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

I sat quietly and waited for Maelo Sanson.

I had heard that it was customary for the homeroom professor to gather the children before the summer break and give them various instructions.

Although I had already said my farewells to the professors of each subject in line with the final exam schedule, I was particularly happy because I wanted to see Maelo’s face one last time before the end of the semester.

The children gathered in a circle, eagerly waiting for Maelo Sanson’s arrival, chattering away as they spoke about various things.

They mostly talked about where they would go during the break, which banquets they planned to attend, and made plans to meet up later.

To me, who was experiencing summer break for the first time, all of it seemed so fascinating.

On hot days in the Central Plains, I used to go out for a bath, and on cold days, I would stay indoors, stoking the brazier and resting. But aside from holidays, it was rare for everyone to rest together like this.

During major events like the Mid-Autumn Festival, I would enjoy food and entertainment as guests were received, but…

Come to think of it, it wasn’t like that here either. In this place, too, young children were gathered to find their partners, and it wouldn’t be common for older folks to be given long breaks during the holidays.

No matter how good the times were, there was no one who could afford to simply play all the time.

The door creaked open.

Maelo Sanson, who was skilled enough to move without drawing attention, made his entrance with the presence of a seasoned master, as if he were deliberately making noise like an old monk clearing his throat.

It was clear he was making sure the children could easily notice him.

At the sound, the noisy children immediately fell silent and stared ahead with bright, attentive eyes.

“Did everyone do well on the exams?”

In response to his mischievous greeting, the children noisily pretended to be distressed.

Having gone through only two exam periods myself, I knew how exams always felt. Even if I did well, there was always a sense of regret, thinking I could have done better. And if I did poorly, I would regret it as well.

As I chuckled at the children’s expressions of dissatisfaction, Maelo Sanson lightly tapped the podium to calm the chaos.

“Alright, alright. I won’t ask. Your grades will be sent to the address you provided during the entrance ceremony in June. If your home address has changed, make sure to visit the department office today to update it. Also, don’t get too excited during the break and avoid going to dangerous places…”

I sat quietly and listened as he gave us a few instructions. Though I had received his help, something in my chest fluttered as I continued to watch Maelo Sanson.

It was both fascinating and somewhat envy-inducing.

The thought of spending his later years taking care of children while having reached the heights of enlightenment seemed so admirable.

Rather than wandering aimlessly through the mountains and valleys for a lifetime, I found the idea of growing old while caring for dozens of children and looking after their well-being more appealing.

Though it might be nice to have just one disciple and worry about them, I imagined that taking care of so many children would make time fly by and every day would be filled with joy.

As I thought about it, I made eye contact with Maelo Sanson and gave him a gentle smile.

There were many things to keep in mind: avoiding dangerous places, always traveling with a trustworthy adult at night, making sure the seals on banquet invitations were correct, and checking the noble yearbook before attending any banquets.

Maelo Sanson finished his announcements by reminding those who would stay at the academy during the break about the dining hall’s hours and the availability of public facilities.

“Even though I know some of you won’t listen, just in case, if you ever need help during the break and don’t have anyone to turn to, send a telegram to the Siren Academy. I’ll take care of the students in our class.”

I was deeply moved by those words. Whether it was a rule set by the academy or not, just knowing that I belonged somewhere gave me a sense of comfort, and my heart warmed.

I exchanged greetings with my fellow first-year students in the swordsmanship club.

Some children I had memorized both their faces and names, while others I only knew by their faces, but we all shook hands and hugged, promising to meet again next semester with smiles on our faces.

Since we were heading in the same direction, I rode back to the dormitory with Shayden. On the way, I ran into a familiar face — it was Ruben, that boy again.

Sweat droplets were beading on his pale cheeks. He hadn’t made any prior arrangements nor did he know when the end of the vacation ceremony would be, yet his face clearly showed that he had been waiting for this moment. I was somewhat surprised.

“Hello, senior. What brings you here…?”

“Oh, just… since the break is coming soon, I wanted to see your face before heading home.”

Shayden glanced back and forth between Ruben and me for a moment, then decided he had too much to carry and said he would leave first, suggesting we meet again around dinner.

I thought it wouldn’t take long to say goodbye, but since Shayden seemed to want to leave, I let him go.

It wasn’t awkward to be alone with Ruben.

Though I had been too busy studying during the exam period to give much attention to him, I had spent a fair amount of time with Ruben practicing swordsmanship every Friday. After our advanced swordsmanship classes on Thursdays, I often had meals with Benjamin, Lucilla, and Matt Nico.

Despite that, standing face-to-face with the boy, I found myself at a loss for words.

It wasn’t the middle of a meal, nor were we in the middle of a swordsmanship practice.

It was just that — I didn’t understand why I felt like I had to examine him so thoroughly instead of just saying goodbye like the other children did, with a handshake or a wave.

As I observed the boy, who seemed hesitant to speak, I wondered if he was nervous because of the secret he had once shared with me about the palace, and that made me speak first.

“Shall we walk for a bit?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

He answered quickly, almost as if he had been waiting for my suggestion.

There were many places to walk around Siren Academy.

We walked towards the pond area where I had been helped before.

As we walked side by side, I found that Ruben’s shoulder was level with my head. I had to look up at a child much younger than me. It was a strange feeling, as if I had become an elderly man with a hunched back.

Still, it was a normal thing for both of us, growing taller with each passing day.

I didn’t mind much.

We walked slowly, widening our strides, without any particular destination in mind, until we stopped.

Standing on the bridge crossing the pond, I looked around for a place to sit, but couldn’t find a suitable spot.

Without saying anything more, I simply looked up at Ruben’s pale cheek.

The summer breeze was blowing, warming the air.

As I stared at him, our eyes met. It was the same gaze I had often encountered during swordsmanship class. It wasn’t until I looked closely that I realized his eyes were bigger than I had initially thought.

They were black and glossy, like polished go stones. No wonder they always seemed to glisten as if he were on the verge of tears.

I couldn’t help but smile at that thought.

“Did you call me because you had something to say?”

“I… think I did, but… I can’t quite remember.”

“Hmm, that’s understandable.”

It was hard for me to speak my doubts about having found a trustworthy companion, but how could I express that uncertainty without causing discomfort? I decided to reassure him in a gentle way.

I responded lightly, then leaned against the bridge railing, pretending to be lost in thought. Ruben followed suit, placing his hands on the railing as well.

Standing there, I was reminded of the first time I had recognized the boy.

It had been an early morning when I was trying to calm my thoughts. He had followed me closely, like a black cat trailing behind, with those dark eyes that seemed to glisten with unshed tears — and now, he hadn’t changed much from then.

“I’m not the type to casually spread stories.”

“…Huh?”

“I know what you’re worried about, but there’s no need to worry.”

I wasn’t used to speaking so delicately.

Embarrassed by my own words, I looked up at the boy, who had opened his eyes wide and blushed, his already large eyes growing even bigger. I knew he was embarrassed, but it wasn’t a moment to feel this awkward.

To comfort him, I gently tapped his forearm twice, though I found it a bit funny how startled he looked, almost as if a woman had been grabbed by the wrist. I tried my best not to laugh.

“I mean, it’s nothing… what I’m trying to say is…”

“If you don’t know, it’s fine not to. Just know that I’m like this, that’s all.”

“It’s not… that I don’t know… It’s just…”

I paused, watching him carefully. His once fair, delicate face had flushed so deeply that even his neck turned bright red.

“…I just… wanted to say I’d miss seeing Ernheart during the break. He won’t be coming to the Siren Royal Ball, and I won’t be able to invite him to tea afterwards. I just… wanted to say that.”

It wasn’t something boys usually said to each other. Seeing the embarrassed expression on his face made me realize once more that, no matter how noble his bloodline, he was still a child.

The days when I used to care about the bonds between siblings had long passed, so I wasn’t moved by such things anymore.

But as I thought about the boy, who couldn’t even say the words “you’re precious to me” right then, and had come this far following me, I couldn’t easily brush it off.

Although this felt a little awkward for men to say to each other, I decided to answer his words kindly. After looking at the pond and the sky, I gave him the most comforting answer I could.

“I’ll miss you too, senior. When the break ends, we should have a meal together.”

“…Alright. Sorry for bothering you.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll be thinking of you often during the break.”

“…Mm.”

What should I do with this fragile, sweet boy?

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him and gently took his hand. He was startled at first but didn’t pull his hand away.

I could tell he was trying to show kindness in his own way, though it wasn’t much different from the formalities I used to do in the Central Plains. Still, it seemed to have made him sad, so I gently patted his hand, using Siren’s way of showing affection.

“I’m happy that you consider me a close friend. Though we won’t see each other for the next two months, we’ll still be companions at the academy and even after graduation. So, there’s no need to rush.”

“…”

Ruben mumbled a quiet thank you, and I smiled in response, finding his gentle nature endearing.

Not wanting to lose a friend to talk to, I spent the rest of the afternoon walking with him, comforting the nervous boy.

Shayden, being sharp as always, must have known that Ruben would act this way, and I couldn’t help but admire how perceptive he was. He definitely had more insight than I did. There was much to learn from having him close.