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

The group heading to the Sieron Academy consisted of me, the Serbel siblings, four knights, and a coachman, totaling eight people.

Since the departure had been delayed, everyone, except for the coachman, mounted their horses and urged them forward to make up for lost time.

The clattering sound of the empty wagon was loud and disturbing to the ears.

Michael had cried and thrown a tantrum so much that my chest still ached, and I found it difficult to force a smile.

In contrast, the knights selected from both the Ernhardt and Serbel families looked so cheerful that it seemed they couldn’t contain their joy.

Even when Sir Ventus, who had led the knights when we were heading to the Serbel family’s villa, rode beside me, I found his constantly smiling face odd. I finally spoke up about it.

“What’s making you so happy?”

“There’s nothing bad about it. Thanks to the young master, we’ve gone to the capital twice this year. If it weren’t for things like this, we wouldn’t get the chance to leave the territory. Ernhardt territory is peaceful and nice, but it’s not an appealing place for young knights.”

“Eh? Sir Ventus, you’re not a young knight anymore.”

“What are you talking about? At heart, I’m still young.”

“Hmm.”

One of the knights riding beside us made a joke.

Sir Ian Ventus was 43, but because of his cheerful nature and youthful appearance, people often treated him like someone in his early thirties.

Since he was about the same age as I was when I died in the Central Plains, I thought of him as a young man.

In both the Central Plains and Sieron, the age of a warrior was hard to determine just by looking at their face.

Mana flows through the lower dantian and then spreads out, while mages age according to their natural constitution. However, their aura penetrates into their muscles and veins, leaving a trace in their bodies.

Thanks to this, most knights appeared younger than their actual age.

Sir Ventus, after chatting with the other knights for a while, explained further.

“Anyway, when you wear a sword, there are a lot of documents you need to submit when you enter a foreign territory. That’s why it’s rare for us to leave. Plus, Ernhardt’s young baron rarely goes on summer vacation, so it’s definitely something to be happy about.”

I had never paid attention to those who traveled between territories.

In the Central Plains, all lands were under the Emperor’s rule.

There were many people with the power to fight off mountain bandits between villages, so they could easily travel across the vast land without concern.

However, in Sieron, everyone was tied to a specific territory, so to move to another, various documents were required.

A certificate proving no crimes were committed, a report on the current financial situation, and a permit for the purpose of travel…

I had never had to handle these things myself, so I was unfamiliar with them.

Did they have such procedures in the Central Plains? I thought about the common folk who lived and died like mayflies, but I couldn’t know for sure now.

While laughing heartily with the knights and discussing the movement and migration between territories, the Serbel siblings approached and joined in the conversation.

“Most business successions are based on blood relations for this reason.”

“Business?”

“You know, like the large merchant guilds like McFerron or Eldos, as well as smaller ones, all put the family name of the owner in front. If I say my grandfather and father did business the same way, and I’ll be fine buying and selling goods, the approval process is simplified.”

“Of course, it’s also because naming is difficult.”

“Exactly. A name like ‘Bright Light’ was once considered innovative, but now it’s seen as ridiculous.”

“…What’s that? Is it a lighting equipment merchant?”

“No, it’s a merchant selling academy entrance exam guides. When the academy was first established, it was popular to quote theologians to sound impressive. They said that students using that book would have a bright future.”

“Really? Do they still use that? I studied with it.”

“So did I.”

The knights were talking about the academy entrance exam reference books in a way that intrigued me. I had never had to take an entrance exam myself, as I was a noble and paid a large entrance fee instead.

I remembered that my admission was secured with a recommendation from the Ernhardt family, a set entrance fee, and an interview with a counselor, during which I demonstrated some martial arts.

Since most knights were affiliated with noble families from the start, they often faced academy graduates, and it seemed they sometimes tried their hand at the entrance exam.

As a result, the competition was fierce, and among the four knights here, only Sir Ventus had been accepted and studied at the academy.

The topic naturally shifted to the academy’s professors, and the conversation turned to Maelo Sanson.

Sir Ventus, who usually avoided mentioning it in front of Michael, brought it up.

“Sir Sanson was already a legend by the time I enrolled. Back then, he wasn’t a professor yet, but a top graduate who was immediately recruited by the Imperial Knights after graduation. I was a few years behind him, but every class, they’d tell us to study like Sir Sanson.”

“…Professor Sanson was also a senior at the academy?”

“Of course. He was the student representative that year. His swordsmanship was exceptional, and he was known for acing every theory exam. There’s even a saying that swordsmanship teaching is divided into ‘before Sanson’ and ‘after Sanson.’ Thanks to him, the mindset that swordsmanship students can be somewhat ignorant was completely eradicated.”

It was fascinating to hear that both Sir Ventus and Maelo Sanson had studied under the same swordsmanship professor.

Since Maelo Sanson was a human, he couldn’t have been born strong, but hearing stories about the strength of a young warrior up close was astonishing.

Sir Ian Ventus, who entered the Sieron Academy at the age of 15, explained that by the time Maelo Sanson was in his early twenties, he had already been serving in the Imperial Knights, so they had never spoken directly, but he had heard many rumors about him.

I had been paying close attention to Maelo Sanson, so I already knew a lot about him.

Maelo Sanson was strict about waking up and sleeping times, but he was not picky about food, and although he liked jokes, he wasn’t very good at them.

He was close to Professor Cedric, who taught camping classes.

However, it was surprising to hear that Maelo Sanson, who was now famous for his relaxed speech and demeanor, had once been strict and stern as a student.

I was fascinated and kept asking about him, eager to learn more.

Sir Ventus knew an astonishing amount about Sanson.

Then again, wasn’t it the same with everyone here in Sieron? The people here, probably because of their noble backgrounds, seemed to share a natural tendency to gossip about each other’s openly known information.

When I asked if anyone had a past they wished to hide, I couldn’t help but recall Damien Christopher’s face when he had asked, “Isn’t it better not to do shameful things?”

For Sir Ventus, talking about Maelo Sanson must have felt similar to how I hear stories about Wesley Kiadris every week.

I had never met Wesley Kiadris, but I had heard so much about him that I knew him well.

He was the Grand Sword Master closest to my age.

“I remember it was the year after Maelo Sanson became a Grand Sword Master that he graduated. If I had entered the academy just one year earlier, I might have at least shaken hands with Sir Sanson. Even now, I sometimes feel regretful about it.”

“Shaken hands? How?”

“I heard that right after he reached that level, he came to thank the professor for his guidance and to pay his respects. The professor was so proud and bragged about it endlessly… He even said that Sir Sanson rejecting the position of the Imperial Knights Commander to become a professor at the academy was all thanks to him. He bragged about it non-stop.”

The professor who taught them was also a Sword Master, now retired and enjoying a good life in a fine mansion.

The nostalgic tone in Sir Ventus’s voice as he spoke about his teacher was pleasant to listen to.

In Central, it was a well-accepted belief that a teacher and student were like one body. A single teacher typically had only a few disciples. To raise a child into a true warrior could take up to ten years. Because of this, a disciple inherited the teacher’s gratitude and grudges, paying them back through their actions.

It was a time when a person’s identity as someone’s child or disciple could determine their entire social status.

On the other hand, in Sieron, it was normal for a teacher to have multiple disciples. They would often remember their teacher fondly and visit them occasionally with respect. Sir Ventus was no different—though he had been too busy with life to visit often, he intended to visit his teacher again soon, which made me nod with appreciation for his warm sentiment.

As we continued talking while walking, we reached our target village by midnight, when the dark night had settled. Due to the late departure, we had traveled late into the night, but from tomorrow onward, we would be able to reach the academy on time by traveling only during the day. I accepted this and immediately went to bed.

* * *

I woke up to the fresh morning air. My body, trained through consistent practice, was not tired from a single day of riding.

I had woken up earlier than the rest of the group, so I strapped on my sword and descended to the first floor of the inn. Similar to inns in the Central region, the Sieron inn had a large hall on the ground floor for meals and guest rooms on the upper floor.

Despite the early hour, I noticed several tables already occupied. Though I was preparing for my training, I was concerned about drawing my sword recklessly in a public place, so instead of heading directly to an open area, I chose an empty table to sit at.

Without needing to be called, a young waitress quickly approached and spoke.

“Breakfast is free for those staying at the inn! You can choose between two types of meat stew—one spicy, the other mild. Which would you prefer?”

“I’m fine with the food… but is there an open area nearby where I can practice with my sword?”

“Oh… are you planning to duel this early?”

“No, just by myself.”

“Oh, well, if it’s just for yourself, there’s an open space behind the stable if you walk around the left side of the inn. It’s not walled in, though—would that be okay?”

“Yes, thank you. If my companions come looking for me, could you let them know I’m there?”

“You came with the four knights, right?”

“Yes.”

The young waitress nodded kindly and confirmed, then went on her way.

A few armored knights sitting nearby, shoveling meat stew into their mouths, glanced over at me, but they were mostly low-tier to mid-tier warriors, so I paid them no mind.