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

I mistook it because I recently heard a story that left quite an impression on me. I wonder how much praise Damien from the management department must have received. Embarrassed, I roughly rubbed my awkward face with my hand and introduced myself to those who had answered in order.

This was also quite different from the Central Plains. In the Central Plains, there was no need to say, “I am Namgung Jeongyeon.” Whenever I introduced myself, I always said I came from Namgung. That was enough.

“My name is Mikael Ernhardt… I come from the Swordsmanship Department.”

From the purple-haired girl to the gray-haired boy, I introduced their names in the order they were standing, and then I had nothing to do, so I just sat there blankly.

I don’t know what else to say. I felt like a foal among chickens. Or maybe, a wild boar that has intruded among someone else’s chicks.

While I was doing that, the gray-haired Damien, who had led the self-introduction earlier, sighed and looked at me before speaking.

“Is it okay if I call you Ernhardt Young-sik?”

“Um… no.” Since Jenny is here too, I think it would be more convenient for everyone to call me by a shorter name. You can call me Mikael.

“Alright.” Then please call me Damian as well.

“Oh, then I’ll use my name too.”

“Yes.” Then Marianne, Jenny, uh… Aiden.

“Ivan.”

“Ivan, Damian.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Let’s call it that.

I glanced over apologetically for getting the name wrong. I felt at ease by the boy with chestnut hair who, without a care, nodded his head to say it was okay.

Is it because the climate is mild and the country is prosperous, or is it because everyone has gathered well-mannered children? The gentle and kind nature of most of the children was satisfying, and it made my heart glad.

“I’m glad to be on a first-name basis with the famous Mikael Youngsik.” You said you’re a Sword Expert, right?

“Um.” It’s nothing.

“…Haha, you don’t have to be so humble.” I know you are naturally a person of few words, so I won’t misunderstand.

What misunderstanding? And suddenly lifted my head. Whatever it was, the one who was upset was clearly not Demian, who was trying hard to defend and explain me, but Marianne, who had spoken first.

After somewhat gauging the situation, they nodded and added a few words.

“Um… it’s not so much that I’m shy, but rather that I’m not quite sure how to interact with my peers.” If you let me know, I will gratefully learn.

“Ah, um, no.” I also thought that I was asking something unnecessary…

I roughly guessed the reason why Sheiden sang seven-word, seven-word songs whenever he had time, so I realized there was a problem with my manners.

Using honorifics consistently isn’t difficult, but even though I knew how to handle boys, I was awkward with girls and clumsy in my interactions with them. Young girls often burst into tears whenever they saw me, and since it was never my turn to teach them swordsmanship, I felt quite awkward.

“You two must have known each other already.”

“I’ve only seen him a few times when there are parties nearby.”

The only banquet I attended was my own birthday banquet, so Damien, not just Danbi, must have been one of the boys who came to celebrate my birthday. I felt sorry for not recognizing him, so I made a sound and glanced back, trying to memorize his face.

He was a boy with ash-gray hair resembling a pigeon and brownish eyes that gave an overall blurry impression. Even though they were sitting, making it hard to see them clearly, the two girls were shorter than me, and the two boys were a bit taller.

A few questions and answers to get to know each other were exchanged intimately. Jenny, who had been hesitant to start the conversation, soon had a smiling face and began to share various stories. Stories about each other’s family relationships, hobbies, and special skills went around like a toast.

Marianne is from a baronial family, and her elder sister was said to practice magic, while Jenny, though a commoner, dreamed of obtaining a baronetcy and becoming one of the palace officials.

Ivan was not very talkative, so he focused on nodding along or chiming in, but whenever the topic turned to him, the thick corners of his eyebrows would subtly droop, making him look gentle.

In the case of Damian, he was very skilled at coordinating all those conversations and adjusting to each other’s moods. When I opened my mouth and my explanation was lacking, he would add a word or correct my mistakes, which reminded me of Shayden.

With a demeanor more composed than Sheiden’s, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of reliance on him.

When Professor Cedric asked us to choose a leader for each group, we unanimously recommended Damien. He nodded in agreement and let out a short sigh, but he didn’t seem displeased.

After class ended, seeing Shayden and Damian greet each other warmly made me realize just how oblivious I had been all this time.

The two, being the young master and young lady of a noble family living near the capital, were originally quite interested in each other, and I reassured them that I wasn’t particularly strange or ugly.

Many people, including Prince Bok and Young-sik Yeong-ae, know about me, and that’s why he confidently assured me that if I just greet them properly, no one would blame me.

Even while having dinner with Sheiden, there was more to talk about than before.

Whether it’s because our hearts have grown closer or because I’ve made several new friends today. Sheiden also said that there are many nice kids in his group, and I, too, shared updates about the kids I got to know, mentioning that I remembered all their names but still got confused with their surnames.

After the meal was over, Shaden personally wrote down the names of the people I encountered today in my academy notebook. Thanks to him writing down their hair and eye colors, I felt quite relieved.

Since Shayden knows a lot of things I don’t, I suddenly asked a question that popped into my mind while we were looking through the notebook together.

“In the magic class… there’s someone we need to be careful of.”

“Edwin Kiadris?”

“Yeah, this person.” You said you’re in a higher grade than me, so why are you taking a basic course?

“Well, that’s probably because Edwin wants to take all the magic classes at the academy and graduate.” So, Professor Angela Sting is as famous in the magical world as Professor Maelo Sanson. In every field of study, a mentor is important, but in magic and swordsmanship, it’s particularly so.

I completely understood. Recalling the shining eyes of the Ministry of Magic students and their polite gestures of raising their hands just to the top of their heads while waiting for their turn to ask questions, I couldn’t help but nod my head.

Even though it hasn’t even been a week since I enrolled in the academy, the help I received from Maelo Sanson was truly significant and abundant. I thought the same would apply to the wizards, so I resolved to listen as quietly as possible during magic classes from now on.

“The school is so big that it’s hard to recognize people.” It would be nice if all the Youngsik and Youngae wore name tags.

“Uh… that would be nice.” If possible, make it yellow so it stands out…

It was an impossible dream. After laying the academy notes beside me and reading them a few more times, I sent Sheiden to the next room and headed back to the training hall. Reviewing Nangong’s martial arts techniques carefully gave me insights, so I needed to refine them a bit more before learning new swordsmanship.

***

In this advanced swordsmanship class, I watched Benjamin spar. Despite the upperclassman’s violent sword techniques, I was quite impressed by Benjamin’s ability to silently identify and eliminate the false moves while finding the real ones.

After the class ended, Benjamin said he had already talked to Shaiden and took me along. After having a meal together, we moved to the next class location.

Benjamin spoke less than Shaden and was more mindful of their personal space. Although it was uncomfortable to look up at him because he was so much taller, it was enjoyable to discuss each other’s sword techniques. I talked to him about the longsword and Jongnam’s sword that I knew.

When talking about maintaining the mid-stance (*drawing the sword and holding it in front of the body to aim at the opponent) and raising energy to pressure the opponent, Benjamin laughed for a long time and said that it would require a lot of aura to raise energy like that.

Upon reflection, all the masters I know in Jongnam had immense internal energy, so I mentioned this, and I was pleased to receive a response saying they would willingly try their best.

Professor Douglas Mustang, who taught the class “Mana and Aura, Aura and Mana,” was a man who bore a slight resemblance to Benjamin.

The man, who was close to the age of forty, gave a brief self-introduction and then took out a long baton resembling a sword. Instead of a classroom, the lesson was conducted in a spacious area resembling a training ground, and the fact that all the buildings were set far apart made it difficult to guess the lesson content.

“As you all know, aura and mana are energies born from the same source.” Just like apples born from the same apple tree can become apple juice or apple cider, depending on how they are processed. It depends on how you process it.”

The professor’s dark face was smooth without a single hair. He had a constantly smiling face. Having a gentle face and speaking in a quiet and mild manner felt awkward.

“Most knights generate their aura through concentration and physical training.” Consistent training and practice help one to know oneself and open the eyes to perceive the immaterial realm. This is a very important part of strengthening the body and enhancing the cutting power of weapons, which is why it becomes the dream and goal of knights.

Professor Mustang took a breath to compose himself, looked around at the students, and then spoke.

“On the other hand, wizards understand mana through study.” First, they understand the nature of mana and the existence of the immaterial realm with their minds, then, according to a set formula, they come into contact with the immaterial realm, refine the mana with their bodies, and project it further out to gain control over the material realm. Therefore, it is important for wizards to have a wider and more solid mental pathway.

The energy that Professor Mustang brought seemed to be less than half a moment, so I was a bit disappointed before the class started, but the dark energy lingering between the pauses of his speech and the bright light blooming at the end of his words captivated my eyes.

Even without enhancing the spell, the flow of energy was clearly visible. The delicate work was as fascinating as if one were embroidering with mana.

Among the thirty students who came to attend the class, most of them were from the swordsmanship club. I thought that the students from the Magic Department might already know the content since they often get stuck in their books.

Professor Mustang instructed the students to maintain a wide distance from each other and to focus as much as possible, even those who couldn’t use their auras, to repeatedly swing their swords. Thinking that there must be something to learn, I diligently followed the professor’s instructions.