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

The Sieran Empire.

The new homeland I was born into was a country just slightly smaller than the Great Ming Empire.

The continent resembled a very large butterfly or a bird with its wings spread, and the eastern wing was occupied by the Sieran Empire.

To the north of the empire, there is a vast mountain range that serves as a boundary, and beyond it lies the demon realm, where monsters and beasts seek food and target villages.

To the west, there is a vast desert like Podalap Palace (*a non-state, Buddhist religious faction), and it is also teeming with monsters and beasts.

Between the desert and the empire, five kingdoms stood like a breakwater, constantly eyeing the empire with intent. At the point where the northern mountains met the western desert, there were several large oases where various nomadic tribes roamed.

Just as the Ming Dynasty established its greatest authority and power in the northern region of Jianghu, the Shierun Empire acted as the conqueror and ruler of the continent in this land.

In the martial arts world, they divided that vast land into territories claimed by various martial arts factions and families, acting as if it belonged to them. The land of Anhui was guarded by the Nangong clan, and the land of Sichuan was guarded by the Tang clan.

However, the lands of the Sieran Empire were granted by the Emperor as rewards to his vassals. Because they continued to govern for generations along with their titles, there was no room for the martial arts families to establish themselves.

All the knights were subservient to the noble families and the emperor, so it wasn’t just a matter of inviolability; it was as if the government was embracing the martial arts world.

Therefore, in order for the many noble families of the empire to recognize each other’s existence and dedicate their loyalty to the palace, they studied the subjects of their choice at the Sioran Academy near the palace from the age of fifteen, when they could enter high society, until the age of eighteen, when they were recognized as adults.

Studying the six major branches of swordsmanship, magic, management, administration, clerical work, and imperial law, along with various liberal arts courses totaling over a hundred subjects, and being able to compete with peers in grades was a significant advantage.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the empire’s best talents gathered either in the palace or at the academy.

Early admission, early graduation, and graduation deferral are all possible, and the heir of a family must graduate from the academy, but nobles who are not heirs do not have to bother with studying.

However, the future is uncertain, and since everyone wants to fully enjoy peer culture, most families tried to send their children to the academy as long as they could afford it.

Since the annual tuition fee is comparable to the annual tax of other territories, families with limited financial resources sent their younger sons and daughters to the social circles early on to form marriage alliances instead of sending them to the academy.

Such expensive tuition fees were used to smoothly implement the commoner’s scholarship program at the academy.

When one nobleman enrolled, it was as if three commoners enrolled at the same time.

When I first learned of the academy’s existence, how much I admired and marveled at it.

The fact that the educational institution operated by the state is not within the royal palace but open to the excellent citizens of the empire was a system I had never imagined before.

I was very pleased to have earned the right to enroll in the academy, as I was not satisfied with just repeatedly practicing the sword I knew and consistently sparring with people I was familiar with.

In the Sieran Empire, the year was divided into twelve parts, and the entrance ceremony was held on the first day of February each year.

It took seven days and nights by carriage from Count Ernhardt’s house to the capital, so they celebrated the New Year and hurriedly prepared to reach the capital.

Most of the buildings in the count’s territory were about two to three stories high, but as soon as one crossed the capital’s city wall, there were countless buildings stretching from five to six stories high, creating a magnificent sight.

In particular, the palace walls that soared higher than all the other buildings and the very tall towers standing proudly at both the eastern and western ends of the capital were astonishing.

It’s not a stone pagoda of a temple, so how could there be such a tall building? I asked Sir Ventus, who had taken it upon himself to see me off, and he said that it was the wizard’s tower, the Magic Tower.

“Magic… I’ve heard stories about it a few times, but I just can’t imagine it.” “How does using aura to create fire and water have anything to do with such a tall tower?”

“People often say that magic is the study of reaching the truth… well, you’ll understand once you experience it yourself.” I also saw magic for the first time when I went to the academy. I heard that tower has a door that goes from the first floor to the thirtieth floor.

“Ah.”

“Yes?” You understood it with this explanation?

Lord Ventus looked puzzled, but I nodded.

I could understand it when I thought that it was a place filled with things similar to the formations of the Zhuge family (*a magic circle that uses the energies and objects of the five elements to induce hallucinations or perform magical acts) or talismans.

Since only the people of the Jegeol family set up something like a wooden stick on the training ground at Yongbong Society…

If there is an excellent wizard, I thought I would like to get close to them.

Since attendants and knights could not be brought into the academy, I got off near the academy entrance and entrusted the luggage to be moved to the dormitory to the counter right in front of me.

Seeing that they would move my personal belongings to the dormitory during the entrance ceremony, I was secretly relieved to find that there seemed to be dedicated attendants within the academy.

The last time I did laundry with my own hands was a good thirty years ago, combining both my past and present lives.

As I looked around, I saw boys and girls in the same situation as me greeting their companions with worried or flushed faces.

Sir Ventus, who had escorted me this far, and a few other knights looked into my eyes, smiled, and performed the “pohwan” (*a martial arts-style greeting where one fist is wrapped by the palm of the other hand while bowing).

When I was young, I reflexively repeated it a few times without realizing it, thinking it was a child’s play, and it became a mischievous greeting among the knights.

“Then, young master.” I will come to escort you around the summer vacation.

“You will definitely become a sword master within a semester.”

“Do you think that’s easy?” I’ll try my best. Be careful on your way, and take it easy.

“I came here while sightseeing, so I’ll leave while sightseeing too.” Take care of yourself.

Maybe it was because of the unfamiliar greeting, but feeling my face flush from the stares of my peers glancing over, I straightened up, waved my hand vigorously, and turned around.

Whether it was the duty of a knight or the deep bond built over time, even after entering the academy, the presence of the knights lingered for a while, making me break into an embarrassed smile repeatedly.

Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

As I walked along the path where people were walking past the school gate, a person dressed in a brown uniform cautiously approached me.

I was holding a binder in my hand, and wearing glasses I had never seen on this continent before, which made me realize I had left the territory.

“Hey… hello.” You’re the new student, Mikael Ernhardt, right? I am Hershey Milton, a senior by one year.

“Nice to meet you, Senior Milton.” What brings you here?

“Oh, I’m a work-study student this year, so I was assigned to guide the new students.” I was going to guide them to the auditorium…

Seeing that they keep trailing off at the end of their sentences, it seems they can’t figure out whether to speak formally or informally, so I just smiled.

Hershey Milton’s cheeks turning bright red made me quite embarrassed as well.

He looked at least four years older than me just by appearance.

“Please speak comfortably, senior.”

“Oh, thank you!” New students often dislike being spoken to in informal language. In principle, using honorifics with juniors is prohibited, so I was a bit worried. I’m sorry.

“The principle that you shouldn’t use honorifics, could you explain that a bit more?”

“Hmm, so…”

He looked around once more and then started walking a step ahead. It seemed like he wanted me to listen to him while following, so I quietly walked beside him.

The young man spoke in a slightly hurried tone, glancing over here as he continued.

Seeing that his steps are heavy and irregular, it seems he is not the young man from the swordsmanship club. I listened to what he said while having such thoughts.

“When one noble enters the Sheoran Academy, three commoners enter.” So, naturally, there are more commoners. Most commoners who pass the academy entrance exam and get in have very good grades, so noble-born students often find themselves at a disadvantage in terms of grades.

“Hmm.”

“So, to prevent noble students from putting pressure on commoner students, the first rule is that classmates should use formal speech with each other unless they are close.” And seniors speak informally to juniors as a secondary rule, while juniors speak formally to seniors… After graduation, it doesn’t matter, but until graduation, you can get demerits both inside and outside the school without exception.

“Ah, I understand.”

“But every year, new students don’t know that, so when they hear informal speech from someone they don’t know, they feel bad.” Ah, of course, I think I could do that too! Originally, it’s normal to use honorifics with people you meet outside, regardless of their age or position. So… so I was worried. I’m sorry.

“There is no reason to apologize for delivering the right words.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Hee-shin shyly smiled and looked over here.

Seeing him constantly blush, it seems he has a lot of heat in his body. It was rare to see someone with such a gaunt body and distinct Yang energy, so I moved on while observing his complexion.

To break the silence, Hershey suddenly speaks up.

“I heard it, but… your hair color is really pretty.” It’s such a petal-like light pink, I was really surprised.

“Mm.”

“⋯Ah!” Sorry if that was rude! I didn’t mean it that way.

“I don’t really care.” I was just surprised because I had never thought of it that way.

Now, the young man, whose earlobes and nape were bright red, walked with a creaking sound.

Until they arrived at the main hall, the young man did not speak again, but thanks to that, the path behind him was not boring.