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

At the start of each new week, there were always swordsmanship training sessions along with lessons on magic formulas.

Having recently succeeded in creating my first freezing spell, I was eagerly anticipating this lesson.

Excited to attend the class on the fundamentals of magic and formulas, I walked through the academy with a sense of joy.

I had learned that practicing the movement of drawing mana to the lower dantian and releasing it was no longer a tedious and futile task. If I waited quietly, Professor Angela Sting would be there to supervise me, and I could repeatedly practice using the freezing spell, which made the experience all the more enjoyable.

So, when the class ended on a positive note, I was surprised to find Edwin Kiadris standing in my way.

He still remembered to nod politely in greeting. I planned to give him the respect of a senior, so I followed him without question, though I was puzzled by his request to speak with me and lead me somewhere.

We ended up sitting on a couch in a lounge I hadn’t even known existed in the Magic Department.

Strange tapestries with intricate symbols were hung on the walls. I silently waited for the boy to speak.

As always, Edwin had neatly combed his hair and wore a tidy school uniform, but for some reason, he hesitated before speaking, unlike his usual straightforward self.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I want to introduce you to a senior who is about to graduate, but I have some concerns.”

“Huh?”

“I need to understand why you want to have someone from the Magic Department by your side. If you’re looking for help with managing a territory, I could introduce you to a senior from the local magic tower. If you’re interested in research, I could introduce someone from a research institute. If it’s simply for the sake of expanding your connections, I can introduce someone suited to that.”

I suddenly remembered the bet I had made with Edwin about our magical duels.

Thanks to my interactions with seniors, including meeting high-ranking mages like Mage Boulder through introductions by Douglas Mustang, the younger students who had been too nervous to speak to me now greeted me casually.

It had been a month since that bet, and I thought Edwin might have just ignored me, so I was amused by his awkwardness. I decided to stay quiet, thinking it was obvious that teasing him would only upset him, so I stayed silent and pondered.

I wanted to give him a serious answer, but nothing really came to mind, so I decided to be honest.

“Do I need a reason?”

“…Huh?”

“I just thought it might be helpful to have a magic user close by. Magic is such an intriguing thing, and I’d like to see it up close. Also, in most books, knights, mages, and alchemists often travel together, so I thought it would be nice to have such companions as well.”

“…Are you seriously telling me that? You want to travel with a mage and a knight like in a book?”

“Yeah. I don’t really have a specific reason.”

“Ha…”

I looked closely at Edwin’s amber eyes. As he squinted his eyes with an almost fierce expression, I saw him press his forehead with his hand. He seemed to be thinking about something, then he suddenly asked me again.

“…Are you planning to form an adventuring party and go on a trip or something?”

“Of course not.”

“I see.”

“I was just curious and wanted to ask.”

“If it’s just that, then ask me, not anyone else.”

“Why? You don’t like me.”

“…What?”

“You don’t like me because I resemble Wesley Kiadris.”

A red flush crept up from Edwin’s neck.

Everyone knew that he disliked me, but I was puzzled by his reaction. Why did he suddenly react like that?

Edwin, now completely red in the face, tried to say something but then fell silent, looking pitiful with his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

But, as I thought about it more, I realized I hadn’t said anything out of place.

People could dislike others for no reason and, similarly, like others for inexplicable reasons. If there was a reason for it, it was something I could understand.

However, if one stayed close to someone they disliked, both the disliked and the one who disliked them would suffer.

I could bear my own discomfort, but I didn’t have a hobby of watching someone suffer unnecessarily.

The seat I was sitting in was comfortable, and with no urgent matters to attend to, I allowed the silence to stretch without rushing him.

After a while, the boy, his face now a mix of red and blue, lowered his gaze and began rubbing his eyes with his hands, as if thinking that covering his head would hide the rest of his body.

“…I…”

I waited for him to speak, but he couldn’t seem to get the words out. I noticed the hesitation in his voice, and I couldn’t help but feel a little awkward, as if I were toying with a clumsy child.

After thinking for a moment, I decided that I didn’t need to comfort him, but I did feel the need to speak.

“I’m not upset. I didn’t even realize you were trying to bother me.”

“…”

“It seems like you think you’ve done something embarrassing, so I’m not blaming you. I just don’t want to stay near someone who keeps bringing up thoughts I’d rather not think about.”

“…”
“However, if you take this as a lesson and resolve not to do anything you’ll be ashamed of in the future, I couldn’t ask for more.”

His face, which had been bright red, turned pale again. At this point, I began to feel like I should leave.

I couldn’t keep up with the subtle shifts in his emotions, and if he started crying, I had no idea how to comfort him.

As I slowly traced the armrest of the couch, trying to gauge the right time to stand up and leave, Edwin suddenly lifted his head and looked at me directly.

“I’m sorry, Mikael Earnhardt.”

“…”

“I should have said this first, but now I realize I was wrong. I acted immaturely. Even if I add a bunch of reasons, it doesn’t change the fact that I was wrong, and I know you wouldn’t want it, but…”

“Mm.”

“If you ever need help and want a mage who can assist you unconditionally, call on me.”

I couldn’t help but let out a small admiring sound.

No matter how fragile he seemed, he was undoubtedly the cub of a beast. His sharp eyes looked at me with no trace of tears, but firmly.

I recalled the bet from before when Marianne and Jenny whispered among themselves after our duel. This time, I thought I’d let Jenny off the hook.

“Unconditionally?”

“It’s not in the Kiadris family’s way to apologize without compensation. If I’ve caused harm, I should make amends.”

“How many times?”

“…Are you suggesting we write a contract?”

“No, I’m just curious. Well, I understand now. My name is Mikael Earnhardt.”

“…? I know. What’s with the sudden…?”

“Let’s consider ourselves newly introduced seniors.”

“…!”

I took Edwin Kiadris’s hand, which he extended while murmuring my name.

As we shook hands, I noticed his soft hand, which had a few nails embedded where it would normally grip a pen, had given birth to such fierce and powerful magic. It was fascinating.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, we parted awkwardly, each feeling uncomfortable.

* * *

On Tuesday, during advanced swordsmanship class, I told Benjamin and Ruber about reconciling with Edwin.

Benjamin casually responded, saying it was a good thing, but Ruber seemed somehow upset. When I asked why, he brushed it off, saying it was nothing, and I just nodded.

However, as I thought about it alone, I realized that if Ruber ever ascended to the throne and I were close to a powerful ducal family, it might pose a threat to the imperial authority.

The Kiadris family had both Wesley, the Grand Sword Master, and Edwin, who showed signs of being a grand mage.

As someone striving toward becoming a Grand Sword Master, if I joined forces with them, there was a possibility we could form a very powerful military group.

Just like Wesley now, Edwin and I, if we grew stronger, could each lead our own forces in the future. Understanding that, I realized why Ruber’s heart might have been uneasy.

I wished there were a way to prove that I had no desire to shake up this warm and stable world.

Sheiden also congratulated me on reconciling with Edwin, but he did so with a somewhat sour expression. I easily understood why, having heard his reasons directly.

Sheiden said there were limits to offering unconditional help to someone, and he was worried that I might not be able to properly use the blank check I had received from the Kiadris family.

I answered promptly.

“Then, you can help me.”

“…Me?”

“Of course. Friends help each other out. I think Edwin’s personality would match yours quite well.”

Sheiden grimaced, as if offended, but I still thought the two of them would get along well. Both were calm, deep thinkers who could see and read things I couldn’t, almost as naturally as breathing.

If I put the two of them together, I imagined they’d be able to understand each other just by exchanging glances.

However, throughout our afternoon classes in World History and Imperial Lineage, I later found out that Sheiden’s mood had been off because of what I said, and I had to apologize and was forgiven.

After the evening training, I ran into Marianne by chance and asked for her advice on the matter.

Marianne shared a piece of wisdom, saying that people who resemble each other often dislike one another, which, after some thought, made sense.

In passing, I also mentioned that I had reconciled with Edwin Kiadris. After a moment of contemplation, Marianne asked the same question she had asked me before.

“Didn’t you say you shouldn’t get too close to someone with a bad personality…?”

“Well, if he shows that he’s reflecting on his actions, there’s no reason not to forgive him.”

“Wow… But really, you’re not angry? Really? Why?”

“He didn’t do anything too terrible… I also thought, how upset could he have been to act like that…?”

“…You mean, you’re letting Edwin off because he’s younger?”

I had answered a little too honestly. Marianne gave me a strange look, so I quickly brushed my hair out of my sweaty face and mumbled some random words to cover up my mistake.

After a while, as she kept pestering me, I suddenly asked her something I was curious about.

“Are you going to get your 2 silver back from Jenny?”

“Of course. I’ll make sure to add interest too.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Being around these cute kids made every day full of laughter.