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

Friday afternoon, during the second week of October.

As usual, we boarded the carriages lined up in front of the academy’s main gate by groups.

There aren’t many forests in the Sieron Empire. Most of the vast land is flat plains.

While there are occasionally some higher elevations, such as the lake at Count Serbel’s estate, which I visited during the summer break, the terrain is much gentler compared to the mountains of the central plains, and they could only be called hills.

To find a real mountain or forest, we had to head north.

In the north of the continent is the Unique Mountain Range.

It is said that snow never melts from the middle to the peak of the Unique Mountain Range. Naturally, Cedric didn’t entertain the crazy idea of taking us to explore the entire mountain range.

If you travel for just half a day from the capital, you would reach the end of the ridge of the Unique Mountain Range, which stretches like a giant hook.

The lowest peak in the range, Mount Eldos, is about 1,000 meters above sea level.

Moreover, the path was well-maintained enough for students who weren’t trained in martial arts to pass through.

Having already seen maps of the continent several times, and with Cedric Professor always unfolding the map and explaining the location of the campsite before every trip, I felt no anxiety during the carriage ride.

The children, chattering excitedly about the toys they had brought along for everyone after gathering the materials they needed, were very cute.

The carriages that had dropped the children off at the campsite below Mount Eldos began returning to the capital. Cedric gathered the children around and repeated the precautions he had given us many times before.

“Do not act alone, do not do anything sudden, do not eat anything you find…,” he said. These were the same warnings we had heard repeatedly, so the children all chirped a resounding “Yes!” in unison, like little chicks.

Cedric, smiling at their responses, nodded and began pulling out several bundles.

“I have a gift for our brave little ones. Alright, group leaders, come forward and hand these out to your team members.”

Damien stepped forward and took the bundles.

Five long sticks, tied with red ribbons, were inside. The outer part of the sticks was made of paper, and a long string hung from the bottom. Two magic stones were embedded in the middle of the stick, which made it clear they were artifacts.

Cedric immediately began explaining.

“Everyone, make sure you have one. This is a type-2 emergency signal device, commonly called an emergency fire. If something dangerous happens, point the side without the string upwards and pull the string. A flame, not hot, will rise above your head.”

Cedric pretended to demonstrate by pulling the string but didn’t actually pull it. There was no need to waste the artifact since the method was simple. I assumed it was something similar to a signal fire.

“Use this ring on the side to properly attach it to your belt. If you get isolated or lost, don’t hesitate to use it. I’ll come to rescue you personally. Don’t worry about losing points for using it. Understand?”

“Yes!”

All the children and I strapped the emergency fire devices to our belts. The sticks, about the length of a palm, weren’t as bothersome as I had expected.

After checking that all the children had properly fastened the artifacts to their belts, Cedric firmly reminded us once more.

“The terrain we explored last time, the plains, had open visibility, so there was no danger. The marshland had narrow paths, so there was no risk of getting lost. But here, it’s different. Mount Eldos may be a low mountain, but because it connects to the Unique Mountain Range to the north, getting lost here could be serious.”

“…”

“Now, let’s review how to find direction in the forest. Do you remember the name of the tree next to us?”

“The Rondo Nofers tree!”

“Good, three bonus points for Group 3. The bark of the Rondo Nofers tree cracks like a pine tree’s bark, but the southern-facing side is wide and about a palm’s width, while the northern-facing side is narrow, only about two finger widths. You determine the direction by looking at the width of the bark, not the length.”

Cedric also gave a lecture on how to determine direction by observing moss, the sky, and other indicators.

Since I had already learned this last week, I found myself paying less attention than the others, many of whom were excitedly discussing among themselves.

Cedric asked several questions repeatedly to ensure the children understood the precautions before clapping twice to grab everyone’s attention.

“Alright, let’s begin. Group 1, head out first.”

The children lined up and headed toward the forest.

The tall, dense green trees whispered with the sound of their leaves brushing against each other in the wind.

It felt as though we were walking into the gaping mouth of a giant creature.

I was accustomed to forests.

Anhui, the region where my family lives, is famous for Huangshan, one of the most remarkable mountains in the Three Mountains and Five Peaks.

From the top of Lotus Peak, you can see the spectacular scene of a sea of clouds below your feet.

Many of the martial arts sects I had visited to pay respects were also located in high mountains.

A skilled martial artist could climb a cliff with his arms folded behind his back.

I, too, enjoyed the feeling of standing on a broad peak while facing the cold dawn breeze, taking in the expansive view.

The gap between the trees was narrow, and despite the dark forest, I had no fear. It was natural for me to lead the children at the front.

To find herbs, we needed to leave the well-maintained trail, so I purposely led them along a rougher path. The trees were so dense that I had to chop away branches at head height with my sword to continue.

Other than that, the exploration was smooth, but the children seemed to grow increasingly uneasy as we walked through the dim forest path. They began to grumble quietly to each other.

Noticing Jenny’s dark expression, I stopped to comfort her. She sighed heavily and said,

“Among the things we need to find today, the Musiz moss and Sorol branches can only be found on the damp, rotting stumps, but with the ground so dry from the lack of rain, I don’t know when we’ll be able to find them. The competition for them will definitely be fierce.”

“…Ah.”

“Why are you looking at me like that, Mikael?”

“It’s nothing.”

I realized that she wasn’t afraid but worried that the other groups might collect the materials before us. I felt relieved and continued on the path.

We had started the hike around lunchtime, but after more than an hour, we hadn’t found anything.

We had been circling the base of the mountain, passing the same areas multiple times without any luck.

The branches above were thick, and little sunlight reached the ground.

“…Wow, it’s darker than I thought.”

“Doesn’t it feel a bit creepy? Should we light a lantern?”

“If we walk with a lantern, we might trip… Ah!”

“Ugh, ugh… Thank you. Phew… almost met the goddess there…”

Damien caught Jenny just before she tripped over a tree root, and neither of them fell.

Amid the sighs of the children, Marianne brightened up and raised her voice.

“Ah, there! That’s it! The Paladin Mushroom! Right? It’s white!”

“Ah, yes, I think that’s it! Yes, that’s it!”

Everyone cheered upon finding the target. After carefully picking the mushrooms as we had been taught, our spirits lifted.

We chattered happily, talking about finishing the task and then roasting sweet potatoes and chestnuts.

Another hour passed.

I could feel the children’s breathing becoming more labored, so as soon as we found a flat area, I stopped.

Like when we were in the desert terrain greenhouse, it was clear that the children weren’t in good physical shape, and they couldn’t hide their fatigue from the long hike.

We had left heavy food and sleeping bags at the assembly point, traveling as light as possible, but they were still exhausted.

As soon as the suggestion to rest was made, the two girls immediately collapsed and began catching their breath, while Damien wiped his face with a handkerchief, his shirt soaked in sweat.

Ivan Holmos took two sips of water to relieve his fatigue and leaned his back against a nearby tree.

Even though Marianne urged him to sit and rest, the boy quietly shook his head and looked back at me.

I, who trained physically every morning and evening, wasn’t likely to tire from a mere two or three hours of hiking. With a calm face, I looked at him and, suddenly thinking of something, asked,

“Um… how about I go get the moss and the branches?”

“Mikael, you have trouble identifying herbs. This isn’t like picking cactus fruits.”

“…I’ll go with you.”

Ivan suddenly spoke up. Perhaps it was because he was struggling, but the other children didn’t object.

It was clear to me that Ivan, too, was having a harder time than usual, and I began to feel worried.

“Ivan looks like he’s struggling too.”

“I’m fine. There are many hills near my family’s home, so my legs are pretty strong.”

“…I see.”

“If it gets too much, I’ll just ask you to carry me, Mikael.”

“Eh?”

The children burst into laughter.

My anxiety about leaving the kids behind melted away.

Since it was dangerous to wander the mountain after sunset, the hike had to be completed within five hours. I decided it would be better for me to exert myself more in order to gather all the materials in time.

I placed the box with the mushrooms I had already collected beside the children and unpacked a few other supplies to leave with them.

“Don’t go anywhere, wait here.”

“Ah, I’m too tired to go anywhere. Don’t worry, Mikael.”

“I’ll take care of them.”

Damien responded cheerfully, but it wasn’t him I trusted.

Damien hadn’t learned martial arts, and he was still too immature to be relied on as an adult.

He wasn’t even carrying a sword, and he didn’t know how to properly use his body, so I couldn’t feel reassured.

But if Marianne was with them, things were different.

Edwin Kiadris was a formidable opponent, matching my own skill level. I had learned from experience just how powerful a seemingly frail wizard could be.

Based on that experience, I was confident that even though Marianne was still a 1st Circle mage, she could handle a wild animal or two with a bit of fire.

“Alright, I’ll be back soon.”

I shouldn’t have said that.