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

Two days later, I was able to assess the skills of all the knights staying at the Ernhardt family’s manor during the morning training session.

It was fortunate that I had repeatedly studied the use of aura in this land during the semester.

Now, I could at least imitate or observe the shape of aura, allowing me to assess the knights’ swordsmanship according to Sir Ron’s method.

In the sunny afternoons, we also engaged in sparring.

I had my parents seated in the best seats as I faced the knights. Every time a knight of first-rate or peak rank stepped into the training ground, loud applause erupted.

Occasionally, I would take swords from those who seemed to want to lose to me and offer guidance. The laughter of the servants and maids who had gathered to watch was quite loud.

We ate meals together as a family and engaged in trivial conversations.

In the afternoon, I stood for a long time like a scarecrow to measure my body size for the clothes I would wear for the trip.

Though I wasn’t yet accustomed to measuring my body in various ways, it was comforting to hear that I had grown several inches (about 3 cm) since the last measurements before entering the academy.

I decided on the destination for the trip: the Serbel Count family’s villa, which I had known since I was five.

It was said to be a beautiful place, situated next to a large lake.

The Serbel family had sent a letter every year, suggesting that the children of both families spend the vacation together, but I had always declined, and I only learned later that this had been the reason I had never visited.

The Serbel Count family had land adjacent to the Ernhardt Count family’s, with vast forests where they raised trees and beasts, famous for their excellent timber and animal hides.

Meanwhile, the Ernhardt family produced grains and fruits, making the two families good neighbors, complementing each other with what they didn’t have.

The Serbel family had three children, and the eldest was Logan, whose name I already knew.

I remembered him as the clever boy who would always call out the names of any boy or girl I met, or whisper their names in my ear when I had difficulty remembering them.

Logan Serbel was about five or six years older than me.

I vaguely recalled that one of his younger siblings was older than me, and the other was younger, but I couldn’t quite remember. I only knew that the younger one wasn’t old enough to attend the academy with me.

If there were any descendants of the Serbel family at the Shieron Academy, Sir Sheiden must be close to them, so I regretted not asking him sooner.

“Then, will we meet the Serbel family at the destination?”
“Yes, we’ll stay for a month, so it will be more comfortable to stay in a house with a host.”
“…Hmm.”
“You’ll learn hunting with the Serbel children, enjoy boating, and have a great time. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to have enough family time as well.”
“Then will Evan come too?”
“Evan?”
“The third child of the Serbel family, of course he’ll come, right?”
“Wow, I’m excited!”

Asdel, who was sitting next to Mihael, also stamped his feet in excitement.

The third child of the Serbel family had been born when I was five, and by the calculation, he was around Mihael and Asdel’s age.

I was a bit startled, not having imagined the other children’s friends, blinking in surprise.

I had wanted to spend more time with my own family, but I quickly shook off that feeling of disappointment. After all, the trip would last half the vacation, not just a few days.

I knew that Logan Serbel had always put effort into helping me every year, so it wasn’t about people’s actions, but more about my own hesitation.

I nodded in agreement.

Once the packing was done, we decided to depart immediately.

It was said that the journey from the manor to the vacation home by carriage would take three days, so even if we left immediately, we were running short on time.

When I asked if there was anything else I could help with, I was told there wasn’t anything, except for ensuring the knights wouldn’t tire too much during training, which made me laugh.

* * *

Using a carriage for travel was quite common in Shieron. Even when traveling to nearby towns, we would take a carriage from the Shieron Academy.

I’m not sure whether it was because the roads were well-maintained or because I was still young, making it worrisome for others to see me walking long distances.

During the journey, I naturally didn’t have any time for training.

When returning home from the Shieron Academy, I would sometimes spar with Sir Sheiden to loosen up my stiff body, so I wasn’t quite as uncomfortable as I was now.

Because aerial martial arts required long-distance running for training, I suggested that I might run beside the carriage, but both my father and mother strongly opposed it, so I gave up.

It wasn’t even a matter of whether I could run at the same speed as a horse, but since this was a family trip, they wanted to spend time together in the same space, and I had no argument against it.

So, here I was, sitting comfortably on a cushion in the carriage.

The sound of horse hooves clopping outside the open window echoed as I sat with the two younger children on either side of me, conversing with my father and mother across from me.

It was a real treat.

To pass the time, I kept picking up and setting down Mihael and Asdel, lifting them with both hands. This was to strengthen my arm muscles. My father shook his head disapprovingly at treating them like weights.

The children happily giggled, which delighted me.

“Our eldest doesn’t seem to enjoy the charm of a carriage ride.”
“Did you enjoy carriage rides, Mother?”
“Me? Well… actually, I didn’t often travel far from home. But whenever I did go anywhere, I always enjoyed looking out the carriage window and pondering various thoughts.”
“And what about Father?”
“…I don’t get motion sickness, and when I traveled long distances, it was usually for business, so I’d set up a little office in the carriage and organize documents.”
“Hmm…”

“No, this time it’s fine since I’ve finished my work. Really.”

I’m not sure what kind of look I gave my father, but he seemed flustered and anxious, so I just smiled at him.

Realizing I had been teasing him, Father awkwardly cleared his throat, and upon seeing this, Mother burst out laughing and gave him a playful tap on the shoulder.

“How much work must he have done for our child to worry like this?”
“…Actually, does Mikael take after me? His way of training with a sword seems to…”
“Oh, but Mikael’s kind side definitely takes after me.”

Lately, my parents had been discussing who I resembled more—whether I took after my mother or father.

Like all mothers and fathers in the world, William and Seirn had been talking about how my hair and eye color took after my mother, while my eye shape resembled my father’s, or how my fingers and nails resembled my mother’s, and so on.

The discussions that had once been focused on my appearance had now shifted to my personality and character.

Although my temperament had remained consistent since my childhood in the Central Plains, and hadn’t changed much, I didn’t stop them from chatting happily about it. I didn’t mind.

It was enough to simply nod in agreement at the right moments to show my filial piety.

“So, what about me? Who do I resemble?”
“Asdel? You’re definitely like your mother! Look at that pretty pink cloud-like hair you have! And your smiling face is exactly like hers. But your eyes… they’re like your father’s, and when I look into them, they give me a warm feeling.”
“What about me? What about me?”
“Mihael, you take after your father. Your dark, strong hair, your love for books, and even how you sleep on your side.”
“Do I sleep on my side?”
“Yes, you do.”

Father raised an eyebrow in surprise, as if hearing this for the first time, then smiled widely as if he had just realized something.

I had heard that in Shieron, affectionate couples shared the same bedroom. Father couldn’t possibly sleep with his back turned to Mother. Their mutual affection was deep and strong, and I couldn’t help but smile briefly at how it subtly showed.

As I thought about how Mihael always slept on his side, I realized it was true.

Maybe it was because I had always slept next to him when I was younger. Now that I was older and spent more nights sleeping alone, I still worried that if I slept crookedly, I’d wake up with a stiff body the next day.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable to sleep on your side?”
“Huh? I didn’t know. How did you know I sleep on my side, Mother?”
“Well, I know because I love my son so much.”

Mother, who had been teasing the children, revealed that she would sometimes open the door early in the morning when everyone was asleep to check on them.

The children, missing the opportunity to ask for affection from their mother while awake, felt a bit regretful, and I, imagining how my parents must have checked on the sleeping children, felt happy.

The deeper and warmer their bond, the more peaceful the family would be.

As we sat facing each other, talking away the time, all sorts of topics came up.

Listening to stories about the places my parents had visited made me understand why they had longed to travel.

Before they reached adulthood, both of them had been busy with the family’s work, and since the adults were strict, they hadn’t traveled much. After their early marriage, they had quickly become tied down by me, their first child, and the responsibility of raising me.

I suddenly felt a bit sorry for them. I suggested that we all go on a family trip during this winter break, and everyone clapped and cheered. It was a bit awkward.

Asdel talked about a huge beast he had seen in his dream last night.

He told the story so vividly that everyone was captivated. After that, Mihael shared a nightmare he had and showed his tears, receiving comfort from the family.

While we were caught up in this, a knight riding a horse leaned close to the carriage window.

Sir Ventus, who was assigned to escort us on this trip, informed us that he had found a good, even patch of land where we could rest and have a meal. Father nodded without hesitation, and the carriage soon came to a stop.