, Ernhardt Young Master. The succession struggles in the Sieron Empire aren’t that violent. It’s not like there’s bloodshed or anything.”

That couldn’t be right. I stared at Ruber’s pale, surprised face and recalled what Sheaiden Roze had told me about the imperial succession struggle.

Sheiden worried that his rash actions might result in the execution of his family’s knights. His fear was not without reason.

In the Central Plains, those of noble blood could be exiled for committing grave offenses, but their retainers often lost their lives for even the smallest mistake.

It seemed that I was making it too obvious that I did not fully believe in Ruber’s words, as he furrowed his brows and defended himself.

“Of course, my brother and I are competing for the throne, but we will have a fair competition. Our father said that after all three of us become fully matured adults, he would choose the heir to the throne through a series of tests.”

“What will those tests evaluate?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I suspect they’ll focus on politics and economics. Who we are allied with might also be important. He might even test us by putting us in charge of solving actual national problems.”

“I see.”

“But the most important thing is that our father wants peace,” Ruber added.

“Hmm.”

“I feel the same way. Even though things aren’t great between me and Richard, I don’t want to kill him. If one of us becomes emperor, the other will be given a dukedom. They’ll receive a part of the imperial territories, and swear loyalty to the other.”

It was a naive thought.

The only reason the imperial power of the Sierran Empire was so high at the moment was because the emperor was strong, and his children were still young.

When I didn’t immediately show agreement with his words, Ruber leaned forward, placing his hands on the table, and looked at me with a saddened expression.

Looking at this boy, I realized that had I only heard his voice pleading without Sheiden’s hints, I might have been deceived.

Not wanting to make a child who was nervously declaring that he would not kill his sibling cry in front of me, I nodded slowly.

“…I see.”

“Do you know that 327 years ago, the Great Reformation of Sierran began?” he suddenly asked, bringing up history.

Surprised, I paused for a moment, but seeing that Ruber wasn’t waiting for my response, he continued smoothly, as if he had practiced his words.

“Do you know why it started?”

“No, I just learned that the Great Reformation occurred that year, and that the noble families leading the reform became the five current dukedoms.”

“Do you know about the child who ascended the throne 350 years ago?”

“No.”

Ruber clasped his hands together on the table, looking at them with intense focus.

He looked up at me with his pale face, as though his lips were parched, and I thought for a moment that if there had been tea, I would have offered it.

He continued speaking calmly as he gathered his breath.

“Nine generations ago, there was a great war over the throne. The emperor at the time had many consorts and dozens of children. They all fought for the throne with the power of their maternal families, and there were constant conflicts between the territories.”

“I see.”

“That was considered the darkest period in Sierran’s history. So many people died that there wasn’t even space for graves, and they ended up piling graves on top of each other.”

“…Hmm.”

“The emperor died, the crown prince died, and the other princes and princesses killed each other. Those who had supported one side also perished, and so did their knights. In the end, the last surviving princes and princesses fought each other until they died simultaneously. Only when there was no one left to claim the imperial bloodline did the civil war end.”

“…What happened after that?”

“Apparently, there was a child who had been born during that time but wasn’t yet known. About six months after the chaos ended, this child was born. In Sierran, because imperial succession had to be based on bloodline, this newborn became emperor even before being weaned. The nation was in disarray.”

“…”

“Among the surviving nobles, the leaders of the five most rational and level-headed families agreed that if power were concentrated in one person’s hands, the rest of the nobles would be swept away. Of course, their personal relationships also played a big role in the decision.”

Ruber took a deep breath before continuing.

“Anyway, the nobles came to an agreement. They would protect and raise the emperor until he came of age, and they would raise him to be a true emperor.”

“…That sounds like the right thing to do.”

“The only problem was that the child didn’t want to become emperor. Born as emperor, he died at the age of 23, and everyone who had cherished him as the emperor was deeply shocked and saddened.”

I was at a loss for words.

Now I understood why I hadn’t learned this part of the story in class. This was a secret of the Sierran imperial family, and even if one knew, it wasn’t something one could casually talk about.

“Fortunately, the emperor left three children behind. The remaining members of the Sierran royal family chose the one who wanted to be emperor the most, and that child became the next emperor. After that, all of Sierran’s heirs…”

“…Chose for themselves what they wanted to do?” I asked.

Ruber nodded, and I fell silent.